I’m listening to Ethel Merman.
Yep, that’s right. I bought the CD a few months ago, and I’m not afraid to play it.
I guess I’m just posting this as an opposite viewpoint to all of the “Music you’re afraid to admit you like” threads.
I’ve never posted in one of those.
I’m brazen.
<singing along>
*You’re the tops,
you’re Mahatma Ghandi,
You’re the tops,
you’re Napoleon Brandy.
You’re the purple light of a summer night in Spain,
You’re the National Gallery, you’re Garbo’s salary, you’re cellophane…*
</ singing along>
IIRC, Ethel Merman was a star back in the days when the studios really attended to every detail. Stars were taught to sing, dance, intonation coaching; the whole shootin’ match. If the story I’ve heard is correct, Ethel Merman went for one lesson, and her teacher declared, “You must never take a voice lesson ever.” (or something like that)
I think he felt that she had so much personality, expressed with her singing, that he didn’t want to “learn” it out of her.
A good friend of mine is a very talented singer. She is also somewhat nuts.
So one day, she’s standing in my dining room, and breaks into song.
She starts singing “When I need You” by Leo Sayer… except she sings it Ethel Merman style.
“Whennn Iiii neeeeeeeed… ** LOVE!**
I hold out my hannnnds and I… ** TOUCH!… ** LOVE!”
That was about 15 years ago.
I’ve been on medication ever since.
There’s NO Business, Like show Business…!
Who does not love Ethel Merman? (Whom, for some reason, I’ve always mixed up with Vivian Vance from I Love Lucy.)
What CD is it anyways?
Are you kidding? One belt from those brass-lined lungs and Christina would melt into a pudddle of makeup and lycra.
One of my favorite Hollywood factoids is that she was married to Ernest Borgnine for about a month. The mind boggles at the thought of those two doing the horizontal tango.
I would love to reanimate the Ethel Merman’s of her day and bring them back now to show the Christina’s and Britney’s and Madonna’s what real talent is all about.
