The Record Ranch

Sick of eBay and the problems that are associated with this online giant (and there are many)? I had the pleasure of speaking with Chris Celeste who has just launched The Record Ranch. Let's explore this up and coming website:








The Record Ranch

New Online Venue to Cater to Music Lovers

written by Robert Benson


The global economy is in shambles. Ask people involved in the music industry and they’ll probably tell you that their industry has likewise been affected. But there is a bright spot: the renewed interest in vinyl records.

Taking advantage of this vinyl revival is eBay veteran Chris Celeste. He believes that eBay should not be the only major online marketplace where people can go to sell records. In fact, utilizing his years of online experience, his experience working in a ‘mom and pop’ record store in the 90’s and his entrepreneurial drive, Celeste has decided to launch his own online auction site: www.TheRecordRanch.com

The goal of the Record Ranch is to have an auction web site that will serve record and music collectors better than any current site and give music buyers and sellers a safe, trusted and reasonably-priced place to do business. Although the Record Ranch could never replace your neighborhood record store, what it can do is cultivate a friendly, vibrant venue that is driven by both knowledgeable sellers and music fans worldwide.

I spoke with web site owner Chris Celeste about his new site and what consumers can expect from the Record Ranch:

Tell me more about the decision to create the site.

“The seeds for a music-only niche auction site were planted a few years back,” said Chris. “I was quite turned off after participating in some music category restructuring discussions with eBay. I guess I naively assumed that the people that managed the categories had some expertise in their respective categories. From then on, I envisioned a site that served collectors and sellers of just music items; sort of a DIY, by collectors-for-collectors type of concept. Fast forward five-plus years and countless ill-researched site ‘tweaks’ at eBay later; it was clear that the time was right to finally take the plunge. Luckily I have a few guys in my corner that have really helped out.”

How many people are involved in the site (do you have partners)?

“There are essentially three. It's me, a web developer and a designer. All three of us have been music junkies forever. The other two play in bands and are also great at their trades. It works quite well.”

Obviously you love vinyl, but what is it about records that make them your format of choice?

“For me, vinyl equals great memories and great sound. I grew up in a household full of records. I remember the record covers of my youth like it was yesterday. When I was old enough, it seemed logical to fill my house full of them too. I have a ton of CDs too, but it's not the same. They're digitized and they collect dust. Vinyl is just a better experience all around,” explained Chris.

You are now in direct competition with eBay; -what will make your site different than this retail giant?

“Well, for starters, The Record Ranch is a manageable venue,” suggested Chris. “EBay is not a manageable venue at this point and compulsive buyers and sellers of music suffer. Quality buyers and sellers are leaving or have left. Their (eBay’s) solutions to issues are never logical, and it's obvious that the folks managing the site have never bought or sold (or shipped) anything collectible in their lives. Did I mention categories yet? While The Record Ranch's format is quite similar to eBay, the way the site is run is much different. Having people running the site who know their trade is obviously a good thing, especially when addressing buyers' and sellers' concerns.”

“The Record Ranch's format is very similar to eBay, but finely tuned to the needs of music collectors. The pricing structure makes it a more affordable venue, especially for casual music sellers who can't qualify for eBay's Power Seller discounts. Basic listings are free. Enhancements such as subtitles and featured space on the home page can be purchased to spice up listings. Sellers also have the option to open a store free of charge. The final value fees are 4% for sold items up to $100, 3% for sold items between $100 and $200 and 2% for sold items over $200. Sellers may choose to accept payment via diverse methods, including Google Checkout, PayPal and checks/money orders.”

“The Record Ranch is made up of “rooms.” There's a CD Room, a 78s Room and so on. Each room's genre subcategories were created with the obsessive fan/collector in mind. For example, if you're a collector of rockabilly 78s, there is a rockabilly subcategory in The 78s Room. This ensures collectors of a certain specific genre of music will find exactly what they're looking for much more quickly.”

Where do you see vinyl in, let's say, ten years from now?

“I think it'll be the same in 10 years as it is now or where it was 10 years ago. Digital media will change and evolve and its proponents will proclaim the death of vinyl once more, only for vinyl to survive and flourish.”

When did you start collecting (I assume you are a collector) and do you have a special stash for personal use (meaning records you would never sell)?

“I guess I realized that I had the collector bug in me in high school when I was the guy who wasn't OK with lending out records. I adopted the "I'll be happy to tape it for you" mantra back then. As for a special stash, it goes in waves I guess. I've definitely parted with records and regretted it years later. I guess there are some records I've kept for years that aren't exactly rare, but hold special meaning for me. I guess that would be my special stash.”

As a record collector, I am excited to find a new alternative in which to buy records for my collection. Creating a ‘mom and pop’ online venue is just what the record collecting community needs. Let’s hope that the corporate giants in the field welcome this newcomer, because I am sure many vinyl record buyers and sellers will.

eBay time saver- nice site to visit!

I found another interesting site, this should be of help to all of us who cruise eBay for collectible and rare vinyl records- I am trying to contact the person who runs it to get some more information, but for now, check it out:

http://recordauction.co.uk/

The specifics from the site:

"What I’ve done is formulate pages of ebay listings which show the rarest and also the cheapest rarities from a range of major artists. They all display on one page so you can see which mega rarities are going under the hammer and one the same page, keep an eye on any records that appear to be slipping through unnoticed. Saves hours of ebay trawling and if you just have a spare ten minutes, gives you a change to nab either a special rarity or a bargain record! And, of course, it’s completely free to use."

