The Guilty Pleasures/So-Bad-They're-Good Albums Thread (retitled)

[Circular Vibes]

I've just gotta put some Johnnie Ray on this thread.
One can't deny that he had a voice, but I get a kick out of wholesome 50s TV. :banana:

The only problem I have with Johnnie Ray is that I have no friends my age(44) who even know who he is. I like him and have his greatest hits LP, have had 78's in the past. So I can't call his music bad, or a guilty pleasure, for me. I just wish I could have lived through the musical eras that I enjoy so much. If I could have been old enough to buy records in the 1920's and died around 1987, I figger I'd have seen the best of music, and have the biggest collection ever.

 

[Lute]

The only problem I have with Johnnie Ray is that I have no friends my age(44) who even know who he is. I like him and have his greatest hits LP, have had 78's in the past. So I can't call his music bad, or a guilty pleasure, for me. I just wish I could have lived through the musical eras that I enjoy so much. If I could have been old enough to buy records in the 1920's and died around 1987, I figger I'd have seen the best of music, and have the biggest collection ever.

Actually, I think Johnnie is a great singer. I love all of those crooners...Bobby Darin is another wonderful singer from the era. So, you're right he is not bad. But, I can't help smiling when I see some of these old TV clips. Btw, there's a great movie about Bobby Darin called Beyond the Sea (2004). Kevin Spacey does an excellent job portraying Bobby. And there's another fine film about songwriter Cole Porter called De-Lovely (2004) with Kevin Kline.

Anyway, Just thought it would be fun to share a little walking in the rain. :brew

 

[Circular Vibes]

Yes, walking under the Little White Cloud That Cried.

 

[Doug G.]

I love ABBA too. Agnetha and Frida sang like proverbial angels.

Also Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass and Spanky.

Doug

 

[JanBakker]

Lots of ABBA lovers here, I like em too .

 

[GOS]

I love Abba too. Agnetha and Frida sang like proverbial angels.

Also Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass and Spanky.

Doug

Lots of ABBA lovers here, I like em too .

Oh man...Abba is amazing....so made for some hi-rez....

 

[JeffM]

Is it even permitted anymore for a straight guy to admit liking Cher? Well, I am, and I do, and I'm too old to give a damn what anyone else thinks.

Some of my guiltiest pleasures are "personality" LPS by people you couldn't imagine singing. My collection includes "And Me...I'm Ed McMahon," "Phyllis Diller: Born To Sing," (PS: She wasn't), "Allen Ludden Sings His Favorite Songs," "William Frawley Sings The Old Ones," "Hi Guys! Ted Knight Sings," "Clint Eastwood Sings Cowboy Favorites" (he sounds like Pat Boone, only not quite as macho...) and a 45 by Ed Sullivan (with the Kirby Stone Four), "There's A Really Big Shoe Tonight." (I wonder sometimes why nobody asks me to bring the music for their parties...)

I have an old Liberty LP, made during that label's last days, "Mah-Na-Mah-Na," by the Dave Pell Singers. Imagine Conniff-esque choral versions of songs like "Honky Tonk Women" and the Guess Who's "Laughing." It's downright surreal. And of course I dig Kaempfert, the TJB, the Baja Marimba Band, James Last (huge in Europe but tough to find here), and especially BENT FABRIC.

 

[Doug G.]

Hehe, "Mah-Na-Mah-Na". My friends and I were really into eating M&Ms during our senior chemistry class and we sang "Mah-Nem-A-Nems". I'm afraid I have to take the blame for thinking it up.



Doug

 

[atrocity]

Several EP's of theirs have non-English versions. Oro (gold) is all in Espanol.

"Frida Ensam" is an interesting solo album consisting of cover versions sung entirely in Swedish. Because, really, isn't that how we've all secretly wanted to hear Bowie's "Life on Mars" or the Beach Boys' "Wouldn't It Be Nice"?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frida_ensam

 

[EMB]

James Last is an interesting case of a guy huge in Europe but never did connect over here despite attempts to do so. That might be in part because he seemed to be a hipper kind of Mantovani, recording orchestral music but with more zip and beat than the classically oriented M. Last's series of 'Non Stop Dancing" albums sold well, and the few I've heard are just that: montages of notable hits all dressed up for the ballroom or concert hall.

Curiously, Last's first US-released recordings were under the guise of The American Patrol (reference to Glenn Miller), which was simply the James Last Orchestra under another name, but recording for Warner Bros. didn't increase sales any. Eventually, when Polydor finally opened a branch in the USA, some Last albums finally found light of day, but except for the late '70s single "The Seduction" he didn't really garner much notice (though I swear there was a PBS special with his outfit that was used for drawing well to do donors for contributions).

