To the Moon with Raymond Scott

A moon landing was 20 years off when this children's record was recorded in 1949, but space travel was already in the public consciousness and had been for some time. So it was no real novelty for the fledgling Young People's Records to concoct the idea of a disc telling the tale of a trip to the moon, and contracting composer-arranger Raymond Scott to score the proceedings.

It's a curiously casual trip - not with the astronauts we are accustomed to, but a gaggle of space tourists, who seemingly had chosen the voyage in preference to, say, a bus trip to Detroit. They seem shocked by the hub-bub when they return - "What's all the cheering about?"

Raymond Scott was a perfect choice for composer - his off-center approach to arrangement seems just right for this retro-futuristic fantasy. You will hear echoes of the compositions that even then were beginning to be used as cartoon backings - "Powerhouse," "The Toy Trumpet" and the like.

The stentorian announcer is Ralph Camargo, a radio actor and voice-over artist. The Gene Lowell Chorus sings and its members presumably interject the few spoken remarks needed. At one point, a fellow wants the captain to turn the rocket around because he forgot his wallet. The captain's reply: "You won't need your wallet here, a thousand miles from the atmosphere." This was in the days before they charged for everything on air voyages.

Longtime blog supporter David Federman says he had this record as a young fellow, and is looking forward to hearing it again. I hope he and all of you enjoy it.

Raymond Scott

A couple of minor notes. "By Rocket to the Moon" first came out on Young People's Records in 1949, then was reissued by its successor, the Children's Record Guild, about 1953. My transfer comes from a clean CRG pressing.

Those interested in Raymond Scott are invited to head over to the main blog, where I have refurbished an early 10-inch LP that collected some of Scott's 1930s output, including "Powerhouse" and "The Toy Trumpet." The post dates from the early days of the blog, but I have now remastered the sound and it's much improved.