Cover Story- Bob Dylan

As always I want to thank Michael Goldstein at www.RockPoPGallery.com for the exclusive rights to reprint this interesting cover story:



Cover Story Interview - Bob Dylan's "Blood on the Tracks",

with photography by Paul Till

Subject: Bob Dylan’s Blood On The Tracks, released in 1975 on Columbia Records, with cover photo by photographer Paul Till.


Back in April, I wrote about the making of the cover image for Bob Dylan’s Slow Train Coming. Shortly afterwards, I received a nice letter from Kevin Odegard, a writer-musician who had written a book titled A Simple Twist of Fate that provided the complete story of the making of another classic Dylan album – 1975’s Blood on the Tracks. It seems that there were a number of stories floating about concerning this recording, and Kevin’s book, which features interviews with many of the people who worked on the production (including Kevin), served to provide the details (and dispel the rumors) that had kept fans of this album guessing for years.

While I won’t spend a lot of time talking about the recording – I’d suggest that you track down Kevin’s book for an in-depth account – I can tell you that it seems that this album was the one where we “got to know” more – as best as we could determine from his songs’ lyrics, which can be a bit allegorical - about Dylan and his state of mind following the breakup of his marriage to his wife Sara.

Backed by an excellent studio band, Dylan’s songs of loneliness, anger and heartbreak all come together in a recording that, according to many critics and fans, represents one of the best in his long career. The double-platinum album reached #1 on Billboard’s pop charts in the U.S. (and #4 in the UK), while the single "Tangled Up in Blue" topped out at #31 on the Pop singles chart.

As it turns out, the making of the cover image also has an intriguing story, so to help create this unique Cover Story, I asked Kevin to provide some additional content (see the section following the main Cover Story interview) while I sought out and then interviewed the creator of the iconic cover image – Ontario, Canada-based photographer Paul Till – to learn his story about “the making of” that fascinating snapshot. The story is particularly interesting in that – in the days before Photoshop – it was the “art” of photography and experimental film processing that produced one-of-a-kind images like the one we’ll talk about today. Read on…and you’ll then know…the REST of the Cover Story…(my apologies to Paul Harvey!)

In the words of the photographer – Paul Till

I was 20 years old at the time, and had been doing photography for about three years and had been using a darkroom for a year and a half or so. I loved the darkroom and learning and using various darkroom techniques. I was also a big Bob Dylan fan, and so when the 1974 tour was announced, there was a mail-in “first-come first-served” process for getting tickets to his show at the Maple Leaf Gardens. I took my letter down to actual post office where their post office box was and ended up with quite good tickets. I was directly stage right a few seats from being obstructed by loudspeakers. I was relatively close to the stage, but not really close. I photographed the 2nd of Bob Dylan's two concerts in - I think it was - January of 1974. I'd never photographed a concert before.

The camera I was using was a screw-mount Leica III which dated back to the 1930's. It was my dad's - he'd bought in London, England in 1945. I had a fast normal lens for it, but not a telephoto, so I borrowed a Canon 135 f3.5 lens from the father of a friend of my sister. Anyhow, I shot about a roll and half of 35mm Tri X - the standard 400 ASA film of the time - and tried to figure out the exposure. I pushed the film to about 1600ASA (ASA is the same as ISO. but that's what it was called then). I don't recall if I did the darkroom work to make the cover image in the Fall or Winter of 1974.

At the time, I was doing a lot of darkroom manipulation of photographs as well as hand-colouring them. I was very familiar with Bob Dylan's music and I felt that the combination of darkroom technique and hand colouring echoed the old/new dichotomy of much of his work, as well as the notion that it echoed the (sometimes slapdash) off-handed power of his words and music.

Here's how it was actually made - The negative was enlarged in the darkroom onto another piece of film in such a way that just Dylan's head was on it. This would normally result in a positive image on the film which, if you printed it onto a piece of photo paper, would give you a negative print. However, I solarized this piece of film (that is, re-exposed it to light) as it was being developed. This partially reversed the image and also gave it the distinctive line between what was dark to start with and what has made dark by the solarization. Technically, this technique is actually called “the Sabbatier effect”, and the lines are called “Mackie lines”. This resulted in a quite dark and low-contrast piece of film to make a print from. I had to use the very high-contrast grade 6 Agfa Brovira paper to get a print with enough contrast.




I made a bunch of these and hand-coloured them using Marshalls photographic watercolours (they are a dye that sinks right into the emulsion of the photographic paper). I do recall that I was selling 5X7 hand-coloured prints of the cover image and the entire image for $5.00 in the Fall.

In the fall of 1974 I sent Bob Dylan some of the photos. I sent in at least two images- the one that ended up on the cover and a hand coloured version of the entire image. I had gotten his office address out of Who's Who. I hadn't done any work for the label or act before, so the artist and management were completely unaware of what I had done. It's my understanding the Bob Dylan saw the photo and thought that it was great, but I don't know where that understanding came from. I really didn't get any feedback about the image. I would have been pleased just to get a letter back!




All of this photography was done as a ticket holder. I've seen Dylan in concert quite a few times since then but he's been very restrictive about photography. Cameras are not allowed, and many times press photographers aren't allowed as well. A year or so later I made a photograph at the Rolling Thunder Revue concert in Niagara Falls, New York that was then used on the cover of the Bob Dylan Songs 1966-1975 songbook (see below).



I also photographed Bob Dylan in 1978 (from way, way, way back in the crowd), in 1979 (it was, I think, the “gospel tour”) where I got some good photographs and got as close as I ever got with a camera to Dylan, and then again 1981 (also from pretty far back, but it was a great concert.)

When I finally did hear Blood on the Tracks, I thought it was a great record and that the photo worked great with the music as well as the art direction of the cover. That being said, if I ever get a good seat again, I'll probably put some tiny digital camera in my pocket and...

