The Beach Boys - Sloop John B (Original Video)
Sunday, November 16, 2008
For The Love Of Vinyl
I love these stories about local record shops and here is another for your enjoyment
The local vinyl revival: Don't throw those records away just yet!
By Daniel Lazarus
It makes no sense. They're heavy to move, and tough to store. They're finicky and delicate. They warp in the heat, scratch easily, and are never the same afterward. But, if you, like many other baby boomers, have been reluctant, unwilling, or unable to part with a dusty, old, milk crate full of your beloved Led Zeppelin, Cream, and Grateful Dead albums, despite the fact that you haven't listened to them in decades, and, probably haven't even owned a working turntable since Reagan Administration, take heart. The wait may be over. Your impractical but tenacious hoarding of those 12-inch black polycarbonate vinyl love letters to your past may have been surprisingly farsighted, after all. Simply put, vinyl records are back. What goes around, comes around, and with increasing frequency is being spun around again (at 33 1/3 and 45 revolutions per minute) on turntables all around the area.
Technically speaking, vinyl records never went away completely. Even after the introduction and wide acceptance of CDs in the early '80s, there were always a few independent record stores (mostly in larger cities) that stocked records for a fringe group of devoted listeners. Some vinyl fans didn't want to, or couldn't afford, to invest in new technology which seemed to change with the season. Others simply wanted to hear to their music as it was originally issued. Ukiah record collector and audiophile Matt Eifert, 37, remembers that as late as "1986-1987-1988, all three formats (cassettes, CDs, and records) were pretty healthy." Then, he says, music companies, bowing to clear consumer preference for the lighter, tougher, compact disks, all but stopped issuing any new vinyl at all. Eifert calls this period, from the late '80s until about 1993, "the dark days." Then, in the early '90s, "grunge rock" happened and defiantly retro bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam began issuing their music in record form again, and almost like "Rocky" the beleaguered format, regarded as all but dead, began punching it's way off the ropes.
Now, vinyl is vibrant again. Michael Roumbanis, owner of Dig Music at 362 N. State St. estimates that 10 to 20 percent of his sales come from records, and the trend is up. Used albums sell better than new, but, he points out that more and more artists are putting out new product on vinyl and the average price point - now about $20 per record - is coming down. Among recently issued LPs displayed on his wall are new records from AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Amy Winehouse, and Bruce Springsteen, among others. Dig Music, has also been a long time supporter of AFI (A Fire Inside), a major punk/alternative band with Ukiah roots, a worldwide fan base, a rich catalogue of vinyl recordings to their credit. On one of his walls, Roubanis displays a framed, early (now collectable) AFI single, worth he says around $1,000.
What sort of vinyl is most popular? Classic rock sells consistently at Dig Music, but "reggae, punk, and blues go so fast, and they're hard to get - nobody gives them up, basically," says Roumbanis. For a good selection of hip hop records, though, and knowing his store can't cater to all tastes, he refers his customers to DJ Pinoy at 591 S. State St.
Dig Music also sells turntables, both basic and some with USB ports, which allow the owner to plug into a computer, and burn CDs or create digital files from records. This feature is attractive for some because much of what was put on record has never made the journey into the digital world. Others simply want to transfer their old records onto an iPod, so they so they can enjoy the music they've already collected in a more convenient form.
The store has also played host to some vinyl-supportive special events. Matt Eifert has come in and taught a gathering how to properly set up their turntables for maximum performance, and during Ukiah's monthly downtown Art Walk, Roumbanis set up a gallery-like exhibition and discussion of classic and distinctive LP cover art.
Down State Street, co-owners of Jitter Box Music, Jim Tuhtan and Mike Zarkowski, have each been toting around their personal collections of hundreds (or thousands) of records for years.
"I measure mine by the pound," says Zarkowski. The two musicians echo each other in their affection for the old vinyl. Both talk of the fidelity lost with "a chopped up" digital signal, and the fact that so much material on record simply can't be found in newer formats.
"Plus," says Tuhtan, "I've always liked vinyl records because I like the jackets. They're big enough to see."
Around Ukiah, the vinyl revival has taken many forms. Since January 2005, radio station KMEC at105.1 FM has been home of the "Vintage Vinyl" show hosted by Barry Kirkpatrick. Three nights a week, Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays from 9 p.m. to midnight, Kirkpatrick sits in the studio at 106 W. Standley St., spinning records, taking calls, and telling yarns. His personal record collection has formed the core of his playlist, but he sometimes borrows from other collectors or has friends come into the studio, sit down, and play their discs on the air with him.
Not every record he plays is in mint condition, Kirkpatrick admits "My first consideration was that for them (the listeners) the scratchiness of a record would be a distraction, and I would ask someone if that was a bother, and they would say no, that's what makes it real."
"One day," Kirkpatrick recalls with amusement, "some young people were standing right outside the door of the studio. A girl saw me set the needle down on a record, and she asked, How does he know where to set that down?' There are no lines on a CD, and she'd never seen that before. That was a totally legitimate question."
Meanwhile, at the Ukiah Brewing Company, out on their patio, there is a turntable and stereo system set up, a new canvas canopy overhead, and a stack of mostly well-worn albums inside for anyone who wants to play DJ for awhile. Or, people can bring their own collections and spin them for the generally appreciative crowd gathered outside at any given time. The idea for the do-it-yourself human jukebox came from Redwood Valley resident Titus Sanborn, who, in the fall of 2007,was working his way through the death of his wife, and eating at the Brewing Company every day. He spotted an old single speaker wooden hi-fi unit at the Goodwill store, bought it, set it up on the patio, brought in some records and soon found himself presiding over a nightly "scene."
"It was an immediate sensation," says Titus. "This music is a delight to people."
The set-up on the patio has evolved since then. The original vintage, wooden, plug-and-play unit has given way to a more contemporary component system, and Titus now adds a professional light show on some nights, but the "patio scene" is still cathartic for him and others. Some nights he likens it a "beach party," and at other times it's more like a gentle bonding among friends. Records, he says, are aptly named.
"They're records of a place, a time, and a circumstance, and without those records, the memories are lost."
On the other end of the spectrum, technologically speaking, is Ukiah schoolteacher Matt Eifert. Music has always been a big part of his life, and like most in their late 30s, his musical journey started with cassette tapes. From there, he got into CDs in a big way. In fact, he owned what he describes as "the best CD player in the world at that time" and possessed only one record album, when he bought his first turntable for $70. On playing a vinyl for the first time, Eifert said, he became "slack jawed" at the difference. Records, to his ear, sounded richer, fuller, warmer, and more true to life, leaving his CDs sounding, "flat, two dimensional, and small." Soon, he was hooked, and 20,000 records accumulated later, Eifert says, "I like everything about the format - it's more compelling to me."
But, even that may understate Eifert's love affair with vinyl records. Because in order to maximize his listening pleasure, the Ukiah resident undertook the building of a special acoustically designed room-within-a-store, filled it with top notch audio equipment - just the turntable, cartridge and tone arm, alone are worth $20,000 - and now invites friends over for some of what surely must be some of the most sublime vinyl listening sessions in anywhere.
So don't throw those old vinyl records away, quite yet. If you've held on to them this long, retrieve them, dust them off, and enjoy them again. They may not sound as good as new, but maybe that's a good thing.
SOURCE: http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com
The local vinyl revival: Don't throw those records away just yet!
By Daniel Lazarus
It makes no sense. They're heavy to move, and tough to store. They're finicky and delicate. They warp in the heat, scratch easily, and are never the same afterward. But, if you, like many other baby boomers, have been reluctant, unwilling, or unable to part with a dusty, old, milk crate full of your beloved Led Zeppelin, Cream, and Grateful Dead albums, despite the fact that you haven't listened to them in decades, and, probably haven't even owned a working turntable since Reagan Administration, take heart. The wait may be over. Your impractical but tenacious hoarding of those 12-inch black polycarbonate vinyl love letters to your past may have been surprisingly farsighted, after all. Simply put, vinyl records are back. What goes around, comes around, and with increasing frequency is being spun around again (at 33 1/3 and 45 revolutions per minute) on turntables all around the area.
Technically speaking, vinyl records never went away completely. Even after the introduction and wide acceptance of CDs in the early '80s, there were always a few independent record stores (mostly in larger cities) that stocked records for a fringe group of devoted listeners. Some vinyl fans didn't want to, or couldn't afford, to invest in new technology which seemed to change with the season. Others simply wanted to hear to their music as it was originally issued. Ukiah record collector and audiophile Matt Eifert, 37, remembers that as late as "1986-1987-1988, all three formats (cassettes, CDs, and records) were pretty healthy." Then, he says, music companies, bowing to clear consumer preference for the lighter, tougher, compact disks, all but stopped issuing any new vinyl at all. Eifert calls this period, from the late '80s until about 1993, "the dark days." Then, in the early '90s, "grunge rock" happened and defiantly retro bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam began issuing their music in record form again, and almost like "Rocky" the beleaguered format, regarded as all but dead, began punching it's way off the ropes.
Now, vinyl is vibrant again. Michael Roumbanis, owner of Dig Music at 362 N. State St. estimates that 10 to 20 percent of his sales come from records, and the trend is up. Used albums sell better than new, but, he points out that more and more artists are putting out new product on vinyl and the average price point - now about $20 per record - is coming down. Among recently issued LPs displayed on his wall are new records from AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Amy Winehouse, and Bruce Springsteen, among others. Dig Music, has also been a long time supporter of AFI (A Fire Inside), a major punk/alternative band with Ukiah roots, a worldwide fan base, a rich catalogue of vinyl recordings to their credit. On one of his walls, Roubanis displays a framed, early (now collectable) AFI single, worth he says around $1,000.
