This information is from an OCLC database called WorldCat, which is basically a huge collective library catalog for many libraries in the US. WorldCat also lists different editions of the same work, allowing us to discover the curious history of the LP "Together", and some specialized and archival items, informing us of the existence of the obscure Mister Rogers videotape.

As should be obvious, this is not all from my personal collection. I have not heard all these recordings, nor am I responsible for errors that OCLC made transcribing this stuff. If you notice an error, by all means tell me and I will fix it here. I have comments for all of the recordings that I own or have heard. No comments means I have no more info than what you see. Reviews can also be found in my introduction to Dimension 5.

All records are 33 1/3 rpm, stereo, 12 inch vinyl unless noted.

You may also want a list of the cassette reissues of the original LPs, or a list of the Songbook cassettes that Esther did without Bruce.

 

 
TITLE:   Dance, sing, and listen with Miss Nelson and Bruce
 
PLACE:   [New York, N.Y.] :
 
PUBLISHER:   Dimension 5,
 
YEAR:   1963
 
NOTES:   At head of title: Dimension 5 presents. Biographical and program notes on container. Narrated by Esther Nelson; music performed by Bruce Haack. Program notes by Martha Hill on container. On container, at head of title; volume 1. Introduction -- Sunflowers -- Skating party -- Medieval dances -- My bones -- A little discussion and Eine Kleine Gebouncemunsik -- Coco the coconut -- Sailing -- A stuffy story -- Pussycats -- Trains.
 
MUSIC NO:   D 101; Dimension 5
 
OTHER:   Nelson, Esther L. Haack, Bruce.

It appears that a mono version of this release exists with the same catalog number and release year (or whoever entered that record into the catalog screwed up).

Rerereased on LP in 1983 with a new catalog number (CD1008; Dimension 5 )

Released on cassette (D701; Dimension 5 ) in 1987. Cassette version is replication of LP version.


 
TITLE:   Dance, sing, and listen again!
 
PUBLISHER:   Dimension 5
 
YEAR:   1963
 
SERIES:   Dance, sing, and listen ; v.2
 
NOTES:   Program notes on container. Songs and dances for children; written and performed by Esther Nelson and Bruck Haack. Introduction.--Silent movies.--Tokey.--Machines.--Fireworks.-- Children's hoe-down.--More medieval music.--Coco remembers.-- Jelly dancers.--What can she be?--Rehearsal.
 
MUSIC NO:   D 111.
 
OTHER:   Nelson, Esther L. Haack, Bruce.

Rereleased on LP in 1983 with a new catalog number (CD 1009; Dimension 5 )

Released on cassette in 1987 ( D702; Dimension 5 ). Cassette is a replication of LP version.


 
TITLE:   Dance, sing, and listen again and again!
 
PUBLISHER:   Dimension 5 D 121.
 
YEAR:   1963
 
SERIES:   Dance, sing, and listen ; v.3
 
NOTES:   Program notes on container. Songs and dances for children; written and performed by Esther Nelson and Bruce Haack; with Praxiteles Pandel, piano, and various children. Introduction.--Shadows.--Popcorn.--Coco bouzoukee.--Pots and pans.--Little pig.--Clocks.--A little concert.--More machines.--The hamburger song.--The stubborn bird.
 
OTHER:   Nelson, Esther L. Haack, Bruce.

Re-released on record in 1983.

Released on cassette (D703; Dimension 5 ) in 1987. Cassette version is replication of LP version.


 
AUTHOR:   Haack, Bruce.
 
TITLE:   The way-out record for children.
 
PUBLISHER:   Dimension 5
 
YEAR:   1968
 
NOTES:   Title from slipcase. "This recording...exposes your child to controlled body movement, provides a stimulus for imagination and creativity, and presents a range of thought, music, and sound from things medieval through today's electronics." Narrated by Esther Nelson and Bruce Haack. Introduction.--Motorcycle ride.--Medieval dancing.--School for robots.--Mudra.--Accents.--Rubberbands.--The saucer's apprentice.--Encore.--Four seasons.--Tools.--Nothing to do.
 
MUSIC NO:   D131.
   
OTHER:   Nelson, Esther L.

