| 76 Trombones | |
|---|---|
| |
| A small portion of the collection | |
|
Origin |
Meredith Willson/Sergio Franchi |
|
Type |
Trombones |
|
Effects |
Play themselves, causes an urge to march |
|
Activation |
Playing one |
|
Collected by |
Rebecca St. Clair and Jack Secord |
|
Section |
|
|
Aisle |
Barras-2673 |
|
Shelf |
33623-3361-360 through 33623-3361-379 |
|
Date of Collection |
February 3, 1960 |
| [Source] | |
Origins[]
The song Seventy-Six Trombones was the signature song from the musical The Music Man, written by Meredith Willson in 1957. Though the original song did not include the vast amount of trombones indicated, the first "Meredith Willson Variety Show" featured a performance of this song by Sergio Franchi backed by four military marching bands, carrying exactly 76 trombones between them.
Mentioned in the spin-off novel, "A Touch of Fever".
Effects[]
Playing one of the Trombones will cause the rest to play on their own, floating in the air in parade formation behind the player. After the first verse, and entire marching band of instruments will begin playing the song, though the instruments themselves will never seem to be present. Anyone who sees the procession will be compelled to march until the song has been played seventy-six times, or until seventy-six miles have been marched.
Collection[]
Collected in February 1960 by Agents Secord and St. Clair after a band and listeners in Orlando, Florida marched seventy-six miles after playing the Trombones. The Agents only had to march for several miles and, with the help of Mrs. Frederic (though she takes no credit for the actual collection), managed to ship all 76 back to the Warehouse.
Notes[]
- In order to neutralize, the original Trombone played must be neutralized. If multiple Trombones have been played, all of those played must be neutralized before the rest will neutralize.