Donice - Aerobic Celebration: Aerobic Exercise to Contemporary Christian Music

Donice - Aerobic Celebration: Aerobic Exercise to Contemporary Christian Music

LP released in 1982

This is America's first Christian aerobics LP. That's what the cover says so it must be true. As this LP's release date shows, fitness has been emphasized for quite a while in the Christian world. There are Christian programs dedicated to fitness and nutrition. There are even fitness segments on The 700 Club and fitness and wellness tips offered by Pat Robertson in between moments of calling for assassination of leaders in foreign countries and claiming that the people in earthquake ravaged nations have made a deal with Satan.

So you the visitor can use this LP to also help you get in shape and looking fit and trim with some 1980s contemporary Christian music in the background (listen to the first 24 seconds of "Highwire", it's some hot schitt, unfortunately, the rest of the song goes downhill from there) and some young lady named Donice leading. The LP came with an instruction manual with photographs.

Now for the purpose of this album's existence taken from the back cover:

WHY AN AEROBIC ALBUM FOR CHRISTIANS?

We have created an album of aerobic exercises set to Christian music for these reasons:
* because we believe that aerobic fitness is a crucial part of caring for your body, the temple of the Holy Spirit
* because we're aware that in today's world, thousands of Christians (and non-Christians) are getting involved in physical fitness activities
* because we believe that the body, through movements such as these aerobic exercies can and should be used to praise the Lord and celebrate His works

AEROBIC CELEBRATION (Aerobic Exercise To Contemporary Christian Music) provides you with about 10 minutes of warm-up activity, 21 minutes of continuous aerobics and 6 1/2 minutes of cool-down time. The first two songs, "Until He Comes" and "Nature of Love" will prepare your body for a good, hearty workout by stretching your muscles gently. The last two songs, "Angels" and "He That Overcomes," will give your body time to wind down to its natural rhythm gradually and healthily.



Tracklisting:  (link will be back soon)

Side One

1. Until He Comes by Nancy Grandquist {5:07}

2. Nature of Love by Brown Bannister {5:31}

3. Look to Love by Nancy Grandquist {3:08}

4. Look to Jesus by Patrick Henderson and the West Angeles Church of God in Christ Sanctuary Choir {3:41}

5. He is the King by Gary McSpadden {4:18}

Side Two

1. Jesus Keeps Takin' Me Higher and Higher by Gary S. Paxton {3:18}

2. Jailhouse Rock by Farrell & Farrell {1:53}

3. Highwire by Farrell & Farrell {3:10}

4. Angels by J. J. Lee {4:00}

5. He That Overcomes by Farrell & Farrell {2:55}

Leslie Sansone - Walk Away the Pounds: 2 Miles

Leslie Sansone - Walk Away the Pounds: 2 Miles

*special thanks to KL from NYC for this one

I have declared this week to be fitness week. We could use some exercise. We all need to get in better shape, right. I know I do. I sit on my butt behind a computer at work and I sit on my butt behind a computer on my time off from work. I need to be more proactive in maintaining physical fitness. I'm not just talking about bending and moving my arms while digging through crates and boxes of records either. Since all the good looking and popular people are exercising, I might as well do it too to get in shape and I need all the help I can get in getting dates. Being healthy is nice too.

Leslie Sansone is a fitness professional in the health industry. She has several DVDs currently on the market. She is also on a few CDs such as this one. This CD is meant to be listened to while walking. This one is the 2 mile version not no soft 1/4 mile version. We here at the Basement believe in doing things right and doing them to the max. Actually, this is the only one we have.

The idea behind this CD is to play this to let Leslie motivate and preach to you while you are walking to lose some pounds or to prevent gaining any pounds. It seems awkward walking with a CD player and the things usually cause the CDs to skip if the player is budged an inch. The exercise CD may not have been a great idea or was it? With mp3 players and CD-ripping tools included on affordable computers, this CD can be ripped as mp3 files on the computer then the files can be transferred to an mp3 player. Now CDs like this can work as people can use their mp3 players when exercising.

The background music is high BPM dance cover versions of Motown hits. There are tracks with just the music, but I didn't include those as I found the music too unbearable. Only the tracks with Leslie's voice are included.

