The other copy is on sale at eBay for $9.99 (as of last night). And it is from there that I snatched the above image. I picked up my copy for $1 about a year ago. So I stand to make a 900% profit if I can find a buyer.
.
Ah, but there's the rub. This set of albums (Full name : Memories of Steam : past and present) consists solely of ...um... train whistles. There are steam engine whistles and diesel engine whistles (so sez the back of the box). Some were recorded as the trains roared by whoever taped these. Others were recorded as the trains pulled into a station (you can hear the brakes and a couple background voices).
.
The first question is - why would anyone feel compelled to record train whistles in the first place? Second, is there any reason at all to record and hour and a half worth? Third, how in the heck did they talk a record company (in this case, Murray Hill Records) into putting these out on vinyl? Fourth, who in their right mind would pay full price for this? Fifth, why would anyone buy these LP's today?
.
Now I hear you say that I for one was suckered into paying money for them. But it was only a buck, and hey, I'd even buy a Barry Manilow LP for a dollar, just for the vicarious thrill of watching the seller trying not to snicker as he rang me up. But someone once paid full price for this, as did at least one other person for the copy that's on eBay.
.
I suppose we'll never know the answers to these riveting questions. Murray Hill Records is long gone, RYM doesn't list this album, and Amazon.com doesn't offer it on vinyl or CD. I wish the eBay seller luck in selling his copy for $10. Anyone reading this who wants my copy can have it for free - just pay the postage. The LP's are a bit warped, but they don't skip, and there are almost zero scratches after 40-50 years. Which isn't all that surprising. How often do you think these ever got played?
.
And needless to say, I have no intention of converting these to mp3 files.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Just Wrong - Memories of Steam
Okay, it's not so much "Just Wrong" as it is "What Were They Thinking?" I am the proud owner of the 3-LP set shown below. AFAIK, there is only one other copy of it in existence.
.
The other copy is on sale at eBay for $9.99 (as of last night). And it is from there that I snatched the above image. I picked up my copy for $1 about a year ago. So I stand to make a 900% profit if I can find a buyer.
.
Ah, but there's the rub. This set of albums (Full name : Memories of Steam : past and present) consists solely of ...um... train whistles. There are steam engine whistles and diesel engine whistles (so sez the back of the box). Some were recorded as the trains roared by whoever taped these. Others were recorded as the trains pulled into a station (you can hear the brakes and a couple background voices).
.
The first question is - why would anyone feel compelled to record train whistles in the first place? Second, is there any reason at all to record and hour and a half worth? Third, how in the heck did they talk a record company (in this case, Murray Hill Records) into putting these out on vinyl? Fourth, who in their right mind would pay full price for this? Fifth, why would anyone buy these LP's today?
.
Now I hear you say that I for one was suckered into paying money for them. But it was only a buck, and hey, I'd even buy a Barry Manilow LP for a dollar, just for the vicarious thrill of watching the seller trying not to snicker as he rang me up. But someone once paid full price for this, as did at least one other person for the copy that's on eBay.
.
I suppose we'll never know the answers to these riveting questions. Murray Hill Records is long gone, RYM doesn't list this album, and Amazon.com doesn't offer it on vinyl or CD. I wish the eBay seller luck in selling his copy for $10. Anyone reading this who wants my copy can have it for free - just pay the postage. The LP's are a bit warped, but they don't skip, and there are almost zero scratches after 40-50 years. Which isn't all that surprising. How often do you think these ever got played?
.
And needless to say, I have no intention of converting these to mp3 files.
The other copy is on sale at eBay for $9.99 (as of last night). And it is from there that I snatched the above image. I picked up my copy for $1 about a year ago. So I stand to make a 900% profit if I can find a buyer.
.
Ah, but there's the rub. This set of albums (Full name : Memories of Steam : past and present) consists solely of ...um... train whistles. There are steam engine whistles and diesel engine whistles (so sez the back of the box). Some were recorded as the trains roared by whoever taped these. Others were recorded as the trains pulled into a station (you can hear the brakes and a couple background voices).
.
The first question is - why would anyone feel compelled to record train whistles in the first place? Second, is there any reason at all to record and hour and a half worth? Third, how in the heck did they talk a record company (in this case, Murray Hill Records) into putting these out on vinyl? Fourth, who in their right mind would pay full price for this? Fifth, why would anyone buy these LP's today?
.
Now I hear you say that I for one was suckered into paying money for them. But it was only a buck, and hey, I'd even buy a Barry Manilow LP for a dollar, just for the vicarious thrill of watching the seller trying not to snicker as he rang me up. But someone once paid full price for this, as did at least one other person for the copy that's on eBay.
.
I suppose we'll never know the answers to these riveting questions. Murray Hill Records is long gone, RYM doesn't list this album, and Amazon.com doesn't offer it on vinyl or CD. I wish the eBay seller luck in selling his copy for $10. Anyone reading this who wants my copy can have it for free - just pay the postage. The LP's are a bit warped, but they don't skip, and there are almost zero scratches after 40-50 years. Which isn't all that surprising. How often do you think these ever got played?
.
And needless to say, I have no intention of converting these to mp3 files.
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4 comments:
The only thing that comes to mind is sound effects for movies or radio, but wow do you really need that many different kinds? I'm with you, that's just nuts.
i'm guessing that the recording was done by some retired, nostalgic railroad employee. (cue up "City of New Orleans" by Arlo Guthrie)
that's fine. but what knucklehead at the record company made the decision to put this out as a 3-LP collection? methinks Mr. Choochoo was the brother of Mr. Murray Hill Records President.
It is now June 14,2012. Do you still have the copy of Memories of Steam? I'm a collector of sound recordings (I have birds, wolves, humpback whales, ocean waves, mountain streams, 4 different thunderstorms, and 3 albums of train sounds. I've been searching for that Murray Hill album for years. I'd be glad to take it off your hands for the price of postage if you still have it.
Derrick Phillips
Hi Derrick,
Sorry about the delay in responding. I don't have the LP's anymore, but they aren't far away. My son has them. but they are obtainable.
My main worry would be them warping in transit. I'm in Phoenix, Arizona and right now it's routinely >100 degrees. whether they go by UPS or USPS, my nightmare is what will happen to them in the back of the delivery van.
I'm open to ideas.
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