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Tap Dance Practice Record | Alshire Records

Tap Dance Practice Record
Peter Rabbit Records | Alshire Records

Well, the title(s) says it all. The music is simple piano and drums. Side A is for beginners with Dixie, Ida, Shine on Harvest Moon, and Vampin'. Side B, for more advanced dancers, includes Ida and Harvest Moon again, with Yankee Doodle Dandy and a medley. Both these records are exactly the same inside. Different jackets, different labels, same music. The white cover was released by Peter Rabbit Records as No. K-23. The orange jacket version was released by the Alshire International label as No. S-5351. I know Peter Rabbit Records released many kids' albums; story recordings like Mother Goose and also records with songs for kids, but it is difficult to find specific information about this company on the Web. I can see offerings for a few scattered collector LPs for sale on Ebay or what have you, but no one has put their personal knowledge on a website that I have found, so if you know, contact me.

Alshire Records is another story. The curious and glorious history of Alshire Records (think 101 Strings) and Alshire International is told best by Dick Sherman, son of Alshire founder Alan Sherman in an interview with Vinyl Vulture. Sadly, this interview doesn't mention Rabbit Records, but there must be a connection since both companies were headquartered in Burbank, California . The Alshire version was released in 1974. We can note that both jackets come with "official" endorsements, by which they don't say. Peter Rabbit's version is "Endorsed for home practice for children of all ages", while Alshire International's was "Endorsed for studio use and home practice for students of all ages" Come on! They were endorsed!

Tap Dance Practice Record | Somerset Records

October, 2001
 I was able to add this important new information when I bought an addition to my tap record collection. It was a new record, but with a familiar title: "Tap Dance Practice Record"; this time released by Somerset Records as No. P-22500. When I played it, sure enough, same music. I wonder how many labels have released these tunes with this title. Surely this must be a popular LP with dancers. Three labels at least have spent time and money to release it. I wonder how much the musicians were paid for their effort and I wonder in the end, how many copies of these tunes were sold? Someone deserves platinum on this.

February 15, 2005
Research conducted as this English language page went online located a great discography for Alshire Records, with information indicating that Alshire founder, Alan Sherman bought the entire catalog of Somerset Records, so the Alshire release of Tap Dance Practice Record is probably the last and final version...for now! But, keep watching the skies!

— Shinichi Matsumoto