Various Artist - The Warner-Reprise 'Looney Tunes' (US 1970)

Who’s Your Music Daddy??

Probably one of the more fondly remembered releases in the Loss Leader series… for those who acted fast enough to snag one, anyway. A big, colorful, 3LP box set, with some of the era’s best new music, all for 3 bucks… postage paid! 

It lavishly spoke to the inherent greed in all record collectors and music lovers. And just look at that track list. There’s barely an unknown name or non-classic in the bunch (well, a few… but not many). As usual, the liner notes are a great read from a historical perspective, as Warners reports that the “recently emerged” Black Sabbath (with singer John Osbourne) “has made our sales department very happy.” 

And an advance, non-LP single from The Faces (“Real Good Time”) isn’t even officially penciled in for the band’s next album yet. One record that caught my attention is John Simon’s album (that’s the name of it, by the way, John Simon’s Album). The famed producer for Big Brother, BS&T, Leonard Cohen, The Band and a slew of others, is joined by Leon Russell, Jim Gordon and Delaney Bramlett for his 1970 debut LP. 

To illustrate the Loss Leaders series’ grand design, I immediately went online to find a copy of it. Of course, that’s not exactly what Warners had in mind back in the 70s, but the concept’s mojo is still working its magic. As mentioned previously on #5 Schlagers!, Looney Tunes And Merrie Melodies claims it’s the 4th release in the series, but the catalog number (PRO423) suggests it was actually the 7th release, so until we find some definitive answers about the actual release order, you’ll have to take our numbering-by-catalog number system with a grain of salt.

Unfortunately, none of Warners’ artwork or liners after this point offer any specifics regarding numbering or running order, so apparently even WB gave up making any linear/numerical sense of the series by this point.

Side 1: 5.5 Richter and Above

01. FM Radio Spot It’s The Plastic (1:03)

02. Faces Real Good Time (5:52)
03. Black Sabbath Paranoid (2:48)
04. Little Feat Strawberry Flats (2:22)
05. Hard Meat Smile As You Go Under (3:04)
06. Fleetwood Mac Tell Me All The Things You Do (4:13)
07. Jimi Hendrix Stepping Stone (4:15)

Side 2: Resident Writers and Reapers Of Wry Kudos
01. John Simon The Elves’ Song (4:31)
02. Ry Cooder Alimony (2:56)
03. Randy Newman Let’s Burn Down The Cornfield (3:02)
04. Gordon Lightfoot Me And Bobby McGee (3:42)
05. Jimmy L. Webb P. F. Sloan (4:05)
06. Performance Soundtrack (Jack Nitzsche) Harry Flowers (4:03)

Side 3: Breadwinners and Other Staples
01. FM Radio Spot Chip Dip (1:02)
02. Little Richard I Saw Her Standing There (3:29)
03. The Grateful Dead Sugar Magnolia (3:17)
04. Van Morrison Call Me Up In Dreamland (3:54)
05. The Kinks Apeman (3:52)
067. Arlo Guthrie Valley To Pray (2:47)
07. The Beach Boys It’s About Time (3:01)

Side 4: California Antacid Rock
01. The Youngbloods It’s A Lovely Day (2:37)
02. Jeffrey Cain Houndog Turkey (2:51)
03. Lovecraft Love Has Come To Me (3:05)
04. Sweetwater Just For You (9:39)

Side 5: Avant and National Guard
01. Captain Beefheart & The Magic Band Lick My Decals Off, Baby (2:39)
02. The Mothers Of Invention Directly From My Heart To You (5:18)
03. Alice Cooper Return Of The Spiders (4:30)
04. Frank Zappa Would You Go All The Way? (2:30)
05. Beaver and Krause Spaced (3:51)
06. Pearls Before Swine The Jeweler (2:46)