About the photographer, Paul Till (with an intro in his own words) –

After the Blood on the Tracks photos, I figured that I'd be a professional photographer. I went to community college and have been a photographer since then. I did a few record jackets in the 80's - some people may have heard of the Canadian band "FM" as well as the electronic solo artist "Nash the Slash" – and I photographed some of the early Toronto punk scene. Since 1981, I've been a freelance photographer for Toronto's Now magazine (www.nowtoronto.com) and these days shoot for them once a week - almost all live music. I've done a wide variety of commercial photographic work as well as having many photo shows with a variety of subjects and using many different techniques. My most recent show is "First 3 Songs (no flash)" which ran beginning in May (and probably through the summer) at Industrial Storm at 1099 Queen St West in Toronto. It features large prints of manipulated concert photographs, most of them combining multiple images, through physical collage or digital techniques.



Personal Data

Born: June 17, 1953, London, England and immigrated to Canada in 1957

Education

Paul was educated at the University of Toronto and at Humber College in Toronto, where he received a diploma in Creative Photography in 1977 (he also has teaching credentials, teaching ESL classes and classes in photography/advanced darkroom techniques).

Photographic Specialities

Live concert photography, low light photography, infra red photography, photojournalism, location photography, photograms, panoramic photography, archival processing, black and white and colour printing, pinhole photography, and camera construction.

Selected Exhibitions

1 Person Shows

2008- First 3 Songs(no flash), Industrial Storm, Toronto
2007- Toronto Buildings Gardens and Statues, Industrial Storm, Toronto
2006 - North American Buildings, Gardens and Statues, Industrial Storm, Toronto.
2004 - Buildings, Gardens and Statues. South Hill Home, Toronto.
1999 - Paris Panoramas. See Gallery, Toronto.
1998 - Actual Photographs. Arcadia Gallery, Toronto.
1997 - Some Neat Stuff. Arcadia Gallery, Toronto.
1990 - Some Neat Stuff. Latcham Gallery, Stouffeville.
1985 - The Magic Show. Gallery 44, Toronto.
1983 - The Secret History of Aircraft. Cameravision Gallery, Los Angeles.
1983 - Photographs of Fantasy and Science Fiction. The Mecene Gallery, Toronto.
1983 - One More River to Cross, Boats and Monuments, Gallery 44, Toronto.
1982 - The Secret History of Aircraft. Sacks Gallery, Toronto.
1981 - new/gods/sing. The Print Finishing Gallery, Toronto.

Group Shows

2005- The Official Bob Dylan Exhibition, Proud Gallery, London, U.K.
2004 - Now and the 80s. Thomas Fisher Library, University of Toronto Archives, Toronto.
2003 - Toronto Grid Works. York Quay Gallery, Harbourfront, Toronto.
1996 - Now Photo Show, Ryerson Gallery, Toronto.
1994 - Toronto After Dark. The Market Gallery, Toronto.
1991 - Black and White and Still Blue. Community Gallery Habourfront, Toronto.
1990 - 10th Anniversary Exhibition, Gallery 44, Toronto.
1989 - 4 Canadian Photographers, Canon Gallery, Amsterdam
1985 - Living with Lead. Gallery 44, Toronto.

Collections

Paul’s works are featured in the collections of the Canada Council Art Bank, City of Toronto Archives, Forum Research Inc., the University of Toronto Archives, and in many private collections in Canada, the U.S. and the U.K.

To see more of Paul’s work, please visit his website at www.PaulTill.com

To see more Bob Dylan-related works in the RockPoP Gallery collection, please follow this link –

http://rockpopgallery.com/items/bob-dylan/list.htm


Extra bonus content from Kevin Odegard (from his book, A Simple Twist of Fate) -

In 1974 Bob Dylan wrote, recorded, reconsidered, and then re-recorded the best-selling studio album of his career. Blood on the Tracks was composed as Dylan's twelve-year marriage began to unravel, and songs like "Tangled Up in Blue" and "Shelter from the Storm" have become templates for multidimensional, adult songs of love and loss. Yet the story behind the creation of this album has never been fully told; even the credits on the present-day album sleeve are inaccurate. Dylan recorded the album twice-once in New York City and again in Minneapolis, with a rag-tag gang of local musicians, quickly rewriting many of the songs in the process. For A Simple Twist of Fate, the authors have interviewed the musicians and producers, industry insiders, and others, creating an engaging chronicle of how one musician channeled his pain and confusion into great art.

The book has, since its publication in 2004, held up factually, and nothing has been challenged or singled out as inaccurate. Critically, it has been received as a book primarily for hardcore Dylan fans and musicians. My emphasis on technical aspects of the studio experience (microphone makes and placement, guitar types etc.) has been singled out as overly obsessive by pop and literary writers, and praised by trade and music journals. However, this information is exclusive to our book, and I am happy to accept that kind of hit. Andy's analysis can be florid in places, overwrought in others, so that can be judged as "subjective". The opinions and quotes by the musicians in the book have been praised by all involved; everyone in the book was quite happy to have been portrayed accurately. There have been inquiries about a theatrical adaptation for this reason.

Following the book's publication, Bob made comments relating to the book - and Blood On The Tracks in particular - which hint that he may refute or rebut the autobiographical, 'divorce' theory we have put forth and supported in the book. Bob says 'one album I made back then' has been interpreted by others to be autobiographical, when it was actually inspired by and based on a series of Chekov plays. According to family sources, we will hear more about this when Chronicles II is published.

