Bizarre Albums

Due to illness, this is a re-broadcast of a Bizarre Albums episode from 2019. 

The late Major League Baseball catcher and Sports Broadcasting Hall of Famer records an album in Memphis. This is the story of Tim McCarver Sings Selections From The Great American Songbook, from 2009.

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A mysterious album by a mysterious group composed entirely of songs about Arthur Fonzarelli, aka The Fonz. This is the story of The Fonzettes' The Fonz Party, from 1976.

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Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation records an album of old pop standards. This is the story of Brent Spiner's Ol' Yellow Eyes Is Back, from 1991.

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Unlocked! A free Christmas bonus episode of Bizarre Singles, originally posted over at patreon.com/bizarrealbums 

Happy Halloween! Here is a free bonus episode of Bizarre Singles, originally posted in 2019 at patreon.com/bizarrealbums !

This is an encore presentation of the Lancelot Link and the Evolution episode with a special announcement regarding a brand new colored vinyl reissue from Enjoy The Toons Records!

Scott Baio became a teen idol after going the cast of Happy Days in 1977. The storylines eventually pushed a romance with one of his co-stars as well as singing. A few years later, he was a co-star of a new spin-off and recorded an album. This is the story of Scott Baio's self titled album, from 1982.

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The most famous mime of all time and the birth of hip hop. This is the story of The Best of Marcel Marceao, from 1970.

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In 2021, Gary Busey has become a staple in comedies and reality tv, but back in 1978, he was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in the Buddy Holly Story. He and his co-stars sang the songs and played the instruments themselves. This is the story of soundtrack for The Buddy Holly Story, from 1978.

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Laverne and Shirley (Penny Marshal and Cindy Williams) first appeared on an episode of Happy Days in late 1975. Just a few months later, they had their own spinoff. And it was immediately a huge hit. By the end of it’s first year on the air, they even released an album in-character. This is the story of Laverne & Shirley Sing, from 1976.

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In the 90's, Garth Brooks was the biggest star in all of music. He had four different albums that sold more than 10 million copies. He was not only the biggest star in country music, but he crossed over into the pop world as well. Then, Brooks did something very different. He created Chris Gaines, a rockstar alter ego. This is the story of Chris Gaines' Greatest Hits, also known as Garth Brooks in…the Life of Chris Gaines, from 1999.

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This is an episode of Bizarre Singles, originally heard by my patrons over on Patreon. Get weekly bonus episodes at patreon.com/bizarrealbums

Brie Larson. Academy Award winning actress, Marvel superhero, and...teen pop star? It happened. This is the story of Brie Larson's Finally Out Of P.E., from 2005. 

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Citizen's Band Radio, or CB Radio, blew up in the 1970's. They earned nearly 30% of all of Radio Shack's revenue. So, Radio Shack decided to capitalize on the trend and release a Radio Shack exclusive album full of CB themed songs. This is the story of All Ears: CB Songs, from 1977. 

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Actor Donny Most, grew up with singing as his first love. When he got the role of Ralph Malph on Happy Days, that derailed his singing dreams…for a little while. This is the story of Donny Most’s self titled album from 1976.

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Kurt Russell made his film debut when he was just 12 years old. By the time he was 15, Walt Disney signed him to a ten year contract. Shortly after his first big starring role for Disney, Kurt Russell recorded a bubblegum pop record for Capitol Records. This is the story or Kurt Russell's self titled album, from 1970.

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Ben Folds Five had a mainstream hit with "Brick". The next move? Ben Folds decided to do an experimental project without his bandmates. This is the story of Fear of Pop - Volume I, from 1998.

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A 73 year old comedian releases an album of music? It happened. This is the story of George Burns Sings, from 1969.

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After having a #1 album that was also the fastest selling hip hop album of all time, Vanilla Ice’s fame faded almost as quickly as it came. He tried to return in 1998…with a nu metal album. This is the story of Vanilla Ice’s Hard to Swallow, from 1998.

