VA - Atomic Platters, Cold War Music from the Golden Age of Homeland Security [2005] Vol.01- Vol.06

ATOMIC PLATTERS 

VA - Atomic Platters, Cold War Music from the Golden Age of Homeland Security [2005] Vol.01- Vol.05

This is just about the most amazing box set I've ever seen! The second I heard about it, I knew it was going to be good, but I wasn't prepared for just HOW GOOD. Not sure how many of you are familiar with Bear Family Records, but they're a German label who specialize in super elaborate, incredibly detailed and well-researched releases, especially box sets, running the gamut from the women of Sun Records to the Everly Brothers to Ernest Tubb to Perez Prado to Flatt And Scruggs and on and on. Always very expensive and often hard to get, but once you lay your eyes and ears on one of their releases you realize it was worth all the trouble and worth every penny. And never was it truer than with Atomic Platters.

This years in the works set is a five cd, DVD, hardcover book, box set collecting "Cold War Music From The Golden Age Of Homeland Security", 5 plus hours of fifties and sixties, rock and roll, R&B and soul, either warning us of the dangers of Communism and the impending atomic war, or more playfully using the A bomb and Uranium and Communism as metaphors for love and romance and partying ("You Hit Me Baby Like An Atom Bomb", "Atomic Baby", "Fujiyama Mama", "Uranium Rock", etc.). Scattered throughout are loads of civl defense spots, most appallingly naive and utterly ridiculous, there's Groucho Marx explaining that we have a good chance of surviving an atomic war, Art Linkletter warning us to not use the phone in case of an atomic attack, and lots of other misguided warnings and advice from Bob Hope, Tony Bennett, Fred MacMurray, Tom Lehrer, Pat Boone, Connie Francis, Don Pardo, Johnny Cash, Boris Karloff and lots more, as well as tons of bizarre civil defense dramatizations and creepy little Leave It To Beaver style vignettes.

Then there's the music, lots of favorites you've heard on other comps, but an amazing amount or material you've never heard (and probably never thought you'd hear) anywhere as well as totally obscure tracks from some not so obscure artists. Some of the more recognizable folks: Roy Acuff, The Sons Of The Pioneers, Peter Sellers and Spike Milligan, Bo Diddley, Dexter Gordon, The Louvin Brothers, Carl Perkins, Bing Crosby, Bill Haley, Doris Day, Hank Williams and more, but the lure is definitely the hundred or so other tracks, all catchy or bizarre or both, from a wild cast of one hit wonders.

As if that weren't enough, there is also a disc containing two full length spoken word records released in 1961, If The Bomb Falls and The Complacent Americans, both ridiculous and paranoid, laughable and goofy, but also sort of sad and creepy.... (Amazon)

