X (The Man With The X-Ray Eyes)

Preview Records was a vanity label active during the mid-20th century, specializing in the solicitation of song-poem recordings. These were produced by soliciting lyrics from aspiring songwriters through advertisements in magazines, promising to set their words to music for a fee. The record featuring 'X (The Man With The X-Ray Eyes)' emerged from this unique industrial model, which prioritized the financial transaction between the studio and the songwriter over commercial distribution or standard industry A&R practices.

The identity of the artist behind this particular track remains uncredited, a common trait for releases from this label. Like many song-poem records, the production was often handled by house musicians and session singers who recorded multiple tracks in a single sitting. The music was intentionally crafted to fit the trends of the era, though the obscure nature of these releases meant they were rarely reviewed by contemporary critics and instead circulated among the songwriters themselves and, decades later, among enthusiasts of outsider music and cultural curiosities.