Tracklisting:

1. Leslie Guided Walk [Voice-Cued Walk] {5:04}

2. Leslie Guided Walk [Voice-Cued Walk] {5:03}

3. Leslie Guided Walk [Voice-Cued Walk] {4:09}

4. Leslie Guided Walk [Voice-Cued Walk] {5:04}

5. Leslie Guided Walk [Voice-Cued Walk] {4:56}

6. Leslie Guided Walk [Voice-Cued Walk] {6:39}

Rod McKuen - Life Is

Rod McKuen - Life Is

released on LP

Ah, Rod McKuen. That sensitive sentimental poet mired in love and heartbreak. Just about everyone had a Rod McKuen album back in the day. His albums sold billions of copies which means that copies of his albums are often seen in thrift stores almost as much as Herb Alpert and those Firestone Christmas albums. Interestingly his material does not get any airplay on any oldies radio station or any radio station as a matter of fact. So, I first heard about Rod McKuen or actually seen anything about the man at some thrift store having seen a few of his albums such as The Sea, The Sky and a few others. This was when I first started seriously browsing in thrift stores in the first half of the 2000s. My parents may have been among the few people not into Rod McKuen as there wasn't anything by him in their collections (or they hid his albums very well from my nosey fingers and prying eyes). The former is highly likely as I never heard them speak his name to this day. And yes, they are into mainstream music not any of the weird stuff I like.

Anyway, this brings me to the album in this post. As already mentioned, many people know Rod McKuen as a sentimental romantic poet. However, Rod McKuen once had an edgier persona that his devoted fans may not have known about or care to know about. Life Is is a reissue of the album Beatsville which was released in 1959. Life Is was reissued in the late 1960s. The material on Life Is/Beatsville was written and recorded when Rod McKuen was a young man trying to be cool especially a beatnik. Most of the poems are a depiction of the beatnik or San Francisco bohemian lifestyle. The liner notes mention that many of these poems were first read at The Cellar, probably the coolest happenin place in San Francisco and America overall. Along with poetry about living the bohemian lifestyle there are episodes of sex and violence, two staples that usually make art worthwhile. Rod McKuen does demonstrate that he is struggling to be cool as in the poem, "No Pictures, Please". Eventually Rod McKuen ends up being rich and famous and beloved for being an uncool romantic sentimental sap; in other words being himself. He doesn't need worry about trivial things such as growing a beard, wearing turtleneck sweaters or assembling a collection of Lenny Bruce records in his pad (that means someone's home for you squares out there). The masses wanted love poems and Rod McKuen could deliver with ease.

There was another reissue of Beatsville called Rod McKuen Takes a San Francisco Hippie Trip aimed at you guessed it, the then-trendy hippie crowd. For some reason, the salacious material and language was edited out of this particular reissue.

The music accompanying McKuen's readings was arranged by McKuen himself. The liner notes credit Howard Heitmayer on guitar, Buddy Colette on flute and Paul Gray on string bass.

Come take a trip through the cool part of mid-20th century culture with all of the salicious material and language included courtesy of one of the least coolest people in existence.

Tracklisting:  (link will be back soon)

Side 1

1. Co-Existence Bagel Shop Blues {1:01}

2. Bearded Ladies {3:16}

3. Haiku Poems {1:53}

4. No Pictures, Please {2:19}

5. Back to Sausalito {1:24}

6. Three Songs for "S" {2:43}

7. RSVP {1:20}

8. Joue {0:19}

9. Reflections on a Plane Trip Home {1:04}

Side 2

1. Life Is {0:44}

2. The Elegant Prison Downstairs {2:14}

3. The Bird Boy {2:05}

4. Grant Avenue Square Dance {0:19}

5. A Gallery of Assorted Beats {3:58}

6. Get the Hell Out of My World {3:18}

7. Like {0:39}

8. What is a Fabian? {3:41}

Directional Sound - The Sound of Sounds

Directional Sound - The Sound of Sounds

released on LP

This is a stereo test/ sound effects record that I found at the same "community garage sale" and bought from the same people as The Darts LP in the previous post. Most of these sound effects records that I encountered in my years of digging usually have a random assortment of sounds arranged in their tracklistings and each track usually lasts a minute. The tracks on this LP each last about a minute too, but some of the sounds are organized into groups of tracks especially on side one. For example, the first four tracks are recordings of sounds of jets and planes. Side one has car noises grouped into four sequential tracks. One of them even has a sound of a crash. No, the crash was not arranged as the liner notes say and the driver was not seriously injured.

Side two mostly has recordings of nature such as waves, a thunderstorm, horses, livestock, birds, along with hogs being slaughtered. This is the first sound effects record I've encountered that has hogs being slaughtered. Shhhh, don't tell PETA about this post.

