LOS ANGELES, Calif., September 23, 1998 (PRIMEZONE) -- Adam Christing, president of "CLEAN COMEDIANS", and Emmy-nominated composer Rick Kuethe have recorded and released "Y2K," a zany song which deals with the not-so-trivial problem of the impending Year 2000 computer crisis. The "Y2K" song entertains while it describes the anticipated calamities the Millennium Bug may bring to society on Jan. 1, 2000.
Comedian Adam Christing--editor of the recent Comedy Comes Clean books published by Random House--wrote the lyrics when he became extremely concerned about the Y2K issue and found it difficult to explain the problem to his two young children. "I don't know much about software programming, and computer jargon is Greek to me. So I did some research and decided to pack as much information into a little song as I could. I wanted to use the universal language of laughter and music, but I had a problem-I can't sing or play any musical instruments!"
Enter Rick Kuethe. Kuethe, (KEE-THEE)-a pianist/composer whose credits include scores for TV and film, an Emmy nomination for a television special, and six CD's of his own compositions-is also deeply concerned about the Y2K crisis. According to Kuethe, the collaboration with Christing was a perfect fit. "Adam is the ideal messenger for 'Y2K,' because a message of doom is best delivered with a few yuks."
Although Christing is a native Californian, he talks and sings "Y2K" in a wacky British accent reminiscent of The Beatles or Mike Myers as Austin Powers. Christing's deadpan delivery mixed with Kuethe's upbeat and high-tech sound provides a memorable and clever one-two punch to lyrics like:
When 2000 is the New Year
Computers will think: "Not in here!"
No one admits that they blundered
But they're programmed to read 1900!
On the brand new Millennium
We're all gonna look pretty dumb
Cuz, while people are out getting smashed
The computers are going to CRASH!
Who's gonna smash this Bug?
Will Government save the day?
What, are you on Drugs? It's Y2K!
(c) 1998 Fire Husker Publishing, Boston MA. All rights reserved.
"Y2K" has also spawned one of the dozens of new websites about the Millennium Bug. Web Browsers can find the full lyrics of the four minute song, hear a 30-second soundbite, and order a CD copy of it by visiting www.y2ksong.com.
The logo of the Millennium Bug with the big appetite pictured on the front of the CD was designed by Barb Desrochers of Pebble Prints in Vancouver, BC.
"Y2K" has been released by Kuethe's FIRE HUSKER publishing company which carries the catalog of all of his recordings.