SCARCE 1966 General Electric industrial musical - Go Fly A Kite - Kander & Ebb
$
80
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Description
If you've seen "Bathtubs Over Broadway" or read "Everything's Coming Up Profits," you know that private pressing "industrial musical" souvenir albums are some of the rarest and weirdest records in existence. These motivational musicals were only for dealers, salesmen, executives and other industry insiders at sales meetings and conventions, and the souvenir vinyl records were not available to the public. And many of these shows boasted outstanding music and performances along with the bizarre corporate subject matter.
I'm the collector and historian profiled in the documentary "Bathtubs Over Broadway," and the co-author of "Everything's Coming Up Profits - The Golden Age of Industrial Musicals." I'm thinning out my stash of duplicates, and offering an assortment of records that range from the scarce, to the very rare, to the "you'll probably never encounter this again."
Here's a great and crazy one with an especially intriguing connection to Broadway history, and which is seen and heard in "Bathtubs Over Broadway."
"Go Fly A Kite," a musical about challenges facing the electric power industry, sponsored by General Electric, was performed in September 1966 at the 5th Electric Utility Executives Conference in Williamsburg, VA. "Doesn't sound promising," you may well think, but the musical numbers were written by soon-to-be-Broadway-legends John Kander and Fred Ebb (Cabaret, Chicago), and Walter Marks ("I Gotta Be Me"). One song has lyrics by Stanley Styne. Choreography was by George and Ethel Martin.
The cast included future "Mary Tyler Moore" and "Rhoda" star Valerie Harper, and future Tony winner Mary Louise Wilson.
The double album (!) has many improbably entertaining songs about the electric power industry: "Be Direct With Me," a love song via the theme of direct current. "Let Me Put It To You That Way Ben," about the headaches of modern utility executives (sung to Ben Franklin thanks to the time travel plot). "PDM Can Do," about the glories of power distribution management. "Heaven Out Of Hell," about the efficient electrification of Hell and Satan's resulting gloom. "Atom & Evil," about the hysteria surrounding nuclear power. And on and on. All way better than you'd expect, and performed by a crackerjack professional cast.
The souvenir album was distributed only to electric utility personnel. Nobody dreamed that decades later these weird and (intentionally and unintentionally) hilarious industrial musicals would be gaining fans and scholars... but here we are.
Two disc album with inside gatefold crammed with information about the cast, songs, and conference speeches, as well as numerous photos. Back cover has additional credits and reminder that this is a souvenir album not for sale or public performance.
The album cover is in very good condition with very minor wear at the edges and the beginnings of seam splits on the bottom. The vinyl is excellent and plays very well, with a couple minor flaws that don't affect play.
"Go Fly A Kite" was the first industrial show I encountered nearly 30 years ago. I marveled at the fact that a corporation had gone to the trouble and expense of creating such a high quality musical show only for industry insiders. Turned out it was just the tip of an enormous iceberg that is still being revealed today.
A primo collectible for Broadway fans, American business history enthusiasts, electric power industry people, industrial show collectors, or anyone who enjoys sincere and awesome weirdness cranked up to 11.
Check out my other listings for many more killer examples of this deliciously strange and secret slice of American musical and corporate history, including another electric power musical.
Buyers of multiple records get a break on shipping charges.
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