Voice Behind a Million Lullabies Belongs to Joanie Bartels : Music: Beginning this Monday, the singer for the “Magic Series” of children’s tapes will present three free shows daily at Knott’s Berry Farm’s Camp Snoopy.

Since 1985, Joanie Bartels has sung about a million kids to sleep, awakened them in the morning, tickled their funny bones, kept them company in the tub and then crooned softly as they drifted into Dreamland once again.

And she’s not even a mom.

Bartels, 36, is the engaging soprano voice behind the “Magic Series” collection of seven children’s tapes released by Sherman Oaks-based Discovery Music. Beginning Monday, the singer will present three free shows daily at Knott’s Berry Farm’s Camp Snoopy as part of the park’s current children’s promotion, Camp Snoopy Days. The shows continue through Aug. 24.

Like the “Magic Series,” the Knott’s concerts will feature a grab bag of up-tempo contemporary and classic tunes made popular by everyone from Woody Guthrie to Alvin & the Chipmunks. The sets will vary with the age of the audience, but expect to hear such favorites as “The Witch Doctor” (you remember . . . “oo ee oo ah ah, ting tang, walla walla bing bang”), a signed version of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” and Bobby Darin’s rowdy ‘50s hit “Splish Splash.”

“When we first started working on (Discovery’s debut tape) ‘Lullaby Magic,’ I didn’t realize how great of a need there was for quality children’s music. In just the last few years, it seems that people have started taking children’s music very seriously,” said Bartels. (In fact, children’s recordings account for about 3% of all record sales, or about $200 million a year, according to record industry sources.)

“As a result,” Bartels continued, “kids seem to be more sophisticated musically, because they’re being exposed to so many different kinds of music at an early age. That’s such a positive thing, because good music promotes self-expression, self-esteem and communication. And it can be very healing.”

“As a result,” Bartels continued, “kids seem to be more sophisticated musically, because they’re being exposed to so many different kinds of music at an early age. That’s such a positive thing, because good music promotes self-expression, self-esteem and communication. And it can be very healing.”

A former lead vocalist with jazz and rock groups during the 1970s, Bartels came to Los Angeles in 1977, sang in local clubs, did backup vocals and ultimately landed a spot on Gino Vanelli’s “Pauper in Paradise” album (A&M; Records). She fell into children’s music almost by accident when she was tagged in 1985 by Discovery Music founders Ellen and David Wohlstadter for “Lullaby Magic.”

Since then, she has worked almost exclusively for Discovery and has recorded six additional titles: “Mornin’ Magic,” “Lullaby Magic II,” “Travelin’ Magic,” “Sillytime Magic,” “Bathtime Magic” and the latest, “Christmas Magic,” a collection of non-sectarian holiday tunes to be released this month. To date, nearly 1 million “Magic Series” tapes have been sold in more than 5,000 children’s clothing and specialty stores nationwide.

The company recently received a big boost from BMG/RCA Records, which will begin distributing the tapes in most major record stores later this month. Bartels will help promote the new partnership with a coast-to-coast tour in early 1991. She’ll wrap up this year with performances in Ohio, Minnesota and Texas, and she will appear Oct. 21 in Los Angeles. A November performance in the Irvine area is also in the works.

On the tapes, Bartels’ tunes are backed up by a variety of instruments, including the piano (there’s a hot little solo on “Splish Splash”), bassoon and cello, and many of the cassettes feature instrumental versions on the flip side to encourage families to sing along. In concert, the performer uses taped instrumentals and accompanies herself on acoustic guitar, and she encourages listeners to clap, sing and dance along whenever the mood strikes.

Bartels’ voice, which is strong and sweet without being sugary, lends itself as well to tunes by the Beatles and James Taylor as it does to the old standards. The result, as one Santa Ana mother put it, is a sound “adults can listen to easily, without wanting to throw a hammer at the tape deck.”