Vintage
Records featuring the
voice of a legend, or of an
historic event recorded before
the days of ESPN, is a great
addition to any collection. A
visit back in time through
sound, you could re-live the
great moments of baseball. Your
memory will come alive with
things you haven't thought
about for years. Flashbacks of
your youth. These vintage
recordings of the past are lost
to the digital age. It is
something truly unique and
should be preserved for modern
times.
In May of 1949 Joe DiMaggio
signed on with song composer
John Jacob Loebm and Capital
records, to cut his first
commercial record. DiMaggio
performed as the speaking name
artist in the recording of the
children's story entitled
"
Little Johnny Strike Out." New
York Giants Bill Terry,
narrates the story and DiMaggio
coaches Little Johnny on the
game of Baseball. The two
record set was Produced by Alan
Livingston, Music Arranged &
Conducted by Billy May, with
vocals by The Starlighters.
Capital Records rushed into
production to meet a World
Series deadline.
In
1952 Columbia Records released
four single records in
Columbia's Playtime Series,
providing youngsters with
information on how to play
baseball. Columbia recruited
baseball greats; Ralph Kiner,
Phil Rizzuto, Yogi Berra, and
Bob Feller. The format offers
basic tips, some simple plays
and then a simulated game
problem. Four more record
followed; George Kell, Richie
Ashburn, Bobby Thompson, and
Ned Garver. The 7 inch red
vinyl 78 RPM records came in a
paper record sleeve featuring
artwork of each player with a
facsimile autograph. The back
had illustrations subject to
the topic of the record.
A
song written in 1908 by Jack
Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer,
"Take Me out to the Ball Game"
is baseballs Theme song. It is
the third-most frequently heard
song in America, behind the
national anthem and Happy
Birthday. This Wheaties record,
"
Take Me Out To The Ball Game"
was part of a 9 record set,
produced for a 1954 promotion.
The "Record on a box" was born. Rainbo Records introduced a
patented method to produce the
flexible records as the
"Record-On-A-Box" for the
Wheaties promotion. The company
produced over 30 million
records for Wheaties over the
next several years.
A set of four baseball playing
tips, 78 RPM records were made
available by H-O Oatmeal in
1954. Each retail box of H-O
Instant Oatmeal included one
randomly packed premium record,
along with a mail-in offer to
obtain the other three. "Send
.25 Cents in coin and 2 H-O
Instant Oatmeal box tops" you
could then choose from any 3 of
the four New York "Big League
Baseball Stars" records listed
on the order form.
The four
records included: How to Catch,
by Roy Campanella, How to
Pitch, by Allie Reynolds, How
to Play First Base, By "Whitey"
Lockman, and Tips on Batting,
by Duke Snider.
"
The
Greatest Moments in Sports" 7
inch LP Record, was produced in
1955 by Columbia Records and
was made available combined
with a Gillette razor for $1.00
"at a store near you." This
Gillette premium record
contains excerpts from the
complete 12 inch album, and
includes voices and sounds of
the great events, and sports
personalities such as Babe Ruth
talking to hospitalized
children, Lou Gehrig's "Lucky
Guy" speech, and Johnny Vander
Meer describing the "Shakes"
after pitching two successive
no-hit, no-run games in 1938.
Also featured on this record
are the voices of; Connie Mack,
Carl Hubbell, Mel Allen, Knute
Rockne, Jesse Owens, Joe Louis,
and others.
In 1961, Champion Records
released a 45 rpm record with
Phil Rizzuto interviewing
Mickey Mantle, and Roger Maris.
The interviews took place
during the summer of 1961,
While the M&M boys were
battling it out for Babe Ruth's
single season home run record
of 60. Mickey Mantle fell short
with 54 home runs, but Maris
would end up with 61 in 1961, a
record that will stand for 37
years.
Side A -
"The Story of Mickey Mantle and
His Batting Tips – as told to
Phil Rizzuto" has a run time
of about 3 1/2 minutes. Side B
features, “The Story of Roger
Maris and his Batting Tips as
Told to Phil Rizzuto” with a
run time of about 4 minutes.
With only one other example
known to exist, this record is
extremely rare, and was
released in a generic Champion
Records sleeve.
The
1966 Union 76 Oil Company
Dodgers 33 1/3 RPM 12 Record Set
features Hall Of Fame
broadcaster Vin Scully
Interviewing 24 Los Angeles
Dodger players, and executives.
The premium records were made
available, at participating gas
stations for .49˘ each with a
minimum purchase of gas. The
record sleeve features Player
portraits by renowned artist
Nicholas Volpe of the two
ballplayers, one on each side,
font and back, along with an
encircled portrait of Vin
Scully in the corner. Dodger
player combinations in the 12
record set innclude; Sandy
Koufax/John Kennedy, Ron
Perranoski/Tommy Davis, and Don
Drysdale/Jeff Torberg.
As they did in 1964, the St.
Louis Cardinal celebrated their
1967 World Series title by
releasing recorded highlights
of the championship season.
Narrated by Harry Caray, and
Jack Buck, "
The Cardinals '67"
was scripted by Skip Caray,
produced in cooperation with
KNOX radio for "Busch...the
best popular-priced beer in
America!" Featuring play by
play excerpts in sound are the
highlights and heartbreaks of a
sensational season.
"Cepeda's
spectacular hitting...the base
thievery of Brock...Gibson's
injury and fantastic
comeback...the clutch hitting
of Maris..." The 33-1/3rpm LP
album was labeled, and issued
by Anhauser-Busch, Inc. Cover
art by American commercial
illustrator Bob Peak, best
known for innovative designs of
the modern movie posters that
include West Side Story and My
Fair Lady. Peak also did the
cover art for "
Baseball - The First 100 Years"