Scarce 1979 EXXON industrial musical - WILD - gas station songs
$
75
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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 great, wonderfully weird later-era show, "Put Yourself In Their Shoes," the 1979 Exxon retailers convention musical.The show was designed to boost the morale and company pride of Exxon station owner/operators, via the adventures and misadventures of typical station owner Harry.
Written by the team of Ted Simons and John Allen, this Exxon show boasts some prominent cast members: Lenny Wolpe played Harry the beleaguered Exxon dealer, and future Tony winner Chuck Cooper is also in the mix.
There's a lot of fun to be had here: "An Exxon Dealer's Wife" is a country-inflected homage to the long-suffering women who support their Exxon dealer husbands, "The Best In The Business" and "You Can Count on Exxon" are stirring if somewhat hokey claims by the company that it really, really appreciates the guys in the field, "Once Around The Car" is a musical reminder of what kind of service customers expect. "Fugue For Dealers" is a parody of the "Fugue" song from "Guys and Dolls." "Major Surgery" is a big lush brassy number about how independent off-brand stations are out to undercut the "majors" like Exxon -- which is why it's so important to go the extra mile with service.
And "False Start" is very strange -- a rah-rah number which dissolves into screams and chaos, then silence. I've not yet been able to find out what happened at that moment in the stage production.
At one point, beleaguered Harry sings "This business is giving me gas." I guess they couldn't not do it.
An interesting front cover design which is repeated on the record labels. The back has credits, song listings, and cast photos.
This copy is in extremely nice condition, with a cover showing almost no traces of wear, and pristine minty vinyl.
Don't miss this chance to grab a key and very entertaining late period industrial show souvenir album. And if you're a petroliana collector, don't let industrial show collectors have all the fun!
Check out my other listings for many more killer examples of this deliciously strange and secret slice of American musical and corporate history (including the '76 Exxon musical, also wonderful), as well as an assortment of other miscellaneous weird records 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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