The back cover says: The recording contained in this jacket is the direct result of the skills and efforts of DIRECTIONAL SOUND's team of engineers, who spent hundreds of hours recording what we believe to be a unique Sound Effects album. Reproduced with the utmost fidelity and precision are the maximum extremes of sound ever recorded ... from the quiet babbling of a country brook to the dynamic take-off of a 707 Jet; from the chirpings of crickets to the unbelievable power of a full-fledged thunderstorm. Here is an array of sounds to excite any listener and to test to the maximum your playback equipment.

Tracklisting:  (link will be back soon)

Side One

1. Jet Engines in Test Cell, with Afterburner {0:47}

2. Sonic Boom & F-104 Supersonic Jets {1:10}

3. F-86's Taking Off & Flying Overhead {1:49}

4. Boeing 707's Takeoff {1:04}

5. Trains, Steam & Diesel in Yard {0:59}

6. Steam, Electric, Diesel Passing Country Crossing {1:28}

7. Harbor Scene S. S. Matsonia Leaving {1:34}

8. Speed Boats in Race, Passing Under Bridge {1:46}

9. Sports Cars in Pit Area (Elkhart Lake, Wis.) {1:05}

10. Sports Cars on Straightaway {1:29}

11. Sports Cars on Approach to Curve {1:02}

12. Sports Cars on Curve, with Crash {1:20}

Side Two

1. Pigeons in Hayloft {1:19}

2. Passing of a Thunderstorm, with Cicadas {1:58}

3. Incoming Tide at Malibu, with Seagulls {1:39}

4. Horses, Horses {1:10}

5. Jungle Scene {1:07}

6. Hogs Slaughtered {0:53}

7. Wild Geese & Birds {0:39}

8. Babbling Brook {0:51}

9. Frogs {0:39}

10. Livestock {0:58}

11. Day Crickets {1:00}

12. Children Playing {0:53}

13. Fireworks at Pallisades Park {1:01}

14. Magic Mechanical Orchestra {1:05}

The Darts - Hollywood Drag

The Darts - Hollywood Drag

released on LP

I was browsing through one of those "community garage sales" which was actually more like a swap meet where people from almost all over town gathered in a parking lot to sell their stuff. People would have their own spots usually with a couple of tables and their vehicle behind them. I came across a couple who had a couple of boxes of records. Most of the records were easy listening or sort of "space age pop" material. They did have three records I wanted to buy and the record featured in this post was one of them. The price of each record was $1.

At first, I thought this was a car sounds record as I didn't look at it closely enough. The liner notes only list drag racing terms and their definitions such as "drop the hammer", "put the can in", "haulin' mother", "feather footed", etc. along with a brief background of drag racing. It would be nifty to have another record of car noises as you know by now I like these things if you've been visiting this blog for a while. This turned out differently than I expected.

The LP is actually an album of early rock 'n' roll instrumentals which the style is referred to as hot rod music on the back cover. No date of release was given, but I'm guessing early 1960s. I'm not really disappointed that this wasn't what I thought it was as I actually enjoy this LP. I'm fond of the fifth track, "Monkey Do" where a tape containing a guitar part sounds like it's been slowed down while all the other parts seems to be at the correct speed; perhaps an early attempt at studio experimentation. Yes, there are car noises mixed with the music. Since summer is almost here in the northern half of the planet (for those in the southern half, stay warm), it is a good time as any to bring out this LP as the music was made for doing fun outdoor activities like cruising, making people envious by showing off one's hot rod, and drag racing as already mentioned.

Tracklisting:  (link will be back soon)

Side 1

1. Alky Burner {2:28}

2. Top Eliminator {2:16}

3. Hippy's Delight {2:19}

4. Street Machine {1:43}

5. Monkey Do {2:14}

6. Gaucho {2:00}

Side 2

1. Slauson & Soto {1:28}

2. Detroit Iron/Hollywood Drag {4:10}

3. Cruisin' {1:46}

4. Shop Talk {1:40}

5. Corn Pone {2:08}

James Walker - Christian Science: Illusion, Confusion & Delusion

James Walker - Christian Science: Illusion, Confusion & Delusion

released on cassette

Although not credited on the tape, I recognize James Walker's voice from the other Watchman Fellowship tapes (previously posted here and here, BTW) as the man giving a long lecture about Christian Science. At the lecture, manuals were given to attendees which are referred to on this tape. I didn't find the manual, but it's probably not necessary for listening. Walker takes on the Christian Science denomination. According to Walker, Christian Science deviates from the correct belief system (i.e. the scriptures). Walker asserts that Christian Science is neither Christian nor science.

