El Rodeo / USC 1970-71 Audio Yearbook
Here’s a cool record. Side one consists of an audio collage covering a year in the life at the University of Southern California. Some of it is predictable — marching bands, football games, stuff like that. But then you’ve got clashes between student protesters and administrators, a glee club type song (“we will have these moments to remember…”) that gets the experimental tape treatment and comes off as quite sarcastic in this context, and best of all, the record, rather inexplicably starts off with this eerie beauty.
Can anyone identify this singer?
USC Mystery Woman
Side two is forgettable stage band / songfest junk, save for a cute ditty about “pornographic filth / X-rated trash,” but I do like this record quite a bit.
By the way, the cover you see pictured above is the previous owner’s work on the blank back of the actual cover, which I didn’t bother to photograph, because you wouldn’t be able to read it. The front is all white with very small printed text at the top and bottom that reads in part,
“This recording, alas, will never have its chance to compete on the open market; therefore, as one of the chosen few to receive its glad tidings of recorded joy, it is your responsibility, both as a Trojan and as an American, to play it for every other human being that will take time out (like in football… you know) to lend it a responsive ear.”
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8 Comments
Actually I think this record is even better than your review makes it sound – side 1 is just an excellent example of sound collage. It lacks the stiffness and forced artsiness that so often turns these kinds of things into washes of sound that don’t engage you. It’s playful, interesting, and that song at the beginning is great.
Jesus douglas, that really is beautiful.
GOT IT! Although my cover is blank I think, might have a stamp on it..I’ll have to check
i love these audio yearbok records! i just picked up a really great one a few months ago…Purdue Groove 1961…has the Kappa Key Notes covering Eukalili Love.
I can’t believe no one figured this out yet but I just discovered that mystery track is from the start of the Joan Baez record “Baptism.” I like the USC version because the low fi dubbing and slightly slowed down pitch give it a little more gravity…
Douglas,
Is there any way we could hear all of side one? I attended USC at that time and would love to hear it. Thanks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIzLOkJjiEA
JOAN BAEZ BAPTISM-LP
That glee club song, “Moments to Remember” by The Four Lads, sold four million copies in 1955 – and these guys lifted it straight off an original 78 from the sound of it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxZHCVC_kI0
Copyright clearly was of no concern to the producers of this album.