Allen Ludden Sings His Favorite Songs

[opus]

An album. Ever heard it?

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OL...EWogHPBq_qSlxM

[Hawkee]

I didn't even know this album existed until I was looking at Apple Music today and I happened to find it. And to my surprise Allen Ludden might've been a wonderful game show legend but as a singer he sounds pretty funny and among the songs he sings on his lone album are Me And My Shadow and Where Or When and when Allen Ludden sang he reminded me of Jeff Goldblum. How did Allen Ludden decide to make this album? Is it one of the rarest game host pieces of game show history next to Regis Philbin's 1968 album?
Bestie

[Duster76]

On the surface this certainly seems like a wacky idea but we have to take the times into account. It was not as unusual as it seems to have records of this nature released. There was a Dick Van Dyke release with a similar theme (I think it was called songs I like), an album by Rose Marie was released titled "Songs for Single Girls", Clint Eastwood released an album where he sang cowboy favorites. Later on there was an album by William Shatner, "The Transformed Man", There was an Odd Couple album (Tony and Jack) released "The Odd Couple Sings", so as strange as this idea seems I guess it's not that wild. Remember one thing, Lorne Greene and Walter Brennan delivered big chart hits. Ludden did summer stock so maybe he had fans from that venture. Who knows, record labels had house musicians, they lay down the tracks, the label holds music rights, maybe if 5,000 units were moved and the artist worked for a couple of thousand a profit would be made. Remember the old record clubs, maybe they would stick people with something like this as an extra selection, some wouldn't bother to send it back, so they'd get stuck.

I listened to one cut (that was enough), it's OK but nothing to write home about, it sounds like something you would get for free if you purchased a full tank of gas.

[opus]

Found a copy on Ebay. Will only cost you about 140 bucks (It's autographed!!)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/18540833170...5a4e%7Ciid%3A1

[icecream]

Originally Posted by Duster76

On the surface this certainly seems like a wacky idea but we have to take the times into account. It was not as unusual as it seems to have records of this nature released. There was a Dick Van Dyke release with a similar theme (I think it was called songs I like),
I listened to one cut (that was enough), it's OK but nothing to write home about, it sounds like something you would get for free if you purchased a full tank of gas.

Dick Van Dyke just got really insulted being lumped in with others like William Shatner. Dick Van Dyke is a highly talented singer.

[biffbronson]

Originally Posted by Duster76

There was a Dick Van Dyke release with a similar theme (I think it was called songs I like), an album by Rose Marie was released titled "Songs for Single Girls", Clint Eastwood released an album where he sang cowboy favorites.

Although Rose Marie of course enjoyed great exposure on Van Dyke's show in the 1960s, unlike several of the other celebrities in this thread she did have song recording experience - as a young girl, way back in the 1930s.

She also performed in a couple of theatre musicals in the 1950s-1960s, and while aged about in her 50s to early 60s was in a "musical revue." So clearly qualifying for the "Singer" category as part of her pro work, unlike Ludden.