Christian Science was first articulated by Mary Baker Eddy around 1875 when she published her ideas in the book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. In 1879, Mary Baker Eddy founded the Church of Christ, Scientist, the formal organization of Christian Science, in Boston, Massachusetts. Basically according to the Christian Science FAQ on its website, Christian Science "is based upon a set of spiritual principles - laws relating to the nature of God and His creation - that can be applied with expected, consistent results" and it "is based on the Bible, and Christian Scientists follow the teachings and ministry of Christ Jesus. In fact, the virgin birth, the crucifixion, the resurrection and ascension of Christ Jesus, and so on, are all central to Christian Science theology." Prayer rather than remedies by modern medicine (a product of science) is usually the Christian Scientist's first choice for methods of healing. Christian Scientists claim that healing through prayer has worked for various ailments even for fixing broken bones.

The background of founder Mary Baker Eddy explains the Christian Science belief described above:

Without a doubt, the Bible was the most significant influence in Eddy’s life. She was a devoted student of the Scriptures from early childhood and gradually gained the conviction that spiritual healing was not limited to biblical times but could be practiced as effectively today. Chronically ill, she also investigated the medical systems of her time and gained insights into the mental factors of health from her study of homeopathy. For a time, her health improved under the care of Phineas P. Quimby, a self-taught healer in Maine who combined mental suggestion or hypnosis with what today might be called therapeutic touch. The improvement was not permanent, however, and she moved beyond his methods after his death in 1866. Convinced that genuine healing was rooted in God, not the human mind, she experienced a profound spiritual healing at age 44 as she read an account of Jesus’ healings. She spent the next three years of her life researching the Bible to understand how she had been healed and applying what she was learning to healing others through a system she eventually called Christian Science.

James Walker attempts to refute Christian Science beliefs and Mary Baker Eddy's ideas throughout the tape. One of the Christian Science beliefs is that evil is illusory and only good is real. Walker asserts that evil does exist especially emphasizing that Satan is alive and well. Walker implies that Christian Science has been perpetrated by demons or dark occultic forces. Despite the membership of Christian Science declining, Walker sounds alarmist over Christian Science's supposed influence in the world and asks people to "witness" to Christian Scientists to convert their beliefs to line up with Walker's beliefs and those of the Watchman Fellowship. Check out the Watchman Fellowship's perspective on Christian Science.

Tracklisting:

Side 1

1. Christian Science: Illusion, Confusion & Delusion {44:34}

Side 2

1. Christian Science: Illusion, Confusion & Delusion {44:33}

Charles S. Kendall - Patriotic Chimes

Charles S. Kendall - Patriotic Chimes

released on LP

Charles S. Kendall has a prolific discography of albums full of chimes. Some of his other releases are listed on the back cover. Kendall's repertoire consist mostly of religious (i.e. Xian) standards along with American patriotic standards which are on this album.

I was going to post this later on the 4th of July, but I'll be on vacation during the first week of July. I didn't want to wait to post this so I'll post it now. The tunes on this album do not excite me, but I do like listening to music played on chimes so I occasionally enjoy listening to this record.


Tracklisting:

Side 1

1. America {1:25}

2. America the Beautiful {1:52}

3. God of Our Fathers {1:49}

4. God, Known of Old {1:23}

5. God, the Omnipotent {1:35}

6. O Valiant Hearts {1:15}

7. Our Thought of Thee, Dear Country {1:07}

8. Come, Ye Thankful People {1:39}

9. Come! Peace of God {1:31}

10. God Bless America {1:57}

Side 2

1. Columbia, The Gem of the Ocean {1:24}

2. Hail, Columbia {1:48}

3. Battle Hymn of the Republic {1:54}

4. Dixie {1:20}

5. Battle Cry of Freedom {1:52}

6. Just Before the Battle Mother {1:29}

7. We're Tenting Tonight {1:39}

8. Army Air Corps/Caissows Go Rolling Along/Anchors Aweigh/The Marine's Hymn {3:09}

9. Over There/Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition {1:16}

10. The Stars and Stripes Forever {0:53}

11. The Star Spangled Banner {1:38}

David Bubar - David Bubar Speaks to You

David Bubar - David Bubar Speaks to You

David Bubar was a Southern Baptist minister. Not only that, he was "a Christian clairvoyant" who is claimed to have "a gift of clairvoyance from God." Bubar founded the Spiritual Outreach Society (S.O.S.) based in Memphis, Tennessee (USA). The S.O.S. was later renamed First Century Church.

