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Shatner to Record Another Album

Posted by CmdrTaco on Tue Dec 30, 2003 02:17 PM
from the you-can't-make-this-stuff-up dept.
Media Music
s20451 writes "Slashdotters may remember Canadian actor William Shatner from such hit TV shows as T. J. Hooker and Rescue 911; he was also known to dabble in science fiction. Shatner released an album, The Transformed Man, in 1968. Intending the album to be taken seriously, it is now held up as one of the campiest recordings of all time, including the worst Beatles cover ever produced. Now a new album is in the works, featuring joint work with Ben Folds, Henry Rollins, and Brad Paisley. More on Ananova."
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  • Star Trek was originally supposed to be a show about a bunch of rabbis in a synagogue. He said to the producers, 'instead of a synagogue, how about if the show is in outer space?' They said, 'okay.' And that's pretty much how it happened.

    "When we did TJ Hooker I used to tell my co-star Adrian Zmed that he should change his name, like I did - from William Zmed."

    "I tell people I have a 34 inch waist, but it's really 35."

    "How do I stay so healthy and boyishly handsome? It's simple. I drink the blood of y

  • Lukcy bastard... (Score:4, Funny)

    by Lugor (628175) on Tuesday December 30 2003, @02:19PM (#7837571)
    The only reason he stayed alive all these years was because he wore a Gold shirt and used the Red shirts as human shields! Bah!

  • The funniest Shatner bit ever (Score:5, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday December 30 2003, @02:19PM (#7837575)
    It's a parody of a well-known series of Canadian beer commercials. Taken from wikipedia, but no link -- don't want to cause them more trouble!

    "I am not a Starfleet commander, or T.J. Hooker. I don't live on Starship NCC-170...(some audience members say "one"), or own a phaser. And I don't know anybody named Bones, Sulu, or Spock. And no, I've never had green alien sex, though I'm sure it would be quite an evening. ("Pomp And Circumstances" begins playing) I speak English and French, NOT KLINGON! I drink Labatt's, not Romulan ale! And when someone says to me 'Live long and prosper', I seriously mean it when I say, 'Get a life'. My doctor's name is not McCoy, it's Ginsberg. And Tribbles were PUPPETS, not real animals. PUPPETS! And when I speak, I never, ever talk like every. Word. Is. Its. Own. Sentence. I live in California, but I was raised in Montreal. And yes, I've gone where no man has gone before, but I was in Mexico and her father gave me permission! My name is William Shatner, and I am Canadian!"

    • ".... I live in California, but I was raised in Montreal. ... I was in My name is William Shatner, and I am Canadian!"

      When talking to Canadians... about that usual run of the mill Canadian accent... they say that Canadians don't really have an accent... that most sound like American sportscasters.

      I make sure to point out, there is no such thing as an American sportscaster as we import them all from Toronto... with the exception of one or two who say they are from Winnipeg... though actually born and rais
      • Canadians don't really have an accent

        As a Canadian, I can tell you for a fact that's untrue. It just depends on where you go. Newfies...they got an accent. New Brunswickers...they got an accent. Quebecers...they REALLY got an accent. Although once you hit Ontario, things just kinda get plain and drawn out. So it seems like they don't have an accent, but they do. Haven't talked to many people west of Ontario, but I'm sure they have to have some kind of accent. Especially once you hit rodeo-ridin'
    • Considering the fact that he starred in one of the greatest all Esperanto movies [imdb.com] ever created, I'd have thought that he'd mention the universal language as well.

      • Re:Just English and French? (Score:5, Interesting)

        by lightray (215185) <tobin@splorg.org> on Tuesday December 30 2003, @03:10PM (#7838174) Homepage
        The actors in Incubo didn't actually know Esperanto... they just memorized the dialog by sound. That is, apparently, why it sounds so terrible. Allegedly the director wanted a language that would sound foreign to all people (apparently considering the population of fluent esperantists to be negligible :-) and hence chose Esperanto. The only other Esperanto film reference I know is that the announcements in Gattaca are supposedly in Esperanto, although I haven't re-watched the film to verify that.

