Power Records Star Trek Revisited

[ZapBrannigan]

Re: the closed thread from 2009 on vinyl story albums for kids, I never had these but I should have. I just now checked out the beginning of "A Mirror for Futility" on Youtube, and Sulu sounds like the voice of Gene Roddenberry. Can that be right, and was it credited?

 

[wayne66]

I never had these either. I have listened to them on YouTube and they are fun to listen to. I do not think it was Roddenberry. I have heard from others that it was the usual crew of voice actors who did all of those Power Records adaptations of 1960s and 1970s television shows. Also on YouTube somebody did a TAS style animated version of one of the episodes. It was really good. Finally, I once heard a rumor that the original cast did the voicework for these episodes. The guy who did the Beyond Antares animated episode made that claim. I sure wish that was true. Would love to get more animated episodes with the original cast. Probably not true, but I wish somebody would investigate this claim further. P.S. I am sure most of you know that Alan Dean Foster wrote 6 or 7 of these stories.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Finally, I once heard a rumor that the original cast did the voicework for these episodes.

Obviously it's not.

P.S. I am sure most of you know that Alan Dean Foster wrote 6 or 7 of these stories.

Yes, a few at least.

In "The Crier in Emptiness", Arex had to be redrawn as a human (and renamed Connors) for the Power Records comic because ownership of his image was in flux, having been created for the Filmation animated "Star Trek" TV series. Arex's "Edoan elisiar" was allowed to stay. Notice how the human Connors often has an awkward stance, indicating that an extra arm and leg have been erased at short notice. (His name also overlaps the speech balloon border at times. A "paste-up" over the shorter word "Arex"?) So how does Mr Connors play an Edoan elisiar with only four limbs?


Edoan Elisiar instrument by Ian McLean, on Flickr

In "Passage to Moauv", Lieutenant M'Ress had to be redrawn for the Power Records comic because ownership of her image was similarly in flux at the time, having been created for the Filmation animated "Star Trek" TV series. She looks rather like Marta the Orion woman (Yvonne Craig) of TOS here.


Passage to Moauv by Ian McLean, on Flickr

More info:
https://www.startrekcomics.info/power.html
http://www.danhausertrek.com/Records/About.html

 

[ZapBrannigan]

I never had these either. I have listened to them on YouTube and they are fun to listen to. I do not think it was Roddenberry.

I've listened to some more of the Power Records Sulu, and I'm now certain it was Gene Roddenberry. And he did it with more than a whiff of a faux "foreign" accent. And I suspect he played Scotty on the intercom.

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[Ssosmcin]

I find it a little hard to believe that Roddenberry would have done it. Not because making a quick buck off Star Trek was beneath him, but because he never, ever mentioned it. Nor did Power Records promote it (featuring Star Trek creator GENE RODDENBERRY "The Great Bird of the Galaxy" himself!!!). I'd have to so with "Similar sounding voice artist." Power Records seemed to have their house performers who did dozens of these things. I'll have to go through my library to see if I can spot this voice artist on another record.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

I find it a little hard to believe that Roddenberry would have done it. Not because making a quick buck off Star Trek was beneath him, but because he never, ever mentioned it. Nor did Power Records promote it (featuring Star Trek creator GENE RODDENBERRY "The Great Bird of the Galaxy" himself!!!). I'd have to so with "Similar sounding voice artist." Power Records seemed to have their house performers who did dozens of these things. I'll have to go through my library to see if I can spot this voice artist on another record.

I'm telling you, I've never been more sure of a thing like this. I recognize his voice. Compare LP-Sulu to Gene Roddenberry talking on the LP Inside Star Trek. It isn't just the pitch and timbre and his voice, it's the second-syllable inflections and things like that, that are extremely distinctive. Same vocal cords, same way of talking, slight put-on accent.

 

[Ssosmcin]

Sorry, Zap, I'm not convinced. Comparing Gene's voice from Inside Star Trek to Sulu in "The Crier in Emptiness", I don't see it being more than similar. Hell, I'm not even convinced the guy playing Sulu is different than the fella voicing Connors. And I know Gene couldn't pull off an accent. He was actually a pretty unique speaker. He always sounded short of breath and deliberate.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

Sorry, Zap, I'm not convinced. Comparing Gene's voice from Inside Star Trek to Sulu in "The Crier in Emptiness", I don't see it being more than similar. Hell, I'm not even convinced the guy playing Sulu is different than the fella voicing Connors. And I know Gene couldn't pull off an accent. He was actually a pretty unique speaker. He always sounded short of breath and deliberate.

I'm referring to Sulu in the early minutes of "A Mirror for Futility." I haven't checked the other stuff.

 

[Ssosmcin]

I'm referring to Sulu in the early minutes of "A Mirror for Futility." I haven't checked the other stuff.

Okay, I ran that one and I can see why you'd feel it may be Roddenberry, but after listening a bit, I still don't agree. Roddenberry's voice had some of the same qualities, but I can't say it's identical. Actually, it almost sounds like Sulu and Scotty are the same voice artist (I imagine they doubled up a few). And this guy was a pretty good actor, wheere Gene probably wouldn't have bee. And Roddenberry would never say "detecTOR" like this guy did .

 

[ZapBrannigan]

Okay, I ran that one and I can see why you'd feel it may be Roddenberry, but after listening a bit, I still don't agree. Roddenberry's voice had some of the same qualities, but I can't say it's identical. Actually, it almost sounds like Sulu and Scotty are the same voice artist (I imagine they doubled up a few). And this guy was a pretty good actor (and Roddenberry would never say "detecTOR").

I'll just have to agree to disagree, pending further listening.

 

[Ssosmcin]

And I still think Gene would have mentioned it and played it up. The Great Credit Grabber of the Galaxy would have at the very least had it in his papers. None of his biographies mentioned it.

