Stereo Plus 3...A First National City Bank Production

Oh I love a mystery...Sherlock Holmes, Chandler novels, why I’m not a famous blogger (not so keen on that one), and albums like this, the label of which simply bares the logo of the First National City Bank – New York. Having done a little searching, I’m none the wiser. It looks like I need to hire someone like Philip Marlowe to solve this one.

   Yes, another classic junk shop find. You haven’t lived until you’ve heard ‘Je T’Aime...Moi Non Plus’ played in a Tijuana style, and just as strange is the fact that it’s entitled ‘Je T’Aime Non Plus’ here, which translates as...‘I Love You Neither’(?). They couldn’t even be bothered to give it the full title! Likewise, there’s ‘Guess I’ll Always Love You’, which misses out the ‘I’ that should be at the beginning. And who are ‘they’ anyway? Did the bank put this out as an advert for how ‘with it’ they were? There’s no date, but since the latest recording I can work out is ’68 I’m guessing ’69, although with the graphics and design it looks much older (well, what would you expect from a bank?).

   Note the text about the Soul section included below, it’s priceless. ‘Young and hairy’!? I can imagine a ‘not so young (and less hairy?)’ banker putting this on the hi-fi and twisting to ‘Guess I’ll Always Love You’. I can’t imagine who bought this, where it was sold, who made it or why, which makes it wonderful. Oh, and one other element worth noting is that one male singer (yes, singers were hired for the Soul section) sings both parts on William Bell & Judy Clay’s classic ‘Private Number’. If you know the record you’ll realise how absurd, and comical, that is.