I was looking at my "Exotic" records from the '50s recently. I had an
epiphany of sorts. From music boxes, to player pianos, to wax cylinders,
to 78s, then 45s, and finally the 12-inch album, people always wanted a
way to possess a form of entertainment at their command. I believe the
state of the art of that experience began in 1948, when the first Long
play 33 1/3 album was introduced to the world.
It
was a huge improvement over all previous forms of personal media. With
its very appealing artwork, and a forever expanding range of artists,
the record companies soon offered to public an almost endless variety of
content one could own and play on demand.
There
was nothing else like it. Sure, there was radio, but you had to be by
one at the time to enjoy it. It was the same situation regarding movies,
and television before the days of VCRs and DVDs. Now we can access the
content of the world on a device that fits into our pockets, and at
virtually no cost. We can buy music or films without ever having a
physical copy. Many of the earlier formats are already on the brink of
extinction.
And
yet, the album still survives. So I was thinking, looking at all of the
weird and wonderful albums I've collected over the years, "Why were so
many tribal chants, German beer garden, Bolivian folk songs, and space
age theremin records made in those early years?
I
believe it was the appeal for something unique, something different
from Doris Day or Glenn Miller, something that you could own, and share
with your friends. A huge part of it was definitely the cover art. Along
with the music, it helped put you in a place like no other media at the
time ever could. I believe that's exactly why they are as popular
today.
The
album I'm presenting was released in 1958, 10 years after the first LPs
were ever made. Its exotic music and cover art was designed to feed the
appetite of the "Hi-Fi" enthusiast of the day. By the mid 60s, this
trend was near an end. Yet, after all these years, those records are
still a way to remain in that special moment in time. I'm pretty sure
that's why we're all here in this group, at least that's why I'm here.
It's still "state-of-the-art" for me.
Here's
a link for "Beat Tropical" from Jose Bethancourt and His Orchestra with
Harry Coon and Richard Campbell on drums playing "Mombassa
Bombilation", 1958, almost 70 years later. Enjoy.
