Back Up To Speed?

2-27-09 Back up to speed?

As of the end of February ’09, I am averaging 108 new music titles per month for 2009. If this keeps up, I will top out at around 1,296 titles for the year; more than I averaged in 2008!

Well, for February – the list of singles I posted yesterday goes somewhat to explaining how I can buy so much stuff – almost all of those were 4 for $1, 7” 45rpm singles.

The two Yes oddities were also most amusing – the “Your Move” promo 45 is just the first half of “I’ve Seen All Good People”, never going into the fast, electric part! They just turn it up and fade it before the fast part starts! And “Run With The Fox” by Chris Squire and Alan White, from ’81 – where’s the whole LP? Damn, it’s a promo 45, so I do not even know what the B-side is!

And dig the non-LP studio version of “Beat Me Daddy Eight to the Bar” by Commander Cody & The Lost Planet Airmen! I had never even heard of that!

I recently bought the last remaining Rolling Stones CD I didn’t have (that I wanted), their debut album. I suppose if my funds were unlimited, I would go for the deluxe Japanese editions with paper sleeves…but I’m not there yet. Really, for bands like The Stones and The Who – it’s all about ‘editions’. I recently saw a listing for a deluxe Japanese boxed set for the 2^nd Who album, “A Quick One” – that would be really cool – but what’s in it? Mono, stereo, US / UK versions and a fistful of out-takes, B-sides and alternate versions in a nice expensive (Japanese) box? We know the quality would be good…SHM-CD’s, no doubt. And probably an AC:2 DVD.

Still haven’t downloaded anything – no plans to do so. What a disappointment that they didn’t “turn off” the analogue television last 2/17 – like they said they would! Guess I get to wait a few more months to turn my DVD recorder into a fancy piece of bogus high-end audio.

It’s February 2009, and I’m driving around in my car listening to a 1990 CD of a 1967 album by the Strawberry Alarm Clock. Sounds like a description of an unlikely dream, eh, readers? $3 at the swap meet last weekend. It’s only 10 songs, but the price was right, and it had the handful of tracks I wanted, “Tomorrow”, “The Birdman of Alkatrash” etc.

Tomorrow night, we’re going to go see the Philip Glass / Leonard Cohen show in Claremont, CA. I know it’s real, but they seem like an unlikely pair! (Last week, The Necks were fabulous!). No more live music viewing plans for right now…

Please feel free to email me (or leave in the comments) any requests for music topics you like me to write about. March should be very interesting...

More Singles!

2-26-09 More Singles!

Been having a lot of fun with 45’s lately…what with 45cat.com etc. - it's really been 'singles time' around here!

10cc – RUBBER BULLETS, UK RECS US 7” promo

BEE GEES – HOLIDAY, ATCO US 7”

BEE GEES – TOMORROW TOMORROW, ATCO US 7” promo

BRAMLETT, DELANEY – ARE YOU A BEATLE OR A ROLLING STONE, COLUMBIA US 7” promo

BRIGHT, BETTE / ILLUMINATIONS – CAPTAIN OF YOUR SHIP, RADAR UK 7” W/PS 2^nd single

BUBBLEROCK – SATISFACTION, UK RECS US 7” promo, Jonathan King

COMMANDER CODY / LOST PLANET AIRMEN – BEAT ME DADDY EIGHT TO THE BAR, PARAMOUNT US 7” promo; studio version

DELANEY & BONNIE & FRIENDS – NEVER ENDING SONG OF LOVE, ATCO US 7”

DESMOND, JOHNNY – I WANT TO BELIEVE YOU, ATCO US 7” promo

DR. JOHN – LET'S MAKE A BETTER WORLD, ATCO US 7” promo

FAITHFULL, MARIANNE – RUNNING FOR OUR LIVES, ISLAND US 7” promo

GEEZINSLAWS – HELP, I'M WHITE AND I CAN'T GET DOWN, STEP ONE US 7” comedy

GOLDEN EARRING – CANDY’S GOING BAD, TRACK US 7” b/w She Flies On Strange Wings

HOLMES, JAKE – SO CLOSE, POLYDOR US 7”

JOHANSON QUARTET, ARNOLD – MELANCHOLIE, ATCO US 7” promo

MUD – CRAZY, BELL US 7” promo, debut UK charting single!

