Classic Rock Videos

Chrissie Hynde (with Nick Cave) - I'll stand by you.

Jayhawks First-Ever Anthology Hits Stores

Jayhawks fans began to rejoice in late 2008 when it was reported that founding members Mark Olson and Gary Louris had completed an album. The duo had rekindled their association on tour dates over the previous three years, and the album Ready For The Flood (produced by Chris Robinson) was released by New West in January 2009. In support, Olson and Louris set out on a new round of cross-country tour dates, including SXSW in March.

The good news just keeps coming with the announcement of a Jayhawks reunion with bassist Marc Perlman (plus drummer/­vocalist Tim O'Reagan, and Karen Grotberg on keyboards and vocals) - the first time they have performed together in the US since 1995. The band has been booked for shows in Europe during the spring and summer 2009 (including Barcelona's Primavera Sound Festival, May 30th). Topping the schedule will be a homecoming reunion gig at the Basilica Block Party outdoor festival in Minneapolis on Friday, July 10th.

The historic Twin Cities reunion show will serve as the official launch party for Music From The North Country: The Jayhawks Anthology, which will be available July 7th at all physical and digital retail outlets through American/ Legacy, a division of Sony Music Entertainment. The vocal harmonies of Mark Olson and Gary Louris, the shimmering and intuitive layers of guitars, and above all the consummate songwriting bears witness to one of the most incandescent bands in the American country-rock tradition - be it labeled "alt country," "Americana," "No Depression" or any comparable genre.

Under the guidance of Gary Louris, the first compilation ever released on the Jayhawks is a career-spanning assemblage of 20 signature singles and album tracks - from their 1989 debut album on Minneapolis-based Twin/Tone Records, Blue Earth, through all five of their albums on the American Recordings label: the breakthrough Hollywood Town Hall (1992), Tomorrow The Green Grass (1995), Sound Of Lies (1997), Smile (2000), and Rainy Day Music (2003).

Buy it Here: Jayhawks

Slayer World Painted Blood Digital Press Release

Labels Targeting Hardcore Fans With Super-Deluxe Box Sets

As CD sales continue to slip, artists and record labels hope they’ve found a cure for slumping numbers by appealing to consumers with a taste for rock fetish objects: super-deluxe box sets. From Neil Young’s comprehensive (and $250) 10-disc collection Archives Vol. 1 to a $60 version of Dave Matthews Band’s new Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King (complete with 14 lithographs) to the 45-disc Beacon Box capturing the Allman Brothers’ entire run at New York’s Beacon Theatre, deluxe box sets have seen a recent resurgence, with a new target audience in mind — the hardcore fan.

The new issue of Rolling Stone explores some of the biggest — and priciest — super-deluxe boxes coming out this year, what they mean to the record industry and why store owners are still nervous about stocking these massive sets in these hard economic times. But despite the recession, there are consumers out there willing to splurge on the extra product. The $200 reissue of Pearl Jam’s Ten sold out its entire 10,000 run, and earlier this year the Beastie Boys sold a fabric-covered vinyl Check Your Head for $100. “I know this sounds corny, but you’re talking about a record that someone’s had a long-term relationship with,” the Beasties’ Mike D tells RS. “People don’t mind spending a bit more money to get a more in-depth version that record.”

To me, anyway, this is a sad attempt by the record companies and artists to sell their music via CD, a music medium that has seen its day in the sun. Buy vinyl, the sound experience will never be as bad as the compressed music that you get via digital music.

