'The Raccoons' Soundtrack Released On Digital

For fans of a certain vintage, mentioning The Raccoons is sure to result in a flood of nostalgia. For those growing up in the 80s and  90s, the Canadian series was a perennial favourite. Starting life as a series of specials in the early 80s, it was then developed as a TV series which is celebrating its 40th Anniversary.

Set in the Evergreen Forest ("quiet, peaceful, serene") it follows the antics of the irrepressible Bert Raccoon and his friends as they try to save the forest from the ruthless business-Aardvark Cyril Sneer. Created by Kevin Gillis, the series is fondly remembered for its themes of environmentalism and friendship.

The series is also remembered for its New Wave soundtrack, particularly its iconic closing music, Run With Us, performed by cast member Lisa Lougheed. Beyond the opening and closing music, the series (and specials before them) featured plenty of original music. Much of the music was released on vinyl at the time, but has been unavailable ever since. Until now, that is, as part of the Anniversary celebration, the music is making its digital debut around the world.

The newly released music includes remastered classic tracks from the archive as well as fresh interpretations by contemporary artists. The album Evergreen Nights and the single Run With Us are available now on major streaming platforms, Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon. The music is published by 604 Records.

The music has been particularly successful with audiences in the UK, where the album had its most successful launch. The series was extremely popular in the country, where it aired on Children's BBC from 1987- 2002, and was later repeated on Boomerang. The British people have clearly taken The Raccoons to their hearts.

 “Our fandom in the UK have been patiently requesting the release of the songs from The Raccoons for a very long time, " says creator Kevin Gillis."The songs have been a retro touchstone for millions of loyal fans worldwide. However, it is here in the UK that our following has responded most powerfully to the newly released single of ‘Run With Us’ and the ‘Evergreen Nights’ album. They have made the UK the #1 country in the world for streaming and downloads. I like to think of it as British spirit…and taste!"

“When Kevin Gillis approached me a couple of years ago to see if 604 was interested in this project, I was certainly familiar with the Raccoons," said 604 Records President Jonathan Simkin."If you grew up in the 80’s, you'd pretty much have to live under a rock to have missed Cyril Sneer or Bert Raccoon. But diving into this project has really underscored for me just how far ahead of its time Raccoons was. Whether it’s the environmental issues that the show addressed, or the use of iconic singers like Rita Coolidge and Leo Sayer to convey the musical messages, Raccoons did things no other show did, animated or not. The fact that the music is so great is a bonus!  We at 604 feel absolutely honoured and privileged that Kevin has trusted us to be the first company to digitally release this memorable and iconic music to the public.”

The series itself has been restored in 4K and is now available streaming in the UK on ITVX, Britbox and Pluto TV, so new generations can discover it as well. It streams in Canada on Crave and YouTube, and in the US on YouTube.

The music is just the first step of the planned revival of the franchise, with other projects early in development. Gillis's plans include a feature film and a prequel series. It'll probably be quite some time before we see either, so you'll just have to check out the music in the meantime.

Find out more about the show at The Official Raccoons Website.