“Music to Shave By”, 1959 Record

Submitted by Douglas Wood May 7th, 2010
Certifikitsch Winner

This 1959 promotional record for Remington Roll-A-Matic Shaver is the first hi-fi recording ever to be included in a national magazine. Rather than try and play it on my old turntable, I was able to hear the songs on YouTube. I had assumed the music would be non-specific to shaving, but I was wrong. For example: Louis Armstrong sings, “Ain’t misbehavin’, I’m shaving myself for you,” and Bing Crosby croons, “Oh, that roll-a-matic, adjusts to any kind of beard and skin, makes you wish you had a double chin.”

5 Responses to ““Music to Shave By”, 1959 Record”

  1. Allee Willis

    Fantastic! Especially because the songs were adapted to shaving lyrics. Not to mention that it was a magazine insert, something that used to excite me so much when I first started seeing them. I didn’t care what the music was I just want to rip them out of the magazines. This is amazing because it was THE FIRST ” hi-fi recording ever to be included in a national magazine”.

    I used to collect electric shavers and am happy to report that I’m almost positive I have a Remington Roll-A-Matic.

    Bing Crosby is very popular today here in the Kitschenette. A shaving song and a carton of ice cream all in the same day! https://www.alleewillis.com/awmok/kitschenette/2010/05/07/bing-crosby-ice-cream-the-cream-of-the-stars/ and https://www.alleewillis.com/blog/2010/03/24/allee-willis-kitsch-o-the-day-%E2%80%93-bing-crosby-ice-cream/).

  3. Allee Willis

    That’s so funny. The day “Akitschionado” and “CertifiKitsch Of authenKitschity” were born a spin on synchronicity was also tossed around. But I didn’t leave the ‘n’ out and it just didn’t roll off the tongue. Now that I see your spelling of it it all makes sense: SynchroKitschity!

  4. Douglas Wood

    As a songwriter you obviously appreciate that sometimes something as insignificant as an “n” makes all the difference in the world.