November 2006

I believe this is one of Esquivel’s first lps. This one from his native Mexico. Esquivel enjoyed a huge revival in the 1980’s as the reigning king of the “space age bachelor pad” boom. His music can be crazy, sound effect driven experimentation, jazzy, vocalese or symphonic.

Jim Flora created one of the first influential graphic styles for lp packaging in the early 1950’s. His illustrations were on hundreds of covers and his style was copied by others. There are books that collect his work.

This is a very rare 10″blues compilation on the Aladdin label. I love the drawing and the type. It’s very simple but perfect too.

Another classic cover featured in the book “Incredibly Strange Music”  Interesting that the dice are included.

This is one of the rarest beatnik and monster-related lps. It was featured in the book “Incredibly Strange Music” (which is a guidepost to any collection like this). This is a small press, local record of a beat poet reciting in full werewolf get up at club in California in the early sixties.

A “how to” record every guy needs. This is Julie Newmar, a fifties pin-up queen and men’s mag mainstay. In the sixties she became Batwoman on the TV series “Batman”. Like the Bettie Page, a staple of any cheesecake collection.

Another beautiful cover from Musart.

This is a very rare record and a beautiful example of fifties cheesecake photography. This is a spanish version of the “B” movie “College Confidential” and it’s far superior in presentation to the U.S. issue. This one makes good use of star Mammie (sic) Van Doren!

There are a bunch of Lowell Mason “singing midget” lps out there.  There were other little singers putting records out but he was the biggest.