Vinyl Record Appraisals

Meet Record Appraiser and Historian Scott Neuman

By Robert Benson

Everyday it seems that we read about the resurgence in the sales of vinyl records. In fact, in a recently-released 2007 RIAA sales report, the American music industry sold 36.6 percent more Extended Play (EP) and Long Play (LP) records than it had in the previous year; increasing vinyl sales revenue by 46.2 percent.

And the world of collecting vinyl records is also reaping the benefits from this renewed interest in vinyl. But how does one place a value on these classic recordings, what is a rare record worth and what is the process for acquiring such information?

I spoke with vinyl record historian and record appraiser Scott Neuman, owner of www.forevervinyl.com about this dilemma and some of the obstacles one may encounter. But, first, let’s meet Scott and review his background.

Scott Neuman is a vinyl record veteran who started working in the music industry at an early age and has been a record collector/dealer/appraiser since 1975. He has been an on air disc jockey for several radio stations, worked in television as an announcer and cameraman and has also owned and operated a record store. And keeping up with the times, Scott was one of the first “online” record shops, operating www.forevervinyl.com; which boasts an inventory of well over 2 million records.

I asked Neuman about the renewed interest in vinyl records and the allure of vinyl.

“Listening to records used to be a time to be enjoy with a few friends, hang out, listen to the music and read the liner notes on the back,” explained Neuman. “Maybe you enjoyed the gatefold sleeves in a personal way, maybe you just enjoyed slipping the sealing material off the cover on your pants by rubbing the corner of the record on your knee, taking the record out, getting that little “pop” of static electricity and taking a slight sniff of the vinyl. Then lining up the needle on the record after cleaning it and sitting down to enjoy the fruits of your work. All of that is very hard to do with a CD or MP3. Records are personal, something to share with friends. Sure, CD’s are nice and so are MP3’s. But records force you to listen to them.”

And, what is the allure, and can you tell me about your record collection.

“The allure? For all the reasons above,” said Neuman. “All formats have their points. I just like handling vinyl. I was a DJ for years and used to use records to entertain in the Philadelphia and New York area. I didn’t just play records. We made a night of entertainment. As for the digital sound, I prefer the warmer sounds I get from vinyl.”

“I do have a music collection and my favorite items are not necessarily rare. I do have a large jazz collection from the 50’s in mint condition that I’m not ready to sell yet. These would be first pressings by John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Monk, and a few others. I also have some rare Beatle items that I enjoy looking at including a first state ‘butcher’ cover and an “Introducing the Beatles” in excellent condition that isn’t counterfeit. I also appreciate Gold and Platinum RIAA award albums given to various artists, autographs by various artists and also Vogue picture discs which were picture discs pressed on 78 records. One more thing I enjoy owning are various acetates. These were one off pressings by artists used just for test and listening purposes and were normally destroyed after a final production of a product. You can sometimes hear alternate versions of your favorite songs. These items self destruct the more you play them so it’s wise to record them and put them away for safe keeping.

Neuman is also one of the world’s most renowned vinyl record appraisers and offers this service on www.forevervinyl.com. There are many variables that go into what a particular record may be worth and I asked Neuman about the demand for this service and what makes a record valuable.

“Forever Vinyl gets more than twenty calls a day for customers looking for appraisals for estates and charity donations,” detailed Neuman. “As far as the elements of an appraisal, it depends on the needs of the customer. For donations, we draw a number of different elements to get the correct market value for your collection. We neither under nor over appraise your collection.
What makes a record valuable?

“What makes a house value? Location, location, location. When it comes to records, demand, demand, demand. Age is not a determining factor in record collection, demand is,” stated Neuman.

What donating records to a charity, what are the main obstacles a person might encounter?

“There really aren’t any obstacles per say other then finding a non-profit entity to accept them. The IRS is very picky about fair retail market value as they should be. We should all pay our fair share of the tax burden. It’s important to understand that the IRS considers the value of a collection to be based on the value and use of the entity you are donating the collection to. If you donate the collection to a university, and they hold on to it for three years, possibly put it in their library and make the collection available to the students to learn from, the appraisal will normally stand. If you donate the collection to a thrift shop, the IRS will normally look at what the thrift shop sold the collection for and adjust any appraisal value over that amount. Needless to say, we highly recommend finding a charity that would value and use the collection rather then just dump the collection for pennies on the dollar.”

Tell me about your appraisal services that are offered at Forever Vinyl.

“As you know, many records are now valued in the hundreds and thousands of dollars. Because of the amount of appraisals that are requested per day, we've instituted a reasonable fee to cover our cost, time and expertise for these appraisals. Our current fee is $20.00 for the first item of the appraisal and $5.00 for each additional item. For collections with over 200 pieces, please call us 732-505-5337 for adjusted rates,” explained Neuman.

“All information must contain the following information- Artist, Title, Type of item, Condition (1 - 10 is fine with 10 looking like its brand new), Label and Label Number. If the item is a 45 single, does it have a picture sleeve? Also any other comments you'd like to make about the item. Examples could be if it's a promotional or "Not for Sale" copy, if it's a test pressing or acetate, if it's autographed and so forth. If necessary, we can and will travel to your location. For those of you with larger collections, we do work on a rate of $200.00 an hour plus travel, food and lodging expenses, if you need us to come to you. This is only by appointment. Many of our customers have used this service. We also can accept items shipped to us for appraisal. Feel free to contact us for more information; we’d loved to help your put a value on your collection.”

So as the sales of vinyl records and the interest in this historic audio medium continue its upward trend, so too, will the need for vinyl record appraisals. Thankfully, we have vinyl record experts like Scott Neuman to help us put a value on our collections.

Going for a spin

By Steve Clark

Source: http://www.businessreport.com


The truth is, vinyl never completely went away.

Underground punk music and various obscure independent releases have continued to be pressed into vinyl records ever since the supposed death of the medium as the mainstream commercial standard for music delivery in the late 1980s.

Nevertheless, vinyl is enjoying a mainstream comeback—not that music lovers are tossing their CD collections and iPods into dumpsters across America and scooping up turntables to spin the venerable 33 1/3. Still, it appears to be more than a passing fad, says Taylor Sullivan, music buyer for the Compact Disc Store, which has several boxes of newly released vinyl LPs in addition to its stock-in-trade CDs.

