Friday, November 21, 2008

Fab collectables in big online Rock-n-Roll auction

Serious Toyz has begun their Fall '08 Beatles/Rock-n-Roll Vinyl & Collectibles Auction, and it includes some rare Beatles Collectibles and rare Beatles vinyl.

Featured in the auction is an original Beatles Record Player in exceptional condition in its rare original box. It is estimated to sell between $8,500 and $12,500.


Other highlights of the sale include a store stock set of 4 Yellow Submarine banks in original boxes, a Ringo Starr Drum Set in box, the Beatles Remco Dolls in the rare Sears mailing box, Apple Records promotional items and a "3rd state" Butcher Cover.

The auction runs now through November 22. For more information on the auction, check out the Serious Toyz website.

http://serioustoyz.com/

Top Ten TV Theme Songs

Let's explore PasteMagazine.com's list of theme songs, this time see what made #8 on their list:

8. Hawaii Five-o - Morton Stevens

Of all the songs on this list, this is the one that you'll have stuck in your head for the rest of the day.

Includes the massive "Hawaii Five-O" theme, plus the cuts "Call To Danger", "Up Tight", "Blues Trip", "The Long Wait", "The Floater", "Beach Trip", "Operation Smash", "McGarrett's Theme", and "Front Street". Book 'em Danno!



A soundtrack album featuring Morton Stevens' theme and incidental music was issued by Capitol Records in 1970. One of the instrumental pieces on the album, "Call to Danger", was excerpted as background music accompanying a "Special Presentation" logo that CBS used to introduce its prime time television specials throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

interesting tidbits:

The show continues to be seen in Hawaii since it left the air, thus making it the longest-running show to continue airing in the state after it ceased production. It is currently seen on Honolulu independent outlet KWHE.

The phone numbers that were dialed from various Honolulu-area phone booths throughout the run of the series were actual household numbers, which caused some "invasion of privacy" concerns for residents, even after the series ended; hence in the middle of the series run, the Honolulu phone prefix "(808) 555-xxxx" was to be used on every episode from then on.

Jack Lord was the only actor to appear in all episodes of Five-O and was the only original cast member remaining when its last episode aired in May 1980. He and Herman Wedemeyer were the only actors to appear in the first episode (excluding the pilot) and the last episode of the series.

The soundtrack is listed at around $40 (Capitol ST-410)

Classic Rock Videos

Rolling Stones - Get off of my Cloud

The Independent Record Shop

Old Rare New: The Independent Record Shop

For those of us who grew up thumbing through endless peach crates of vinyl records, the thrill of the hunt for coveted slabs of licorice pizza is still alive and forever under the skin. We may not feed the turntable as often or stumble in and out of the long-lost record stores of an earlier era, but the hunger is there. Downloading a selection from iTunes isn't the same as examining a wall of import seven-inch singles, finding the new bass player for your band in the aisles, or hearing Miles Davis for the first time on a battered tube-amp stereo.

Alas, between 2003 and 2006, an estimated 900 record stores here in the U.S. flipped over the "closed" sign at the door for the last time. But geezers, vinyl addicts, and young whippersnappers can rejoice: The Black Dog Publishing house of London has just issued a 142-page love letter to that magical age in Old Rare New: The Independent Record Shop. Told through essays and conversations with record junkies all over the planet and lavishly illustrated with album jackets, vintage labels, and photographs of walls of wax, the sense of community, discovery, and obsession is a heady feast of 78s, eight-track tapes, and gatefold albums. Highlights include reflections by Chan Marshall (Cat Power), Devendra Banhart, James Lavelle, and Byron Coley. If you miss the church of the indie record store, this is your new Bible. Further worship is encouraged with an appendix of indie shops both stateside and in the UK.

This is a fantastic look at the record shop that we all remember. In my day, they also had 8-track tapes, but I always bought vinyl. It was a place to meet friends, talk about new music, study album cover art and stare at blacklight posters. Ahh...the good old days.

