Event 2 checked through interplanetary security some 13 years, a decade (+) some would say, after the initial ignition of innovative insanity spawned the red-eyed cloud of sophisticated satisfaction. Muddy your mind, and tap your toes, ’cause Deltron Zero and Captain Aptos have been serviced, and are accessible for all of your control-alt-deleted needs.
Category Archives: Inserts
Brilliant Performances
A quick (very, very quick) fact check places this Capitol Records insert in, or around the year 1959. Meredith Wilson’s Original Broadway Cast of The Music Man was released in ’57, Louis Prima’s Las Vegas Prima Style was ’58, and Sinatra’s 1959 Come Dance With Me! all help make this claim. Regardless, these vibrant colors coupled with this elegant and straight-forward layout make for compelling and eye-catching contemporary art. My local record store has STACKS of these random inserts, and I’m 15 minutes shy of heading down there and asking how much they want for the lot. I’m sure my SO would be thrilled to beat the band about me acquiring even more record paraphernalia. Let the convincing commence…
Winston Smith
Winston Smith, surrealist master of the collage has some deep rooted connections to Dead Kennedys and Alternative Tentacles Records (since before both their inceptions). In addition to having designed both the iconic Dead Kennedy’s “DK” logo AND the AT Records logo, Mr. Smith’s art has also been showcased throughout many, various DK inserts, as well as a handful of Jello Biafra-related album releases. His art for the back of Jello Biafra with D.O.A.’s 1989 Last Scream of the Missing Neighbors was featured on the cover of The New Yorker back in 2000. Guess what just made my “want” list. This piece is another ocular gem found in the lengthy insert for 1982’s Plastic Surgery Disasters. TONS of amazing pieces in this insert which is, of course, definitely worth seeking out.
Official Winston Smith page can be found here.
Hi, Records
The Memphis, Tennessee label Hi Records had a illustrious career (until its eventual sale to Cream Records in 1977), and during its tenure, it rubbed elbows with some of the biggest names in popular music at the time. Here is a very, very brief lineage of the label, a condensed version of the following Wikipedia page.
Former Sun Records producers Bill Cantrell and Quinton Claunch, along with a few other ambitious crazies started the label in 1957. Elvis Presley’s bass player, Bill Black started a combo (Bill Black’s Combo), and gave the label it’s first big hit with 1959’s Smokie Part 2. Bill Black’s saxophonist, Ace Cannon (a record we spun at the office just a few days ago) landed the label’s 2nd hit with 1961’s Tuff. By then, Quinton Claunch (remember, of Sun Records’ fame) had sold his share of the company to Jerry Lee Lewis’ cousin, shortly before Hi Records started churning out hit after hit with a little someone named Albert “Al” Green(e).
If you’ve never heard of the label, don’t worry. I just found out about it yesterday. Anyone wanna take a field trip to Memphis in the Spring?
Insert Your Insert Obsession Here
Insert hunting is often times an all or nothing affair. After a while you begin to notice consistencies that are more exceptions than they are rules. I mean, there can’t be “rules” when second hand record shopping, so I guess that wasn’t really worth mentioning. Anyway, it seems that more and more these days, the unknown hidden art printed and housed within the album sleeve is pulling towards my decision to fork over $3 for a used record than the actual music itself. It wasn’t always this way, but when one’s eyes get a taste for these mysterious little gems, one begins to understand why, now doesn’t one? (Yes, that was a Benson reference from Soap, and no, I am in no way ashamed.)
The lovely SO gifted me this stunning SST insert for my xx birthday. I’m the first consumer to excavate this four-page order form booklet from within the bowels of a sealed Beyond Barbecue album by Lawndale. This album’s release, and the albums featured within date this specimen in the 1986 – 1986 range. Whatever you dig, get into it, kids. Happy Friday!
Phunk
Heading down to see Millencolin tonight and have absolutely no time to post, so here’s a swifty back cover to an insert from Parliament’s 1977 album, Funkentelechy Vs. The Placebo Syndrome. One of the best logos of all time! Seems oddly fitting. Happy Thursday!
Casablanca
Casablanca Records is now owned by the greedy, hiney pinchers over at Universal Music Group, and mainly focuses the bulk of its attention on electro-dance releases instead of the classic 70s goofy-glam rock (Kiss) and spaced-out funk (Parliament) it was once renowned for. From what I can gather, a Neil Bogart founded the label under the Warner Bros. umbrella, and in doing so paid homage to his favorite film, whose main actor old Neil shares a surname with. That’s about it. Mondays are a bore.
The Greatest Sound on Record
Presented, verbatim (because I’m tired), Dot Records corporate, in their own words, on Dot Records branding. Enjoy and happy Friday!
Dot Records presents the Greatest Sound on Record (stereo and regular)
Dot Records offers the ultimate in ultra high-fidelity reproduction. The “Dot Sound” is the most powerful, diamond-clear quality in recorded music.
Only Dot Records’ long-playing albums, regular and stereophonic, are recorded in ultra high0fidelity. It has always been the company’s policy to present to the public the finest in recorded entertainment.
The “Dot Sound,” coupled with a selection of artists and music that appealed to everyone, quickly brought the company to national recognition. Today the “Dot Sound” has become Dot Records’ hallmark throughout the world.
