The 365 Days Project
http://www.ubu.com/outsiders/365/index.shtml
I happened upon this website a few years back, and have told many people about it since. I'd like to share it with TBD. Someone, somewhere decided to create a website to share unusual musical recordings. One recording per day for an entire year.
I love music, and I also love really obscure, off-the-wall kind of recordings. This really fits the bill. The very first day, January 1, 2003, sets the tone of the entire project. It's a vanity 78 rpm recording of two unknown women singing a duet of Irving Berlin's "You're Just In Love."
http://www.ubu.com/outsiders/365/2003/001.shtml
Part of the charm of this website is the commentary...check out the comments for this particular entry....
David Fairbanks Ford writes:
Stunning performance of Irving Berlin's "You're Just In Love", o my gosh, who are these ladies? I'll bet they both smoked. A lot. I'll bet they could hold a cocktail and cigarette in one hand and belt out "Darktown Strutters Ball" at the same time. This must have made parties with the two them lively. Bet their husbands said nothing. For thirty years. The harmonics on that record could also be studied by the aerospace industry. What a great country we live in and it's all because of women like those two.
Mertle writes:
These women are just fantastic, they sounded like they had so much fun singing "You`re Just In Love" I agree on the cocktail thing, although I thought maybe a thin lady's cigar was more the case as far as smokes go. Wow, actually very inspiring...cheers ladies. ;)
The June 30, 2003 songs entitled "Wing Ding Ding/You Wanna Talk About Texas" sung by Roberta Lee and Thurl Ravenscroft is a special favorite for me. Some will recognize Thurl's voice immediately: he sang "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch", and was also the voice of Tony the Tiger for years. Another place you will hear his voice is in Disney's Haunted Mansion.
http://www.ubu.com/outsiders/365/2003/181.shtml
There are some genuinely odd recordings here. One of note is the Reverend Louis Farrakhan singing a calypso song called "Is She Is, Or Is She Ain't?" Before he was the Reverend, he was originally known as Gene Walcott, and was a violinist who loved caribbean music.
http://www.ubu.com/outsiders/365/2003/091.shtml
Many people have heard William Shatner's performance of the Elton John hit "Rocket Man" but in case you haven't, you will also find it enshrined here on February 24, 2003.
http://www.ubu.com/outsiders/365/2003/055.shtml
If it's a rainy day outside, TBD is down, or you're just feeling the need to fry your brain with some mindless web-surfing, I highly recommend you check this out. Hope you enjoy it!
Posted: May 8, 08 5:08pm
http://www.ubu.com/outsiders/365/2003/116.shtml
I have to add this one as an actual, beautiful recording...you have to read about it and listen for yourself. I wonder if there are still performances on this creation?
Posted: May 8, 08 5:17pm
LoL. That's why FerritCon is sometimes called Calypso Louie.
Good find. Thanks for sharing :-)
Posted: May 8, 08 5:45pm
Glad you liked it!
Posted: May 8, 08 10:57pm
loved the 2 year old and 4 year old. the singing mcmurrays...sweeties!
Posted: May 9, 08 7:01am
I'm going to go check them out right now. I can't remember if I heard them or not. I hope you enjoyed the site.
Posted: May 10, 08 8:57am
Hey Della! The 2 women singing "you're in love" OMG!!!LOL!!!!! What do you say--Let's sing it---which part do you want!!!!???
Posted: May 10, 08 9:03am
Whichever part you want! If I'm bored, I go to this link, and play the song...it annoys my husband to no end! I asked him if he's thankful I don't sound like that, and he gets this evil grin...to which I respond, "Don't you dare say it, buddy!"
I think I'll play it again, right now!!!
Posted: May 10, 08 10:04am
Della, I always feel a little weird on the eve of Mother's Day; with all of those old memories.
However, I just visited your posted, above, wild Outsiders, old music site, and had some great laughs!
The two women, scratchy voices and all, singing, very badly, hat old Irving Berlin song; then hearing LF, the leader of the Nation of I, doing wild calypso music, and last, but never least, William Shatner desecrating Elton John's Rocket Man, made my day!
Merci beau coup!
Posted: May 10, 08 10:16am
Glad you enjoyed it, southerbl...
I love music, ALL music. But music bordering on the edge of bad/bizarre just makes my day.
This calls for yet another listen to "You're Just In Love"....hubby can't get enough of it!
Oh, the dirty looks I'm gonna get.......!!!
Posted: May 14, 08 9:18pm
Check out this link: The tune's not too obscure, but the interesting part is the singers. Maybe you've heard of the Cactus Cuties.
They are Andi Kitten, age 11
Baylee Barrett, age 13
Madeline Powell, age 8
Tatum Lowe, age 11
Blaire Elbert, age 10
.
Now listen to them sing the National Anthem...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKCVS57j284&feature=related
This wows me everytime I hear this...
Posted: May 14, 08 10:28pm
That was excellent! Loved it...what lovely young ladies, and very talented singers.
Posted: May 15, 08 4:28am
Thanks, arky.
Posted: May 15, 08 7:44am
Thanks very much, Arky! What talented young singers!
Posted: May 15, 08 7:54am
Lovely, wonderful singers!
Posted: May 15, 08 8:14am
I take my hat off to these kids!
As a non-American, i have to agree that your national anthem is one of the finest in the world.
Such a contrast to ours.
Posted: May 14, 08 11:34pm
Thank you very much for all of these Della!!
I enjoyed them !
Posted: May 15, 08 8:33am
Della, my husband's not much for the internet, but he loves a good laugh,so I just showed him your above posted websites,and he really had a hoot!
He especially delighted in the recordings of the two women, loudly, off-key, and bravely dueting on ,Irving Berlin's tune, and also, poor William Shatner's spoken, badly, version of Elton John's tune, Rocket Man!
I dont' think that we'll ever think of those songs in the same light again!
Posted: May 15, 08 8:41am
I was a cantor for years and I used to sing "Non Piu Andrai" from La Noce de Figaro whenever I tried out for musicals, so I always dreamed of being "discovered" some day. Maybe that's why this video just blows me away.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09SzPhLP6nE
Posted: May 15, 08 9:04am
Paul Potts went on to win the Final, but here's a clip from the semi-final, singing "Con te Partiro" known in English as "Time to Say Goodbye"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHYYz_mGP1U&feature=related
Welsh people generally, males in particular, have a natural talent for singing.
Posted: May 16, 08 1:13pm
Harvey,
Isn't it wonderful to see the "little guy" win? Paul won the show over a year ago, but only just in the last few months left his job as a cell phone salesman!
The current season of Britain's Got Talent has yet another wondrous singer...this gives me goosebumps. I hope you enjoy it as well...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1p87apXCB-Q
Posted: May 15, 08 9:19am
That is saved as a favorite. Being a bit of an outsider myself, musically I will refer to this often and thanks! Here's one of my personal heroes. He's actually sold loads of albums and has a following.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=6Z9Hl8gE10A
Posted: May 15, 08 5:09pm
Awwww.....I sure have a soft spot for ANYONE who makes music, beautiful or otherwise! That's just awesome! I have a feeling I'll be humming Monkeys vs. Donkeys for a few days now. Thanks so much!
Posted: May 16, 08 6:48am
He has actually recorded a duet with Rosemary Clooney. I have yet to hear it.