When I was a kid, I got a record from my brother. I don’t remember if it was an LP or an EP, but it was a comedy record called The Off-Beats in Lo-Fo.
The thing I remember most about it is that they sing the words “George Washington Bridge” over and over again to common circus acrobat music I can’t remember the name of. Not The Man on the Flying Trapeeze.
Anyway, there is absolutely zero record of it on the internet. I have looked before and I looked again today because my daughter was talking to me about lost media. It’s as if it never existed. It’s not even listed on sites about lost media. It’s certainly not anywhere on Discogs (although there are multiple other listings for other records for groups called Off-Beats or The Off-Beats).
Thankfully, when I asked, my brother confirmed to me that the record did, in fact, exist, because even though I remembered listening to it many times, I was starting to think I imagined the whole thing.
My guess is it was a relatively unknown comedy group that did a tiny record pressing to sell albums at shows. And it was probably terrible.
But I wish I could hear it again anyway.
I have several records that never made it to cassette, let alone digital. It became pretty inexpensive to press your own record in the middle of last century, so there are tons of recordings from independent performers and songwriters on vinyl out there.
I’d suggest trying some vintage or second-hand record stores. Be sure to ask the employees about it. They love a good rare record question in my experience.
Yeah, there is a huge amount of lost music and comedy out there that got recorded in the latter half of the 20th century, but now all the recordings are lost.
I actually did a produced a comedy album myself in the 1990s. There are records of it existing, but I do not have a copy of it myself anymore and I don’t know anyone who does- the people I’m still in touch with that were involved don’t even have one- so something I worked hard on may be lost forever.
Good call on the used record stores. I’m guessing from the fact that they sing “George Washington Bridge,” which is in NYC, I’ll have to wait until the next time I go there, if I have time, to see if I can find it. But I’m amazed it’s not at least listed in someone’s catalog somewhere.
Check stores where you grew up too, just in case it was a regionally limited release.
Also, I hope you find your comedy album! I’ve lost some original recordings myself, so I can relate to the longing feeling of wanting to hear it again after many years.
I grew up in Indiana, so that is doubtful. My brother very likely picked it up on a trip to NYC because that’s where my mom is from and they went regularly until my grandparents moved to Florida. I also found out that the “George Washington Bridge” thing was a common kid’s song in Queens, so that doesn’t narrow it down.
And thanks, I hope so too.