Rare Northern Soul - Kell Osborne "Quicksand"

Nice down-tempo Northern Soul from original member of The Primes, which would later become The Temptations.

Last Sale: 03/27/2012 - $361.00

Grading Vinyl Records - A Proposal For An Expanded Set Of Standards

VINYL RECORD TALK’S 7” 45 RPM RECORD GRADING STANDARDS

PURPOSE

The purpose of these grading standards is to establish a detailed grading system specifically fit to 45 RPM vinyl records.

THE PROBLEM WITH OTHER GRADING METHODS

The five step G-M method is too limited and says very little about a record.  This leads to a large level of dissatisfaction by customers in the internet and mail order market. Many dealers attempt to use a variation of comic and card 1.0-10.0 systems.  Yet, comic and card numeric standards are used for grading items which will be sealed.  The vast majority of purchasers of vinyl records intend to play them.

A MORE DETAILED SET OF  GRADING STANDARDS

A new approach to grading vinyl records would create more product reliability and provide for the possibility of meaningful grading that could set a new market standard.

Below are a set of 10 steps of grading standards.  The vinyl and label are graded separately:

                        VINYL                                                                       LABEL

G-D G-C G-B G-A VG-C VG-B VG-A NM-B NM-A M-A

Unplayable Plays with noise louder than content - any side.  Can skip / repeat Plays with noise at an even level to the content - any side.  Can skip / repeat Plays with noise at lower level than content - any side.  Can skip / repeat Vinyl has large amount of gloss.   Plays with low level noise - any side Full gloss. Plays through both sides completely, with small amount of noise - any side Three flaws..  Three places on both sides combined that create small amount of noise Two flaws.  Two places on both sides combined that create a small amount of noise One flaws..  One place on both sides combined that create a small amount of noise Visually and audibly flawless

G-D G-C G-B G-A VG-C VG-B VG-A NM-B NM-A M-A

Readable information of Label / Artist / Title All printed details visible - both sides All printed and graphic details visible - both sides   All printed and graphic details visible. Intact - both sides Surface blemishes are smooth to touch. Attractive. Surface clear of marks, stickers and tears. Attractive. Surface clear of blemished areas.  Can have three flaws on both sides. Surface clear of blemished areas.  Can have two flaws on both sides Surface clear of blemished areas.  Can have one flaw on both sides Visually flawless

*Flaws - defined as any abnormality that detracts from a vinyl record’s full gloss and mint state.

This creative commons set of standards is based on an “all or nothing” criterion scale.  All criteria in a grade must be met, or the lesser grade must be considered.  For example, in grading a record’s vinyl, a record’s gloss is not explicitly considered until the grade “G-A”.  In order to receive a grade of “G-A”, a record must have, as just a part of the grade’s criteria, a “large amount of gloss”.  What “large” means is left up to the grader, however it would have to be considered as at least 51% gloss over the overall vinyl surface.  If, say, 51% of the vinyl’s surface is dull, then the next grade “G-B” must be considered, which is based on nothing more than the noise heard during play and if the record skips or repeats. In other words, if a grade’s criteria mentions something, then worry about it, if a grade’s criteria does not mention something, don’t worry about it.  

100 45RPM records were test graded.  The records came from a typical accumulation of several thousand records which were purchased off of Craigslist.  A graph of the grading results is below:

The largest concentration of records fall between the “G-A” and “VG-A” grades.  This was expected.  The goal of housing the vast majority of the records withing this grading range is to eliminate them as a factor in the higher priced marketplace.  The “VG-A” grade could be considered a “wobbler” as it has a threshold of three defects.

Any record within the other grades in the range that is not rare should sell for no more than a few dollars, and the buyer should know to expect a record that has numerous defects, but is not trashed.

REFINING THE GRADING

The middle arch of grades could further be refined with additional notations.  Records tend to have a defining characteristic within this grading range, such as fine scratching, multiple scuffs, and dulling.

Added notations could help refine these grades and inform potential customers of the character of the record.  What these notations should be, and what characteristics they should define will be further developed and would benefit from a group input.

So, please, looking for comments here.

Check Out - io9 Top 10 Albums Every Self-Respecting Science Fiction Fan Should Own

I own three of the LP's on this Top Ten. But then, it's no secret that I have no respect.



 
http://io9.com/5906189/top-10-albums-every-self+respecting-science-fiction-fan-should-own

In The News - Small Faces Inducted Into The Hall Of Fame - FINALLY!

