BS: Moments of Failed Stupidity

Subject: BS: Moments of Failed Stupidity
From: Peter T.
Date: 29 Jul 00 - 09:56 AM

This may be a small but amusing category -- when, in spite of all your efforts, something works. I happened to be reading the liner notes of Ray Charles' classic album "Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music" (1962), which tells the story. Ray suggested the album, which the head of ABC-Paramount at the time said don't do, you will lose your audience, are you nuts. Ray's producer, Sid Feller, thought it would probably go nowhere -- he says, so little did I think of it that "I Can't Stop Loving You" is the 5th song on the B side! The album is released, and Ray doesn't want a single off it, so nothing happens. Finally, Tab Hunter (Tab Hunter!) does a cover version of it, and that was enough to prod them into releasing Ray's original which proceeds to bury all the competition. "I Can't Stop Loving You" hits the top of the Billboard chart for 5 weeks, the album in on the charts for 2 years, and 4 more best-selling singles come off of it.

Any other examples come to mind of success in spite of oneself?

yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: BS: Moments of Failed Stupidity
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 29 Jul 00 - 11:06 AM

I wrote a parody of a (Marty Robbins type) country song, containing every bad sentimental image I could think of. My girlfriend LOVED Marty Robbins, and didn't see what was so funny. Without my knowledge she entered it into a "Grand Ol' Opry" songwriting contest.

It won!

Embarassed though I was, I kept quiet about the initial intent, retitled it from "Trucker's Prayer" (oi vay) to "For The rest of my Life" and accepted the trophy. It's in the shed Peter, if ya ever want to see it.

Rick

Subject: RE: BS: Moments of Failed Stupidity
From: Morticia
Date: 29 Jul 00 - 11:21 AM

Oh Rick, what a blissful story.....and kind of proves a theory I've had for years which is that most, if not all, of these songs started life as a piss take :)
I suppose mine would be the time I turned up to give a lecture and found I'd left all my notes, handouts, everything at home......a sea of expectant faces and lecturer without a clue.So, I just made it up as I went along, extemporising like a lunatic, one-liners every couple of seconds to fill and almost certainly missing every main point I had meant to deliver.......you won't be surprised to hear that some students came up later and told me it was the best lecture I'd ever given, will you?

Subject: RE: BS: Moments of Failed Stupidity
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 29 Jul 00 - 12:54 PM

MY stupidity is unfailing!

Subject: RE: BS: Moments of Failed Stupidity
From: catspaw49
Date: 29 Jul 00 - 01:06 PM

I of couse can't remember any, but there is a long list of throwaway stuff that went on to be the "Hit" off the record. Croce's "LeRoy Brown" was a throwaway, but ended up bringing him into fame. Its a shame in a way since some of his best stuff is still quite unknown and even he thought that was a piece of tripe.

Sometimes its the dumbest crap that makes it and proves there is no accounting for taste and that generally we have very LOW taste. Wasn't "My Ding-A-Ling" a B side throwaway for Chuck Berry?

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: Moments of Failed Stupidity
From: JedMarum
Date: 29 Jul 00 - 01:16 PM

Peter - great story. I am not surprised that the formula bound music gods of the day couldn't get their mind around the musical innovation, and well, just plain artwork of Ray's rendition of the song. Thank god Ray was not bound by the same rules ... formual music is only based upon standardized repeatable processes, so the music gods may have been able to keep any momentum and artist could develop, but they of course couldn't create it. Ray, on the other, I believe, was motivated by the spirit - and spirits know such bounds! I love Ray Charles.

Rick - also a great story. The differnce between good parody and the original work it is lampooning is sometimes very very thin indeed! And sometimes only obvious to the lampooner and a few close minds. It sounds like you received a great compliment for your work - I would guess a fine, if private chuckle!

The converse of the parody issue is sometimes true as well, I believe. I remember, for example, seeing Reefer Madness for the first time, and laughing my as* off the whole thinking it was supreme parody. I found out some weeks later it had released years ago, and was not meant to be a parody!

Subject: RE: BS: Moments of Failed Stupidity
From: Peter Kasin
Date: 29 Jul 00 - 01:56 PM

Well, I've heard that the original film version of Night Of The Living Dead was meant by the producers to be tongue in cheek, but went on to horror movie fame. Great example of how that works in reverse, Jed. Favorite moment from Reefer Madness: Man crazily puffs away at a joint and immediately gets an insane expression on his face. Favorite line: (teenagers to mom) "Gosh! Hot chocolate!"

As for my own experience, a little like Morticia's lecture, there was a poetry assignment in a high school english class I was in, and I had no idea what to write. I just did some stream of consciousness gobbledygook that meant nothing to me, and when it was handed back from the teacher, she praised the poem's sublety and "life-affirming" meanings.