“I don’t think it’s going away,” he says. “I don’t think it’s just a fluke.”

Sullivan, 32, spun records as a kid and never stopped collecting the obscure underground stuff. A few years ago he tried ordering a few for the store to see if they would sell. They did. Like crazy. Eventually, less esoteric offerings began to be issued again on LP, and the Compact Disc Store, despite its name, is carrying it.

REM’s newest album, Accelerator, is available in LP format, for instance, as is the new one from Coldplay, Viva la Vida. Even Best Buy has jumped on the vinyl wagon—gingerly: An employee at a Baton Rouge Best Buy reported all five copies—yes, five—of the Coldplay album had sold out.

Also, more and more old music is being reissued on vinyl—the Beatles and Pink Floyd, for instance, though for now it’s just a trickle. Sullivan says look out for a wave of new old releases on LP in the next few months as the trend gains steam. Sullivan says the people buying his LPs are a mix of young and old.

“I would say that just in the last six or nine months it’s doubled, but then again so has the availability of stock,” he says. “I’ve noticed a lot recently. Right now the demand is outrunning the supply. There’s a lot of big indie records that are coming out on LP. The pressing plants are backed up where things are not getting out on time.”

Sullivan, who guesses he’s “killed four turntables” during his record-listening career, says the renewed interest in vinyl could be in part because of a backlash against the relatively low sound quality of downloadable MP3s compared to other formats.

Brad Pope, owner of the Compact Disc Store, acknowledges the irony of selling LPs at a store founded on the notion that LPs were history.

“I had doubters at the time,” he says. “They were wrong for about 20 years.”

Pope says today’s vinyl is heavier and higher quality—at least for the time being—than records used to be. The prices aren’t terrible. Flipping through the stacks, he finds a John Coltrane LP re-issue for $12.99, John Prine’s Fair & Square at $15.99 and a limited edition of Viva la Vida for $28.99.

“Lately sometimes our days are made by our LP sales—where it’s made the difference between a so-so day and a good day,” Pope says. “It’s a for-real phenomenon. Whether it’s just a flash in the pan remains to be seen.”

The Recording Industry Association of America reports that manufacturers’ shipments of LPs rose 1.3 million between 2006 and 2007—a 36% jump—while CD shipments dropped 17% during the same period, largely because of downloading.

None of this means Pope is ready to change his mind in the debate over LPs versus CDs. The LP school maintains that vinyl, recorded using analog technology, has a warmer sound than CDs, which are recorded digitally. He doesn’t buy it. Pope, a classical music aficionado, says CDs are superior in sound quality and a lot more convenient. He has no plans to get caught up in the vinyl frenzy.

“It really doesn’t have any fascination for me, but I’m a million years old,” he says.

Records do have a fascination for Clarke Gernon Jr., a local architect. While he’s mostly into collecting out-of-print blues and country LPs, he did recently splurge on a new vinyl release of bluesman R.L. Burnside’s music from the late 1960s. Gernon, who isn’t averse to downloading music onto his iPod, says records seem somehow more alive than CDs or digital formats.

He guesses the resurgence of vinyl is partly from young people in the age of iTunes and MP3s yearning to “actually have something to hold in your hands.”

“While it’s pretty easy to get the songs, the thing that you miss is the opportunity to shop for it, or at the end of it all to have a thing: something you can put on the wall and display,” Gernon says. “It actually is like a piece of art. I do try and sort of display my top four or five [LP covers] at any given moment.”

If you’re going to play a record, you need something to play it on. Believe it not, turntables are still around, and not just the equipment used by hip-hop DJs. Guitar Center and Amazon.com sell low- to mid-range turntables. Or you can spend thousands of dollars on a designer turntable available—though not necessarily in stock—from Valentino Home Entertainment in Perkins Rowe.

Troy Semons, the store’s installation manager, says the turntable market isn’t what it used to be. With major audio equipment makers having long since ditched the market, the high-end stuff now comes small, esoteric designer-builders. The Reference Super Scoutmaster Signature, for instance, winner of the 2008 Absolute Sound Golden Ear Award, retails for $7,400 on MusicDirect.com.

Semons says the few customers who buy turntables tend to be older people replacing their worn-out equipment. Why? Because LPs—on a high-end turntable—sound better than CDs. While he may not have a turntable himself, he does have an opinion: As long as the master recording is high-caliber, vinyl sounds better—noticeably better—on a high-end record player.

“What you’ll have is frequency extension above a certain point,” Semons says. “Supposedly we’re not capable of hearing it, but it is there and you notice when you listen.”

This Date In Music History- July 20

Birthdays:

Carlos Santana ("Evil Ways") is 61.

John Lodge of the Moody Blues ("Nights In White Satin") is 63.

Kim Carnes, of "Bette Davis Eyes" fame, was born in Los Angeles in 1946.

Sex Pistols drummer and later Bananarama producer Paul Cook was born in London in 1956.

Chris Cornell, frontman for megagroups Soundgarden and Audioslave was born in Seattle, WA in 1964.

History:

Today in 1963, the song "Surf City" by Jan & Dean topped the charts and stayed there for 2 weeks. The pair had recorded the song in a converted garage underneath their apartment in Bel Air, California. The single reached #26 in the UK.

In 1954, Elvis Presley performed on one what was probably the smallest stage of his career when he appeared on the back of a flatbed truck outside a Memphis drugstore for its grand opening. Elvis was then a member of The Blue Moon Boys trio with Bill Black and Scotty Moore, who took their name from a song they had recorded just 2 weeks previously, "Blue Moon of Kentucky".

The late Buddy Knox ("Hula Love") was born in 1933.

The Beatles signed a German recording contract with producer Bert Kaempfert in 1961, as the Beat Brothers.

Bob Dylan releases "Like a Rolling Stone" in 1965. The single becomes his first major hit, reaching No. 2.

Pop vocalist Roy Hamilton, the former boxer who first had a hit with "Unchained Melody," dies in New Rochelle, N.Y. in 1969, after suffering a stroke.

