MovieChat Forums > The Great Space Coaster (1981) Discussion > Ray Stephens was in the Village People!

Ray Stephens was in the Village People!

posted 17 years ago by The Hoyk
5 replies | jump to latest

Many people do not know that just as Ray wrapped up production on "THE GREAT SPACE COASTER," he was invited to join the Village People after their previous lead singer left the band. This would have been around 1983-1985, when the band was essentially over in America but still very popular overseas. They had a big hit single in Europe called "Sex Over the Phone" in '85 that he sings lead on. He's in this video but you may not recognize him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLup8wjbSIo

I remember seeing him interviewed on a kids' magazine show syndicated to the Fox stations; forget the name of the show, but he was billed as a singer, and while they spoke a little about Space Coaster, they focused mostly on his solo work.

He is missed very much: he had a great demeanor on the show, and a great singing voice.

[–] floridianitalian 17 years ago

I remember The screeching La Linea chalk Italian animation pieces that Roy used to show to Puppet Goriddle Gorilla on his magic screen on The Great Space Coaster. The character used to get around lots of obstacles that a hand with a pencil was drawing in the pieces. Singer Ray Stephens was a very talented person- May he always rest in peace in heaven. My favorite human character on the show was Francine, the very pretty 16 year old brunette singer/guitar player,who used to play lots of practical jokes on Puppet Goriddle Gorilla! Francine was played by Singer/Actress Emily Bindiger.She had such a beautiful singing voice! Do you remember any Great Space Coaster Episodes with Frannie and Goriddle Gorilla? Please sign the bring back the great space coaster online petition @ www. petitiononline.com/TGSC because it now has 2,348 signatures. There's also The Great Space Coaster Homepage @ www. great space coaster.com. The show ran for 5 years syndicated from 1981 to 1986. There are also GSC video clips on you tube of Gary Gnu, Goriddle Gorilla and Knock Knock and TGSC animated theme song opening credits from the show's 1st season back in the year 1981.Please write me back real soon. Thank you very much for your time. And long live TGSC! It was my very favorite 1980's puppet t.v. show!

Greg Casiglia

[–] jesslizzie69 17 years ago

I just seen the video, and man was is funny as hell. That is totally his voice.

[–] bigjake1027 16 years ago

This was a great show, when I was kid, I knew to turn it on 2:30, I really enjoyed the kids sketch type tv shows that were produced in the eighties, cheap effects and very creative or just plain crazy writing, shows like this, a lot of the early Nickelodeon show's like their Canadian import, You Can't Do That on Television, Out of Control, Turkey TV, and others.

I do remember I was sad when the show ended, but if I remember, the best cable network in the 80s, THE USA NETWORK would air two episodes every morning before the Cartoon express right after the show was cancelled on syndicated TV maybe around 1987.

My Baxter doll is somewhere and I had the coaster in hot wheels toy car kind of form.

It is sad cause this show was one of those, type of shows you only remembered it when it was made at the time, hints shows like Small Wonder, Puttin on the Hits, and other cheesy 80s gems lol

Well, with all this bad tv today, it's always good to know there are memorable classics. Just gotta get back into the closet and find out where we put them.

[–] floridianitalian 16 years ago

I remember The Great Space Coaster also being shown as reruns on The USA Network back in the year 1987 too. The show originally ran syndicated 5 years from 1981 to 1986. Do you remember Francine, the very pretty 16 year old brunette singer/guitar player on the show who used to play lots of practical jokes on Puppet Goriddle Gorilla? Do you remember The Scarecrow Episode with fran and Goriddle in Edison Elephant's corn garden?I loved Frannie's teasing nature with Goriddle! She was my 1st t.v. crush! I know that the show is so old! Do you remember TGSC music video clip where Frannie sang, Baxter Is My Friend? Frannie was the whole show! Please sign the bring back the great space coaster online petition @ www. petitiononline.com/TGSC because it now has 2,600 signatures. Do you remember any celebrity guest stars that appeared on the show like Actress' Sally Struthers, Mary Kathleen Turner, Linda Gray of Dallas, Aileen Quinn AKA Annie, Joan Collins of Dynasty, Blythe Danner, Bess Armstrong of Jaws 3, or Valerie Harper to name just a few? What was your favorite gentle sketch on the show? Do you remember the-anti gravity day episode where everything in Coasterville including Frannie's guitar went flying up in the air? Do you remember the episode where Goriddle stole Baxter's Father's 1980's style bananaman videogame birthday presernt? So as a practical joke, Frannie, Danny, and Roy took all of Goriddle's bananas away from him to him a lesson for stealing! This was a great 1980's kids show! Please write me back soon. Thank you very much for your time. Happy holidays to you! And long live TGSC! It was my favorite 1980's puppet t.v. show!

[–] dpcole7 11 years ago

Pity the vid was removed...

I think it was 1985 when he was hired by the Village People...

With the entertainment industry, if you don't become a breakout superstar celeb, you're lucky to get bit parts... it's not the kindest of fields to be in, and as most people don't see acting as "productive work" (like what is these days, but I digress), it helps explain why so many actors, signers, etc, end up doing drugs - to escape the unneeded reality that people who have certain talents have to constantly endure, because they are deemed nonviable? But who said we were a pro-life society?