When David Bowie heard the Langley Schools Music Project version of his hit 91裸聊视频淪pace Oddity,91裸聊视频� the rock star was an instant fan.

91裸聊视频淭he backing arrangement is astounding,91裸聊视频� Bowie said.

91裸聊视频淐oupled with the earnest if lugubrious vocal performance, you have a piece of art that I couldn91裸聊视频檛 have conceived of,91裸聊视频� he added.

The 60-voice chorus of Langley students also covered tunes by the Beach Boys, Paul McCartney, Klaatu, The Bay City Rollers, and others.

Music teacher Hans Fenger arranged and conducted the 1976-77 recordings, which were captured on a two-track tape deck, then pressed on two 1291裸聊视频� LPs, exclusively for the students, their classmates, teachers, and parents.

The albums would have remained in obscurity if it wasn91裸聊视频檛 for Brian Linds, a Victoria record collector, who found the first record in a thrift store in 2000.

That brought the albums to the attention of record producer Irwin Chusid, who set up a licensing agreement with the Langley school district administrators and oversaw creation of a CD compilation of the two LPs.

91裸聊视频淚nnocence and Despair91裸聊视频� as it was called, made many end-of-the-year best album lists in 2001.

91裸聊视频淭he echoing, yelping renditions of this feel-good music gives off a powerfully aching melancholy, said music critic Steven Hyden.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 the sound of youth, frozen on tape, as it fades inexorably away.91裸聊视频�

This year, the two albums have been re-released for a second time on vinyl LPs by a U.S. record company that specializes in 91裸聊视频渙utsider music.91裸聊视频� The audio has been cleaned up and two bonus tracks with liner notes added.

91裸聊视频淚t was all kind of an amateurish project,91裸聊视频� said Fenger, who estimates the initial album pressing cost about $40.

91裸聊视频淥nly 200 were pressed. Everything was one take in the gymnasium.91裸聊视频�

He said he was hired as a music teacher even though he knew virtually nothing about conventional music education, because the Langley School district was desperate for teachers.

91裸聊视频淚 was in a rock and roll band,91裸聊视频� he said.

91裸聊视频淚 was kind of a hippy.91裸聊视频�

The Langley story has been cited as the inspiration behind the comedy film School of Rock, starring Jack Black.

Fenger said he hasn91裸聊视频檛 made any money off the film, which he noted has only a loose connection with his story.

91裸聊视频淭hey91裸聊视频檙e both fish-out-of-water-tales.91裸聊视频�

After his time teaching, Fenger said he went back to music, joined another rock and roll band, then retired.

He was happy to hear that the songs have been re-issued.

91裸聊视频淚t never stops.91裸聊视频�

The songs from the project have been used in various film and TV projects:

91裸聊视频淕ood Vibrations91裸聊视频� was licensed for the soundtrack of the film 91裸聊视频淐atfish.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淐alling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft91裸聊视频� was used to close the film 91裸聊视频淎rabian Nights91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频�, Volume 3.[6]

91裸聊视频淪pace Oddity91裸聊视频� was used in the closing of the film 91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频橶onderstruck91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频�.

Their version of 91裸聊视频淩hiannon91裸聊视频� was used in the closing credits of the HBO series 91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频橦ere and Now91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频�.

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dan.ferguson@langleytimes.com
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