What sort of vinyl is most popular? Classic rock sells consistently at Dig Music, but "reggae, punk, and blues go so fast, and they're hard to get - nobody gives them up, basically," says Roumbanis. For a good selection of hip hop records, though, and knowing his store can't cater to all tastes, he refers his customers to DJ Pinoy at 591 S. State St.
Dig Music also sells turntables, both basic and some with USB ports, which allow the owner to plug into a computer, and burn CDs or create digital files from records. This feature is attractive for some because much of what was put on record has never made the journey into the digital world. Others simply want to transfer their old records onto an iPod, so they so they can enjoy the music they've already collected in a more convenient form.
The store has also played host to some vinyl-supportive special events. Matt Eifert has come in and taught a gathering how to properly set up their turntables for maximum performance, and during Ukiah's monthly downtown Art Walk, Roumbanis set up a gallery-like exhibition and discussion of classic and distinctive LP cover art.
Down State Street, co-owners of Jitter Box Music, Jim Tuhtan and Mike Zarkowski, have each been toting around their personal collections of hundreds (or thousands) of records for years.
"I measure mine by the pound," says Zarkowski. The two musicians echo each other in their affection for the old vinyl. Both talk of the fidelity lost with "a chopped up" digital signal, and the fact that so much material on record simply can't be found in newer formats.
"Plus," says Tuhtan, "I've always liked vinyl records because I like the jackets. They're big enough to see."
Around Ukiah, the vinyl revival has taken many forms. Since January 2005, radio station KMEC at105.1 FM has been home of the "Vintage Vinyl" show hosted by Barry Kirkpatrick. Three nights a week, Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays from 9 p.m. to midnight, Kirkpatrick sits in the studio at 106 W. Standley St., spinning records, taking calls, and telling yarns. His personal record collection has formed the core of his playlist, but he sometimes borrows from other collectors or has friends come into the studio, sit down, and play their discs on the air with him.
Not every record he plays is in mint condition, Kirkpatrick admits "My first consideration was that for them (the listeners) the scratchiness of a record would be a distraction, and I would ask someone if that was a bother, and they would say no, that's what makes it real."
"One day," Kirkpatrick recalls with amusement, "some young people were standing right outside the door of the studio. A girl saw me set the needle down on a record, and she asked, How does he know where to set that down?' There are no lines on a CD, and she'd never seen that before. That was a totally legitimate question."
Meanwhile, at the Ukiah Brewing Company, out on their patio, there is a turntable and stereo system set up, a new canvas canopy overhead, and a stack of mostly well-worn albums inside for anyone who wants to play DJ for awhile. Or, people can bring their own collections and spin them for the generally appreciative crowd gathered outside at any given time. The idea for the do-it-yourself human jukebox came from Redwood Valley resident Titus Sanborn, who, in the fall of 2007,was working his way through the death of his wife, and eating at the Brewing Company every day. He spotted an old single speaker wooden hi-fi unit at the Goodwill store, bought it, set it up on the patio, brought in some records and soon found himself presiding over a nightly "scene."
"It was an immediate sensation," says Titus. "This music is a delight to people."
The set-up on the patio has evolved since then. The original vintage, wooden, plug-and-play unit has given way to a more contemporary component system, and Titus now adds a professional light show on some nights, but the "patio scene" is still cathartic for him and others. Some nights he likens it a "beach party," and at other times it's more like a gentle bonding among friends. Records, he says, are aptly named.
"They're records of a place, a time, and a circumstance, and without those records, the memories are lost."
On the other end of the spectrum, technologically speaking, is Ukiah schoolteacher Matt Eifert. Music has always been a big part of his life, and like most in their late 30s, his musical journey started with cassette tapes. From there, he got into CDs in a big way. In fact, he owned what he describes as "the best CD player in the world at that time" and possessed only one record album, when he bought his first turntable for $70. On playing a vinyl for the first time, Eifert said, he became "slack jawed" at the difference. Records, to his ear, sounded richer, fuller, warmer, and more true to life, leaving his CDs sounding, "flat, two dimensional, and small." Soon, he was hooked, and 20,000 records accumulated later, Eifert says, "I like everything about the format - it's more compelling to me."
But, even that may understate Eifert's love affair with vinyl records. Because in order to maximize his listening pleasure, the Ukiah resident undertook the building of a special acoustically designed room-within-a-store, filled it with top notch audio equipment - just the turntable, cartridge and tone arm, alone are worth $20,000 - and now invites friends over for some of what surely must be some of the most sublime vinyl listening sessions in anywhere.
So don't throw those old vinyl records away, quite yet. If you've held on to them this long, retrieve them, dust them off, and enjoy them again. They may not sound as good as new, but maybe that's a good thing.
SOURCE: http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com
Album Cover Art
Let's look at #37 on the Gigwise.com top 50 most sexy and dirtiest album covers (as put together by their staff):
37. Deftones: ‘Around The Fur’ Around the Fur is Deftones' second major label album, released in 1997. The songs "My Own Summer (Shove It)" and "Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)" were both released as singles with accompanying videos.
Around the Fur is the album that put Deftones at the forefront of the 1990s alternative metal scene, after the underground, fan-base building success of their major label debut, Adrenaline.
The song "Headup" features Max Cavalera of Soulfly. The song was written by Max and Chino as a way of venting some of their pain over the loss of Max's step son, and Chino's friend, Dana Wells. Soulfly is taken from a portmanteau invented for the song.
Around the Fur, is the first album to feature Frank Delgado as additional personnel, who would eventually join the band officially in 1999.
37. Deftones: ‘Around The Fur’ Around the Fur is Deftones' second major label album, released in 1997. The songs "My Own Summer (Shove It)" and "Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away)" were both released as singles with accompanying videos.
Around the Fur is the album that put Deftones at the forefront of the 1990s alternative metal scene, after the underground, fan-base building success of their major label debut, Adrenaline.
The song "Headup" features Max Cavalera of Soulfly. The song was written by Max and Chino as a way of venting some of their pain over the loss of Max's step son, and Chino's friend, Dana Wells. Soulfly is taken from a portmanteau invented for the song.
Around the Fur, is the first album to feature Frank Delgado as additional personnel, who would eventually join the band officially in 1999.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Vinyl Cooperative/Suburban Home featured at Hypebot
From my friend Virgil over at www.vinylcollective.com Congratulations!
Published by Virgil November 14th, 2008
Check this shit out!, Press and blog.
Hypebot, a very well respected Music Industry blog, just posted a short interview with me regarding the Vinyl Cooperative and Suburban Home Records. It is really exciting and really cool that other people are taking notice of what we are doing. I highly recommend you read the interview (it is short). Thanks Bruce at Hypebot for taking the time to notice what we are doing and for featuring us on your site.
An interview with indie label entrepreneur Virgil Dickerson.
Virgil Dickerson runs thriving (yes, you read it correctly... thriving) indie label Suburban Home Records. One of his most interesting side-projects is a music tribe called the Vinyl Collective Cooperative. This all vinyl reissue label is financed and run by it's 210 members and a 10 member board of directors. Slots to join sold out in 8 minutes.
Q: What is the Vinyl Collective Cooperative?
Dickerson: The Vinyl Collective Cooperative is a collective of 220 folks around the globe who nominate and vote on releases that they want to see pressed on vinyl. Only releases that have never been put out on vinyl can be nominated. The 220 unit holders of the cooperative receive a free copy of the most limited variant of the pressing, copies are given to the band and to the label that licensed us the album, and the remaining copies are sold. That revenue goes back into the Cooperative for future releases. The hope is that there will continue to be funds to manufacture future releases and if that happens, the unit holders will continue to get a free copy of the most limited version of those records.
Q: How has is it working?
Dickerson: So far, only 2 releases have been manufactured and both are amazing. The Falcon's "God Don't Make No Trash" 10" was the Coop's first release. The Coop's second release is the Jealous Sound's Kill Them with Kindness double LP.
Q: Would you run a "normal" label this way?
Dickerson: I think that if a "normal" label was organized the right way, this model could work.It is definitely a lot of work to coordinate and communicate with 220 people. There have been some headaches, but as the cooperative continues, we hope to smooth it all out. I could see it as a model for other labels who just want to release great records, but it would be difficult if the participants expected to receive dividends. The Vinyl Cooperative works well because everyone involved are avid collectors.
Q: How is Suburban Home fairing in these tough times?
Dickerson: Honestly, we are doing better now than in our 13 year history. I feel very fortunate to be able to say that. In March of 2007, we downsized our entire operation and moved things into my house and cut staff. April of 2008, things turned around to the point where we are now in a new office/warehouse and have a staff again and are having our best year to date. I think that the big guys are feeling the downside of these tough times, but having always been a really small label, we are just hitting our stride in a different way.
We just had 3 of our last 4 Suburban Home releases on the Billboard Top New Artist charts and that has never happened in our entire history.
SOURCE: http://www.hypebot.com
Hail Vinyl!
Published by Virgil November 14th, 2008
Check this shit out!, Press and blog.
Hypebot, a very well respected Music Industry blog, just posted a short interview with me regarding the Vinyl Cooperative and Suburban Home Records. It is really exciting and really cool that other people are taking notice of what we are doing. I highly recommend you read the interview (it is short). Thanks Bruce at Hypebot for taking the time to notice what we are doing and for featuring us on your site.
An interview with indie label entrepreneur Virgil Dickerson.
Virgil Dickerson runs thriving (yes, you read it correctly... thriving) indie label Suburban Home Records. One of his most interesting side-projects is a music tribe called the Vinyl Collective Cooperative. This all vinyl reissue label is financed and run by it's 210 members and a 10 member board of directors. Slots to join sold out in 8 minutes.
Q: What is the Vinyl Collective Cooperative?
Dickerson: The Vinyl Collective Cooperative is a collective of 220 folks around the globe who nominate and vote on releases that they want to see pressed on vinyl. Only releases that have never been put out on vinyl can be nominated. The 220 unit holders of the cooperative receive a free copy of the most limited variant of the pressing, copies are given to the band and to the label that licensed us the album, and the remaining copies are sold. That revenue goes back into the Cooperative for future releases. The hope is that there will continue to be funds to manufacture future releases and if that happens, the unit holders will continue to get a free copy of the most limited version of those records.