Read more:

New Music Releases ~ July 7

Against Me!: The Original Cowboy (vinyl)
All Time Low: Nothing Personal
Allen Toussaint: The Bright Mississippi (2-LP vinyl with CD)
Animal Collective – Summertime Clothes (Vinyl Single)
Barry Goldberg: Barry Goldberg (reissue)
Barzin: Notes To An Absent Lover
Berlin: All the Way In
biLLy bOy on poiSon: Drama Junkie Queen (vinyl)
Bjork: Voltaic (3-LP, 2-CD & 2-DVD box set) (1-LP vinyl)
Black Keys: The Big Come Up (vinyl)
Bob Marley: Catch a Fire (vinyl reissue)
Bob Marley: Exodus (vinyl reissue)
Bob Marley: Legend (vinyl reissue)
Bombadil: Tarpits/Canyonlands
Bowerbirds: Upper Air (vinyl)
Broken Records: Until the Earth Begins to Part (vinyl)
Cage: Depart from Me (vinyl)
Captain Beefheart: Safe as Milk (reissue)
Casey Foubert: Library Catalog Music Series: Music For Drums (vinyl)
Cass McCombs: Catacombs (vinyl)
Cat Power: The Covers Record (vinyl reissue)
Ceu: Vagarosa
Chris Garneau: El Radio
Cobra Starship: Kiss My Sass (vinyl)
Donnas: Greatest Hits Volume 16 (vinyl)
Dr. Dog and Floating Action: Don't Stop (Loving Me Now) (vinyl)
Drive-By Truckers: Live from Austin Texas (CD & DVD)
Duckworth Lewis Method: Duckworth Lewis Method
Ellen Allien: Ondu Caress EP (vinyl)
Faster Pusssycat – Front Row for the Donkey Show
Genesis: Live in Poland
Gentlemen: Candid History of Faith Hope Love
Hatcham Social: You Dig the Tunnel, I'll Hide the Soil
High Places / Soft Circle: High Places / Soft Circle Split 7" (vinyl)
Holly Throsby: A Loud Call
Iron Maiden: Flight 666 [Blu-ray]
Jackie-O Motherf**ker: Ballads of the Revolution (vinyl)
Jorge Ben: Tudo Ben
Junior Boys: Begone Dull Care (vinyl)
Junior Boys: Hazel (vinyl)
Kid Cudi – Make Her Say (Single)
Kiss Kiss: The Meek Shall Inherit What's Left
Kris Kristofferson: Border Lord/Jesus Was a Capricorn (reissues)
Kris Kristofferson: Spooky Lady's Sideshow/Shake Hands with the Devil (reissues)
Kris Kristofferson: Surreal Thing/Easter Island (reissues)
Kris Kristofferson: Who's to Bless and Who's to Blame/To the Bone (reissues)
La Roux – La Roux
Law of the Least Effort: Library Catalog Music Series: Music For Measurements )vinyl)
LMFAO: Party Rock
Mannequin Men: Lose Your Illusion, Too (vinyl)
Marcy Playground - Leaving Wonderland...In a Fit of Rage
Marillion: Live From Loreley (remastered)
Marillion: Recital of the Script (remastered)
Marillion: The Thieving Magpie (remastered)
Maxwell – BLACKsummer’s Night
Motel Motel: New Denver
Nebula: Heavy Psych (vinyl)
New Pornographers: Electric Version (vinyl reissue)
Night Horse / Dirty Sweet: Night Horse / Dirty Sweet Split 7" (vinyl)
Nurse with Wound: Surveillance Lounge
Oneida: Rated O (vinyl)
Owen – The Seaside EP
Pat Metheny: Day Trip/Tokyo Day Trip (3-LP, 2-CD box set)
Paul Oakenfold: Perfecto: Vegas
Rock Plaza Central: At the Moment of Our Most Needing (vinyl)
Screaming Blue Messiahs: Bikini Red (reissue)
Screaming Blue Messiahs: Gun Shy (reissue)
Sleepy Sun: Embrace (vinyl)
Son Volt – American Central Dust
Stellastarr* – Civilized
Swell Maps: Sweep the Desert (vinyl reissue)
The Alchemist: Chemical Warfare
The Fools: Sold Out / Heavy Mental
The Jayhawks: Music From The North Country: The Jayhawks Anthology (3-disc deluxe edition)
The Lovell Sisters: Time To Grow
The Low Anthem: Oh My God Charlie Darwin (vinyl)
The Minus 5 – Killingsworth
The Pine Hill Haints: To Win or To Lose
The Rumble Strips: Not the Only Person
The Rural Alberta Advantage – Hometowns
Those Darlins – Those Darlins
Tiny Vipers: Life On Earth
UuVvWwZ: UuVvWwZ
Various Artists: Dillanthology, Vol. 2
Various Artists: Dirty French Psychedelic
Various Artists: Poet: A Tribute to Townes Van Zandt
We Were Promised Jetpacks – These Four Walls
Yo La Tengo: Electr-O-Pura (vinyl reissue)
Yo La Tengo: I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One (vinyl reissue)
Zs: Music of the Modern White (vinyl)