Side 6: Electric Jesus
01. Beaver and Krause Sanctuary (1:46)
02. James Taylor Lo And Behold (2:35)
03. Harpers Bizarre If We Ever Needed The Lord Before (2:56)
04. Van Dyke Parks On The Rolling Sea When Jesus Speak To Me (2:28)
05. The Persuasions It’s All Right (3:28)
06. Turley Richards I Heard The Voice Of Jesus (6:59)

Part 1: Looney Tunes

Part 2: Looney Tunes

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Various Artist - The Warner-Reprise 'Record Show' (US 1969)

Size: 193 MB

Bitrate: 320

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Artwork Included

Warner Bros. Records was one of the hippest and most progressive record companies on the West Coast in the late 1960s. In order to accurately target their consumers, as well as to introduce a great many cool records, they created an ingenious series of budget-priced sampler albums. 1969 Record Show was the first of these efforts, and easily one of the finest. Over thirty artists spread out over two LPs and priced at a then-very comfortable $2.00, this release introduced a whole lot of people to the fun, freewheeling creative spirit that defined the Burbank offices. Many high-quality sides -- from Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Van Dyke Parks, Jethro Tull, and the Pentangle to Ella Fitzgerald and Fats Domino -- provide an excellent representation of a company that cared about its artists as well as its customers.

Another one from the US  Warner Bros. "Loss Leader" serie (concept referring to a sales strategy where an item is sold under marketing cost to promote more profitable articles - in this case single samplers for $1, doubles for $2 and triples for $3). This 2-LP set was the second of thirtythree such from the label issued between 1969-80. The four sides each present a theme - country style, soft pop, mixed pop and what they call "Hippie Creep Rock'n'Roll" - showing on the label's amazing musical width at the time. 

Here's the whole spectra - from non household acts as Mothers Of Invention, Fugs, Grateful Dead and Mephistopheles over contemporary teen idol names like KInks, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Peter Paul & Mary and Jimi Hendrix to older artists Ella Fitzgerald, Fats Domino and Everly Brothers. 

All high quality so no need for the acceptive music lover to jump tracks - just turn sides and take it in. You also get a couple of rare cuts. As far as I know Geoff & Maria Muldaur's "All Bowed Down" and Hamilton Camp's "Star Spangled Bus" have remanied unissued otherwise and this may still be the only place for them. Everly Brothers "Empty Boxes" was a 45 only cut. Kinks "Nothing To Say" from the "Arthur" album is presented as mono on the info sheets (explained by - "...that's the only kind of tape we got from Granada TV, which commissioned the project"). 

The cut here is the mono version, but slightly enhanced for better width. Pressing the mono button narrows it down a little, but whichever you choose it sounds better than the one on the UK "Arthur" mono album. Fats Domino's cover of Everybody*s Got Something To Hide Except For Me And My Monkey" also an enhanced mono version - probably from the 45 edit. Rare or not there's enough here to get me through the day -checking track history, reminicing and enjoying all the good music. Audio shifts a little depending on original recordings, but it's pleasant listening all through. First had label as shown here, thick glossy fold/out cover with info sheets and custom artist pic inners. 

The multi-page Loss Leaders inserts are a fantastic read… quick, irreverent andto the point, holding lots of surprises in the form of composers, producers andauxiliary musicians. At the time of its release, in 1969, all this was merely informative. Now it’s more like a history book, alerting us to hidden tidbits like; session guitarist Louie Shelton’s offering is produced by Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart; The Blue Velvet Band features members Eric Weissberg and Sea Train’s Richard Greene; and those spoken word excerpts from Joni Mitchell are from a Carnegie Hall concert. 