Q: How has is it working?
Dickerson: So far, only 2 releases have been manufactured and both are amazing. The Falcon's "God Don't Make No Trash" 10" was the Coop's first release. The Coop's second release is the Jealous Sound's Kill Them with Kindness double LP.
Q: Would you run a "normal" label this way?
Dickerson: I think that if a "normal" label was organized the right way, this model could work.It is definitely a lot of work to coordinate and communicate with 220 people. There have been some headaches, but as the cooperative continues, we hope to smooth it all out. I could see it as a model for other labels who just want to release great records, but it would be difficult if the participants expected to receive dividends. The Vinyl Cooperative works well because everyone involved are avid collectors.
Q: How is Suburban Home fairing in these tough times?
Dickerson: Honestly, we are doing better now than in our 13 year history. I feel very fortunate to be able to say that. In March of 2007, we downsized our entire operation and moved things into my house and cut staff. April of 2008, things turned around to the point where we are now in a new office/warehouse and have a staff again and are having our best year to date. I think that the big guys are feeling the downside of these tough times, but having always been a really small label, we are just hitting our stride in a different way.
We just had 3 of our last 4 Suburban Home releases on the Billboard Top New Artist charts and that has never happened in our entire history.
SOURCE: http://www.hypebot.com
Hail Vinyl!
A Day In The Life Of Ranch Records
Regular readers know that I enjoy articles about the small, independent record stores, to me; they are the backbone of the vinyl revival. This story reflects a day in a local record store and in it, gives the reasons that so many people love these intimate retail establishments.
Vinyl
A day in the life of Ranch Records
By K. Williams Brown • Statesman Journal
November 15, 2008
There is a fierce, burning, endearing dedication to the record at Ranch Records. Not to the album per se, although that too, kind of, but to the vinyl disc most often seen nowadays at the Salvation Army or in your parents’ boxes of memorabilia.
Records are something to be collected, arranged, re-arranged, hoarded if there’s something unique or good about them (i.e., if they’re printed on patterned or colored vinyl) and, of course, listened to.
In Ranch Records, the records themselves are surrounded by CDs (an economic necessity), cassettes (there’s still demand), relics that complement the records, like $400 Beatles purses and original The Who posters for Berlin concerts, and then the people.
There’s customers and employees, although the divisions blur when employees come in on their off days or regulars are hired. I spent a few hours at the store in late October, trying to record the essence of Ranch.
10:58 a.m.
David Ballantyne, a clerk at Ranch Records, instructs intern Kyle Castronovo, a McNary student, to turn on the "OPEN" sign.
"You wanna turn on the open sign? Just pull the string, nice long pull," he says, and Castronovo interrupts his extensive Windex-ing duties to comply. Bo Diddley is put on the stereo.
11:06 a.m.
Owners Kit and Lori Close arrive, flowers from the Wednesday Market in-hand. Kit has been at the helm of the store since its 1982 opening and through five location changes to its present spot at 237 High St. NE. Lori normally oversees the McMinnville store, one of three they own together.
"I was a record nut, a record collector, the nerdy kid who all my money went to records, and (the records) started to overtake my life, so I started a small shop," Kit explains when asked why he opened a store.
11:25 a.m.
Ballantyne is involved in lots of CD movings: into sleeves, out of sleeves, on the shelf where all the sleeved CDs are kept. This reflects the fact that each day, Ranch Records buys all sorts of CDs and records on consignment, each of which is sleeved and catalogued. This is part of the draw for the many regulars who come weekly or even more frequently.
"There could be 5,000 records out there, but if there's 10 by the counter, they want to see those," Kit said.
11:45 a.m.
Perry Manns is one of those regulars.
"I've been coming here — geez, last week I came in here five times," he said. "They have what I want. They have a lot of selections I like — blues, jazz."
Today, he has James Brown, Etta James and Charlie Parker CDs.
12:15 p.m.
Mark Wade is another regular, one singled out by Kit as an especially good customer, who comes in two or three times per week on his lunch break from Willamette University.
There are, he said, a lot of reasons for his loyalty.
"The people working here, they're knowledgeable, they share the same interests," he said. "If you're passionate about music — which I am, I have been since I was 12, 13 years old — they're the same. So I consider them friends. It's one of the few places left that's like an old record store, like the kind I grew up with."
12:20 p.m.
Sam Schick has come in, even though it's his day off. He's been on the job about two years.
"I think Kit just took pity on me since I spent so much time here."
The story behind his hiring is telling.
"I saw a vinyl picture disc — a Paris Hilton picture disc — and I didn't like that," he said. "So I bought it and then I broke it over the counter, and I told (Ballantyne) not to stock that anymore."
Ballantyne, who had been responsible for the purchase of Hilton's album, was pleased.
"That was the candle on the cake," he said. "That was a major story that we passed around. Like, 'Kit, you won't believe what this kid did.' It was a year and a half, two years before we hired him."
12:35 p.m.
Castronovo admires Ballantyne's tiger shirt.
"That shirt is brutal," he says. "I just got a flower on mine."
"That's cool. That's manly," Ballantyne replies.
I ask about record collections.
"Last count was 1,300 good albums, 800 odds and ends and about 300 CDs," Ballantyne said.
"A couple hundred," Kit deadpans, then laughs. "I've got three stores full. It's not about counting, but my records are better than anyone else's."
There is agreement.
1:12 p.m.
Mickey Bare, of The Falcons and Hundred Dollar Jayhawks fame, stops in. Kit offers him a beer, "for lunch," and he takes one. So does Schick.
Ballantyne re-enters and sees the beers. "What is this?"
Bare: "Lunch."
Schick: "My day off."
There is a fierce, burning, endearing dedication to the record at Ranch Records. Not to the album per se, although that too, kind of, but to the vinyl disc most often seen nowadays at the Salvation Army or in your parents' boxes of memorabilia.
Records are something to be collected, arranged, re-arranged, hoarded if there's something unique or good about them (i.e., if they're printed on patterned or colored vinyl) and, of course, listened to.
In Ranch Records, the records themselves are surrounded by CDs (an economic necessity), cassettes (there's still demand), relics that complement the records, like $400 Beatles purses and original The Who posters for Berlin concerts, and then the people.
There's customers and employees, although the divisions blur when employees come in on their off days or regulars are hired. I spent a few hours at the store in late October, trying to record the essence of Ranch.
SOURCE: http://www.statesmanjournal.com
Vinyl
A day in the life of Ranch Records
By K. Williams Brown • Statesman Journal
November 15, 2008
There is a fierce, burning, endearing dedication to the record at Ranch Records. Not to the album per se, although that too, kind of, but to the vinyl disc most often seen nowadays at the Salvation Army or in your parents’ boxes of memorabilia.
Records are something to be collected, arranged, re-arranged, hoarded if there’s something unique or good about them (i.e., if they’re printed on patterned or colored vinyl) and, of course, listened to.
In Ranch Records, the records themselves are surrounded by CDs (an economic necessity), cassettes (there’s still demand), relics that complement the records, like $400 Beatles purses and original The Who posters for Berlin concerts, and then the people.
There’s customers and employees, although the divisions blur when employees come in on their off days or regulars are hired. I spent a few hours at the store in late October, trying to record the essence of Ranch.
10:58 a.m.
David Ballantyne, a clerk at Ranch Records, instructs intern Kyle Castronovo, a McNary student, to turn on the "OPEN" sign.
"You wanna turn on the open sign? Just pull the string, nice long pull," he says, and Castronovo interrupts his extensive Windex-ing duties to comply. Bo Diddley is put on the stereo.
11:06 a.m.
Owners Kit and Lori Close arrive, flowers from the Wednesday Market in-hand. Kit has been at the helm of the store since its 1982 opening and through five location changes to its present spot at 237 High St. NE. Lori normally oversees the McMinnville store, one of three they own together.
"I was a record nut, a record collector, the nerdy kid who all my money went to records, and (the records) started to overtake my life, so I started a small shop," Kit explains when asked why he opened a store.
11:25 a.m.
Ballantyne is involved in lots of CD movings: into sleeves, out of sleeves, on the shelf where all the sleeved CDs are kept. This reflects the fact that each day, Ranch Records buys all sorts of CDs and records on consignment, each of which is sleeved and catalogued. This is part of the draw for the many regulars who come weekly or even more frequently.
"There could be 5,000 records out there, but if there's 10 by the counter, they want to see those," Kit said.
11:45 a.m.
Perry Manns is one of those regulars.
"I've been coming here — geez, last week I came in here five times," he said. "They have what I want. They have a lot of selections I like — blues, jazz."
Today, he has James Brown, Etta James and Charlie Parker CDs.
12:15 p.m.
Mark Wade is another regular, one singled out by Kit as an especially good customer, who comes in two or three times per week on his lunch break from Willamette University.
There are, he said, a lot of reasons for his loyalty.
"The people working here, they're knowledgeable, they share the same interests," he said. "If you're passionate about music — which I am, I have been since I was 12, 13 years old — they're the same. So I consider them friends. It's one of the few places left that's like an old record store, like the kind I grew up with."
12:20 p.m.
Sam Schick has come in, even though it's his day off. He's been on the job about two years.
"I think Kit just took pity on me since I spent so much time here."
The story behind his hiring is telling.
"I saw a vinyl picture disc — a Paris Hilton picture disc — and I didn't like that," he said. "So I bought it and then I broke it over the counter, and I told (Ballantyne) not to stock that anymore."
Ballantyne, who had been responsible for the purchase of Hilton's album, was pleased.
"That was the candle on the cake," he said. "That was a major story that we passed around. Like, 'Kit, you won't believe what this kid did.' It was a year and a half, two years before we hired him."
