History Picking - May 5, 1956 Elvis Presley Scores #1 Hit Single And Album

1956, Elvis Presley scored his first US No.1 single and album when 'Heartbreak Hotel' went to the top of the charts. 'Heartbreak Hotel' became his first million-seller, and was the best-selling single of 1956. The lyrics were based on a newspaper article about the suicide of a lonely man who jumped from a hotel window.

Vinyl Records Top 5 eBay Sales Week Ending 02/19/2011

Two Warhol covers make the list this week, the Spanish instruction record that made the list two weeks ago. The other is Ultra Violet's undistributed LP (it was pressed but never sent to stores). Tied with the Madrigal LP at #1 is an unreleased prototype picture disc 12" from The Police. A similar second prototype get the #2 spot. Both had been owned by a former A&M executive.

1. LP - Margarita Madrigal "Madrigal's Magic Key to Spanish" Warhol Cover - $7,100.00

1. 12" - The Police "Don't Stand So Close To Me" / "De Doo Doo Doo De Da Da Da" Unreleased Picture Disc Prototype - $7,100.00

2. 12" - The Police "Don't Stand So Close To Me" / "De Doo Doo Doo De Da Da Da" Unreleased Picture Disc Prototype - $7,050.92

3. LP - Elvis Presley "Speedway" LPM-3989 Mono Sealed - $5,500.09

4. LP - Ultra Violet "self titled" LP Warhol Cover - $5,100.00

5. 45 - The Precisions "My Sense Of Direction" / "Take A Good Look" Hen-Mar 4501 - $4,383.00

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

Vinyl Records Top 5 eBay Sales Week Ending 02/05/2011

After several years of depressed prices, and weird and fetishistic one off acetates, private press records and countless Led Zeppelin road boxes making the list, bidders are returning to push up prices of the standard-bearers from Elvis, the Beatles, and moving 50's European classical box sets past the $10k mark. Sell your gold and swiss francs, and give away the horded canned goods and bags of rice; the dreaded mob of vegetarian child molesting Muslim communists will not be taking over. The world is returning to normal.

1. LP - Annlies Schmidt "Bach: 6 Suites for Cello Alone" Ducretet-Thomson 300 C 043/4/5 - $11,212.00

2. LP - Margarita Madrigal "Madrigal's Magic Key to Spanish" Warhol Cover - $4,550.00

3. LP - The Beatles "Revolver" Parlophone UK Mono 1st Press - $3,112.23

4. 45 - Elvis Presley "Little Sister" Compact 33 Jukebox Press w/ Pic Sleeve - $3,050.00

5. LP - Linda Hoyle "Pieces Of Me" Vertigo - $2,264.32

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

#MusicMonday

This last week has been boring as far as music is concerned. I managed to get five pages deep in PR News wire before I found anything even remotely interesting. So, I'm posting some Rock/Pop Tid Bits graciously borrowed from My friend Robert Benson's blog. His blog of all things music, is here. Check it out and tell him I sent you.

Rock/Pop Tidbits

Mr. Aker Bilk, who took "Stranger On The Shore" to Billboard's number one spot in May, 1962, learned to play the clarinet while he was in prison. He had been sentenced to three months in jail after falling asleep while on guard duty for the British Army in Egypt.

Elvis Presley was number 1 in record sales in the US in the 1950s. In the 1960s he was number 2 and in the 70s he was number 13.

John Lennon and Paul McCartney were always on the look-out for interesting titles to write a song around. They did just that when a tired Ringo uttered "God, it's been a hard days night" and again when a chauffeur told Paul, "I'm very busy at the moment. I've been working eight days a week."

Ellas Bates was still in grammar school when classmates started calling him "Bo Diddley". He says he doesn't know why. A bo diddley is actually a one-string, African guitar.

Songwriters Felice and Boudleaux Bryant wrote "All I Have To Do Is Dream" in 15 minutes, but the tune would reach the US charts in four straight decades. The Everly Brothers took it to number one in 1958, Richard Chamberlain's version (go figure) went to number 14 in 1963, Glen Campbell and Bobby Gentry reached number 27 with it in 1970, and Andy Gibb and Victoria Principal peaked at number 51 in 1981.

Dan Whitney, the comedian known as "Larry The Cable Guy" has been influenced by show business all his life. His father used to played guitar with the Everly Brothers.

