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Here’s a classic vinyl LP in the exercise-along-to-music genre by Dr. Charles A. Bucher. This record was re-issued in 1972, but the recording is probably dates from the late 1950’s or 1960’s. The liner notes state “he [Dr. Bucher] was recently selected as a delegate to President Eisenhower’s White House Conference on Physical fitness.” Eisenhower was POTUS (president of the United States) from 1953 to 1960, so this must date from sometime around the era. Classic retro stuff!
Clearly this LP was directed mostly towards housewives who wanted to stay slim. But there are separate sets of exercises for men and women. The exercises are basic calisthenics with Dr. Bucher giving spoken instructions and counting 1, 2, 3, 4 along with the music. Most of the music is old standards with a metronome keeping time. You have to say that the music is pretty corny. Every note is exactly on the beat with no modern sense of rhythm. The first exercise on side one is Tea-for Two; the second exercise is “Pop Goes The Weasel”. Not exactly the latest hits.
Dr. Bucher says a lot of things like: “Put a lot of zip into these exercises. You’ll get more out of them that way.” and, in time to the music “Keep… Your… Back… Straight…” Pretty funny!
The album folds out to reveal “picture-grams”, small black & white pictures demonstrating the various exercises.
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This album was the forerunner to more modern exercise programs like jazzercise, Richard Simmons and Denise Austin on television. Dr. Bucher was definitely an early pioneer in the physical fitness and exercise movement.
Title: Slimnastics: a program of exercises done to music by Dr. Charles A. Bucher
Artist: Dr. Charles A. Bucher
Side 1: For Men
Track 1: Warm-up Exercises 5:43
Track 2: Arm Shoulder and Waist Exercises 5:50
Track 3: Abdominal and Leg Exercises 6:16
Track 4: Body Conditioning Exercises 4:34
Side 2: For Women
Track 5: Warm-up Exercises 6:45
Track 6: Shoulder, Bust and Waist Exercises 6:03
Track 7: Abdominal and Leg Exercises 5:42
Track 8: Body Conditioning Exercises 5:32
You can this find this classic vinyl LP second-hand on eBay for anywhere from $8 for a worn copy to $25 for a copy that’s in mint condition. Visit eBay now to bid on the Slimnastics Vinyl LP record.
Here’s what to do after you buy this Collectors LP:
First, rip this vinyl LP to mp3, which means transfer your LP record to digital format. Then you can play it with iTunes on your computer and get it onto your iPod. To rip it, you’ll need a turntable to play it, and a way to get it the audio signal into your computer. If you have a turntable with USB output it is really easy, but an older turntable will also work. But you have to plug the turntable into your stereo first, and then connect the TAPE OUT jack to your computer’s audio input.
You’ll also need digital recording software. A good choice is Audacity, which is free and works great for ripping vinyl. It works on PC or Macintosh. Another choice is Garageband on the Macintosh.
As a bonus, LP record jackets have amazing artwork, which you can display in your home. Find a 12-inch picture frame that fits the the record jacket and mount the LP on the wall in your home, office or business. Periodically, rotate out different records. Besides having some great music and sound, your vinyl LP collection also makes great wall art.
