“Increase” Your Collection….💿

Following on from my belated return to my youth by attending the recent Ipswich Witches speedway meeting, I now find myself reviewing an LP / Cassette / CD series that I first encountered around fifty years ago! But, as it is very much part of the history of R&B, is novel in conception and very well executed, I have no intention of harking back to ‘former glories‘. One word of warning – the sound quality across the series is questionable (variable would also be a fair assessment) so probably not a blindingly obvious choice for any audiophiles out there. However, this is not about the sound, which is very much of its time, but about what the series represents.

So, what does the Cruisin’ Radio sampler series bring to the table? In summary, it was an American rock and roll and pop music sampler series covering the years 1955-1970. It’s so old that I first shelled out my hard earned money (ok it wasn’t actually earned). It was released by Increase Records, originally in 1970 and 1972 on vinyl, 8-Track (not joking), and Cassette (years 1955 to 1963) with later years being released in 1986 (cassette), and in 1996 on CD and cassette tape again. This chequered releasing schedule never got to the remastering desks of the 1990s, so what you hear is very much of its time. Kicking off in 1955 however, it covers an awful lot of music that comes firmly under the R&B umbrella, which is why this article finds its way here, as well as in the R&B Primer review section.

What makes it especially interesting is the cultural context of the releases, and I would argue it is particularly pertinent to all UK collectors out there (if indeed there are any, I do sometimes imagine I’m ploughing a lonely furrow). Each album of the series purported to be an authentic, roughly 40-minutes recreation of a contemporary radio station from that year, complete with year-appropriate ads, station jingles, and an original radio DJ from that era introducing each song, reading out local news, and inviting the listeners to join in competitions. I think it is a very worthy concept, and I admit when I was first introduced to them in the early 1970s, I don’t mind admitting I thought they were the original radio recordings rather than recreations.

The “Cruisin’” series did indeed became a cult favourite among fans of classic rock and roll. AS Wikipedia says, “its unique blend of music, authentic DJ commentary, and era-appropriate advertisements offered listeners a time capsule experience.” It’s certainly what appealed to me, although when I first bought them , I was early on in my ‘personal voyage of discovery‘ (for the much more level headed amongst you that’s just hearing such as blues and early R&B for the first time and by and large I think the choice of music stands up very well. In today’s market you can of course buy an array of compilations, some of which are very good. The 2CD “The Cruisin’ Story” is particularly fine with each release representing one year. I have 1956 through to 1962, but I am a big fan (others use terms such as ‘on the spectrum’ or the very harsh ‘should be sectioned’) but I prefer ardent collector or enthusiast!!

Finally, the covers in the Cruisin’ Radio series carry there own story and when followed in sequence they narrate the story of a young girl and boy navigating their teenage years. The covers depicted scenes and characters that resonated with the cultural changes taking place in the 1950s and 1960s and although they could now be viewed as somewhat simplistic, they did at least reflect both the music contained on the record / cassette / CD and basic historical accuracy.

Great music, a teenage romance, cheesy radio advertisements, excellent Disc Jockeys (who vary in both temperament and delivery) and lovely American radio recreations – what’s not to like!!!

The series is listed below, including the album covers- Will I complete the collection or will the grim reaper beat me to it.