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Pt.1     Pt.2 

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Track lists

Vol. 1

01 VA - Intro: CONELRAD Radio Alert "Real Thing" (1953) 0:54

02 Slim Gaillard Quartette - Atomic Cocktail (1945) 2:45

03 Fay Simmons - You Hit Me Baby Like an Atom Bomb (1954) 2:12

04 The Kavaliers - Get That Communist, Joe (1954) 2:06

05 Buchanan Brothers - Atomic Power (1946) 2:40

06 Groucho Marx - Civil Defense Spot: Excellent Chances (1953) 1:00

07 Amos Milburn - Atomic Baby (1950) 2:42

08 Doris Day - Tic, Tic, Tic (1949) 2:34

09 Five Stars - Atom Bomb Baby (1957) 2:17

10 Carson Robinson and His Pleasant Valley Boys - I'm No Communist (1952) 2:48

11 VA - Civil Defense Spot: How Much Time Do We Have (Keep Working) (1951) 1:00

12 Talbot Brothers of Bermuda - Atomic Nightmare (1957) 2:35

13 Skip Stanley - Satellite Baby (1956) 2:12

14 Wanda Jackson - Fujiyama Mama (1957) 2:13

15 Bill Haley and His Comets - Thirteen Women (And Only One Man in Town) (1954) 2:52

16 Bob Hope - Civil Defense Spot: Pattern of Survival (1953) 0:57

17 Luke the Drifter - No, No Joe (1950) 2:26

18 Hawkshaw Hawkins - When They Found the Atomic Power (1947) 2:48

19 Arthur Crudup - I'm Gonna Dig Myself a Hole (1951) 3:12

20 Josephine Premice - Leave de Atom Alone (1958) 3:33

21 Dennis James - Civil Defense Spot: $212 Fallout Shelter (1959) 1:01

22 Billy Chambers - Fallout Shelter (1962) 2:53

23 Sheldon Allman - Radioactive Mama (1960) 1:44

24 Teresa Brewer - Satellite (1958) 2:14

25 Walker Edmiston as Barky - I Dreamt I Saw Khrushchev (In a Pink Cadillac) (1962) 2:17

26 Art Linkletter - Civil Defense Spot: Don't Use The Phone! (1953) 0:28

27 Al Rex - Hydrogen Bomb (1959) 2:47

28 Jackie Doll and His Pickled Peppers - When They Drop the Atomic Bomb (1951) 2:39

29 Sir Lancelot - Atomic Energy (1947) 2:43

30 Homer Harris with Muddy Waters - Atomic Bomb Blues (1946) 2:29

31 Eddie Hill - I Changed My Mind (And I'll Go Home Again) (1954) 3:22

32 Lowell Blanchard with The Valley Trio - Jesus Hits Like an Atom Bomb (1950) 2:51

33 Floyd Tillmann - This Cold War with You (1949) 2:50

34 VA - Civil Defense Spot: Take the Step (Grandma's Pantry) (1953) 0:55

Vol. 2

01 VA - Civil Defense Spot: CONELRAD "Test Announcement" (1956) 1:16

02 Dick "Two Ton" Baker - Bert The Turtle (The Duck and Cover Song) (1953) 2:22

03 Sheldon Allman - Crawl Out Through the Fallout (1960) 2:20

04 Karl and Harty - When the Atom Bomb Fell (1946) 2:52

05 Jim Eanes - They Locked God Outside the Iron Curtain (1952) 2:39

06 Sammy Salvo - A Mushroom Cloud (1961) 1:56

07 Tony Bennett - Civil Defense Spot: Nuclear Attack (1959) 0:07

08 H-Bomb Ferguson and The Charlie Singleton Orchestra - Rock H-Bomb Rock (1952) 2:09

09 Roosevelt Sykes - Sputnik Baby (1957) 2:19

10 Sonny Russell - Fifty Megatons (1963) 2:18

11 Linda Hayes with The Red Callender Sextette - Atomic Baby (1953) 2:23

12 VA - Civil Defense Spot: Alert Today, Alive Tomorrow (1953) 0:19

13 Ray Anderson - Stalin Kicked the Bucket (1953) 2:36

14 Warren Smith - Uranium Rock (1958) 2:07

15 Louvin Brothers - The Great Atomic Power (1952) 2:45

16 Fred MacMurray - Civil Defense Spot: Family Fallout Shelter Booklet (1959) 0:15

17 Tommy James - The Commies Are Coming (1969) 5:26

18 Tom Lehrer - We'll All Go Together When We Go (1959) 5:23

19 Cuff Links - Guided Missiles (1956) 2:44

20 Ray Anderson and The Homefolks - Sputniks and Mutniks (1958) 2:06

21 VA - Civil Defense Spot: CONELRAD, Sounds Pretty Complicated (1953) 0:29

22 Goldwaters - Down in Havana (1964) 3:25

23 Marty Robbins - Ain't I Right (1966) 3:18

24 Commodores - Uranium (1955) 2:15

25 VA - Civil Defense Spot: Take the Step (Four Wheels to Survival) (1953) 0:54

26 Jack Holden and Frances Kay - The Fiery Bear (1950) 2:48

27 Crown City Four - Watch World War Three (On Pay TV) (1960) 2:13

28 Al Rogers with His Rocky Mountain Boys - The Hydrogen Bomb (1954) 2:20

29 Elton Britt and The Skytoppers - The Red We Want Is the Red We Got (1950) 2:19

30 Pat Boone - Civil Defense Spot: Warning Signals (1959) 0:21

31 Mike Fernandez with the Del Royals Orchestra - A Bomb Bop (1959) 2:06

32 Carl Mann - Satellite No. 2 (1958) 2:14

33 Mike and Bernie Winters - Fallout Shelter (1961) 2:31

34 Hank King with Bud Williams and His Smilin' Buddies - Your Atom Bomb Heart (1955) 2:43

35 VA - Civil Defense Spot: In Time of Emergency (Not Contagious) (1968) 1:02

Vol. 3

01 VA - Civil Defense Spot: How Much Time Do We Have (Disaster on a Big Scale) (1951) 1:01

02 Dr. Strangelove & The Fallouts - Love That Bomb (1964) 1:43

03 Glenn Barber - Atom Bomb (1955) 3:04

04 Elton Britt - Uranium Fever (1955) 2:19

05 Spencer and Spencer with the Sonia Pryor Choir - Russian Band Stand (1959) 1:46

06 Boris Karloff - Civil Defense Spot: Protect Your Home (1959) 0:23

07 Swan's Silvertone Singers - Jesus Is God's Atomic Bomb (1950) 2:36

08 Pilgrim Travelers - Jesus Hits Like the Atom Bomb (1951) 2:22

09 Sam Hinton - Old Man Atom (Talking Atomic Blues) (1950) 3:12

10 Sons of the Pioneers - Old Man Atom (1950) 3:11

11 Roy Acuff and His Smoky Mountain Boys - Advice to Joe (1951) 2:35

12 VA - Civil Defense Spot: In Time of Emergency (Take Notice of Fallout Shelter Signs) (1968) 1:00

13 Dore Alpert - Fallout Shelter (1962) 2:10

14 Fred Kirby - When That Hell Bomb Falls (1950) 2:36

15 Hal Block with Tony Borrello's Orchestra - The Senator McCarthy Blues (1954) 3:12

16 Ann-Margret - Thirteen Men (1962) 2:41

17 Mitzi Gaynor - Civil Defense Spot: 640-1240 (1959) 0:23

18 Buchanan Brothers and The Georgia Catamounts - There's a Power Greater Than Atomic (1947) 2:36

19 Louisiana Red - Red's Dream (1962) 2:46

20 Little Ceasar and The Red Callender Sextette - Atomic Love (1953) 2:58

21 Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith and His Cracker-Jacks - Mr. Stalin You're Eating Too High on the Hog (1950) 2:21