All of the members of the original Minneapolis studio band (Chris Weber, Bill Berg, Billy Peterson, Peter Ostroushko, Gregg Inhofer and myself), along with Eric Weissberg from the New York sessions, gathered on March 3, 2004 to play a sold-out concert at Minneapolis' Pantages Theatre, "Blood On The Tracks Live." This triggered a series of college and auditorium shows over the next two years, including induction of the Minneapolis band in the Minnesota Rock and Country Hall of Fame on May 23, 2005. We played “Dylan Days” in Bob's hometown of Hibbing in July of 2006, and may reunite again in the future.

--- Kevin

Kevin can be reached by email at kevinkodegard@gmail.com

His book can be purchased at http://www.hemingwaybookstore.com/index.html
Text copyright 2004 and 2008 Kevin Odegard – All rights reserved.

All images featured in this Cover Story are Copyright 1974 and 2008, Paul Till - All rights reserved. Except as noted, all other text Copyright 2008 - Mike Goldstein & RockPoP Gallery (www.rockpopgallery.com) - All rights reserved.

Top 5 eBay Vinyl Record Sales

Week Ending 10/25/2008

1. 45 rpm- J D Bryant "I Won't Be Coming Back" / "Walk On It" Shrine 108 - $10,230.00 Start: $0.01 Bids: 15

2. LP - Michael Jackson "Thriller" LP White Label Ecuador - $3,000.00 Start: $3,000.00 Bids: BIN

3. LP - Michael Jackson "Thriller" LP White Label Ecuador - $2,500.00 Start: $2,500.00 Bids: BIN

4. LP - Michel Legrand "La Piscine" Soundtrack Japanese Pressing White Label - $2,351.00 Start: $225.00 Bids: 21

5. 10" - Amos Milburn "Rockin The Boogie" Alladin - $1,900.99 Start: $99.99 Bids 18

One of the rarest Northern Soul 45's tops the list this week, J D Bryant's Shrine 45"I Won't Be Coming Back" appears on the Top 5 for the first time, getting a healthy price at over $10.2k. This sale demonstrates that its not just rarity of the music that gets the big bids but rarity of the item. The songs on this 45 are available on Shrine compilation CD's and reissues, but in its original issue this is a rarest of rare record.

Identical records occupy the next two spots. Ecuadorian pressings on white vinyl of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" LP sell on Buy-It-Now's for $3k and $2.5k respectively. Issued from many 70's & 80's hit albums, these colored pressings from South America (there have been Columbian pressings as well) got on the Top 5 numerous weeks last year, but these are the first ones to show up in many months.

In the #4 spot, a Japanese pressing of a Michel Legrand soundtrack bids past $2.3k. A 10" record takes the #5 spot, an Amos Milburn piano boogie record selling for almost a dollar over $1.9k.


SOURCE: as always, I want to thank Brian at http://ccdiscoveries.blogspot.com for this interesting data

Classic Rock Videos

Crystals - He's A Rebel

Album Cover Art

We are all the way to the #2 position on the Gigwise.com list of the most controversial, weirdest, best and worst album covers (as put together by their staff):

Controversial

2. Scorpions: ‘Virgin Killer’ – The image of a naked prepubescent girl on later editions of ‘Virgin Killer’ was replaced with a cover featuring a picture of the band due to the controversy it caused.

The original cover art for the album depicted a naked prepubescent girl. The image was designed by Steffan Böhle, who was then the product manager for RCA Records. Francis Buchholz was the bassist for the band and, in an interview conducted in early 2007, recollects that the model depicted on the cover was either the daughter or the niece of "the guy who did the cover design." The photograph was taken by Michael von Gimbut. The band's rhythm guitarist Rudolf Schenker offers the following description of the circumstances behind the album cover.

“ We didn't actually have the idea. It was the record company. The record company guys were like, 'Even if we have to go to jail, there's no question that we'll release that.' On the song 'Virgin Killer', time is the virgin killer. But then, when we had to do the interviews about it, we said 'Look, listen to the lyrics and then you'll know what we're talking about. We're using this only to get attention. That's what we do.' Even the girl, when we met her fifteen years later, had no problem with the cover. Growing up in Europe, sexuality, of course not with children, was very normal. The lyrics really say it all. Time is the virgin killer. A kid comes into the world very naive, they lose that naiveness and then go into this life losing all of this getting into trouble. That was the basic idea about all of it.”

In a separate interview, Schenker also notes that he thought the cover art was a "great thing" and that he had "pushed the band to really stay behind it" as he felt that people would "think differently" when they looked at the lyrics and realized that the cover art was only being used as "a symbol of the lyrics." The band's former lead guitarist Uli Jon Roth notes that the cover art of the "old Scorpion albums" were "usually done by other people." He has since expressed regret over the original album cover.

“ Looking at that picture today makes me cringe. It was done in the worst possible taste. Back then I was too immature to see that. Shame on me — I should have done everything in my power to stop it. The record company came up with the idea, I think. The lyrics incidentally were a take-off on KISS, whom we had just supported on a tour. I was fooling around and played the riff of the song in the rehearsal room and spontaneously improvised 'cause he's a virgin killer!' trying to do a more or less way-off-the-mark Paul Stanley impersonation. Klaus immediately said 'that's great! You should do something with it.' Then I had the unenviable task of constructing a meaningful set of lyrics around the title, which I actually managed to do to some degree. But the song has a totally different meaning from what people would assume at first. Virgin Killer is none other than the demon of our time, the less compassionate side of the societies we live in today — brutally trampling upon the heart and soul of innocence.”

