The legendary Yankees shortstop/announcer/Money Store pitchman Phil Rizzuto died this week; "Scooter" was likely best known to non-sports fans as the narrator of the "play by play" section in his seminal '70s anthem "Paradise By the Dashboard Light". Until today, I'd had no idea there was such a controversy about this, but apparently there was, according to this message board:
I seem to recall reading or hearing that Phil had no idea that his monologue was meant to be sexually suggestive and that he was pissed when he heard the final product. Anyone know if this is true?No word on what Phil thought of Meat Loaf's "bitch tits" in "Fight Club."
As a Yankee fan, I can confirm this. Phil would constantly complain that he was hoodwinked by "that huckleberry, Meatloaf", as to the sexual nature of the track. He loved the attention, however.
UPDATE: And here's an entire Jeff Pearlman column about exactly this! He calls 'Paradise' "the most famous baseball play-by-play call in the history of sexually themed rock 'n' roll songs performed by a man nicknamed for diced cattle parts placed in a pan and baked for 45 minutes at 375 degrees (350 if your oven tends to run hot)."
Posted by Stephen Silver at August 16, 2007 02:02 PM