"Hollywood Hi-Fi"
Various Artists, 1996
If
you can sit through an entire play of Hollywood Hi-Fi, then
you have really earned your Hi-Fi stripes. There was a period
in time when all TV and movie stars thought their skills on the small and
big screen would translate to a talented singing career. How sadly mistaken
they were. Hollywood Hi-Fi takes the best of the worst--from
songs recorded for an obvious novelty market, to honest attempts at pop
cross-over success. Most of these albums were lost to obscurity or purposely
swept under the rug. These folks dug up these unique gems, put them together
on a CD, and wrote a companion book that goes into detail about how and
why these songs were made. On Hollywood Hi-Fi we have sit-com
stars like Joe E. Ross, the Brady Bunch kids, Jerry Mathers, and Danny
Bonaduce; movie actors like Anthony Quinn, Bettie Davis, Sissy Spacek and
Robert Mitchum (from his infamous calypso album); Femme Fatales like Raquel
Welch,
Mamie
Van Doren
& June Wilkinson; and one famous
JFK speech turned into a waltz (probably the eeriest cut on the CD). It
seems most of these actors were trying to relate to the younger generation
by speaking their language and singing in their musical styles, but all
their attempts come across as forced and awkward.
Happy news for fans
of these musical gems. An updated edition should be available in 2008.
Buy this album from
Hi-Fi Archives>>>