  • Sign of the Apocalypse (Score:4, Informative)

    by DaRat (678130) * on Tuesday December 30 2003, @02:19PM (#7837581)
    Oh my god! It's another sign of the apocalypse! We're doomed!!!!
  • Play this album across all hailing frequencies and it will rebuff any attack. The enemy ships won't be able to leave fast enough. ;)

  • Wrong category (Score:4, Insightful)

    by Dirtside (91468) on Tuesday December 30 2003, @02:20PM (#7837591) Journal
    This story was posted under the "Music" category. Clearly this is not going to qualify as "music" by any sane standard. I hereby request that Slashdot create a "Sign of the Apocalypse" category for any story that involves William Shatner "singing."

    The logo for the "Sign of the Apocalypse" should obviously be a tambourine, man.
      • I saw the video for that a few months ago, and your comment made me want to see it again, so... here it is, for posterity:

        Leonard Nimoy's "The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins" [mac.com]

        Check it out if you have not seen it before... it's very strange. Spock dancing around singing about Bilbo, surrounded by shrugging girls in colored sweatshirts with giant weird buttons on them. Couldn't see what most of them said, but one says "What's a Hobbit?" and another is "Frodo Lives!"... and one on some girl's back was something ab

  • Oh please, Lord (Score:4, Funny)

    by Our Man In Redmond (63094) on Tuesday December 30 2003, @02:21PM (#7837599)
    let this be one last, desparate effort to capture the Least Tasteful Slashdot Story of 2003 award.

  • even better, The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins by Nimoy (Score:5, Funny)

    by lsd4all (526675) on Tuesday December 30 2003, @02:23PM (#7837630)
    The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins sung by Leonard Nimoy. [mac.com] i am cold, so very cold...

    • Re:even better, The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins by Nim (Score:5, Interesting)

      by dswensen (252552) * on Tuesday December 30 2003, @02:41PM (#7837884) Homepage Journal
      I watched this a while back, when the Fellowship movie came out. Call me crazy (and yeah, you will by the time I'm done here), but I actually find that video kind of charming in its own stupid, campy way.

      I mean, it's bad -- really terrible -- anyone talking about Jackson's interpretation of LotR making Tolkien roll over in his grave really ought to have a gander at this.

      But I find a kind of endearing naivete in the way this is put together... "Let's have Leonard Nimoy sing a song about Bilbo Baggins, and put him in a junkyard with a bunch of teenaged girls... and here at the part where he's describing all these battles and adventures, let's just have the kids throw some crap up in the air. That's kind of like re-enacting a battle. Here, take this piece of plastic junk, that looks like a ring... have Leonard toss that around awhile. Yeah, yeah."

      And then someone put money into it (granted, not much). And produced it. And shot it. And put it on the air.

      If they made something like this today (shudder), it would be awash in irony and campy winks to the audience. I think whomever made this genuinely thought it would be entertaining as presented... which, again, is so innocent I think it's great.

      The entertainment media we get these days is, for the most part, slickly produced and well-budgeted, maybe even well-written if you're lucky. This dippy little movie is none of these and still gives it all it's got.

      Yeah, I know, I'm weird.
  • " Now a new album is in the works, featuring joint work with Ben Folds, Henry Rollins, and Brad Paisley. More on Ananova."

    Did the editors check the links?

    How is the Ananova article "more" than the CBC one?

  • Already did some work with Ben Folds (Score:5, Informative)

    by TTop (160446) on Tuesday December 30 2003, @02:24PM (#7837643)
    Shatner already did a couple new songs with Ben Folds on Ben's solo "Fear of Pop" release -- which, despite my love of Ben's other work, remains a real clunker of an album. And the Shatner songs were among the more interesting, if I recall correctly. (Can you tell that I didn't play it more than twice?)

  • worst beatles cover ever? (Score:5, Funny)

    by Savatte (111615) on Tuesday December 30 2003, @02:25PM (#7837672) Homepage Journal
    I don't know. I saw Vanilla Ice live back in 2001 at Northern Lights in Clifton Park, NY, and he covered Strawberry Fields Forever. This was when he was in his nu-metal phase. Shatner's version was hilarious. the Iceman's was sad and only slightly hilarious.

  • Oh My God! (Score:5, Funny)

    by Richard_at_work (517087) * <richardprice@nospAm.gmail.com> on Tuesday December 30 2003, @02:26PM (#7837677)

    I.

    Cant.

    Take.

    Much more of this!

  • Can't .. breathe! (Score:5, Funny)

    by LNO (180595) on Tuesday December 30 2003, @02:26PM (#7837679)
    Apocalypse .. imminent! Must .. warn .. the world! Somehow .. life .. being drained .. from my body!

    KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA *gasp* AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!
  • I've! Got! To! Buy! This! Album!

    </ bad Shatner impression >

  • Who has my copy?? (Score:3, Funny)

    by NineNine (235196) on Tuesday December 30 2003, @02:27PM (#7837695) Homepage
    OK, now I lent out my copy to a co-worker years and years ago and never got it back. Anyone who worked the call center at IBM in RTP, NC in '96-'98 who borrowed it... you want to return it? I've solely missed hearing his rendition of "Mister Tambourine Man" and "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" for several years now.

  • Say it isn't so. (Score:5, Funny)

    by ilsa (197564) on Tuesday December 30 2003, @02:27PM (#7837698) Homepage
    I wonder will he do any covers of songs by Shaka KHAAAAAAAAN!!!

  • obligtory simpsons quote (Score:5, Funny)

    by Savatte (111615) on Tuesday December 30 2003, @02:27PM (#7837706) Homepage Journal
    Comic book guy: "Stop right there. I have the only working phaser in existence. It was fired once, to prevent William Shatner from making another album."

  • He Knows What He's Doing (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Slider451 (514881) on Tuesday December 30 2003, @02:28PM (#7837714)
    From the article:

    Shatner has made a living in recent years by spoofing his own overdramatic acting style.

    Did you see him on Conan a couple years ago, dancing and worshipping O'Brien? He was making such a fool of himself Conan couldn't get a single slam in.

    He's ridiculous... like a fox.

  • RIAA Strikes Back... (Score:5, Funny)

    by WIAKywbfatw (307557) on Tuesday December 30 2003, @02:28PM (#7837715) Journal
    See? You Kazaa addicts couldn't quit while you were ahead, could you? Now RIAA's fighting back, and it's fighting dirty. You think those lawsuits on 12-year-olds were their ultimate weapon? They were just the warm-up act.

    A new album from William Shatner? What next, Leonard Nimoy following up his musical tribute to Bilbo Baggins with one to the Fellowship? An album of medical-related cover versions (Something's Got A Hold Of My Heart, etc) from DeForest Kelly?

    Do you see what Star Trek-related madness you file swappers have unleashed upon us all?

  • star trek (Score:3, Funny)

    by sirinek (41507) on Tuesday December 30 2003, @02:31PM (#7837755) Homepage Journal
    I remember some years back listening to the Howard Stern show, and he played clips of several ST cast members doing song covers. The one I remember the most is Leonard Nimoy doing a cover of Johnny Cash's "I Walk The Line". Yeow.

  • It's your fault (Score:5, Funny)

    by dswensen (252552) * on Tuesday December 30 2003, @02:32PM (#7837771) Homepage Journal
    You people have no one but yourselves to blame!

    William Shatner recorded a couple of bad records, what, back in the Sixties? Longer ago than most Slashdotters have been alive. Since then he's done a couple of appearances on SNL and that thing with Fear of Pop, written some bad novels, some priceline commercials... not exactly a man constantly in the public eye, despite, perhaps, his best efforts to the contrary.

    And yet, whenever a discussion of Shatner comes up, it seems everyone shouts "Yeah, Captain Kirk, sure, but did you know he recorded Mister Tambourine Man! Mister... Tambourine...Man!" (Doing the wildly exaggerated "Captain Kirk" impression which, despite watching a lot of classic Star Trek, I've never actually seen him do.)

    The fact that people can't seem to stop talking about a musical recording he made four decades ago probably gave him the idea that that's what his "fans" wanted. Way to go, guys!

    I see one of two things happening here:

    1) It will be so bad it will finally kill off the immortal cachet generated by his original recordings back in the 60s.

    2) It will be so bad it will make him immortal for another forty years.

    Personally, I hope it's the latter. The world would be a more boring place without William Shatner.
    • Someone please add the following to the fortune cookie file:
      "The world would be a more boring place without William Shatner." - dswensen (slashdot)

      This might be the most profound thing I have ever read on slashdot.

  • Hell yes! (Score:3, Funny)

    by applef00 (574694) on Tuesday December 30 2003, @02:37PM (#7837833) Homepage
    I for one am stoked. I think I may be the only person that likes Transformed Man on it's own merits (although I do like the camp factor as well). I searched long and hard for one of the original LPs. I also have the Leonard Nimoy records. Now those are truly terrible. Nimoy makes Shatner sound like Andrea Bocelli.