The cover generated controversy and was replaced in some countries with an alternate cover art depicting the band members. It would not be the last time that the band attracted controversy with their album covers. Their next album Taken by Force originally featured cover art that depicted "children playing with guns at a military cemetery in France and some people found that offensive." Their 1979 album Lovedrive featured a "bizarre artwork" that depicts "a woman on the back seat of a car with bubblegum over her breast." Both covers were replaced by an alternate design.Vocalist Klaus Meine explains that the band's penchant for controversial cover art stems from a desire "to go over the edge" and not "to offend some people or make the headlines [as] that would be stupid."

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Weird


2. Xiu Xiu: 'A Promise' - Here is what Gigwise had to say about this choice cover: "A baby doll. A naked man. A bed. Three items that should go never together but, worryingly, all feature on the cover to Xiu Xiu's 'A Promise'. Whatever possessed this band to have this cover we'll never know – it is one of the most disturbing things we've ever seen. Even for a band that is famous for writing lyrics about such topics as AIDS, suicide and other morose subjects, this cover takes some beating in the weirdness ranking."

Thank god for the orange box, that is the only good element to the cover.

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Worst


2. The Coup – ‘Party Music’: Again, Gigwise has a cover that is repeated (#7 controversial) , I would think with all the creative album cover art that is out there, they could have done a bit more work and found a better cover for their list and put it in this spot- very disappointing to me.

Here is there reasoning: "Released in June 2001, just before the terrorist attacks of 9/11, The Coup touched a raw nerve with their album cover depicting The Twin Towers being bombed. Okay they may not have forseen the true events three months later – but despite this, there’s little doubting it’s in very poor taste."

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Best


2. Uriah Heep: ‘Very Eavy Very Umble’ - The album cover that single-handedly taught young children in the early seventies not to rifle through their Dad's record collection. So scary, they issued an alternative cover in the United States. I am not sure which one of these covers made the Gigwise list, but they both are scarry, aren't they?

Very 'eavy... Very 'umble is the debut album of British hard rock band Uriah Heep. It was released in the United States as Uriah Heep with alternate sleeve artwork, and with "Bird of Prey" in place of "Lucy Blues."


The album was generally panned by the mainstream critical press upon its release, although it has since been acknowledged as an early classic of the heavy metal genre. The most famous criticism came from Rolling Stone magazine reviewer Melissa Mills, who began her review, "If this group makes it I'll have to commit suicide. From the first note you know you don't want to hear any more."

The original vinyl release was a gatefold-sleeve, featuring David Byron on the front sleeve, almost unrecognisable beneath the cobwebs.

Former Grateful Dead keyboardist Saunders dies

SAN FRANCISCO – Merl Saunders, a jazz and rock keyboardist who collaborated with iconic acts including Miles Davis and the Grateful Dead, has died. He was 74.

Saunders died Friday at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in San Francisco of complications due to a stroke, said his son, Merl Saunders Jr.

"We loved him very much — and we know that you, his fans, did too," his family said in a statement posted on Saunders' Web site. "He was a special man, a beautiful companion, father, grandfather, and family patriarch, and the proof of that spirit is in the way you've reached out to us at his passing."

Born in San Mateo, Calif., Saunders attended high school with Johnny Mathis in San Francisco. One of Saunders' very first performances was a high school event with Mathis, Saunders Jr. said.

Some of Saunders' most famous music was made in the 1960s and 1970s when he teamed up with the Grateful Dead's lead guitarist and singer, Jerry Garcia. The Saunders-Garcia Band recorded two records in the 1970s and the two would play together on an array of projects until Garcia's death in 1995.

In 1990 Saunders and Garcia released the album "Blues from the Rainforest" that achieved success on the new age music charts.

Saunders is survived by his longtime companion, his two sons and a daughter.

Classic Rock Videos

Crystals- Da Doo Ron Ron Ron

Album Cover Art

Let's continue our look at Gigwise.com's look at controversial, weird, best and worst album covers (as compiled by their crack staff):

Controversial


3. Type O Negative: ‘The Origin’ – Brooklyn band Type O Negative were forced to change their album artwork to a green and black image of dancing skeletons after the close-up of a sphincter, reportedly that of lead singer Peter Steele, unsurprisingly caused controversy. Gee you think that an image of someone's ass is the best way to sell and promote your music? Assholes.




alternate cover




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Weird


3. Butthole Surfers: 'Double Live' – Oh, these wise guys again. They have certainly made the Gigwise list several times and I think that goofy album cover art (like this alien baby/alien dinosaur shaking hands while onstage) is just a precursoor to their weird music. This live album, released in 1989, was given an extremely limited run - 10,000 vinyl printings, 7,500 cassettes, and 4,750 CDs to be precise.

The band did not begin as the Butthole Surfers, although they did have a song of that title, possibly an early version of 1984's "Butthole Surfer". This changed at their first paid concert, when an announcer forgot what the band was called and used the song title for the group’s name. They decided to keep the moniker, and have largely been billed as such ever since. Prior to that, the Surfers performed under a different name at every live show. Early aliases included the Dick Clark Five, Nine Foot Worm Makes Own Food, the Vodka Family Winstons, and many others.

The name has long been a source of trouble for the band. Many clubs, newspapers, radio, and TV stations refuse to print or mention their full name, and instead opted to use "B.H. Surfers", or other abbreviations.

I'm not sure, but will we see them again on the Gigwise list?

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Worst


3. John Lennon & Yoko Ono – ‘Unfinished Music No 1: Two Virgins’: We have already seen this 'great' cover on the Gigwise list, someone must be obsessed with it.