Engineer Gary Kellgren drowned in a Hollywood swimming pool in 1977. As well as making classic albums like Jimi Hendrix's "Electric Ladyland" and Frank Zappa's "We're Only in It for the Money" sound the way they do, he was the operator of the Los Angeles Record Plant studio.

The Iron Butterfly’s epic “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” featuring the 17:05 title track, complete with drum solo, entered the album chart in 1968 for a two-and-a-half year stay. Also in 1968, Cream`s “Wheels Of Fire,” a double album with both live and studio material, enters the LP chart. The set contains “White Room” and Eric Clapton’s signature song “Crossroads.”

Billboard's first comprehensive record chart is published in 1940. The magazine had previously published best-seller lists submitted by the individual record companies, but the new chart combined the top sellers from all major labels. Their first number one song was "I'll Never Smile Again" by Frank Sinatra and the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra.

Lesley Gore released "Judy's Turn To Cry" in 1963, the follow up to her number one hit, "It's My Party". The record was a continuation of the original story and it too became a Top 5 hit in the US.

The Lovin' Spoonful released their first record, "Do You Believe in Magic" in 1965. It will reach #9 on the US pop chart.

In 1968, Jane Asher announced on a national British TV show, Dee Time, that her engagement to Paul McCartney was off. McCartney reportedly was watching at a friend's home and was surprised by the news. Jane went on to have a successful career in films and on television

Album Cover Art Series

This is the first in a series of Album Cover Art stories, a behind the scenes look at the art and the artist. I want to thank Michael Goldstein of RockPopGallery.com for allowing the reprints of this fascinating material. There are many others to come and if you want to read more, please feel free to stop by Michael's site (www.rockpopgallery.com)to see more!



Cover Story - The Moody Blues' "In Search of the Lost Chord", with artwork by Philip Travers

Cover Story for March 28, 2008


Subject: In Search of the Lost Chord, a 1968 release (on Deram Records) by The Moody Blues, with cover artwork & design by Philip Travers


After the success of their Days of Future Passed record (featuring the memorable cover artwork by artist David Anstey) in which the band began the transformation from its original, Denny Laine-led pop songcrafting (“Go Now”) to writers of early symphonic rock masterworks such as “Forever (Tuesday) Afternoon” and “Nights in White Satin” – delivered in Decca/Deram Records’ new “Deramic Stereo Sound” – the release of 1968’s In Search of the Lost Chord delivered to fans of the band a record showcasing their new, more experimental and psychedelic leanings.

Mike Pinder’s Mellotron replaced much of the full orchestra from the previous record, and the rest of the band added the popular “psychedelic” instrumentation of the day – sitar and other stringed instruments, flutes, harpsichord, etc. – to fill out the sound and make it more possible to recreate the music in live performances. Pinder also continued introducing listeners to Graeme Edge’s wonderful poems, his readings of which set the mood for the complex and beautiful music and lyrics that would follow (although we do get to hear Edge’s own voice and maniacal laughter during his recitation of the album opener “Departure”).

Songs on this record included fan favorites such as the rocking “Ride My See Saw”, “Legend of a Mind” (a Ray Thomas trippy tribute to Timothy Leary), “Voices in the Sky”, “The Actor” and ending with “the lost chord” itself - “Om” (which went along with the tantric graphics found inside the record’s gatefold cover).

A late 60’s psychedelic record from a band like the Moodies – one that truly exemplified the notion of a long-playing sonic experience - could only be packaged in an album sleeve with a truly fantastic cover image that would only add to the overall experience. This notion required a visual artist of exceptional talents, which prompted the band to turn to artist and illustrator Phil Travers, who’d impressed them with his previous work for the label. I think that we’ll all agree that the result of Phil’s commission was an image that would send the record owner immediately on his own search for the answer to life’s existential questions (“how can I be on the outside, looking in, if I’m dead”?, for example). To find Phil Travers, all I had to do was search on Google, after which he provided me with the recollections of his efforts on this project that are outlined in today’s Cover Story…

In the words of the artist – Phil Travers (interviewed in late February, 2008)

After five years at Art College in London, I got a job in the art department at Decca Records. I spent my time there designing record sleeves, and after about two years, I left Decca to take a job as a designer/illustrator in a design office in Wimbledon. While there, I was contacted by someone I knew at Decca because, apparently, the then-manager of the Moody Blues had been at Decca to look through their catalogue of sleeve designs and he’d really liked an illustration of mine which I had done shortly before I left. Shortly thereafter, I was invited to an introductory meeting with the Moodies at a pub in London - I forget which one – and after we’d worked out the details of the commission, I was invited to listen to the soundtrack of In Search of the Lost Chord at their recording studio.

While I was listening to the music, the concept for the cover was actually given to me in some sort of subliminal way. The recording and mixing area of the studio where I was sitting was separated from the area where the band would play by a large glass window and in this glass I could see several images of myself - one above the other - almost as if I was ascending up into space.

The band wanted me primarily to illustrate the concept of meditation. This was not something that I had much personal experience of and so my initial thoughts about such an ethereal subject were, unfortunately, insubstantial, and so I wasn`t producing any cohesive visual ideas, with this lack of ideas evident in my first rough designs. In fact, as time was getting short (by the way everything was always wanted in a hurry) I was starting to panic. It was then that the image in the glass window of a figure ascending came back to me and, after that, everything just fell into place. Its impossible for me to tell you now how long it took me to produce the illustration, other than to say that, in most cases, I had days rather than weeks to complete them and submit them for approval. As for the way I painted, I used Gouache and some watercolour, and very often I employed an airbrush.

