My Weird Record Collection – Details, episodes & analysis

You think you’re a wiz at Trivial Pursuit? And that all that useless knowledge you’ve acquired will get you on Jeopardy! some day? That’s all fine and dandy, but how can you perform in a record-based trivia game? Travel with Sean back to 1966 for episode 18 — and be prepared to identify music played on an organ!

SHOW NOTES

• Name That Trivia on YouTube
  • Side One
  • Side Two
• Name That Trivia on discogs.com
• Ted Auletta’s bio on spaceagepop.com
• Vinyl Junkies: Adventures in Record Collecting by Brent Milano
• Weird record rankings as of episode 18

The label was called Music For Pleasure. But how much pleasure does Smash Hits ’71 provide? Listen to episode 17 of My Weird Record Collection and hear Sean discuss this album of mysterious uncredited studio musicians re-produce such time-honored masterpieces as “My Sweet Lord,” Mozart’s “Symphony No. 4,” and of course, “Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep.”

SHOW NOTES

• Smash Hits ’71 on YouTube:
  • Side 1
  • Side 2
• Vinyl Vulture’s write-up on Music For Pleasure (via archive.org)
• BWD Productions
• Lally Stott on Toppop
• The Mixtures – “The Pushbike Song” on Top of the Pops
• Weird Record Rankings as of Episode 17

I was saddened to learn of the recent death of Richard Simmons. Despite having the remainder of the year’s episodes planned out, I made a last-minute change to pay tribute to the wacky master of fitness. For episode 8, let’s check out his 1982 exercise album, Reach. I mean…Richard Simmons singing? Count me in!
While we’re at it, let’s explore these vendors who say, “I know what I have!” (rant alert!)

Show Notes:

• Reach on YouTube
• Reach on discogs.com
• Complete Reach workout video
• TV ad for Reach
• Richard Simmons’ appearance in Satyricon
• Richard Simmons’ story on Real People
• Weird Record Rankings as of Episode 8

Breaker breaker, this is Switchblade Coyote with Episode 7 of My Weird Record Collection. You got your ears on, good buddy? We’re gonna eyeball a record from 1976 that tells you how to get the most out of your CB radio, with that famous channel hogger Peter Thomas. Also, we take a look at perhaps why people love records so much.

SHOW NOTES

• Everything You Need to Know to Operate a CB Radio on YouTube
• Everything You Need to Know to Operate a CB Radio on discogs.com
• “Revolver” by Hooverphonic
• CB World
• Weird Record Rankings as of Episode 7

Imagine this: it’s 1967. You and your husband arrive at your friends’ house for a dinner party. But before dinner, they pull out a tripod and expand a screen on it, plug in a film projector, and excitedly tell you that they can’t wait to show you highlights of their vacation to Topeka. And just to spice things up, they also provide a professional soundtrack to really enhance the sensation of actually being there. Episode 6 of My Weird Record Collection discusses that memorable soundtrack.

SHOW NOTES

• Background Music and Sound Effects on YouTube
• Custom Music for 8MM on YouTube
• “Ridin’ Surf” music set to surfing footage
• “Travelling and Locomotion” as a backdrop to Sean’s spring break trip to New York City
• Weird Record Rankings as of Episode 6

It’s one thing to bet on a horse race that’s taking place at a track. But how about a prerecorded horse race that’s on a vinyl record — and you still don’t know who the winner will be? In episode 5 of My Weird Record Collection, Sean explains how it’s possible via a 1976 play-at-home game.

SHOW NOTES

• U.S. gambling helplines by state
• Worldwide gambling helplines
• They’re at the Post entry on discogs.com
• New York Times, “A Good Track Record” by Lawrence Van Gelder – July 18, 1976
• Players enjoying They’re at the Post
• They’re at the Post on YouTube:
  • Race #1 (all possible outcomes)
  • Race #2 (all possible outcomes)
  • Race #3 (all possible outcomes)
  • Race #4 (all possible outcomes)
  • Race #5 (all possible outcomes)
  • Race #6 (all possible outcomes)
  • Race #7 (all possible outcomes)
  • Race #8 (all possible outcomes)
  • Race #3, one possible outcome – video of the record playing so you can see how fast the tone arm moves!
• Weird Record Rankings as of Episode 5
• The Jockey Club

Sean here. I have to confess: I made some mistakes during the autoharp episode. I know, I know, a horrible injustice to autoharps. Not enough corrections and addenda for a full episode, but too many just to mention in the next episode, so here’s an interim mini-episode to hold you over until May 15. (My apologies to Dr. Walter Duda.)

You and your significant other want to invite four friends over for a dinner party, but what do you cook? And how? Lucky for you, food writers Gaynor and Dorothy Maddox have four suggestions for you. Even luckier for you, My Weird Record Collection is providing you with some commentary on Gaynor and Dorothy’s commentary! Whether you want to try Dorothy’s famous steak dinner or treat your friends to a Polynesian wingding, you can’t lose with Episode 4!

SHOW NOTES

• Hear How to Plan the Perfect Dinner Party entry on Discogs.com
• Hear How to Plan the Perfect Dinner Party – entire album on YouTube
• Hear How to Plan the Perfect Dinner Party – entire album on archive.org
• Carlton Album Discography – by Mike Callahan and David Edwards
• Weird Record Rankings as of Episode 4
• WNYC radio broadcast by Gaynor Maddox from 1946

Don’t feel threatened by the ides of March — pick up an autoharp and play! For this month’s episode, Sean pulls out not one but two autoharp albums from his box of oddities from local record stores.

Show Notes

• McDonald’s Menu Song record
• What Happened to the Winner of McDonald’s $1 Million Flexi-Disc Contest?
• Autoharp for Students and Educators on YouTube
• Tuning Your Autoharp album on YouTube
• Meg Peterson’s blog
• Weird Record Rankings as of Episode 3
• Jo Ann Smith on YouTube
• Tim Crist / Worm Quartet web site
• Kevin Zerbe (artwork designer)

Dime stores were quite common for a time, and in this episode of My Weird Record Collection, Sean takes a look at an interesting relic of those times: a ten-inch record containing the audio from a grand reopening of the original J.J. Newberry discount store in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania!

Show Notes:

• J. J. Newberry Memorial Store Opening Ceremony – complete audio on YouTube
• Audio Record – December 1951 issue, with article about Fulton Recording Company
• Weird Record Rankings as of Episode 2
• Kevin Zerbe @ www.zerbinator.com