The Vinyl Gallery: recent acquisitions

▼ (click on cover images to ENLARGE in a new window) ▼

I mentioned here the other day that I'd recently enjoyed indulging in some record hunting with some collector friends.

(The eternal struggle of nerd versus vinyl)

Here are images of a few of those bagged, plus a few other recent finds...






Click here to see the back cover liner notes to the 'Mike Hammer' soundtrack LP ▼ in a new window.








◀ Always nice to find one or two more of the classical music covers by designer Alex Steinweiss, the inventor of the very concept of album cover art.

My personal discovery of Steinweiss occured years ago while volunteering with the Friends of the Library for their fundraiser book sales back in my home town.

As new stock came in, periodically I'd need to haul some donated records off to Goodwill when they'd languished too long without selling.

No surprise, many people were not interested in old and worn fifties-era pressings of classical recordings.
- - But the bold graphic style of so many of those covers (by Steinweiss and his imitators) held a definite appeal to me, and thus began another collection.

Remind me to remind myself to post a gallery of just that stuff some time... (4.14.08) Done!

- Follow link to an Alex Steinweiss gallery site









◀ So, case in point; the 'Pathetique' cover is by 'Bainbridge', not Steinweiss.

Still a nice design, though, and I love the 'hanging tears'.











Speaking of bold and innovative album art pioneers, the
Jimmie Driftwood cover art ▼ is by Jim Flora.



▲ I've grown fond of those little 'genre classifications' that RCA used to incorporate into their cover logos.
◀
See also that 'Mike Hammer' cover back towards the top of the post...














◀ I reckon that the Astronauts cover serves as a small historical window to the past for those familiar with Boulder, Colorado, and how much it's grown over the years.

(click on cover images to ENLARGE in a new window)




































▲ Even prior to his half-century in show business, comedian George Carlin could count
'making goofy faces' as being among his talents.

Carlin's first solo comedy record 'Take-Offs and Put-Ons' was initially released in 1967.
Though I've seen this original cover a few times since, the copy of the LP that I still have from 'back in the day' is the '70's re-issue (with entirely different cover art) that came after his successful change to a more 'counter-culture' persona.

I LOVE this cover. ▼
It's a perfect piece of LP design, and it captures such wonderfully thrown looks from a younger Carlin in a different era.
PLEASE click on the cover to see it ENLARGED to ridiculous proportions in a new window! ▼

























































Click here to see the back cover liner notes to Rozelle Gayle's
'Sex Cracks' LP, (plus a list of other Dooto comedy releases) in a new window.
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◀ Does anyone remember the 1977 episode of SNL hosted by Ray Charles? Specifically,
'The Young Caucasians' sketch?
Belushi, Radner, Murray, etc. as a youthful whitebread vocal group, performing 'What'd I Say' for Charles?

As I recall, at one point they do their 'album cover' formation, and it came awfully close to looking like this Merry Macs image...








◀A completely typical
Arthur Lyman LP cover image, but perhaps the most incongruous pairing of title to photo - - ?












Click here to see the back cover liner notes to Arnie & Chise's 'Rotsa Ruck' LP ▼ in a new window.




◀ Long-time New Yorker cartoonist Mischa Richter provided the artwork for the 'People Who Hate Classical Music' cover.

More Richter info and examples of his work can be found here and also here.

























































Click here for information about Fred Lowery, the 'king of whistlers', at Space Age Pop.Com
◀

- Follow this link to a You Tube clip from 1939, featuring Lowery performing 'Nola' with the
Victor Lopez Orch. (with a brief dancing interlude by
Betty Hutton)













▲ (click on cover images to ENLARGE in a new window) ▲

Roger Miller - selections from 'Roger and Out' (1964)

Roger Miller.

Perhaps I've heard people say - - "Roger Miller... Who's that again?"

- - but it's often followed by "Oh! The 'King Of The Road', 'Dang Me', 'Chug-A-Lug' dude?!? Oh sure - - Love that guy!"

Something I'm sure I've never heard anyone say is: "Roger Miller? Ecch - - I hate his music."

Singer/Songwriter/Musician Roger Miller (1936 - 1992) rocketed to fame in 1964 following the release of his first LP for Mercury Records' 'Smash' imprint, though he'd already spent several reasonably successful years in the music business.

He grew up playing and singing, and began working at it as a career after leaving the army in 1957.
After a couple of coolly-received ventures as a recording artist he worked as a touring musician for several prominent Country & Western artists.

In 1958 he began to have better luck as a Nashville songwriter, supplying hit songs to Ray Price,
Faron Young, Jim Reeves, Ernest Tubb, and George Jones.

By 1961 he felt ready to pursue being a recording artist again. Following a brief and fruitless stint at Decca, he moved to RCA records where he had a bit more luck with a couple of small hits, but he couldn't repeat that success at RCA.

After leaving the label, he moved to Hollywood around '63, began focusing more on writing novelty songs rather than 'straight' Country, and cultivated a slightly laid-back and lackadaisical performance persona.

Several appearances on network TV followed, which led directly to his recording contract with the Smash Record label.

The songs 'Dang Me' and
'Chug-A-Lug' off of that first Smash album 'Roger and Out' each quickly became big hits.

In response to record sales as that was happening, the label quickly reissued the LP with a different cover, changing the design to more prominently feature 'Dang Me'.

Then they soon did it *again* to also include 'Chug-A-Lug', eventually transitioning out the 'Roger and Out' title completely to re-title the record as 'Dang Me'.

(Click on the three cover images to ENLARGE)

The tracks I've included here from the album are just the ones that are currently out of print.

Don't get me started on my opinion of ANY of Miller's Smash and Mercury catalog being out of print...

...Roger Miller?!?
Oh sure - - LOVE that guy!

From Roger Miller's 'Roger and Out' LP,
(Smash Records, 1964)

Listen to:

The Moon Is High
Private John Q
Feel Of Me
Got 2 Aga-in
I Ain't Comin' Home Tonight
That's Why I Love You Like I Do
Squares Make The World Go Round

(click for audio)


See also:
The Official Roger Miller Website

See also also: Follow these YouTube links for some TV (and one film) appearances...

- From 1966, looking a bit incongruous before an audience of screaming teens in the theatrically-released 'Big TNT Show', performing 'England Swings'.

- With Dean Martin sometime around that same period, (give or take) performing 'Got 2 Aga-in'.

- With Johnny Cash in 1969, horsing around with improvisation before settling into 'King of the Road'.

- Performing 'Dang Me' in 1981 on a country music edition of 'Solid Gold'.