ROBERT CONRAD -- 10-Inch 33 RPM Private Pressing -- NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY BAND

Description: This unnumbered and privately pressed 10-inch 33 RPM record has typewritten labels and was pressed by Custom Sound Studios in Evanston, Illinois, home of Northwestern University. The content - as labeled and as verified through playback - is "Tubby the Tuba", Parts 1 and 2, played by the Northwestern University Band, with the narrator identified on the labels as Robert Conrad. It is undated, but the 10-inch 33-rpm format suggests the 1950's. Custom Sound Studios were better known for their series of parakeet training records, and their releases listed on Discogs are all dated 1953. Since I have found no reference to this recording on any of the websites I've searched, I have to assume it was a low-profile student production, possibly released only in this privately pressed format. According to Wikipedia, the actor Robert Conrad (later the star of "Wild Wild West", "Hawaiian Eye" and other TV and movie productions), studied Theater Arts at Northwestern, graduating in 1955 with a B.S. degree. My first assumption, therefore, was that he was therefore the narrator on this record. But read on, because now I'm not so sure. I sold this record on eBay once before, and the buyer returned it, claiming the narrator's voice is not that of the famous actor Robert Conrad. Now that I have the record back, I've re-played it and compared the narrator's voice with Youtube videos of Robert Conrad's voice, and, although they do sound different, the difference alone is not enough to convince me either way. Everyone's voice changes with age, after all, and actors, in particular, go through voice training to disguise their voices and play different characters for different roles and situations. So here's the way I see it. If this is in fact the voice of Robert Conrad the actor, then the label is correct and the guy who returned it is wrong. If it is not the voice of the actor Robert Conrad, then the guy who returned it is correct and the label is wrong. The only way they can both be right - and I haven't ruled this out - is if the narrator's voice is that of someone else named Robert Conrad. Whichever it is, I've done as much research as I've been able to do, and I've told you what I know. I am not representing this as the voice of Robert Conrad the actor, since in my mind that is now in doubt. Unfortunately, the record is not in very good condition. Both sides look beautifully shiny, but with some troublesome looking scuffs and scratches and needle digs, as well as a slight warp at the edge. Both sides have some typical background hiss and crackle, as well as some clicks and pops and passages of ticking or thudding. Additionally, Side One starts off with the needle skipping forwards a couple of times, and Side Two opens with the needle repeating after just a few revolutions - the rest of the side plays through fine. Because of variations in tracking ability, filtering technology and needle weights, I can offer no guarantees as to how well it will play on your equipment. Oh, and I'm not sure how significant this is, or who wrote it, but the name "Conrad" is handwritten on both labels. International Buyers – Please Note: Import duties, taxes, and charges are not included in the item price or shipping cost. These charges are the buyer's responsibility. Please check with your country's customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to bidding or buying. Customs fees are normally charged by the shipping company or collected when you pick the item up. These fees are not additional shipping charges. We won't under-value merchandise or mark the item as a gift on customs forms. 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Price: 89.1 USD

Location: Gorham, Maine

End Time: 2025-01-16T03:44:13.000Z

Shipping Cost: 5 USD