Shatner has always treated his musical career with a large pitch of salt, even parodying himself by performing a spoken word performance of Eminem’s The Real Slim Shady on Futurama, but after a gap of 36 years Shatner released his second album, Has Been (2004), to rave reviews. Produced and mostly co-written by Ben Folds, Has Been is a brilliant piece of work ranging from the brutal and drum driven I Can’t Get Behind That, a duet with Punk Rock singer/spoken word performer Henry Rollins, and the beautiful That’s Me Trying, co-written by Nick Hornby and featuring singer-songwriter Amiee Mann. Largely ignored upon release, all this might change this year with the impending release of Gonzo Ballet, a documentary about Common People, a ballet based on the music of Has Been. Featuring interviews with Shatner, Ben Folds, the choreographer of Common People Maggot Sappington and Henry Rollins, the documentary deals with the recording of Has Been, and the build up to the first performance of Common People. It all sounds a little insane but the whole project probably makes perfect sense to Shatner giving his cult status a further boost and we should be grateful that talents such as Folds, Rollins and Sappington are surrounding him, giving him the platform to produce such brilliant and original music. To celebrate, here’s Mr Shatner ‘singing’ Rocket Man…
