Thirty-somethings, I have a question. My four-year old

[rzemanfl]

granddaughter found a floppy 33 rpm recording called "Happy Birthday Jennifer" stuck in an old book. The material is a lot like the old 5 1/2 inch floppies, but without the paper cover. It is "Zoom from the Moon" wishing my daughter (her Mom) a Happy Birthday. I just finished making an MP3 of it for my daughter, which turned out pretty good. All the the thing says on it is "ABC Record and Tape Sales Corp." Do any of you recall having a similar record in your childhood? Can anyone shed any light on where these came from?

[Whoa_Nelly]

1. I have no idea, but maybe X-post this in the computer forum

Good luck! :hi:

[Orrex]

2. I don't recall that one, but...

My younger sister (nearly 34) had a 45 that was floppy as you describe. In addition, it was square.

No kidding!


Can't remember what the recording was, though...

[rzemanfl]

3. Yeah, I remember those square things, in fact I expected this one

to be that way when my daughter said she was mailing it to me.

[Blue Diadem]

4. My Name is Zoom and I live on the moon and I came down to

Earth just to sing you this tune..

(name of child)it's your birthday Today.

You know..I remember one of my kids having one but I can't remember where it came from. I do remember my SIL getting them for her kids so I'm thinking she got one for one of mine too. Were they 33's or 45's?

IIRC, they were ordered through the mail..kinda like those children's books you can get with your child's name inserted into the story.

on edit:

I had to google..they still sell them..CD, DVD's and mp3's of course..

http://www.captainzoom.com/

on edit again: I know what I'm getting for the grandkids to accompany their Birthday presents this year. Thanks for posting this, I'd forgotten all about them until you reminded me.

[GirlinContempt]

5. I have a cassette of that.

I have no idea where it came from, and I'm not yet in my thirties.

My name is Zoom and I live on the moon
but I came down to earth just to sing you this tune
cause *JANE DOE* it's your birthday, today!
Dum dum dum da dum
:crazy:

The name part was always scary, because it was like twice as loud as the rest of the tape, and in a totally different voice.

[seemunkee]

6. Flexi discs

I have one of Neil Cassidy that I have no idea where it came from but flexi discs have been around for a long time
http://www.moremusic.co.uk/links/features/flexi.htm

[struggle4progress]

7. Such stuff was common in the late sixties and early seventies, typically a square in shape

The material was flimsy and easily kinked: once slightly kinked, the recording was unplayable, so most of the things went into the trash after only a few listens

I rather doubt if any such recordings were actually sold to music buffs, who would have wanted a more durable product for their money: the common use was for promo purposes or related gimmicks. IIRC, for a brief spell, some advertisers used these as magazine inserts; some may similarly have been included in books; some may have appeared in the mail (though then a cardboard envelope would have been needed to protect the recording from kinking in transit); I think one usually got these things as free hand-outs at state fairs and such events

[leeroysphitz]

8. Lot's of companies produced those.

They could be found on the back of cereal boxes in the 70s/80s and in comic books or as companions to picture books (star wars etc...) It may have been a local company that produced the one you have.

Six flags and other amusement venues would often have karaoke booths where you could pay to sing along with pop songs and get a floppy record of your performance to take home (until the early to mid 80s when they switched over to cassettes.)