collisionwork (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
collisionwork) wrote2006-09-25 01:04 am
collisionwork) wrote2006-09-25 01:04 am
But Who's in Lancaster . . ?
Once upon a time, it was not unknown to see TV commercials for brand new vinyl LP record albums.
And sometimes, for some reason, in those times, a major record label (or rather, in the case that follows, a noted division of a major record label) put some actual advertising dollars into promoting an album that next to no one would want to hear.
And sometimes, for even less explicable reasons, they put the money and control of that advertising into the hands of the actual recording artist responsible for the difficult music that they were trying to sell.
Which meant that once upon a time, you might wind up with a television commercial like this one,
which is what happens when Straight Records, a division of Reprise Records, a division of Warner Bros. Records,
hands over control of production of the TV spot to Mr. Don Van Vliet, aka Captain Beefheart,
to promote the new album from Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band
(and follow-up to that great populist hit, Trout Mask Replica),
sure to set toes a-tappin' all across the USA in the year of our lord 1970,
Lick My Decals Off, Baby:
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This actually aired on broadcast televsion a handful of times, before being pulled -- mainly due to offense at the title of the album.
I saw it first at MoMA in 1986 -- glad to have it handy now.
And sometimes, for some reason, in those times, a major record label (or rather, in the case that follows, a noted division of a major record label) put some actual advertising dollars into promoting an album that next to no one would want to hear.
And sometimes, for even less explicable reasons, they put the money and control of that advertising into the hands of the actual recording artist responsible for the difficult music that they were trying to sell.
Which meant that once upon a time, you might wind up with a television commercial like this one,
which is what happens when Straight Records, a division of Reprise Records, a division of Warner Bros. Records,
hands over control of production of the TV spot to Mr. Don Van Vliet, aka Captain Beefheart,
to promote the new album from Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band
(and follow-up to that great populist hit, Trout Mask Replica),
sure to set toes a-tappin' all across the USA in the year of our lord 1970,
Lick My Decals Off, Baby:
[Error: unknown template 'video']
This actually aired on broadcast televsion a handful of times, before being pulled -- mainly due to offense at the title of the album.
I saw it first at MoMA in 1986 -- glad to have it handy now.