1962 Midnight In Canaveral PROJECT MERCURY SONG JFK White House Letter +Cronkite

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1962 Midnight In Canaveral PROJECT MERCURY SONG JFK White House Letter +Cronkite

Offered here is a unique and fascinating 6-piece archive related to the 1962 novelty record "Midnight In Canaveral" b/w "The Ho-Ho Laughing Monster" by The Cliff Dwellers.

This unique assemblage comes from the archives of the man behind these songs, Jordan Ramin. He co-wrote and produced it for Liza Records, the record company founded by movie star Elizabeth Taylor and her husband Mike Todd.

Within days of the song's release in April 1962, Jordan started to ghost-write the Boston Globe newspaper column of baseball Hall of Famer Ted Williams, and his brother Sid Ramin won the Academy Award for orchestrated the score of "West Side Story".

It was Sid Ramin's orchestra that performed "The Ho-Ho Laughing Monster".

Offered here for the first time anywhere...

PLEASE NOTE: This lot DOES NOT include any 45rpm records.
If you are interesting in hearing the songs referenced in this description,
they are readily found on YouTube.

PIECE #1
Liza Records Promo Sheet for "Midnight In Canaveral"

"Midnight In Canaveral" was a jazz novelty 45rpm record that, according to this rare Liza Records promo sheet, was intended to "answer" the just-released Russian-sounding jazz hit "Midnight in Moscow" (by Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen) with "the swingiest patriotic song ever recorded -- dedicated to all 7 of our Astronauts, Colonel "Shorty" Powers and the Mercury Space Project".

PIECE #2
"Midnight In Canaveral" Picture Sleeve Sample On Promo Sheet

Glued to the back of this press release-like promo sheet is the front panel of the rare "Midnight In Canaveral" picture sleeve -- but it's not merely a trimmed down picture sleeve because it's 7.5" wide and the production picture sleeve is only 7" wide. This must have been made from a printed piece that was die cut (note the notch top center) but not folded for assembly into a finished jacket. Jordan Ramin must have gotten a supply of these to send out with these promo sheets -- and this one quite possibly might be the only one to survive to the present day.

PIECE #3
Original letter from the White House about "Midnight In Canaveral"

Original "Personal" letter from The White House addressed to Jordan Ramin, dated April 30, 1962, signed by President Kennedy's personal secretary, Evelyn Lincoln, acknowledging receipt of "the first two copies of the recording of 'Midnight In Canaveral' that you sent the President" -- and that "he appreciated your thoughtful courtesy in bringing to his attention this new song hit dedicated to all who are concerned with Project Mercury." Affixed to a sheet of greenish paper similar to the paper used for the promo sheet.

PIECE #4
White House Envelope with Project Mercury Postage Stamp

Glued to the back of the sheet the White House letter is affixed to is the trimmed front of the envelope it came in. It appropriately features the 4c Project Mercury postage stamp depicting the Mercury capsule in orbit which had been issued on February 20, 1962 to commemorate the first orbital flight of a U.S. astronaut, Lt. Col. John Glenn.

PIECE #5
Jordan Ramin's Letter to Walter Cronkite in response to
Cronkite's demand that his name be removed from "Midnight In Canaveral"

The narrating voice heard throughout "Midnight In Canaveral" is introduced as "Walter Bronkite" -- and it didn't take long for Walter Cronkite to have his lawyer fire off a demand that his name be removed from the song.

This is the carbon copy of the letter Jordan Ramin sent back, directly to Cronkite at CBS News -- and it's absolutely hilarious. Jordan even sent Cronkite the letter he'd gotten from The White House to demonstrate that the President "went for the song"!...

Dear Mr. Cronkite,

In answer to your letter of the 15th regarding the use of your name, this is to let you know that there will be no trouble in removing your name as requested. It's just a simple technical splice which will be made in the mastered tape.

Though I am understandably sad about your request, I am pleased to know that you did understand the intent. I'll take it for granted that you (though not your lawyer) do understand that the use of your name on this record was only in tribute to your coverage of the Canaveral shot.

However, as further background information it seems the only person outside of the writers and musicians on this record who went for the song was the President, a copy of whose letter I enclose. And of course, interested close relatives of the writers who have just found out that they don't hear it on the radio and cannot find it in the stores. In short, the initial pressing on this record was 2,000 copies of which, it seems, were 1,991 too many.

If I wasn't by nature a politically-oriented Liberal, I'd write the Editor of the Dail News and ask him why MIDNIGHT IN MOSCOW was such a hit and MIDNIGHT IN CANAVERAL cannot even get one spin on the air. But the thought of the Daily News endorsing CANAVERAL and by proxy, President Kennedy, leads me to concetrate future recordings on slow music featuring nothing but violins.

To add further insult, CASHBOX MAGAZINE, a trade journal of music, reviewed the record under the title of MIDNIGHT IN MOSCOW.

If, by some miracle, such as Laos being peacefully settled and General De Gaulle agreeing with President Kennedy, our record starts taking off, I will send you immediately new pressings with your name deleted completely. But at this point, unfortunately, it looks like there will not even be any new pressings...let alone a peaceful Laos or subservient General.

Sincerely,

Jordan Ramin

PIECE #6
Newspaper clipping mentioning "Midnight In Canaveral"

Clipping of one of the few newspaper "squibs" (promotional mentions) of "Midnight In Canaveral" -- May 17, 1962 in Dick Kleiner's "Records" column in the World-Telegram. Affixed to the back of the Cronkite letter.

WHO THE HECK WERE THE CLIFF-DWELLERS?

There was no "Cliff Dwellers" musical group, strictly speaking. "Midnight In Canaveral" was actually performed by a pick-up band of session musicians I have been unable to identify. The song was co-written by Jordan Ramin in collaboration with two of his closest friends, Bill Boal and Avery Lagios, who worked at Time-Life. Boal and Lagios did the voiceovers on the record. Bill Boal was the father of Mark Boal, the Oscar-winning producer and screenwriter of "The Hurt Locker" and "Zero Dark Thirty".

Why "Cliff Dwellers"? It was sort of an inside joke -- The Cliff Dwellers' Deviltry and Diversion Society ("Cliff Dwellers" and "Cliffies" for short) was a briefly successful organization that ran parties and events for young hip urbanites who subscribed to their newsletters. Bill Boal and documentary film maker Ted Steeg ("Coffee House Rendezvous" among other things) were two of the founders of The Cliff Dwellers, and all of these men were involved in its party scene.

WHAT THE HECK IS "The Ho-Ho Laughing Monster"?

The "Cliff Dwellers" release of "Ho-Ho" on the flip-side of "Midnight In Canaveral" was actually just a re-release of "The Ho-Ho Rock and Roll" by Peter Roberts and the Sid Ramin Orchestra. That song inexplicably appeared on the flip-side of the "Around The World In 80 Days" theme song records sold at movie theaters during its first run in 1956.

And that's an interesting story, too -- but you won't find it here. Google it.

Condition: These pieces have soiling and paste stains. See photographs to see if they meet your conditionrequirements.

All photographs are of actual item.

Full refunds cheerfully given for any item that I have misdescribed.