3/12/13

COMMERCIAL COLOR PHOTOGRAPHY


I know the anticipation has been difficult. So many people were dying to know how all the pieces fit together. Worth the wait? Anybody still out there?

This is a seriously ugly LP cover. I can't find one nice thing to say about it. I'll never understand why they chose the hospital green as the predominant highlight color. Was this designed by committee? Had to be. How did they cast this shot? Where did they find these people and somehow decide they looked like the perfect family?




Click on images to see them larger.

They were selling music. MUSIC for crying out loud. This looks more like a menu at a fast food joint. This was 1956 and Mercury records was trolling the bottom with their design, but, and this was a huge surprise, the record is very good. It's in near perfect condition. I'd expected the vinyl to be in horrible condition. When I put it on and didn't hear any hissing or popping I started thinking that the reason it's not in bad shape is because of the content. One side has jazz, the other classical. Think of it as a mix-tape. The person who owned it obviously didn't want to listen to such a wide variety on their hi-fidelity system. It's a shame the packaging was so dreadful, but good for me. I love finding something this ugly.

Next post will show you some of the insert that came with the album.

2 comments:

  1. The wall is that color because Mother stole those green pillows from the hospital when she had her hysterectomy. It's likely this record came with a purchase of a hi-fi, and not that elementary school model pictured. I have a seven inch 33 1/3 rpm Everest stereophonic demonstration record that came with my mother's ginormous c.1958 French Provincial Curtis-Mathis stereo. The music was recorded on 35mm tape before it was pressed into vinyl, so the groove has tremendous depth and warmth.

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    1. I like the idea of the pillow source!

      I am impressed with the quality of the recording. Dinah Washington sounds wonderful.

      I also have the complete Stereo set that RCA put out in the late 50s that is a series of records. It's in near mint condition. It came with my folks stereo that bought at the submarine base at Pearl Harbor.

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