The first time that Del Shannon and his keyboard player, Max Crook, ever played "Runaway" on stage, Crook improvised the organ solo as he went along. When it came time to record the song and in all future performances, he never changed a single note.

John Fred and his Playboy Band hit the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in January, 1968 with "Judy In Disguise". At one time, John's father, Fred Gourrier was a professional baseball player.

Before Pete Townshend of the Who began working on the rock opera “Tommy,” he had planned to write an opera about a big white rabbit that ruled the world.

After The Tokens achieved a number one record with "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" in 1961, follow up recordings failed to sell. The group however continued to perform and sang back up vocals for Connie Francis, Del Shannon and Bob Dylan, as well as recording commercials for Pan Am, Ban Deodorant, Wendy's and Sunkist.

In the 1960s, during the height of Beatlemania, there were about 90 records released every week in the UK. Only 2 or 3 ever made the charts.

The Shirelles 1962, US Top 10 hit, "Baby, It's You" was actually recorded with only Shirley Alston Reeves' voice over the instrumental demo. The other members of the group don't appear on the record at all, as the original backup vocals, provided by male singers, were left in place.

It took Elvis Presley 31 takes of "Hound Dog" to get the final version that we hear today. In 1988, the song was named the most played record of all time on American juke boxes.

Vinyl Records Top 5 eBay Sales Week Ending 07/25/2009

1. 45 - Brute Force "King Of Fuh" / "Nobody Knows" Apple 8 - $8,023.16

2. 78 - Dock Boggs "Old Rub Alcohol Blues" / "False Hearted Lover's Blues" The Lonesome Ace - $4,000.00
2. 78 - Dock Boggs "Lost Love Blues" / "Will Sweethearts Know Each Other There" The Lonesome Ace - $4,000.00

3. 45 - James Cotton "Cotton Crop Blues" / "Hold Me In Your Arms" Sun 206 - $3,050.00

4. 45 - Pink Floyd "Free Four" / "Absolutely Curtains" Odeon Japan Promo - $2,500.00

5. 7" - Elvis Presley "His Latest Flame" / "Little Sister" RCA Victor Compact Single - $2,200.00

Vinyl Records Top 5 eBay Sales Week Ending 01/31/2009

Top 5 List:


1. 12" - U2 "Out Of Control" #407/1000 - $3,381.00 - Start: $1000.00 - Bids: 18

2. 45 - Salt & Pepper "Man Of My Word" / "Linda" Heatwave - $3,310.00 - Start: $6.95 - Bids: 31

3. 45 - Elvis Presley "self titled" EP RCA SPD-23 - $3,151.00 - Start: $19.99 - Bids: 16

4. 45 - The Harp Tones "A Sunday Kink Of Love" / "I'll Never Tell" Bruce - $2,552,89 - Start: $9.99 - Bids: 14

5. 78 - Perry & His Stomp Band "Ash Can Stomp" / "Muddy Water" Black Patti - 2,500.00 - Start: $999.99 - Bids: 3

#1 on the list this week is U2's original 12" record, commonly known as "Out Of Control" or just "Three", selling for close to $3.4k. This is the numbered copy that the band themselves sold at a swap meet in Ireland. Next, a Northern Soul 45 by Salt & Pepper on Heatwave records sells for a little over $3.3k.

The RCA give-away 45 EP set from Elvis makes the list for the second time this year, bidding more than halfway over $3.1k for the #3 spot. This copy, described in what would be VG condition, sells for more than $1k less than the Near Mint copy of two weeks ago.

A Doo-Wop 45 makes the #4 spot, "A Sunday Kind Of Love" on Bruce closing at well over $2.5k. And last, a hillbilly 78 from Perry and his Stomp Band, one of five known copies, sells for exactly $2.5k.

