The White House Record Collection
I read in Rolling Stone about the awesome record collection that Obama now has access to in the White House. Stored in the basement is the official White House Record Library which apparently has a few thousand records from the likes of Santana, Neil Young, Talking Heads, Isaac Hayes, Elton John, the Cars, Barry Manilow. More specifically Led Zeppelin IV, the Rolling Stones Let it Bleed, the Ramones Rocket to Russia, the Sex Pistols Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols, Captain Beefheart’s Trout Mask Replica and the Flying Burrito Brothers The Gilded Palace of Sin.
Back in the days of the Nixon administration the RIAA thought the White House shouuld have records and books and contributed about 2,000 LP’s. Unfortunately it was stuff like Pat Boone, the Carpenters and John Denver. Not that that music isn’t good but c’mon. In 1979 the great producer John Hammond convened a new commission to update the list during the Carter administration. Then on January 13, 1981 the LP’s, each in a sleeve with a presidential seal were given to Jimmy Carter. The collection just sat in the hallway just long enough until Ronald Reagan took office. Then they were moved to the basement. Some say it was Nancy Reagan that moved them out but who knows. Obama hasn’t commented yet whether he will bring them up and listen to them but they should sound great since they haven’t ever been played.