It's all too beautiful!
Following the Small Faces' long overdue induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April 2012, Charly Records and its distribution partner Snapper Music will be rolling out definitive editions of the band's classic recordings for Immediate Records.
These new Re-Masters editions are issued with the full blessing and co-operation of the surviving members, Kenney Jones and Ian McLagan, and represent the fruits of five years' work in tracking down and restoring long lost original tapes and presenting them at last in the manner the band deserves, sounding more fresh and dynamic than ever.

13th. Floor Elevators - The Making Of A Vinyl Record Box Set

The 13th Floor Elevators were an American rock band from Austin, Texas formed by guitarist and vocalist Roky Erickson, electric jug playerb Tommy Hall, and guitarist Stacy Sutherland. They reigned during the first Psychedelic Era. (1965- 1968)  During this period they shared the stage with greats like Quicksilver Messenger Service and Moby Grape. Check out this film of the maunufacturing of their LP box set. 

Northern Soul - The Dynells "Let Me Prove That I Love You"

A nice mid tempo dancer from The Dynells.

The Beatles Vinyl Records Top 5 eBay Sales Week Ending 04/28/2012

Another impressive week for Beatles vinyl, with a "Love Me Do" demo selling for almost $20k.  eBay has a new section under music memorabilia which is dedicated to Beatles vintage vinyl.  This new section might be pushing prices up higher on its own. Then again The Beatles market itself if exploding for every kind of collectible, including teeth.


The most interesting item on this week's list is an India 78 RPM of "I Saw Her Standing There".


1. 45 - The Beatles "Love Me Do"/"P.S. I Love You" UK Parlophone Demo pressing. First beatles 45 and has Paul's last name misspelled "Mcartney" - $19,646.77


2. 45 - The Beatles "I Want To Hold You're Hand" / "This Boy" UK Parlophone Demo pressing - $1,331.43


3. 78 - The Beatles "I Saw Her Standing There" / "Hold Me Tight" India Pressing Parlophone - $1,256.05


4. LP - The Beatles "White Album" UK Parlophone Stereo #0523796 - $1,229.00

5. LP - The Beatles "Magical Mystery Tour" Mono Sealed - $1,150.00

Vinyl Record Talk is Live on Radio Dentata on Tuesdays at 9pm ET / 6pm PT at http://www.radiodentata.com/. 

The Beatles - "Yellow Submarine"

If you've never watched "Yellow Submarine", then there's a nutrition gap in your pop culture diet.
Watch the whole flick here. Besides, Ringo always looked better in animation.

The Beatles Vinyl Records Top 5 eBay Sales Week Ending 04/21/2012

This is the launch of the new Beatles Top 5 vinyl record sales.  We will be posting it here and discussing the Beatles Top 5 on Vinyl Record Talk, Tuesdays at 6pm PT.

This first week's #1 is a signed mono "Please Please Me" with the Dick James credits which sells for a whopping $24.7k.  A recently signed Capitol 70s reissue sells for $3.6k.  Another "Please Please Me" and two UK mono "White Albums" round out the list.


1. LP - The Beatles "Please Please Me" UK Parlophone Black & Gold Mono Pressing with Dick James credits and signed by all four Beatles (Perry Cox) - $24,675.00

2. LP - The Beatles "Help" Capitol Red Label signed by Ringo Starr and George Martin in 2009 - $3,600.00

3. LP - The Beatles "Please Please Me" UK Parlophone Black & Gold Mono Pressing with Dick James credits (1N/1N) - $3,344.82

4. LP - The Beatles "White Album" UK Mono Pressing #0093290 - $1,706.51

5. LP - The Beatles "White Album" UK Mono Pressing #0020949 - $1,149.58


Vinyl Record Talk is Live on Radio Dentata on Tuesdays at 9pm ET / 6pm PT at http://www.radiodentata.com/. 

Vinyl Records Top 5 eBay Sales Week Ending 04/28/2012

This week only one record has made the Top 5 before, and that's the Ricardo Marrero LP on the TSG label, whose records never made it out of a garage until after the tax evasion charges.  TSG was a short lived tax scam label for the purposes of taking inventory losses against another enterprise on quantities of records that were never actually pressed.  Though often the music on these records was terrible and the recording poor, there were some exceptions like this week's #1.


This week's Top 5 is the first the will not include The Beatles.  The Beatles will have their own Top 5 list starting this week.  Beatles collectibles of all kinds, teeth included, have become very popular, and records are no exception.  If we were to continue including The Beatles in a single weekly Top 5 list, it's likely there would be less and less room for all the other great records that are top tier collectibles.