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After being the biggest star professional wrestling had ever seen, Hulk Hogan left the WWF to star in his own tv series. It didn't last long before he came back to wrestling, but this time went to rival company, WCW in 1994. One year later, he made an album with some friends and his wife. This is the story of Hulk Hogan and the Wrestling Boot Band's Hulk Rules, from 1995. 

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Due to a scheduling problem, this week's show is an episode of Bizarre Singles from the Patreon. (I explain in the intro)  Enjoy this episode of Bizarre Singles on Prince's "Batdance", from 1989. 

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Just a few years after winning an Oscar for her performance as Loretta Lynn in Coal Miner's Daughter, Sissy Spacek recorded a country album of her own. This is the story of Sissy Spacek's Hangin' Up My Heart, from 1983.

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Before becoming a movie star, Clint Eastwood was a cast member of CBS’s Rawhide. Shortly before he got his first starring film role, he released an album. This is the story of Rawhide’s Clint Eastwood Sings Cowboy Favorites, from 1962…or 1963?

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He was one of the Emmy winning stars of the groundbreaking Mary Tyler Moore Show. Caddyshack was still another 5 years away, but Ted Knight was popular enough to release an album. This is the story of Ted Knight's Hi Guys, from 1975. 

David Johansen was the lead singer of the New York Dolls, a highly influential band in the 1970’s that paved the way for glam and punk. After their breakup and a lackluster solo career, David Johansen developed an alter ego, Buster Poindexter, and made an album of calypso and lounge music. This is the story of the debut Buster Poindexter album, from 1987.

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Part two of this week's episode, covering the second disc of Stevie Wonder's Journey Through The Secret Life Of Plants, from 1979.

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After winning the Grammy for Album of the Year on three consecutive albums, Stevie Wonder took a three year break from recording. When he returned with a new album, it was a movie soundtrack to a documentary… based on a book…about plants. This is the story of Stevie Wonder's Journey Through The Secret Life Of Plants, from 1979.

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The Turtles record label wanted them to write another “Happy Together”, but then The Beatles released Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. And The Turtles said they wanted to make their own concept album…as a different band playing a different genre for every track. This is the story of The Turtles Present The Battle Of The Bands, from 1968.

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Paul McCartney released his first solo album in 1970, about one month prior to The Beatles’ Let It Be, the final album they would release. In 1971, he made his second album, Ram, with his wife Linda. Just before it’s release, he also made an orchestral instrumental version of the album. Eventually, the album would be released, under the pseudonym, Percy “Thrills” Thrillington. This is the story of Percy Thrillington’s Thrillington, from 1977. 

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Pat Boone was the second biggest act of the late 1950’s, behind only Elvis Presley. Then he went down a country and gospel music path. Then in 1997 he shocked the world with an album of heavy metal covers. This is the story of Pat Boone’s, In A Metal Mood: No More Mr. Nice Guy, from 1997.

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After over thirty years of being a successful actor, Kiefer Sutherland releases his debut country album. 

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Oscar winner. Emmy winner. Country music recording artist. This is the story of Jack Palance's Palance, from 1970.

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Lynda Carter shot to fame on the Wonder Woman tv series in 1975. But her first love was singing. This is the story of Lynda Carter’s Portrait, from 1978.

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How does combining contemporary christian music, Robert Kardashian and the NFL result in a Christmas album? This is the story of Dallas Cowboys Christmas, from 1985…and 1986.

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Los Angeles punk veterans Bad Religion. Not exactly the band you would expect to release a Christmas album. But they did it. Because they wanted to. This is the story of Bad Religion's Christmas Songs, from 2013.

Special thanks to Brett Gurewitz for talking with me for this episode!

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When motorcycle stuntman Evel Knievel set out to jump Snake River Canyon on his "skycycle", an album was released on Amherst Records as a way to promote the event.  This is the story of Evel Knievel, from 1974. 

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In the early 80's, for the first time in his career, Neil Young signed with a new record label. Geffen Records gave him a sizable advance and creative control. But after David Geffen heard the record, he tried to sue Young for making "uncharacteristic music". Yes, it was different. But Young has his reasons. This is the story of Neil Young's Trans, from 1982. 