The band was a good bunch of guys and generally I got on pretty well with them. They were always fully involved in the project (this, and the next 5 records I did for them) from start to finish. Apart from the album Every Good Boy Deserves Favor - where they had come to me with their own idea on how the cover should look - there was a similar working pattern for all of the other sleeves. At the first meeting we would listen to the soundtrack together and discuss the themes and ideas behind the album. It was then left to me to produce a pencil rough which was then discussed further. Eventually a consensus would be reached and the painting would begin in earnest. Time always was of the essence, and many times I was working all day and all night to meet the printer’s deadline. But I have to say it was greatly fulfilling and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

About the artist, Philip Travers –

Born in 1945, Philip studied art and design at the Sutton School of Art and the London School of Printing. After college, he spent several years working as a designer and illustrator in studios in the London area. It was at this time that he became associated with the internationally-renowned rock group - The Moody Blues - for whom he produced record sleeves in the late 1960s and early `70s, including:

- In Search of the Lost Chord (1968)
- On The Threshold of a Dream (1969)
- To Our Children’s Children’s Children (1969)
- Question of Balance (1970)
- Every Good Boy Deserves Favour (1971)
- Seventh Sojourn (1972)

In addition to the images for The Moody Blues, Philip created a couple of sleeves for the band `Trapeze` (the seminal hard rock band produced by John Lodge and featuring Glenn Hughes and Dave Holland) on the Threshold label and, according to Phil, “I did do a sleeve for The Four Tops single `A Simple Game`. This was produced by Tony Clarke. However, it was never used, which is a pity because I think it was really good!”

Coming initially from London, he grew up enjoying the landscape of Surrey and the surrounding counties, and his paintings at this time were exhibited at galleries in Wimbledon, Thames Ditton, Windsor and Petersfield.

Philip moved to Cornwall in 1976 after spending several holidays in the area and then deciding that he should live there. He felt that the close proximity of the sea, and the diverse and exciting landscape that it engendered created a stimulating environment in which to work. Phil is mainly concerned to convey the mood and atmosphere of the subjects he is painting, and with his bold use of light and shade, he continues to produce highly-dramatic images. He often likes to include animals and sometimes figures in his work, as they provide not only life and a focus but also a narrative element.

To see more of Phil Travers’ current work, please visit his website at www.philiptravers.co.uk

To see all of the Moody Blues-related items in the RockPoP Gallery collection please click on this link - http://rockpopgallery.com/items/moody-blues/list.htm?1=1

Moody Blues update – The Moody Blues continue to tour the world today (you’ll find their schedule on their web site – www.moodyblues.co.uk ). The soon-to-open Hard Rock Park in Myrtle Beach, SC, will feature a ride named "Nights in White Satin - The Trip", which will include a version of the title song newly re-orchestrated by Justin Hayward. And even after the release of 25 Top 100 charting singles, the sales of countless millions of records, and sell-out tours world-wide (including a multi-night stand at London’s Royal Albert Hall, later this year), they have STILL not been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Very sad.

All images featured in this Cover Story are Copyright 1968, 1972 and 2008, Philip Travers - All rights reserved. Except as noted, all other text Copyright 2008 - Mike Goldstein & RockPoP Gallery (www.rockpopgallery.com) - All rights reserved.

Labels Up Volume On Vinyl Releases To Meet Demand

NEW YORK (Billboard) - It may have seemed like a fad at first, but the resurgence of vinyl is now turning into a nice niche business for the major labels. With EMI's announcement that it would reissue eight classic albums in the format, all four majors are now onboard the vinyl bandwagon.

EMI will release two Coldplay albums, four Radiohead titles and Steve Miller's "Greatest Hits" on August 19. Universal Music Enterprises will release 20 albums on vinyl this month and an additional 20 at the end of August, while Warner Music Group will issue 24 to 30 albums from its catalog and 10 to 12 new releases from September through the end of the year, according to executives at those companies.

In the independent camp, RED labels will have several hundred vinyl titles by the end of the year, half of which are new releases, RED vice president of indie sales/marketing Doug Wiley said. One of RED's labels, Metal Blade, is reissuing its classic Slayer catalog in deluxe versions, all on colored vinyl with hand-designed blood splatterings on it, Wiley said.

Indie retail started the party, but now some of the chains are carrying vinyl too. In addition to Fred Meyer and Borders, Best Buy has said publicly that it will experiment with carrying LPs.

EMI Music Catalog vice president of A&R and creative Jane Ventom said that the company has always been into vinyl, "but we are getting more into it." She said the move is in response to consumer demand from the iPod generation, baby boomers and audiophiles.

"Music is becoming a social action again," Ventom said. "The kids are now listening to music with their mates instead of on headphones." She added that vinyl allows them to "hear music in its true form."

"People are going back to reliving the way they used to listen to music and they realize that they missed the (album cover) artwork and what a pleasurable listening experience it is," Ventom said.

One of the most important elements to issuing vinyl is sound quality, especially in the MP3 age. That's why Warner Bros. will relaunch its becausesoundmatters.com Web site, which touts and sells vinyl and may start offering high-resolution MP3s, according to Warner Bros./Reprise Records executive VP Tom Biery, who heads the label's radio promotion team and oversees its vinyl initiative.

Warner Bros. reissued the first two Metallica albums -- "Kill 'Em All" and "Ride the Lighting" -- on vinyl, and both have passed the 4,000-unit sales mark, according to Nielsen SoundScan. On July 15, the company released "Master of Puppets" on vinyl in two versions.

In September, the label plans to issue a 50th anniversary archive series of vinyl releases, including James Taylor's "Mud Slide Slim," a Rickie Lee Jones album, a Marty Paich album and the Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Blood Sugar Sex Magik." Most of the albums that are issued on vinyl also come with an enclosed CD, Biery said.

The increased interest in vinyl is putting a strain on the handful of pressing plants still left from the format's heyday. "Our vinyl is always late because it gets bumped," Redeye co-owner Tor Hansen said.

"I still have eight machines, and I am currently running at about 75 percent capacity," said plant manager Dave Jump of Nashville's United Records.

The limited pressing network often makes it hard to get vinyl out on the same release date as the CD, but when the stars align, sales can be significant. Warner Bros. offered vinyl and CD on the same day when issuing the Raconteurs' "Consolers of the Lonely" in March; the album sold 42,000 units in its first week, and 3 percent of sales came from the vinyl version.

Looking forward, executives said they want to be aggressive and practical with their vinyl campaigns.

"Everything shouldn't be released on vinyl," WEA (Warner-Elektra-Atlantic) vice president of catalog sales Steve Corbin said. "We want to be selective and smart about what we put out. (But) it's interesting that the consumer sees the value and is willing to pay for vinyl."

SOURCE: Reuters/Billboard

This Date In Music History- July 18

Birthdays:

Dion DiMucci, who created a streetwise doo-wop persona on hits like "The Wanderer,” turns 69.