1. LP - Ricardo Marrero and The Group "A Taste" TSG - $3,700.00


2. LP - Grannie "self-titled" SRT - $2,971.37


3. LP - Bodkin "self-titled" Private Pressing - $2,706.64


4. LP - Bob Marley & The Wailers "Soul Revolution Rhythm Part 3 Dub Album" Upsetter - $2,650.00


5. LP - Joe Harriott / Amancio D'Silva Quartet "Hum Dono" Columbia UK Pressing - $2,518.16

Vinyl Record Talk is Live on Radio Dentata on Tuesdays at 9pm ET / 6pm PT at http://www.radiodentata.com/. 

KTF - Teach Wilshire "Outside The City"

Great Northern Soul track from Teach Wilshire.

KTF - Wigan Casino Northern Soul Dancing

Nice great quality video of the floor of Wigan Casino during an All Nighter. Turn it up. Sit back and enjoy.




Keep The Faith.

All 45 RPM Vinyl Records - New Finds - Rebroadcast Of This Week's Vinyl Record Talk Tonight 9am ET / 6am PT On Off The Charts

Just press the play button.  VRT will start around 6am Pacific Time.  Off The Charts is a Live365 station focusing on great lost music of the 70s and 80s.

This week the turntable came out and courtesy of Jeff Beeching of Kitschen Sink Radio and his finding a sweet vein in a bookstore in Tennessee, we have rare 50s rockabilly from Mack Self and Hal Moon's Dynamo, plus soul from Charles Heinz.  John Lennon's tooth makes the news again.  And we discuss the Top Monthly Sellers between Record Store Day '11 and '12.

Northern Soul Stomper - Etta James "Seven Day Fool"

So hot and beautiful, the lady and her music are priceless.
Last Sale: $34.00 - 04/03/2012

Check Out - Robot Nine "Vinyl Album Record Art Seen In A New Light"

No one gets to see everything on the internet at the same time.  This is from over a year ago, but the pictures of people posing with record albums in unique ways like the one below was too much to pass up posting.

No dude . . . just . . . no

April 28 1979 - 1979, Blondie scored their first U.S. #1 single

1979, Blondie scored their first U.S. #1 single with “Heart of Glass,” also a #1 in the U.K.

Simpler Example Of Stop-Motion On Vinyl

This is a very clear and simple example of the stop-motion printing technique used to make a vinyl record's surface play a video while spinning. 

Found On Flickr - A Record Balloon?

No explanation was given for what this is (a ball, a balloon?), or when it was created, or why.  But it's really frickin' cool!!

There appears to be holes about 3in in diameter with attachments, perhaps for filling it with helium.

History Picking - April 28, 2000 - Fire Destroys James Brown Memorabilia And Live Tapes

 A blaze swept through James Brown Enterprises, the office that co-ordinate the superstar's tours. Nobody was injured, but memorabilia and live tapes were destroyed in the blaze. An employee was later arrested charged with arson.

Dark Side Of The Rainbow - The Movie

In 1995 a newspaper published the first mainstream media article about the "synchronicity",between the film "The Wizard Of Oz" and the "Dark Side Of The Moon" album. Not long afterward, fans began creating websites touting the experience and tried to comprehensively catalogue the corresponding moments. In April 1997 when Boston radio DJ George Taylor Morris discussed Dark Side of the Rainbow on the air, that lead to further mainstream media articles and a segment on MTV news.

In July 2000, the cable channel Turner Classic Movies aired a version of Oz with the Dark Side album as an alternate soundtrack. Since then enthusiasts have bickered endlessly about the exact point in the film at which to start the soundtrack. Regardless of differing opinions, and whether or not you feel the slices that line up together nicely are numerous enough to justify this exercise in mental masturbation, I highly recommend that you experience this phenom while extremely stoned. Hell, it can't hurt.

April 28, 1973 - 1973, Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side Of The Moon went to No.1 in the US.

1973, Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side Of The Moon went to No.1 in the US. The album went on to enjoy a record-breaking 741 discontinuous weeks on the Billboard chart, and has now sold over 45 million copies world-wide. After moving to the Billboard Top Pop Catalog Chart, the album notched up a further 759 weeks there, and had reached a total of over 1,500 weeks on the combined charts by May 2006. 

Check out this bootleg audio of the a live performance from Bristol in 1974.









Or this video of "Time" from a live performance at Wembley in 1974

Painting On Vinyl Records - Vinyl Art Created By Daniel Edlen

This is a video detailing one of Daniel Edlen's creations.  His work has been displayed at the Hard Rock Hotel in Miami and VH1 Studios in NYC.

