Singing Science Records

Singing Science Records

There’s nothing quite so fun as learning set to music. But before PBS came along, kids were often subjected strange LP recordings imparting knowledge. Case in point? Jef Poskanzer’s archive of science-themed folk songs.

Poskanzer has a tremendous archive of these eerie, Atomic Age ditties from a six-LP set of science-themed songs from the late 1950s and early 1960s. The albums were produced by Hy Zaret and Lou Singer.

As Poskanzer notes, “Zaret's main claim to fame is writing the lyrics to the classic Unchained Melody for the 1955 movie Unchained, later recorded by the Righteous Brothers. Three of the albums were performed by Tom Glazer, the semi-famous 1940s folk musician who wrote On Top of Spaghetti.”

Someone should really sample these songs on a Hip-Hop album.

Audio:

Tom Glazer and Dottie Evans - Beep, Beep

Marais & Miranda - Song of the Rocks

Dorothy Collins - Who's Afraid of Thunder?