Songs that mention stars

[MichiganJ]

I had iTunes on shuffle the other day and after playing R.E.M.'s Me, Marlon Brando, Marlon Brando and I it then went to Nouvelle Vague's cover of the Bauhaus classic Bela Lugois's Dead, and then followed with Bob Dylan's I Shall Be Free, a song in which he mentions stars Anita Ekberg, Bardot, Sophia Loren, Liz Taylor and Richard Burton.

It led me to making a playlist with songs that name-check actors. So far I have 59 songs that mention either an actor, actress or director (two for DeMille, one for John Ford, one for Fellini and one for Kurosawa). The actor most mentioned, so far, I think, is Marilyn; but James Dean is up their, too. Some of the more unusual name-checks include George Sanders, Pierre Clementi and Abe Vigoda.

I'm surprised by the cross-section of artists that have mentioned actors in their songs: from Alice Cooper to Nina Simone to The Beatles to Shakira. It makes the playlist a lot of fun to listen to. I'd appreciate any suggestions of songs I may have missed that I can add.

[feaito]

Madonna's Vogue mentions a lot of stars
Puttin' on the Ritz mentions Gary Cooper
Bette Davis' Eyes by Kim Carness

[MichiganJ]

Thanks Fernando.
Vogue was one of the first I added, since, as you say, the song mentions plenty of names. (Billy Joel's We Didn't Start the Fire also mentions quite a few.)
Bette Davis' Eyes is there, too. I was torn about which version of Puttin' on the Ritz to add so I'd included both Astaire's and the show-stopper from Young Frankenstein.

[feaito]

Ok fine Kevin!

[Professional Tourist]

Well, there used to be an indie rock band out of Dayton, Ohio named Agnes Moorehead Platter, formed in 1989. They have since disbanded, although they did give a reunion concert last year. One of their songs is called "Agnes Moorehead Platter," so I guess that counts. A few of their songs are available to listen on their Facebook page.

[MichiganJ]

Thanks PT. I listened to their tune Agnes Moorehead Platter and it indeed would fit right in. Too bad they don't have it as a download.

[ChiO]

A fave here: Lenny's Tune by Tim Hardin (Lenny Bruce)

Halloween Parade by Lou Reed (Cary Grant, Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Bette Davis & Alfred Hitchcock)
Build a Fire by The KLF (Lee Marvin)
Rosanna by Toto (Rosanne Arquette)
Max Wall by Van Morrison (Peter Sellers, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Michael Palin, Graham Chapman, and others)
I'm an Asshole by Denis Leary (John Wayne, John Cassavetes, Lee Marvin & Sam Peckinpah)
Casino Boogie by The Rolling Stones (Marlene Dietrich)
Gee, I Wish I Was Back in the Army written by Irving Berlin (Marlene Dietrich, Al Jolson, Bob Hope & Jack Benny)

[movieman1957]

There's an old country/pop song names "Key Largo" that mentions "Bogie and Bacall."Elton John did "Roy Rogers" from "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road." If you want to stretch it Jimmy Webb has a song called "Elvis and Me."

I'm drawing a blank on a Beatles' reference.

[klondike]

If you want to stretch it Jimmy Webb has a song called "Elvis and Me."

Stretch it a little further, you can squeeze in Steely Dan's "Hey Nineteen" with it's mention of Aretha Franklin (well, she was in The Blues Brothers) . .
Toby Keith's breakthrough hit from the early 90's, "Shoulda been a Cowboy" mentions Gene (Autry) & Roy (Rogers), and if we're allowing "Rosanna" in on its first-name-only homage, we probably have to permit REM's "Man on the Moon" as it tributes the then-newly-deceased Andy Kaufman.
Elton John waved his glam-torch for Marilyn Monroe in "Candle in the Wind"; the American Tribal Love-Rock Musical Hair had fun with lyrics about character Claude Bukowski's fascination with Fellini, Antonioni & "even his countryman, Roman Polanski!"
But my personal fave's gotta be ZZ Top's "Vincent Price Blues" from their "Rhythmeen" album.

[Professional Tourist]

Too bad they don't have it as a download.

I found a download link for an MP3: click here.

[MichiganJ]

Thanks everyone, the play list is growing!

ChiO--I added Lenny's Tune, Max Wall and Casino Boogie. Need to get The KLF.
Along with Halloween Parade, the other Lou Reed song I included is Starlight (Cecil B. DeMille--who, of course is also mentioned by Dylan in Tombstone Blues)

The only other Stones song I included is Star Star (Ali McGraw & Steve McQueen)

Klon--Actually Man on the Moon mentions Andy's whole name in the song ("Andy Kaufman in a wrestling match…"), but I also included their second homage, The Great Beyond, which doesn't mention his name at all. (I figure it's my list, my rules, right? I also included their Monty Got a Raw Deal, about Montgomery Clift, which reminded me to include The Right Profile by The Clash, which led me to their Car Jamming (Lauren Bacall). That's how this goofy list got going.)
Had Candle in the Wind, but opted for the Kate Bush version (wanted to get Kate in the playlist. Also added her Moments of Pleasure (Douglas Fairbanks).
I'm still weighing songs like Hey Nineteen. There are a lot of songs that mention Dylan, too. in fact, if I include those, he might be the "winner" of most name-checks in song.

Chris--Thanks for Roy Rogers.
As for the Fabs; hint: Doris Day.

PT. Downloaded and added. Many thanks. (Can't get the song outta my head, so maybe not that many thanks! )

[ChiO]

Ooo, ooo! Susie and Jeffrey by Blondie (Orson Welles).

Jean Arthur by Robbie Fulks
The Late John Garfield Blues by John Prine
Jim Dean of Indiana by Phil Ochs
Bend Over, I'll Drive by The Cramps (Jayne Mansfield)

[MichiganJ]

Wow, thanks for the Blondie. Forgot all about that. I did add Pretty Baby, which seems more about Brooke Shields than the Malle film (plus it mentions La Dolce Vita).
Forgot about The Cramps, too. I did add Siouxsie and the Banshees Kiss Them For Me, which is about Mansfield (but doesn't name her).
I don't think I've ever heard Robbie Fulks.

[Lzcutter]

The Statler Brothers had a hit back in the early 1970s with:

Whatever happened to Randolph Scott includes mentions of Tex Ritter, Roy, Gene, Johnny Mack Brown and Lash LaRue and others as well as Randolph (cue chorus) Scott.

There was another song by a country group from that era was very popular about Saturday mornings at the movies but I can't remember the name of it.

[klondike]

Speaking of the bizarreness that is KLF, there's also their "Justified & Ancient", wherein guest-vocalist Tammy Wynette is featured referencing herself by name . . . not sure if that qualifies or not, or if so, how . .
Also, not sure if that helps, or not . . .