MYSTERY TOUR – BALLAD OF PAUL, MGM US 7” promo, a “Paul Is Dead” record!

NEW WORLD – KARA KARA, RAK UK 7” Chinn-Chapman, Mickie Most, prod., Australian artist

NEW YORK ROCK & ROLL ENSEMBLE – BRANDENBURG, ATCO US 7” promo, Michael Kamen

RADHA KRISHNA TEMPLE – HARE KRISHNA MANTRA, APPLE UK 7” prod. by George Harrison

SQUIRE, CHRIS / ALAN WHITE – RUN WITH THE FOX, ATLANTIC US 7” promo, Yes members; doesn’t have it’s B-side, but I understand it’s just an instrumental

STEVENS, CAT – BANAPPLE GAS, A&M US 7” promo

STEVENS, CAT – TWO FINE PEOPLE, A&M US 7” promo

TOWNSHEND, PETE – BAREFOOTIN', ATCO US 7” promo, Live

WINWOOD, STEVE – TIME IS RUNNING OUT, ISLAND US 7” promo, listed as being 2:77

YES – YOUR MOVE (EDIT), ATLANTIC US 7” promo, from “The Yes Album” – dated October 19, 1971! It never gets to the big electric part! 2:54!

Most singles were 4 for $1!

45cat.com

2-25-09 45cat.com

I have recently began to participate on a website called “45cat”; actually:

http://www.45cat.com/

This is a British website, and it is focused on British 7” singles. Right up my alley! I strongly urge you to take a look at this website, and see if it appeals to you. It seems they are determined to discover how many 7” singles have been released in the UK. Uh huh!

I will start with adding some scans of labels that I collect: Island, Harvest, Charisma, Track, Fly, Vertigo etc. I have a sneakin’ suspicion that this website will be most useful for preparing ‘want lists’ of British 7” singles. And I’ve got nearly 1,800 British 7” singles! But I’ve already learned a bunch of stuff I didn’t already know by browsing through this neat website. They have already answered my question about an obscure Track Record B-side etc. And I spotted a non-LP Procol Harum B-side that I did not know about!

They say that they have approx. 36,000+ UK 7” singles already listed! Wow, it’s as though somebody entered an entire “Music Master” into a database! But the cool thing here is that everything posted is supposed to be verified by a site member. We all know that there is tons of stuff that exist exclusively in printed (and on-line) catalogues…

I looked at a list of the members of this website; am I the sole American? My user name is “45RK09”, so I am first on the user list!

All of this gets me thinking…someone should do the same for British LP’s!

The Brass Ring

2-24-09 The Brass Ring

BEST OF DUNHILL US DS 50051 LP

1969? 12 TRK Collection

BRASS RING feat. PHIL BODNER PROJECT 3 US PR 5067 SD LP

1972 12 TRKS EZ

DIS-ADVANTAGES OF YOU, THE DUNHILL US DS 50017 LP

1967? 11 TRKS stereo

GAZPACHO DUNHILL US DS 50034 LP

1968? 12 TRKS stereo

LARA'S THEME DUNHILL US DS 50012 LP

1966? 12 TRKS EZ stereo

LOVE THEME FROM 'FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX' DUNHILL US DS 50008 LP

1966? 12 TRKS stereo

NOW SOUND OF THE BRASS RING, THE DUNHILL US DS 50023 LP

1967? 12 TRKS stereo

ONLY LOVE DUNHILL US DS 50044 LP

1969? 11 TRKS stereo

SUNDAY NIGHT AT THE MOVIES DUNHILL US DS 50015 LP

1967? 12 TRKS stereo

The main run of Phil Bodner’s “Brass Ring” on Dunhill Records was from ’66 to ’69 – to me, they are the epitome of the “Now Sound” – a group of ‘production’ session musicians playing hits of the day – that their label happened to own the publishing of – in some cases.

The discography becomes anomalous with an album 3 years after all the others for a new label, the venerable “Project 3”, one of the ‘Enoch Light’ labels. In fact, the ‘67 release of their “Now Sound of…” LP may be among the first uses of that phrase to indicate “Easy listening music disguised as rock music” = “The Now Sound”.

So, what other things did Phil Bodner have a hand in? I have my dad to thank for turning me on to The Brass Ring – he bought a copy of “Gazpacho” from a bargain bin, and it eventually made it’s way to my modern-day collection of easy listening LP’s.