All 45 RPM Vinyl Records - New Finds - Rebroadcast Of This Week's Vinyl Record Talk Tonight 9pm ET / 6pm PT On Off The Charts

Just press the play button.  VRT will start around 6pm Pacific Time.  Off The Charts is a Live365 station focusing on great lost music of the 70s and 80s.

This week the turntable came out and courtesy of Jeff Beeching of Kitschen Sink Radio and his finding a sweet vein in a bookstore in Tennessee, we have rare 50s rockabilly from Mack Self and Hal Moon's Dynamo, plus soul from Charles Heinz.  John Lennon's tooth makes the news again.  And we discuss the Top Monthly Sellers between Record Store Day '11 and '12.

History Picking - The Beatles Going Broke

From an AP story on January 16, 1969, a year and some change before The Beatles broke-up.  Apparently at the time Apple would bankrupt The Beatles in 6 months.  This is from The Milwaukee Journal.

Rare Northern Soul - Ed Bruce "I'm Gonna Have A Party"

Believe it or not - Northern Soul from the same dude who wrote "Mammas Don't Let You Baby's Grow Up To Be Cowboys".

Last Sale: $915.00 - 12/16/2008

Vinyl Records Come Back On The Turntable On This Week's Vinyl Record Talk Tuesday April 24th, 9pm ET / 6pm PT

After two weeks of themed shows we've had lots of 45's stacking up around here, so the turntable comes out tomorrow and courtesy of Jeff Beeching of Kitschen Sink Radio and his finding a sweet vein in a bookstore in Tennessee, we have rare 50s rockabilly from Mack Self and Hal Moon's Dynamo, plus soul from Charles Heinz.

We'll go over last years Top Monthly Sellers published on Record Store Day, and we'll have last week's Top 5.

And John Lennon's tooth speaks again in the news.

Please join us for this week's VRT live on Radio Dentata and Blog TV.

Vinyl Records Top 5 eBay Sales Week Ending 04/21/2012

The flying flexi-disc did not top the list this week, being beat out by one of psych's ultimate treasures, the Israeli band The Churrchills' self titled LP from 1969.  This leaves Jack White's first 7" from 1999 as the most recently released record to top the Top 5.  The test pressing of "Love Buzz" was first for the list, as was The Fly-Bi-Nights 45.

1. LP - The Churchills "self titled" Hed Arzi Israeli Pressing Promo - $5,200.00

2. 45 - Jack White "Freedome At 17" flexi-disc by balloon - $4,238.88

3. 45 - Nirvana "Love Buzz" Test Pressing - $3,999.99

4. LP - Led Zeppelin "I" Atlantic Turquoise UK Pressing - $3,626.33

5. 45 - The Fly-Bi-Nites "Found Love" / "Come On Up" Tiffany - $3607.89

Vinyl Record Talk is Live on Radio Dentata on Tuesdays at 9pm ET / 6pm PT at http://www.radiodentata.com/.

A Nagging Vinyl Record Question - Why ARE Today's Pop Songs About Three And A Half Minutes Long Anyway?

To this day, the standard for popular music, tracks for play on commercial radio, continues to be about three and a half minutes in length. This may be the reason why. 
Phonograph Cylinders. 

were the earliest medium for recording and reproducing sound to be marketed commercially. Commonly known simply as "records" in their heyday (c. 1888–1915). These had an audio recording engraved on the outside surface which could be heard when the cylinder was played on a 
phonograph.

 These cylinders could contain a maximum of about two minutes of sound. Commercial mass production of phonograph cylinders ended in 1929. Then the 12-inch disc, was introduced by Victor in 1903. 

This increased the maximum playing time to about three and a half minutes. A 10-inch 78 rpm record could hold about three minutes of sound per side and the 10-inch size was the standard size for popular music, so almost all popular recordings were limited to around three minutes in length.


 So now you know why it may be that today's Pop songs traditionally pressed on 7" 45RPM vinyl records are almost always about three and a half minutes long.

Check Out - 100 Greatest Northern Soul Songs Compiled By Kev Roberts

Check out this really comprehensive music site. www.digitaldreamdoor.com I found this list of 100 Greatest Northern Soul Songs   compiled by Kev Roberts

