Everyone lost their minds in the 70s, even me.
The article reports many things I already knew, but I got a kick out of it, because it reminded me of a cultural treasure I had forgotten: The Ethel Merman Disco Album, which somehow managed to combine the two worst things of 1979 pop culture. Her disco version of There’s No Business Like Show Business is even worse than the original, which seems theoretically impossible, but it’s her same old singing style, with the same phrasing of her same old signature song, except with a corny disco beat in the background.
There was also Hooked on Classics and disco versions of the Star Wars theme and other things. Right next to The Hustle. What a time that was. Later on it was the Stars on 45.
And …
Disco Duck
Disco Lucy (Disco version of the I Love Lucy theme)
Venus (Disco Version) from Frankie Avalon
A grand time, indeed.
Cher/Bowie medley on the Sonny & Cher show, A Fifth of Beethoven…
“Popcorn” by Hot Butter.
Though I could name so many other crazy/embarrassing things about the 70s. I am not brave enough to link you to a picture of myself from that decade wearing a paisley pattern shirt and corduroy bell-bottom pants. Still, I have a fondness for those years.
The fashions of the era were so bad that even our business attire wasn’t very businesslike. Here I am in the mid 70s at a business meeting with other people in lower management.
I’m the big blond guy in the mafia suit. In those days I also had the white Mr. Rourke suit, a coral suit that my colleagues called “pink,” and a pale green suit. For evenings I had two velvet sport coats, one burgundy and one neon blue. The strangest thing is that nobody ever thought it was out of place. I suppose I would have been too flashy for Des Moines, but I lived in Miami, the Miami of white shoes, pastel leisure suits, and quiana shirts with giant flower and bird prints. Hell, the cool guys assumed I was a cop!
It was just a period of collective insanity.
To this day, nobody can explain how that one guy managed to avoid the mandatory 1970’s porn mustache.
Look at your bright white tie and suit buttons. Awful and awesome at the same time.
I beg to differ. “The Ethel Merman Disco Album” is the high point of ’70s culture. If you don’t believe me, think of anything else in ’70s culture that was better.
Great R&B music
First few years of SNL
Animal House
Jim Croce
Early Woody Allen
The Godfather
Monty Python films
Jimmy Buffet
Blazing Saddles
Also better:
Everything not involving Ethan Merman.
Somebody was watching Reacher as the Ethel Merman Disco Album was referenced on first ep of the new season.
I haven’t watched Reacher. It seems like I should start!
How many artists get judged on the very last thing they did? Ethel Merman seems to have suffered that unfair fate. She was one of the greatest stars in Broadway history, but her achievements on stage tend to get overlooked because when the time came to make big-screen versions of her hit musicals, almost always someone else got cast for her role. (Same thing with Mary Martin.) We know she could act–look at her brilliant performance as the mother-in-law from hell in It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World–a movie chock full of legendary comedians, all of whom she upstaged. I know some people consider her singing style an acquired taste, but as a stage singer it was the right tool for the job. Cut her some slack.
Ernie Borgnine has entered the chat
Listening to her sing was a visceral experience. Except for Carol Channing’s voice, it was the worst thing that ever happened to my ears. I would rather listen to Yoko.
I have one question about Ethel Merman’s career. Why?
PR
Her name resonated. 😉