The vinyl record collecting blog - with news about new vinyl record releases, vinyl record sales, new music releases, album cover art and weekly features
Here is the month in review of the top selling ebay vinyl record sales, on a weekly basis, for December 2011. First and foremost, a special thank you to Norm and Jane at Vinyl Record Talk. Be sure to listen to their popular radio show Vinyl Record Talk for more information about the weekly top 5, vinyl record news and as well as weekly guests.
Top 5 eBay Vinyl Record Sales - Week Ending 12/03/2011
Beatlemania is re-surging in auctions all over. The Beatles take three of five spots this week, with two "Please Please Me" records and an export "White Album".
1. LP - The Beatles "Please Please Me" Parlophone Stereo UK 2nd Pressing - $5,146.50
5. 45 - The Sex Pistols "God Save The Queen" / "Did You No Wrong" Virgin South African Pressing - $2,591.82
Top 5 eBay Vinyl Record Sales - Week Ending 12/10/2011
No doubt the Beatles stuff is hot right now. The "Love Me Do" 45 usually goes for $7k - 10k with the sleeve. But if a scrap of paper (see Lennon to-do list post) sells for $16k, what Beatles item isn't worth more than its weight in gold? The non-Beatle entries on this week's list are worth a look. The Maitrey Kali LP is the very rare double LP version, not the more typical single LP repress. And the "Love Buzz" 7" as a test pressing gets about double what one of the regular releases bring.
1. 45 - The Beatles "Love Me Do" / "P.S. I Love You" Parlophone Demo with sleeve - $17,338.20
2. LP - Maitreya Kali "Apache/Inca" Private Press - $10,101.00
3. LP - The Beatles "Please Please Me" Parlophone Stereo UK 2nd Pressing - $7,029.00
4. 45 - Nirvana "Love Buzz" / "Big Cheese" Test Pressing - $4,350.00
5. LP - The Beatles "Please Please Me" Parlophone Stereo UK 1st Pressing - $3.982.10
Top 5 eBay Vinyl Record Sales - Week Ending 12/17/2011
In 1971 you could have found any of these records in a used bin for a half-dollar. Maybe the Brute Force 45 might not have turned up so easily as it was given out, more or less, as a joke by Apple Corp employees and was never officially released. This week is an honor roll of psych holy grails, with the Mexican psychedelic band Kaleidoscope having their only release topping the list.
1. LP - The Kaleidoscope "self-titled" Orfeon - $7,200.00
2. 45 - Brute Force "King Of Fuh" / "Nobody Knows" Apple 8 - $4,374.00
3. LP - The Bachs "Out of the Bachs" Private Press - $3,888.00
4. LP - The Beatles "Yesterday & Today" Capitol T-2553 #6 Mono 2nd State Butcher Cover - $3,483.83
5. LP - Damon "Song Of A Gypsy" Private Press - $3,450.00
Top 5 eBay Vinyl Record Sales - Week Ending 12/24/2011
A sweet find turned up this week, a test pressing of "Freewheelin'" that has the alternate tracks that were mistakenly released on the original pressing. A stock copy of "Freewheelin'" typically sells for around half the $5k price that this test pressing bid to. Psych stuff continues to make the list, with Canadian holy grail "Bent Wind" getting the #2 spot, and Delany and Bonnie's Apple record getting the #4 spot. Poking in at the bottom is a KBD 45 from Bad Brains.
1. LP - Bob Dylan "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan" Test Press LP Alternate Tracks - $5,212.00
4. LP - Delany & Bonnie "The Original Delaney And Bonnie" Apple SAPCOR7 UK Pressing - $3,534.64
5. 45 - Bad Brains "Pay To Cum" / "Stay Close To Me" w/sleeve and insert - $2,938.00
Top 5 eBay Vinyl Record Sales - Week Ending 12/31/2011
The private press funk treasure from John Heartsman gets the top spot on this lackluster week. The week after Christmas can be low-key, but watch for the weeks from early January through Valentine's day to test the economic resilience of vinyl in 2012. As filmmaker Jeanie Finlay points out in her acclaimed documentary "Sound It Out", record collecting is primarily a men's pre-occupation.
And I declare that as men most of us never get what we want for Christmas - socks, ties, hand-made chotchkies from our kids. We must sneak in our true material desires in the zone between New Years and Valentine's Day.
1. LP - John Heartsman And Circles "Music Of My Heart" Private - $3,250.00
2. LP - Hank Mobley "self-titled" Blue Note 1560 Original Pressing - $2,480.00
The artwork for Van Halen's new album 'A Different Kind Of Truth' is placed side by side with an album from the 70's. The cover utilizes the same train image to the one on 'Movin' On,' the 1975 album by the Commodores.......it's just a train......