This Date In Music History-July 7

Birthdays:

Ilan Rubin – Lostprophets (1988)

Vonda Shepard - (1963)

Mark White - Spin Doctors (1962)

Lynval Golding – Specials (1952)

David Hodo - Village People (1950)

Peter Banks – Yes (1947)

Jim Rodford – Argent (1945)

Warren Entner - Grass Roots (1944)

Ringo Starr (1940)




They Are Missed:

The late Mary Ford ("Vaya Con Dios" with then-husband Les Paul) was born in 1924.

Former Pink Floyd leader Syd Barrett passed away in 2006 at age 60 following a long battle with diabetes. The singer-guitarist was a founding member and wrote the majority the group’s ‘67 debut album, "The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn." He left Floyd the following year after suffering a drug-induced mental breakdown. "Syd was the guiding light of the early band lineup and leaves a legacy which continues to inspire," read a statement from the group.


History:

In 1962, David Rose and his Orchestra went to #1 with “The Stripper.”

The Monkees began a nationwide tour in 1967 with some guy called Jimi Hendrix supporting.

The Yardbirds called it quits in 1968, leading guitarist Jimmy Page to form the New Yardbirds in order to fulfill some tour commitments. The group, featuring Robert Plant, John Bonham, and John Paul Jones, becomes Led Zeppelin.

In 1969, George Harrison recorded his new song “Here Comes the Sun” with just two other Beatles, Paul McCartney and Ringo Star at Abbey Road in London. John Lennon was absent recovering from a car crash in Scotland.



Paul McCartney & Wings released "Live and Let Die" in 1973.

In 1973, Billy Preston started a two week run at #1 with “Will It Go Round In Circles,” his first of two US chart toppers.

“Talking Heads ’77,” the New Wave quartet’s debut album, was released in 1977. It contains “Psycho Killer,” an older song dating back to their days as the Artistics.

Prince started a five week run at #1 on the US singles chart in 1984 with “When Doves Cry,” his first US #1 which went on to sell over 2 million copies, it made # 4 in the UK.

Led Zeppelin played their last-ever concert in 1980 when they appeared in West Berlin at the end of a European tour. The set included “Black Dog,” “Rock and Roll,” “Kashmir,” and “Stairway To Heaven.” They finished the show with “Whole Lotta Love.”

Bruce Springsteen went to #1 on the US album chart in 1984 with “Born In The USA.” The album went on to spend a total of 139 weeks on the US chart. It’s also one of three albums (Michael Jackson's Thriller and Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814) to produce seven Top-ten US singles.

The Grateful Dead’s “In the Dark” was released in 1987. It marked the creative resurgence of the Dead following guitarist Jerry Garcia’s near-death after having lapsed into a five-day diabetic coma the previous year. The album peaked at #6 and sold more than 2 million copies.

In 1989, it was announced that for the first time compact discs were out selling vinyl albums. Very sad indeed.

In 1990, Jose Carreras, Placido Domingo, and Luciano Pavarotti performed for the first time as the Three Tenors in Rome during soccer's World Cup tournament.

Janet Jackson played the first night on her ‘All For You World Tour’ at the Rose Garden Arena in Portland, Oregon in 2001. The 72-date tour grossed over $55 million.

