Greetings and salutations Hivers. Today let's go into another Three Tune Tuesday post.
As always, thanks to 
Today I have... Shatner!
You know, this could almost be a You Should Laugh More post. Maybe a crossover post! You know the one thing we can say about Shatner, either in his younger too serious years or his older playing to the gag years, is that he is never afraid to be himself and do his own thing. The fact that he has done some pretty unique songs over his career speaks to that.
Let's look at some of these Shatner songs!
Rocket Man
This is probably the most famous (or maybe infamous) of all Shatner's singing projects. Granted this is more just reading or performing, but there you go. In the years since he has said his performance here was meant as a gag, and that he was portraying three different people: Kirk, Sinatra, and a rock star. Well ok then. Watch and see.
Futurama would later make fun of this, showing him doing the same with "I am Slim Shady"
Mr Tambourine Man
Unlike the above, this one was intended seriously. It was part of his debut album The Transformed Man which was his attempt to deliver artistic and unique explorations of contemporary songs with classical readings.
Needless to say, his project failed. The entire album and this song in particular have gone on to be celebrated not for any artistic value, but as camp and examples of Shatner being Shatner.
Bohemian Rhapsody
As we all know, young Shatner took himself too seriously but in his old age he's lightened up a lot and plays to his image more often than not. This song is from his album Seeking Major Tom which unlike The Transformed Man was made very much tongue-in-cheek. All the songs on the album are fun in that Shatner way, but this one may be the best.
Bonus: Leonard Nimoy - The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins
But you know, it wasn't just Shatner who got into this stuff. His Trek co-star Leonard Nimoy also did his own singing. Check it out.
Maybe there was something in the water when they were filming Star Trek...
So what's your favorite?
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David LaSpina is an American photographer and translator lost in Japan, trying to capture the beauty of this country one photo at a time and searching for the perfect haiku. He blogs here and at laspina.org. Write him on Twitter or Mastodon. |