Martha Reeves "Dancing in the Street," is 67.

Lonnie Mack ("Memphis") is also 67.

Danny McCullock - guitarist for The Animals ("House Of The Rising Sun") was born in 1945.

History:

Screamin' Jay Hawkins ("I Put A Spell On You"), one of rock's original showmen - was allegedly born on this date in Cleveland in 1929.

In 1966, Bobby Fuller ("I Fought The Law") was found dead in his car in Hollywood (the death is ruled a suicide but the evidence points to foul play).

In 1953, Elvis Presley recorded a song ("My Happiness") supposedly for his mother's birthday (which actually was in April) at Sun Records in Memphis. The so-called vanity disc, which cost Presley $3.98, was his first recording. It would surface 37 years later as part of an RCA compilation called "Elvis - the Great Performances".

In 1960, Roy Orbison saw his first record, "Only The Lonely" climb into the Top 5 in the United States after The Everly Brothers and Elvis both turned the song down. Over the next six years, he would have 22 Top 40 hits.

Also in 1960, 15 year old Brenda Lee had the number one song in the US with "I'm Sorry", a tune that was recorded in the last ten minutes of a session and originally meant to be the "B" side of "That's All You Gotta Do". The record reached #12 in the UK.

The US Justice Department ordered John Lennon out of the country by September 10, 1974. The Immigration and Naturalization Service denied him an extension of his non-immigrant visa because of his guilty plea in England to a 1968 marijuana possession charge. The US Court of Appeal would overturn the deportation order in 1975 and Lennon was granted permanent resident status the following year.

The oldest known musical instrument in the world was found in the Indrijca River Valley in Slovenia in 1995. The 45,000 year-old relic was a bear bone with four artificial holes along its length. Or maybe it was just a bone with holes in it?

The Four Seasons scored their fourth US #1 hit in 1964 with "Rag Doll". Co-writer Bob Gaudio said that he got the inspiration for the song from a young girl in tattered clothes that cleaned his car windows at a stop light. The song reached #2 in the UK.

The Rolling Stones charted in the US for the first time in 1964 when a cover of Buddy Holly's "Not Fade Away" peaked at #48.

Hank Ballard & the Midnighters released "The Twist" in 1960, the original version of the song Chubby Checker later built a career on.

At London's Lyceum Theater in 1975, Bob Marley & the Wailers recorded the concert that is featured on their album Live!

The Beatles album "A Hard Days Night" was released in 1964.

2002 The Rolling Stones crew chief, 54 year old Royden Magee, who had worked with the band for 30 years, died on July 18, 2002, during a rehearsal in Toronto. The Stones had just finished dinner and resumed rehearsing when they got word that Magee had collapsed and stopped breathing. He was taken by ambulance to nearby Sunnybrook Hospital with no vital signs after suffering an apparent heart attack. He was pronounced dead on arrival. The members of the band said they were devastated by his death.

The James Brown Collection

Christie’s auction house will be offering the James Brown Collection on July 17th, which includes items from the Godfather of Soul’s legendary life and career. We’re mostly interested in the musical instruments and record collections and awards, but this sale also features personal and stage clothing, jewelery, furniture and home decor.

Some of the more interesting pieces are the guitars. There’s several electric bass guitars and a beautiful Epiphone acoustic autographed for Brown’s birthday, with signatures from Casey Kasem and Ozzy Osbourne. There’s also an acoustic Vox guitar with case, a Yamaha baby grand piano, and a Hammond organ with Leslie speaker.

Estimated selling prices for the instruments range from $300 up to $30,000 as follows:

Casiotone Miniature Keyboard $300-$500

Hammond B-3 Organ & Leslie Speaker Cabinet $10,000 - $15,000

Hammond Harmonica in the key of E $200-$300

Harmonics Trek II Electric Organ & speaker cabinet (personalized in black vinyl) $20,000 - $30,000

Casiotone 403 Keyboard $300-$500

Gibson Casino Miniature Wooden Guitar (numbered, in case, from Rock & Roll Hall of Fame) $100 - $200

Epiphone Bass Guitar & Case $2000 - $3000

Fresher wood-grain Bass Guitar & Case (looks very much like a Fender Jazz Bass) $2000 - $3000

A hand tambourine with leather handle $300 - $500

Moog Electric Keyboard with amp & case $2,000 - $3,000

Yamaha Baby Grand Piano $15,000 - $20,000

Vox acoustic guitar $3000 - $4000

Record and music awards are numerous, with the grand prize being a Grammy Award going for $15,000 to $20,000. Brown’s stereo and record collection are also up for grabs, an interesting mix of LP’s and singles. There is ALOT of clothing, especially his famous suits and capes, including the well known GFOS, Godfather Of Soul, and Sex Machine brands.

Source: http://www.musicramble.com/

Top 5 Vinyl Records eBay Sales

Week Ending 06/28/2008

1) LP - Enesco Plays Bach Sonatas Continental - $2,458.00

2) LP - Dave Bixby "Ode to Quetzalcoatl" Private Press - $2,247.00

3) 12" - Keepy Keef "Cause I'm" / "Three's Company" GMV = $1,924.00

4) LP - Dick Morrissey Quartet "Here And Now And Sounding Good" Mercury - $1,424.00

5) LP - Gatesmouth Moore "Sings The Blues" King - $1,225.00

Dark Knight Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

Burbank, CA. (Top40 Charts/ CineMedia Promotions) - The Dark Knight Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - the haunting score to the hotly anticipated feature film The Dark Knight - will be released by Warner Bros. Records on July 15, 2008, three days before the movie opens nationwide on July 18th.

Warner Bros. Records will release four different configurations of The Dark Knight soundtrack: a standard jewel case CD, a 2 LP set of heavy-weight 180 gram vinyl version, a special edition digipack, and a collector's edition with special artwork to come after release.

Source: http://top40-charts.com/

This Date In Music History- July 16

Birthdays:

Searchers’ lead singer Tony Jackson was born in Dingle, England in 1940.

Drummer Stewart Copeland of the Police was born in Alexandria, Egypt in 1952.

Ed Kowalczyk, lead singer for Live, was born in York, PA in 1971.