I do not get to add very much to this collection anymore – as hipsters now collect EZ listening LP’s – likely in search of beats etc. Nice vinyl of anything just becomes harder and harder to find.

Mr. Bodner passed away in February, 2008. I apparently posted this blog in ’07, but for some reason, it’s not in my index – so here it is again. There are a few more titles by The Brass Ring than I have posted above, but it looks like they’re mostly only ‘best ofs’...

= = =

Sorry, forgot to post this morning...

- RK

Artifacts

2-23-09 Artifacts

So, for ease of handling etc., I guess I am sticking with the compact disc. Yes, I’m keeping all of my LP’s & 45’s – when I have the time, I enjoy playing them in the evenings at home. I have 2 x working Sony cassette decks; I have at least 2 x working Sony MiniDisc machines, too. I have no interest in MP3’s or the handling thereof.

Doesn’t look like I will ever get back to my music video collection. I simply do not have the inclination. Those who know me well know how many I have, too. With the forthcoming advent of “digital TV”, my DVD recorder will eventually no longer work for plain old off-air recording (except via the cheap converter box, through the ‘line in’). Maybe I should turn my out-moded DVD recorder into my new audio toy?

I used to want a Sony ES hard drive. I forget what it’s capacity is (or was). No matter, it is no longer being sold. But I bet my DVD recorder has plenty of disk capacity! I’ll make it to DVD-Audio this way! I suppose it will operate like a big, convoluted MD deck! Oh, but I’ll have to make each track be a ‘chapter stop’ – quite unlike an MD, I won’t be able to just hook up a CD player to my DVD recorder and have it ‘see’ the tracks!

I remain somewhat curious about SACD, as I have some of those (notably Can and The Rolling Stones). Can’t really hear any big difference with the new-fangled SHM-CD format from Japan.

I considered getting some new audio equipment – a PRO-Ject turntable, maybe. Some nifty new speakers. An SACD player or a new amp with a 5.1 set-up. It all really seems so neither here nor there to me. I doubt any new piece of audio equipment is going to help me hear any better!

So, if I clear a space off to move my DVD recorder up to where an MD or cassette deck would sit…I guess I should do some tests. In the video universe, maximum quality is had on DVD at up to 1 hour per disc…but we all know it still looks fine at 2, 3 hours per disc. Audio about the same, I should suppose? I remember making SuperBeta hi-fi tapes, from LP’s! Great for parties, just wap in an L-830 and let it rock for 5 hours!

While I am concerned with ‘good audio’, I suppose that from childhood, I have always had a format that would record. Reel-to-reels, 8-tracks, cassettes, mini discs, CD’s, DVD’s…etc. I am definitely not content with just putting everything on the hard drive of my computer! What if my computer fried? Where would all my music go?

= = =

Oh, I still have my artifacts! Crisis averted!

p.s. enjoyed the Buena Park record collector swap meet, lots of folks go to that meet! - Ron

Name-checked!!!

In the CD booklet for the new re-issue of "Kip Of The Serenes" by Dr. Strangely Strange, they got my name wrong, "Ron Cane". But in the March 2009 issue of Record Collector Magazine (UK), I am name-checked and they got it right!

So, thank you to Mr. Adrian Whittaker for all your work on the "Kip" re-issue, it sounds absolutely glorious! I now suppose I am officially to be referred to as a "Mega-Collector", folks!

- Ron

Magazine

2-20-09 Magazine

Howard Devoto & Co. In light of the fact that a re-formed Magazine are playing in England, I thought I’d update my thoughts about this wonderful British new wave band. We must mark the passing of John McGeoch.

12" ABOUT THE WEATHER VIRGIN UK VS 412-12

1981 4 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" ABOUT THE WEATHER / IN THE DARK VIRGIN UK VS 412

1981 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

LP AFTER THE FACT (Collection) VIRGIN UK VM 1

1982 10 TRKS Collection

LP ALTERNATIVE USE OF SOAP, AN (Collection) VIRGIN CAN V 2156

1980 10 TRK Collection

LPx2 BACK TO NATURE pirate CENTRIFUGAL 12CENT-10

1982? 12 TRKS pirate, LIVE 8/79

CD BBC RADIO 1 LIVE IN CONCERT WINDSONG UK WINCD 040

1993 6 TRKS LIVE '78

LP CORRECT USE OF SOAP, THE VIRGIN UK V 2156

1980 10 TRKS UK original issue

CD CORRECT USE OF SOAP, THE re VIRGIN UK CDVR 2156

1980 14 TRKS (4 x bonus tracks) ('07 issue)

7" CRIME AND PUNISHMENT pirate PIRATE UK ?

