Denon Makes a Happy Family  (Singapore)  This promotional 45 from Denon came with an entry form for a contest to find the best home Karaoke recording!

Our friends at the rad record site The Vinyl District have developed this awesome app to help record hounds sniff out record stores whereever we go!  Check it out here:  RECORD STORE LOCATOR

“Philco Thinks of You First….In Hollywood”   One of a series of promotional records released by Columbia Records Special Products for the consumer electronics manufacturer Philco (a division of Ford) each spotlighting one of their stereo and TV consoles coupled with a groovy cover girl (this one curled up in a mod, fur sling chair).  Contains cheesy-listening tunes from movies of the day like “Funny Girl” by Barbra Streisand, “Exodus” by Percy Faith and “Days of Wine and Roses” by Ray Conniff Singers.

Columbia Records sleeve for 78 R-P-M records (ca. 1953)  This drawing was used by The Clash for the cover art of their London Calling single:

Personal Power through Creative Selling   Elmer G. Letterman, World’s Best-known Insurance Salesman     Released by the Success Motivation Institute!   But holy shit!   That’s an atomic bomb!   I don’t think any insurance policy will cover that.

We’ll be selling boxes and boxes of LP COVER LOVER records tomorrow SATURDAY, APRIL 30TH at the world famous Billy’s Antiques on Houston Street (just off Bowery) in New York City’s Lower East Side.

Come on down between 1PM and 6PM and say hi to me and Tony and pick up some great records (and covers!) for cheap.

Tiffany and Courtney, above, both scored at the last sale.

“Music to Sell the Real Thing By … and Other Hits from Ken-L Foods!”     A 1961 “industrial” record put out by advertising agency giant J. Walter Thompson for the K-L Ration dog food manufacturer to get their sales force pumped up to sell, sell, sell.     Here are original songs written to inspire company tail draggers and motivate those who made their living one can of dog food at a time.     Promotional tools and brand prosthelytizing to a bouncy beat.

This is FALSE ADVERTISING.   After listening to this, there’s very little bounce here or any music at all!   The hushed, sexy female voice (“Miss Monologue”?) with her sexual innuendo and double-entendres is very strange in counterpoint to the all-business marketing exec trying to get his dry message across.     (Her: “You’re a big boy now” – Him: “A figure of speech honey”)   This is just terrible.   Like eating dog food!

“Music For Those Who Think Young”   Startime Records for Pepsi

“JET SCRAMBLE”   Sounds of an Air Defence Command Mission   (from General Electric)   “Dedicated to America’s Defense”   Recorded by Emory Cook (The Cook label produced many sound effect and documentary records)

The Rolling Stones   “Some Girls”   (1978)   Cover designed by Peter Corriston.   A die-cut cover of ladies wig ads with the faces of the band alongside those of Lucille Ball, Farah Fawcett, Judy Garland, Raquel Welch and Marilyn Monroe peeking through from the inner sleeve.   Soon after it’s release the cover was withdrawn due to legal threats from many of the celebrities or their estates.   The revised cover removed all the celebrities whether they had complained or not, and they were replaced with just   colors with the phrase PARDON OUR APPEARANCE – COVER UNDER RE-CONSTRUCTION.

1. Miss You (4.48)
2. When The Whip Comes Down (4.20)
3. Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me) (4.38) (Whitfield, Strong)
4. Some Girls (4.36)
5. Lies (3.11)
6. Far Away Eyes (4.24)
7. Respectable (3.06)
8. Before They Make Me Run (3.25)
9. Beast Of Burden (4.25)
10. Shattered (3.47)

On a personal note, I saw the stones play the summer “Some Girls” was released.   It was at the Cleveland Municipal Stadium on July 1, 1978.   A crowd of 80,000 plus!   After getting there in the early morning for a 2PM gate, I scrambled to the front of the field – where I stayed for about ten straight hours.     The concert opened with J. Geils and then Peter Tosh.     Peter Tosh, lit a HUGE joint, and tossed it into the crowd as he kicked into “Legalize It”.   (It made the rounds for most of his set).   He also came out for a duet on “Don’t Walk Back.”   Sugar Blue came out and played harmonica on the new songs.   That Fall, back in New York, I went to Studio 54 a few times and “Miss You” will always make me think of that time and place.