78 RPM record of Spike Jones 1945 "Nutcracker Suite"

[cubanmiamiboy]

I recently acquired a 1925 gramophone in a yard sale in perfect working conditions. Today, in a thrift store, I bought a 1945 Spike Jones 78 RPM hard record of his version of Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker Suite", arranged by Joe "Country" Washburne with lyrics by Foster Carling. It cost me a mere $2. The scratchy sound of it is very charming, even with its "murdering the classics" approach...

Gotta go wind up the machine...again.

[kfw]

Gotta go wind up the machine...again.

Wow, congratulations on a great find, cubamiamiboy. I wish I had me one of them machines. At least there's You Tube.

[bart]

At least there's You Tube.

... with a Part Two as well.

I never even knew this existed. Thank you, guys!

Baritone: "I am the Cracker of the Nuts."

Female chorus: "He is the Cracker of the Nuts."

Sounds like a literal translation from the German.

[Jack Reed]

Baritone: "I am the Cracker of the Nuts."

Female chorus: "He is the Cracker of the Nuts."

Sounds like a literal translation from the German.

Or maybe a reference to Gilbert & Sullivan? As long as you're murdering the classics, why limit yourself? And I thought I caught a mention of "chocolate bars" in one song! I wonder whether the progressive Tchaikovsky, who had a new instrument, the celeste, imported for performances of his score, would have been curious.

But, kfw and everybody, while machines like that one on YT can give balanced sound (thanks for the link, BTW), they murder the records while masking the damage with their limited ability to reproduce the range that was on 78s by 1945 (and earlier, in my own experience). You can even hear some notes crunch. These old discs can sound better, and last longer, on players with lightweight pickup heads and electronic filters, though I can testify, again from personal experience, it can take some persistence to get it all working right.