365 Days #63 - Archie Moore's 'Times Table' With Soul and a Beat (mp3s)
MP3:
Archie Moore's "Times Table" With Soul and a Beat (28:03)
Here's another one of those records that immediately grabs you when you see the cover. How could this one possibly suck?!? Fortunately it doesn't, and even the fact that Archie Moore, the boxer on the cover, only barely manages to contribute a couple sentences on the whole record only adds to the charm. Musically I find this one really satisfying. It's like bad soul meets "Einstein On The Beach!" Actually, I've got other examples of times tables records with similarly repetitive mathematic recitations to music, but this one wins hands down.
Archie Moore lived not far from my house, and in fact the stretch of freeway that goes past his neighborhood is called the "Archie Moore Freeway." These songs always pop into my head whenever I drive down that way.
- Contributed by: Pea Hix
Images: Front Cover
Media: 12" LP
Album: Archie Moore's "Times Table" With Soul and a Beat
Label: ERU Productions
Credits: Archie Moore, Pat Rucker
Date: 1964
Although a bit pedestrian on the 'funky sums' side in contrast to some of the Sesame Street, Electric Company and Schoolhouse Rock entries this is a very interesting find. The narrator sounds, on occasion like the sample source for one of Boards of Canada's songs. Nice one Pea (and if you ever have another of those Hellers triple 10" sets for sale, I'm your man, lost out on the recent auction)
Kev
Posted by: strictly kev | March 05, 2007 at 06:19 AM
well, you also have to keep in mind that this came out in 1964, so i think it was a bit ahead of the curve in terms of blending math with kid-friendly pop music. as for the hellers set, i only had those two copies. i came upon a stash of pristine hellers stuff at an estate sale, including some undocumented items. i was planning on doing a hellers post for 365, so at the very least you'll be able to hear all that stuff.
Posted by: pea hix | March 05, 2007 at 03:05 PM
There must have been something wrong with kids in the 60s. Were they drugged in order to sit and listen to 28 minutes of spoken times tables? Gimme a plastic push-button times tables toy any day.
Posted by: Romulus | March 05, 2007 at 07:33 PM
stop the press!! archie moore's house has been found!!
http://wikimapia.org/#y=32714096&x=-117118565&z=19&l=0&m=h&v=2
apparently it's currently the location of a swinger's club!!
http://www.thads.com
Posted by: pea hix | May 25, 2007 at 01:54 AM
Great review
I would like to hear or buy this album.
Please e-mail me to dicuss
all the best John
Posted by: john stump | June 13, 2007 at 12:53 AM