Fans of the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film from the 90’s will no doubt remember a certain song from the soundtrack. Turtle Power is perhaps one of the most memorable tracks in the TMNT franchise, featuring a catchy beat and some pretty awesome lyrics. Heck, I’m sure some of you shell heads could easily sing the entire song just from memory. The tune was even used as the opening theme for the new game Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows from Activision. Sadly, the artist who performed this unforgettable theme song never really got the notoriety they deserved; Partners in Kryme went down in history as “the group that did that one Ninja Turtles song.” To be fair, there are far worse fates in life.
Now that the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are back in the public lexicon once more, it should be no surprise that a lot of the people who were originally involved with the franchise in the beginning are making comebacks and showing a lot of TMNT love. However, even I was surprised to discover this video, where Partners in Kryme performs not only their original hit single, but also an entirely new TMNT song. I’m still not sure if this is an official release or where the song may be used in the near future, but hearing this much beloved artist perform a new song for Ninja Turtles fans was – to borrow a phrase from Michelangelo – totally righteous!
At a themed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles event in Brooklyn, Partners in Kryme showed up to perform their hit song along with an entirely new one. The new song, “Rock the Half Shell” is based on the well known single “Rock the Casbah” by the Clash. Needless to say, this tune has its own flavor, and it’s definitely got a touch of that retro feel to it. I get the distinct feeling that we will be hearing this song again soon, perhaps even in the new TMNT film coming out in 2014. From what I’ve been able to find, this is literally the only recording of the song on the net and it’s probably the only time it has ever been performed live. Thank goodness a fan was able to record the event and post it on Youtube!
The entire TMNT event was specifically for the community it was played in, so you might be confused by some of the earlier happenings in the video. At one point, Shredder shows up and tries to make everyone in the crowd a member of the Foot Clan, referencing real world events in New York to make the performance feel even more real. Needless to say, it was quite funny and the entire video is a joy to behold. That being said, if you’re only interested in hearing the new song from Partners in Kryme, skip to about 10:45 in the video below. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below, and Rock the Half Shell along with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in this awesome TMNT video!
Special thanks to BBQ Films for hosting this event and to the Youtube user who posted the video.