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Comedy moments that are blatantly excuses to exorcise frustrated pop star dreams

Started by ajsmith2, June 28, 2021, 09:48:44 AM

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Ballad of Ballard Berkley

Quote from: letsgobrian on June 29, 2021, 02:40:02 AM
Is there a bigger example of this than SNL and The Blues Brothers? Rather than characters in a musical sketch, they are the musical guests in their debut. Transcendent levels of self indulgence.

Or does the fact it was parlayed into live shows, record sales, two movies and more, mean the pop star dream wasn't a frustrated one?

Aykroyd and Belushi were definitely indulging themselves with The Blues Brothers, but it worked because they always managed to maintain a certain ironic and self-aware distance from it all. Their love of the music was utterly sincere, but they were also fully cognisant of how fundamentally ridiculous the whole conceit was - two dorky white comedians paying tribute to black American music.

Aykroyd's dancing and Belushi's cartwheels are deliberately absurd, the whole act was a send-up of 'cool' - Sam & Dave reimagined by a little fat Albanian bloke and a lanky Canadian.

The had their cake and ate it, I suppose, but I don't think either of them ever thought they should be taken seriously as musicians (although Aykroyd plays a pretty good blues harp).

non capisco

Quote from: mojo filters on June 29, 2021, 01:56:53 AM
To the best of my knowledge, Lee finished If You Prefer A Milder Comedian, Please Ask For One with Steve Earle's "Galway Girl."

Ah yes, my mistake.

shagatha crustie

Quote from: rectorofstiffkey on June 28, 2021, 08:07:53 PM
One of the less depressing sections in Harry Thompson's Peter Cook biography mentioned his frustrated longing to be a singer, despite not being able to carry a tune in a bucket.  There was also a 'pop star' routine shoehorned into in Bedazzled.

Mm, and he went and did that album with Godley and Creme. I actually think he has a fairly convincing screamy drunk Lennonish 'rock' voice in that Derek and Clive bit, but that sequence also shows that his sense of timing/rhythm left a lot to be desired.


phantom_power

I am not sure he is exorcising pop star dreams as opposed to doing a shit bit. All seems quite quaint now doesn't it, all the "bad" stuff of 2014. Gamergate? Pah





paruses

Quote from: phantom_power on June 28, 2021, 09:55:08 AM
Many examples with Frank Skinner


Disappointed Blue Heaven has already been mentioned because I wanted to post it as a thread-winning insight.

Also a very big Frank Skinner fan but his obsession with puns, singing, and semi-ironic celebrity perks drives me mad.

Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth

I initially thought the thread title was referring to pop stars with frustrated comedy dreams. Josh Groban seems to turn up in a lot of comedy shows and I think he even starred in a short lived one on Netflix. Dave Grohl has some sort of job swap arrangement with Jack Black.

poodlefaker

Did Sean Hughes ever sing? ALlways looked as if he was dying to do his Morrissey impression



phantom_power

Quote from: poodlefaker on June 29, 2021, 02:41:44 PM
Did Sean Hughes ever sing? ALlways looked as if he was dying to do his Morrissey impression




He pulled out his Kevin Rowland impression on Sean's Show, and sang Jellypop Perky Jean by Julian Cope, using his custom mic stand as well I think

letsgobrian

Quote from: phantom_power on June 29, 2021, 03:06:41 PM
He pulled out his Kevin Rowland impression on Sean's Show, and sang Jellypop Perky Jean by Julian Cope, using his custom mic stand as well I think

He was also part of Bubonique with Cathal Coughlan (Microdisney, Fatima Mansions) and Paul Jarvis (Slab!) that had a couple of albums on Kitchenware Records.

Glebe

Quote from: Gurke and Hare on June 28, 2021, 08:01:05 PMIs that not a different thing really? A (supposedly) comedy song every week was standard issue for sketch shows then. Smith and Jones couldn't get enough of them.

Well I know he released a couple of singles, but I recall finding the song bits a little jarring.

