Off the Charts: The Song-Poem Story

Starring:Off the Charts: Song Poems Story
Studio: Shout Factory
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
In his wildest satirical dreams, not even Christopher Guest could top Off the Charts for sheer folk-art eccentricity. And yet, the creator of A Mighty Wind would find comedic inspiration in Jamie Meltzer's hilarious and sincerely affectionate tribute to the subcultural phenomenon known as the song poem. For over 50 years, a small, strictly amateur music industry has thrived on the fine-print ads that appear in alternative newspapers and music-industry magazines, inviting would-be songsmiths to send in their lyrics (and perhaps even "earn royalties") when their songs--and we use that term loosely--are set to music, recorded by seasoned musicians, and returned to their creators as a kind of one-shot fantasy fulfillment of dreams that will never come true. What drives Meltzer's film is a uniquely American combination of pathos, fringe-dwelling ambition, and free expression by assorted misfits and "regular folk" who seek elusive immortality by turning their lyrical musings into trash-art that's simultaneously fascinating and pathetic. But despite the end-credit claim that not a single hit has resulted from the estimated 200,000 song poems that have been recorded over the decades, Meltzer's not out to ridicule these wonderfully ungifted artists. Instead, Off the Charts gives a memorable spin to the flipside of the American dream. --Jeff Shannon
Description
A feature-length documentary about the sometimes unsettling but always fascinating world of the song-poem industry. In this little known subculture, ordinary people send in their heartfelt, but often bizarre, poems to companies that - for a fee - turn them into full-fledged musical productions. Advertising in the back of magazines, these companies lure the would-be songwriters with promises of fame and fortune.

This peculiar concoction of American commerce, musicianship, and poetic longing create oddly compelling songs that are unlike anything you've ever heard. Off The Charts: The Song-Poem Story explores the lives and dreams of the songwriters and musicians who operate within this strange world.

Features not-so-famous songs like, "Non-Violent Taekwondo Troopers", "I Am A Ginseng Digger", "Richard Nixon", "Jimmy Carter Says Yes!", "Annie Oakley", and "How's Everything in Denmark?"

Amazon.com

In his wildest satirical dreams, not even Christopher Guest could top Off the Charts for sheer folk-art eccentricity. And yet, the creator of A Mighty Wind would find comedic inspiration in Jamie Meltzer's hilarious and sincerely affectionate tribute to the subcultural phenomenon known as the song poem. For over 50 years, a small, strictly amateur music industry has thrived on the fine-print ads that appear in alternative newspapers and music-industry magazines, inviting would-be songsmiths to send in their lyrics (and perhaps even "earn royalties") when their songs--and we use that term loosely--are set to music, recorded by seasoned musicians, and returned to their creators as a kind of one-shot fantasy fulfillment of dreams that will never come true. What drives Meltzer's film is a uniquely American combination of pathos, fringe-dwelling ambition, and free expression by assorted misfits and "regular folk" who seek elusive immortality by turning their lyrical musings into trash-art that's simultaneously fascinating and pathetic. But despite the end-credit claim that not a single hit has resulted from the estimated 200,000 song poems that have been recorded over the decades, Meltzer's not out to ridicule these wonderfully ungifted artists. Instead, Off the Charts gives a memorable spin to the flipside of the American dream. --Jeff Shannon

Description

A feature-length documentary about the sometimes unsettling but always fascinating world of the song-poem industry. In this little known subculture, ordinary people send in their heartfelt, but often bizarre, poems to companies that - for a fee - turn them into full-fledged musical productions. Advertising in the back of magazines, these companies lure the would-be songwriters with promises of fame and fortune.

Features not-so-famous songs like, "Non-Violent Taekwondo Troopers", "I Am A Ginseng Digger", "Richard Nixon", "Jimmy Carter Says Yes!", "Annie Oakley", and "How's Everything in Denmark?"

Customer Reviews:

Really, it is.......2005-10-16

"Non-Violent Taekwondo Troopers" is perhaps the greatest pop song ever recorded, better even than "In My Life", "What You Do to Me", "Lexicon Devil", or " Be My Baby". Caglar Juan Singletary (and Art Kaufman) have given something of real beauty to the world. Sublime.

Caglar Is King.......2005-08-18

I am on a list that has been raving about this film- so I bought it even though I didn;t think it would be the kind of movie I would like.

They were right, I was wrong.

This movie is awesome- and the main reason is C-A-G-L-A-R! His songs are very cool- and he is very cool too. I didn't much like the rest of the song poets, however I liked all the guys who wrote and sang the music.

I don't know what all the hoopla is over Gene Marino. I think it's admirable he put such effort into these little songpoems. He sure didn't have too.

There is also not much I can say about Garry Forney. He kind of exemplifies why people like me had such a bad impression of the industry and why I didn't think I'd like it. [...]

But I guess the ends justify the means, because I really like this movie. Especially you know who!

