As I live in a flat with a young family, my vinyl is alphabetised and somewhat crammed into one IKEA unit which means, if I pull out a record by Echo and The Bunnymen something like the 10″ mix of I’m Not Scared by Eighth Wonder will come out as well. Man, when did I buy that fucker and what was I thinking?
I’m being a touch cruel, because it isn’t at all bad. I mean, how could it be, written as it was by “imperial phase” Pet Shop Boys? But boy, Patsy Kensit turns out to be no Neil Tennant when it comes to delivering a deadpan song.
Actors though… A bunch of them can technically sing; let’s face it, if you find yourself performing in west end musicals you’re going to need a fine set of pipes, but have any of them been genuinely good at this rock or pop lark? Why are so few people who are good at performing in one sense so terrible at performing in another?
Feel free to post any good examples you can think of…
Oh, hello. The blogs gone weird gain @modteam , the same way it did when I posted the Rod Stewart video. It seems like certain Youtube links have this effect.
Maybe only put youtube clips in the comments? Would that help?
Matt Berry has a pretty solid back catalogue. This years The Blue Elephant is a corker
Here’s one – although a bit chicken/egg as to whether he’s a singing actor or acting singer
(Childish Gambino – Sober)
..either way I’m nicking that finger moonwalk..
Micheal Cera’s album isn’t bad. Lots of nice, very brief little instrumentals plus some vocal tracks, it’s been complared to Beck, Elliot Smith and McCartney’s Ram.
Kylie, Natalie Imbruglia and Minnie Driver, who did a couple of pretty good alt-country albums.
As did Harry Dean Stanton. His singing might best be described as approximate.
I’m pretty sure Willie Nelson based his career on HDS’s “turn” in Cool hand Luke.
I believe Gary Oldman used to belt out serviceable versions of My Old Man and Roll out the Barrel during his now long-gone boozing years
My Old Man said be a Tim Roth fan
I said…..
Etc
And then there was Scarlett Johansson’s album of Tom Waits covers, of course …
Zooey Deschanel likes to Dooet with Mr M. Ward as She & Him..
Nearly time to dig out A Very She & Him Christmas…
https://youtu.be/0FpiE0MNbFc
I went to see She and Him as I was a real M Ward fan. I had few expectations of the singing thespian who he’d roped in.
I got that wrong. She really impressed me and was a complete natural.
Back in the day, Sinatra was as successful as a serious actor as a singer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_37-0ScCbw
A certain Phil Collins started off as a child actor.
Then, of course, there was Graham Fellows before he created John Shuttleworth …..
along with Phil Collins, see also Steve Marriott and Davy Jones.
All played The Artful Dodger at some point in the early 60s
Pointless trivia moment:
The drummer on that Eighth Wonder track, and also in the video, is Steve Grantley.
Now occupying the drum stool for Stiff Little Fingers (and has been for the last 24 years)
I never ever knew that. Nice one!
Jessie Buckley is an excellent singer. Impeccable choice of song too.
Absolutely. I love her. She really sings from the inside of a song, take this one: she understands it. A couple of tears are shed.
Agree with you both, she’s absolute class in everything I’ve seen her in, from War and Peace to Wild Rose, and she’s a belting singer too, as she showed in the latter.
Brilliant in Chernobyl as well, although that was full of brilliant performances (the late Paul Ritter especially).
Bowie was in The Virgin Soldiers before he was famous.
@dai
On screen for about two seconds. His experience on the film probably
Helped him when he appeared on Extras all those years later though
We’re talking about actors though. Arf.
Apart from his films he also did a stint on Broadway as ‘The Elephant Man’. I didn’t see it but I seem to remember he received quite good reviews.
And now, via the miracle of modern technology, we can catch a glimpse.
In his last film, The Prestige, he plays Nikola Tesla. He was told that his Russian accent was a little odd and high-pitched. He responded that it was a rural Serbian accent and was completely as it should be.
I like the Eighth Wonder version of I’m Not Scared. Repeating a verse in French is a great way to make the song longer and not worry about having to come up with more words. Also:
Michelle – The Beatles
Hold on Tight – ELO
Fade to Grey – Visage
Denis – Blondie
Blondie’s “Denis” had to have a verse in French added, because it was an altered cover of an old song originally called “Denise”.
It was either stick a verse in French into the song or have Debbie Harry sing “Dennis, Dennis” in the chorus and see it tank completely.
Blondie pulled the same trick with Sunday Girl
Hmmm actually that one’s a whole different version I think. It’s even more economical – you get a whole B side with the same backing track.
It’s been handy, over the years, to be able to say “I know a girl from a lonely street” as an opening conversational gambit in French, but you do rely on them replying “What’s she like?” so you can say “Froide comme glace mais aussi savoureuse.”
Natalie Imbruglia out of TV’s Neighbours did pretty well when she moved into pop.
Other Neighbours stars did great stuff too. Stefan Dennis of course with “Don’t it make ya feel good?” and Craig McLachlan with “Hey! Mona!” I think there were a couple of others too that gave it a whirl.
Natalie Bassingthwaighte in Rogue Traders and number one artist Holly Valance*
(*Hey, No-hits Clash, Holly was helped to number one by making a video where she appeared to be in the nip – if only Mick Jones had stripped off on film, Clash City Rockers could have gone all the way to the top..)