1. Do I Love You (Indeed I Do) - Frank Wilson
  2. Out on the Floor - Dobie Gray
  3. You Didn't Say a Word - Yvonne Baker
  4. The Snake - Al Wilson
  5. Long After Tonight is Over - Jimmy Radcliffe
  6. Seven Day Lover - James Fountain
  7. You Don't Love Me - Epitome of Sound 
  8. Looking for You - Garnet Mimms
  9. If That's What You Wanted - Frankie Beverly & the Butlers
10. Seven Days Too Long - Chuck Wood
11. The Right Track - Billy Butler
12. Stick By Me Baby - Salvadors
13. I Really Love You - Tomangoes
14. Time Will Pass You By - Tobi Legend
15. Landslide - Tony Clarke
16. Too Late - Larry Willaims & Johnny "Guitar" Watson
17. You Don't Know Where Your Interest Lies - Dana Valery
18. Walking Up a One Way Street - Willie Tee
19. If You Ever Walk Out of My Life - Dena Barnes
20. There's a Ghost in My House - R. Dean Taylor
21. Here I Go Again - Archie Bell & the Drells
22. Hit and Run - Rose Batiste
23. What - Judy Street
24. Tainted Love - Gloria Jones
25. Girl Across the Street - Moses Smith
26. You're Gonna Love My Baby - Barbara McNair
27. You've Been Away - Rubin
28. She'll Come Running Back - Mel Britt
29. Double Cookin' - Checkerboard Squares 
30. It Really Hurts Me Girl - Carstairs
31. If You Ask Me - Jerry Williams
32. Unsatisfied - Lou Johnson
33. Our Love is in the Pocket - J.J. Barnes
34. Come on Train - Don Thomas
35. Turnin' My Heartbeat Up - MVPs
36. You're Gonna Make Me Love You - Sandi Sheldon
37. I Got to Find Me Somebody - Vel-vets
38. I'm Gonna Love You a Long, Long Time - Patty & the Emblems
39. Better Use Your Head - Little Anthony & the Imperials
40. Dance, Dance, Dance - Casualeers 
41. Dearly Beloved - Jack Montgomery
42. Crackin' Up Over You - Roy Hamilton
43. My Sugar Baby - Connie Clark
44. Cashing In - Voices of East Harlem 
45. That's My Girl - Dee Clark
46. Lend a Hand - Bobby Hutton
47. Just Loving You - Ruby Andrews
48. Cause You're Mine - Vibrations
49. A Little Bit Hurt - Julian Covey
50. What Kind of Lady - Dee Dee Sharp
51. A Lil' Lovin' Sometimes - Alexander Patten
52. You Just Don't Know (What You Do to Me) - Chubby Checker
53. Just Like the Weather - Nolan Chance
54. Night Owl - Bobby Paris
55. Bari Track - Doni Burdick
56. I'll Always Need You - Dean Courtney
57. She's Wanted - Larry Clinton
58. I Travel Alone - Lou Ragland
59. They'll Never Know Why - Freddie Chavez
60. I Still Love You - Seven Souls
61. I'm On My Way - Dean Parrish
62. Baby Hit and Run - Contours
63. Open the Door to Your Heart - Darrell Banks
64. I'll Always Love You - Spinners
65. I'm Gonna Run Away from You - Tami Lynn
66. You Don't Want Me No More - Major Lance
67. Love, Love, Love - Bobby Hebb
68. Blowing My Mind to Pieces - Bob Relf
69. You Got to Pay Your Dues - Drifters
70. Skiing in the Snow - Invitations
71. She Blew a Good Thing - Poets
72. In Orbit - Joy Lovejoy
73. Stranger in My Arms - Lynne Randell
74. Nothing Can Compare to You - Velvet Satins
75. I Need You - Shane Martin
76. Hey Girl Don't Bother Me - Tams
77. I'm Comun' Home in the Mountain - Lou Pride
78. I Can't Help Lovin' You - Paul Anka
79. I'm Not Strong Enough - Four Perfections
80. I Got the Fever - Prophets/The Creation 
81. Crazy Baby - Coasters
82. Heartaches Away My Boy - Christine Cooper
83. You've Been Cheatin' - Impressions
84. Get Out - Harold Melvin & the Bluenotes
85. Run For Cover - Dells
86. Girls Are Out to Get You - Fascinations
87. I Never Knew - Eddie Foster
88. Save My Love for a Rainy Day - Van Dykes
89. Send Him Back - Pointer Sisters
90. Gonna Be a Big Thing - Yum Yums
91. If I Could Only Be Sure - Nolan Porter
92. Next Line - Hoagy Landis
93. Time Marches On - Lainie Hill
94. I Walked Away - Bobby Paris
95. I Can't Make It Anymore - Spyder Turner
96. You're Ready Now - Frankie Valli
97. Thumb a Ride - Earl Wright
98. Gotta Have Your Love - Sapphires
99. Man Without a Woman - Michael & Raymond
100. My Man is a Sweet Man - Millie Jackson


Kev is a Radio DJ/Promoter who joined Wigan Casino in 1973 and became an integral part of the Northern Soul Golden Era. He produced more than 100 Dance tracks during the 1980s, owned his own labels ELECTRICITY and BLUE CHIP, compiled more than 200 albums for 'Goldmine' and other record labels during the Soul revival in the '90s, Kev currently syndicates a weekly radio show in the U.K.

