I'm Ashamed... But Just to Be Clear... It's NOT MY FAULT

Happy December 17th!!!! Only Four Shopping Days Before December 21st!!!!

First, I want to again thank JW for what has been a slew of comments on older and recent posts. I believe you have entered the top three or four commenters with your recent dozen or so comments. Thanks particularly for your comments on the quality of my own comments - I appreciate it. I did see your question about Rod Barton, and will try to answer that in my next post, although there's not all that much to tell, unfortunately.  

And thanks to everyone who comments. Please know that if you ask a question, or simply say something that I'd like to answer, I will answer in e-mail, but can only do so if you connect your commenting persona on blogger to your e-mail address - almost no one does this, though. 

Also, I have repaired yet another month's worth of posts, this time those originally posted in September of 2011, including a Labor Day related record, a rather ridiculous title from Cara Stewart, a very sweet entry from Gene Marshall, and a wispy set of tunes from Sammy .Marshall.

And now, it's time to board the S.S. Halmark!

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For the last several months, I have been engaged in a nice series of e-mail conversations with a song-poem fan named Tyler. I think each of us have learned a few things (or more!), and it's been quite an enjoyable interchange of thoughts, information and ideas about song-poems. 

Tyler is passionate about Halmark Records releases, and writes at length about various aspect of this most esoteric of song-poem labels. And I realized recently that it had been quite a while since I featured the label. So today, for Tyler, and anyone else who loves Halmark - or who just finds the label endlessly fascinating, I have one of their signature EP's today, featuring their greatest/most awful singer, Bob Storm. 

The EP starts a bit slowly, with Bob Storm in his less outlandish vocal mode, singing over a late '40's/early '50's style backing track, complete with big band and choir, and typically sad, regretful song-poem lyrics, in the song "You'll Never Realize". There is a moment at the end when it seems that Bob has more lyrics left than the backing track is going to make room for, and he squeezes a bunch in, in order to hit the last words on top of the last chord. 

Download: Bob Storm - You'll Never Realize

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The highlight/lowlight here for me - both for the lyrics and the performance - is the second track, "I'm So Ashamed". This track is extremely peculiar. The lyrical conceit is that the protagonist is that the singer is apologizing and expressing his shame - except that he also keeps saying that "I'm not to blame". That's quite an apology. Essentially, he's saying he was entrapped by someone who he could not resist - all her fault, I guess. There is a stunning lack of recognition of culpability on the part of the person being portrayed, and I doubt this is an apology most people would accept

That's a good enough start. But it certainly sounds like a deeply felt lyric, perhaps one written by a regretful man as a sort of (poor) apology to his lady. But a close look at the label shows it seems to have been written by a woman, so perhaps it's just a fictional lyric, unless it was about a same sex relationship. That seems unlikely, though, especially in that a man is singing it. 

And that man. That manly man. Bob really Storms it up here, switching from that mild mannered vocal on track one to the voice he wants to use when he's really putting on the... smarm. This is as Bob Stormy a vocal as Bob Storm has ever offered, ridiculous, over the top and grandiose

Download: Bob Storm - I'm So Ashamed

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The third song has perhaps the song-poemiest title I've ever seen, "Leave Me Alone With My Beautiful Dream". It's such an all encompassing title that Halmark couldn't quite make it fit on the label. Bob's still in smarm-unctuous mode here, toned down perhaps a notch from the previous track, while the lyrics are pretty much what you'd expect from that title. 

I did want to point out the horrid mastering that was done on this side of the record: the dip in volume at about 0:48 of this song is on the record. The remainder of the side continues at this lower volume. I thought about correcting it, but decided to leave things the way they are, as this is just another Hallmark (no pun intended) of the shoddy nature of many song-poem products. 

Download: Bob Storm - Leave Me Alone With My Beautiful Dream

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Before the Storm-clouds leave our area until another special day, Bob treats us to "Drop Me Love". His wobbly warbling is the main attraction, although I find myself caught up in the lyrics - maybe it's just me, but I have no idea what has happened, or what is going to happen, in the life of the protagonist or his love. The lyrics seem pretty tortured and obtuse, but maybe that's just me - I'm a bit frazzled this week, so maybe they're clear as can be. 

I also enjoy the fact that this track seems to be pressed off center, even though its partner on the side ("Leave Me Alone") does not - I wonder how that was accomplished. 

Download: Bob Storm - Drop Me Love

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