Unfinished Music No.1: Two Virgins is a noise music album released by John Lennon and Yoko Ono in 1968. The result of an all-night session of musical experimentation in Lennon's home studio at Kenwood, John and Yoko's debut album is known not only for its avant garde content, but also for its cover. The album's title came from the couple's feeling that they were "two innocents, lost in a world gone mad", and because after making the recording, the two consummated their relationship for the first time.

The recording consists largely of tape loops, playing while Lennon tries out different instruments (piano, organ, drums) and sound effects (including reverb, delay and distortion), changes tapes and plays other recordings, and converses with Ono, who vocalises ad-lib in response to the sounds. Lennon's longtime friend Peter Shotton remembered later in his memoir (The Beatles, Lennon and Me) that many of the loops were made by Lennon and himself, in the days before the recording. Lennon recorded directly to two-track stereo, but much of the source material was monophonic.

The couple used a time-delay camera to take nude photographs of themselves, for the album's cover; the front showed them frontally nude, while the rear showed them from behind. (The photos were taken not at Kenwood, but at Ringo Starr's basement apartment at Montagu Square, where Lennon and Ono stayed later that year.) The cover provoked an outrage, prompting distributors to sell the album in a plain brown wrapper. Copies of the album were impounded as obscene in several jurisdictions (including 30,000 copies in New Jersey). Lennon wryly commented that the uproar seemed to have less to do with the explicit nudity, and more to do with the fact that the pair were rather unattractive (and the photo unflattering; Lennon described it later as a picture of "two slightly overweight ex-junkies." Nevertheless, the taboo-breaking album cover was perhaps the first time that a male celebrity of any consequence had exposed himself so thoroughly to the public.

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Best


3. The Sex Pistols: ‘Never Mind the Bollocks' - This cover shows up on many 'best of' lists and I cannot see why. It is the name of the group and the name of the album. Yes, I like the yellow and purple mix, but that is about it for me.

Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols is the first and only album recorded by the Sex Pistols, a highly influential and controversial English punk band. Fans and critics alike generally regard the album as an extremely important record in the history of rock music, citing the lasting influence it has had on subsequent punk musicians and other musical genres that were influenced by such punk rock artists.

The album was released on October 28, 1977 on the Virgin Records label, amid controversy arising from the use of the obscenity (in British English) "bollocks" in its title.

Ok, now that explains it, apparently "bullocks" is a dirty word.

This Date In Music History- October 26

Birthdays:

Birthday wishes to Natalie Merchant of 10,000 Maniacs.

Born on this day in 1951, Bootsy Collins, bass player.

David Was of Was Not Was, was born in 1952. (that’s a lot of was’s).

Maggie Roche of the folk trio the Roches was born in 1951. You can hear her backing vocals on Paul Simon's There Goes Rhymin' Simon.

History:

In 1984, 19-year-old John D. McCollum killed himself with a .22 caliber handgun after spending the day listening to Ozzy Osbourne records. One year later, McCollum's parents took court action against Ozzy and CBS Records, alleging that the song "Suicide Solution" from the album Blizzard of Ozz contributed to their son's death. The case was eventually thrown out of court.

The Beatles' debut single, "Love Me Do," entered the English chart in 1962.

A She Devil: In 1993, Catholic churches in San Juan, Puerto Rico asked residents to tie black ribbons on trees in protest against Madonna's first live appearance in the country.

In 1991, legendary Rock concert promoter Bill Graham was killed when the Bell 206B JetRanger III helicopter he was riding in struck the top of a Pacific Gas & Electric transmission tower near Sears Point, northwest of Vallejo, and exploded. The fiery crash, which left the helicopter's wreckage dangling near the top of the towering structure, killed Graham (age 60); his girlfriend Melissa Gold (age 47); and pilot Steve Kahn. Graham had founded the Fillmore theaters in San Francisco and New York and had played key roles in supporting such bands as the Who, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Janis Joplin, The Band, Bob Dylan, the J. Geils Band, the Allman Brothers Band and the Rolling Stones.

Whitney Houston went to No.1 on the US singles chart in 1985 with 'Saving All My Love For You', also a No.1 hit in the UK.

Queen Elizabeth II presented The Beatles with their MBE's at Buckingham Palace, England in 1965. According to John Lennon, The Beatles smoked marijuana in one of the palace bathrooms to calm their nerves. Is this a myth or Beatle magic to sell records?

Bill Haley and his Comets played the first rock 'n' roll concert in Germany in 1958. Over 7,000 rock 'n' roll fans turned the show into a riot. 20 policemen were injured and one permanently blinded as teens from East and West Berlin skirmish.

In 1961, Bob Dylan signed his first recording contract with Columbia Records.

In 1992, Pearl Jam sets a new record for first week sales when the LP "Vs." sold 950,000 copies. It’s a record later broken by less notable performers (Garth Brooks and the Backstreet Boys).

In 1991, singer / songwriter Hoyt Axton, who wrote Three Dog Night's "Joy To The World", died peacefully at his ranch at the age of 61. His mother, Mae Buran Axton wrote Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel".

Forbes.com compiled a list of the top earning dead celebrities in 2004 and to no one's surprise, Elvis Presley came out on top. 27 years after his death, fans were still buying his music and collecting memorabilia to the tune of $40 million a year. Beatle John Lennon was number four on the list with earnings of $21 million, while his former band mate George Harrison was number 7, bringing in $7 million.

Classic Rock Videos

Shirelles- Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow

The Best Vinyl: 180g and 200g Virgin Vinyl…

Written by By Alan Bayer

All vinyl records are not created equal. It turns out that the type of vinyl used to make the actual record, as well as the weight of that vinyl have a huge impact on the ultimate sound of that record.

Let's back up.