1978 4 TRK EP; with pic sleeve, Pirate '85

7" GIVE ME EVERYTHING / I LOVE YOU YOU BIG DUMMY VIRGIN UK VS 237

1978 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

12" LIGHT POURS OUT OF ME / CUT-OUT SHAPES promo VIRGIN US VIDJ 1

1980 2 TRKS no pic sleeve; promo-only

LP MAGIC, MURDER AND THE WEATHER VIRGIN UK V 2200

1981 10 TRKS UK original issue

CD MAGIC, MURDER AND THE WEATHER re VIRGIN UK CDVR 2200

1981 12 TRKS ('07 issue) (2 x bonus tracks)

CDx3 MAYBE IT'S RIGHT TO BE NERVOUS NOW (3CD boxed set) VIRGIN UK MAGBOX 1

2000 45 TRK Collection (70's/80's recordings)

CD PLAY VIRGIN UK CDV 2184

1980 10 TRKS LIVE 9/80

LP PLAY VIRGIN UK V 2184

1980 10 TRKS LIVE 9/80

LP REAL LIFE VIRGIN JPN VIP-6922

1978 9 TRKS insert, autographed

CD REAL LIFE re VIRGIN UK CDVR 2100

1978 13 TRKS (4 x bonus tracks) ('07 issue)

7" RHYTHM OF CRUELTY / T.V. BABY VIRGIN UK VS 251

1979 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

LP SECONDHAND DAYLIGHT VIRGIN UK V 2121

1979 9 TRKS autographed

CD SECONDHAND DAYLIGHT re VIRGIN UK CDVR 2121

1979 13 TRKS (4 x bonus tracks) ('07 issue)

12" SHOT BY BOTH SIDES VIRGIN UK VS 592-12

1983 4 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" SHOT BY BOTH SIDES / MY MIND AIN'T SO OPEN VIRGIN UK VS 200

1978 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" SHOT BY BOTH SIDES / RECOIL VIRGIN JPN VIP-2632

1978 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" SONG FROM UNDER THE FLOORBOARDS VIRGIN UK VS 321

1980 2 TRKS with MAGAZINE SLEEVE

12" SWEETHEART CONTRACT VIRGIN UK VS 368-12

1980 4 TRKS Magazine sleeve

7" SWEETHEART CONTRACT / FEED THE ENEMY VIRGIN AUS K 8019

1980 2 TRKS with pic sleeve RED VINYL

7" SWEETHEART CONTRACT / FEED THE ENEMY VIRGIN UK VS 368AB

1980 2 TRKS

7" THANK YOU FALLETIN ME BE MICEELF AGAIN VIRGIN UK VS 328

1980 2 TRKS

7" TOUCH AND GO / GOLDFINGER VIRGIN UK VS 207

1978 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" TWENTY YEARS AGO / SHOT BY BOTH SIDES VIRGIN UK VS 368CD

1980 2 TRKS

7" UPSIDE DOWN / LIGHT POURS OUT OF ME, THE VIRGIN UK VS 334

1980 2 TRKS

I saw Magazine two different tours – in May ’79 @ The Whisky and a year later at the Urgh! Show in San Francisco. I remember Howard’s shoes and mic technique – which I saw Julian Cope steal wholesale a short time later (Teardrop Explodes, again, at the Whisky).

Before music videos were commonplace, I got film of some Magazine clips, “Feed The Enemy” and “Cut Out Shapes”. I remember showing them at a party, where a lot of people in attendance were as yet undecided about whether or not to embrace the new wave.

I happily purchased re-mastered British CD’s for the first four studio Magazine albums. I did not go for the Japanese little paper album cover (kami sleeve) CD’s, however – I never saw them for less than full retail (on my last visit to Japan). If I found them here for a good price, I’d probably go for ‘em. Aesthetic value, and all.

