Thursday, February 23, 2012

Forgotten Music -- Movie and TV Stars

Sometimes it's possible to have a hit record without being able to sing very well. Or maybe it's often possible. Anyway, one way to have a hit is to be a movie or TV star. The first one I remember going this route is Tab Hunter, who hit the top of the charts with "Young Love." Tab wasn't just a one-hit wonder, either. He scored with "Red Sails in the Sunset," "Ninety-nine Ways," and others. Along about the same time, Tony Perkins (yes, Tony Perkins) cracked the top 25 with "Moonlight Swim." And in that same great year, Sal Mineo hit it big with "Start Movin' in my Direction." And who can forget Edd "Kookie" Byrnes' stirring rendition of "Kookie, Kookie, Lend me Your Comb"? Of course, he was helped out by Connie Stevens, who could actually sing a bit, and she had her own big hit, "Sixteen Reasons."

I'm not counting Ricky Nelson here. He was a good singer and could even play the guitar. His TV series made him a hit, but I think he'd have made it without TV.

A little later on, Richard Chamberlain played Dr. Kildare and became a recording star with "Three Stars Will Shine Tonight." And then there was David Soul, who was either Starsky or Hutch. I forget which one, but I'll never forget "Don't Give up on Us." And then there's John Travolta, who was a better dancer than a singer but who did have a hit or two, like the classic "Let Her In."

John Schneider was no Elvis, but he recorded "It's Now or Never" and a lot of other stuff, too. Not a bad singer, but would he have made it without The Dukes of Hazzard? How about Bruce Willis? Without Moonlighting would he ever have recorded "Save the Last Dance for Me"? Tom Wopat, Schneider's co-star on Dukes had a hit with "A Little Bit Closer."

I'm sure you can think of a lot of others. Like William Shatner. But he doesn't count. He didn't ever have a hit. At least I hope he didn't.

Update: How could I have forgotten Peter Fonda? And thanks for all the names in the comments. I can't believe I left some of those off the list.


12 comments:

James Reasoner said...

David Soul was Hutch. For a brief moment of time there in the Seventies, that was my favorite TV show.

Dan_Luft said...

I really loved the songs Keith Carradine wrote and sang for NASHVILLE. I've seen other albums by him in the used bins.

Bruce Willis not only couldn"t sing but he also played a lousy harmonica.

Gerard said...

Wopat does sings in stage productions. I think.

Jerry House said...

First one I thought of was Tony Randall's WINCHESTER CATHEDRAL. Now I can't get rid of that earworm. Curse you, Crider!

Fred Blosser said...

George Maharis cut several LPs for Epic. From the Disney stable, Annette and Hayley Mills.

George said...

Who could ever forget Connie Stevens' "Kookie Kookie (Lend Me Your Comb)", a duet with Edd, "Kookie" Burns, one of the stars of "77 SUNSET STRIP."

Todd Mason said...

You could blame all the old vaudevillians, from Jack Benny to George Burns to Bob Hope to such near-kin of theirs as Jackie Gleason, Arthur Godfrey and (shudder) Jerry Lewis (and YOU KNOW I don't mean Jerry Lee), whose "With These Arms" will send you skittering back to David Soul's "Black Bean Soup"...

Todd Mason said...

Well, George, Bill didn't!

Anonymous said...

Patrick Swayze, She's Like the Wind
Shelley Fabares, Johnny Angel (backed up by Darlene Love)
Paul Peterson, My Dad
Patty Duke, Don't Just Stand There
Gary Lewis & the Playboys, many hits starting with This Diamond Ring
Dino, Desi & Billy, (Dean Paul Martin Desi Arnaz, Jr.), a couple of minor hits

Jeff

Mike Doran said...

Actually, David Soul's singing predates his TV acting by about five years.
Back in the mid-'60s he racked up a string of appearances on Merv Griffin's show. At first, he appeared as "The Covered Man", wearing a hood over his face and head. After about a half-dozen appearances like this, Soul took off the hood, and Griffin got him record and TV acting deals.

Also, Tom Wopat was on Broadway long before Dukes OF Hazzard.

Cap'n Bob said...

How could you forget Walter Brennan?

mybillcrider said...

"Old Rivers"!