Terror from Texas

Roky Erickson
Two-Twisted Tales
Tick 001
1988

Let's start things off with this tense tale of terror told by Texas music legend Roky Erickson.

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Ken Nordine advertises...advertising.

Evatone Soundsheet Spot

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Here's an interesting self promotional soundsheet from Evatone, featuring the great Ken Nordine. I'm guessing late sixties...

Halloween Nostalgia Trip

Haunted Mansion Storybook
Disneyland - 339
1970

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I found this Disneyland records read along disc a while back and it brought back some powerful memories. Anyone remember these? I love the artwork on this one, although I have to admit that the narration (by Robie Lester) is pretty boring. Cool sound effects at the end of side 2 though...
p.s. more halloween discs coming soon!

1966 Plymouth Barracuda Radio Spots

I've run across a few of these little one-sided 7 inchers over the years. Usually they contain radio ads or PSAs. This one is especially entertaining. 4 different radio spots for the 1966 Plymouth Barracuda, done in a comical style that reminds me a bit of a Stan Freberg album. The voices sound familiar too. Anyone recognize them? Also, I find it odd that even though this is clearly intended for use on radio, the label reads "Not for Broadcast Use." What's the deal with that?



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More Hep Piggies

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The Three Hep Piggies
5 3/4 year Old Humorous Dian
Veltone - 712
195?
Here's another hep rendition of the three little pigs story, this time by 5 3/4 year old humorous Dian, which I can only imagine must have been the daughter? granddaughter? niece? of the label owner...

Jazzbo Collins and the Three Little Pigs

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Al "Jazzbo" Collins
Three Little Pigs
Brunswick - 80226
1953
Legendary DJ Jazzbo Collins gives his hip rendition of the Three Little Pigs with help from Steve Allen and Lou Stein...

Bell Labs Speech Simulation Demonstration Record - He Saw The Cat

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This little demonstration record is pretty fascinating. It's popped up in a couple of other places before like WFMU's 365 Days Project
and the excellent Airform Archives Blog.
but I figured that it's interesting enough to share with Y'all here. Released in 1963, this record demonstrates Bell Laboratories emerging speech simulation program. Strange that after almost 50 years this technology doesn't seem to have improved much. What is really compelling though is how they programmed the computer to sing the song "Daisy" a full 5 years or so before the movie 2001 was realesed, in which the homicidal computer HAL sings the same tune. Apparently Stanley Kubrick did his homework...

Jimmy Callaway - Club My-O-My

Jimmy Callaway On Stage

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A few years back I used to collect 50s memoribilia from New Orleans nightclubs. That's where the above postcard came from. I don't really collect that stuff anymore (records have taken over), but when I found this 45 recently, I couldn't resist. Club My-O-My was a drag club near New Orleans in the 50's and 60's that catered to some of the more adventurous tourists. This 45 was a souvenir from My-O-My performer Jimmy Callaway. I estimate the date to be about 1961? With a few off color jokes and some questionable singing, this recording is a snap-shot of a type of club routine that doesn't really exist anymore. It's not terribly funny, but it does have a certain, fascinating "Broadway Danny Rose" kind of appeal. Just listen to that audience response...
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