Remembering the Lost Art of Kitschy Album Covers

One of the things I miss the most of my childhood is the record store. I loved buying albums. They were big and you can hold them in your hands unlike mp3 files. I couldn't wait to get them home and drop them on my turn table. Because albums were big there was a whole art to the jacket cover. Classic albums had a cover aesthetic, (like the celebrated beauty of Blue Note Jazz albums). Album covers even had enough space for liner notes (remember them)? Many were written with this bizarre salesperson schmaltz telling you about the investment you should be making in buying this album.

There have been waves of vinyl revival. But this blog is dedicated to remembering a lost kitschy vinyl Americana. Many of these covers seem down right weird by today's standards. Some invoke the classic 1950s subdued sexuality, innuendo and cocktail culture. Today we have lost the context to understand some of the marketing campaigns and the ad execs who thought of these covers. But at least we can still enjoy them and mock them here before these records disappear for good.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Skankin' the Night Away



Now this is an amazing album cover, "The Ska." Do you need to say more? This may be better than the man with a harmonica. Sadly, I do not own it. But I need to. I am not sure what is going on here. I think its supposed to capture the frenetic energy of ska music and girls. But the pictures chosen are not selling me. In fact, I am not sure what these pictures are selling. Like that persons ass at the end: Sexy? Ska? Desmond Dekker?

Which brings us to my burning question for the night. Who was in charge of designing this album cover? Part of the design is classic, kind of like a template. But was the person under a deadline? Was the designer drunk? Were they a drunk intern under a deadline? I mean its Warner Brothers after all. Think about all the money Warner has and the person who designed this sleeve grabs four random pictures found stuffed in a suitcase at the Salvation Army.

Crazy!

I must give credit where credit is due. I found the picture at this great website. Go check it out!
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Saturday, May 15, 2010

Is that a harmonica in your pants or are you just happy to see me?



It is on the Palace Records label and I think the year is 1958.

What a classic album and cover. Harmonica Moods! I mean who wouldn't want to listen to “La Cucaracha” on harmonica? On the back it states: "Only recently has the harmonica been recognized as one of the most versatile and expressive of musical instruments." Really? But wait it gets better: "The instrument was generally regarded as a novelty and any attempt to compare it with the orchestral instruments was considered ridiculous." Well I am glad to see we have come a long way since 1958. I then found out that through "advanced research and precision engineering" in the field of acoustical knowledge that they are now producing harmonicas of almost unlimited capabilities. I am sure the I-POD will have a harmonica app soon.

Honestly, I am almost too afraid to put it on my turntable. I mean Johnny Cadente has a pinky ring! Only real men can wear the pinky ring. But I am also afraid that I may get swept away by the mood and forget about my wife and kids and run off with the blond pictured (who is now 79 years old and still into men with harmonicas).

But I have been doing some research on this album. After all, was there a craze for harmonica music? It seems that Johnny Cadente might be an alias for none other than Danny Welton. OK, I have no idea who that is either. But he seems to have gone around making harmonica album after harmonica album under different names.

Someone is also selling it on ebay for 10 dollars. Found this bad boy for a quarter.

But I will leave you with my favorite man with a harmonica Charles Bronson from "Once Upon a Time in the West."

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