The Preaching Puppets - Lil' Mike at the Seashore/Sunshine Mountain 7"Pastor Bruce Rodrick was the man behind The Preaching Puppets on this 7" record. Puppets seemed to have been an effective way to deliver the Christian message to the children and puppets are probably still helpful today. According to this website, Rodrick hosted a couple of childrens' TV programs on a Tampa Bay. Florida station. One was a daily show called "Uncle Bruce" that was considerably secular although he emphasized teaching morals. The other show was a Sunday morning show called "Kids Bible Club" where he performed Bible drama with his puppets. This show had songs and a Bible quiz. Rodrick's main character other than himself was a dummy named Little Mike who appears on this record's first track.
There's nothing outrageous, over-the-top or anything extreme to be found on this record. This is an interesting example of the use of ventriloquism to convince children to believe in a particular supernatural entity and a religious stance. I still do not know if this was recorded during his stint in Tampa Bay or afterwards.
Tracklisting:
Side 1
1. Lil' Mike at the Seashore {4:42}
Side 2
1. Sunshine Mountain {3:21}
Impressive stuff grey calx! You really got an eye for the extraordinary. Where do you find it?
ReplyDeleteHi Dimmu. The Preaching Puppets 7" was given to me by a friend. I've had this record in my stacks for a few years. If I talk to her again, I'll ask her if she knows any more information about this. She used to have a similar local children's TV show with puppets from the 60s to the 80s although it was secular and there was hardly no emphasis on morality.
ReplyDelete