Who remembers Vaughn Meader's "The First Family" album?

[Chefguy]

Oh, hell yeah. I bought it when it was new, and while it wasn’t in the Cosby class of comedy, it was funny for its time.

[tkhering]

@kelly5078

Glad you posted this. I have a good turntable for LPs, but wanted something for 78s. I’ll check this out.

Some sound editing programs (I believe Audacity is one) will let you play your 78 at 45 or 33 rpm, and electronically speed it up to the proper speed.

And some turntables on sale now will play at all three record speeds, including 78 rpm.

The tricky part of these solutions is finding a needle that fits the 78 rpm groove. The stylus was about three times as wide at the microgroove LP needle.

[Maserschmidt]

@Jim_s_Son

IIRC there was someone in the Kennedy administration (Ted Sorenson, I think) who wondered about whether a comedian imitating the POTUS could possible panic the nation by getting on the radio and saying plausible things. One thing about the Orson Welles “War of the World” radio broadcast is that he had the Secretary of the Interior speak with a voice similar to President Roosevelt. But the JFK administration realized they couldn’t really do anything about it if they wanted to.
On a different vein, anyone remember the David Frye albums about Richard Nixon? There is a sketch where Richard and Pat Nixon go visit the White House because Eisenhower never let him about the first floor

LBJ “Alright, I’ll give you the tour. Stop kissing my hand, Dick. The Tour is $2. Company coming up, Lady Bird! Beautify yourself!”
Nixon “I’m deeply honored to be riding in the White House Elevator”
Pat Nixon “I’m thrilled to be in the White House elevator”
Hubert Humphrey “I’m pleased as punch to be running the White House Elevator”
Of course there is the later album when Frye-as-Nixon explains Watergate in a quote that applies to all politicians/leaders who get caught with their hand in the cookie jar “I accept full responsibility. But not the blame. Let me explain the difference. People who are to blame lose their jobs. People who are responsible do not.”

I’m unfamiliar with Vaughn Meader but this thread put me in mind of David Frye’s Richard Nixon: A Fantasy, an LP I listened to over and over and over, and which I can still recall at length. Some of the best parts were throways (e.g. a Ronco-style commercial for an album of famous concession speeches).

I wonder if I still have that somewhere on vinyl?

[Elendil_s_Heir]

Just found The First Family album on YouTube; here’s part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rs9gOrGU8wE

[kaylasdad99]

@BMalion

It also plays 45’s! and on their website, they have a model that stacks them as well.

Think about it, you can play one song after another, up to eight times! Wow, it’s like the future.

I don’t know why this post makes me giggle, but it does.

Thank you.