The liners also take the hot air out of the typical promotional hype usually associated with record labels. Like this excerpt regarding Van Dyke Parks: “We’ve discovered that people either dig Van wildly or find him, as one disgruntled ad-reader and self-appointed critic put it, ‘pretentious and boring.’ Make up your own mind. In the face of the unbelievable commercial failure of Song Cycle, Van has been keeping himself busy by composing

music for commercials, rather like Buckminster Fuller tightening bolts in an aircraft factory.” Edited tracks from The Grateful Dead and David Blue, as well as non-LP tracks, b-sides and mono versions from Geoff & Maria Muldaur, The Everly Brothers and The Kinks are included. And, yes… that’s Theodore Bikel (of Frank Zappa’s 200 Motels fame, not to mention “seventeen albums of exotic folk songs”) tackling The Beatles’ “Piggies” 

Warner/Reprise's Country & Western, Cowboy Provincial, And Twangy Americana Side; Or Jumpin' On The Country Bandwagon With Warner/Reprise

01. Neil Young (With Crazy Horse)* – Cinnamon Girl  Written-By – Neil Young  02:58

02. The Grateful Dead – Doin' That Rag (abridged)  Written-By – Garcia*, Lesh*, Hunter*  02:20

03. Geoff Muldaur & Maria Muldaur – All Bowed Down  Written-By – Geoff Gutcheon* 02:42

04. The Everly Brothers* – Empty Boxes  Written-By – Ron Elliot*  02:40

05. Doug Kershaw – Son Of A Louisiana Man  Written-By – Doug Kershaw  02:14

06. David Blue– Atlanta Farewell (abridged)  Written-By – David Blue  01:47

07. Arlo Guthrie – Every Hand In The Land  Written-By – Arlo Guthrie  02:19

08. The Blue Velvet Band – Weary Blues From Waitin' Written-By – Hank Williams  03:02

Warner/Reprise's Soft Arty Underbelly Side: A Collection Of Unamplified And Other Delights

09. Theo Bikel* – Piggies  Written-By – George Harrison  03:16

10. Joni Mitchell – My American Skirt (live)  00:40

11. Joni Mitchell – The Fiddle And The Drum  Written-By – Joni Mitchell  02:45

12. John Renbourn – Transfusion  Written-By – Charles Lloyd  01:58

13. Bert Jansch – Poison  Written-By – Bert Jansch  03:13

14. The Pentangle* – Once I Had A Sweetheart Written-By – Jansch*, Thompson*, McShee*, Renbourn*, Cox* 04:40

15. Joni Mitchell – Spoony's Wonderful Adventure (live) 00:40

16. Peter, Paul & Mary – Going To The Zoo  Written-By – Tom Paxton  03:09

The Many Faces Of  Pop

01. Sweetwater – Day Song  Written-By – Nansi Nevins  01:45

02. Louie Shelton – A Walk In The Country  Written-By – Louie Shelton  01:58

03. Lorraine Ellison – Stay With Me  Written-By – George Weiss*, Jerry Ragovoy  03:29

04. Van Dyke Parks – Music For Ice Capades TV Commercial  Written-By – Van Dyke Parks  02:00

05. Randy Newman – Yellow Man  Written-By – Randy Newman  02:13

06. Pearls Before Swine – These Things Too  Written-By – Tom Rapp 03:24

07. Hamilton Camp – Star Spangled Bus  Written-By – J. D. Souther*  02:34

08. Ella Fitzgerald – The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game  Written-By – Wm. Robinson*  02:55

The Irreverent Hippie-Creep And Rock 'N' Roll Side

09. The Fugs – Yodellin' Yippie  Written-By – Ed Sanders  02:14

10. The Mothers – Electric Aunt Jemima  Written-By – Frank Zappa  01:58

11. Jethro Tull – Fat Man  Written-By – Ian Anderson  02:48

12. Mephistopheles (3) – Take A Jet  Written-By – Siller*, Tackett*, Mosher*, Simone  02:39

13. The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Stone Free  Written-By – Jimi Hendrix  03:33

14. The Kinks – Nothing To Say  Written-By – Ray Davies  03:15

15. Fats Domino – Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey  Written-By – John Lennon and Paul McCartney*  02:30 

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