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In 1990, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles had one of the biggest movies of the year. Late that summer, they embarked on a tour….as a band…sponsored by Pizza Hut. This is the story of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Coming Out Of Their Shells, from 1990.

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Burt Reynolds had been a working actor since the late 1950's, but yet when the early 70's came, he suddenly shot to fame. Once that movie star role was solidified, he took on country music next. This is the story of Burt Reynolds' Ask Me What I Am from 1973. 

Alfred Hitchcock had already been a successful film director for over 25 years when Alfred Hitchcock Presents debuted on television. And it made him a huge celebrity in America, with his best success yet to come. Yes, he released an album. No, he did not sing. This is the story of Alfred Hitchcock Presents Music To Be Murdered By, from 1958.

Featuring an appearance from Jonah Ray (Jonah Raydio, Mystery Science Theater 3000).

Spooky version of the theme song performed by Eban Schletter. 

A rock band with Dracula, the Wolfman, and Frankenstein. Need I say more? This is the story of Groovie Goolies, from 1970.

Spooky version of the theme song performed by Eban Schletter. 

A promotional record released by Chevrolet in 1965 to promote driver safety among young drivers. This is the story of Chevrolet Sings Of Safe Driving And You, from 1965. 

Muhammed Ali is one of the greatest boxers of all time. One of the most famous people of all time. A Boxer, activist, and philanthropist. But did you know that in 1976, he teamed up with his friend Arther Morrison to make a children's album about dental hygiene? This is the story of The Adventures of Ali and His Gang vs. Mr. Tooth Decay, from 1976. 

After becoming the breakout star of Welcome Back Kotter, John Travolta caught the attention of Bob Reno at Midland International Records. It didn't hurt that he was already a singer with Broadway experience.  This is the story of John Travolta's self-titled album, from 1976. 

Actress Barbara Eden stole the show on I Dream of Jeannie. But before she got into acting, she’d always had a love of singing. So after a couple of successful seasons on television, Barbara got to make an album for Dot Records. This is the story of Miss Barbara Eden, from 1967. 

Professional baseball player. Professional football player. Why not try rapping? This is the story of Deion Sanders' Prime Time, from 1994. 

In 1970, two comedy writers from the Carol Burnett Show and Get Smart decided to try to capitalize on the popularity of espionage movies and shows. But this one would be different...with a cast made up entirely of chimpanzees. Those chimps also played in a band called The Evolution Revolution. This is the story of Lancelot Link and the Evolution Revolution.

At the beginning of 1989, The Arsenio Hall Show debuted.  It was a hit.  At the end of 1989, Arsenio released an album by his overweight, rapper alter ego, Chunky A. This is the story of Chunky A's Large And In Charge, from 1989.

Free bonus episode in honor of Record Store Day 2020. This is an episode of Bizarre Singles from the Patreon feed ( patreon.com/bizarrealbums ) on Ted Cassidy's "The Lurch". Ted Cassidy played Lurch on the Addams Family tv show in the 60's. Just re-pressed for Record Store Day by Jackpot Records. Visit recordstoreday.com to find a copy! 

He became the biggest star on daytime tv. Then he quit and became a prime time star. But he always had his eyes set on a music career. This is the story of David Hasselhoff's Night Rocker, from 1985. 

He played in bands in his younger days, but eventually found a career in comedy. Once his comedy career took off, Chevy Chase tried to bring his comedy and music together This is the story of Chevy Chase's self titled album, from 1980. 

A mother reads her son’s palm and makes some predictions about his future. One of those predictions was that his daughters would be the biggest girl group in America. Despite no musical experience, or even interest, the girls were told by their father they would be taking music lessons and forming a band. This is the story of The Shaggs’ Philosophy of the World, from 1969.

In 1969, the New York Mets had one of the biggest turnarounds in the history of Major League Baseball. Fans took to calling them the amazing Mets, so they surprised their fans by making an album. This is the story of The Amazing Mets, from 1969. 