Subject: RE: BS: Moments of Failed Stupidity
From: SDShad
Date: 29 Jul 00 - 04:33 PM

An example kind of like Rick's from the world of rock 'n' roll: Pete Townshend was teaching himself to play accordion when he was writing songs for the album that became "The Who by Numbers." He wrote a silly, throwaway, dirty joke song to play accordion on, and that song, "Squeeze Box," was on the demo tape he took to the band of new songs he'd been writing. The band loved the song, and kept bugging him, "let's put it on the album, let's put it on the album." He didn't like the song, but relented. The song was a big hit for 'em.

Chris

Subject: RE: BS: Moments of Failed Stupidity
From: catspaw49
Date: 29 Jul 00 - 04:40 PM

Another film, meant to be serious, but has become a cult classic because its so damn bad is "Plan Nine from Outer Space." they did some movie awhile back about Ed Wood's life, but you HAVE to see Plan 9 to appreciate just how bad it really is!!!

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: Moments of Failed Stupidity
From: SINSULL
Date: 29 Jul 00 - 04:59 PM

Follow it up with "Glen or Glenda", Ed Wood's attempt at a poignant look at the life of a cross dresser. Bela Lugosi shows up babbling about "snips and snails and puppy dogs' tails and there is a weird S&M whipping scene. The whole thing is so badly done it is laughable. If you believe the movie, Wood got funding for it from a religious group who thought he was making a film warning young people off from sex.
Spaw, the movie was actually well done. Johnny Depp put in a credible performance and the actor who played Lugosi got a nomination as best actor for his part. Why can't I think of his name? Ed Wood definitely falls into the failed stupidity profile. Too bad he didn't live to see it.

Subject: RE: BS: Moments of Failed Stupidity
From: Dave Swan
Date: 29 Jul 00 - 05:06 PM

Martin Landau played B. Lugosi.

Subject: RE: BS: Moments of Failed Stupidity
From: Dave Swan
Date: 29 Jul 00 - 05:07 PM

and won the Oscar.

Subject: RE: BS: Moments of Failed Stupidity
From: Peter Kasin
Date: 29 Jul 00 - 05:16 PM

Yes,'Spaw! Some of plan 9's gems: "I told you you earthlings were stupid! Stupid, stupid!" Who could forget "Yeah, sarge, he's dead alright, murdered, and somebody's responsible!!!"

Subject: RE: BS: Moments of Failed Stupidity
From: Peter T.
Date: 29 Jul 00 - 05:31 PM

Look Back in Angora -- Glen or Glenda has the craziest moment in all film -- the sacrificial sweater scene. Beyond stupidity into hysterical derangement. yours, Peter T.

Subject: RE: BS: Moments of Failed Stupidity
From: catspaw49
Date: 29 Jul 00 - 06:48 PM

The Storyboard in Plan 9 must have been an Etch-a-Sketch. I loved the sequencing which didn't fit with anything. Poor Bela croked and they only had a few stock shots which ol Ed kept throwing in whether they made sense or not. My favorite stuff is like the police officers leaving the station in a 57 Ford at nightime and arriving 5 minutes down the road in a 55 Ford in the broad daylight. Also the couple look across their patio to the cemetery (nice tract to live in huh?) and when she looks its day and then looks at him...he looks, its night. This is not to mention those glittering special effects........the burning paper plate on a string as a flying saucer crashing. Marvelous!!

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: Moments of Failed Stupidity
From: Peter Kasin
Date: 30 Jul 00 - 04:29 AM

How about that spaceship with all the 1950's furniture inside, and the guy's spacesuit - probably got it in the pajama's section of Macy's.

Subject: RE: BS: Moments of Failed Stupidity
From: Bagpuss
Date: 30 Jul 00 - 07:09 AM

I believe that "Sonny Boy" was written as a joke too.

Bagpuss

Subject: RE: BS: Moments of Failed Stupidity
From: SINSULL
Date: 30 Jul 00 - 08:10 PM

Thanks, Dave. That's the sort of thing I lose sleep over.
Mary

Subject: RE: BS: Moments of Failed Stupidity
From: GUEST,Lyle
Date: 30 Jul 00 - 10:34 PM

Guess this would fit here. When Meredith Willson wrote "The Music Man" he included a love song called, "Till There Was You." The producer, after hollering and screaming for weeks, had it taken out of the show - but on opening night, Willson put it back in. So what happened? It overwhelmed the audience, and went on to become one of the great songs from a musical. See? Songwriters DO know something!!

Lyle

Subject: RE: BS: Moments of Failed Stupidity
From: JedMarum
Date: 30 Jul 00 - 11:16 PM

Till There Was You - great song!