Northern Soul - Bunny Sigler "For Crying Out Loud"

This classic Northern Soul track by solid Soulster Bunny Sigler from 1965 was a Wigan Casino staple.

Check Out - Minimalist Grammophone

This Is Just Flippin' Cool! Nuff said.

April 23rd. 1971 - Rolling Stones Release Sticky Fingers LP In The UK

On this day in 1971, The Rolling Stones released their album Sticky Fingers in the UK. The band's first release on their own label via Atlantic Records, the cover was designed by Andy Warhol, who was paid $15,000 for his efforts. The LP sleeve featured a closeup of a pair of jeans with a working zipper. Widely assumed to be that of Mick Jagger, the crotch photographed for the cover was actually that of actor Joe Dallesandro. What a disappointment that knowledge must have been to the millions of Mick's adoring fans!

From February 2012's Top Sale - "Violets For Your Furs" Jutta Hipp with Zoot Sims Blue Note 1530

An original Blue Note pressing.

Sold for $5,117.00

End Record Store Day with $60,000 worth of vinyl, and 5 years of the Top 5 - Rebroadcast Of Last Tuesday's Vinyl Record Talk Around 9PM Pacific Time

Just press the play button.  VRT will start between 9-10pm Pacific Time.  Off The Charts has some great lost music of the 70s and 80s focusing for several more weeks on songs that topped the charts at #41.

This week's Vinyl Record Talk Show focuses on the top selling collectibles sold on eBay of the past five years, ever since this blog started tracking the weekly Top 5 Vinyl Record Sales On eBay in April of 2007, the month of the first Record Store Day.
Check Out This Past Year's Top Monthly Sellers.

$60,000 Worth Of Vinyl Records - Rebroadcast Of Last Tuesday's Vinyl Record Talk Around 3PM Pacific Time

Just press the play button.  VRT will start between 3-4pm Pacific Time.  Off The Charts has some great lost music of the 70s and 80s focusing for several more weeks on songs that topped the charts at #41.

This week's Vinyl Record Talk Show focuses on the top selling collectibles sold on eBay of the past five years, ever since this blog started tracking the weekly Top 5 Vinyl Record Sales On eBay in April of 2007, the month of the first Record Store Day.
Check Out This Past Year's Top Monthly Sellers.

Happy Record Store Day - Top Monthly Vinyl Record Sales on eBay April 2011 - March 2012

April 2011 / 10" - Sex Pistols "God Save The Queen" Acetate - $23,805.30

May 2011 / LP - Michelle Auclair "Bach Violin Sonatas" Discophiles 209/210 French Pressing - $6,100.00

June 2011 / LP - Nirvana "Hormoaning" Clear Marbled Blue Red Purple Press - $6666.66

July 2011 / 45 - J D Bryant "I Won't Be Coming Back" / "Walk On It" Shrine 108 - $8,001.00

August 2011 / LP - Michelle Auclair "Bach Violin Sonatas" Discophiles 209/210 French Pressing - $7,500.00

September 2011 /  LP - The Beatles "Please Please Me" Parlophone UK STEREO black & gold label matrix 1R/1G Dick James credits - $18,692.52

October 2011 / 45 - Sex Pistols "God Save The Queen" / "No Feeling" A&M AMS-7284 - $17,179.47

November 2011 / 45 - The Beatles "Please Please Me" / "Ask Me Why" Parlophone UK Signed Authenticated - $12,631.20

December 2011 / 45 - The Beatles "Love Me Do" / "P.S. I Love You" Parlophone Demo with sleeve - $17,338.20

January 2012 / 45 - Sex Pistols "God Save The Queen" / "No Feeling" A&M AMS-7284 - $11,710.08

February 2012 / LP - Jutta Hipp with Zoot Sims "self-titled" Blue Note 1530 Original - $5,117.00

March 2012 / 45 - The Combinations "What 'Cha Gonna Do" / "Good Bye" Kellmac - $8,500.00

The top seller for the year for the first time does not come from The Beatles.  In the last year a studio acetate of The Sex Pistols "God Save The Queen" sold for almost $24k, the highest selling price of any recorded auctioned on eBay between Record Store Day 2011 and Record Store Day 2012.

Northern Soul reappeared on the list twice this past year, after being absent all of last year.  The Beatles topped the list three times this last year, down from four times from last year.

