Guilty Pleasures Part Forty-Two -- Children, Please Don't Try This at Home

It's no secret that we like music at Mr. Dilettante. And again I have my advisor Fearless Maria with me. So what should we look at this week?

Well Dad, one thing I've noticed is that sometimes rock stars have some, well, interesting ideas about what they should wear when they are performing. Can we look at a few songs where people have made choices that they probably regret now and/or humiliated themselves?

Oh, that's a great idea, Maria. I'll bet we can find some really good examples on the YouTubes. For example, consider these guys, who were kind of a bargain basement version of the Mamas and the Papas, except not as talented and less good looking. Waay less good looking. It's Spanky and Our Gang, performing (sort of) on the Smothers Brothers show, with:

Leopard Skin Phones

The 60s were pretty weird, Maria. What is your rating of this one?

Dad, my rating is: horrible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Strange and wacky is no way to go through life, Dad! Dad, did it get any better in the 1970s?

Not especially, Maria. First, we can go back to 1970, to one of Uncle Mike's favorite bands, Funkadelic. They were so confused that sometimes they called themselves Parliament, too. But that's a different issue. Believe it or not, they got weirder than this. Check it out:

I Got a Thing

Dad, I'm not sure what thing they have, but I sure don't want it! Did you see the guy with the conehead in the back? He should have made it orange, then he could have been a traffic cone! I'd sure avoid that! My rating is: Creepy!?!?!

So you think those guys were creepy, Maria? I can top that. Check out this one from around 1973, on the Midnight Special. You get the Four Tops introducing Todd Rundgren, who performs:

Hello, It's Me

Dad, I think he was actually appearing on the Midnight Stupid! What on earth was he thinking? Ben was watching this and he ran away! My rating: Who spilled makeup on that weirdo? Tell me, now! Hello, it's Trouble!

I hate to tell you this, Maria, but he dressed himself like that on purpose. What that purpose was is pretty hard to figure out, though! Anyway, we're not done yet!

Try these guys out. They were part of that wonderful musical year of 1974, when good taste took a year-long holiday. It's Bo Donaldson & the Heywoods, performing:

Billy Don't Be a Hero

Well, they're not heroes, that's for sure! They're being fools with their lives just by wearing those terrible outfits! You could land a plane on the collars of those jumpsuits! My rating: Odd.

You know what the scary part is, Maria?

I'm not sure I want to know, Dad. But you're going to tell me anyway, right?

Well, of course I am, Maria. The scary part is that these guys weren't the most foolish guys around in 1974. This guy was even more tasteless. But he's not part of this contest.

So the last one of the night is these guys, who had a lot of hits back in the 1970s. I'm always fond of trombone players with turbans myself, so I'm going to call to your attention K.C. and the Sunshine Band, singing:

That's the Way I Like It

Dad, I'm not sure that's the way I like it! But that was interesting. Rating: OK. So what else is left to do, Dad?

Well, we get to ask people to vote for their favorite of the group in the comments section.

Dad, do you think that anyone will like these ones?

Only one way to find out, Maria. Everybody vote!

Dad?

Yes, Maria?

Aren't you forgetting something?

Oh, yes. Maria wants you to visit her at her blogs! She has two, just so you know.