Cn i nt ast Tree te 34. ~ Friday, December 5, 1997 — North Shore News Poway rena Layne Christensen News Reporter BARNEY, watch your back. The lov- able characters uf Babblebrook may soon be hard on your fuzzy purple hicels, Myrtle the Turtle, Raoul the Owl and their pals are standard fare on Sesaute Park, Canada’s version of Sesame Street. Now the “claymation.” characters have their own CD. Linch boxes, Tshirts and a CD-ROM may be next if the characters’ creator Mare LaFrance has his wav. The North Van rocker has recorded with Motley Crue ond toured with Crowcuss, Now at 43, he’s happy to trade in raunchy lyrics for singing “in character” as Lee the Bee silly tunes like: “Brush your teeth, brush your teeth, brush them every day. Up and down and all around, - brush the food away.” “There’s nothing like going from hard rock to making these funny voices,” says LaFrance with a laugh and a wry smile as he fast-forwards through a segment of Aabblebrook on his VCR. At home in his North Vancouver condo, with his kids Jeunesse, 9, and Danielle, 14, doing their homework in the kitchen, he’s like any suburban dad. Not like the long-haired hard-rocker who's belted out vocals with Motley Crue, Alice Cooper and the Scorpions. How does he reconcile the disparate sides to his career? “I don’t thing you should limit yourself,” says LaFrance, *"ho has also paid the hills singing jin- gles for CU.xc, Pontiac and McDonald's. It was his kids who tuned him in to the mag- ical, mystical world of make-believe —— and the potentially lucrative market of children’s pro- gramming. _ The family was taking a drive through Dundarave one summer afternoon when his youngest daughter pipzd up from the back seat: ee te Last Chance Holiday Portraits To Babblebrook “Dad, have you ever been to Babblebrook?” That was tive vears ago. The idea for a children’s musical recording and a “IV seg- nent evolved from there. LaFrance collaborated with composer Bob Buckley, who scores the music for the chil- dren’s animated series Reboot, to put names and voices to the inhabitants of Babblebrook. Animaror Robert Kirbyson was called on to design the characters, which were shaped from clay. To date, three pwo-minute “claymation” segments have been produced and are airing on Sesame Park. Vlans are tor LaFrance and his creative team to animate the remaining seven songs on the Babblebrook CD and produce a full-length TV show. The Babblebruok recording was released in October, the same month that LaFrange’s hard-rock band BlackSrone launched its debut CD in Europe. LaFrance still likes to rock, but he admits there's a certain appeal to recording children’s music. “This wpe of thing (Babblebrook) is almost timeless. Every other record Pve warked on, they’ve gota shelf life where they get tied to a certain era,” says the musician whose cavly-carcer crecits include singing back-up to Glass Tiger, Zappacosta and Donna Summer. Another added bonus is having a perpetually captive audience, one that never grows older because each year there’s a fresh new group of preschoolers eager to hear your songs. “And they’re not worried about whether it's hip hop or alternative or metal,” says LaFrance. Photo submitted AT the 1989 recording of Motley Crue's Dr. Feelgood album Marc LaFrance (second from left) is joined by (left to right) David Steele, Bryan Adams, Jack Blades, Steven Tyler and Vince Neil. \ FURNITURE REFINISHING Still time for a few more jobs ye before Christmas. Ryad Father and son team, serving the North Shore for the past 25 years. <2 : : Doug and Rudy Pahl @ ©=—- 5000 jobs completed. Seat caning AA Furniture Repair 980- rear at 139 E. 2nd St. N.Vau. Time and Again Antiquities WATCH FOR OUR Waag GRAND OPENING AD 122 West 16th, North Vancouver 24 sored cas 3 NEWS photo Brad Ledwidge MARC LaFrance has recorded with Motley Crue and Cher. Now the North Van rocker is singing for preschoolers on his newly released Babblebrook CD. CINEMA LISTINGS Park & Tilford Cineplex 200 — 333 Brooksbank, North Vancouver (985- V1): 3911): Alien: Resurrection — 7:10, 9:45 p.m. daily, Saturday matinee 1:35 p.ni. Hanging Garden — 7:30, 9:35 p.m. daily. Starship Troopers — 1:50 p.m. Saturday. The Full Monty —— 7:25, 9:25 p.m. daily. Anastasia — 7:15, 9:35 p.m. daily, Saturday mati- nee 2:15 pm. Wings of the Dove — 7:20 p.m. daily, Saturday matinee 1:45 p.m. Mortal Combat: Annihilation — 9:30 p.m. daily. The jackal — 7, 9:40 p.m. daily, Saturday mati- nee 1:30 p.m. Esplanade 6 Cinemas 200 W. Esplanade, North Vancouver (983-2762) Flubber — 7, 7:30, 9:15 and 9:45 p.m. daily. Weekend matinees 12, 12:30, 2:15, 2:45, 4:30. 5 hm. Wind in the Willows — 7:25, 9:30 p.m. daily. Weekend matinees 1:30, 3:45 p.m. . Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil— 6:55 and 10 p.m. daily. Weekend matinees 12:50 ard 3:55 p.m. . Rainmaker — 7:05 and 9:50 p.m. daily. Weekend matinees 1:15 and 4 p.m. Bean —- 7:15 and 9:20 p.m. daily. Weekend mati- nees 1, 3:30 p.m. Caprice Park Royal South West Vancouver (926-6699) Prices: Mad City — 7:10 p.m. daily. The ODevil’s Advocate — 9:20 p.m. daily. Seven Years in Tibet — 7 and 9:35 p.m. daily. Red Corner — 7:05 p.m. daily. LA Confidential — 9:25 p.m. daily. the individual. © welcome! evaluations. ORTHOTICS * PERSONAL TRAINING ‘| PRIVATE CLINIC | “e Recovery programs tailored to. * Aggréssive, fast-track programs for’ rehabilitation and fitness. | © MSP, WCB and ICBC claims are e NEW: FootMaxx - personal N.S. Orthopaedic & Sports Clinic #308-125 E. 13th North Vancouver 987-5291 Calendar from page 21 5. ement Rao with Mark Fortan Dec. 6. Beverly Elier, Dec. 7. 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