$60,000 worth of vinyl records - First rebroadcast of this week's Vinyl Record Talk at 6pm Pacific Time on Off The Charts

Just press the play button.  VRT will start around 6pm Pacific Time.  Off The Charts has some great lost music of the 70s and 80s focusing for several more weeks on songs that topped the charts at #41.

This week's Vinyl Record Talk Show focuses on the top selling collectibles sold on eBay of the past five years, ever since this blog started tracking the weekly Top 5 Vinyl Record Sales On eBay in April of 2007, the month of the first Record Store Day.

Mindbogglingly Rare Northern Soul - Walter Wilson "Love Keeps Me Crying"

Three known copies

Last Sale: $4,165.00 - 07/13/2010

For Levon Helm - The Band At Their Best - At Sammy Davis Jr's House

I saw The Last Waltz when I was 12 years old.  I didn't know who The Band was.  It was playing in a double feature with Let It Be, and my best friend and I had recently discovered The Beatles.  We rode our bikes to the movie theater.  The Last Waltz played first.  By the time Let It Be started, The Beatles were still god, but I was from then on a polytheist.

The Genius Of Jack White, Or The Delivery Is The Money

First Cause Principle:  There will always be somebody with money.

Second Cause Principle:  If you package dog shit just right you can make a million dollars.

Above are the two tenets I live by.  So while other music news sites are framing the $4K sale on eBay of a balloon delivered Jack White flexi-disc as a crude and unintentioned by-product of a creative publicity stunt, I say BULLSHIT.

The delivery IS the money, and the money IS the intention.  Does Jack White understand this?  Don't know, don't care.  Einstein didn't make the atomic bomb, but it wouldn't have been created without Special Relativity.

Far more musicians struggle financially than earn a living with music, and every single one of them, in order to avoid becoming tire salesmen or real estate agents, learn record dealing.  This includes people I've known who did far better with one acetate pulled out of a Motown dumpster than with the two 80s albums his band released.

Jack White is to vinyl somewhere between Andy Warhol and Steve Jobs to their respective industries, both of whom were concerned with money first and foremost.  And not just money for themselves.  Nowhere is the expression, "the problem with capitalism is capitalists," better negated than in Jack White's balloon launch.

The following three things are certain about his balloon launch:

1.  Only about 100 of the 1000 balloons will ever be recovered.

2.  Known vinyl rarities where only about 100 copies are known to exist tend to increase in value.

3.  People will be looking for these for years.

If you're in Tennessee, Alabama or Georgia, think about starting balloon hunting tours.

The next following three things show why Jack White exudes the best qualities of capitalism.

1.  He's basically just given away $400,000.00, which he created out of $250 worth latex and helium, and which is wealth that could have been created only by giving it away.

2.  He's flipped a convention on its head, instantly creating a high demand collectible in a business where it takes decades for a record's value to mature.

3.  He's created instant publicity and mystique around his first "solo" album that is worth far more than the $400,000.00 he gave away (that he could never have kept for himself anyway).

For myself, the eBay sale of one of the balloon flexi-discs permanently closes a door of record collecting, behind which was the ever present question of how soon can a record become valuable.  The business has a customer base of cynical, smarmy, asbergery malcontents that are unlikely to gravitate to chrome prism covers, or any of the comic and card gimmicks.  Now its known what it takes.  Fortunately or unfortunately, it probably won't work again.

And . . . here's the song on that flexi-disc "Freedom At 21" . . . for free.

2nd Rarest Northern Soul Record - Junior McCants "Try Me For Your New Love"

Junior McCants died two weeks after recording this record.  King never offically released it and only a handful of promo's are known to exist.

Last Sale: $15,099.00 - 10/05/2008

Top Vinyl Records Auctions For The Past Five Years - 5 Years Of The Top 5 - Park It Here For Vinyl Record Talk Tonight 9pm ET / 6pm PT

We've been keeping the Top 5 for 5 years, hear somewhere in the neighborhood of $60,000 in vinyl tonight.

Live 9pm ET / 6pm PT

High Quality Audio: http://www.radiodentata.com

Video-cast and Chat: http://www.blogtv.com/people/vinylrecordtalk


Next Rebroadcast Friday moring 9am on Radio Dentata

History Picking - All Four Beatles Have Solo Singles On UK Charts.

1971 was a very good year for the boys. On this day, all four members had solo singles on the UK Charts Paul McCartney: Another Day, Ringo Starr: It Don’t come Easy, John Lennon, Power To The People and George Harrison: My Sweet Lord. 


