Ken Nordine ‎– "Ken Nordine Does Robert Shure's 'Twink' " (Philips ‎– PHS 600-258) 1967

The unfortunately titled "Twink",first published in 1957, was a popular selling pamphlet of quirky poetry by someone called Robert Shure, hence the title.
A "Twink" is, nowadays, Gay Slang for a young homosexual male with attractive, boyish qualities.Ooh-la-laaaa!?

So when it says Ken does Robert,one assumes he means Ken reads Robert's Poetry,rather than anything sexual. Or maybe, as the Twink in question is referred to as belonging to Robert Shure,maybe Shure was a fifties Jeffery Epstein who provided young boys to c-list voice over artists to provide sexual favours? Maybe this is why Nordine did a recorded version of Shure's pamphlet,as payment,in kind, for allowing him to bum the boyish young victim provided by the poet in question.

As this work was made well before the term Twink was misapropriated by the Gay scene,in a more innocent time, I suggest everything i wrote before this sentence was likely just an amusing fantasy.
In fact,the reissue of this album was renamed "Wink" at the request of the author, Robert Shure.The reason for which I think is glaringly obvious.Its not beyond the realms of possibility that some poor unsuspecting homosexual had previously purchased either this album, or pamphlet, rushed home in a state of semi-arousal,only to find the contents empty of references to sodomising young boyish men,but full of extremely unerotic ,and downright Silly poetry.They may have even noticed the poem called "Queen" to further enhance the need to purchase such literature, full of gay abandon,to use these words as a back drop to 'knock one out' upon his eager return from the literary emporium.

In true space-age batchelor pad style, Nordine uses the stereo spread to appear to be talking to himself with one voice recorded dry, the other recorded with effects.It sounds a bit like the voice one hears during a sudden attack of paranoid Schizophrenia. In between every track ,for some reason, there are different styles of tinkling bells,as if entering a small Haberdashers every minute for half an hour.

As always, Nordine's silky baritone makes this a soothing but surreal,and accidently psychedelic nostalgia trip.Like watching a Mr Magoo cartoon,but in this version Mr Magoo is hard of hearing rather than myopic.Gets him into all sorts of trouble it does.Mr Magoo mishears himself into a Gay sex orgy as the Gimp and gets topped by Waldo. That episode won an Emmy in that famed alternative universe that we visit often on here.

Tracklist:
Windshield Wipers 1:17
Tears 1:18
Suede 0:27
Zebra 1:16
Sidewalks 0:57
Breathing 1:19
Chimney 0:39
Queen 1:21
Nothing 1:23
Apple Cider 1:46
Bathtub 1:12
When You're Born 1:12
Piccolos 1:13
Knee 1:23
Pea 0:19
Great 0:21
Eyeleashes 1:03
Clock 1:28
Ear 1:32
Ping Pong 1:21
Freckles 1:38
Cellophane 1:39
Dream 1:49
Gabardine 1:01
Planet 1:31
Meat Balls 0:41
Sky 1:17
Envelope 1:05
Roller Skate 0:51
Blotter 0:36
Moth 1:16
Indians 1:48
Lampshades 1:50
Cigars 1:45

DOWNLOAD from your very own twink link HERE!