Thanks to John Ross Bowie! 

Follow him on social media, @johnrossbowie. 

In 1970, the Harlem Globetrotters got their own Saturday morning cartoon. The show’s music supervisor was the man with the golden ear, Don Kirshner. So, that meant the show had a surprisingly good soundtrack, thanks to uncredited studio musicians. This is the story of The Globetrotters. from 1970. 

In the early 1970’s, NASCAR racing had seen a big surge in popularity.  Jim Donoho, the son of Nashville racing promoter Bill Donoho wanted to get some of the most popular NASCAR drivers to make a country music album. This is the story of NASCAR Goes Country, from 1975. 

Saturday Night Fever was released in late 1977, bringing both John Travolta and disco to the masses. Less than a year later, Cookie Monster, Grover and the rest of the gang from Sesame Street hopped onto the disco bandwagon. This is the story of Sesame Street Fever, from 1978.

Just 3 years after graduating high school, Crispin Glover was cast in one of the biggest movies of all time, Back To The Future in 1985. He followed that with the critically successful River’s Edge. Then, he took a few years off of acting and pursued other creative projects. Writing and illustrating books...and making an album. This is the story of Crispin Hellion Glover’s The Big Problem ≠ The Solution. The Solution = Let It Be from 1989.

Special thanks to Matt Gourley and "Weird Al" Yankovic.

The story of the infamous album by Star Trek's William Shatner, The Transformed Man from 1968.

Hogan’s Heroes was not exactly your typical sitcom. Debuting on CBS in 1965, it was set in a German POW camp during World War II. And it was a hit. So, in 1966, the supporting cast made an album of popular World War II songs. This is the story of Hogan's Heroes Sing The Best of World War II, from 1966.

He dominated standup comedy. He was a cast member of Saturday Night Live when he was 19. He was a movie star. In Eddie Murphy's own words, his ego said "I can do anything!", so he recorded an album. This is the story of Eddie Murphy's How Could It Be from 1985. 

Macho Man Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan, two of the biggest stars in the history of professional wrestling. They had an on again/off again friendship both in the ring and out. In 2003, when he was more or less retired from wrestling, Macho Man wasn't happy with Hogan and called him out....rapping. This is the story of Be A Man by Macho Man Randy Savage, from 2003.   

May 22, 2020 was the 40th anniversary of the release of Pac-Man, the video game that made video games for everybody. Two Ohio musicians living  in Georgia, Jerry Buckner and Gary Garcia, loved Pac-Man so much that they decided to write a song about it. And it got them signed. This is the story of Bucker & Garcia’s Pac-Man Fever, from 1982.

NBC’s Miami Vice was the hottest show on television in the mid 80’s. The show’s breakout star, Don Johnson, told the head of CBS Records he wanted to make an album. So they signed him. This the story of Don Johnson’s Heartbeat, from 1986.

In March of 1965, The Theodore Hamm Brewing Company held it’s Centennial Celebration party in Minneapolis, Attendees that night would receive a copy of the souvenir album, Hamm’s 65- Bursting with Freshness.

This episode was recorded live on February 18, 2020 at Able Seedhouse & Brewery in Minneapolis, MN. 

One year after his departure from Van Halen, David Lee Roth released his first solo album, Eat ‘Em and Smile. It was a double platinum success. And then, he re-recorded all of the vocals and released it in Spanish, under a new title. This is the story of Sonrisa Salvaje from 1986.

Special thanks to Brian Keith Diaz for the Spanish intro and Zach Comtois for the guitars. 

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Free bonus episode of Bizarre Singles from patreon.com/bizarrealbums

Morton Downey Jr. was a pioneer of what would come to be called “trash tv”. After his controversial talk show became a massive success, he tried to return to his roots by releasing an album. This is the story of Morton Downey Jr. Sings, from 1989.

