Artist:     Fred Mollin

Album:     It’s Great To Be A Kid

Label:     Melody Place / BMG

Release Date:     3.29.21

98.6

BUY DIGITAL

BUY PHYSICAL

“I Kid You Not.” Jack Parr, pioneer icon of the Tonight Show, would say that so many times that he wrote a book about it. When I say that this one is not for Elmore’s readers, I kid you not. It’s for their kids or grandkids from the ages of two to five. But here’s something to ponder for you big kids in the room. What does this narrow sample of a wide range of voices of distinction, Johnny Mathis, Willie Nelson, Glenn Campbell, Mandy Barnett, Lyle Lovett, Billy Joel, Linda Ronstadt, Michael McDonald, along with master songwriters Jimmy Webb, Lamont Dozier and Barry Mann, all have in common ? All have had music produced by Fred Mollin, and all of them once were kids.

It was the world-changing pandemic that led Mollin to this. Finding himself hunkered down with lots of time on his hands and a bunch of lyrics he wrote for his new-to-the-world grandchildren, he set the words to music and this is the my-T fine result, a labor of love. Actually, Mollin’s no novice at making music for the young ones: In the ’80s, he created the Canadian children’s musical group, Rugrats, and the first record, Rugrat Rock, got a Juno (Canada’s Grammy) for it. During his time at Disney running their label, he wrote and produced a series of lullaby albums and more, such as the music in the movie Cars.

Being the father of an only child (I am extremely proud of the adult he became), I claim no expertise at early child rearing, but I know someone I can turn to for that. His mother Anne, who was for many years a lead teacher at Vanderbilt University’s child care center, told me, “These songs are fun, and hit on all things kids love: playtime, going on walks, riding in the car, eating, dancing and singing. Some of the songs are interactive and help kids with their memory and observation skills as well as their imaginations.”

Now, take it from a big kid who’s been involved with making music for a zillion years now. If Fred Mollin’s involved with it, you can count on it being good stuff.

I kid you not.

—Ken Spooner