Sounds of Sanford - The Anti-Aphrodisiac (mp3s)

 

One of the downsides about doing radio at a college station is finding anything at all.  Bob Seger was NOT to be found in the Rock CDs.  Nor was it to be found in the hundred thousand pieces of vinyl.  “Seger”? No. “Bob”? No. “Silver Bullet Band”? No.  (I was looking for "K-K-K-Katmandu", if you must know.)

One of the upsides about doing radio at a college station is finding anything at all - as in the oddest things imaginable. As in - Sounds of Sanford.  As in - a full album of a 1962 evening of drag racing in Sanford, Maine.

Why?  I don’t really know.  Think about it.  Someone took the time to set up a “Presto 800 2 channel stereophonic tape recorder” and a “Neumen (Telefunken) U48a Condenser microphone” to record…a drag race.

So they could make an album.

To sell.

To people.

And someone bought it.

I understand that “fun” meant something different in 1962, especially in Sanford, Maine, but how much utility can you get from a record of drag races?  I admit that I know little about cars and not terribly much about women but (except in rare occasions) I doubt you'll get to first base asking a girl to come over to listen to Sounds of Sanford.  Still, every pot has a lid.

After I played side one, a blind gentlemen called me up to talk about it.  I know he was blind because it was the third thing out of his mouth.  “Those cars were pretty darn slow, it sounded like,” he told me, and then proceeded to analyze everything he heard and the conclusions he drew from it, most of which went over my head.  He told me that he really wanted his grandson to hear the album and if there was a CD of it.

"Um.  No.  There’s not," I told him, "but you could download it in an hour or two."

"Got no use for computers," he said pleasantly, "but thanks anyway."

Sounds Of Sanford Side 1

Sounds of Sanford Side 2

Comments

[Fatherflot]

This reminds me of a scratchy, greasy "Sounds of Sebring" LP that I rescued from a donation bin when I was at WFHB in Bloomington, IN. My show was mosty garage-y stuff and I used to mix it with hot rod tunes, especially "Boss Hoss" by the sonics. Wish I still had it.

[Fatherflot]

Whaddaya know. Here's the one I'm thinking of:

http://www.ecrater.com/product.php?pid=1209860

[Dale]

My oldest brother had one of these, and I thought it was the coolest thing that I ever heard blasting out of the old Magnavox console.

I was recently scouring the Salvation Army. I am almost alway alone, but this time some other customer was there looking for vinyl, too. I started where I knew the rock/popular was and would work my way to the classical stuff. He started in classical and what did he find but a great early 60's record that was recordings aboard a nuclear submarine. Damn!

[Ivy]

Recordings aboard a nuclear submarine! Wow! That sounds fantastic!The drag race sounds very impressive. I would love to see the album cover.

One of my favorite records ever was a 78 long playing record I got at a flea market of "Great Florida bird calls". The blue jays and mockingbirds sounded much better on 78 than they do on digital CDs.

[Dan Willems]

Thanks for the post. I'm an avid listener/collector of racecar recordings. I record racecars as well. The sound of racing is most certainly music to my ears. Every track a composition, every driver a performer, every car an instrument, every earth shaking engine a loud as fuck amp. As to its affect on the human libido? There's nothing better than a revving engine to get in the mood. This "Sounds of Sanford" recording is really good. Many racecar records aren't very engaging. This one's got the heavy sounds and the drama. Totally rules.

Here are some samples of my recordings for anyone who is interested. http://www.adeptrecordings.com/racecars.shtml

Hey Fatherflot, I used to DJ at WFHB as well. I had a show called "Jazz is My Religion" in the early nineties.

Louisville Dan

[Fatherflot]

Dan:

Nice to know there's another Firehouse alum hanging out at the Freeform Mothership lounge. I'm sorry to say that I don't recall the program you mention. My show was "Flot's Spot" and it ran from '94-'97, mostly on Saturday afternoons 4-6. I was trying to do something like "The Hound" used to do on WFMU, but since I hadn'd actually heard his show all that much, it was mostly my own idea of what The Hound was doing. Years later, when he put up all his shows on the Lakeside Lounge site I realized that my show was actually much, much weirder and elaborate than what The Hound did. He had great records, hipster rants, guests, and stuff. But my show was probably more influence by the audio surrealism of the Firesign Theatre.

Got lots of shows saved as mp3's, which I hope one day to host somewhere.

[Dan Willems]

Fatherflot,

My Jazz show ran '93-'94 Weds. 5-8pm and I had an experimental (off the log) show called "Soundscope" 3am-6am Weds in '95.
I hope to post those shows someday at www.adeptrecordings.com

Hooray for radio!

Dan

[Uncle Ash]

Drag Racing?! ... Maine?!

Now your talking! We had Beech Ridge Speedway (http://www.beechridge.com/index-home.shtml) right around the corner from Sanford when I was a kid (b. 1964). It was louder than Traci Lords!
Everyone thinks Lobster & Tourism ... but Maine has a Red-Neck streak 2 lanes wide and a mile long - Ayuh!

Ash > www.AshAndBurn.com

[Elizabeth]

Let's never speak of Bob Seger again here.

[Hbee]

My apologies, Elizabeth. I'm the new kid on the blog. ;-)

[Bronzed Nordic God]

Fatherflot. I remember Flot's Spot (I was in Bloomington 91-96). That was a great radio show! Lots of garage, surf and I especially liked the fake sponsors. It's hard to forget a radio show brought to us by the Byzantine Empire. "Not just incenses and onion domes anymore". I'd love to hear these again.

[Ike]

I have to agree with Elizabeth. On the other hand, to be fair, Lupica seems to be really into Bob Seger lately, if I recall correctly. I'm not sure how this is possible. Clearly he must have fallen and hit his head on the mixing console at some point. 8^P

[Cosmetic-men]

Specially produced facial scrubs contain natural ingredients such as finely crushed apricot kernels or almond shells.

[Jim]

I own this record! My Dad used to race in Sanford. If someone would like to buy this collectable please contact me.
[email protected]