In 1974, Lou Reed had a top 10 album with Sally Can’t Dance. His label, RCA Records, pushed him to release another album quickly. What they got was a double album of nothing but noisy feedback and guitar effects. This is the story of Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music from 1975. 

The thrilling conclusion to Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, from 1978. 

Robert Stigwood was on fire. He was the manager of the Bee Gees. He produced the films Grease and Saturday Night Fever. Those soundtracks combined sold over 70 million copies for his label, RSO Records. For his next project, Stigwood produced a jukebox musical film made up entirely of Beatles songs. The cast included some of the biggest stars of the seventies…The Bee Gees, Peter Frampton, and even Steve Martin. How could it possibly fail? This is the story of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band - The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, from 1978.

She was already an heiress. She was already a model. She was already an author. She had become an actress. So, of course, there would be an album. This is the story of Paris Hilton’s album, Paris, from 2006.

Professional wrestling exploded in the 1980’s. Particularly the World Wrestling Federation. With one album already behind them, Vince McMahon decided it was time for his company to record a follow up. This is the story of Piledriver: The Wrestling Album II from 1987. 

Johnny Cash. The country music outlaw. The Man in Black. The man who once sang the lyrics, “I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die”, released a children’s album in 1975. This is the story of The Johnny Cash Children’s Album from 1975.

A former writer for Gilligan’s Island named Joel Rapp, his wife Lynn Rapp, and a synthesizer pioneer named Mort Garson team up to release an album of music…for plants. This is the story of Mother Earth’s Plantasia from 1976.

Jane Fonda’s Workout played a huge part of the 80's fitness craze. With success, comes parody. This is the story of Miss Piggy's Aerobique Exercise Workout Album, from 1982.   

The thrilling conclusion to the soundtrack for the 2018 documentary Bathtubs Over Broadway. 

Steve Young was a writer for David Letterman for over 20 years. While record shopping for a segment on the show, he stumbled into some  mysterious, corporate souvenir records marked "internal use only". Little did he know, they would change his life. This was the subject of the 2018 documentary, Bathtubs Over Broadway. The film's soundtrack made many of these available to the public for the first time ever. This is the story of Bathtubs Over Broadway- Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, from 2019.    

Mae West. Actress, playwright, sex symbol…and 70 something year old rock and roll singer?!? It happened. With a teenage backing band. This is the story of Mae West’s Way Out West album from 1966.

A free episode of Bizarre Singles from the Patreon.com/bizarrealbums page! This one is about the rap single released by actors Dan Aykroyd and Tom Hanks, "City of Crime" from the soundtrack to their Dragnet movie from 1987.   

“The first time I heard that Ed was taking singing lessons I made a citizens arrest on his tonsils for assault with a deadly weapon.

After listening to this album, however, I think I’m liable to be sued for false arrest. Ed can sing. And quite well, too.

I’m certain you’ll find “And Me…I’m Ed McMahon” as delightful and as pleasant a surprise as I have” - Johnny Carson.

This is the story of And Me…I’m Ed McMahon from 1967.

An animated opening movie title sequence spawned one of the most iconic cartoon characters of all time, The Pink Panther. In 1981, The Pink Panther released a so-called "punk" record. This is the story of Pink Panther Punk from 1981. 

From the first ever live Bizarre Albums show. This time, instead of an album, telling the story of Michael Jackson's ill-fated Ghosts music video from 1997. Recorded live on October 18, 2019 as part of Podcast Party at the Pack Theater in Los Angeles, CA. 

After opening his own salad bar and gym in Beverly Hills, Richard Simmons started getting national attention when his energetic demeanor was attracting celebrities to work out with him. Once the 80's hit, Richard Simmons was on tv, selling books, and of course, making an album. This is the story of Richard Simmons' Reach, from 1982.            

Long Island’s Twisted Sister were 1980’s MTV/heavy metal darlings. After reuniting in the early 2000's, they announced they would make one last album....a Christmas album. This is the story of A Twisted Christmas by Twisted Sister, from 2006.  

Comic books. Movies. TV series. Animated spin-offs. Tales From The Crypt did it all. Including a Christmas album in 1994. 