@sewer-robot
Well, your post made me laugh!
Singer/Actor or Actor/Singer….
What a ludicrously handsome bugger!
Deep – or should that be Depp? – breath
Russell Crowe
Johnny Depp
David Duchovny
Clint Eastwood
Lee Marvin
Keith Michell
Cillian Murphy
Keanu Reeves
Telly Savalas
David Soul
Kiefer Sutherland
John Travolta
Bruce Willis
Edward Woodward
Plus doubtless many, many more
I did say “any good.” They are all “shite.”
David Soul was a heeeyooooge pop star in 1977.
Huggy Bear made some records in the 90s too I believe….
….stop hitting me!
Minnie Driver: I saw her do a couple of numbers live and was quite impressed but when I checked YouTube, she seemed merely adequate. Pleasant but unremarkable.
She’s one of the two famous people who have reduced me to a gibbering fool, real stuttering my-tongue-is-suddenly-too-big-for-my-mouth stuff, the other being AW fave wee Clare Grogan.
Eleanor Tomlinson brought an album out Tales From Home.
Looks an interesting selection, but I’ve not heard it.
Can’t imagine an album of songs about Beverley would be very earth-shattering 😏
Don’t you believe it. It’s a concept album about Nelly’s.
“Got those Toll Gavel walking blues…”
I don’t know what she’s been doing of late, but Juliette Lewis (and the Licks) certainly rocked.
Can’t believe no one has mentioned the most talented singing actor of them all.
Billy Bob Thornton. I posted his great version of Lost Highway on a similar thread we did a few years back.
BBT was big mates with Warren Zevon and iirc has a track on the Enjoy Every Sandwich tribute album
Loads of people in the TV series Nashville, though I’m guessing they were singers first
The original Robert Altman Nashville film had several singing performances by actors.
Henry Gibson I believe wrote some of his own songs for it.
There was an excellent Tim Robbins black comedy called Bob Roberts about a right wing singer who ran for US President. The songs TR wrote for the character were so far removed from his liberal worldview that refused to sanction an OST album
Also, his singing was crap.
Anyone?
Have you ever watched New Tricks? DW still had a long way to go down from ^ that. And that Her Indoors single makes I Could Be so Good For You sound like Tomorrow Never Knows. Oy and very much vey.
Thankfully I haven’t heard it! *Shudder*
‘E’s Alright, Is Arthur too!
(or was it called Arthur Daley – He’s Alright?)
but what are they gonna get for ‘er indoors this Christmas?
Two “singing” actors for the price of one
DW’s first album was called Down Wind of Angels. I’ve not heard it, but I think it’s safe to assume it was a concept album about celestial flatulance.
….includes his version of this. I am intrigue.
I have never got wind of that. I feel like I’ve been let off lightly.
I can’t help myself. I like it. Because I like Minder, which I still find funny whenever I see it.
Minder was great – sometimes brilliant in fact, especially if it involved the great Patrick Malahide as Chisholm.
Absolutely. He was a star turn.
Chisholm: I’m looking for a man called Daley…
Dodgy geezer: What’s he look like?
Chisholm: ‘orrible.
Rycott was good as well – wearing that look of permanent exasperation.
Rycott – the underachieving, internally angry, flat foot.
The double-act of Chisolm and Jones was a highlight.
Cheerful Charlie’s attempts to stitch-up Arfur, and Jones’s calculated logic debunking his boss
In the 2nd episode it is insinuated that Rycott may be a bent copper. Both he and Chisholm were magnificent. I’ve never seen a Ray Daley episode so can’t comment on Morley
“There are more important things in life than nicking Arthur Daley but at the moment I can’t think of any”
From the best episode “What makes Shammy run”
I mean every episode has something beautiful like this in it. Not a line or a look wasted. It’s way better than anyone gives it credit for.
@Leffe-Gin
Having not been able to afford a TV from 79 to 81 and then lived in countries whose TV was so bad you couldn’t watch it, only got to see Minder on my rare trips back to the UK.
Last week I found a full run of the entire series (including the apparently crap ones after DW emigrated to Oz) and am busy watching them in 25-minute chunks while doing my stuff on the rowing machine. Very, very good they are too.
You notice subtle things, like in the early episodes, the Winchester is actually Dave’s house, not actually an official licensed premises.
And Tel’s ever changing Ford Capri.
A Mark 2 in the credits, a Mark 1 for much of Series 1 and 2, a Mark 3/4 in later series.
Nearly always bearing the registration SLE 71R
(I think Euston Films owned the number plate, and just stuck it on whatever car was available)
I agree, Minder is excellent. I’m being a bit mean as I don’t mind it as a song – came out shortly after the slightly wet hits of David Soul, another cop playing actor as a kind of “we’ve got one too”. At least DW tries to rock a bit.
I always remember the scene where some heavies have got Arthur and are about to duff him up and Terry bursts in with a “OK boys. The cavalry’s here”.
Classic.
How come this hasn’t been mentioned?
I’m not watching that again. No.
Because no one’s sufficiently grinchlike to start a “Shit Film” thread this close to the season of peace on earth and goodwill to all men?
Pierce Brosnan. Licence to Murder.
Double-woe-seven – License to trill