1 of 1- aflem
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Does Anyone Know The History Of These Odd Records?
I was going through an old drawer the other day and came across something I’d long forgotten about. It’s an actual record. But it’s not vinyl, it seems to be made of plastic. And while it plays at 45 RPM, it’s not a 45, but is about the size of a small coaster.
This particular artifact, pictured below, features a release of Wooly Bully and Ju Ju Hand by Sam The Sham and the Pharaohs (both on the same side - there is nothing on the back.) So it contains a hit song and appears to be from the mid-60s. (A huge crease in it means it’s no longer playable but it once was.)
Where it came from, I have no idea. Prize in a cereal box? Special promotional item? Again, no clue. It’s listed on a Philco label, but outside of this one artifact, I’ve never seen anything like these before. I’d look it up online, but I’m not even sure how to phrase the search. Does anyone know the history of these weird mini-discs? Are there more of them in existence? Where did they come from? 
- Lorne
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Re: Does Anyone Know The History Of These Odd Records?
Definitely quite an interesting find, aflem. I'd never heard of this type of record, but because I like searching for info I decided to see what I could find. I think you will find the info at the following site to be of interest.
- Lorne
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Re: Does Anyone Know The History Of These Odd Records?
Here's some further info that relates to the specific record that you found.
- aflem
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Re: Does Anyone Know The History Of These Odd Records?
Wow, amazing job Lorne. (What were your search parameters?)
The samples in that piece look a lot like the one I have. But where it came from or who bought it (it wasn't me, I know that for sure) and how it came into my possession is long lost to history.
I'd never heard of the discs the article highlights. It appears they were around for a bit. I can't imagine this ever being successful, although I'm sure someone thought they were a good idea at a time before music was portable.
Speaking of which, here's a look at another fantasy record system for cars back in the 30s. (Try and ignore the subtitles. This is the only clip of this I could find.)
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Thread Starter- Lorne
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Re: Does Anyone Know The History Of These Odd Records?
I searched for those two titles and Philco, which brought up the Discogs listing at . Then I searched on "Hip Pocket" and Philco, and the first link I sent was among the results that came up. And then because I like the 45cat site and find that the comments that people post there can be quite informative, I went looking for the record on that site as well. I used to work for a man who said that I was like a dog with a bone when it comes to searching for info, and I particularly like trying to solve mysteries like this especially when the info is rather obscure.
- aflem
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Re: Does Anyone Know The History Of These Odd Records?
I always learn something on this site, which is why I enjoy it so much. Thanks for your logical mind. Mine would never have worked that way. (In fact, many here would argue it rarely works at all!)
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Thread Starter- Lorne
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Re: Does Anyone Know The History Of These Odd Records?
You're welcome, aflem, and thanks for the kind words. In a way I think it may help that I don't have much firsthand knowledge of music before the early 1970s beyond what I heard on the radio, because as a result I've gained a lot of experience in searching for info on records, topics, etc. that I don't know much about.
- Roman
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Re: Does Anyone Know The History Of These Odd Records?
Lorne wrote:
Definitely quite an interesting find, aflem. I'd never heard of this type of record, but because I like searching for info I decided to see what I could find. I think you will find the info at the following site to be of interest.
Wow, record players in cars. That certainly wouldn't work now. With all of the stinking speed bumps they've put on residential roads, a pocket record would look like a dart board after just a ride around the block. And what's with those earrings that hold up to 20 pocket records? Surely the person's earlobes would be dragging along the ground.
- Lorne
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Re: Does Anyone Know The History Of These Odd Records?
I had read about record players in cars many years ago, and although I found it interesting that companies had found ways of making the concept work, I was also very surprised that they had ever tried. There were so many issues to overcome to get these players to work properly in the first place, and then I can't help but think that things like potholes, or even just normal wear and tear, could easily have caused them to get out of alignment and stop working properly.