Vinyl Records Top 5 eBay Sales Week Ending 01/17/2009

1. LP - Pink Floyd "Meddle" EMI Columbia Blue Vinyl Pressing - $12,000.00 - Start: $1,500.00 - Bids: 48

2. LP - Michele Auclair "Sonates pour clavier et violin" Les Discophiles Francais - $5,500.00 - Start: $499.00 - Bids: 17

3. LP - Pink Floyd "self titled" Odeon Japan Promo - $4,300.00 - Start: $499.00 - Bids: 20

4. 45 - Elvis Presley "self titled" EP RCA SPD-23 - $4,250.00 - Start: $10.00 - Bids: 23

5. 45 - U2 "I Will Follow" / "Boy/Girl" CBS Ireland tan vinyl - $2,650.00 - Start: $0.01 - Bids: 17


2009 gets its first break of the $10k mark this week, with a rare blue vinyl "Meddle" selling for exactly $12k. The $10k mark was broken only three times last year, once by the #5 White Album, and twice by Northern Soul 45's.

In the #2 spot a French Bach LP set of Bach Sonatas bids up to $5.5k. Next, another Pink Floyd record makes the list, this one a Japanese promo which contained tracks from early Pink Floyd albums Saucerful Of Secrets through Atom Heart Mother, as well as a few singles and B-sides.

Elvis Presley's three EP set, simply titled "Elvis Presley" bids up halfway past $4.2k.

And last, a tan vinyl "I Will Follow" from U2 sells for halfway over $2.6k.

Audio For News, Feature and Auction Reports For Week Of December 14th 2008

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Vinyl Records Top 5 eBay Sales Week Ending 12/20/2008

Top 5 List:

1. 45 - Larry Clinton "She's Wanted" / "If I Knew" Dynamo Promo - $5,000.00 - Start: $9.99 - Bids: 13

2. 45 - Elvis Presley "That's All Right, Mama" / "Blue Moon Of Kentucky" Sun 209 - $4,450.00 - Start: $9.99 - Bids: 50

3. 45 - Bruce Springsteen "Born To Run" / "Meeting Across The River" CBS Greece Promo - $3,926.00 - Start: $499.00 - Bids: 9

4. 45 - Dennis Edwards "Johnnie On The Spot" / "I Didn't Have To" International Soulsville - $3,300.00 - Start: $1,999.99 Bids: 4

5. 45 - Elvis Presley "That's All Right, Mama" / "Blue Moon of Kentucky" Sun 209 - $2,999.99 - Start: $2,999.99 Bids: BIN

All 45's this week on the top 5, Larry Clinton's rarest Northern Soul 45, "She's Wanted", on the Dynamo label sells for exactly $5k. In the #2 spot, the first of two "That's All Right, Mama" Elvis 45's on Sun that appear on this week's list, this one a near mint copy, sells for halfway past $4.4k.

Next, a CBS promo of Springsteen's "Born To Run" from Greece bids up past $3.9k. Reportedly, CBS pressed only 200 copies of this 45 for promotion in Greece, and never released it in the country commercially .

Another Northern Soul treasure takes the #4 spot, Dennis Edwards "Johnnie On The Spot" gets exactly $3.3k.

And last, the second copy of "That's All Right, Mama" to make the list this week, this one in VG-ish condition, sells on a Best Offer for a penny less than $3.3k.

Audio For Auction Report for Week Ending December 6th 2008

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Audio For News Reports For Week Of December 7th 2008

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Vinyl Records Top 5 eBay Sales Week Ending 12/06/2008

Top 5 List:

1. 45 - David Bowie "The Prettiest Star" Japan 45 RPM EP - $5,100.00 Start: $3,899.99 Bids: 6

2. LP - Pink Floyd "Piper At The Gates Of Dawn" Odeon Japan Red Vinyl - $4,828.00 Start: $3,999.00 Bids: 4

3. LP - Walter Strerath "Trio - Quartet - Quntet" Jazz Groove - $3,506.00 Start: $9.00 Bids: 20

4. 45 - Tamala Lewis "You Won't Say Nothing" / "If You Can Stand Me" Marton - $3,230.00 Start: $899.99 Bids: 22

5. LP - Elvis Presley "Aloha" Chicken Of The Sea Promo - $2,375.01 Start: $1,500 Bids: 14


Rock gods stomp all over the list this week, with a David Bowie 45 from Japan selling for $5.1k.
A first press of the first Pink Floyd LP on red vinyl, also out of Japan, bids up over $4.8k

In the #3 spot, a rare Jazz LP from Walter Strerath closes a little over $3.5k. A Northern Soul 45 from Tamala Lewis gets more than $3.2k.

And last, the Chicken Of The Sea promo Aloha record given to employees of the company sells for close to $2.4k.