For further information or free color catalog, write to Dot Records, Inc., Sunset and Vine, Hollywood 28, Calif.
This Just in… Your Sports Team is Atrocious
When your sports team is for shit, you stop watching them and, well, ALL sports, and focus on music, or, at least we do. So to get our Sports fix, we, in this, yet again, difficult season, turn to Huey Lewis and The News for consistent Sports satisfaction. This insert was featured in a Chrysalis release from the 1983 album, Sports by Huey Lewis and The News… and with this bit of knowledge, I’m sure, your evening is complete. Happy hump day (he said with no hint of enthusiasm whatsoever).
Angel Prophylactics
I must have been wearing a green shirt when taking this morning photo (see, there is a reflection in the center plastic do-hickey). Anyway, I don’t squeeze out as many insert posts as I used to. If it were up to me, and it is, every post would be a classic, history-forgotten insert, but unfortunately (or not) that would mean I’d post roughly once a month. Anyway (again), as always with Angel Records ANYTHING, quality is nothing short of top of the line… the Rolls-Royce of record prophylactics. Protect your records, kids, and if you don’t, there’s always an Angel on your side.
Rocket from the Insert aka Circa: 1991
Haven’t done an insert post in a while, and I’m nowhere near out of my (lifelong) RFTC phase, so here is side two to the Paint as a Fragrance insert from 1991, aka RFTC’s debut studio album.
The artist’s signature looks to be either a forgery, or an afterthought, but really what the hell do I know. Likely some child relation to Speedo based on the last name. Anyway, on a completely unrelated note, binge-watch your shows responsibly!
War… Pimp…
1997… LARD… Booklet… Lunacy… Reality…
MW034 LP
Lo(unge)-Fi keyboard extraordinaire Mark Ramos Nishita, aka Money Mark released his debut, Mark’s Keyboard Repair on UK staple Mo’ Wax Records back in 1995. Mr. Money is, of course, best known for his artificial ivory works with the Beastie Boys from 1992’s Check Your Head through the band’s final offering with 2011’s Hot Sauce Committee Part 2. Releasing seven full-length studio albums throughout his solo career, Mark’s music follows the lackadaisical-lazy-groove style of Luscious Jackson, Buffalo Daughter, and other lesser-known Grand Royal virtuosos.
The photo above is an artsy little number featured on the insert record jacket to Mark’s Keyboard Repair. The more you know…
The Biggest Little Catalog
If you like Herb Alpert, Lucille Starr, The Baja Marimba Band, and overall great music in general, have a look-see at the biggest little catalog insert by A&M Records. Issued in 1965, this esthetically pleasing record jacket features the clever inclusion of Herb Alpert’s trumpet integrated within its logo, and is a reminder that functionality can also offer top-notch design. A&M Records, and it’s oxymoron catalog come highly recommended for easy listening brass background music. Cheers, kids.
RIP MCA
Here, without explanation, is the inside snap-shot of 2004’s To the 5 Boroughs… RIP MCA
A&M
Let’s take a little look-see through this colorful back catalog to the now defunct A&M Records, shall we? As noted before (I think…), A&M Records was started by Mr. Tijuana Brass himself, Herb Alpert. Groovy, no? If you look closely, you’ll notice a few CTI Records scattered about (Wes Montomery’s A Day in the Life and Antonio Carlos Jobim’s Wave), and let’s not forget that CTI Records (Creed Taylor Incorporated) started as a subsidiary of A&M before spreading their independent wings and going solo in 1970, which places this insert somewhere between 1967 and 1970… for what that’s worth. Sidebar, I’m rapidly running out of inserts, and this deeply saddens me. The hunt shall undoubtedly continue.
The Kids Won’t Carry Your Coffin, That’s All Right, That’s Okay. They Don’t Care What You Look Like, or Who You See, or What You Say. The Kids Won’t Carry Your Coffin, That’s All Right, That’s Okay. They Don’t Care What You Look Like…
… the unconditional love of Rocket form the Crypt. Lorna Doom, whose song these lyrics are derived, do, in fact, NOT make an appearance on the album with which this insert in included (1995’s Scream Dracula Scream).
This means absolutely nothing for the majority of you, and even less for those who already know. Love, even that of the unconditional nature, need not be ignored. (Said he, while bathing in the comforting bathwater of his current obsession.)
Charity… Dragging… Behind…
In the thick of a Rocket from the Crypt storm… Hunker down, kiddos…
Stereo 8
“In your home… in your car… or wherever you roam!” So true is the versatility that RCA stereo 8 cartridge tapes bring to, (well placed comma, don’t you think?) your home, your car, your jet, and your cruise ship (icon to specify, just in case you can’t determine between the options).
The new and exciting way to enjoy Eddy Arnold and Perry Como on virtually any extended day travel situation. With “up to 60 minutes playing time,” your 8-track stereo cartridge tape will get you from Wilshire west to Burbank, in only 4-full cartridge flips (only 19 miles). RCA knows your need for portable, cumbersome libraries, and having been “adopted by all major U.S. auto companies,” your mundane trips to and from the unemployment office will feel like a warm, summer’s breeze… if that warm summer’s breeze came complete with the entire back catalog of Mr. Floyd Cramer.
Roam, to the blissful, warbling sound, of RCA stereo 8 cartridge tapes.
The Sultans of Swing
The Prudent Groove 