And now...Celtic Women, anyone? http://celticwoman.com


ED

 

[JanBakker]

And now...Celtic Women, anyone? http://celticwoman.com


ED

Guilty

 

[hofmeyer]

James Last is an interesting case of a guy huge in Europe but never did connect over here despite attempts to do so. That might be in part because he seemed to be a hipper kind of Mantovani, recording orchestral music but with more zip and beat than the classically oriented M. Last's series of 'Non Stop Dancing" albums sold well, and the few I've heard are just that: montages of notable hits all dressed up for the ballroom or concert hall.

I've been curious about James Last. John Lawton performed with James Last, while he was on vocal duty for Lucifer's Friend. I've always thought his vocals were fantastic; great range and quality. His greatest success was with Uriah Heep in the late 70s - even filled in vocal duties last year while their current singer was out for medical reasons. Never seen him live, though he is touring with Lucifer's Friend this year for a brief reunion, including a 'best of' reissue.

 

[Philip Spinner]

For those here who may not know James Last released a few albums on Q8.
Phil

 

[Lute]

​

James Last is an interesting case of a guy huge in Europe but never did connect over here despite attempts

And now...Celtic Women, anyone? http://celticwoman.com


ED

Guilty here, too.

How about Secret Garden?

http://vimeo.com/46031452

http://vimeo.com/65013474

http://vimeo.com/73176812

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wokluQ98PbY&params=OAFIAVgK&list=RDHC1Qs11uDZFgY&mode=NORMAL

 

[JeffM]

Like his countryman Bert Kaempfert, James Last wrote some songs that had English lyrics added and were successes here; his best known tune was probably "Happy Heart," recorded by Andy Williams. Others included "Games That Lovers Play" (Eddie Fisher,) "The Music From Across The Way" (Andy Williams again,) and "Fool" (Elvis Presley.) Kaempfert, though, wrote more hits than Last.

I have vague recollections of a TV commercial that was aimed at making a US star out of Last by way of some "special offer" record; either a K-Tel product or one of those direct-mail offers like Boxcar Willie and Zamfir. Can't find any trace of it on line though. Anybody remember this?

Might as well fess up to another guilty pleasure as long as I'm here...David Seville and the Chipmunks! (And by that I mean Ross Bagdasarian's original 1960's version, not the later stuff his no-talent son cranks out.)

 

[Doug G.]

I had "The Christmas Song" 45 when I was a kid and played it at 16 2/3 RPM so I could hear Ross Bagdasarian/David Seville sing the Chipmunk parts in his normal voice.

OKAAAAAY!



Doug

 

[JeffM]

Well, actually, from 45 to 16 2/3 is a little too much slowdown. 33 1/3 to 16 is just right. There are a couple You Tube videos where someone has run the Chipmunk voices thru a pitch shifter so that David Seville's voice (x3) comes out without slowing down the tempo. Just for fun, here's one...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpGrvT54_ag

 

[Quad Linda]

Having owned all the Chipmunks on mono LP's in the day, I tried 16 on our old Grundig. On an album, it IS perfect to hear Bagdasrian in his "natural" voice. I rebought them all on stereo CD.

alvin, Alvin, AL-VIN!

OK!!!! (I can sound like Alvin if I try.)

 

[EMB]

Then there are Christmas albums by not-so-great (and worse) artists; or, acts that are so basic and conventional in approach that the simplicity and authenticity is unquestionably appealing even if (otherwise) it's not your kinda stuff. I could list dozens here--some well remembered, some forgotten. I'll contribute some entries later, but just wanted to say that, being born a Catholic (I'm just a universal spiritual now) I have special fondness for holiday albums of all kinds, genres, etc. Some are boring, some truly sincere, some poppy, some rock, some from acts that probably should have known better but did it because it was expected and, of course, year after year (hopefully) regular sales.

Christmas Album Guilty Pleasures # 1 & 2: the Christmas Album (s) of Anita Bryant (CS 9520) and Jim Nabors (CS 9531), both from 1967.

Why? Well, heh...with Anita, the holier-than-thou and fair vocal talent, this was a natural for her, and she sings well behind the generic backing and production. Nabors? He was Gomer Pyle then, and hearing that aww-shucks voice he used for his TV show made any listening to his recordings strange, because he didn't have much vocal range and was pure pop, not the country hick his TV work would have you believe. His Xmas album is warm and kindly, but embalmed, as so much of Columbia's pop albums were for too many years, from Faith, Conniff and Kostelanetz to Goulet, Bryant, Nabors, John Davidson).

But because they're Christmas, it's Ok, but their more obvious pop output I find appalling.

Discuss...

ED

 

[Tornado Red]

Searched 'guilty pleasures ' and it led me here Lately, mine has been harmony groups, as in barbershop. I like these guys, Instant Classic...