“Theme From 2001, a Space Odyssey” (Stereo Gold Award) 1973

Since I took early retirement a couple of years ago I no longer have the disposable income to squander huge amounts of money on rare and obscure ’60s garage and psychedelic records.

To compensate, I spend a lot of time searching for cheap records in charity shops. I don’t mind taking a chance and spending a couple of quid on an album. It’s still quite a buzz finding vinyl junk.

I’ve decided to begin a new series on my blog where I’ll focus on a track from a budget label release, remaster a FLAC directly from the record, create a YouTube video and investigate / research the performer and album under the spotlight.

My new series will be called “Budget Label Curios.”

Who knows what I’ll uncover, the music may be delightful to your ears or it could make you want to bang your head against the nearest brick wall to make the pain go away.

The LP “Space Odyssey” cost £2 from the British Heart Foundation, a local charity shop in Washington Galleries.

Take an audio trip into space! With your loudspeakers “All go” – sit back and journey with one of the world’s leading orchestras into a galaxy of stereo-spacial sounds and music.

Let your imagination ride the decibels to the familiar theme from the film 2001, on to Mercury, Venus and Mars in Wilford Holcombe‘s stereo scored space fantasies augmented by futuristic electronic synthesisers.

The other side of the record, though of earthbound images, is none the less exciting, as the London Philharmonic creates speaker to speaker magic in the brilliant finale to the “1812 Overture”.

And listen to all the other sound extravaganzas in stereo.

Related Release:

A London-Audio Workshop Production – “Sounds Astounding” (Stereo Galaxy Records) 1974

A LONDON AUDIO-WORKSHOP PRODUCTION – “Sounds Astounding” (Stereo Galaxy Records G 819) 1974

The records I’m finding in charity shops is getting “curiouser and curiouser!” – for instance, check this obscurity out on the perfectly named label Stereo Galaxy Records. 1974 never sounded so way-out I’m sure!

The first thing that drew me to the record was of course the nubile young woman on the cover. All she was wearing to hide her embarrassment was a pair of bikini bottoms, Suzi Quatro’s silver go-go boots and enormous ear-phones with an extra large aerial so she could tune into Radio Mars or some other station in Space. 

This is an album of classical music modernised with sound effects from primitive synthesizers, probably aimed at the middle class gent but also an attempt by the record label to tempt 1970s long-haired Council Estate beer drinkers by placing a topless model on the front cover.  

As with many of these budget label releases from the early ’70s there is a version of the “Theme From 2001” also known as “Spracht Zarathustra.” – and it’s this track that I’ll create a YouTube video for.  

Speaker to speaker interplay of specially scored orchestral works with scintillating sounds augmented by synthesizers. The full range of audio frequencies beyond the range of human hearing.

The maximum performance test for your stereo hi-fi equipment!

Released by London Audio-Workshop on Stereo Gold Award in 1974. London Philharmonic conducted by Douglas Gamley.

Side One
1. March of the Synthesizers
2. Great Gate of Kiev
3. Finale “1812” Overture
4. Dance of the Tumblers

Side Two
1. Theme from 2001
2. Battle of the Planets – Mars
3. Hall of the Mountain King
4 Finale 9th Symphony – Ode to Joy