I always thought girls named "Laura" were lucky. There's a gorgeous song named after "Laura." Same with Roseanna, Wendy, Nancy, Georgia, Mandy, Brandy, Carol, and even Sharona. For guys, Johnny and Bill, and Tom seemed to have cornered the market. No one ever sung a love song to "Ken."
Until now.
And what a hard-driving classic it is. This is from an early '60s Barbie album. I'm kinda hoping Katy Perry will do a cover. But until then, I'll have to be content with being the object of affection of a girl who hallucinates and has no genitals. What a fitting tribute.
Surely you must've heard of Barbie Girl by Aqua? In the video, the group's beefcake rapper plays the part of Ken and raps in a hilarious voice that's a cross between a movie trailer voiceover and an obscene phone caller. The way he says "Come on Barbie, let's go party" is very LOL worthy.
ReplyDeleteSounds like Eydie Gorme!
ReplyDeleteBarb
Merry Christmas!
Before I get pilloried by other commenters, I know the Aqua song obviously isn't named after a "Ken", but the lyrics are directed towards him. After all, they include "You can brush my hair, undress me everywhere".
ReplyDeleteMy wife Laura always thought she was named after the Johnny Mercer song "Laura." It made sense: her dad was a renowned big band musician who played for Tommy Dorsey, Tex Beneke and Freddy Martin. She inherited a 78 of "Laura" by Stan Kenton from him. She even became a singer herself who's gotten critical raves for her new recordings of songs by Mercer, her favorite composer.
ReplyDeleteImagine her disappointment to learn she was actually named after her mom's aunt. Probably just as well that she didn't know that sooner, since her great aunt never wrote any songs that could've inspired her to become a singer. And at least she wasn't named Barbie.
"Bobby's Girl," and "Wait 'Til My Bobby Gets Home" are mine. I'm definitely not bragging.
ReplyDeleteYou had a whole RADIO SERIES dedicated to you!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGnxsZrE2F0
As for me, I have the main title to "Monty Python's Life of Brian" and "Brian's Song", which, as those who have seen the movie recall, gets booed.
A folklorist and record collector extraordinaire, Lou Curtiss was quite relieved when "Louie, Louie" dropped off the charts.
I dunno, a hallucinating female eunuch doesn't seem so bad to me. All I've got is Billy Joel--and in a subtitle, no less.
ReplyDeleteDo you have that 45? Its worth about $20 on eBay.
ReplyDelete;-)
Pam aka Sisterzip
As a very long time lurker, you have pulled me out with this treasure. As I was listening to the high quality of the arranging and songwriting (for such a throwaway) I was curious and did some digging - the creative team behind this were Eliot Daniel and Ken Darby - Daniel wrote the I Love Lucy Theme and Ken Darby's arrangements and singers were behind Bing Crosby for "White Christmas," among other great Hollywood songs - so that's a pretty amazing duo to be brought together for such a seemingly silly project. No one can accuse Mattel of going cheap. You should be proud!
ReplyDeleteSounds like you need to hear "Ken" by Kate Bush! "Ken is the man that we all need.."
ReplyDeleteCap'n Bob...
ReplyDeleteYou've (actually we've) also got "Dr. Robert" by The Beatles and "Robert" by Dolly Parton. Two songs on everyone's lips.
RCP--You're right, of course. Having my name in a Beatles song makes up for "Bobby's Girl."
ReplyDeleteAs a kid, I hated the song "Windy" by the Association. Everyone that knew me would try to spell my name that way. I'm still not found of it. The Beach Boys' Wendy is better, even with the whole broken-heart angle.
ReplyDeleteThe TRUE story about Barbie's recording career:
ReplyDeletehttp://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/barbie-sings-for-christmas/
A Boy Named Sue, Runaround Sue.....plus, program directors who purposely scheduled these songs during my airshifts as a "joke"....
ReplyDeleteWhat about the Everlys' "Wake Up, Little Susie" or "Suzie Baby" by Robin Luke?
ReplyDelete