This is a reminder to all, if you have a local record shop, buy your vinyl from that retailer, not online. Let's keep the doors open and the memories will live on.


Album Cover Art

Let's continue our look at the Gigwise.com list of the top 50 dirtiest and sexiest album covers (as compiled by their staff- Gigwise comments in quotes):


32. The Strokes: ‘Is This It’ – "The New Yorkers’ debut in 2001 is in Gigwise’s humble opinion one of the greatest covers of all time. Featuring a female figure (something which has since been contested by some claiming it’s a man) resting a leather glove on her behind, it perfectly complemented the scuzzy, dirty indie music it contained. Sadly, it was deemed too racy in the US and an alternative sleeve was issued."

Obviously, someone at Gigwise.com really, really likes the cover, as we have seen it before on their 'best' album covers lists. Uh, can someone tell them it's just a hand on an ass? Maybe it's the leather......

This Date In Music History-November 21

Birthdays:

Lonnie Jordan of War was born in 1948.

Randy Zehringer, brother of Rick Derringer and drummer in his band the McCoys ("Hang On Sloopy"), was born in Celina, Ohio in 1949.

Brian Ritchie, bassist with the Violent Femmes, was born today in 1960.

Icelandic singer Björk was born in Reykjavik in 1965.

Dr. John (real name Mac Rebbenack-- "Right Place, Wrong Time") is 67.

Livingston Taylor ("I Will Be In Love With You") turns 58.

They Are Missed:

In 1965, Bill Black, who backed Elvis Presley on his early hits, died of a brain tumor at the age of 39. After leaving Elvis, he formed Bill Black's Combo and placed 8 hits in the US Top 40, including "White Silver Sands" in 1960.

Comedian/songwriter, Allan Sherman, who is best remembered for 1963's "Hello Mudduh, Hello Fadduh" died of respiratory ailments in 1973, a few days shy of his 49th birthday.

Legendary manager of Led Zeppelin Peter Grant died from a heart attack in 1995. Known as being one of the shrewdest and most ruthless managers in rock history, Grant secured 90% of concert gate money and intimidated record store owners who dealt in bootlegs. The former wrestler, also worked as a film extra and bodyguard.

History:

In 1968, Yoko Ono suffered a miscarriage of John Lennon's child. They named the baby John Ono Lennon II and buried it at a secret location.

Two months after launching their TV series, The Partridge Family reached the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1970 with "I Think I Love You.” The only members of the cast who actually sang on the record were David Cassidy and his real-life step mother, Shirley Jones. The song was featured in the first episode of the Partridge Family TV series, made by the same company that made The Monkees.

In 1955, Elvis Presley agreed to let Col. Tom Parker be his manager. Not really a colonel, Parker was a flamboyant promoter whose previous experience includes The Great Parker Pony Circus and Tom Parker and His Dancing Turkeys and is a veteran of carnivals, medicine shows and various other entertainment enterprises.

The Beatles Anthology 1 was released in the US in 1995, featuring 60 tracks-including the single 'Free As A Bird.'

Maurice Williams and The Zodiacs went to No.1 on the US singles chart in 1960 with 'Stay', the shortest ever US No.1 single at one minute 37 seconds.

Olivia Newton John started a ten week run at No.1 in the US singles chart in 1981 with the single 'Physical.” Her fourth US #1 went on to sell over 2 million copies (#7 hit in the UK).

The Elvis Presley film "Fun in Acapulco" premiered in 1963.

"The Delicate Sound Of Thunder," by Pink Floyd was released in 1988.

In 2003, legendary record producer Phil Spector was charged with the murder of Lana Clarkson at his home the previous February. Spector pled innocent. The case remains open.

Don Henley was arrested in 1980, after paramedics treated a nude sixteen year-old girl suffering from drug intoxication at his home in Los Angeles, CA. Henley was charged with unlawful possession of marijuana, cocaine and Quaaludes and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.