Rock'n'Politics

Just as models and hotel heiresses should never become actors; neither should politicians become pop stars. It is an unwritten rule that has kept the fragile state of the planet intact for many centuries. When people who excel at what they do in one field, and Paris Hilton, decide that they would like to branch out, it can have a very damaging effect on the delicate balance of existence.

Of all those who think that adding a "slash" somewhere in the job title -- "actor-slash-model," "singer-slash-human rights campaigner" -- is a good idea, politicians are among those who should receive the least encouragement.

However, it seems that someone forgot to tell German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and his French counterpart Bernard Kouchner to stick to diplomacy.

In an act of ill-conceived detente, the two foreign ministers recorded a "rhythm and blues" song in Berlin on Monday, Nov. 12.

Unlikely soundtrack for romantic evenings

If that's not enough to get true music fans on their knees praying for deafness, the song is about European integration and is expected to have the complete opposite effect of a Barry White record by seriously adding to Europe's birth-rate crisis.

"The two foreign ministers want to make their contribution to the debate but in a somewhat unconventional way," German Foreign Ministry spokesman Martin Jäger told a news conference.

In an effort to show that they're "down with the kids," Steinmeier and Kouchner slipped away from the Franco-German summit held in the governmental quarter to record their ode to Europe with a backing group of young people in Berlin's Kreuzberg district, a heavily Turkish section of the German capital.

"No one has ever heard a French and German foreign minister singing together," Jäger added before the recording. "On Monday, this will happen."

Unfortunately for almost everyone, this isn't the first time that politicians have revealed that their hearts belong to rock'n'roll.

Bill blows, Robert plucks, Tony strums

Who can ever forget Bill Clinton's shameless milking of his mediocre saxophone talent during campaign rallies?

And From the Fringe is sure that Robert Mugabe's double-bass skills would have attracted a much larger audience had the Zimbabwean dictator not silenced the country's music press along with everyone else.

Then there's former British Prime Minister Tony Blair who was just plain old Tony Blair when he started playing guitar for his university rock band "Ugly Rumours."

Unfortunately, his career in politics failed to dull the ex-Labour Party leader's dream of making it big and he could never resist going through his repertoire of licks whenever an unsuspecting guitar was at hand. Even becoming the Middle East Quartet's special envoy has failed to shake the stars from Blair's eyes.

[Ugly] Rumours are rife that Blair may be considering joining US President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, a proficient pianist, in a performance at the upcoming Middle East quartet's meeting in Annapolis this month.

While the rumors suggest that no song has yet been chosen, it is believed that Bush, Blair and Rice have vetoed a proposed reworking of Pink Floyd's "Get Your Filthy Hands Off My Desert."