In the Slime of Vietnam
1967 · Liberty LST-7547 · USA
- Artist
- Victor Lundberg
- Title
- In the Slime of Vietnam
- Release
- An Open Letter
- Year
- 1967
- Label
- Liberty # LST-7547
- Format
- LP · Album
- Language
- English
- Country
- USA
- Genre
- Spoken Word · Spoken Word
- Primary theme
- US 'Patriotic' / Pro-Government / Anti-Protest Songs
Annotation — US 'Patriotic' / Pro-Government / Anti-Protest Songs
Lundberg, an American businessman and radio newscaster in Michigan, took a conservative line on social issues. This record (Liberty Records # LST-7547) was a surprise, and huge hit, selling over a million copies in the first month of its release in November 1967. It contained the well-known monologue about draft card burners called an "An Open Letter to My Teenage Son" (Liberty Records # 55996), discussed above. On the back of the LP Lundberg said that:"his album contains thoughts...They will be cussed and discussed. They will be praised and protested... It is said that what we say is flag waving. It takes pride and love to wave a flag - hate and stupidity to burn one".The LP also contained another patriotic Vietnam War song, "In the Slime of Vietnam", in which Lundberg claimed to narrate a story from an ex-marine. In the first part the marine sought to represent all types of Americans - with different religious backgrounds, people with a family heritage based on other countries, representing the social-economic divide, and covering the various parts of the military. In the second part he turned his attention to the demonstrators, praising the American democracy and freedom that…
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
About the artist
American radio personality, born 2 September 1923 in Grand Rapids, Michigan; a WMAX Grand Rapids newscaster whose spoken-word single 'An Open Letter to My Teenage Son' (1967) became a Top 10 hit; remained in Grand Rapids media until his death on 14 February 1990 (location not stated in sources). [Source: Wikipedia]