>As a record producer, Miller gained a reputation for both innovation and gimmickry. Although he oversaw dozens of chart hits, his relentlessly cheery arrangements and his penchant for novelty material—for example, "Come On-a My House" (Rosemary Clooney), "Mama Will Bark" (Frank Sinatra and Dagmar)—have drawn criticism from some admirers of traditional pop music. Music historian Will Friedwald wrote in his book "Jazz Singing" that:

>"Miller exemplified the worst in American pop. He first aroused the ire of intelligent listeners by trying to turn—and darn near succeeding in turning—great artists like Sinatra, Clooney, and Tony Bennett into hacks. Miller chose the worst songs and put together the worst backings imaginable—not with the hit-or-miss attitude that bad musicians traditionally used, but with insight, forethought, careful planning, and perverted brilliance."[13]

WAKE UP

>>126815034 (OP)
To be honest everyone did schlock in the 50s and there are numerous horrible examples from non-Columbia artists.

I'm surprised he did an actually creditable cover of Tennessee Ernie Ford's "Shotgun Boogie" with Rosemary Clooney that's more R&R than the country-ish original.

>>126815034 (OP)
I didn't know Serj Tankian had a Christmas album

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_yRsc8-MfE

A guy who considered this listenable music had no business whatsoever calling R&R musical baby food for tastelets.

>>126815781
that bitch can't sing very good either

>>126815872
Mindy Carson? Yeah she's forgotten for a reason and if Wikipedia is right she is 97 and still alive. Mitch hisself lived to 99 so why not.

>>126815781
every time you thought you heard the worst 50s schlock records you always find something worse than that even

>Sing a Long With Mitch ran on NBC from 1961-64. The show had strong ratings but after four seasons the network decided to pull the plug on it, one reason being that its average viewer demographic was 40+ and it lacked the young adult audience that was considered desirable by advertisers.[32]

>>126816438
yeh networks did not then or now like shows where the viewership is too old. one exception was the famously geriatic Lawrence Welk Show which was allowed to go on until Welk retired of his own volition in the late 70s.

when you consider all the bad Dot, Coral, and other schlock records coming out in the 50s none of which Miller was responsible for...

>Miller was unique among all A&R men of his day in his direct personal involvement in the creative process, mainly at Columbia's East Coast studio in New York City--he had less influence over the West Coast operations of the label in Los Angeles. He not only signed performers, he coached them, picked out songs, decided arrangements, made suggested changes to song lyrics, and conducted backing bands on recordings. Most contemporary A&R men were strictly concerned with the business aspect of the record label.[9]

>>126815034 (OP)
Undisputed king of thrift store record bins

>>126815034 (OP)
>Talking shit about the man that gave us the best version of Battle Hymn of the Republic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIT_-eYRq3U

>>126816483
Advertisers making youth the dominant cultural force was the worst thing to happen to western civilization.

>>126815086
underrated

>>126818917
companies want to hook customers for life and it's easiest when they're young and pliable. boomers have their tastes set in stone so you can't sell them on anything they don't already do.

>>126816483
ABC actually decided to call it quits on the Lawrence Welk Show in 1971 but Welk was not willing to retire just yet so he kept it going as a syndicated series for 11 more years.

>>126818644
I believe Miller would not have really been involved with Doris Day or Jo Stafford as they were based out in Los Angeles. As far as I know Stafford and her husband mostly had creative control over their records. Yeah, "Shrimp Boats" but Miller was not involved in the making of that unfortunate record, it was entirely the Staffords.

>>126818917
>noooo you can't just appeal to the largest generation in history as they're entering early adulthood noooo you have to keep pandering to WW1 veterans for the rest of the 20th century
Boomers were a can't miss opportunity. Blame the profit motive