12:35 p.m.
Castronovo admires Ballantyne's tiger shirt.
"That shirt is brutal," he says. "I just got a flower on mine."
"That's cool. That's manly," Ballantyne replies.
I ask about record collections.
"Last count was 1,300 good albums, 800 odds and ends and about 300 CDs," Ballantyne said.
"A couple hundred," Kit deadpans, then laughs. "I've got three stores full. It's not about counting, but my records are better than anyone else's."
There is agreement.
1:12 p.m.
Mickey Bare, of The Falcons and Hundred Dollar Jayhawks fame, stops in. Kit offers him a beer, "for lunch," and he takes one. So does Schick.
Ballantyne re-enters and sees the beers. "What is this?"
Bare: "Lunch."
Schick: "My day off."
There is a fierce, burning, endearing dedication to the record at Ranch Records. Not to the album per se, although that too, kind of, but to the vinyl disc most often seen nowadays at the Salvation Army or in your parents' boxes of memorabilia.
Records are something to be collected, arranged, re-arranged, hoarded if there's something unique or good about them (i.e., if they're printed on patterned or colored vinyl) and, of course, listened to.
In Ranch Records, the records themselves are surrounded by CDs (an economic necessity), cassettes (there's still demand), relics that complement the records, like $400 Beatles purses and original The Who posters for Berlin concerts, and then the people.
There's customers and employees, although the divisions blur when employees come in on their off days or regulars are hired. I spent a few hours at the store in late October, trying to record the essence of Ranch.
SOURCE: http://www.statesmanjournal.com
Album Cover Art
All the way to #38- here is what made the Gigwise.com Top 50 list of the sexiest and dirtiest album covers (as voted on by their staff):
38. Tom Waits: ‘Small Change’ Interestingly,this glamorous model posing as the stripper was one Cassandra Peterson who went on to play Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. Now, that is cool!
Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car." With this trademark growl, his incorporation of pre-rock music styles such as blues, jazz, and vaudeville, and experimental tendencies verging on industrial music, Waits has built up a distinctive musical persona. He has worked as a composer for movies and musical plays and as a supporting actor in films, including The Fisher King, Coffee & Cigarettes, Bram Stoker's Dracula, and Short Cuts. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his soundtrack work on One from the Heart.
Lyrically, Waits' songs contain atmospheric portrayals of bizarre, seedy characters and places, although he has also shown a penchant for more conventional ballads. He has a cult following and has influenced subsequent songwriters despite having little radio or music video support. His songs are best-known to the general public in the form of cover versions by more visible artists—for example, "Jersey Girl," performed by Bruce Springsteen; "Downtown Train" performed by Rod Stewart; and "Ol' '55," performed by the Eagles. Although Waits' albums have met with mixed commercial success in his native United States, they have occasionally achieved gold album sales status in other countries. He has been nominated for a number of major music awards and has won Grammy Awards for two albums, Bone Machine and Mule Variations.
Waits currently lives in Sonoma County, California with his wife and their three children.
38. Tom Waits: ‘Small Change’ Interestingly,this glamorous model posing as the stripper was one Cassandra Peterson who went on to play Elvira, Mistress of the Dark. Now, that is cool!
Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car." With this trademark growl, his incorporation of pre-rock music styles such as blues, jazz, and vaudeville, and experimental tendencies verging on industrial music, Waits has built up a distinctive musical persona. He has worked as a composer for movies and musical plays and as a supporting actor in films, including The Fisher King, Coffee & Cigarettes, Bram Stoker's Dracula, and Short Cuts. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his soundtrack work on One from the Heart.
Lyrically, Waits' songs contain atmospheric portrayals of bizarre, seedy characters and places, although he has also shown a penchant for more conventional ballads. He has a cult following and has influenced subsequent songwriters despite having little radio or music video support. His songs are best-known to the general public in the form of cover versions by more visible artists—for example, "Jersey Girl," performed by Bruce Springsteen; "Downtown Train" performed by Rod Stewart; and "Ol' '55," performed by the Eagles. Although Waits' albums have met with mixed commercial success in his native United States, they have occasionally achieved gold album sales status in other countries. He has been nominated for a number of major music awards and has won Grammy Awards for two albums, Bone Machine and Mule Variations.
Waits currently lives in Sonoma County, California with his wife and their three children.
The Album Cover Art That Isn't Album Cover Art
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A rep for Whitney Houston’s label Arista Records is denying reports that a photo of the singer that recently appeared online is the cover art for her new comeback album.
“The allegedly ‘new’ Whitney Houston album cover circulating throughout the Internet is not a legitimate album cover for Ms. Houston’s forthcoming Arista disc,” read a statement from the label.
“Ms. Houston is still recording and we look forward to unveiling new music along with the official album cover in due time.”
Entertainment Weekly reported that the phony album cover – featuring Houston in a black bathing suit with a plunging neckline and sporting a long wavy weave – was actually created by a fan.
Cowsills Reform for 40th Anniversary of Hair
The Cowsills, the family-based band who had numerous hits in the late-60's including "The Rain, The Park and Other Things" and "Indian Lake," are set to reform for a 2009 tour in celebrations of the 40th anniversary of their number one smash "Hair."
The reformed group will include original members Bob, Susan and Paul Cowsill along with Susan's husband Russ Broussard, Bob's son Ryan, Paul's son Brendon and bassist Ted Armstrong. Three members of the original group have since passed away, mother Barbara, and brothers Barry and Billy.
Bob Cowsill said how excited he was about the new enterprise. “We absolutely love performing and getting back in the saddle of touring after all these years. Meeting people we had crossed paths with in a different way back in the hey-day, personally meeting and greeting everyone and enjoying the memories shared by all. That two sons would now replace two brothers was unexpected but afforded us a light in the darkness after we lost Billy and Barry.”
Brother Paul added, “I'm looking forward to meeting more people who took the ride with us in the 60's. In my opinion the shows and singing are better now and our appreciation for the fans is better due to our maturity as performers. We are having fun and it’s infectious. I’m looking forward to working with Steve [Peck] and BLA [Buddy Lee Attractions, promoters for the group]. I believe that they really get what we’re about as a family and a band and they are a first class organization.”
The group will also be the subject of a feature-length documentary that is near completion.
The Rain,The Park And Other Things
Hair
Singles
"Most Of All"/"Siamese Cat" (Phillips 40382, 1966) US #118
"The Rain, The Park, And Other Things"/"River Blue" (MGM 13810, 1967) US #2
"We Can Fly"/"A Time for Remembrance" (MGM 13886, 1968) US #21
"In Need Of A Friend"/"Mister Flynn" (MGM 13909, 1968) US #54
"Indian Lake"/"Newspaper Blanket" (MGM 13944, 1968) US #10
"Poor Baby"/"Meet Me At The Wishing Well" (MGM 13981, 1968) US #44
"Path Of Love"/"Captain Sad And His Ship Of Fools" (MGM 14003, 1968) US #132
"The Impossible Years"/"The Candy Kid" (MGM 14011, 1969) US #118
"Hair"/"What Is Happy?" (MGM 14026, 1969) US #2
"The Prophecy of Daniel and John the Divine"/"Gotta Get Away from It All" (MGM 14063, 1970) US #75
"Silver Threads And Golden Needles"/"Love American Style" (MGM 14084, 1970) US #74
"On My Side"/"There is a Child" (London 149, 1971) US #108 [5]
"Covered Wagon"/"Blue Road" (London 170, 1972) Did not chart
"Christmastime" (Song for Marissa)"/"Some Good Years" (Rockville, 1993) - 1990s incarnation
Albums
"The Cowsills" (MGM E/SE-4498, 1967) US #31 (released on CD in 1994 with two bonus tracks: "The Impossible Years" and "Love American Style")
"The Cowsills plus The Lincoln Park Zoo" (Wing/Mercury, 1968)
"We Can Fly" (MGM E/SE-4534, 1968) US #89
"Captain Sad and His Ship of Fools" (MGM E/SE-4554, 1968) US #105
"The Best of The Cowsills" (MGM E/SE-4597, 1969) US #127
"The Cowsills in Concert" (MGM SE-4619, 1969) US #16
"IIxII" (MGM SE-4639, 1969) [6]
"The Cowsills Greatest Hits" (MGM, 1970)
"On My Side" (London, 1970) US #200 [7]
"The Best of the Cowsills" (Polydor, 1988 - re-released on Rebound in 1994 with a new cover)
"Global" (Robin, 1998 — first all-new album since 1970)
"The Best of the Cowsills: The Millennium Collection" (Universal/Polydor, 2001) [8]
"Painting the Day: The Angelic Psychedelia of the Cowsills" (EI, 2006) [9]
"Cocaine Drain" (Robin, 2008)
The reformed group will include original members Bob, Susan and Paul Cowsill along with Susan's husband Russ Broussard, Bob's son Ryan, Paul's son Brendon and bassist Ted Armstrong. Three members of the original group have since passed away, mother Barbara, and brothers Barry and Billy.
Bob Cowsill said how excited he was about the new enterprise. “We absolutely love performing and getting back in the saddle of touring after all these years. Meeting people we had crossed paths with in a different way back in the hey-day, personally meeting and greeting everyone and enjoying the memories shared by all. That two sons would now replace two brothers was unexpected but afforded us a light in the darkness after we lost Billy and Barry.”
Brother Paul added, “I'm looking forward to meeting more people who took the ride with us in the 60's. In my opinion the shows and singing are better now and our appreciation for the fans is better due to our maturity as performers. We are having fun and it’s infectious. I’m looking forward to working with Steve [Peck] and BLA [Buddy Lee Attractions, promoters for the group]. I believe that they really get what we’re about as a family and a band and they are a first class organization.”
The group will also be the subject of a feature-length documentary that is near completion.
