Friday time waster: Paul Anka channels Nirvana. Weird.
Who knew at the core of Nirvana's famous anthem there was a swinging beat? Paul Anka, that's who. While walking my doggies through a deserted grove in Elysian Park this morning, I was listening to a podcast of an previous Fresh Interview with the former Rat Packer. They played an bit of his retooling of this iconic tune from my misspent youth, so of course I had to waste some time finding it and listening it on Youtube. Now, I share it with all of you folks. Enjoy it. I did.
You really haven't heard of his "rock swings" album yet? It came out in 2005! It's the album this particular Nirvana song is on, along with other covers of bands like Oasis, Michael Jackson, Bon Jovi, etc. I happen to love it, but come on, this is old news.
Paul Anka was just a baby when Rat Pack was hanging together and entertaining the country. Rat Pack was Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Joey Bishop and Peter Lawford.
Actually, he was a junior rat packer, known by the full members as "The Kid" so close enough for this Gen Xer. He wrote "My Way" for Sinatra, for example. For more tales of his adventures with Sinatra, Dino, Sammy and Joey, listen to the interview here http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93168534