Sollie McElroy of the Flamingos was born 1933.

History:

His Master's Voice, the logo of the Victor Recording Company and later RCA Victor, was registered with the US Patent Office in 1900. The logo shows the dog, Nipper, looking into the horn of a gramophone.

Neil Young's “Tonight's the Night,” inspired by and dedicated to a pair of musical acquaintances who died of drug overdoses, was released 1975.

The last of 105 singles by Elvis Presley to reach the Top Forty in his lifetime, "Way Down," entered Billboard's Top Pop Singles chart in 1977, peaking at #18.

Harry Chapin was killed in an auto accident on New York's Long Island Expressway in 1981. Chapin's blue 1975 VW Rabbit burst into flames when it was hit from behind by a tractor-trailer truck. The 38 year old Chapin is best remembered for his top 20 hit "Taxi" in 1972 and "Cat's in the Cradle", a number-one in 1974.

In 1996, Michael Jackson performed at a birthday party for the Sultan of Brunei and gets an estimated 15-20 million dollars.

The Beach Boys recorded "In My Room" in 1963.

Today in 1966, the song "Hanky Panky" by Tommy James & the Shondells topped the charts and stayed there for 2 weeks. A Pittsburgh DJ had begun playing the two year old recording and regional record sales had reached over 80,000. James called the members of his now defunct band, but they were no longer interested. He recruited a group called The Raconteurs to be the new Shondells and took the master tape of Hanky Panky to Roulette Records, who released it. Despite being a huge hit in the US, it could only reach #38 in the UK.

Also in 1966, the Lovin' Spoonful released their No. 1 single, "Summer in the City." It is, appropriately, summer.

In 1969, the Beatles worked on two new George Harrison songs, "Here Comes The Sun" and "Something" during recording sessions at Abbey Road studios in London.

In 1960, Hank Ballard and the Midnighters became the first group to place three records on The Billboard Hot 100 at the same time - "Finger Poppin' Time", "Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go" and "The Twist".

Eric Clapton formed Cream with bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker in 1966. The trio lasted just 2 years, but left us with some classic Rock tunes like "Sunshine of Your Love" and "White Room".

In 1968, Big Brother & the Holding Company and Sly & the Family Stone opened the Fillmore West, the new name given to San Francisco's Carousel Ballroom since Bill Graham took over.

Celia Cruz, the inimitable Queen of Salsa, died at her home in Fort Lee, N.J. in 2003. She was 77.

The "Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid” soundtrack was released in 1973. It contains Bob Dylan’s mournful “Knocking On Heaven’s Door.” The film stars Dylan and Kris Kristofferson.

In 1994, the three tenors - Carreras, Domingo, Pavarotti - performed at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles to an audience who pay $1,000 a seat.

Drummer Joe Panozzo of Styx died of a gastrointestinal hemorrhage in 1996.

The Who's "I'm Free" was released in 1969.

This Date In Music History- July 14

Birthdays:

Born on this day in 1912, Woody Guthrie, US folk singer. Major influence on Bob Dylan and American folk music. 70's film 'Bound For Glory' based on his life. Guthrie died on 3rd October 1967.

Born on this day in 1978, Ruben Studdard, singer, winner of the second series of American Idol.

History:

'Janis Joplin's Greatest Hits' entered the album charts in 1973. It peaked at #22 and sell more than 2 million copies.

Today in 1979, the song "Bad Girls" by Donna Summer topped the charts and stayed there for 5 weeks.

The "Is Elvis Alive?" frenzy reaches a high point in 1988, as Nashville radio station WYHY offers $1 million to anyone who can produce the King alive. Despite our best efforts, Elvis still refuses to emerge from his quarters at the 23rd Street YMCA in New York. So the reward is unclaimed.

In 1993, the U.S. Postal Service released 29-cent stamps that honored four Broadway musicals. The featured scenes were from "My Fair Lady," "Porgy and Bess," "Show Boat" and "Oklahoma!"

During a concert at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, CA in 1973, Phil Everly smashed his guitar and stormed off stage, Don finished the set by himself and announced that The Everly Brothers had split.

Bob Dylan made a surprise appearance with The Band at the Mississippi River Rock Festival in 1969. He performed three songs and was introduced as "Elmer Johnson."

The Who began their first full North American tour in 1967 appearing as support band to Herman's Hermits on 55 dates.

In 1961, Billboard Magazine reported that the teenage dance craze, "The Twist", was being picked up by the adult crowd in Philadelphia.

Bobby Vinton started a four week run at No.1 on the US singles chart in 1962 with 'Roses Are Red, My Love', a No.15 hit in the UK. It was a song that Bobby found in a pile of demo discs that were marked "reject" at Epic Records. The label was about to drop Vinton's band, but he talked them into recording him as a solo artist. The record became a million seller and was both Bobby's and Epic's first gold record.

In 1962, the Beatles played their first ever gig in Wales when they appeared at The Regent Dansette in Rhyl. Tickets cost five shillings, ($0.70).

In 1973, a drunk driver killed former Byrds guitarist Clarence White. The 29 year-old was loading equipment following a show in Palmdale, CA when he was killed.

Elvis Costello & The Attractions, who have already recorded “My Aim Is True,” played their first gig in 1977.

Planet Waves wine was introduced in 2004. The name comes from the 1974 Bob Dylan album. An Italian winery, Fattoria La Terrazze, produces 415 cases with only 125 of them available in the US. The wine sells for $65 a bottle.

Philippe Wynne, lead singer of the Spinners from 1972 to '77, died of a heart attack he suffered while on stage in Oakland on July 14, 1984.

Cash Tribute Album

Anchorless Records has announced the final details on their forthcoming compilation All Aboard: A Tribute To Johnny Cash. The updated track listing features artists like the Bouncing Souls, Chuck Ragan, the Gaslight Anthem, Russ Rankin of Good Riddance, and Ben Nichols of Lucero. Click below for the full track listing.

The record is set for release on CD and four colours of vinyl (100 black, 100 pink, 300 half pink/black for Vinyl Collective, 500 pink/black spatter), each to include access to digital versions of the songs. The release date is September 9th and all proceeds will go to benefit the Syrentha Savio Endowment, a non-profit organization which provides financial assistance to underprivileged women who cannot afford the expense of fighting breast cancer.