The Rain,The Park And Other Things
Hair
Singles
"Most Of All"/"Siamese Cat" (Phillips 40382, 1966) US #118
"The Rain, The Park, And Other Things"/"River Blue" (MGM 13810, 1967) US #2
"We Can Fly"/"A Time for Remembrance" (MGM 13886, 1968) US #21
"In Need Of A Friend"/"Mister Flynn" (MGM 13909, 1968) US #54
"Indian Lake"/"Newspaper Blanket" (MGM 13944, 1968) US #10
"Poor Baby"/"Meet Me At The Wishing Well" (MGM 13981, 1968) US #44
"Path Of Love"/"Captain Sad And His Ship Of Fools" (MGM 14003, 1968) US #132
"The Impossible Years"/"The Candy Kid" (MGM 14011, 1969) US #118
"Hair"/"What Is Happy?" (MGM 14026, 1969) US #2
"The Prophecy of Daniel and John the Divine"/"Gotta Get Away from It All" (MGM 14063, 1970) US #75
"Silver Threads And Golden Needles"/"Love American Style" (MGM 14084, 1970) US #74
"On My Side"/"There is a Child" (London 149, 1971) US #108 [5]
"Covered Wagon"/"Blue Road" (London 170, 1972) Did not chart
"Christmastime" (Song for Marissa)"/"Some Good Years" (Rockville, 1993) - 1990s incarnation
Albums
"The Cowsills" (MGM E/SE-4498, 1967) US #31 (released on CD in 1994 with two bonus tracks: "The Impossible Years" and "Love American Style")
"The Cowsills plus The Lincoln Park Zoo" (Wing/Mercury, 1968)
"We Can Fly" (MGM E/SE-4534, 1968) US #89
"Captain Sad and His Ship of Fools" (MGM E/SE-4554, 1968) US #105
"The Best of The Cowsills" (MGM E/SE-4597, 1969) US #127
"The Cowsills in Concert" (MGM SE-4619, 1969) US #16
"IIxII" (MGM SE-4639, 1969) [6]
"The Cowsills Greatest Hits" (MGM, 1970)
"On My Side" (London, 1970) US #200 [7]
"The Best of the Cowsills" (Polydor, 1988 - re-released on Rebound in 1994 with a new cover)
"Global" (Robin, 1998 — first all-new album since 1970)
"The Best of the Cowsills: The Millennium Collection" (Universal/Polydor, 2001) [8]
"Painting the Day: The Angelic Psychedelia of the Cowsills" (EI, 2006) [9]
"Cocaine Drain" (Robin, 2008)
This Date In Music History-November 15
Birthdays:
Vocalist Petula Clark, who hit No. 1 with "Downtown" in 1965, turns 76. She also enjoyed 14 other top 40 hits. Clark became the first UK female singer to score a No.1 single in the US with this classic tune.
Anni-Frid Lyngstadt of ABBA ("Dancing Queen") is 63.
C.W. McCall ("Convoy") turns 80.
Pub rock performer Graham Parker was born in East London in 1950. His sole American hit was 1985's "Wake Up (Next to You)."
They Will Be Missed:
Born on this day in 1933, Clyde McPhatter, The Drifters, died on June 13, 1972.
The late Little Willie John ("Sleep") was born in 1937.
Born on this day in 1905, Mantovani, Orchestra leader, he died in March of 1980.
History:
The Jefferson Airplane recorded "Somebody To Love" in 1966.
The first album by Karen and Richard Carpenter, "Offering" was released by A&M Records in 1969. It would not be a big seller, but a single from the LP, a remake of The Beatles "Ticket to Ride", would gain national attention. Their next album, "Close to You" would establish them as major international stars.
"Love Me Tender" with Elvis Presley premiered at New York's Paramount Theatre in 1956. In case you had trouble finding the theater, a 50-foot cardboard effigy of the King was parked outside. Despite critical reaction, it takes in nearly $4 million in just two months.
In 1959, Johnny and The Moondogs (John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison), appeared in the final round of Britain's TV Star Search at The Hippodrome Theatre, Manchester, where they performed "Think It Over" and "It's So Easy.” Judging was done by the volume of applause each group received at the end of the night. Unfortunately, the Moondogs didn't have enough money to stay overnight and were forced to head back to Liverpool before they were called back to stage. Just a hunch but I bet that they would have won.
The Beatles complete their sessions for the legendary LP Rubber Soul in 1965.
The Rolling Stones made their debut on NBC-TV's "Hullabaloo" television show in 1965. The band performed "Get Off My Cloud."
In 1979, Kenny Rogers enjoyed his only solo, US Pop chart number one with "Lady". The Lionel Richie penned tune would also top the Country and Adult Contemporary charts and reach #12 in the UK.
Janis Joplin was arrested in Tampa, FL in 1969 on charges of using "vulgar and indecent language" at a concert. All the charges were eventually dropped.
In 1990, Frank Farian, producer of Milli Vanilli, publicly admitted that Fabrice Morvan and Rob Pilatus never sang a note on the Milli Vanilli album and that they lip-synched when they performed live. Duh!
Jay-Z went to No.1 on the US album chart in 2007 with ‘American Gangster,’ his 10th No.1 album. This made the rapper tied with Elvis Presley for the most No.1 albums on the chart; only the Beatles have had more, with 19. Since 1998, all eight of Jay-Z's solo studio albums hade hit No. 1, in addition to his ‘Collision Course’ project with Linkin Park and his ‘Unfinished Business’ collaboration with R. Kelly.
Vocalist Petula Clark, who hit No. 1 with "Downtown" in 1965, turns 76. She also enjoyed 14 other top 40 hits. Clark became the first UK female singer to score a No.1 single in the US with this classic tune.
Anni-Frid Lyngstadt of ABBA ("Dancing Queen") is 63.
C.W. McCall ("Convoy") turns 80.
Pub rock performer Graham Parker was born in East London in 1950. His sole American hit was 1985's "Wake Up (Next to You)."
They Will Be Missed:
Born on this day in 1933, Clyde McPhatter, The Drifters, died on June 13, 1972.
The late Little Willie John ("Sleep") was born in 1937.
Born on this day in 1905, Mantovani, Orchestra leader, he died in March of 1980.
History:
The Jefferson Airplane recorded "Somebody To Love" in 1966.
The first album by Karen and Richard Carpenter, "Offering" was released by A&M Records in 1969. It would not be a big seller, but a single from the LP, a remake of The Beatles "Ticket to Ride", would gain national attention. Their next album, "Close to You" would establish them as major international stars.
"Love Me Tender" with Elvis Presley premiered at New York's Paramount Theatre in 1956. In case you had trouble finding the theater, a 50-foot cardboard effigy of the King was parked outside. Despite critical reaction, it takes in nearly $4 million in just two months.
In 1959, Johnny and The Moondogs (John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison), appeared in the final round of Britain's TV Star Search at The Hippodrome Theatre, Manchester, where they performed "Think It Over" and "It's So Easy.” Judging was done by the volume of applause each group received at the end of the night. Unfortunately, the Moondogs didn't have enough money to stay overnight and were forced to head back to Liverpool before they were called back to stage. Just a hunch but I bet that they would have won.
The Beatles complete their sessions for the legendary LP Rubber Soul in 1965.
The Rolling Stones made their debut on NBC-TV's "Hullabaloo" television show in 1965. The band performed "Get Off My Cloud."
In 1979, Kenny Rogers enjoyed his only solo, US Pop chart number one with "Lady". The Lionel Richie penned tune would also top the Country and Adult Contemporary charts and reach #12 in the UK.
Janis Joplin was arrested in Tampa, FL in 1969 on charges of using "vulgar and indecent language" at a concert. All the charges were eventually dropped.
In 1990, Frank Farian, producer of Milli Vanilli, publicly admitted that Fabrice Morvan and Rob Pilatus never sang a note on the Milli Vanilli album and that they lip-synched when they performed live. Duh!
Jay-Z went to No.1 on the US album chart in 2007 with ‘American Gangster,’ his 10th No.1 album. This made the rapper tied with Elvis Presley for the most No.1 albums on the chart; only the Beatles have had more, with 19. Since 1998, all eight of Jay-Z's solo studio albums hade hit No. 1, in addition to his ‘Collision Course’ project with Linkin Park and his ‘Unfinished Business’ collaboration with R. Kelly.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Your Vinyl Destination
I have a great announcement- I have joined up with the team at http://www.rockitradio.net/ as a writer and have already been published. I am very fortunate to be part of their team and just hope that I can write up some good material for them! Here is what they have to say on their "DJ" page:
"To spice up the Rock-it Radio Listener's Club Newsletter - Rock-it Radio in the 24 October, 2008 issue was able to get one of the top authorities on Collecting Vinyl Records to start writing articles on rare vinyl - Collecting and Preserving Old Records. We are lucky to have him! And we look forward to reading many new exciting articles of Robert's in the future."
Their format is right up my alley, as I have a true love for the 'oldies' and especially the doo wop sounds of yesteryear.
So come on over and listen to Your Online Station since 1995 with 1950's and Early 1960's Rock and Roll, Doo Wop, Rockabilly and Rhythm and Blues!
http://www.rockitradio.net/
My feature is called "Your Vinyl Destination" and here is something I wrote up about a classic rock/soul group (after the passing of Levi Stubbs):
The Four Tops
With the late Levi Stubbs leading their musical parade, the Four Tops are one of Motown’s fabulous success stories. This American vocal quartet has a compelling musical repertoire including recordings in many genres including doo wop, jazz, soul, R&B, disco, adult contemporary and show tunes.
Originally called The Aims, the quartet of Levi Stubbs, Abdul “Duke” Fakir, Renaldo “Obie” Benson and Lawrence Payton started singing in high school at a local birthday party. They were signed to Chess Records in 1956, where they changed their name to the Four Tops (to avoid confusion with the then-popular Ames Brothers). After unsuccessful stops with Chess, Red Top, Riverside Records and Columbia Records, Berry Gordy Jr. convinced the group to join his growing Motown record label.
