RARE & GREAT 1963 Budweiser convention film soundtrack The Look of the Leader
$
92
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Description
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."
Here's a very neat one that's a little bit different from the classic industrial show albums I offer: this one's a convention film soundtrack. Budweiser produced a film called "The Look of the Leader" in late 1962 to get the sales convention attendees revved up for ever-more succcess in 1963, and the soundtrack was deemed such a success in its tasty hepness that Budweiser decided to give out the soundtrack to its sales force.
It does sound pretty darn good to me. I don't know jazz, but I guess you'd call it jazz. There's a 21 piece band and a batch of assorted soloists, and the back cover proudly claimes that seven of these musicians had already recorded albums of their own.
Side 1 is the film soundtrack, bright and brassy with piano and bongos and other delights, and side 2 is "A sample of the Sound of the Leader," with occasional vocal passages about fishing or bowling and how these occasions call for Bud, as well as soft guitar passages, big percussion moments, and other musical swerves. Surprisingly cool. Or maybe not surprisingly -- in the golden age of corporate music, big companies had the money to spend on hiring great people to do their custom material.
The cover features a painting of the film reel in its canister, and the back contains brimming-with-confidence copy about Budweiser's advertising campaign for the coming year "to help you sell more of the King of Beers" as well as information about the recording session and personnel. All quite charming.
This copy is in very nice shape, with a bright clear cover that has some minor seam splits on top and bottom, and the disc is very clean and plays beautifully with a few stray clicks and pops.
An unusually appealing near-industrial show for the industrial musical enthusiast, as well as a choice item for Budweiser collectors and a fun record for anyone who enjoys swanky jazzy mid-century music.
Check out my other listings for many killer examples of the deliciously strange and secret sindustrials show genre, a few other related corporate records, as well as an assortment of other miscellaneous weird vinyl from my hoard.
Buyers of multiple records get a break on shipping charges.
**** PLEASE NOTE -- SHIPPING WILL BE DELAYED -- I WILL BE OUT OF TOWN FOR A FUNERAL WHEN THE AUCTION ENDS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE. ****
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