Golden Throats is Rhino Records' series of humorous compilations of critically lambasted cover versions of songs, performed mostly either by celebrities known for something other than musical talent or musicians not known for the genre from which the song they are covering comes.

Examples

For example, William Shatner sings (or, more precisely, does a dramatic reading of the lyrics to) "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," Leonard Nimoy sings "If I Had a Hammer," and Muhammad Ali sings "Stand by Me." Other examples include the Bing Crosby cover of the Beatles' "Hey Jude" and the Mel Tormé cover of Donovan's "Sunshine Superman," as both were rock songs being covered by musicians of an older generation. In most cases, the songs appear to be performed sincerely, rather than in a spirit of irony or intentional goofiness. In many respects, these albums were among the first to anthologize lounge music, with their focus on "light" versions of contemporary hits.

Inspiration

The series (of four albums) was created and produced by long-time Rhino staffer Gary Peterson and pop culture historian Pat Sierchio. Each release contained liner notes penned by acclaimed music historian Irwin Chusid, and most featured original art by Drew Friedman. The cover art parodied well-known albums (the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, the Rolling Stones' Their Satanic Majesties Request, the Byrds' Sweetheart of the Rodeo, and the infamous "butcher" cover of the Beatles' Yesterday and Today). The notoriety of the series contributed to William Shatner's decision to relaunch his musical career.

Discography

There were a total of four albums in the series: They are:

Songs featured on the albums

Golden Throats: The Great Celebrity Sing Off

Golden Throats 2: More Celebrity Rock Oddities

Golden Throats 3: Sweethearts of Rodeo Drive

Golden Throats 4: Celebrities Butcher the Beatles