Demonstration records

[electra225]

I have spent a rather pleasant afternoon listening to my small collection of demonstration records. I am typically not a fan of the music on demonstration records. I was cleaning up, and putting stuff back where it belongs and ran across these records. I have two Magnavox, one Buick, and three RCA demonstration records. All but one of the Magnavox albums, the one for the Concert Grand, are on RCA records. The CG album is on Command. There are a lot if interesting sounds on demonstration records. I was playing them on the GE RP-1590. The CG album has a lot of percussion that you never heard anymore. Bongos, marimbas, kettle drums, tom toms, rim shots. Then it has bells and xylophone like Jack Imel played on Lawrence Welk Show. The one Magnavox album had a particularly interesting recording of "Smile" the Charlie Chaplin standard by Marty Gold. Marty Gold, Si Zentner, Martin Gould other no-name artists, but an interesting compilation nonetheless. I don't know of anyone who collects Sid Ramin albums, but he had a couple interesting selections there. Bottom line, this is not music I'd care to hear every day. It sure was pleasant hearing it for a change. I always thought the Buick album was especially gross. It is actually pretty good. IT has a rendition of "Cabaret" by Judy Garland. This record was offered when you bought a new '63 Buick. I don't know if I was in the right mood or just what, but I have been cheating myself by not playing them more. The only one of them I had ever played all the way thru was the CG album.

[William]

I have a whole bunch if demonstration records by just about every console maker out there back in the day. Zenith was really big into demonstration records, there must be a dozen or so. I have Admiral, Curtis Mathis, RCA, Zenith, Magnavox. Fisher, Philco, Voice of Music, General Electric and I too have that Buick record that Greg mentioned as well as others my car companies and other companies like Goodyear, Firestone Gamble-Skogmo, Sears, MW, Pennies and many others. I started finding them in antique stores and kind of got hooked. They all have different styles of music, so they are interesting to listen too.

Bill

[hermitcrab]

I love that odd ball stuff , I have a few demo records

[Motorola minion]

I have only the Admiral "phantom 3rd channel" record and "Seven steps to better listening"

I would like to find some others, especially the Zenith ones!

[chazglenn3]

I have the one Magnavox made to go with the Concert Grand I believe...

[electra225]

The Concert Grand record is probably my favorite that I have. I would be willing to copy any that I have onto CD if anyone would be interested in that.

[electra225]

I played quite the variety of records this afternoon. Henson Cargill, The Carpenters, Frankie Carle, Doctor Hook and the Medicine Show, Little Jimmy Dickens, Sonny James, Linda Carter. I don't know what genre Doctor Hook belonged to. His material is a little hard rock, a little soft rock, a little classic rock, a little country, a little Dixieland. Not much of a singer and his album jackets should be "R" rated. This was my foray into rock/disco music. Ditto Linda Carter. She played Wonder Woman on TV, but had a couple hits during the disco music days. Her voice is much like Karen Carpenter. Not quite as rangy, but very pleasant nonetheless.