Biography
Buckner & Garcia created the 1982 novelty single “Pac-Man Fever,” a Top Ten hit that turned into a widespread cultural sensation. While based in Atlanta during 1981, Jerry Buckner and Gary Garcia concentrated on producing commercial jingles and supplying voices for local radio broadcasts. Captivated by the rising arcade-game craze, the pair composed and tracked a tribute to the dominant coin-operated title, then pitched the recording to several major labels. Although none expressed interest, the track received a regional release and surged in popularity once a morning program began airing it. Rapid sales convinced CBS to sign the duo, who were then given just one month to deliver a complete album; they responded by mastering the mechanics of every major arcade machine available at the time. Because digital sampling did not yet exist, nearly all in-game sounds were captured live in arcades straight from the cabinets. Once national press attention arrived, both the single and album achieved widespread commercial impact: “Pac-Man Fever” moved more than two million units, generated the bulk of CBS’s quarterly earnings, and prompted a German-language adaptation by Gerald Mann titled “Pac-Man Fieber.” The follow-up single “Do the Donkey Kong” achieved far less traction, prompting CBS to withhold the 1983 track “E.T. I Love You” from commercial release even after Steven Spielberg voiced his approval; the label merely serviced the song to radio. Buckner & Garcia subsequently returned to Atlanta radio work, continued writing and recording occasional novelty numbers, and eventually offered a self-produced collection titled Now and Then through their own website near the turn of the millennium. Renewed fascination with vintage arcade titles later led the duo to re-record the original Pac-Man Fever album for its debut appearance on compact disc.
Albums
