Cleopatra Records [Release date 14.04.23]

‘Born To Be Wild’ is what, at first look, is often called a novelty album. Bring together a one-time Hollywood (and musical) icon (of a certain era) and hook them up virtually with a whole cache of contemporaneous artists.

Ann-Margret was very much a fixation for pubescent males in the early sixties, along with French sex siren Brigitte Bardot and to a lesser extent Catherine Deneuve and Jane Fonda. Musically Ann-Margret duetted with Elvis in the 1964 film ‘Viva Las Vegas’ (and three others) giving her added credibility and screen presence but she also released several albums.

Cleopatra have now coordinated a veritable A list of contributors who grew up musically in the sixties and are old enough to have had her poster on their bedroom wall.

The music is based around rock/pop’s first two decades as you might expect, starting with a take on Bill Haley’s ‘Rock Around The Clock’ with Joe Perry (b.1950) and Jim McCarty (ex-Yardbirds, b.1943). Pete Townshend (b.1945) pays his respects with ‘Bye Bye Love’(Ann-Margret appeared in the ‘Tommy’ movie) and there’s even a “duet” with Cliff Richard (b.1940) on ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.” Where he emotes in the closing refrains “I’m a fan…of Ann”.

Apparently Ann-Margret still rides a Harley Davidson so ‘Born To Be Wild’ is quite appropriate and here she is aided by The Fuzztones. Elsewhere there is the appearance of an old sparring partner (in the 1962 musical film ‘State Fair’) Pat Boone with a cameo from Rick Wakeman on ‘Teach Me Tonight’.

It’s a shame that this album didn’t revisit her 1961 single ‘I Just Don’t Understand’ which was covered later by The Beatles. It sounded pretty good back then and could have been nicely updated for a wider (rock) audience.

Vocally 81 year old Ann-Margret knows her range and whilst fairly monotone it’s certainly more listenable than – for instance – Marianne Faithfull and in terms of similar offerings infinitely superior to the likes of label-mate William Shatner.

Nostalgia and novelty combine in perfect harmony and the album may no doubt remind some of mis-spent youth and, frustratingly, a missing poster. ***

Review by David Randall

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