The result is pop music history, with the group amassing a catalog of soul standards that continue to inspire and bring pleasure to millions to this day. The group was elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 and it is estimated that the Four Tops have sold over 50 million records.
Their storied career started taking shape when the group signed on with Motown in 1963, where they recorded jazz standards and sang background on other Motown singles. In1964, Motown’s songwriting team of Holland-Dozier-Holland created an instrumental track and crafted the song for the Four Tops. The result? The Four Tops’ breakthrough single and now a soul standard “Baby I Need Your Loving” (#11 in 1964).
After a couple of follow up singles did not have the same success (although “Ask The Lonely” was a Top 30 pop hit and a Top Ten R&B hit), the Four Tops success improved dramatically and the group contributed such pop/soul hits as the #1 hit “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)” (#1 in 1965), “It’s The Same Old Song” (#5 in 1965), “Something About You” (#19 in 1965), “Shake Me, Wake Me (When It’s Over),” which charted at #18 in 1966.
But their signature song, “Reach Out I’ll Be There” (#1 in 1966) put the Four Tops on the top of the Soul/Motown world and the group followed this remarkable record with two other Top Ten hits- “Standing In the Shadows Of Love” (#6 in 1966) and the classic tale of lust and jealousy in the 1967 #4 hit “Bernadette.”
Other Top 20 hits followed and the group was one of the most successful male Motown acts in the US and UK (second only to the Temptations). The Tops began experimenting with mainstream pop hits and scored with their versions of “If I Were A Carpenter” (#20 in 1968) and a song originally a hit for the Left Banke “Walk Away Renee” (#14 in 1968). But when the Holland-Dozier-Holland team left Motown in 1967, the quartet, along with most of Motown began to suffer.
The group worked with a wide variety of Motown producers during the late 60’s without any significant chart success. But their career was rejuvenated when they started working with producer Frank Wilson and their 1970 album called “Still Waters Run Deep” became an early ancestor to the concept album, and served as inspiration for the 1971 album by Marvin Gaye called “What’s Going On” (the title track was co-written by Obie Benson). They also scored Top 40 hits with “It’s All In The Game” (#24 in 1970), “Still Water” (#11 in 1970) and were paired with the Supremes in a remake of the classic Ike & Tina Turner hit “River Deep-Mountain High” (#14 in 1970).
However this was a transitional phase for Motown as the music giant began to change. In the early 70’s older acts such as Martha Reeves & the Vandellas and the Marvelettes were slowly being pushed aside so the label could focus on the newer acts like the Jackson 5, Rare Earth and Diana Ross (who had launched a solo career). Additionally, the company was in the process of moving its operations from Detroit to Los Angles (where Gordy had hoped to break into the motion picture and television industries). By 1972, Motown announced that the entire company would move to LA hoping all of its recording artists would follow. Some did, but many opted to stay in Detroit, including the Four Tops.
The group then singed with ABC-Dunhill and was assigned to the songwriting/producing team of Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter. With this team and their own Lawrence Payton serving as producer/arranger, the Four Tops were revitalized and scored their first Top Ten hit since 1967 with the song “Keeper Of The Castle” (#10 in 1972) and followed that with the now classic soul tune, “Ain’t No Woman (Like The One I Got),” which went to #4 on the Billboard charts in 1973. The group also had top ten R&B hits with “Are You Man Enough” (which also went to #15 on the Billboard charts), “Sweet Understanding Love” (#33 Billboard Top 40), “Midnight Flower” and “One Chain Don’t Make No Prison.” But after these hits in the early 70’s the group disappeared into obscurity in the late 70’s.
But after signing on with Casablanca Records in 1980, the Four Tops made a short comeback in 1981, scoring a #1 R&B hit with the cut “When She Was My Girl” (#11 Billboard Top 40).
In 1983, the Four Tops rejoined Motown and were featured on the company’s television special “Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever.” There they hooked up with the Temptations and decided that the Temptations/Four Tops pairing would be a great touring draw and the two groups (as of 2007) continued to play together.
Back with Motown, the group released the LP “Back Where I Belong” (with one side produced by the Holland-Dozier-Holland team) and the album included the Top 40 R&B single “I Just Can’t Walk Away” (#71 on Billboard Top 100). Two more albums followed including 1985’s “Magic” and 1986’s “Hot Nights.” But the group and label began to quarrel about marketing and musical direction. The Tops left Motown again and signed on with Arista records, this time buying back the masters they had recorded (for an album in progress). The result was the album called “Indestructible” and the title track would prove to be their last Top 40 hit (#33 in 1988).
However, since the late 80’s, the Four Tops have focused on touring, live performances and television and motion pictures. Their last LP was 1995’s “Christmas Here With You” and when 59 year-old Lawrence Payton died in 1997, the forty year career of this legendary Motown group tried to carry on as a trio (the group has never had a line up change until then). In 1988, former Temptation Theo Peoples joined on to restore the group to a quartet once again. In 2000, Stubbs had become ill with cancer and Peoples took over as lead singer. Singer Obie Benson died in 2005 and ex-lead singer Levi Stubbs passed away in October of 2008 (still residing in Detroit).
The Four Tops were one of Motown’s most successful male soul acts. Their legendary career has inspired many soul artists and their music will be forever remembered.
Four Tops discography
Early releases:
Year/Song title:
1956: "If Only I Had Known" (Grady Records, credited as "The Four Aims")
1956: "Could It Be You?" (Chess)
1960: "Ain't That Love" (Columbia Records, reissued in 1965)
1962: "Pennies From Heaven" (Riverside Records)
Motown releases (All the following songs were released on the Motown subsidiary):
Year/Song title:
1964 "Baby I Need Your Loving"
1964 "Without the One You Love (Life's Not Worth While)"
1965 "Ask the Lonely"
1965 "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)"
1965 "It's the Same Old Song"
1965 "Something About You"
1966 "Shake Me, Wake Me (When It's Over)"
1966 "Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever"
1966 "Reach Out I'll Be There"
1966 "Standing in the Shadows of Love"
1967 "Bernadette"
1967 "7-Rooms of Gloom"
1967 "I'll Turn to Stone"
1967 "You Keep Running Away"
1967 "If I Were a Carpenter"
1968 "Walk Away Renée
1968 "Yesterday's Dreams"
1969 "Don't Let Him Take Your Love From Me"
1969 "What Is A Man"
1969 "Do What You Gotta Do"
1970 "It's All In The Game"
1970 "Still Water (Love)"
1971 "MacArthur Park (Part II)
1971 "River Deep - Mountain High" (The Supremes and the Four Tops)
1971 "In These Changing Times"
1971 "Just Seven Numbers (Can Straighten Out My Life)"
1971 "You Gotta Have Love In Your Heart" (The Supremes and the Four Tops)
1972 "(It's the Way) Nature Planned It"
1972 "Simple Game"
1983 "I Just Can't Walk Away"
1985 "Sexy Ways"
ABC-Dunhill releases:
Year/Song title
1972 "Keeper of the Castle"
1973 "Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got)"
1973 "Are You Man Enough"
1973 "Sweet Understanding Love"
1974 "I Just Can't Get You Out Of My Mind"
1974 "Midnight Flower"
1974 "One Chain Don't Make No Prison"
1975 "Seven Lonely Nights"
1975 "We All Gotta Stick Together"
1976 "Catfish"
1976 "I'm Glad You Walked Into My Life"
Casablanca releases:
Year/Song title
1981 "When She Was My Girl"
1981 "Don't Walk Away"
1982 "Let Me Set You Free"
1982 "Back to School Again" (from Grease 2)
1982 "Sad Hearts"
1982 "Tonight I'm Gonna Love You All Over"
1983 "I Believe in You and Me"
Arista releases:
Year/Song title
1988 "If Ever a Love There Was" (with Aretha Franklin)
1988 "Indestructible"
1989 "Loco In Acapulco"
Four Tops Albums:
Motown releases:
1964: The Four Tops
1965: Four Tops' Second Album
1966: On Top
1966: Four Tops Live!
1967: On Broadway
1967: Reach Out
1968: Yesterday's Dreams
1969: The Four Tops Now!
1969: Soul Spin
1970: Still Waters Run Deep
1970: Changing Times
1970: The Magnificent Seven (The Supremes & Four Tops)
1971: The Return of the Magnificent Seven (The Supremes & Four Tops)
1971: Dynamite! (The Supremes & Four Tops)
1972: Nature Planned It
1983: Back Where I Belong
1985: Magic
1986: Hot Nights
1995: Christmas Here With You
ABC-Dunhill releases:
1972: Keeper of the Castle
1973: Main Street People
1974: Live & In Concert
1974: Meeting of the Minds
1975: Night Lights Harmony
1976: Catfish
1977: The Show Must Go On
1978: At the Top
Casablanca releases:
1981: Tonight!
1982: One More Mountain
Arista release:
1988: Indestructible
Levi Stubbs- 1936-2008
Levi Stubbs of the legendary Motown Pop/Soul group the Four Tops, passed away on October 17, 2008. Let’s explore this legendary voice:
Levi Stubbs began his singing career in 1954 with his friends, Abdul “Duke” Fakir, Renaldo “Obie” Benson and Lawrence Payton who called themselves the Four Aims. After signing with Chess Records the group changed their name to the Four Tops to avoid confusion with the popular singing group the Ames Brothers.
Over the years the Four Tops endured a series of unsuccessful tenures with Chess, Red Top, Riverside Records and Columbia Records. Undeterred, the group toured constantly and developed a polished stage presence before signing on with Motown Records in 1963. By the end of the decade the four friends from Detroit were among a number of R&B groups that helped define the “Motown Sound.”
