Records

I got some new records at the Salvation Army and let me tell you it was a fairly pleasing haul.

Here’s a couple of highlights:

There were about 7 Loretta Lynn records in there and a whole bunch of Jerry Lee Lewis as well.  I gotta say, all of these records have faintly disturbing cover shots of Loretta.  I can’t place my finger on the problem exactly but I’m pretty sure that it has something to do with the color choices (pink sweater with orange trim on a oversaturated brown/orange background…that’ll sell some records).  Maybe its just the forced smile.

The 50’s quality of this portrait is really strange considering the decidedly dark and tough country/blues of the record.  Seriously, this album doesn’t have one song that could accompany this beam of  smile (unless its one of those smiles which precede violence).

Highlights are the title track and her cover of “These Boots are Made for Walkin’ ” both of which have something of the swagger and staccato juke of the Nancy Sinatra version of “These Boots….” but add some twang induced lilt.

To quote the back of the record: [Loretta Lynn] holds her head high in song, proving that a woman who declares her love is for keeps and already has won the fight against the ‘dime-a-dozen’ girls who skirt the fringe of decency, to steal from another.  It’s real ’socko’ material…” WHOAH

Truthfully this record is just ok.  There are, for sure, better Bill Haley records (this one is supposed to be the great songs of the 50’s and so there are better versions of most of the songs), but the graphic design on this one is so good I had to put it up and, OH MAN, when is the bow tie and weird greased curlicue hair swirl going to come back?

My twist party.   “Dance! Dance! Dance! Dance!”  This is a collection of songs to twist to(supposedly put together by Chubby Checker).  According to the record, “twist parties are getting chic…like caviar.”  So why wouldn’t you want to get your very own twist party in a box?!?  Especially from the man “known affectionately by thousands of teenagers as ‘Our Leader’” and has “leaped the chasm that separates boys and girls from men and women.”

Seriously though, this album is packaged as “Your Twist Party”  and I really appreciate the idea of buying a readymade party; just putting the record on and reaping the social benefits.

My favorite thing about THIS record though is the original owner’s notes in the margins.  I can just picture its owner lying around kicking her feet in the air and doodling her friends’ names onto the back of the record.  There are a bunch of names on it all written in the same script: Jackie Kitchen, Bill O’Conner, Don, Rebecca Jean Walters, Chubby Checker, Ronnie Brown, Bubba Johnson, and Brenda Joyce Redm(unreadable).  Also, we are told that Don loves Carol and the writer exhorts Ronnie Brown to “go to hell.”  My best guess is that the writer is Rebecca (her name is written twice, once at the very top above the title) and that she has a secret crush on Ronnie Brown.  I think my favorite part is the iteration of Chubby Checker just under the printed Chubby Checker…it is such an irrational act…just so meaningless and dreamy…