Playboy Record Artists (1977)

Let me say right away that this is trash. And not in the way as a music genre. Sure, it's a matter of taste what music you like, and maybe someone gets upset when I call this album trash. But I do it again. It's trash.

So why do I have it in my collection? Guess once. Right. I thought it would be cool to own an album from the label Playboy Records. Especially as it has the Playboy Bunny in the "O". And because I thought the label was cool, I had a hope that the music would be just as cool. But I was wrong. That the record also cost about 3 dollars of course facilitated the purchase (as usual).

Playboy Records was of course linked to Hugh Hefner's empire, but nowhere near as successful as his other products. The artists they had on the label wasn't particularly popular, the music they focused on - soft rock ballads and country & western - wasn't particularly popular. And just as written on this blog one expects maybe something more challenging and provoking from an album that Playboy released. But no, instead many record buyers probably, just like me, became quite disappointed in the content. The most challenging with this LP is coping to listen to it straight through. Not one naked woman in sight.

The music on the album is - yes! - soft rock ballads and country & western. None of these genres is a favorite of mine, and I find actually not a single good song on the album (OK, the song Runaway is listenable, originally sung by Del Shannon in 1961). The artists are also completely unfamiliar to me - Barbi Benton, Mickey Gilley, Charlie Kulis and so on. And that same names appear on many songs I guess shows that the width of artists was probably not that great.

But still, I think it's a bit fun with an album from Playboy Records, so I'll probably keep it. It's only released in Sweden which, as a Swede, also makes me want to keep it. Got to support you home country. Playboy Records doesn't exist anymore, anyone surprised?


Tracklist

Side A
1. Barbi Brenton - Is not That Just The Way (That Life Goes Down) 2:55
2. Mickey Gilley - Bring It Home To Me 2:20
3. Current - Classica's Love Song (Part I) 3:06
4. Wynn Stewart - Lonely Rain 2:45
5. Hamilton, Joe Frank & Dennison -Don't Fight The Hands (That Need You) 3:05
6. Mickey Gilley & Barbi Benton - Let's Sing A Song Together 2:08

Side B
1. Mickey Gilley & Barbi Benton - Role You Like A Wheel 2:09
2. Barbi Benton - The Teddy Bear Song 2:54
3. Hamilton, Joe Frank & Dennison - Now That I've Got You 3:38
4. Charlie Kulis - Runaway 2:48
5. Mickey Gilley - Honky Tonk Wine 2:30
6. Debbie Campbell - Please Tell Him That I Said Hello 3:11