Released on tape in 1987 as The way out cassette for children (D704; Dimension 5). Cassette version is replication of LP version.


 
AUTHOR:   Haack, Bruce.
 
TITLE:   The electronic record for children.
 
PUBLISHER:   Dimension 5
 
YEAR:   1969
 
NOTES:   Children's songs. Narrated by Esther Nelson and Bruce Haack; songs by various performers; music synthesized by Bruce Haack. "This record is programmed to help a child intensify his own awareness." Sing.--Mara's moon.--Dance.--Listen.--Poppies.--Saint Basil.-- [Upside down]--First lady.--Echo.--African lullaby.--Spiders.- -Clapping with Katy.--Goodbye- hello moon.
 
MUSIC NO:   D 141; Dimension 5 D141.
 
OTHER:   Nelson, Esther L.

Released on LP in 1983 as The Electronic Record for Children with the catalog number CD1006. I'm not sure if this a reissue of the 1969 Electronic Record for Children, or if it's more like the vastly different 1987 Electronic Cassette for Children?

Released in 1987 as The Electronic Cassette for Children (D705; Dimension 5) with the same song listing...BUT:

Be aware; The Electronic Cassette for Children is very different from this, the original LP version. The thing that makes it odd is that the song listings are kept the same. On the LP, the first track "Sing" is sung by Chris Kachulis. On the cassette, "Sing" is actually "Maybe this Song", which appears on Together. "Dance" and "Listen" (also by Chris) have also been replaced by new (not as interesting) songs. There's no song on the cassette for "Saint Basil" even though the song appears on the J-card listing. Upside Down, Clapping with Katy, Spiders and African Lullaby use different versions on the tape. Mara's Moon and Poppies are the same.

Also, the between song narration has been totally changed. Part of the charm of the LP (besides its wild cover) is the (now dated, but still fun) introductory bits like "How do you feel about being a traveler in space, Miss Nelson?" "Groovy, Bruce!". The cassette narration lacks a certain panache. In fact, I like the LP of this better than the tape in all cases except "Clapping with Katy": for that song, I think the superior version is on the cassette.


 
AUTHOR:   Savage, Jackpine.
 
TITLE:   Together.
 
PUBLISHER:   Dimension 5
 
YEAR:   1971
 
NOTES:   Created and performed by Jackpine Savage; Esther Nelson and Jackpine Savage, narrators.
 
MUSIC NO:   SAAB-519.
 
OTHER:   Nelson, Esther L.

 

 
AUTHOR:   Savage, Jackpine.
 
TITLE:   "Together"
 
PUBLISHER:   Dimension 5,
 
YEAR:   1971
 
NOTES:   Children's songs. "The songs are recorded so that they become complete when you add your voice to them." Lyrics on container. Maybe this song -- Touch -- Rain of earth -- O.K. robot -- Colors -- Intermission -- Funky little song -- Abracadabra -- Punching bag -- Right on -- Outermission.
 
MUSIC NO:   D 151; Dimension 5
 
OTHER:   Nelson, Esther, vocalist. Maybe this song. Touch. Rain of earth. O.K. robot. Colors. Funky little song. Abracadabra. Punching bag. Right on. Outermission.

A mystery! I haven't heard this one. Note that there are two editions of the "Jackpine Savage" Together, one with a Dimension 5 catalog number, one with another catalog number. Does SAAB mean Scholastic, for whom Bruce did a Martin Luther King record in 1970? Why was it authored by Savage in 1971 and Haack in 1983 (with yet another D5 catalog #)? Why did Bruce use a pseudonym for this record and then change his mind?


AUTHOR:   Haack, Bruce.
 
TITLE:   Captain Entropy.
 
PUBLISHER:   Dimension 5
 
YEAR:   1972
 
NOTES:   "A participation journey for elementary and high school people--through the soul of space- ship earth--from principles of thermodynamics to folks like the American eagle"--container. Captain Entropy -- Army ants in your pants -- Music -- Mallangong -- The universal unicycle show -- Walking eagle -- Metric conversion -- Catfish.
 
MUSIC NO:   D171.
   

Reissued on vinyl 1983.


