Sunday, May 8, 2011

Don't be stupid, be a smarty...

C'mon join the Nazi party! 

This is hands down the funniest vinyl I own. To Be Or Not To Be (The Hitler Rap), a novelty rap-tune by the great Mel Brooks, released in the early 80s. Mel Brooks owe his career to the Nazi-spoofing The Producers so it only made sense that he'd return to the subject someday. And what a return!

From the back-up vocalists breathlessly singing "Sieg Heil" in the intro, the incredibly cheesy disco-rap sounds, the fact that the lyrics actually are a pretty decent rundown of Hitlers rise to power and the entire WW2 to the simple fact that this is Mel Brooks. Rapping. In character. As Hitler.
Madness.

Here's a taste of the lyrics for you!
"Like humpty dumpty offa that wall all the little countries they began to fall
Holland Belgium Denmark Poland -- the troops were rockin' and the tanks were rollin'
We were swingin' along with a song in our hearts.
And "Deutschland uber alles" was making the charts"
The video is "classic" as well. Female dancers straight out of Cabaret and leather-clad male dancers straight out of the nearest gay club. All with Third Reich regalia. And Mel Brooks breakdancing. It will blow your mind. And possible scar you for the rest of your life, but that is the sacrifice we have to make.
This was actually a sizeable hit. #12 in both the US and UK, #3 in Australia and a #2 in Sweden! Insanity. But a good reason to debut my "from the vault" tag. For those posts when I feel like digging up something old from my collection.

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