RARE BIZARRE AWESOME 1959 Ford Tractor industrial musical - Harnick & Bock

$

300

If you've seen "Bathtubs Over Broadway" or read "Everything's Coming Up Profits," you know that private pressing "industrial musical" souvenir albums are some of the rarest and weirdest records in existence. These motivational musicals were only for dealers, salesmen, distributors and other industry insiders at sales meetings and conventions, and the souvenir vinyl records were not available to the public. And many of these shows boasted outstanding music and performances along with the bizarre corporate subject matter.

I'm the collector and historian profiled in the documentary "Bathtubs Over Broadway," and the co-author of "Everything's Coming Up Profits - The Golden Age of Industrial Musicals." I'm thinning out my stash of duplicates, and offering an assortment of records that range from the scarce, to the very rare, to the "you'll probably never encounter this again."

This one's a key title in any serious collection: "The Music from Ford-i-fy Your Future," Ford Tractor & Implement, 1959.

To quote the back cover: "The original music, designed to tell a product story, is a fine example of combining "Broadway" musical talent with industry."

Industrial shows were often written by current or future Broadway talent, and this one has music by Jerry Bock and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, several years before the duo wrote the songs for "Fiddler on the Roof." Other shows by Harnick & Bock include "Fiorello," "She Loves Me," and "The Rothschilds." This is pre-fame Harnick and Bock, and on the back cover Jerry Bock's last name is misspelled as "Brock."

I interviewed Sheldon for "Bathtubs Over Broadway," and he recalled his industrial show days fondly. In fact, he told me that when he and Jerry Bock began to get real success with Broadway, part of him regretted leaving industrials behind because he found it such an interesting puzzle to make good songs out of unpromising material.

The four songs are all fun, snappy, and well-produced. And definitely for salesmen, not the public. "Turn your tractors and implements -- to a bumper crop -- of dollars and cents!" And in the song about the new transmission: "That Select-o-speed, a tractor sold by no one else but you! Think of that! Wow!"

The cover, seen in "Bathtubs Over Broadway," is a glorious extravaganza of Ford tractors in action plus glimpses of the stage show.

This copy's cover shows very minor wear and overall is clean and sharp, with a partial split on the top seam, and the one-sided disc is minty.
A great cover, entertaining songs, Broadway pedigree, and the conceptual dynamite that it's a musical about selling tractors! Don't miss your chance to snap up this blue chip slab of weird, wonderful vinyl.

Check out my other listings for many more killer examples of this deliciously strange and secret slice of American musical and corporate history.

Buyers of multiple records get a break on shipping charges.