"Thank Jehovah for Kung Fu Bicycles and Priscilla Presley".......2005-03-29

Have you ever heard of Caglar Juan Singletary (the man behind the song `Non-Violent Taekwondo Troopers')? No? How about Nilson V. Ortiz (The Thing), or Gary Forney (Chicken Insurrection)? Probably not...should you know these individuals? Not unless you're kin...so why am I bringing them up? Well, I think many of us have seen the tiny, little ads in magazines (usually in the back), tabloids, or comic books that entice readers to send in poems and have them translated into songs, with the inference of possibly entering the music business and/or reaping the accompanying rewards (be they in the form of recognition or financial, or both) only to dismiss them as scams and wonder just what kind of people fall for such foolishness? Well, the three I mentioned earlier are individuals who responded to such ads at one point or another, and have all had their words transmogrified into songs, for better or for worse...

In the documentary Off the Charts: The Song-Poem Story (2003), Jamie Meltzer allows us a glimpse behind those ads I mentioned previously, detailing not only those with aspirations of having their words transformed into songs, but also those craftsmen who take on the responsibility turning someone's dreams into a vinyl reality, for a price, of course...as the film begins, Meltzer examines this rather extensive subculture, focusing on a relatively small, eclectic group within the whole, specifically the more inspired (or demented, depending on your view) elements. How it actually works is you would send in your poem to the advertisement listed, and they would respond telling you they will take your poem and turn it into a professionally produced song, complete with singer and musical accompaniment. All you have to do is send in some cash...and it's usually not a meager sum, but then what price can you put on stardom? Once the cash was received, the work would begin, and a record produced, with a copy of going back to you.

While watching this documentary, I think what surprised me most was seeing the level of professionalism and seriousness displayed by the individuals or companies who turn these submissions into music. They weren't especially high tech, and usually worked alone out of their homes, but they didn't appear to be in the business of scamming or fleecing these people of their money (although I'm sure some are). They truly seemed interested in providing what they advertised, despite the quality of the material they often received, and believe me, there is a level of awfulness that goes beyond comprehension (this seems sort of an absurd aspect, to have accomplished musicians work with generally such amateurish material). There was a very creepy element about some of these individuals who submitted their works, but you won't be able to deny the sincerity in their desires. They didn't appear to have delusions about stardom, but only wished to hear their words in a format that could be enjoyed by others...and as creepy as some of these people may seem, they really can't compare to those who actually collect this material, those who scrounge, scavenge, and pontificate the virtues of said music...these guys probably scared me the most (probably because I could identify with them more than anyone else in the film). I think the part I liked the most was when we saw, in a split screen, the artist performing a song, and the person who wrote the poem hearing the song for the first time. It's funny how these original writers react to hearing the songs created from their words, especially when they get something not quite what they expected. The film closes with one individual, now that he has his words translated into to music, deciding it's time to take his music to the people, and he and his son go on tour (all of one stop...you gotta start somewhere).

The actual documentary lasts about an hour, and the rest is made up of a plethora of special features including a director and producer commentary track, Sunburst Studio sessions (featuring the recording of six songs), deleted scenes (7 in all), a feature called the Iowa Mountain Tour, Live!, `Off the Charts' premiere party, Columbine Records Presents `America Sing!'(a variety TV show featuring a number of songs), and a song-poem advertisement gallery with commentary. If you enjoy this, I would also recommend the book/CD combo Songs in the Key of Z: The Curious Universe of Outsider Music (I think someone already mentioned it), and another film titled Driver 23/Atlas Moth (2002), which doesn't so much pertain to `outsider' music, but is a great film about one mans dedication to his craft and the lengths to which he goes through in following his dreams.

Cookieman108

Non-Violent Taekwondo Troopers And More!.......2004-11-30

This is one of my favorite documentaries of all time. I have been a fan of song-poems for years, and this movie is the best explanation and analysis of the phenomena that I have ever seen. This film chronicles the important characters in American song-poem history, such as Rodd Keith and Ramsey Kearney (singer of perhaps the most famous of all song-poems, which he graciously apologizes for...), and such technical details as the functioning of the Mellotron and overdubbing techniques.

I have read the book "Songs in the Key of Z" (and highly recommend it), but this film best captures not only the humorous qualities of this musical genre, but also the human side of these aspiring songwriters. It's easy to laugh at a song like "Non-Violent Taekwondo Troopers," "I am a Ginseng Digger," or "Chicken Insurrection," but when you see the people who labored over these misdirected masterpieces, it definitely makes you empathetic to their plight. Particularly brilliant in this film are the interview segments, which highlight these songwriters and the people who actually make the music. Be sure to watch the film with commentary off and then once again with it on to get some additional insight from the filmmakers, and whatever you do, make sure you watch the extras to see the entire live set by the Iowa Mountain Tour (as painful as this may to be), and the discussion of the song-poem classic "The Moon Men," a song with perhaps the most complex yet unfathomable rhyme scheme and meter of any song ever recorded.

This is a wonderful film, and I absolutely recommend it to any audience: it is captivating, humanizing, and uplifting to see the human spirit of these people struggle against obscurity.

God Bless NRBQ!.......2004-02-22

Saw this film before NRBQ took the stage at a Brookln venue called North Six for what was billed as 'NRBQ and the song poem experiment'. I had no idea what to expect.....Brilliant! Had to buy a copy immediately. If your a songwriter you need to watch this. The band did a couple of tunes from the film as well( nice work on 'Richard Nixon" PJ). Funny as hell, touching and sometimes painful to watch this doc is well worth owning if just for the 'America Sings' program found in the DVD extras. Who are these people?!

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