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The persistence of album art: Gleason and Dali

This boys and girls is a "record album". Back in the 50's, 60's, 70, and part of the 80's, you listened to it on a "record player". Yes thats Jackie Gleasons Name at the top, and Salvator Dali's signature at the bottom.

Think about it for a second.

Gleason - Dali.

Unfortunately, this is not where the weirdness ends. Heres just a partial list of things I that I find weird about this rather odd artifact from the past.

1. Jackie Gleason, made record albums where he showcased his singing. Apparently this went on for years with no intervention from the authorities.

2. Capitol Records, who would one day have the Beatles under contract, gave Jackie Gleason a contract to make these albums, which were not for comedy skits, but singing. I assume this was done for money and profit and not for laughs or as a result of the loss of a bet on the part of a record company executive.

3. People bought the albums. I cannot for the life of me figure out why. Perhaps there was a shortage of rodent repellant in the 1950's.

4. Jackie Gleason secured a meeting with Salvador Dali.

5. Salvador Dali agreed to meet Jackie Gleason. His people called His people and a meeting was arrainged and accepted. Apparently there were no record players in Catalonia during the 1950s. Perhaps it was a Generalissimo Francisco Franco thing, you never know.

6. At some point, probably after drinking a fifth of scotch during the meeting Mr. Dali (which surely occured poolside at Jackies famous Miami Beach art deco style manse)Jackie then decided that Salvatore Dali would be the perfect artist for his new album "Lonesome Echo". I'm sure that this idea sprung out of Jackies head right after he also drunkedly declared in yet another "toast" that "Sal" was his very best friend and he had never been closer to anyone ever, that Sal was certainly not like that "snake in the grass" Art Carney. "Whatya say Pal... eh hahahahaha!, Have another highball Sal!

7. Salvador Dali then agreed to make the album cover art for Jackie Gleason. This was right after his tenth highball and right before the sixth time that Jackie threw his butler in the pool " You know, for laughs!!! Come on Sal, you do it this time! hahahahaha!". Strangely enough to Dali, after the tenth time the butler went into the pool, it did actually seem pretty funny, even to him. So, he signed the contract for the album art. At least thought it was a contract, it could have been a "melting clock" or a "limp fish" for all he could remember. A month later, when Jackie and Capitol Records sent their legal staff to Catalonia to show Salvator Dali that he had in fact signed a real contract, for real money, and not a melting clock or a limp fish, it all came back rushing back to him.

8. Ok, lets say you were born in 1956. Its the "Baby boom". Your parents decide to conceive a child (that's you) just to "keep up with the joneses" next door. "Candlelight Dinner for two" was involved, Roses, and yes as they called it back then, "Booze", and lots of it. This album was made in 1955, so its just possible that your parents had this album, of all possible albums in the world, playing on the "record player" when the great moment of your conception occured. IS THAT THE CREEPIEST THING IN THE WORLD TO THINK OF, OR WHAT!!!!!

9. Today, a good copy of this album goes for $145.00

You have your definition of "surreal" and I have mine. This my friends, is surreal.

Jackie "Honeymooners" Gleason, shaking hands with Salvator "Un Chien Andalou" Dali. Whoa...

Posted @ April 02, 2008 08:25 PM | Making fun of people

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