Some of the most popular Four Tops hits were with Levi Stubbs as the featured vocalist including “Baby I Need Your Loving ,”(their first Billboard Top 40 hit in 1964), “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)” which was a number one hit in 1965, “It’s The Same Old Song” (#5 in 1965), “Reach Out I’ll Be There” (#1 in 1966), “Standing in the Shadow of Love” (#6 in 1966), “Bernadette” (#4 in 1967), “Still Water (Love),” which peaked at number eleven in 1970 and the classic Soul number “Ain’t No Woman (Like The One I Got),” which reached number four in 1973.
Interestingly, Stubbs was a natural baritone and most of the group’s hits were written in the tenor range lending to a sense of urgency in his vocal style and making their definitive Four Tops’ sound. His powerful, expressive voice was an inspiration to many other vocal groups and his good nature and soulful voice will be missed by millions.
Your Vinyl Destination
The Four Tops
The Four Tops have some rare and valuable 45’s including:
Chess (1623) “Could it be You” (1956) $150-200
Riverside (4534) “Where Are You” (1962) $75-100
Chateau (2002) “I Just Can’t Keep My Tears from Tumblin’ Down” (1956) $75-100
Grady (012) “If I had Only Known” (1956) (as the Four Aims) $500-600
While most of the Four Tops LPs in the 1960’s have a price of between $10- 25 there are a couple of LPs that have significant value:
Workshop (217) “Breaking Through” (1962) $1000-1500
Workshop (217) “Jazz Impressions by the Four Tops) re-titled reissue (1962) $500-1000
The Beatles “White Album” On Sale at Ebay
One of the rarest records ever made was the Beatles’ White Album. Although officially released as “The Beatles,” this record is considered one of the rarest albums in history. Copy number 0000005 is now on sale on the UK version of Ebay. Apparently, the first four editions of the album went directly to the Beatles themselves.
According to the seller, there is an interesting history behind the album.
"Some years ago, this album was taken into the collectors shop named ‘Vinyl Revival Records’ in Newbury, Berkshire, England by a musician (they did not disclose who) who had visited John in the flat that he shared with Yoko in late 1968 (that was owned by Ringo) at 34 Montague Square, Marylebone, London W.1. The musician saw a pile of White Albums on a table and asked for one. John readily agreed, but said ‘Don’t take No.1 - I want that’. Instead he took No. 5′.The album then passed into the hands of Beatles specialist dealer ‘Good Humour’ who then sold it to its current owner who has now commissioned me to sell it on his behalf.”
I will be interested to see what the final price will be, although I have my doubts that the reserve may not even be met.
The Vinyl Revival
I love these stories about local record shops and here is another for your enjoyment
The local vinyl revival: Don't throw those records away just yet!
By Daniel Lazarus
It makes no sense. They're heavy to move, and tough to store. They're finicky and delicate. They warp in the heat, scratch easily, and are never the same afterward. But, if you, like many other baby boomers, have been reluctant, unwilling, or unable to part with a dusty, old, milk crate full of your beloved Led Zeppelin, Cream, and Grateful Dead albums, despite the fact that you haven't listened to them in decades, and, probably haven't even owned a working turntable since Reagan Administration, take heart. The wait may be over. Your impractical but tenacious hoarding of those 12-inch black polycarbonate vinyl love letters to your past may have been surprisingly farsighted, after all. Simply put, vinyl records are back. What goes around, comes around, and with increasing frequency is being spun around again (at 33 1/3 and 45 revolutions per minute) on turntables all around the area.
Technically speaking, vinyl records never went away completely. Even after the introduction and wide acceptance of CDs in the early '80s, there were always a few independent record stores (mostly in larger cities) that stocked records for a fringe group of devoted listeners. Some vinyl fans didn't want to, or couldn't afford, to invest in new technology which seemed to change with the season. Others simply wanted to hear to their music as it was originally issued. Ukiah record collector and audiophile Matt Eifert, 37, remembers that as late as "1986-1987-1988, all three formats (cassettes, CDs, and records) were pretty healthy." Then, he says, music companies, bowing to clear consumer preference for the lighter, tougher, compact disks, all but stopped issuing any new vinyl at all. Eifert calls this period, from the late '80s until about 1993, "the dark days." Then, in the early '90s, "grunge rock" happened and defiantly retro bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam began issuing their music in record form again, and almost like "Rocky" the beleaguered format, regarded as all but dead, began punching it's way off the ropes.
Now, vinyl is vibrant again. Michael Roumbanis, owner of Dig Music at 362 N. State St. estimates that 10 to 20 percent of his sales come from records, and the trend is up. Used albums sell better than new, but, he points out that more and more artists are putting out new product on vinyl and the average price point - now about $20 per record - is coming down. Among recently issued LPs displayed on his wall are new records from AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Amy Winehouse, and Bruce Springsteen, among others. Dig Music, has also been a long time supporter of AFI (A Fire Inside), a major punk/alternative band with Ukiah roots, a worldwide fan base, a rich catalogue of vinyl recordings to their credit. On one of his walls, Roubanis displays a framed, early (now collectable) AFI single, worth he says around $1,000.
What sort of vinyl is most popular? Classic rock sells consistently at Dig Music, but "reggae, punk, and blues go so fast, and they're hard to get - nobody gives them up, basically," says Roumbanis. For a good selection of hip hop records, though, and knowing his store can't cater to all tastes, he refers his customers to DJ Pinoy at 591 S. State St.
Dig Music also sells turntables, both basic and some with USB ports, which allow the owner to plug into a computer, and burn CDs or create digital files from records. This feature is attractive for some because much of what was put on record has never made the journey into the digital world. Others simply want to transfer their old records onto an iPod, so they so they can enjoy the music they've already collected in a more convenient form.
The store has also played host to some vinyl-supportive special events. Matt Eifert has come in and taught a gathering how to properly set up their turntables for maximum performance, and during Ukiah's monthly downtown Art Walk, Roumbanis set up a gallery-like exhibition and discussion of classic and distinctive LP cover art.
Down State Street, co-owners of Jitter Box Music, Jim Tuhtan and Mike Zarkowski, have each been toting around their personal collections of hundreds (or thousands) of records for years.
"I measure mine by the pound," says Zarkowski. The two musicians echo each other in their affection for the old vinyl. Both talk of the fidelity lost with "a chopped up" digital signal, and the fact that so much material on record simply can't be found in newer formats.
"Plus," says Tuhtan, "I've always liked vinyl records because I like the jackets. They're big enough to see."
Around Ukiah, the vinyl revival has taken many forms. Since January 2005, radio station KMEC at105.1 FM has been home of the "Vintage Vinyl" show hosted by Barry Kirkpatrick. Three nights a week, Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays from 9 p.m. to midnight, Kirkpatrick sits in the studio at 106 W. Standley St., spinning records, taking calls, and telling yarns. His personal record collection has formed the core of his playlist, but he sometimes borrows from other collectors or has friends come into the studio, sit down, and play their discs on the air with him.
Not every record he plays is in mint condition, Kirkpatrick admits "My first consideration was that for them (the listeners) the scratchiness of a record would be a distraction, and I would ask someone if that was a bother, and they would say no, that's what makes it real."
"One day," Kirkpatrick recalls with amusement, "some young people were standing right outside the door of the studio. A girl saw me set the needle down on a record, and she asked, How does he know where to set that down?' There are no lines on a CD, and she'd never seen that before. That was a totally legitimate question."
Meanwhile, at the Ukiah Brewing Company, out on their patio, there is a turntable and stereo system set up, a new canvas canopy overhead, and a stack of mostly well-worn albums inside for anyone who wants to play DJ for awhile. Or, people can bring their own collections and spin them for the generally appreciative crowd gathered outside at any given time. The idea for the do-it-yourself human jukebox came from Redwood Valley resident Titus Sanborn, who, in the fall of 2007,was working his way through the death of his wife, and eating at the Brewing Company every day. He spotted an old single speaker wooden hi-fi unit at the Goodwill store, bought it, set it up on the patio, brought in some records and soon found himself presiding over a nightly "scene."
"It was an immediate sensation," says Titus. "This music is a delight to people."
The set-up on the patio has evolved since then. The original vintage, wooden, plug-and-play unit has given way to a more contemporary component system, and Titus now adds a professional light show on some nights, but the "patio scene" is still cathartic for him and others. Some nights he likens it a "beach party," and at other times it's more like a gentle bonding among friends. Records, he says, are aptly named.
"They're records of a place, a time, and a circumstance, and without those records, the memories are lost."
On the other end of the spectrum, technologically speaking, is Ukiah schoolteacher Matt Eifert. Music has always been a big part of his life, and like most in their late 30s, his musical journey started with cassette tapes. From there, he got into CDs in a big way. In fact, he owned what he describes as "the best CD player in the world at that time" and possessed only one record album, when he bought his first turntable for $70. On playing a vinyl for the first time, Eifert said, he became "slack jawed" at the difference. Records, to his ear, sounded richer, fuller, warmer, and more true to life, leaving his CDs sounding, "flat, two dimensional, and small." Soon, he was hooked, and 20,000 records accumulated later, Eifert says, "I like everything about the format - it's more compelling to me."
But, even that may understate Eifert's love affair with vinyl records. Because in order to maximize his listening pleasure, the Ukiah resident undertook the building of a special acoustically designed room-within-a-store, filled it with top notch audio equipment - just the turntable, cartridge and tone arm, alone are worth $20,000 - and now invites friends over for some of what surely must be some of the most sublime vinyl listening sessions in anywhere.
So don't throw those old vinyl records away, quite yet. If you've held on to them this long, retrieve them, dust them off, and enjoy them again. They may not sound as good as new, but maybe that's a good thing.
SOURCE: http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com
The local vinyl revival: Don't throw those records away just yet!