AUTHOR:   Haack, Bruce.
 
TITLE:   Dance to the music.
 
PUBLISHER:   Dimension 5
 
YEAR:   1972
 
NOTES:   "A participation album for all children"--Container. Lyrics on container. Bruce Haack, vocals, electronic instruments ; introductions by Esther Nelson. Hand jive.--EIO.--Friendship.--When the music's over.-- Surprise.--Bored of education.--Soul transportation.-- Squarefinger.--Liza Jane.--Praxiteles.
 
MUSIC NO:   D 161.
 
OTHER:   Nelson, Esther L.

Re-released on LP in 1983.

Released on cassette (D706; Dimension 5) in 1989. Cassette version is replication of LP version.

Brilliant! Features the classic trip song "Soul Transportation". This one is a good starting point for your journey into Bruce and Esther's world and it's easily available on tape. If you can only have one, this is the one to get.


 
AUTHOR:   Haack, Bruce.
 
TITLE:   This old man.
 
PUBLISHER:   Dimension 5
 
YEAR:   1975
 
NOTES:   "A electronic musical-poetic treat for elementary and high school people revealing more wonders of our earth-ship"--container. This old man -- Bods -- Elizabeth Foster Goose -- Four dances : Soul progression ; Queen Elizabeth visits America ; Talking in tongues ; Hush little robot -- Wooden bread -- Remember -- 17 gifts for free children -- Shine on -- Thank you.
 
MUSIC NO:   D 181
 

Haven't heard. An alternate version of "Hush Little Robot" appears uncredited (i.e. not listed on the song titles) on the Electronic Cassette for Children.

Re-released on LP in 1983 with a new catalog number (CD 1003; Dimension 5).


 
AUTHOR:   Haack, Bruce.
 
TITLE:   Funky doodle; [new country dances for all children]
 
PUBLISHER:   Dimension 5
 
YEAR:   1976
 
NOTES:   Program notes on container. Sub-title from container. Calls and dances by Esther Nelson ; music synthesized by Bruce Haack. Grand march -- Short order -- Chicken in the hay -- Big 10-4 - - A dance for your mind -- Little brown jugs -- Circles -- I hug myself 'cause I love me so -- Funky doodle.
 
MUSIC NO:   D191.
 
SUBJECT:   Square dance music. Square dancing.
 
OTHER:   Pandel, Ted. Nelson, Esther L.

Re-released on LP in 1983 with the new catalog number CD1001. New version? Never released on cassette as far as I know.

Haven't heard it, but it looks like great fun! This is one I'd really love to track down. (hint, hint).


 
AUTHOR:   Haack, Bruce.
 
TITLE:   Ebenezer Electric.
 
PUBLISHER:   Dimension 5
 
YEAR:   1976
 
NOTES:   Text and music ([16] p.) tipped in. Featuring Bruce Haack and Esther Nelson, with supporting cast; children's chorus; C. Wayne Stringer, conductor; music synthesized by Bruce Haack.
 
MUSIC NO:   D201.
 
SUBJECT:   Electronic music. Christmas music. Christmas plays.
 
OTHER:   Pandel, Ted. Nelson, Esther L.

Just what you're suspecting: Dickens' Christmas Carol as a play with electronic music and physical activity breaks. Not bad, but certainly not as far out and inventive as their other stuff.


 
AUTHOR:   Haack, Bruce.
 
TITLE:   Together
 
PUBLISHER:   Dimension 5
 
YEAR:   1983
 
FORMAT:   1 sound disc : 33 1/3 rpm, stereo. 12 in.
 
NOTES:   "A participation musical-concept album for all children."--container. Lyrics on container. Maybe this song -- Touch -- Rain of the earth -- O.k. robot -- Colors -- Intermission -- Funky little song -- Abracadabra -- Punching bag -- Right on -- Intermission.
 
MUSIC NO:   CD 1007; Dimension 5
 
OTHER:   Nelson, Esther L.

See my comments above about the odd authorship for this LP. "Maybe this Song" appears on The Electronic Cassette for Children under the title "Sing".


The other stuff:

These are the related items that weren't released by Dimension 5, but are of interest anyway:


 
AUTHOR:   Haack, Bruce.
 