~ ENJOY!

Check Out: Vinyl Record Care Ideas. ...I'm Jane Geddis And I Approve This Message.

Care Of LPs, 45s And Other Vinyl Records

Most LPs and singles released after the early fifties are composed of
polyvinyl materials and are more durable than it's predecessors. When
cleaning vinyl records, I recommend a 50/50 solution of isopropyl alcohol
(70% by Vol.) or denatured alcohol (fewer impurities) and filtered or
distilled water (again, fewer impurities). A few claim that alcohol is
damaging to vinyl... 70% or more by volume strength and continual contact for
a long period of time, maybe... but not in the recommended dilution. Alcohol
is water soluble and leaves little or no residue. A mild detergent, such as
Johnson and Johnson Baby Bath, can be used in small amounts with water with
no rinsing necessary. Photo Flo is a wetting agent used in photography to
help reduce water spots and marks during the rinsing of negatives. A couple
of drops in the above solutions also help in reducing residual deposits.

The solution should be applied with a soft, clean washcloth, wiping in a
circular motion with the grooves. Rinse the cloth often in the solution and
replace with a fresh mixture when needed. I recommend thoroughly drying the
record with a soft, clean towel... this further reduces residue left behind.
Try not to get the labels wet.

Dirty covers and labels are best left alone. If the cover is laminated or
glossy, a damp towel can be used... A mild furniture polish does nicely too.
Marks or writing on the cover may be able to be removed with a rubber eraser.
Lighter fluid (naphtha) or even hair spray works great on pen marks.
Permanent marker can be removed by marking over it with a dry erase marker,
then wipe with a dry cloth... It really works! Stickers, labels, tape and
such can be removed by heating the area with a hair dryer. The heat breaks
down the adhesive and makes it softer and easier to remove sticker and all
without a great risk of damaging the cover or sleeve. Sticker residue can be
removed with most citus-based cleaners or lighter fluid (naphtha). Again, I
stress that these only work well on glossy covers. Matte finish cover and
label marks are usually set. You stand a chance of removing part of the print
or color and making the situation worse.

It is equally important to handle, store and play records with the same care
used in cleaning. Once a record has been thoroughly cleaned, it should be
placed in a new, clean inner sleeve. It doesn't make much sense to put dirty
socks on freshly cleaned feet, right? Inner sleeves come in different
styles and are made with different materials. There are many opinions to
which sleeve is best... I prefer quality made, paper sleeves. I have
experienced no damage or problems with these sleeves, when handled properly.
I prefer to keep the sleeved record in the original cover jacket along with
the original sleeve and any inserts. Some prefer to put the record in a plain
jacket and store it and the original jacket together in a outer poly sleeve.
This helps prevent further wear to the cover, inner sleeve and other inserts.
In either case, use outer poly sleeves to reduce cover wear and dust. Always
store records vertically, leaning as little as possible but not too tight
either. You should be able to easily and freely insert and remove a record
from between two others without moving them. Storing records too tightly or
horizontally can promote ring wear on the cover or sleeve and cause
unnecessary stress to the record's materials, surface and label, resulting in
warps and contact damage. It is best to store records in a cool, dry area.
Avoid any source of heat such as direct sunlight, heaters, fireplace, etc.
and moist or humid areas. Warmth and humidity are ideal conditions for mold,
mildew and other fungi which can infest the cover, label and inside the
grooves. When handling and playing records, hold the disk by the outer edge
and label. Eliminate contact with the playing surface. Always replace disk in
it's sleeve and cover immediately after play. Ensure that your playback
equipment is set and adjusted correctly and that the stylus is not worn...
Extreme damage can result.



Re-posted here with kind permission from: Ken's Music Library 

History Picking - Kurt Cobain's Mosrite Gospel Guitar Auctions.

Since we're so fond of Music auctions here at VRT, and since Kurt Cobain's untimely suicide was eighteen years ago this April 5th. We thought it would be a good idea to feature the sale of an icon's icon. This unique and iconic guitar was auctioned not once, not twice, but has changed hands three times! Including a power grap attempt by Courtney Love who tried to claim ownership but, Kurt had sold the guitar before they were married. It was sold at auction several times, Most recently auctioned and sold for a whopping $131,450. This instrument is unusual in a couple of ways. First, it is one of only two known examples of a Mark V style Mosrite Gospel model. While Kurt owned and smashed many cheaper (usually Univox) copies of Mosrite guitars during his career, this was one of only two actual Mosrites he owned. (The other was damaged and given away.) It was also one of his favorite guitars, which saved it from the usual fate of the instruments he used for live performances.