Dinosaurs was a sitcom that was born from an idea that Jim Henson had shortly before his passing in 1990. Eventually his son Brian took over the Jim Henson Company and was able to make the show for ABC in 1991. The show was a hit, so of course, that lead to an album in 1992. This is the story of Dinosaurs - Big Songs. 

After his band Them broke up, Van Morrison was courted by Bang Records and Bert Berns to record some solo material. After a promising start, it quickly went downhill, eventually resulting in Morrison recording over thirty nonsense songs that he made up on the spot just to get out of his record deal. The tapes had come to be known under many names, "The Contractual Obligation Session" being one of them. In 2017, the session was officially released on The Authorized Bang Collection. This is the story of how it all came to be. 

Record producer Domenico "Meco" Monardo saw Star Wars on it's opening day in May of 1977. He ended up seeing it 11 times in the theaters. He loved John Williams' score and dreamed up a disco version that he thought could be a hit...and he was right. This is the story of Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk by Meco, from 1977. 

On the heels of the success of Sam Raimi's 2002 Spider-Man movie, Marvel announced a Spider-Man musical. Bono and The Edge from U2 were tapped to do the music. It seemed like everything was falling into place...then...budget problems, delays, firings, injuries, and even a death eventually lead to the most expensive show in Broadway history. This is the story of Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark, and it's accompanying album. 

Happy Halloween! Within a few weeks of it's tv debut in 1964, The Munsters became one of the top ten shows on television. The show premiered in September and before the end of the year, there was already tons of merchandise, including this album. 

Get in the Halloween spirit with a free bonus episode from the Patreon feed. Sign up for weekly bonus episodes of the spinoff show, Bizarre Singles, at patreon.com/bizarrealbums ! 

Star Trek started gaining a cult following after it's television debut in September of 1966.  A few months later, Dot Records approached the producers about making some sort of Star Trek album. The result: Leonard Nimoy Presents Mr. Spock's Music From Outer Space, from 1967. 

In 1966, rock bands started to get much more ambitious in the recording studio. On television, Batman had premiered in January and was a huge success. So, Jan and Dean made a rock and comedy concept album about Batman...well, at least that was the plan. 

Academy Award winning actor Joe Pesci seemed to always have a connection to music, whether that was playing guitar in bands or helping with the formation of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. In 1998, Pesci released an album of his own, as his character from the hit comedy, My Cousin Vinny....Vincent LaGuardia Gambini Sings Just For You.   

In 1998, after nearly fifty years of producing records, Sir George Martin decided to make one final album. A record for himself, as he put it. He asked some of his friends and heroes to come and perform Beatles songs for it. Recording artists such as Phil Collins and Bobby McFerrin took part...but so did comedians and actors such as Robin Williams, Jim Carrey, Goldie Hawn, and Sean Connery.  This is the story of Sir George Martin's final album.   

Alvin and The Chipmunks had all but faded away in the 1970's. Their unexpected return was due in part to a bored radio DJ making a joke. This is the story of Chipmunk Punk, from 1980. 

In 1976, after winning his second consecutive Super Bowl, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw released an album of country and western covers.   

Laverne and Shirley was a wildly popular American sitcom in the 70's and 80's. Michael McKean and David Lander played the roles of Laverne and Shirley's upstairs neighbors, Lenny and Squiggy. Occasionally they appeared in episodes playing music as Lenny and The Squigtones. In 1979, Lenny and The Squigtones released an album on Casablanca Records.

NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal released a platinum selling hip-hop album in 1993. This is the true story of how it came to be. 

In 1968, a band composed entirely of cartoon characters from Riverdale released their self titled debut album...The Archies. This is their story. 

The story of actor Bruce Willis' The Return of Bruno album(1987). 

The story of The Simpsons Sing The Blues album(1990). 

For the debut episode, hear the story of the World Wrestling Federation's The Wrestling Album(1985).  

On this new podcast, Tony Thaxton tells the story behind the strange albums that you can't believe actually exist.