If you can dig up some proof, I'd be happy to believe it, but just based on these recordings, I gotta say "nah."

 

[ZapBrannigan]

And I still think Gene would have mentioned it and played it up. The Great Credit Grabber of the Galaxy would have at the very least had it in his papers. None of his biographies mentioned it.

If you can dig up some proof, I'd be happy to believe it, but just based on these recordings, I gotta say "nah."

Alan Dean Foster is still alive, and he has a website and everything. I'm behind a firewall at work, but maybe I can try to ask him tomorrow. Sometimes famous people respond.

 

[LMFAOschwarz]

And I still think Gene would have mentioned it and played it up. The Great Credit Grabber of the Galaxy

great credit grabber of the galaxy

would have at the very least had it in his papers. None of his biographies mentioned it.

You may well be right, but I suppose there is precedent: didn't Roddenberry voice the guy on the intercom in Charlie X, the one talking about "turkeys, real turkeys"?

 

[ZapBrannigan]

You may well be right, but I suppose there is precedent: didn't Roddenberry voice the guy on the intercom in Charlie X, the one talking about "turkeys, real turkeys"?

That's right, he did. And GR also contributed to the bridge intercom chatter in episodes like "Arena", where you hear things like "Gravity is down to Point Eight" and "A-G Section acknowledging." If I remember correctly, Gene's line was "Communicator, we need more lines to the Impulse Deck."

If I'm not mistaken, I got this info from Justman and Solow's book, but also GR's voice is quite recognizable.

 

[LMFAOschwarz]

Ah yes, the bridge speaker chatter. I remember having the thought about that 'AG section acknowledging' line was that I thought it might be Majel Barrett's voice.

I never heard these records before, but decided to dive in, frankly expecting them to be pretty stupid. I was very wrong to think that...they're quite fun, and it's intetesting that the overall characterizations are surprisingly on or near target. The writing definitely reflects a familiarity with the series.
There does seem to be a tendency with "adaptation" versions of McCoy where he becomes more cantankerous and snappish than he "really" would be, at least as often. You never seem to get the "why not try a carrot instead of a stick" McCoy, or the "Why not ask Jim Kirk? He's a pretty honest guy" McCoy. It's always the "dammit Jim I'm a doctor, not a blasted switchboard operator!" McCoy. I suppose the abbreviated nature of the stories don't lend themselves to that type of dialogue. A bit jarring at times, with original-era McCoy suddenly with a temperament you'd expect in maybe Encounter at Farpoint!

 

[Ssosmcin]

That's right, he did. And GR also contributed to the bridge intercom chatter in episodes like "Arena", where you hear things like "Gravity is down to Point Eight" and "A-G Section acknowledging." If I remember correctly, Gene's line was "Communicator, we need more lines to the Impulse Deck."

If I'm not mistaken, I got this info from Justman and Solow's book, but also GR's voice is quite recognizable.

Sure, he did do those, but he was also the producer of the series, was deeply involved in production and people like Justman and Solo put that info in books. Power Records was, I think, based out of New York and Roddenberry wasn’t involved in their production any more than other tie-ins, I’d imagine. And the guy talking about “real turkeys” in the ovens doesn’t sound to me like the guy voicing Sulu on the record. Just sayin’.

What does Cushman say about it in his latest book?

 

[ZapBrannigan]

I sent an email to Mr. Foster. We'll have to wait and hope he knows.

 

[Ssosmcin]

I never heard these records before, but decided to dive in, frankly expecting them to be pretty stupid. I was very wrong to think that...they're quite fun, and it's intetesting that the overall characterizations are surprisingly on or near target. The writing definitely reflects a familiarity with the series.
There does seem to be a tendency with "adaptation" versions of McCoy where he becomes more cantankerous and snappish than he "really" would be, at least as often. You never seem to get the "why not try a carrot instead of a stick" McCoy, or the "Why not ask Jim Kirk? He's a pretty honest guy" McCoy. It's always the "dammit Jim I'm a doctor, not a blasted switchboard operator!" McCoy. I suppose the abbreviated nature of the stories don't lend themselves to that type of dialogue. A bit jarring at times, with original-era McCoy suddenly with a temperament you'd expect in maybe Encounter at Farpoint!

At roughly 12-15 minutes, they had to take the personality shortcuts. Kirk was overly stern, Spock was dry and McCoy was cranky. Scotty was an accent. There were no real moments of friendship and there was no trace of Kirk's charm. But they did have some decent stories, "A Mirror for Futility" was actually outstanding and would have made a great episode. However, some, like "The Robot Masters," were pretty dire.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

Alan Dean Foster got back to me, as follows:

Delighted to reply to your question. In answer…I have no idea. I think it unlikely, but not impossible. All production went through Power Records, not Norway Productions. We’re running out of survivors to answer such queries.
Best to y’all for the new year,
Alan

That's not the answer I was hoping for, but it's very kind of him to entertain my inquiry regardless.

I remain sure that I recognize Gene's voice in "A Mirror for Futility," but I accept the fact that my position is not catching on.

 

[Ssosmcin]

I gotta agree with ADF. While I won't say it's impossible, it's pretty unlikely. According to the printing on the albums, Power/Peter Pan Records was based out of Newark, NJ. So, unless Gene was in the area doing a lecture or a convention and decided on it as a lark, there's pretty much no way Power would pay him to come out, as well as front his transportation and hotel, when they could use their much cheaper house artists to do voices. I've got dozens of these recordings and they spread these people out across their entire line - for example, after the first three, they changed "Spock's" and the guy doing them for "Mirror" was also Steve Austin on the Six Million Dollar Man recordings. "Kirk" was also "Rudy Wells" from Six Mill and "Victor Bergaman" on the Space:1999 sets.