Thursday, August 2, 2012

Ask Mr. Music by Jerry Osborne

FOR THE WEEK OF JULY 30, 2012 


DEAR JERRY: If it isn't to much trouble, I think collectors of soundtracks and stage cast records would love to see a list of what are currently the world's most valuable ones. I know I would. 

How many can you come up with that have an estimated near-mint worth in the neighborhood of $1,000 or more?
 —Fred Bozeman, Los Angeles



DEAR FRED: Let's put it this way. I came up with enough pricey soundtracks and casts to fill more than just one column, especially with the competition being worldwide and open to all sizes and speeds.

So let's get started with 23 records, each of which in near-mint condition is "worth in the neighborhood of $1,000."

Because all of these are quite close, pricewise, they are shown alphabetically by title.

Next week the second batch will be listed from the lowest ($1,200) to the highest.

The format is as follows:

TITLE - Type of recording (Year issued) - Label name and number (Country where manufactured) Description or additional notes, if any Artist(s) on the disc. Does not include film and show cast members — even famous stars pictured on the cover — unless they are heard on the record in some fashion (singer, instrumentalist, narrator, etc.)

ALICE IN WONDERLAND - Studio Cast (1933) - RCA Victor 17-4003/17-4004 (USA)
Two 78 rpm picture discs.
George Baker with piano accompaniment

ALICE IN WONDERLAND - Studio Cast (1957) - Disneyland WDL-4015 (USA)
Shortly after this release, Disney deleted it, along with the entire WDL catalog
Darlene Gillespie with the Camarata Orchestra and Chorus

BLUE HAWAII - Soundtrack (1961) - RCA Victor LSP-2426 (USA)
Blue vinyl. Experimental pressing only
Elvis Presley

BOTSCHAFTER DER MUSIK (AMBASSADOR OF MUSIC) Soundtrack (1952) - Period SPL-716 (USA)
Wilhelm Furtwangler conducting the Berlin Philharmonic. Featuring the music of Johann Strauss; Ludwig van Beethoven; and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

CHILD IS BORN, A (AS PRESENTED ON THE GENERAL ELECTRIC THEATER DECEMBER 25, 1955) - TV Soundtrack (1955) - MCA-TV C-55 (USA)
10-inch LP
Bernard Herrmann and Orchestra

CONNECTION, THE - Studio Cast (1960) - Felsted FL-7512 (mono)/17512 (stereo) (USA)
Howard McGhee; Freddie Redd; Tina Brooks; Milt Hinton; Osie Johnson

DOU VIENS-TU, JOHNNY - Soundtrack (1964) - Philips SFL-7234 (Japan)
White label. Promotional issue only
 Johnny Hallyday and Sylvie Vartan

FEELINGS - Studio Cast (1974) - Carosello CLN-25041 (Italy)
Gary Stevan and Jay Richford

HARD DAY'S NIGHT - Soundtrack (1964) - United Artists SP-2359/2360 (USA)
Open-end interview, made for radio stations. Includes script. Promotional issue only
The Beatles

HELP! Studio production to promote the film (1965) - United Artists UA-Help-A/B (USA)
Commercial spots, with several separate ones for "Teenage" and "Adult" audiences. Made for radio station use only

HELP! Studio production to promote the film (1965) - United Artists UA-Help-INT (USA)
Open-end interview, made for radio stations. Includes script. Promotional issue only
The Beatles

I GIORNI DELL'IRA - Soundtrack (1967) - RCA Italiana SP-8024 (Italy)
Riz Ortolani and Orchestra

IL CORPO - Soundtrack (1974) - Sound Work Shop SWS-113 (Italy)
Piero Umiliani and Orchestra

INTO THE WILD - Soundtrack (2007) - Vinyl Films (USA)
 Picture disc. Promotional issue only
Eddie Vedder

MINNESOTA CLAY - Soundtrack (1964) - CAM (S) CMS-30114 (Italy)
Piero Piccioni and Orchestra

PORGY AND BESS - Studio Cast (1959) - Columbia (S) CS-8085 (USA)
Miles Davis; Gil Evans Orchestra; Cannonball Adderley; and Paul Chambers

PUGNI NUDI - Soundtrack (1974) - Cinevox MDF-33/79 (Italy)
Franco Bixio and Vince Tempera

SEX POWER - Soundtrack (1970) - Philips BIEM-6009 072 (Greece)
Red vinyl 45 rpm. Has "Djemilla" backed with "Third Love"
 Vangelis Papathanassiou

SILENCE OF THE LAMBS - Soundtrack (1991) - ANH-8091 (USA)
12-inch single with custom cover. "Goodbye Horses" and "White Lines" are the tracks. "Goodbye Horses" was recorded in 1988 and first appeared on the soundtrack of "Married to the Mob." It was next used in "Silence of the Lambs," but is not found on the soundtrack LP (MCA-10194)
Q Lazzarus

SMOG - Soundtrack (1962) - RCA Victor PML-10320 (Italy)
 Piero Umiliani and Orchestra; Chet Baker; Helen Merrill; Bill Gilmore; Gino Marinacci; Marcello Boschi; Franco Chiari; and Roberto Zappulla

TENNESSEE WILLIAMS READING "FROM THE GLASS MENAGERIE," "THE YELLOW BIRD," AND FIVE POEMS - Studio Cast (1960) - Caedmon (M) TC-1005 (USA)
Demand is based almost entirely on the album's cover art by Andy Warhol
Tennessee Williams

TWO SISTERS FROM BAGDAD - Original Cast - G Production (USA)
LaVice & Company

XANADU Soundtrack (1980) - MCA 10384 (USA)
Picture disc. Promotional issue only
Olivia Newton-John; Electric Light Orchestra; Cliff Richard; Gene Kelly; and the Tubes.

Continued next week …









 

Jerry Osborne answers as many questions as possible through this column. Write Jerry at: Box 255, Port Townsend, WA 98368 E-mail: jpo@olympus.net   Visit his Web site: www.jerryosborne.com 

All values quoted in this column are for near-mint condition.

Copyright 2012 Osborne Enterprises- Reprinted By Exclusive Permission