Vinyl Record Talk Show - Live - Today, Tuesday August 30th 8pm ET / 5pm PT on Radio Dentata

Sometimes themes just throw themselves at you. Last week a customer showed me how little I know. Did you know Buck Owens and the Buckaroos once recorded a kick ass fuzz single? That was missing from my knowledge base, but I had copies my store and the customer was very happy to find it. We'll play that, and go in a jangly direction. A comp LP for the Seattle 60's psych band Daily Flash came my way this week.

Plus, and a really frickin' damn big plus -- I'm laying in bed last night searching iTunes when I come across the new release from Olivia Tremor Control. I though it couldn't be right. So I go to the elephant6 website and a new tour started last night, and they have a new Facebook page (note: go to the elephant6 website to get to the Facebook page - Facebook search still goes to the Wikipedia imported page even after I "liked" the new page). And, OTC is re-releasing "Dust At Cubist Castle" and "Black Foliage" on vinyl http://www.chunklet.com/index.cfm

So mixed in with new OTC and old Buck Owens, plus other treasures on dead dinosaurs, we'll have the news and the Top 5 Auction Report.

Vinyl Records Top 5 eBay Sales Week Ending 08/20/2011

Ooohhhh, cool - a week of oddities. Ok, the Butcher Cover isn't odd . . . well, yes it is for the Top 5 . . . it's definitely not the prime Beatles collectible anymore, the UK 1st pressings of "Please Please Me" fetch more money, and low numbered "White Albums" are classier and far more interesting. Hell, I'm more interested in a South American mono fold of "Abbey Road", and though they go for far less money than a Butcher Cover, they are way harder to find.

The #1 goes to a local LA punk treasure; the two Prog LP's in the #3 and #5 spots are both out of Italy. That David Bowie single is a real impossible record to find as a stock copy. Promo's fetch around $100.00, but this stock copy sold for almost $1k more than the last known sale, and at about the same price that it sold for in 2006.

1. 45 - Opus "Good Procedures" / "Atrocity" Catatonic - $4,800.00

2. LP - The Beatles "Yesterday And Today" 3rd Stat Butcher Stereo - $3,401.01

3. LP - Osage Tribe "Arrow Head" Bla Bla - $2,590.00

4. 45 - David Bowie "Can't Help Thinking About Me" / "And I Said To Myself" WB 5815 - $2,500.00

5. LP - Sandro Brugnolini "Overground" SEM - $2,460.60

More on this week's Top 5 on Vinyl Record Talk, Tuesday 8:00PM Eastern / 5:00PM Pacific on Radio Dentata.

Vinyl Record Talk Show - Live - Today, Tuesday August 23rd 8pm ET / 5pm PT on Radio Dentata

One good thing about doing the show live is that you get to catch the dead before they start to stink.

So with Jerry Leiber and Nick Ashford passing yesterday there's time to get them to the turntable while their ghosts are still passing through the news cycle.

As a solo artist before recording with Valerie Simpson, Nick Ashford recorded an unreleased single for Verve that became a Northern Soul classic - and a hit for Ray Charles. We'll have that song, plus a few Lieber-Stoller rarities, and the Auction Report.

Vinyl Records Top 5 eBay Sales Week Ending 08/20/2011

One of those weeks when classical LP's dominate the list - which is no fun for me since I don't know much about classical music. I do know that the Michelle Auclair in the #1 spot sold for $1k than the last time it appeared on the Top 5. The same box set shows up in the #3 spot at about half the price - one of the LPs in the set has light scratches which produce crackling. Goes to show that condition is everything.

The Charlie Parker 78 in the #2 spot got a nice price. It usually sells for about $30. However, this one is a promo that was signed by Parker.

In the past several weeks I've commented here about the vinyl collectible market as prices in the Top 5 reflected some constriction in prices for high dollar items, but with some signals that collectors were willing to spend money. The Auclair box set selling for $1k more than its last sale and the Charlie Parker 78 getting close to $6k shows that as far as vinyl is concerned the heart knows how to reach around a tight scrotum and grab the wallet.

1. LP - Michelle Auclair "Bach Violin Sonatas" Discophiles 209/210 French Pressing - $7,500.00

2. 78 - Charlie Parker "Yardbird Suite" / "Moose The Mooche" Dial 1003 signed - $5,988.00

3. LP - Johanna Martzy "Bach: The unaccompanied Violin Sonatas" Columbia Box set UK - $5,129.00

4. LP - Michelle Auclair "Bach Violin Sonatas" Discophiles 209/210 French Pressing - $3,070.00

5. 45 - TY Karim "You Just Don't Know" / "All In Vain" Romark - $2,999.99

More on this week's Top 5 on Vinyl Record Talk, Tuesday 8:00PM Eastern / 5:00PM Pacific on Radio Dentata.

Another 350+ 45's Added Today, Beatles, Soul, Psych, Many Near Mint

We previewed a handful on Tuesday's show, and here they are, over 350 new 45's added to our store.