  • You have to give Shatner some credit (Score:5, Funny)

    by Hoi Polloi (522990) on Tuesday December 30 2003, @02:40PM (#7837870) Journal
    The man is totally devoid of shame, sort of like a fat guy on the beach in a speedo.

  • More info (Score:3, Informative)

    by matt-fu (96262) on Tuesday December 30 2003, @02:42PM (#7837895) Homepage
    Matt Chamberlain, a drummer you might have heard before [mattchamberlain.com], is playing on this. He notes [mattchamberlain.com] on his website:

    dec 11-2003
    I have been in Nashville for a little over a week playing with William Shatner---that guy is amazing...everyday has been a different lineup of people---the main core is Ben Folds-Sebastian Steinberg-John Painter-and me but last night was surreal--I played a improv drum solo to Shatner and Henry Rollins ranting and Adrian Belew freaking on his guitar--wow! a couple of days ago it was Joe Jackson and the group doing some Jazzy improvs to Shatners words-----reality is stranger than fiction---bye---Matt C

    There's also an archived Shatner interview [theonionavclub.com] at The Onion AV Club where he briefly touches on the original recording he did and why he approached it in that particular fashion.

  • Obligatory Futurama Quote (Score:3, Funny)

    by Dave Muench (21979) on Tuesday December 30 2003, @02:48PM (#7837965)
    Shatner: I'm...Slim Shady. Yes. I'm the real Shady. All you other Slim Shady's, are just imitating. So, won't the real Slim Shady ...please stand up ...please stand up ...please stand up.

    Koenig: How can you do a spoken word version of a rap song?

    Melllvar: He found a way.

  • As much as shatner is sick of it... (Score:4, Flamebait)

    by t0qer (230538) on Tuesday December 30 2003, @03:04PM (#7838122) Homepage Journal
    I think we would all like to see more Shatner Star Trek. Either in a starring role or as a director. There is just something TNG-DS9-Voy, ect are just missing from TOS.

    I want my captain to be a womanizing manwhore fucking green aliens around the universe. Not some pansy bald headed geriatric who flys around with pinochio and Klingons that have butts on their forheads (we never did find out WHY Klingons had such a drastic change in appearance, other than worf saying "It's something we don't like to talk about")

    I could go on and on about what I don't like about the new ST stuff, like Janeway from Voyager, why does she sound like she smokes 2 packs a day, yet we never see her light up? Or why does scott bakula have a dog on enterprise? How come Cisco never puts the beat down on that Ferengi bar he KNOWS would sell out the station for a few bars of gold pressed latinum?

    Please....For the love of....God.... Bring us back our captain. With the cost of special effects so cheap these days, i'm sure something really cool could be produced for less than they spend on these new series.

  • You left out "Capitain of the starship"!! (Score:4, Informative)

    by gukin (14148) on Tuesday December 30 2003, @03:45PM (#7838494)
    There is ANOTHER William Shatner album called "Capitain of the Ship". It features Mr. Shatner on the cover holding an upside-down tripod and looking very, well, Shatnery. You can find out more here. [franklarosa.com]
    • The UN has uninaimously condemned this as a crime against humanity and given the go-ahead for UN troops to begin marching on Shatner's house.

      That would be G. W. Bush, searching for the WMD and invading Shatner's house. Expect Kofi, France and Germany to go along this time.

      Come to think of it, this would be like the Monty Python Joke Weapon sketch, wouldn't it?

    • Oh. My. God. Until you've heard Bill belting out "Lucy In The Sky (With Diamonds)", complete with synthetic reverb and panflute, you just won't understand. I mean, I'm pretty sure that Douglas Adams had that recording in mind when he invented Vogon poetry.

      Really. It is that bad. I'd listen to an endless loop of RMS quarter-toning "The Free Software Song" before I'd willingly listen to Shatner again, although I'd prefer Leonard Nimoy's "If I Had A Hammer" to either of them.

    • >Someone obviously hasn't heard Tiny Tim's
      >rendition of "Hey Jude"!

      Sure, but even that is not as bad as Shatner's "Lucy". Neither is as bad as Nimoy's "Mr. Tambourine Man". And NOTHING compares to "Bilbo... Bilbo Baggins... only three feet tall...." Gah.

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