TITLE:   Martin luther King, Jr. a musical documentary for upper elementary classes
 
PLACE:   [United States] :
 
PUBLISHER:   Scholastic Records,
 
YEAR:   1970
 
PUB TYPE:   Recording
 
FORMAT:   1 sound disc (12 min.) : analog, 33 1/3 rpm ; 7 in. + 1 guide.
 
SERIES:   Scolastic record & book companion series
 
NOTES:   Guide is The life and words of Martin luther King, Jr. by Ira Peck. Narrated by children, who describe highlights of Dr. King's life and read quotes from his speeches.
 
MUSIC NO:   CCO623; Scholastic Records
 
SUBJECT:   King, Martin Luther, -- Jr., -- 1929-1968.
 
OTHER:   Peck, Ira. Life and words of Martin Luther King, Jr. 1970.

Scholastic, is of course, the book publisher known nationwide to elementary school students as the purveyor of the Scholastic book club, which allowed students to order both "good" (Newberry award winning literature) and "popular" (quickie biographies of sports and TV stars) books you could order through your teacher. I never remember Scholastic having records available through the classroom ordering program, but then again, this one is a bit before my time. I've certainly seen a lot of Scholastic records in thrift stores, especially ones telling the "Frances the Badger" stories.


 
AUTHOR:   Haack, Bruce.
 
TITLE:   The Bruce Haack songbook
 
PLACE:   Glen Mills, Pa. :
 
PUBLISHER:   Bruce Haack Publishing ; distributed by Elementary Music Publications,
 
YEAR:   1975
 
PUB TYPE:   Musical Score
 
FORMAT:   56 p. : ill., music ; 31 cm.
 
OTHER:   Pandel, Praxiteles.

I borrowed this through interlibrary loan from a library in Pennsylvania. It's got some cool clip art and collage stuff in it, but unfortunately, just the melody/treble lines. So if you're looking for piano-appropriate scores so that you can do your own Moog arrangement of "Jelly Dancers", you're out of luck.


 
TITLE:   Misterogers' neighborhood. Program 68
 
YEAR:   1968
 
PUBTYPE:   Audiovisual
 
FORMAT:   1 cassette (30 min.) : sd., b&w ; 3/4 in. + script materials.
 
NOTES:   Produced with a grant from the Sears- Roebuck Foundation and a children's program fund established by N.E.T. affiliated stations. With: Program 67. Producer, Fred Rogers ; director, David Fu-Ying Chen ; musical director, John Costa ; consultants, Margaret B. McFarland and Albert V. Corrado. Neighbors: David Newell (Mr. McFeely), Esther Nelson, Bruce Haack. Films: Bicycle riding on Nantucket / P.J. O'Connell and Virginia K. Bartlett (1 min.) -- Songs: Won't you be my neighbor? Everybody's fancy, Tomorrow. Mr. Rogers brings in a toy tricycle, bicycles, and a unicycle. He is invited to a dance class and to see a musical computer. The musical computer is a sound synthesizer. The children in the class move to the sound. While Mr. Rogers is watching the children dance, Mr. McFeely comes to tell him that there is a surprise in his house. When Mr. Rogers returns to his house he finds Blackberry the cat.
 
SUBJECT:   Animals. Child development. Motor ability. Nature. Physical education and training.
 
OTHER:   Chen, David Fu-Ying, director. Costa, John, musical director. Haack, Bruce. Nelson, Esther L. Newell, David A. Rogers, Fred, producer. McFeely, Mr. (Character) National Educational Television and Radio Center. Sears, Roebuck Foundation. WQED (Television station, Pittsburgh) Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. Everybody's fancy music Tomorrow music Won't you be my neighbor? music Bicycle riding on Nantucket motion picture Program 68.

Guess who the musical computer belongs to? Guess who's teaching the dance class? Any one who is unfamiliar with Mister Rogers should be aware that he is an American cultural icon among children. I have not (yet) trekked to the University of Pittsburgh to view this, but (someday) I will. However, if you live in the area and have some time to spend at the library, I'd love a report...

 

This page updated Sept. 28, 1998 by lara7.

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