Vinyl Record Talk Show - Live Again - Today, Tuesday August 16th 8pm ET / 5pm PT on Radio Dentata

We're getting used to this live thing. On Today's show Ozzy and Black Sabbath are in the news and on the turntable.

Plus rare 45's from Irma & The Fascinations and Jimmy Holiday & Clyde King.

As always, we'll look at last week's the Top 5 auction sales, and we have an all new poll.

Vinyl Records Top 5 eBay Sales Week Ending 08/13/2011

A Sonny Clark Blue Note LP tops the list this week, getting a pretty good price at the top end of its selling range. The Psych holy grail LP by Leaf Hound sells for a bargain at about $1k less than its top price. A pulled U2 45 from Peru gets the #3 spot, and two more 45's round out the list. The Spades record was the first 45 released by Roky Erickson. The Bill Davenport 45 is a rare local rockabilly record out of Virginia.

1. LP - Sonny Clark "Cool Struttin" Blue Note 1588 - $3,350.00

2. LP - Leaf Hound "Grower's Of Mushroom" Decca - $3,100.00

3. 45 - U2 "Soberbia (En El Nombre Amor)" / "Bumerang II (Boomerang II) - $3,037.87

4. 45 - The Spades "You're Gonna Miss Me" / "We Sell Soul" Zero 10002 - $2,500.00

5. 45 - Bill Davenport "Rock And Roll With Mom And Dad" / "Just Wish Me Luck" Wayne 101 - $2,424.99

More on this week's Top 5 on Vinyl Record Talk, Tuesday 8:00PM Eastern / 5:00PM Pacific on Radio Dentata.

300+ 45's Added - Lots of 60s Soul and Psych

Over 300 new records listed, with lots of hard to find titles, many 60s. Free Shipping World Wide

Sony London Warehouse Fire - Will There Become Another Shrine?

Go out and buy! Honestly, there's nothing here too look at - it's all happened before. In London thousands of records and CDs have been destroyed at a warehouse fire started during the riots of this past week. For some small labels its meant a complete loss of their retail inventory not already on store shelves.

But as I just wrote - it's all happened before:

During the riots following Martin Luther King Jr's assassination in 1968, a fire destroyed the Washington D.C. warehouse housing the entire stock for the Shrine label. This consisted of runs of twenty 45 RPM record titles. Very few had ever been shipped to stores. Most copies that got out into the world were sent as promos. The fire caused an end to operations for the struggling label. Today, most Shrine titles sell for between $2500 and $10,000.

To suggest an opportunity here might be . . . well, is . . . in bad taste. But in our job here at VRT there's lots we have to do that's in bad taste. This is our profession; how we make our living. Knowing history isn't a lofty calling. It keeps us from bouncing checks.

And, buying is what the labels are asking you to do to support independent music. Sure, it's all self-serving. Keep the following in mind next time you go to your local record store. In 1968, gold was $40.00 an ounce and just topped $1,800.00 today. A Shrine record sold in 1968 for $0.98.

Vinyl Record Talk Show - Live Again - Today, Tuesday August 9th 8pm ET / 5pm PT on Radio Dentata

Going live again, and right now it'll be a surprise to us what we're going to play, but there will be vinyl, warts and all.

We have Pete Best, the Beatles first drummer, in the news, plus the Top 5.

Vinyl Records Top 5 eBay Sales Week Ending 08/06/2011

Fairly tight wallets last week caused some typical $5k+ sellers like the Martsy Bach set and the Heartsman private funk LP to sell at bargain prices. Or, it's the end of the world. But we've been here before in the past few years, and this seems to be the most stable and resilient of collectible markets. Great music and ample IQ's tend to go together. No panic necessary. Put down the canned goods.

1. LP - Johanna Martzy "Bach: The unaccompanied Violin Sonatas" Columbia Box set UK - $3,999.00

2. LP - John Heartsman And Circles "Music Of My Heart" Private - $3,516.00

3. 78 - Billy "Boy" Arnold "Hello Stranger" / "I Ain't Got No Money" Cool 4064 - $3,383.33

4. LP - John Lennon "Two Virgins" Mono UK Pressing - $3,262.40

5. LP - Pink Floyd "Delicate Sound Of Thunder" Colubmia Blue Pressing - $2,500.00

More on this week's Top 5 on Vinyl Record Talk, Tuesday 8:00PM Eastern / 5:00PM Pacific on Radio Dentata.

Vinyl Record Talk Is Going Live On Radio Dentata Tuesday 8pm PT / 5pm ET

Vinyl Record Talk will be starting live tomorrow on Radio Dentata at our usual time of 8pm PT / 5pm ET.

After 40 plus shows and some major computer repair, Norm and Jane are confident they can broadcast live without causing any fires.

Each week VRT brings you rare and hard-to-find 45RPM finds, various pop culture lessons in Psych and Soul, occasional interviews, the Top 5 Auction Report, and music and vinyl news.