The lineup:

"Man in Black" - The Bouncing Souls
"Country Boy" - Fallen From the Sky
"Wreck of the Old 97" - Chuck Ragan (Hot Water Music) feat Jon Gaunt
"Let The Train Whistle Blow" - Joe McMahon (Smoke or Fire)
"Delia's Gone" - Ben Nichols (Lucero)
"Gods Gonna Cut You Down" - The Gaslight Anthem
"Cocaine Blues" - The Loved Ones
"Give My Love to Rose" - On Guard (Feat. Jason Shevchuk of Lagrecia, None More Black, Kid Dynamite)
"I Still Miss Someone" - Casey James Prestwood (Hot Rod Circuit)
"Hey Porter" - MxPx
"Cry Cry Cry" - The Flatliners
"Ballad of a Teenage Queen" - The Dresden Dolls feat. Franz Nicolay(The Hold Steady)
"Folsom Prison Blues" - Chon Travis(Love Equals Death)
"There You Go" - The Sainte Catherines
"Walk The Line" - Russ Rankin (Good Riddance, Only Crime)
(VINYL ONLY) "Delia's Gone" (alternate version) - Ben Nichols (Lucero)

Best Buy Vinyl Experiment

In an effort to keep up with those hip, vinyl-loving kids today, gigantic entertainment retailer Best Buy has announced plans to start carrying vinyl records amongst their stacks of seven-dollar romantic comedies, 20th Century Masters Millennium Collection CDs and electronics. To test out the product, they will be releasing vinyl copies of new albums at various undisclosed locations.

"We've got an executive here who's basically responding to his own children and is sponsoring a test to see if there's a market," Best Buy CEO Brad told the Star Tribune. "As an old vinyl collector, this is close to my heart."

I like to see 'big box' retailer giving vinyl a spin, but hopefully it will not be at the expense of the independent music retailer. So, support them both and we can keep the vinyl record sales shooting skyward!


Here are some new releases:

More Indie Releases (available from Virgil @ www.vinylcollective.com)

ARCADE FIRE ìNEON BIBLE 2xLP
BAND OF HORSES “Everything All The Time” LP
BAND OF HORSES “No One’s Gonna Love You” UK single 7?
BIKINI KILL “Reject All-American” LP
BOYS NIGHT OUT “Broken Bones” LP grey vinyl
THE CIRCLE JERKS “Wonderful” LP
ELLIOTT SMITH “S/T” LP
IRON AND WINE “The shepherd’s dog” LP
IRON AND WINE "THE SEA & THE RHYTHM" LP
MAGNETIC FIELDS “Charm Of The Highway Strip” LP
MURDER CITY DEVILS “RIP Live” LP
NEUTRAL MILK HOTEL “IN THE AEROPLANE” LP
Pedro The Lion Winners Never Quit LP
Pinback- Summer In Abaddon LP
POLVO “Exploded Drawing” dbl LP
Sleater Kinney Dig Me Out LP
SLEATER KINNEY the hot rock LP
SLEATER-KINNEY “Jumpers” 7? green vinhyl
SPOON - GA GA GA GA GA (180 GR) LP
TED LEO & THE PHARMACISTS ìLiving With The Livingî 2XLP
Tenderloin/ Supersuckers Split 7?
THE HELIO SEQUENCE “Keep Your Eyes Ahead ” LP
The Shins "Wincing The Night Away" LP

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Capitol Records will rerelease eight classic titles, all of which were previously out of print on vinyl — and six of which will be newly remastered on limited-edition 180 gram LPs — on August 19. The albums include Coldplay’s Parachutes and A Rush of Blood to the Head; A Perfect Circle’s Mer de Noms; Radiohead’s OK Computer, Kid A, Amnesiac and Hail to the Thief; and the Steve Miller Band’s Greatest Hits.

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Revelation Records will be reissuing Rage Against the Machine's "People of the Sun" ten-inch vinyl EP on August 19.

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More Indie Releases:

BUFFALO KILLERS/BUFFALO KILLERS@180GM VINYL/YELLOW VINYL@LMTD ED.

CENTRO-MATIC/SOUTH SAN GABRIEL/DUAL HAWKS@2 LP SET

CIRCLE JERKS/GROUP SEX@COLORED VINYL

FANATIX/THIS THING OF OURS@3 LP SET

KEEP OF KALESSIN/ARMADA@LMTD ED.@2 LP SET

KILLING JOKE/DEMOCRACY@2 LP SET

KILLING JOKE/PANDEMONIUM@2 LP SET

KON & AMIR/VOL. 2-OFF TRACK: QUEENS@3 LP SET

LIMBONIC ART/LEGACY OF EVIL@LMTD ED.@2 LP SET

SAXON/SAXON@LMTD ED.@PICTURE LP

SAXON/STRONG ARM OF THE LAW@LMTD ED.@PICTURE LP

SAXON/WHEELS OF STEEL@LMTD ED.@PICTURE LP

STRANGLERS/RAVEN@LMTD ED.@PICTURE LP

ARCHITECTURE IN HELSINKI/LIKE IT OR NOT EP

CHROMEO/FANCY FOOTWORK@DELUXE ED.@2 LP SET

NELSON/MARSALIS/TWO MEN WITH THE BLUES@2 LP SET

WHITECHAPEL/THIS IS EXILE@PICTURE DISC LP

FIERY FURNACES/EP

HAMMOND,ALBERT JR./COMO TE LLAMA?@2 LP SET

WILLIAMS,SAUL/INEVITABLE RISE & LIBERATION O@2 LP SET

Support Independent Music Stores!

This Date In Music History- July 12

Birthdays:

Christine McVie (born Christine Anne Perfect) was born in 1943.

John Wetton, bassist for Uriah Heep and Asia, was born in 1949.

Bill Cosby ("Little Ole Man") is 71.

Walter Egan ("Magnet & Steel") turns 60.

Barbara (Mama) Cowsill of the Cowsills ("Hair") was born in 1928.

Bassist Phil Kramer of Iron Butterfly ("In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida") was born in Youngstown, Ohio in 1952.