22 VA - Civil Defense Spot: Psychiatrist (Shelter Signs) (1965) 1:01

23 Spirit of Memphis Quartet - Atomic Telephone (1952) 2:37

24 Goons - A Russian Love Song (1957) 3:47

25 Red McCoy with The Sons of the Soil - Rock and Roll Atom (1959) 1:47

26 Red River Dave - There's a Star Spangled Banner Waving #2 (The Ballad of Francis Powers) (1960) 2:05

27 Howard Duff - Civil Defense Spot. Remember, 640-1240 (1959) 0:18

28 Mike Russo - Agnes (1963) 2:24

29 Bo Diddley - Mr. Khrushchev (1962) 3:04

30 Toni Fisher with Wayne Shanklin & Orchestra - West of the Wall (1962) 2:31

31 Christopher B. Cerf - (My) Fallout Filly (With the Atomic Kiss) (1961) 2:57

32 Jay Chevalier - Khrushchev and the Devil (1962) 1:44

33 Dexter Logan & Darrell Edwards - The Song of the Atom Bomb (1952) 2:46

34 Paul Weston & Sammy Kahn - Civil Defense March (Heads Up, America) (1957) 2:29

35 VA - Civil Defense Spot: In Time of Emergency (Brilliant Nuclear Flash) (1968) 1:00

Vol. 4

01 VA - Civil Defense Spot: How Much Time Do We Have (Fortress Main Street) (1951) 1:00

02 Billy Hughes and Rhythm Buckeroos - Atomic Sermon (1953) 2:55

03 Billy Hawk and His Buddies - The Death of Joe Stalin (Good Riddance) (1953) 3:05

04 Golden Gate Quartet - Atom and Evil (1947) 3:17

05 Tommy Duncan with The Ranger Trio - Relax and Take It Easy (1951) 3:00

06 Connie Francis - Civil Defense Spot: Be Prepared Today for Survival Tomorrow (1959) 0:18

07 Rudy Gaddis - Uranium Fever (1955) 2:47

08 Dude Martin and His Round-Up Gang - Atom Bomb Baby (1948) 2:55

09 Janet Greene - Poor Left Winger (1966) 3:25

10 Jimmie Driftwood - The Bear Flew Over the Ocean (1959) 2:14

11 VA - Civil Defense Spot: In Time of Emergency (Basic Supplies) (1968) 1:00

12 Dexter Gordon Quartet - Bikini (1947) 3:36

13 Red River Dave - The Trial of Francis Powers (1960) 2:37

14 Don Meecham with Viktor Jaanimets - An Open Letter to Mr. Khrushchev (1961) 2:40

15 Jewels - B. Bomb Baby (1956) 1:57

16 Bradley Kincaid - Brush the Dust from That Old Bible (1950) 2:34

17 Joni James - Civil Defense Spot: Every Living Thing (1959) 0:20

18 Al Barkle with The Tri-Tones - Sputnik II (1957) 2:00

19 Buchanan Brothers and The Georgia Catamounts - (When You See) Those Flying Saucers (1947) 2:20

20 Loy Clingman with Al Casey and The Arizona Hayriders - (Those Ole) Uranium Blues (1955) 2:45

21 Louvin Brothers - Weapon of Prayer (1951) 2:52

22 Don Pardo and Pedro Gonzalez-Gonzalez - Civil Defense Spot: Message from Mars (CONELRAD Jingle) (1953) 1:04

23 George McKelvey - My Radiation Baby (My Teenage Fallout Queen) (1964) 2:48

24 VA - H-Bomb 2:39

25 Charades - Hammers and Sickles (Make Very Poor Toys) (1966) 2:59

26 Jerry Engler and the Four Ekkos - Sputnik (Satellite Girl) (1957) 2:26

27 Johnny Cash - Civil Defense Spot: Help Ourselves (1959) 0:20

28 Harold Weakley - To Russia with Care (1966) 2:26

29 Bobby Marchan and The Clowns - Rockin' Behind the Iron Curtain (1959) 2:17

30 Prescott Reed - Russia, Russia (Lay That Missile Down) (1958) 2:10

31 Carl Perkins - Tennessee (1956) 3:03

32 Terry Preston - Let's Keep the Communists Out (1950) 2:14

33 Don Windle - The Iron Curtain Has Parted (1953) 3:06

34 Bing Crosby & Ken Carpenter - Stars for Defense Outro (1959) 1:11

Vol. 5
01 VA - If the Bomb Falls (Part 1) (1961) 12:41

02 VA - If the Bomb Falls (Part 2) (1961) 10:12

03 VA - The Complacent Americans (Part 1) (1961) 18:03

04 VA - The Complacent Americans (Part 2) (1961) 19:27

Vol. 6 DVD
Not Included

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