On this episode of Hippie Love Turbo, on KUCR 88.3 FM you heard The Malibu's play their song Cry (Over Her) which happens to be a single that fetches a decent price on the used market due to its rarity. What I found particularly interesting about the song is that it was released by the Pepsi Corporation on a flexi-disc as a promotional giveaway in Massachusetts. I couldn't find too much information on The Malibu's Pepsi flexi-disc but according to Discogs there were a few other promotional releases which included bands such as: The Frauleins, The Ramrods, and The Royal Knights.
I know that there might be some people out there that aren't hip to what a flexi-disc is but the name explains it quite well. Flexi-discs are records that are pressed on a flexible material that was often attached to cardboard to give it some heft. Most of the time they were used as promotional material and could be found attached to cereal boxes, inside magazines, or given away at political and social events. WFMU has a neat page which showcases a few bizarre examples.
Outside of the US blue hued flexi-discs were common place in magazines throughout the USSR where they were used to spread light-hearted music and state propaganda. Another fascinating type of flexi-disc from the Soviet Union took form in bootleg recordings which were etched into old x-rays. Possessing and distributing these recordings was illegal and the level of quality varied drastically between each disc. These bone recordings are highly sought-after by music collectors and historians alike and you can read more about their history via The Bureau of Lost Culture's website.
Although it doesn't feature any x-ray bootlegs, you can check out this week's playlist below:
The Chylds - Hay Girl
The Zoo - You're Crazy Man
The Other Guys - Inside Looking Out
No comments:
Post a Comment