As part of its campaign, RCA saw fit to release a promotional EP and call it the "Julius La Rosa Pajama Party," an almost excessively odd idea until you consider that it was co-sponsored by the folks from Schrank's Dreamware, a pajama company. You received the EP with each purchase of a nightie. Also on board for the promotion were Canada Dry ginger ale and Coty cosmetics.
The Life magazine ad below ties all these themes together, while displaying La Rosa's LP along with those from Perry Como, Eddie Fisher and Elvis, who do not appear on the promotional record. The EPs in the background are by Ralph Flanagan and Teddi King, who are represented on the promo.
I suppose I could imagine La Rosa, Flanagan and King as entertainment at a pajama party. But Bob Scobey and his clunky Frisco Jazz Band? Dennis Farnon and his "Mother Magoo Suite"? The Three Suns and Pipe Organ?? Having been a young person in good standing during the 1950s, I cannot conceive of any situation that would have caused me to play the any of these records for my friends.
Anyway, I do love the portrait of Julie on the wall. And I especially love his spoken introductions to each number, the texts of which must have been thrust in front of him about 30 seconds before they was recorded. Only Bing Crosby and occasionally Frank Sinatra could make such scripted nonsense work - but nonetheless I find it endearing. The truth is, I avidly enjoy all such promotional items.
The download includes RCA's trade ad for this promotion, which utilizes the grim-looking La Rosa portrait from his sole Victor LP. Please head on over to my main blog for a transfer of that LP along with 12 sides taken from Julie's single output for the label.
9 comments:
Fantastic Buster. Thanks a lot. I love these rare things.
Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet party :)))
Thanks man!
j.
Oh, how I love these little samplers RCA put out. I was listening to a jazz one the other day that was horribly warped on the outside. Ruined a perfectly good Sauter Finegan track! :)
Hi Buster. Thanks for another great addition to your blog.
When attempting to download I'm getting a permission denied alert, and a message that informs me "Intermission Time" by The Three Suns is available for purchase.
Hi Larry - Thanks for the note. I would not advise purchasing the Three Suns record, despite the advocacy of Mediafire. I have the record down in my basement and can testify that it is clunky. I'll reup the Pajama Party files to another service in a little while.
New link:
https://mega.nz/#!nN9CBJAC!4odC4O6REKVhVku7YdsOPbaj0MMeJ9_pwq59lnERHzs
Thanks for the new link Buster. Fun EP. I trust you are correct about that Three Suns album. The song selected for this EP is very kitschy, yet still clunky thanks to the awkward inclusion of pipe organ.
Thank you Buster
That's Elvis's second album. And the reason why it wasn't the star of the show is that it had been released already in November 1956, in time for the 1956 Christmas market. It was just still being promoted actively by RCA in early 1957, so it was taken along here too.
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