Robert Mitchum

One Of The Lesser Known Aspects Of Actor Robert Mitchum's Career Was His Forays Into Music. His Voice Had Long Been Used Instead Of The Professional Singers When Characters Portrayed By Mitchum Sang In His Films. Notable Productions Featuring Mitchum's Own Singing Voice Included Rachel And The Stranger 1948 River Of No Return 1954 And The Night Of The Hunter 1955 . After Hearing Traditional Calypso Music And Meeting Artists Such As Mighty Sparrow And Lord Invader While Filming Heaven Knows Mr. Allison In The Caribbean Island Of Tobago He Recorded Calypso - Is Like So... In March Of 1957. On The Album Released Through Capitol Records He Emulated The Calypso Sound And Style Even Adopting The Style's Unique Pronunciations And Slang. A Year Later He Recorded A Song He Had Written For The Film Thunder Road Titled "The Ballad Of Thunder Road." The Country-Styled Song Became A Modest Hit For Mitchum Reaching #69 On The Billboard Pop Singles Chart. The Song Was Included As A Bonus Track On A Successful Reissue Of Calypso. . . And Helped Market The Film To A Wider Audience. Though Mitchum Continued To Use His Singing Voice In His Film Work He Waited Until 1967 To Record His Follow-Up Record That Man Robert Mitchum Sings. The Album Released By Nashville-Based Monument Records Took Him Further Into Country Music And Featured Songs Similar To The Ballad Of Thunder Road. "Little Old Wine Drinker Me " The First Single Was A Top Ten Hit At Country Radio Reaching #9 There And Crossed Over Onto Mainstream Radio Where It Peaked At #96. Its Follow-Up "You Deserve Each Other " Also Charted On The Billboard Country Singles Chart. read less