Song Of The Day 2/22/2016: Dudley Moore – “Love Me”

Next Best Original Songs – The original 1967 version of the movie Bedazzled is a marvelous thing. This came from Stanley Donen, the director of, I'm not kidding, Singin' in the Rain, otherwise known as "Everything That's Great About Movies In One Film." Bedazzled exploited the refined chemistry of British comedy duo Peter Cook and Dudley Moore. Cook wove the British tradition of understatement into outrageous situations better than anyone else. Moore was frequently his bouncy, more optimistic foil, either overcoming or being flabbergasted by Cook's stolid impenetrability. Fob off work today and check out their contributions to society on YouTube.

Bedazzled is a Faustian tale about Mittyesque restaurant worker Stanley Moon (Moore), choked with dissatisfaction with his lot in life and a waitress he's fallen for. Cook plays the Devil, who materializes to give Moon seven wishes. Being the Devil, of course, he finds ways to thwart the resolution of those wishes. One wish involves Moon being transformed into a popular, Tom Jones type singing sensation. Moon is suddenly thrust onto the set of a music TV show resembling Top of the Pops, where shrieking girls in the audience adore him as he sings "Love Me." A minute later the Devil appears as the lead vocalist of Drimble Wedge & The Vegetations, who perform the song "Bedazzled" and siphon all those worshipping groupies over to his side. The kids are right, really -- "Bedazzled" is a better song than "Love Me." But I already featured "Bedazzled" on this blog, so Stanley gets another chance at redemption today.