Theodore “Care” Bear
Original Release Date: 08/01/1922
New Bear City can be maddening. The cacophonous noise, the flaming garbage, the constant drone of shuffling paws grabbing a cab or hanging on for dear life on the magnetic rail line. But south of the city (hundreds of miles south, to be exact) where the sun shines a little bit brighter, where the flies are a little bit bigger, and the food is a little bit fresher and always drizzled in honey. Despite the brutal heat, Theodore Bear made his bones in the field of masonry. A warm and caring fellow, the neighborhood could always count on him to serenade the townsfolk or offer a beat to soothe even the most savage of beats. The rhythmic splat and slam of mortar onto fresh bricks kept his ears perked and his foot tapping. In the 20s, the law was just as oppressive as the heat, and a hearty whistle from the lips of Theodore, or "Care" as his friends called him, landed him in jail. As it turns out, happiness was still a crime, and whistling was punishable by up to 25 years behind bars. Before that point, Care had not envisioned his brick-laying talents would ever translate into recorded melodies that would enrapture the populace for centuries. While serving out his sentence, which was eventually reduced to 24 years due to good behavior, Teddy recorded his eponymous debut "Care Bear." Using instruments built from various elements from his 6 x 6 jail cell, including metal strips from his radiator, a tissue box, and a brown bottle with a gaping hole in the bottom, he managed to invoke elaborate arrangements that orchestras would have killed for. The most endearing track on the album, "Honeycomb Blues," is barely over 2 minutes (the longest track, amazingly, of the eight in total) but stuck with listeners permanently for it's ethereal, bouncing, thumping melody. Enough has been said of the progenitor of Bear Blues, but no one had seen his style recreated faithfully until his grandson rocked the streets of New Bear City with his pizza-inspired beats...
Side A
Whistle While You Work
Sting Me!
Honeycomb Blues
Hibernation
Side B
25 To Life
Caring & Sharing
It Takes A Village
Goldie Locks Ain't Got Nothin' On Me