Record Album, "The Big Sounds of the Drags!," 1963

Summary

The noise and excitement of a day at the drag strip was captured -- in full-dimensional stereo -- in The Big Sounds of the Drags!, released by Capitol Records in 1963. The album included not only the sounds of revving racers, but also scripted narration and on-track announcements. The record was popular enough to inspire a second volume, released in 1964.

Artifact

Phonograph record

Date Made

1963

Object ID

89.54.17

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Marshall Johnson.

Material

Vinyl
Cardboard

Color

Multicolored

Dimensions

Height: 12.375 in (Record cover)

Width: 12.375 in (Record cover)

Inscriptions

on front of record cover: File Under: Hot rod Sounds * Sound Effects / ST 2001 / CAPITOL FULL DIMENSIONAL STEREO / CAPITOL RECORDS / HIGH FIDELITY / THE BIG SOUNDS OF THE DRAGS! / a descriptive on-the-spot recording of thrill-packed moments from the quarter-mile tracks on back of record cover: EXCITING! / ...AUTHENTIC! / ...SENSATIONAL! Capitol Records presents superb on-the-strip recordings of the big-time championship drag races. / THE BIG SOUNDS OF THE DRAGS! / You can all but see the big, bad draggin' machines as you hear them scorch the asphalt. / THE STOCKERS / ...THE ROADSTERS / ...the tense final moments of THE BIG ELIMINATIONS, and plenty more. / Here's a variety of great sounds, featuring everything from the big, blown AA dragsters to the super-stock automatics. It's the ultimate in audio-motive excitement! / (includes narration and original track announcement for your complete enjoyment) / Produced by JIM ECONOMIDES / All Photos ED THRASHER / Recording Engineer BILL ROBINSON / THIS STEREO RECORD SHOULD BE PLAYED ONLY WITH A STEREO [?] AND NEEDLE TO AVOID DAMAGE