In the old days, many vinyl records that were released were made on cheaper, low quality vinyl that was often recycled and usually contains impurities. These impurities make it more difficult for the sound to be accurately transferred to the record. For example, if 95% of the record is made of pure vinyl, 5% of the record is made of impurities. These impurities could be metals or plastics, or something else that does not have the exact chemical properties of vinyl. When the record is pressed (the process in which the grooves are imprinted onto the record), these impurities can interfere with the pressing, resulting in a record that contains bits of distortion and less precise musical data.

Also in the old days, many LPs were pressed onto thinner, lightweight vinyl. Thinner, lightweight vinyl was cheaper to manufacture, and it allowed music to remain more affordable for the masses. However, as you can imagine, thinner vinyl records are more fragile, get damaged easier, and wear out sooner. It is also true that thinner vinyl records produce a sound that is less pure.

So...what to do? Well, fortunately due to the re-emergence of vinyl as a serious medium in which to play music back, most of the vinyl that is released today is pressed on heavier records made of "virgin" vinyl. Virgin vinyl simply means that the vinyl used to make the record is pure vinyl, and virtually free of impurities. The lack of impurities creates a more pure pressing of the vinyl, resulting in a better sound.

In addition to the high-quality, virgin vinyl used, many records are pressed on heavier platters of vinyl. Usually this is advertised on the packaging as a "180g" or "200g" pressing. The 180g or 200g is just the weight of the record in grams. So, a 180g record weighs 180 grams. These heavier records are noticeably heavier, thicker and stiffer than lightweight records. As you can imagine, the grooves retain their shape better, even with repeated plays. Some even claim that the stiffer vinyl produces a more realistic sound with less distortion than a standard record.

Most so-called "audiophile" records are pressed on heavy, virgin vinyl, and the experts pretty much agree: These records truly do sound better than the standard, lightweight records of yesteryear. Plenty of jazz, classical and rock selections are available in this heavier format, and it is always recommended that you seek these out when shopping for vinyl.

Just for fun, I am currently listening the Saturday Night Fever Soundtrack in my car, Miles Davis' "On The Corner" on my iPod, and The Beatles' White Album on my turntable.

Enjoy the music!


Author Alan E Bayer is a jazz lover and vinyl record enthusiast who operates http://www.vinylrevinyl.com, a site where one can find collectible vinyl records, turntables and vinyl accessories. Enjoy the site, and enjoy the sound of music on vinyl.

Album Cover Art

Here we are at #4 on the Gigwise.com album cover series. Let's take a look at what made their list as the most controversial, weirdest, best and worst (warning- some may find the images offensive)



4. Chumbawamba: ‘Anarchy’ - Was this image totally necessary to help sell a record? This is not only offensive, but in my opinion does not belong on a record cover. They were initailly sold in a brown paper wrapper, although it appreared on some shelves uncensored.

Anarchy is a 1994 album by anarcho-punk band Chumbawamba. Many of the tracks address specific social problems, such as homophobia, strikes or fascism.

From what I have read, the music is actually quite good, but for me, this image belongs...well...in the delivery room.

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Weird


4. Little Richard Miller: 'Born Without Arms and Legs' This is just one odd little man. Sure, Richard Millar was a devout Christian who could play the organ and guitar with his partially formed appendages. But why is a giant Jesus in the sky is anyone's guess. My guess is that he is being held up by the water fountain. I wonder if he drives the bus as well? And the title? I think Jesus knew he was born with no arms or legs, but for some reason gave the man musical talent, which is a bit disturbing to me.


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Worst


Various Artists: My Pussy Belongs To Daddy’ Uh, eewww. I guess they mean the cat. Not much information, but here is what I found: Released in 1957. For Adults Only. Spicy Songs Sung By Outstanding Artists here is a short review: "a record chockful o' songs with eye-rolling double-entendre titles like, "Things Are Soft For Grandma", "Tony's Hot Nuts", and "She Sits Among the Cabbages and Peas". Despite the ridiculous titles, the songs are actually pretty decent; most are done in a smoky nightclub jazz style, and sung by naughty-record vet, Fay Richmonde (among others). ..."

Sometimes the less said, the better.....

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4. The Clash: ‘London Calling’ - London Calling is the third album by English punk rock band The Clash, released December 14, 1979, on CBS Records in the UK and in January 1980 on Epic Records in the United States. The album represented a change in The Clash's musical style, and featured elements of ska, pop, soul, rockabilly and reggae music. The album's subject matter included unemployment, racial conflict, drug use, and the responsibilities of adulthood.

The album received positive reviews and was ranked at number eight on Rolling Stone' list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time in 2003. London Calling was a top ten album in the UK, and its lead single "London Calling" was a top twenty single. It has sold over two million copies worldwide, and was certified platinum in the United States.

The album's cover features a photograph of Paul Simonon smashing his Fender Precision Bass against the stage at The Palladium in New York City on September 21, 1979 during the "Clash Take the Fifth" US tour. Pennie Smith, who photographed the band for the album, originally did not want the photograph to be used. She thought that it was too out of focus, (she was moving for cover as shards of the bass flew at her when she took it), but Strummer and graphic designer Ray Lowry thought it would make a good album cover. In 2002, Smith's photograph was named the best rock and roll photograph of all time by Q magazine, commenting that "it captures the ultimate rock'n'roll moment - total loss of control".

Uh, cool out, it's just a musician smashing a guitar- ever heard of the Who?

Indie Record Store Saga

An interesting article and a sign of the times:

As part of our ongoing Navigating Tough Times coverage, the Business Times asked a handful of small business owners to talk about how they are coping with the volatile economy.

