What--Recording System?

A typical example of a classic Indonesian record album cover: the shoulder-crop photo collage ala Brady-Bunch. Notice the different hairstyles--as if we couldn't have told them apart if they wore the same hairdos. And if the group consisted of four or more personnel, one of them just had to have an Afro. As you might have suspected, the English title didn't signify that the producer was familiar with English.

Hence the center label on the right: Bimbo Recording System. Bimbo is the surname of three siblings who achieved stardom in a group called--yes--Bimbo. They got so successful that they ran several music businesses. One of which was this recording studio.

Nowadays, Bimbo were better known by their--I'm not kidding--religious songs. These songs preach about heaven and hell, wrath of God, and kindness. During Ramadhan (the fasting period for muslims), people play these songs all over the place; at radio stations, supermarkets, even on public transportation.

So who's your religious keeper? In Indonesia, it's the Bimbo.


(Cover images taken from musiklawas.)