By Daniel Lazarus
It makes no sense. They're heavy to move, and tough to store. They're finicky and delicate. They warp in the heat, scratch easily, and are never the same afterward. But, if you, like many other baby boomers, have been reluctant, unwilling, or unable to part with a dusty, old, milk crate full of your beloved Led Zeppelin, Cream, and Grateful Dead albums, despite the fact that you haven't listened to them in decades, and, probably haven't even owned a working turntable since Reagan Administration, take heart. The wait may be over. Your impractical but tenacious hoarding of those 12-inch black polycarbonate vinyl love letters to your past may have been surprisingly farsighted, after all. Simply put, vinyl records are back. What goes around, comes around, and with increasing frequency is being spun around again (at 33 1/3 and 45 revolutions per minute) on turntables all around the area.
Technically speaking, vinyl records never went away completely. Even after the introduction and wide acceptance of CDs in the early '80s, there were always a few independent record stores (mostly in larger cities) that stocked records for a fringe group of devoted listeners. Some vinyl fans didn't want to, or couldn't afford, to invest in new technology which seemed to change with the season. Others simply wanted to hear to their music as it was originally issued. Ukiah record collector and audiophile Matt Eifert, 37, remembers that as late as "1986-1987-1988, all three formats (cassettes, CDs, and records) were pretty healthy." Then, he says, music companies, bowing to clear consumer preference for the lighter, tougher, compact disks, all but stopped issuing any new vinyl at all. Eifert calls this period, from the late '80s until about 1993, "the dark days." Then, in the early '90s, "grunge rock" happened and defiantly retro bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam began issuing their music in record form again, and almost like "Rocky" the beleaguered format, regarded as all but dead, began punching it's way off the ropes.
Now, vinyl is vibrant again. Michael Roumbanis, owner of Dig Music at 362 N. State St. estimates that 10 to 20 percent of his sales come from records, and the trend is up. Used albums sell better than new, but, he points out that more and more artists are putting out new product on vinyl and the average price point - now about $20 per record - is coming down. Among recently issued LPs displayed on his wall are new records from AC/DC, Iron Maiden, Amy Winehouse, and Bruce Springsteen, among others. Dig Music, has also been a long time supporter of AFI (A Fire Inside), a major punk/alternative band with Ukiah roots, a worldwide fan base, a rich catalogue of vinyl recordings to their credit. On one of his walls, Roubanis displays a framed, early (now collectable) AFI single, worth he says around $1,000.
What sort of vinyl is most popular? Classic rock sells consistently at Dig Music, but "reggae, punk, and blues go so fast, and they're hard to get - nobody gives them up, basically," says Roumbanis. For a good selection of hip hop records, though, and knowing his store can't cater to all tastes, he refers his customers to DJ Pinoy at 591 S. State St.
Dig Music also sells turntables, both basic and some with USB ports, which allow the owner to plug into a computer, and burn CDs or create digital files from records. This feature is attractive for some because much of what was put on record has never made the journey into the digital world. Others simply want to transfer their old records onto an iPod, so they so they can enjoy the music they've already collected in a more convenient form.
The store has also played host to some vinyl-supportive special events. Matt Eifert has come in and taught a gathering how to properly set up their turntables for maximum performance, and during Ukiah's monthly downtown Art Walk, Roumbanis set up a gallery-like exhibition and discussion of classic and distinctive LP cover art.
Down State Street, co-owners of Jitter Box Music, Jim Tuhtan and Mike Zarkowski, have each been toting around their personal collections of hundreds (or thousands) of records for years.
"I measure mine by the pound," says Zarkowski. The two musicians echo each other in their affection for the old vinyl. Both talk of the fidelity lost with "a chopped up" digital signal, and the fact that so much material on record simply can't be found in newer formats.
"Plus," says Tuhtan, "I've always liked vinyl records because I like the jackets. They're big enough to see."
Around Ukiah, the vinyl revival has taken many forms. Since January 2005, radio station KMEC at105.1 FM has been home of the "Vintage Vinyl" show hosted by Barry Kirkpatrick. Three nights a week, Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays from 9 p.m. to midnight, Kirkpatrick sits in the studio at 106 W. Standley St., spinning records, taking calls, and telling yarns. His personal record collection has formed the core of his playlist, but he sometimes borrows from other collectors or has friends come into the studio, sit down, and play their discs on the air with him.
Not every record he plays is in mint condition, Kirkpatrick admits "My first consideration was that for them (the listeners) the scratchiness of a record would be a distraction, and I would ask someone if that was a bother, and they would say no, that's what makes it real."
"One day," Kirkpatrick recalls with amusement, "some young people were standing right outside the door of the studio. A girl saw me set the needle down on a record, and she asked, How does he know where to set that down?' There are no lines on a CD, and she'd never seen that before. That was a totally legitimate question."
Meanwhile, at the Ukiah Brewing Company, out on their patio, there is a turntable and stereo system set up, a new canvas canopy overhead, and a stack of mostly well-worn albums inside for anyone who wants to play DJ for awhile. Or, people can bring their own collections and spin them for the generally appreciative crowd gathered outside at any given time. The idea for the do-it-yourself human jukebox came from Redwood Valley resident Titus Sanborn, who, in the fall of 2007,was working his way through the death of his wife, and eating at the Brewing Company every day. He spotted an old single speaker wooden hi-fi unit at the Goodwill store, bought it, set it up on the patio, brought in some records and soon found himself presiding over a nightly "scene."
"It was an immediate sensation," says Titus. "This music is a delight to people."
The set-up on the patio has evolved since then. The original vintage, wooden, plug-and-play unit has given way to a more contemporary component system, and Titus now adds a professional light show on some nights, but the "patio scene" is still cathartic for him and others. Some nights he likens it a "beach party," and at other times it's more like a gentle bonding among friends. Records, he says, are aptly named.
"They're records of a place, a time, and a circumstance, and without those records, the memories are lost."
On the other end of the spectrum, technologically speaking, is Ukiah schoolteacher Matt Eifert. Music has always been a big part of his life, and like most in their late 30s, his musical journey started with cassette tapes. From there, he got into CDs in a big way. In fact, he owned what he describes as "the best CD player in the world at that time" and possessed only one record album, when he bought his first turntable for $70. On playing a vinyl for the first time, Eifert said, he became "slack jawed" at the difference. Records, to his ear, sounded richer, fuller, warmer, and more true to life, leaving his CDs sounding, "flat, two dimensional, and small." Soon, he was hooked, and 20,000 records accumulated later, Eifert says, "I like everything about the format - it's more compelling to me."
But, even that may understate Eifert's love affair with vinyl records. Because in order to maximize his listening pleasure, the Ukiah resident undertook the building of a special acoustically designed room-within-a-store, filled it with top notch audio equipment - just the turntable, cartridge and tone arm, alone are worth $20,000 - and now invites friends over for some of what surely must be some of the most sublime vinyl listening sessions in anywhere.
So don't throw those old vinyl records away, quite yet. If you've held on to them this long, retrieve them, dust them off, and enjoy them again. They may not sound as good as new, but maybe that's a good thing.
SOURCE: http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com
Limited Edition Vinyl Pressing Of "All Aboard: A Tribute To Johnny Cash" Released
My friend Virgil is in the news again!
The 2nd pressing of the All Aboard: A Tribute To Johnny Cash vinyl is now available at VinylCollective.com. This new pressing is on brown vinyl and only 1,000 copies are available. Anchorless Records is donating all the profits of All Aboard: A Tribute To Johnny Cash to the Syrentha Savio Endowment (SSE), a non-profit organization that provides financial assistance to underprivileged women who cannot afford the expense of fighting breast cancer.
The vinyl version of All Aboard features an alternate version of "Delia's Gone" by Ben Nichols of Lucero.
All Aboard: A Tribute To Johnny Cash Track Listing:
Man In Black: The Bouncing Souls
Country Boy: Fallen From The Sky
Wreck Of The Old '97: Chuck Ragan (Hot Water Music)
Let The Train Whistle Blow: Joe McMahon (Smoke or Fire)
Delia's Gone: Ben Nichols (Lucero)
God's Gonna Cut You Down: The Gaslight Anthem
Cocaine Blues: The Loved Ones
Give My Love To Rose: OnGuard (feat. Jason Shevchuk of Kid Dynamite and None More Black)
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 of The Hold Steady
Folsom Prison Blues: Chon Travis (Love = Death)
There You Go: The Sainte Catherines
I Walk The Line: Russ Rankin (Good Riddance, Only Crime)
Bonus Track/Vinyl Only: Delia's Gone (Alternate Version) Ben Nichols (Lucero)
SOURCE: http://www.pluginmusic.com
The 2nd pressing of the All Aboard: A Tribute To Johnny Cash vinyl is now available at VinylCollective.com. This new pressing is on brown vinyl and only 1,000 copies are available. Anchorless Records is donating all the profits of All Aboard: A Tribute To Johnny Cash to the Syrentha Savio Endowment (SSE), a non-profit organization that provides financial assistance to underprivileged women who cannot afford the expense of fighting breast cancer.
The vinyl version of All Aboard features an alternate version of "Delia's Gone" by Ben Nichols of Lucero.
All Aboard: A Tribute To Johnny Cash Track Listing:
Man In Black: The Bouncing Souls
Country Boy: Fallen From The Sky
Wreck Of The Old '97: Chuck Ragan (Hot Water Music)
Let The Train Whistle Blow: Joe McMahon (Smoke or Fire)
Delia's Gone: Ben Nichols (Lucero)
God's Gonna Cut You Down: The Gaslight Anthem
Cocaine Blues: The Loved Ones
Give My Love To Rose: OnGuard (feat. Jason Shevchuk of Kid Dynamite and None More Black)
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 of The Hold Steady
Folsom Prison Blues: Chon Travis (Love = Death)
There You Go: The Sainte Catherines
I Walk The Line: Russ Rankin (Good Riddance, Only Crime)
Bonus Track/Vinyl Only: Delia's Gone (Alternate Version) Ben Nichols (Lucero)
SOURCE: http://www.pluginmusic.com
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