History:

In 1954, Scotty Moore became Elvis Presley's first manager with the signing of a contract (Sun Records) that also bore the signatures of Elvis's parents. Elvis quit his job as a truck driver.

In 2004, nearly four decades after their major hit "I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night," two former members of the Electric Prunes, vocalist James Lowe and bassist Mark Tulin, filed separate suites against their record label and music publisher claiming $1 million in owed royalties.

In 1965, the Velvet Underground recorded a demo tape at viola player John Cale's Manhattan apartment. It represents their first recordings and was later released, in 1995 as Disc 1 of their self-titled five-CD box set.

The first Rollin' Stones concert (they would later add the g) was held at the Marquee Club in London in 1962. Their line-up consisted of lead vocalist Mick Jagger, guitarists Keith Richards and Brian Jones, Dick Taylor on bass, pianist Ian Stewart and Mick Avory, later of the Kinks, on drums. Avory and Taylor were later replaced by Tony Chapman on drums and Bill Wyman on bass. Chapman didn't work out and drummer Charlie Watts completed the Stones' line-up in January 1963.

What hard work does for a band: In 2007, the Rolling Stones were paid $5.5 million (or $67,500 per minute) to perform a 14 song set at a private Deutsche Bank party for top-level employees held at the National Art Museum of Catalonia in Barcelona, Spain.

DJ Steve Dahl tries to kill off disco with a Disco Demolition Night at Chicago's Comiskey Park in 1979. A bonfire was started into which disco records were pitched, while the crowd chanted "Disco sucks." The ensuing riot causes the White Sox to forfeit a baseball game when the field becomes unplayable.

Today in 1969, the song "In the Year 2525 (Exordium and Terminus)" by Zager & Evans topped the charts and stayed there for 6 weeks. After getting a lot of requests to sing the song that they included in their live act, Denny Zager and Rick Evans had invested just $500 to press 1000 copies of the tune. After a Texas radio station added it their play list, RCA signed the duo, but the record would prove to be their only US chart entry.

Blind Faith began their one and only tour with a sold-out show at New York's Madison Square Garden in 1969.

The Monroe Brothers make their first recordings for the Bluebird label, an RCA subsidiary in 1936.

In 1970, Janis Joplin debuted with her new group, the Full Tilt Boogie Band, before 4,000 people in Louisville, Kentucky. Less than three months later, she would be dead from a heroin overdose.

K.C. & the Sunshine Band make their US Pop chart debut in 1975 with "Get Down Tonight". It's the first of four singles by the band to make it to Billboard's number one spot.

The Beach Boys recorded "Sloop John B" in 1965, a 1927 Folk song that featured Al Jardine on lead vocal. The record would climb to number three in May, 1966.

The O'Jays ("Love Train," "Back Stabbers") formed in Canton, Ohio in 1958. They were originally known as the Triumphs.

Minnie Riperton ("Lovin' You"), certainly a unique voice in pop music, died of breast cancer in 1979.

This Date In Music History- July 10

Birthdays:

Jackie Leung, one of Hong Kong's biggest rock stars and a Barry Manilow fan to boot, was born today in 1961.

Born on this day in 1943, Jerry Miller, guitar, Moby Grape.

Rock author and singer Ian Whitcomb ("You Turn Me On [Turn On Song]") was born in England in 1941.

Arlo Guthrie ("Alice's Restaurant") turns 61.

Ronnie James Dio was born in Portsmouth, N.H. in 1949.

Greg Kihn was born on this day in 1950.

Born on this day in 1980, Jessica Simpson, US singer and current Tony Romo flame.

History:

A 16 year-old girl was stabbed to death at a Yes concert in Jersey City, New Jersey in 1976.

In 1967, Kenny Rogers and several other members of the New Christy Minstrels quit to form the First Edition. The new group received their first national exposure on the Smothers Brothers TV show and went on to have such hits as "Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In)" in 1968, "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town" in 1969 and 1971's "Something's Burning."

The movie "Go, Johnny, Go", with Jimmy Clanton and Chuck Berry (with performances by Ritchie Valens, Eddie Cochran and Jackie Wilson) opened in 1959.

In 1952, Memphis producer and Sun Studios owner Sam Phillips recorded the last of five sessions with bluesman Howlin' Wolf.

In 1967, Bobbie Gentry recorded her No. 1 hit "Ode to Billie Joe."

After they burned an American flag onstage in 1968, the Nice were banned from London's Royal Albert Hall. Two years later, Keith Emerson, leader of the Nice, joined Greg Lake and Carl Palmer in Emerson, Lake and Palmer.

Harry Nilsson's album, "Son of Schmilsson" was released in 1972. It featured George Harrison under the name George Harrysong and Ringo Starr, listed as Richie Snare, on some of the tracks.

“His Master’s Voice” was registered with the U.S. Patent Office in 1900. The logo of the Victor Recording Company, and later, RCA Victor, shows the dog, Nipper, looking into the horn of a gramophone machine.

1954 Producer Sam Phillips took an acetate of Elvis Presley singing "That's All Right" to DJ Dewey Phillips at Memphis radio station WHBQ. After Dewey played the song on the air around 9:30 that evening, listeners flooded the phone lines, requesting to hear the song again.

In 1954, New York radio station WINS announced the hiring of pioneer Rock disc jockey Alan Freed to be the host of their Rock 'n' Roll Party. As he did on his earlier Moondog's Rock 'n Roll Party Show on WJW in Cleveland, Freed programmed records by black R&B artists that many white teenagers had never heard before. Freed is often credited with popularizing the term Rock and Roll.
The Starland Vocal Band, the first act to be signed to John Denver's new Windsong label, had the top tune on the Billboard chart in 1976 with "Afternoon Delight.”

Wilson Pickett's "In The Midnight Hour" was released in 1965.

On today's American Bandstand in 1971, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles performed their smash hit "Tears of a Clown."

The Beatles started a six week run at No.1 on the US album charts in 1965 with 'Beatles VI', the groups fifth No.1.

George Strait was at No.1 on the US album chart in 2005 with 'Somewhere Down In Texas', the US country singers third No.1 album.

Billie Holiday recorded "Billie’s Blues" in 1936.