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**Here is Mark’s next post in the Actors Who Sing series. Let it be said that Mark was concerned about the length of this post (which is fine,) but when he sent it to me, it came with the following note: “I just get rather passionate about Shatner!”**

Ah, the thin line between “so bad it’s good” and just plain bad. Never has that line been crossed more often than when actors venture into the recording studio, and no one has done it with more enthusiasm than William Shatner. For those of us who have an appreciation for outrageous aural pleasures he is the standard by which all else can be measured.

It all started with an album he recorded in 1968 called “The Transformed Man”. A collection of spoken word pieces and pop songs (which in essence became spoken word pieces as well, since Shatner can’t sing and had the good grace not to really try) it is unlike anything ever recorded before or since. To quote Shatner from his autobiography, “What I decided to do was find a selection of beautiful writing and use that as a lead into a song that complimented it. It all made perfect sense to me. But apparently it was a bit obtuse for some other people. Okay, for many other people. All right, for most people.”

Obtuse is putting it mildly. Like a starship captain shouting orders to his crew in the midst of a life or death battle with the Klingon Empire, Shatner’s performance on this record reaches such histrionic heights that one can only listen in jaw-dropping astonishment! Add this to Shatner’s penchant for speaking. Every. Word. Like. It. Is. Its! Own!! Sentence!!! and you have the stuff that legends are made of. Whether it’s his strung out junkie interpretation of “Mr. Tambourine Man”, the Shakespeare in a fit of manic depression delivery of “Spleen”, or the high on helium delirium of his “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” Shatner never gives less than 110%.

That is what I love about William Shatner, there’s a passion and excitement that he pours into everything he does that’s just completely infectious. I think Henry Rollins really captures that in this piece about his experience recording the track “I Can’t Get Behind That” with Shatner for the album “Has Been”.

Joseph Campbell, the mythologist, spoke of “the rapture that is associated with being alive”. I can’t think of any actor who personifies that more than William Shatner and that’s exactly what came through on “The Transformed Man” and makes it so much fun to listen to!

Of course mere words can never fully capture the true William Shatner experience, so check out these performances on YouTube:
“It Was a Very Good Year” and “Taxi”

And of course his famous (or infamous depending on your point of view) performance at The Science Fiction Film Awards of Elton John’s “Rocket Man”

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Anyone remember Mark who sent me this list a couple of weeks ago? As I mentioned then I met him as a fellow passholder at The Wright Stuff. I was very surprised at his unique and intelligent perspectives on film, so I asked him to write me something for the site, since I’m always looking to share unique perspectives with you. So here it is, the first in a series of posts about, well, a sensitive subject.

I have a confession to make. It’s the sort of admission that can elicit responses ranging from mild bemusement to outright confused shock In less enlightened times I may have been chased out of town by villagers carrying flaming torches. I even lived with a girlfriend who requested that I never indulge in this particular passion when she was at home. Despite all this (or maybe partly because of it) my devotion to my obsession has never wavered and I would proudly shout from the highest mountain top, “I LOVE WILLIAM SHATNER RECORDS!!!”

In fact I’m obsessed with all actors who one day decided that they have a song in their hearts that they must share with the world, despite lacking the requisite talent to do so. I’ve been collecting the recordings of actors who “sing” (a term which must be used very loosely in some cases) for about 20 years now. No matter how many times I hear something like William Shatner’s psychotic “Mr. Tambourine Man”, or Bette Davis yowling “Turn Me Loose On Broadway” the thrill never fades.

It has been said (by no less than Edgar Wright so it must be true) that the only truly bad film is a boring film and I would extend that definition to “singing” actors as well. A record by Mae West or Anthony Quinn may defy all conventional definitions of music (or even common sense), but it’s never boring. It’s certainly a lot more fun to listen to than something that sounds like some generic bar band (yes Bacon Brothers I’m talking to you).

What I hope to do in future posts is to introduce you to actors who have made the foray into the world of music and come out the other side having created something that at the very least can be called “interesting”. I’ll do my best to convey just how wonderfully bizarre this music can be and it may even intrigue you enough to search out these recordings and experience them for yourself. It may enlighten you, it may frighten you, it may even make you wish for temporary loss of hearing, but at least you’ll have found some music to put on at the end of the night to clear out the last of those annoying party guests.

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