Mr Boone's career is littered with atrocities: take the two nasty pieces of work presented here today.
First up is The Wang-Dang Taffy Apple Tango, easily one of the most stupid recordings it's ever been my misfortune to own. Released in 1959, when Pat was the second-biggest pop star in the world, this piece of nonsense was co-written by Aaron Schroeder, founder of Musicor Records, manager of Gene Pitney and writer of 17 songs for the biggest pop star in the world - Elvis Presley - including Stuck on You and It's Now or Never. This garbage, originally released in the US as the B-side to For A Penny, actually made it to number 63 on the Billboard chart. Some people will buy anything.
A few years later, long after his pop career has dissipated and before he became a born-again rock 'n' roll bad boy, Pat launched his own record label - Lamb and Lion - and released a slew of Christian-themed waxings...the most horrid of which has to be The Hostage Prayer. Issued in early 1980, in response to the Iran hostage crisis, when 52 Americans were held hostage for 444 days after a group of Islamist students and militants supporting the Iranian Revolution took over the American Embassy in Tehran, at the time Pat claimed that he "decided radio stations needed some type of song asking God to provide for the hostage's release". Clearly God doesn't get country radio in heaven: it took another year for the hostages to achieve freedom.
Based (uncredited) on the tune to Abide With Me, this sucks. Pat performed the song in front of an audience of thousands at a rally in Washington in April 1980 but it did little to help this mess rise up the charts. Makes Cliff Richard look positively threatening.
Enjoy!
You need to hear Leif Andersson:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgFZ7JE4f_U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1iq02y5RAU
This is a self-financed Swedish single from 1974. Apparently Leif Andersson tried to do a couple of Frank Sinatra covers with orchestra, but the orchestra walked out on him. He ended up doing his covers of Cheek to Cheek (Kind mot kind) and Fly Me To The Moon (Med Andra Ord) a capella. The end result sounds like a mix between Gregorian monk chants and the ravings of a drunk too wasted to speak.
That's amazing. I have to find a copy!
ReplyDeleteThat's amazing. I have to find a copy!
ReplyDeleteHaha !
ReplyDeleteSorry, Darryl, but Leif Andersson wins this battle- he doesn`t even need a bunch of bad musicians to create a horrible record.
By the way, what dialect is it- maybe Wodkask ?
Thanks both of you for positively ruining my sunday !
j.
I picked up Pat Boone sings Songs of the Jesus People in a charity shop. Don't know what to do with it now. Melt it? Basically Pat Boone murders the late lamented Larry Norman and a load of other classic Jesus freak songs.
ReplyDeleteLove it. Picked up a collection of over 6000 record a decade ago with a friend. Was gong to title the collection...'The world worst collection' as it was all still sealed and obviously not selling. Guess what? Nine sealed 7" singles of Pat Boone's Hostage Prayer song!
ReplyDelete