Navigating Tough Times: Jerry Weber struggles to keep sales spinning in tough times

Pittsburgh Business Times - by Tim Schooley

SOURCE: http://pittsburgh.bizjournals.com/



Jerry Weber’s Squirrel Hill business has 1 million to 2 million albums for sale. He says the future of his business is online.





It’s an ongoing economic indicator about as subtle as a long, grinding scratch across pressed vinyl.

Jerry Weber is used to seeing people come to his Jerry’s Fine Used Records store on Murray Avenue in Squirrel Hill looking to make a customer out of him rather than vice versa.

“Not only are they not buying records off me, but they want me to buy records,” he said, of the 10 calls or more he gets each day. “I hear this a lot: ‘I’m streamlining, Jerry. I’m cutting back.’”

Such is life for Jerry’s these days.

Weber’s business has accumulated between 1 million and 2 million records, many of which are stacked floor to ceiling at his 13,000-square-foot retail store.
Now in business for “33 and a third” years and decades after LPs were replaced as a standard music medium, Weber recently turned 60.

He understands that many of his customers are his age and have bought all the records they’re likely to buy, and that his business model of buying 2,000 records each week and selling 200 to 300 would make any business major wince.

Last year, Weber grossed between $170,000 and $200,000. This year, he expects about $20,000 less.

More than the record owners looking to empty their attics, Weber is concerned about buyers from overseas, who visit his store to buy large quantities of records to take home to Europe and Asia and resell.

Those foreign buyers have been cancelling their trips lately because of the economy. He received a fax just the other day from a buyer from Europe cancelling a trip.

“This is a guy that would come over and spend $200, $300 or $400 dollars, it hurts losing him,” Weber said.

He sees limits to the adjustments he can make. Jerry’s already operates with only a few people. Running discount sales only prompts existing customers to come back for lower prices.

Last year, Jerry’s devised a plan to bring two other businesses — Dave’s Music Mine and Heads Together, an independent DVD rental shop — in to his store to share his space, reducing costs for all of them.

Yet Dave’s dropped out, unable to support a single employee, and Heads Together is struggling, Weber said.

Weber plans to work for a few more years and then turn the business over to his son, Willie. He expects the future of Jerry’s Fine Used Records to come from pursuing demand for its product on the Internet, selling to buyers throughout the world.

“That’s the only way I’ll be able to pay all the bills,” he said. “I have to change my whole outlook, and I’m not really looking forward to it.”

This Date In Music History- October 24

Birthdays:

Birthday wishes to Rock producer Ted Templeman (Van Halen, Doobie Brothers, Captain Beefheart).

Edgar Broughton, the blues guitarist who led the band that bore his name, was born in England in 1947.

Bill Wyman, bassist of the Rolling Stones ("Brown Sugar") turns 72.

Santo Farina of Santo & Johnny ("Sleep Walk") is 71.

History:

The late J. P. Richardson (AKA the Big Bopper-- "Chantilly Lace") was born in 1930.

The "TAMI (TeenAge Music International) Show" was filmed at the Santa Barbara, California Civic Center in 1964 with Jan & Dean, the Rolling Stones, Lesley Gore, Chuck Berry, the Beach Boys and many others.


John Lennon sued the U.S. government in 1973, accusing it of tapping his phone and that he was under constant surveillance.

Maybe they should have called it Earth Day- In 1975, at Long Island, N.Y.'s Nassau Coliseum, James Taylor, Pete Seeger, and John McLaughlin performed at the First Planetary Celebration to promote awareness of global responsibility. The gig attracted only 4,500 people.

Bob Dylan re-recorded "Hurricane" in 1975, after earlier versions of his song about the imprisoned boxer misidentified a bystander in the bar where Hurricane Carter was alleged to have shot two men. It's his final session for the Desire album.

The British government presented Paul McCartney with a rhodium-plated medallion in 1980 for being named "the best selling songwriter and recording artist in history", by The Guinness Book of Records. Since 1962, McCartney wrote or co-wrote 43 million-selling songs and sold over 100 million records.

This silly music business- In 1988, opening arguments were heard in the case of Fantasy Records vs. John Fogerty. The label claimed Fogerty's solo recording "The Old Man Down the Road" sounded a little too much like his Creedence Clearwater Revival song "Run Through the Jungle," for which it owned the copyright. Fogarty eventually won.

The Beatles left Great Britain in 1963 for their first tour outside of their homeland. The Beatles leave for their first tour outside of England.

In 1970, U.S. President Richard Nixon appealed to radio broadcasters to screen songs with lyrics that urge drug use. It’s called censorship.

Madonna's album "Erotica" was released in 1992.

Elvis received his first letter from the local draft board in 1956 concerning his draft status.

Neil Sedaka recorded "Calendar Girl" in 1960, which will reach #4 in the US early the following year.

Brenda Lee reached the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for the second time in 1960 with "I Want To Be Wanted". It was her fourth US Top Ten hit of the year, but only reached #31 in the UK.

Frank Sinatra had the #1 LP on the US album chart in 1960 with "Nice 'n' Easy".

In 1962, James Brown's appearance at the Apollo Theatre in New York was recorded for a live album called "Live At the Apollo". The LP would go on to sell over a million copies and earn a reputation for being one of the finest concert albums ever made and was listed at #24 in Rolling Stone Magazine's 2003 list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

Pink Floyd were at the top of the UK album chart in 1970 with "Atom Heart Mother", the group's first #1 LP.

'Abraxas', Santana's second album, topped the album chart in 1970. Although it is a favorite of FM rock stations, it also yields a pair of AM hits in "Black Magic Woman" (#4) and "Oye Como Va" (#13).