Regular readers will know about my feelings for the failed television drama Pan Am.ย The show is currently burning off its final episodes as quickly as it can, and hopefully the show can join the pantheon of failed airline dramas like LAX and San Francisco International Airport and The Loop and Flying High and a few others that have thankfully escaped my memories.
But there’s one last remnant of the TV show that will grace our lives – or, if nothing else, our radio stations.
Yep.ย Pan Am spawned a tie-in soundtrack album.
That’s right – the soundtrack album, Pan Am: Music From and Inspired By the Original Series, will hit your local music store next week.ย This hearkens back to an era when many television shows had tie-in album releases.ย The actors would be brought into a recording studio, they would sing a few songs, and the album would be released in stores.
I received an advance copy of the CD, and if you’re looking for a mixture of vintage jazz, easy listening, bossa nova, lounge and space age pop music, then this CD is worth acquiring.ย The tracks include “Call Me Irresponsible” by Bobby Darin, “New York City Blues” by Peggy Lee, “Mais Que Nada” by Sergio Mendes and Brasil ’66, and “Just One More Chance” by Billie Holiday.ย There’s also a very cool version of “Quando, Quando, Quando” by Connie Francis on this disc.ย Yes, THAT Connie Francis.ย And if you’ve ever wanted to hear the 6-minute version of “The Girl From Ipanema,” complete with vocalizations from Joรฃo Gilberto, then this disc is worth getting.ย These were the tracks that were used throughout the TV show, in an effort to give the program its own retro feel and style.
I guess that’s the “music from” section of the CD.ย The “inspired by” section includes a reverent cover of “Fly Me To The Moon” by Vermont-based Grace Potter and the Nocturnals; and a godawful cover of the Beatles’ “Do You Want to Know a Secret” by Nikki Jean that sounds like it would fit on a Radio Disney playlist.
So if you’re looking for a decent easy listening / jazz sampler, and if you can skip over the Nikki Jean track, then Pan Am: Music From and Inspired By The Original Series is worth acquiring.
At least the tracks on this CD have a longer shelf life than the concomitant TV series itself.
Chuck The Writer 
after bridgett and dean get back together,
they both tell colette the truth, who gets involved
with some one else, dean dosen’t like it.
ted goes out on a date with his girl friend
laura runs into joe when she is in bermuda on vacation
with kate and nico
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Subject: Pan Am TV Series 2011-12
There are many books written by former Pan Am stewardesses and pilots. They all seem to have their stories very much in common and soon become by themselves repetitious.
Pan Am stewardesses, while important and necessary to the benefit, welfare and safety of passengers, are not all there was to Pan Am.
What is desperately missing were interesting, adventurous and exciting factual stories which begin on the ground.
For instance, the public would be interested to know how potential stewardesses and other supporting employees were hired.
As a former PanAm Station Manager, who came up from the ranks, let it be known that applicants indicating having been bored would not be hired for any position. For stewardess prospects, there are grueling, difficult stress interviews which are extremely selective. Let us not forget the hundreds of thousands of employees who made Pan Am the greatest airline by also working in โPassenger Serviceโ, โFreight and Mailโ, โCommissaryโ, Communicationโ, โReservationโ, โTicketingโ, โOperationsโ, โAdministrationโ, and โSpecial Servicesโ. With these and other departments; it was all of them who made an effective Pan Am.
Viewers would like to travel along with the stories; from Baghdad to Berlin; from New York JFK to Nuremberg and more. Now it can be told about the good and the ugly of yesteryear. Just some of the problems from those days, were embezzlement, money laundering, smuggling, stowaways and much more with emphasis to keep these items from becoming knowledge to the stockholders. There was one passenger able to bring in massive amounts of pure heroin, all with the knowledge of US Customs. Also of interest was a former Nazi criminal working as a Pan Am personnel chief and comptroller at one of the largest airports.
These and many others are real stories. No fillers or additional fantasy needed.
I wrote a book โPan Am and Beyond โ Turbulence on the Groundโ which became a best seller at Amazon in 2000. My purpose was to reestablish contact with former colleagues, employees and friends again.
This book can now be obtained as an e-Book for only $2.99 through:
Amazon (for Kindle) which also lists 22 reviews; Barnes & Noble (for NOOK); Apple (for iPad) and Reader Store (for Sony Reader). I do not expect a profit from any sales. Just enjoy the book.
Ed Parrey
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