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i've said this before about this album cover....it's just a banana folks....
Velvet Underground Suing Andy Warhol Foundation Over Banana
The Velvet Underground have launched legal action over the use of 'their ' iconic, Andy Warhol-designed album cover. The group accused the Andy Warhol Foundation of trademark infringement, saying it illegally licensed the famous banana logo for use on other products.
The Velvet Underground say the banana, which was used on their 1967 debut album, is synonymous with their image.
Andy Warhol designed their first album cover - which incorporated the banana symbol and the phrase "peel slowly and see". On early editions of the album, the banana skin was a sticker which could be removed to display the flesh underneath. Legal papers filed in Manhattan state that the artwork, which was never officially copyrighted, "became a symbol, truly an icon, of the Velvet Underground" for some 25 years.
"The symbol has become so identified with the Velvet Underground that members of the public, particularly those who listen to rock music, immediately recognise the banana design as the symbol of the Velvet Underground," court papers said.
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album cover art for the day:
Nightqueen Unveils Cover Artwork
Nightqueen recently revealed the album artwork for their debut LP .For Queen And Metal." The art was created by Jan Yrlund and is scheduled for release On February 24, 2011 via Massacre Records.
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Ripple Music Signs Exclusive North American-Wide Distribution Deal with Heavy Music Leader, NAIL Distribution!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ripple Music and NAIL Distribution have signed a deal that, as of January 2012, will make NAIL Distribution the exclusive distributor of Ripple Music CDs and vinyl records throughout the entire North American Continent!
"This is a very big deal for Ripple Music as NAIL Distribution is an independent distributor with a proven track record of working with heavy music like Ripple, handles a tremendous catalog of artists, and operates with a ton of integrity." explains Todd Severin and John Rancik, co-owners of Ripple Music. "Plus, as a division of Allegro Media Group, this agreement opens up new and exciting opportunities for digital distribution of Ripple Music bands. We’re extremely proud to be working with the whole NAIL team and thrilled to get Ripple Music permeated through the ears of the North America," California-based Ripple Music burst onto the scene, making huge waves upon its launch in 2010 with a mission to release quality “authentic rock” for the hard-rocking world. Releasing vinyl, CD’s and Digital, Ripple Music quickly gained the approval of music lovers as they began working with some of the most respected artists in the heavy rock/heavy psych genres like Stone Axe, Mos Generator, Poobah, Fen, and JPT Scare Band. Since then, the Ripple family has continued to grow with critically-hailed releases by UK’s heavy rockers Grifter, Iron Claw, and Trucker Diablo.
"NAIL's excellent reputation among their client labels and retailers, their recent track record of labor-intensive growth, and the great people there in every department were all essential factors in giving us the confidence that we needed to make this move," notes the Ripple team. "Plus their absolute love for hard rock and what we're doing at Ripple. We’re very excited about our new relationship with NAIL."
NAIL has been one of the premier North American distributors of independent music for over 15 years, NAIL distributes music of all stripes, handling nearly 200 exclusive labels. NAIL delivers the best in independent rock, folk, Americana, punk, avant jazz, electronic, experimental, hip-hop, metal, and soon, Ripple Music.
In 1955, Etta James released "The Wallflower," also known as "Dance With Me Henry" and "Roll With Me Henry," one of several answer songs to "Work With Me Annie" by Hank Ballard & The Midnighters.
On January 12, 1957, Elvis Presley recorded the iconic rock and roller "All Shook Up."
Presley recorded the song at Radio Recorders in Hollywood. Take 10 was selected for release, and in March the song entered Billboard's Top 100 chart at #25. Within three weeks it had knocked Perry Como's "Round and Round" off the top spot, and stayed there for eight consecutive weeks. The song also became Presley's first UK #1 single, remaining there for seven weeks. Sales of the single exceeded 2 million, and the song was named Billboard's Year End number one song for 1957.
It is certified 2X Platinum by the RIAA. It was ranked #352 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
In 1959, Berry Gordy, Jr. borrowed $800 from his family and rented an eight-room house in Detroit at 2648 W. Grand Boulevard, which became Hitsville U.S.A., the home of his Motown Records and its subsidiary labels. His first release, "Come To Me" by Marv Johnson on the Tamla label, came nine days later.
In 1959, Motown Records signs The Primettes to a recording contract and convinces them to change their name. From several possibilities, they settle on one suggested by Florence Ballard - The Supremes.