There is not any information available online about any of Bubar's LP releases or his discography. I am only aware of him releasing this album and another one called Psychic Sitting. I found a copy of the other album being sold on some online second-hand record merchant. Bubar speaks to you on this album saying you have some sort of special spiritual abilities. Bubar does not talk about psychic powers on this album though he seems to be hinting at the possibility of people possessing psychic powers. This is mostly David Bubar the Southern Baptist minister talking to you.

Back then, David Bubar has been gaining a reputation for his supposed psychic abilities as well as a spiritual advisor. The liner notes say that:

An advisor to governors, a counselor to clergymen, a personal guide to entertainment luminaries, an inspiration to space research engineers, a university lecturer, the personal friend of professionals, college students and common folk in trouble across the nation, David Noble Bubar's phone is ringing night and day.

The liner notes quote a prominent person speaking highly of David Bubar:

Charles Moeller, president of Ohio Decorative Products Corp., and Edgerton Metal Products Corporation, auto and home appliance accessories manufacturing firms, said, "We have been very fortunate since I met David ... you don't just break into the auto industry as fast and as good as we have. He seems to 'see' things." David Bubar is a member of the board of directors for Moeller, serving without pay.

David Bubar supposedly saw something or rather "got vibrations of an impending explosion." An article in Time magazine published on May 5, 1975 reported that Charles Moeller was indicted by a federal grand jury for conspiring to blow up the Sponge Rubber Products factory in Shelton, Connecticut, United States. Ohio Decorative Products Corp. was the parent company of Sponge Rubber Products.

The article further reports:

According to the indictment, Moeller paid $50,000 in company funds to David Bubar, 47, a trim, wavy-haired Baptist minister and self-proclaimed clairvoyant from Memphis who purports to have foreseen a variety of specific deaths, illnesses and other disasters. Bubar met Moeller about ten years ago, became his spiritual guru and ultimately a director of Ohio Decorative Products. He supposedly served Sponge Rubber Products as a water-purification consultant, annoying various managers by poking around the main Shelton plant unescorted and as he pleased. But the plant, so far as anyone knew, had no water problems.

Two weeks before the bombing, according to his brother John, a minister in Cheshire, Conn., Bubar "got vibrations" of an impending explosion. The Government contends that the psychic preacher indulged in a bit of self-fulfilling prophecy: Bubar allegedly paid out part of Moeller's money to Peter Betres, 54, a Butler, Pa., hotelkeeper who in turn paid off a gallery of other suspects. Thus recruited, the arson team bought dynamite, detonating material and 24 drumfuls of gasoline. Then they gathered at the plant on the day of the crime, together with Bubar, who arranged to let them in. They proceeded to blow up the factory.

Moeller was aquitted while Bubar wound up in prison. When Bubar was given a long prison sentence, the S.O.S./First Century Church did not last long.

Tracklisting:

Side 1

1. You Have a Spiritual Gift {15:23}

Side 2

1. The Divine Element Within You {14:51}

Brother Al - Brother Al's Health and Happiness Sermons

Brother Al - Brother Al's Health and Happiness Sermons

*special thanks to KL from NYC for this one

KL says that Brother Al is the "usual used car salesman" which he is. Brother Al says that one will achieve health and happiness by reading The Bible and embracing the text contained within. Brother Al also says to write him to his Fresno, California (USA) address quite a lot. I wonder if he read every letter and answered back. Each side includes one gospel song on each side of the LP which are intermissions between the sermons. The songs should appeal to gospel fans.

The United Faith Foundation still has an address in Fresno, California at the present. The first link retrieved when I typed "united faith foundation" and "fresno" in everyone's favorite search engine is a map on Google Maps to the organization's location. Surprisingly, the United Faith Foundation does not have a website which is unbelievable in the year 2010 and free or cheap hosting by Geocities and Tripod are available along with a bunch of social media websites. It's not on Facebook. It doesn't have a blog. Not even a page on that eyesore known as MySpace. Does the United Faith Foundation know anything about the Internet? I bring this up because I want to know if Brother Al is still alive and to find out what it's up to today. I suppose that it would prefer you still write to them at their Fresno, California address instead of e-mailing them.

Here's their address if you want health and happiness or to find out if Brother Al is still alive:

1921 East Belmont Avenue
Fresno, CA 93761

Tracklisting:

Side 1

1. Sermon {6:48}

2. Hymn {2:15}

3. Sermon {12:46}

Side 2

1. Sermon {8:30}

2. Hymn {3:32}

3. Sermon {8:39}