[78-L] Mitch Miller Horrifies

[Michael Biel]

From: "Royal Pemberton" <ampex354 at gmail.com>
>> I found a latter-day shockaroo at a thrift shop a few weeks
>> ago....ever heard of an MM&TG album called PEACE SING-ALONG?
>> (Atlantic SD 8277, from 1970.)
>> All given the (in)famous 'Gang' treatment.  50 cents, with lyric
>> sheets....too weird to pass up.
>>
>>     
Steven C. Barr wrote:

> Should be sub-titled "CBS tries to sell easy-listening records to
> 'hippies'"...?! 

Except that this record is listed as being on Atlantic, not Columbia.  
And remember, that despite Mitch being a Columbia big-wig, the TV show 
was on NBC!! 


> Given that the inherent market for "Easy Listening"
> records has an average age of about 55 +/-, and the average
> age of hippies (THEN?!) was 20 or less...I'm surprised even
> this one example was sold...?!
>
> The (late) sixties were a very odd time! 

Could we consider this album as being "If Pete Seeger had grown a beard 
. . . ) ??  Aren't Pete's Hootnanny's much the same as Mitch's 
Sing-Alongs.  And if you look at the audience in today's PBS Peter Paul 
and Mary concert broadcasts, aren't they now what Mitch's audience was 
in the 60s?  (Come to think of it, I"M in my sixties now!!!) 


> This was the same
> period when reviewers of "classic" recordings suddenly
> started issuing reviews of "rock" recordings like "Sgt.
> Pepper's...!!"
>
>   

Their kids shamed them into doing it!

As a weak way to tie together Glenn Miller and Mitch Miller, in the late 
50s Mitch did a promo on 78 with a souvenir folder cover for the Air 
Force called "The U.S. Air Force Blue". 

And before we completely put Mitch Miller down, remember that he was 
involved with some very important recordings with Alec Wilder in his 
early years, and continued to use Wilder while at Little Golden Records 
and Columbia.  As a matter of fact, I just sent Leah an audio file a few 
days ago of the very first Little Golden Record for use in her 
documentary when Peter Muldavin shows several differering copies of this 
record.  It is Scuffy the Tugboat performed by Alec Wilder and Gilbert 
Mack with Mitchell Miller and Orchestra. 


Mike Biel  mbiel at mbiel.com

> I might also note an LP album I THINK I still own...
> enti-tittled "The Norman Luboff Choir Sings the Blues"...?!
>
> Are there any REALLY unusual 101 Strings issues?!
>
> ...stevenc