I have not kept up with all of Howard’s guest appearances – Bernard Szajner, This Mortal Coil, Mansun etc. I did enjoy the two Luxuria albums, however – and I got to see Luxuria perform live. And I love the Momus (Nick Currie) quote, “You think I’m under-rated, what about Howard Devoto?”

And doesn’t Howard just steal the whole movie when he appeared in the “24 Hour Party People” film?

The popular opinion always leans toward “The Correct Use Of Soap” as THE album by Magazine, but for my money, it’s “Secondhand Daylight”. And “Real Life”. I will never ever forget my reaction to hearing “Definitive Gaze” for the first time. The world shifted. One ignored Magazine at their peril. And I feel the same way 30 years later. Yes, I like them better (more) than Ultravox (I saw at least 4 shows by the John Foxx vers. of Ultravox) and XTC (only ever saw XTC live once).

I hope the re-formed Magazine make it to L.A.! As the French say, “Merci, d’exister!” – Thank you for existing, Howard.

Singles!

2-19-09 Singles!

I recently had a very good weekend finding 7” singles…mostly at a swap meet.

A CERTAIN RATIO – TWENTY SEVEN FOREVER, ROB'S UK 7” W/PS, 1991

BRAMLETT, DELANEY – GUESS I MUST BE DREAMIN', INDEPEND US 7” produced by Leon Russell

LILAC TIME – DREAMING (edit), CREATION UK 7” W/PS Stephen Duffy

FAMILY TREE – SLIPPIN' THRU MY FINGERS, RCA US 7” promo, Bob Segarini

GOODWIN, RON – VENUS WALTZ, CAPITOL US 7” promo

HARMONICATS – CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS, MERCURY US 7”, 1956

HARRIS, DON "SUGAR CANE" – I'M GONNA MISS YOU, BASF US 7”, 1972

JAMES, NICKY – SHE CAME TO ME, THRESHOLD US 7”

LOWE, NICK – (I LOVE THE SOUND OF) BREAKING GLASS, COLUMBIA US 7” promo

LULU – TO THE OTHER WOMAN, ATCO US 7” promo, Bee Gees

OPEN ROAD – SWAMP FEVER, GREENWICH US 7” promo, 1972 – Donovan’s backing band

RARE BIRD – HEY MAN, POLYDOR US 7” promo, 1972

RUNT – WE GOTTA GET YOU A WOMAN, AMPEX US 7”

SAM THE SHAM & THE PHARAOHS – HAIR ON MY CHINNY CHIN CHIN, MGM US 7” W/PS

SONNY & CHER – THE LETTER, VAULT US 7”, Harold Battiste, arr.

STRANGLERS – NICE 'N' SLEAZY, A&M US 7” stock copy

STRAWBERRY ALARM CLOCK – INCENSE AND PEPPERMINTS, UNI US 7” b/w The Birdman of Alkatrash

STRAWBS – HEAVY DISGUISE, A&M US 7” promo, 1972

TERRY DACTYL & THE DINOSAURS – SEA SIDE SHUFFLE, UK US 7” promo, Jona Lewie

THOMPSON, SUE – SAD MOVIES (MAKE ME CRY), HICKORY US 7”

VANILLA FUDGE – YOU KEEP ME HANGING ON, ATCO US 7”

WOOLEY, SHEB – PURPLE PEOPLE EATER, MGM US 7” 4 track EP

Yes, I know this list is all over the map – but…I wish I knew more about guys like Leon Russell and Harold Battiste, the stuff they worked on in L.A. before becoming famous.

I’ve been collecting records for over 40 years, but I can still find stuff that I didn’t even know about, when looking through 7” 45rpm singles!

Later on:

EIGHT SECONDS – KISS YOU (WHEN IT'S DANGEROUS), POLYDOR US 7” W/PS produced by Rupert Hine

ETERNITY'S CHILDREN – MRS. BLUEBIRD, TOWER US 7”

FAMILY – BURLESQUE, REPRISE UK 7” EP W/PS ’78 re-issue

GOULDMAN, GRAHAM – SUNBURN, MERCURY UK 7” W/PS 10cc

LEWIE, JONA – GOD BLESS WHOEVER MADE YOU, STIFF UK 7”

MANN, MANFRED – SHA LA LA, HMV UK 7” ’64 original

Mo' 7" please!

- RK

p.s. The Necks are tonight!