September 25, 2011
Tonight’s the wedding (congratulations to Michael and Abbey!) and I just wanted to relax and didn’t want to be running around bugging people taking photos. But I wanted something to blog about so I wandered around my folks house to find something to take pictures of and lo and behold, what do I find but the remnants of my once might record collection in the bottom of my parents closet. Check it out.
My collection was about 5,000 albums and a couple thousand CD's before I moved to New York. Along with my pension plan, I got some money to move to New York by selling everything I owned. I sold my car, my furniture, my clothes, my stereo, my TV and most of my albums and all of my CD’s. Here’s what’s left of my albums, some of them I didn’t want to sell and some of them nobody else wanted so I stored them here at my parents house. Let’s just take a random look at some of them.
Here's the Beatles "White Album." But it's not exactly white. I used to smoke pot in my bedroom and then draw all over my records.
See? This is the back of the "White Album." I had a full canvas to work with here.
Here's the Beatles, "Yesterday and Today" album. This was the record that was originally the controversial, Beatles "Butcher Album." Since this is a Beatles record on the Capital label, it's probably worth something, except I drew all over it rendering it worthless to anyone but me.
The first Cheap Trick album! I remember being thrilled about this because they were from Rockford, Illinois and I had seen them in bars and clubs before they got signed. Hometown boys made good! This is a great album.
"Everything Stops For Tea" by Long John Baldry. I love this album and Ronnie Wood drew the album cover.
Here's an album by The Tremblers. This was Peter Noone's/Herman's new wave band from the '80's. I think I'm the only one who bought it.
Here's The Beatles turning Japanese.
Legendary bluesman, Luthor Allison's live album. This album was recorded at a club in Peoria, in the '80's, I believe and produced by my friend, musician Craig Moore. Luthor's wife Fannie lived next door to me in an apartment complex and I went to a Christmas party with the entire Allson family and friends. I'll have to write about that sometime.
And finally, The Rutles. Do I have to spell it out? C-H-E-E-S-E-O-N-I-O-N-S-O-H-N-O. Goodnight everybody and see you tomorrow after dark.
Further reading and watching: Record Collector’s Guild, Dust & Grooves and Record Collecting Tips.
Have you seen her face,
She’s got a face that would stop a clock.
21 Comments
Reader Comments (21)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JTy_YkoJi8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDWDM0V7Nxo
I love the Rutles.
For some odd reason,,,,I did the same thing to my old records. Drawing beards and basically ruining the jacket. Never thought about the future worth of those old LP's. I will say that the beard on George and John's on Yesterday and Today was very much realistic, as was the wire glasses on John. Looks like you still have about 300 LP's there. I must add that the suede jacket that John is wearing on Rubber Soul has a story behind it connected to Dion DiMucci, as I think he was with him in NY when John bought it,, need to verify this though. Enjoy the wedding and watch out for flying rice.
I think I may still have the The Tremblers vinyl in my collection.
So make that 2.
I still have about 3000 albums on hand, God knows how many CD's.
(especially a lot of things that never made it to CD, a lot of Collector vinyl, promo etc. as well)
A lot of which does indeed get aired on the "Secret Weapon" Radio Show.
You know my affinity for Cheap Trick.
Seeing them from the early days (even pre Zander) through the club days.
Watching them playing 2-3 sets on a Monday night with no opener. Amazing.
Somehow, we knew there was something special taking place on those stages.
Cheap Trick is and will always remain one of my favorite bands.
Seeing them over the years, still brings back those early memories.
Proud to have been there.
"You can have my vinyl when you can pry it from my cold, dead fingers."
@Mike Hunt: Thanks for the links, I love the Rutles too! All You Need Is Cash!
@Al: That's interesting about the Lennon suede coat, I'll have to look into that. Rubber Souls is a great album.
@"Boris:" Wild that you saw the pre-Robin Zander Cheap Trick! Love your cold dead hands quote! Nice one, Daddio!
Well I can see how your drawings didn't help the value, but love the full one on the back of the White album. Maybe when you're super famous one day, that will be worth quite a bit :)
My fam that I was just visiting made friends with this group of old guys that would come to the coffee shop every day. One night one of the guys invited them over to his house and gave them boxes of his record collection. We were going through them and it was fun just looking at all the covers. I forgot to post a pic of that, will have to on Friday.
Vinyl is great. It retains its sound quality over the years (with a little care). CD's, if treated well, keep, and can easily be digitized. What do you do with those lousy cassettes? (or 8-tracks for that matter)
Pretty cool! Congratulations, Michael and Abbey!
@kari: Some day that cover may be worth at least 17 cents! I can't wait to see your album cover photo!
@csp: I never bought many cassettes and no 8 tracks for that very reason. I used to make mix cassette tapes for my Sony Walkman. The iPod of the dinosaur days!
@Biff: It was fun going through them, haven't seen them in 18 years! And yes, cheers to Michael and Abbey! Hope you two aren't too hungover today!
I love looking in closets. Have a great time at the wedding and congrats to the bride and groom.
Rubber Sold?
Thanks for coming to the wedding marty...and thank you to everyone who congratulated Michael and Abby.....it was a great wedding ...I'll see you around Christmas Marty..Thanks again for coming to the wedding
Don't forget to call Bun E.,Mar T.
@Melanie: Always a nice surprise to find old records in them! The wedding was a blast!
@csp: Holy shitballs! I gotta put that album up on eBay! Luckily, it's one of the few I've never drawn on!
@tehennessey: That was a great wedding! Thanks for having me and sorry about asking for a blowjob from our table. (You had to be there, folks.)
@Ron: I'm waiting to hear back from my friend, I'll be in touch soon!
OMFG! That is SOOOO fucking cool, you still have all of those records!!
@meleah: You should've seen my collection before I sold everything! These are just the remnants of what was once a five thousand album collection. Hated to sell them, but it helped get me out to New York.
@MAD: The Japanese import Rubber Soul (1st edition) is probably only worth about $40, but I wanted to read, "Holy Shitballs!"; it's always funny.
Marty I had to sell some of my vinyl and cd's back in the day to pay rent.. still have alot though...SF was outrageous to live in the 80's...
stored a few at my brothers house in the santa cruz mountains..fire up there melted a bunch of them(stopped right before my brothers house)
then i lost a bunch in the 80 quake..
i had just took what i had left to SF right before that.
but it was ok he lost his house i didnt complain..
it's only vinyl...
i still have the importants...
@Gidget: It's the importants that count! And it sounds like you had quite a collection!
Nice! I forgot mom had all those pictures of us.
Terry
I am jealous-I buy my records on EBay. I have some Beatles albums framed and I would add your White album to the collection in a second-great artwork!
@Terry: We're on album covers? (You commented on the wrong post. Har har har!)
@Britta: Thanks, glad you liked the artwork!