Gossamer Wump
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Gossamer Wump is a children's record, published in 1949 by Capitol Records, about a boy who learns to play the triangle. The story is narrated by Frank Morgan, Hollywood actor best known for his role as the Wizard in the Wizard of Oz, with music by Billy May, and written by Hollywood screenwriters Roger Price and Helen Mack.
The story is of a little boy named Gossamer Wump (a boy "with red hair, one blue eye, one green eye, and freckles all over - even his face")who learns to play the triangle to start a musical career. He makes unsuccessful musical attempts at Gaylord Gout's dance club, and then again with Stanislav Hudnut's Orchestra. His rather disastrous debut with the orchestra leaves Gossamer defeated and confused, until a certain man gives Gossamer a very important job - the job of playing the triangle on the ice cream wagon.
Gossamer Wump was one of the first children's records to be issued on a 12 inch 78RPM vinyl disk. The standard format at that time was a 10 inch disk.
Dealers of antique records report that Gossamer Wump is one of the most popular collector's items today - one dealer reports that it is in the top three. However, it is difficult to know how popular the record was when it was issued, as there were no charts maintained by Capitol Records at the time. The record has been reissued by EMI in New Zealand.
The main theme of the record is an adaptation of the "Dance of the Hours" by Amilcare Ponchielli. The theme was also used by humorist Allan Sherman for his popular song "Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah", and in Walt Disney's film Fantasia.
