Remember all those ads in the back of US comics, little black and white semi-display commercials for hypno-coins, x-ray specs, Charles Atlas bodybuilding courses and the 'we'll publish your book' or 'we'll record your song'?
Apparently, and only in America of course, thousands upon thousands of gullible fools sent their $200 and a copy of their handwritten lyrics to these shysters, only to receive back a parcel of badly pressed 7" singles containing their words set to interminably bad music.
Much feted these days by connoisseurs of bad music, these song poems (as they are now loftily known) are everywhere. There are literally thousands of these vanity recordings out there if you search for them. It's a racket that never really took off over here in the UK, perhaps we're a little too savvy, but a seemingly endless stream of talentless Americans saw fit to have their dire poetry preserved. And thank God for that.
For more info on the artform, visit the excellent resource http://www.blogger.com/www.songpoemmusic.com
Here is one of my personal favourites, Larry London's recording of the song Marinella written, as it it's B-side I Love New York, by Pope Brann, and any further info on either of these audio criminals gratefully received.. It's a shocker, and I can't listen to it without thinking about food: Marinella is a gret name for a pizza, but for the object of the singer's desire?
http://fundrace.huffingtonpost.com/neighbors.php?type=name&lname=Brann&fname=Pope&older=yes
ReplyDeleteHe's a generous fellow, at any rate.
The song poem link in this post seems to be dead as of 09/2010 try just www.songpoemmusic.com
ReplyDelete:~john