Do you remember the 1996 sci-fi parody movie Mars Attack? To many, it’s just another silly alien movie. (Not to Sci-Fi junkies like me though.)

Anyway, for the benefit of those who haven’t seen it yet, Martians sought to invade Earth and no amount of negotiations from humans could dissuade them. Mankind’s weapons are not par with the aliens out of this world armaments. Losing and at the brink of hopelessness, a lad and his grandmother discovered a way to vanquish them- the song Indian Love Call.

To put an end to their tyranny, military alliances played Slim Whitman’s song globally. The Martians heads exploded, thus, leaving the human race as victors.

Putting movie reviews and minimal profits aside, Indian Love Call was a huge break for Whitman in 1952. It peaked at No. 2 on the country charts and crossed over to Pop’s Top 10 both in the US and UK.

Who would have then thought that four decades later, the fame of his rendition would be revived through the film Mars Attack? He had fans from the past era, but through the aforementioned film, his music was again introduced to a new generation.

“Indian Love Call” by Slim Whitman

It’s Origin

A song by Rudolf Friml, Otto Harbach, and Oscar Hammerstein which became a household staple in the 1920s. The song was popularized through a Broadway musical called Rose-Marie. It was said to be the way of Canadian natives when their men wish to marry.

Other country stars who released their own versions were Chet Atkins (1951) and Ray Stevens (1975).

Trivia: Did you know that Slim Whitman is the first left-handed guitarist to top the UK chart? He lost part of a finger and he couldn’t play guitar the other way.

In case you missed it, here’s a clip from Mars Attack using Slim Whitman’s song.