BeardFaceMan

Quote from: Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth on June 29, 2021, 02:40:07 PM
I initially thought the thread title was referring to pop stars with frustrated comedy dreams. Josh Groban seems to turn up in a lot of comedy shows and I think he even starred in a short lived one on Netflix. Dave Grohl has some sort of job swap arrangement with Jack Black.

Josh Homme has been in the likes of Comedy Bang Bang and Toast of London, there's definitely something to the "comedians want to be musicians/musicians want to be comedians" thing.

Quote from: Mr Trumpet on June 29, 2021, 12:44:08 PM
Has it got to page 3 without anyone mentioning Tongue Tied yet?

How could I have forgotten that!  IIRC that wasn't even pivotal in the episode, or for any particular reason, wasn't it just a dream that Cat was having?

Catalogue Trousers

Yep, pretty much. Self-indulgent gubbins which gave rise to a single that was self-indulgent gubbins. How very meta.

BeardFaceMan

To be fair though, it wasn't Danny John Jules who came up with the idea and wrote the song, and he already had a history of song and dance on stage.

Brundle-Fly

I think it goes without saying that Noel Fielding would have loved to have been a pop star. Specifically, in 1973.

Video Game Fan 2000

Russ Abbott's ITV series went from ending on parodies of pop song to serious songs, didn't it? Fucking hated that as a kid. Sit through 25 minutes of mediocrity hoping to see a Tommy Cooper impression and instead you're rewarded with Mr Atmosphere's attempt to be Pat Boone.

What was it with these guys and the fucking Pet Shop Boys. Couldn't stop themselves.

Rizla

Quote from: Cold Meat Platter on June 29, 2021, 01:58:05 PM
Spinal Tap
The Rutles
Sorry to be "that guy" but -
Michael McKean was in several bands, including a late lineup of the Left Banke. I think Guest also pursued music at various points, he was certainly a pro-level musician.
Eric Idle had zero to do with the music side of the Rutles, that was taken care of by Neil Innes who had a storied pop career by that point, including a UK top 5 single. Rikki Fataar was in the Beach Boys. John Halsey and Ollie Halsall were in Timebox and Patto, second-tier acts perhaps but by no means unsuccessful.
Hardly within the remit of the OP, CMP. I think you should go and have a long think about what you've done here, as you've embarrassed everyone.


thenoise

Quote from: Leej88 on June 28, 2021, 09:49:55 AM
Vic Reeves with Dizzy

Vic was in bands first i think? And song and dance was part of the "light entertainment" Vic Reeves persona. Later numbers were always highly comic but the opening songs on Big Night Out were straight ish albeit performed a bit larger than life.

The move into proper chart bothering pop releases was inevitable. Ropey covers were the order of the day although he did attempt to cover a hymn while poncing about on a horse, which was quite ballsy.

studpuppet


DrGreggles

Quote from: thenoise on June 29, 2021, 10:11:29 PM
Vic was in bands first i think? And song and dance was part of the "light entertainment" Vic Reeves persona. Later numbers were always highly comic but the opening songs on Big Night Out were straight ish albeit performed a bit larger than life.

The move into proper chart bothering pop releases was inevitable. Ropey covers were the order of the day although he did attempt to cover a hymn while poncing about on a horse, which was quite ballsy.

I think his cover of Dizzy is fantastic.

j_u_d_a_s

Quote from: KennyMonster on June 28, 2021, 10:19:35 AM
Early to mid 90s, Mark Lamarr hosted a series of late night (after Newsnight, I think) shows on BBC2 covering the Edinburgh Festival.

The climax of the mini series was a bunch of fellow comedians, introduced by Lamarr as being frustrated pop stars signing Gangster by The Specials.

Vocals: The Actor Kevin Eldon
Backing Vocals: Lamarr
Guitar: Bill Bailey
Bass: Boothby Graffoe (I think).
Drums: Can't remember

I watched a download of that fairly recently, it was Martin Trenaman (Simon's dad from Inbetweeners) on drums.


ProvanFan


Brundle-Fly

I think the brakes have to be put on here to think any kind of parodic approach to music is all aspirational delusion. Victor Borge would be turning in his grave E minor.