In 1963, Steve Lawrence enjoyed his only US number one single with the Gerry Goffin / Carole King written "Go Away Little Girl." Donny Osmond would also take the song to the top in 1971.
In 1963, a New York doo-wop quintet called the Earls saw their only US Top 40 hit, "Remember Then" enter the Billboard chart, where it would reach #24.
In 1965, a Rock 'n' Roll variety show called Hullabaloo premieres on NBC TV. Featured acts include host Jack Jones, The New Christy Minstrels, The Zombies and Gerry and the Pacemakers.
In 1969, Led Zeppelin's eponymous debut album was released in North America. It took only about 36 hours of studio time to complete at a cost of just £1,782 (about $2800 US at today's conversion rate).
Most of the tracks were recorded "live" in the studio with a minimum of overdubs. Although the album initially received negative reviews, it went on to gross more than £3.5 million ($5.4 million US), and in 2003 was ranked #29 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
The groundbreaking LP is now seen as one of the most impressive and important debuts in Rock music history. The name of the band had recently been changed from The New Yardbirds after drummer Keith Moon of The Who predicted the band's music would "go over like a lead zeppelin". will listen to it anytime, the vinyl is so sweet!
On this day in 1972, "American Pie" by Don McLean was the #1 song.
In 1974, after entering Billboard's Hot 100 in October '73, The Steve Miller Band's "The Joker" makes it all the way to number one.
Also in 1974, Byron MacGregor's moving rendition of "The Americans" reaches number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. MacGregor, whose real name was Gary Mack, was the news director at Windsor, Ontario's CKLW radio. His recording of an essay by Canadian editorialist Gordon Sinclair, backed by the Detroit Symphony playing "America the Beautiful", became a multi-million seller, the proceeds of which where donated to the American Red Cross.
In 1975, the Warner Brothers Music Show began touring the UK. The nine-city, 18-date package tour featured the Doobie Brothers, Tower of Power, Montrose, Graham Central Station, and also Little Feat who developed a large cult following from the tour.
In 1977, EMI Records issued a statement saying it felt unable to promote the Sex Pistols' records in view of the adverse publicity the band had generated over the last two months.
In 1981, the Recording Industry Association of America donated 800 albums to the White House library. Among the vinyl were copies of Bob Dylan's 'Blonde on Blonde,' KISS' 'Alive!' and 'Never Mind the Bollocks Here's the Sex Pistols.'
In 1985, after a record 24 weeks as the #1 album in the nation, Prince slipped to the #2 spot with 'Purple Rain,' Replacing Prince at the top spot: Bruce Springsteen’s 'Born In the USA.'
In 1993, the original members of Cream reunite in Los Angeles to perform at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Others to be inducted included CCR, The Doors, Van Morrison, Sly and the Family Stone, Frankie Lymon, Dinah Washington and Etta James.
In 1994, the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame inducts Led Zeppelin, the Allman Brothers Band, Martha and the Vandellas, Neil Young, Janis Joplin, Al Green and Frank Zappa.
In 1998, the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame inducts the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, the Mamas And The Papas, Santana, Lloyd Price, Gene Vincent, Allen Toussaint and Jelly Roll Morton. The event marked the first time that all seven current and past members of the Eagles were photographed together. Former band mates Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner, who had quit the group, were virtually ignored by Don Henley and Glenn Frey and were forced to the extreme edges of the stage when the band played a short set of past hits.
In 1999, Britney Spears' debut album "...Baby One More Time" was released.
In 2003, Maurice Gibb from the Bee Gee's died (age 53) in Miami Hospital, Florida following a heart attack during abdominal surgery. The Bee Gees released over 20 albums and had the 1979 world-wide #1 album 'Spirits Having Flown', and 'How Deep Is Your Love, 'Stayin' Alive', and 'Night Fever' from the soundtrack 'Saturday Night Fever' were all US #1 singles. Gibb was married to the Scottish singer Lulu from 1969 to 1973. In 2002, Maurice was made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE), along with his brothers.
In 2004, Randy Van Warmer, who reached #4 on Billboard's Hot 100 and #8 in the UK in 1979 with "Just When I Needed You Most", died of leukemia at the age of 48. That song was written about his American girlfriend who came to stay with him in the England for several months before returning to the US. By prior arrangement, his cremated remains were sent into space in 2007.
birthdays today: Maggie Bell (Stone the Crows) 1945, Cynthia Robinson (Sly and the Family Stone) 1946, Charlie Gillingham (Counting Crows) 1960, Rob Zombie (White Zombie) 1966, Greg Kriesel (Offspring) 1965 and Raekwon (Wu-Tang Clan) 1968