In 2000, Eminem's wife, Kimberly Mathers, was hospitalised after she slit her wrists following her husband's show as part of the Up in Smoke Tour at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit.

Nelly started a three week run at #1 on the US album chart in 2002 with “Nellyville” his second US #1, peaked at #2 on the UK album chart.

In 2007, the Live Earth concerts took place around the world with The Police closing the days events in New Jersey. The concerts were organized by former US Vice-President Al Gore, as part of his campaign to "heal the planet". Rock stars from around the world performed to hundreds of thousands of fans to highlight climate change. Concerts were held in Washington, Rio de Janeiro, Johannesburg, London, Hamburg, Tokyo, Shanghai and Sydney. Madonna brought London's Live Earth concert to a close, playing a song she had written for the event. Other major acts who appeared included; Snow Patrol, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Genesis, The Beastie Boys, James Blunt, The Foo Fighters, Duran Duran, UB40, Snoop Dogg, Enrique Iglesias, Crowded House & Joss Stone.

Classic Rock Vidoes

Chrissie Hynde - Talk of the town

Album Cover Artist Tom Wilkes Dies Unexpectedly at Home in California

Award winning artist and designer Tom Wilkes died unexpectedly on Sunday, June 28 at his home in Pioneertown, CA at the age of 69. Wilkes was the art director of the Monterey International Pop Festival in 1967. He designed many classic album covers like Rolling Stones' "Beggars Banquet" and Neil Young's "Harvest." He was awarded a Grammy in 1974 for Best Recording Package for "Tommy" as performed by the London Symphony Orchestra and Choir.

Pioneertown, CA (Billboard Publicity Wire/PRWEB ) July 5, 2009 -- Renowned album cover artist and designer Tom Wilkes died unexpectedly on Sunday, June 28, at his home in Pioneertown, California. He was 69.

Thomas E. Wilkes was born July 30, 1939 in Long Beach, California and was raised in southern California. He attended Long Beach City College, UCLA and the Art Center College of Design in the 1950's and 1960's.

In 1967 Wilkes was the art director of the Monterey International Pop Festival. He created all graphics and printed materials for Monterey Pop, including the program book and the festival's psychedelic and iconic foil poster.

From 1967 through 1969, Wilkes was the art director of A&M Records. He was partner with Barry Feinstein from 1970 through 1973 in Camouflage Productions, which became record label Blue Thumb's house art department.

He was partner in Wilkes & Braun, Inc. from 1973 through 1974, and art director of ABC Records from 1975 through 1977. In 1978 he started Tom Wilkes Productions and became President of Project Interspeak, a not-for-profit environmental and human rights organization devoted to planetary enhancement programs.

Wilkes designed and directed such hit record covers as Rolling Stones' "Flowers" and "Beggars Banquet", Neil Young's "Harvest", and George Harrison's "Concert for Bangladesh" and "All Things Must Pass."

He received a Grammy Award in 1974 for Best Recording Package for The Who's rock opera "Tommy," as performed by the London Symphony Orchestra & Choir.

Among his many album cover credits:

Janis Joplin - "Pearl"
Ike & Tina Turner - "Outta Season"
Eric Clapton - "Eric Clapton"
Dave Mason - "Alone Together"
Joe Cocker - "Mad Dogs & Englishmen"
Flying Burrito Brothers - "Gilded Palace of Sin"
John Prine - "John Prine"
Emmylou Harris - "Blue Kentucky Girl" and "Elite Hotel"
Leon Russell - "Stop All That Jazz"
REO Speedwagon - "You Can Tune a Piano, But You Can't Tuna Fish"

In addition to creating hundreds of posters, logos, books, trade ads and illustrations, Wilkes produced and directed TV and radio spots, music videos, films, mixed media presentations and special events.

He recently completed a book of his artwork and memoirs, called "Tommy Geeked a Chicken," and was negotiating publishing arrangements. At this time, plans are being made to proceed with publication of the book.

A memorial service will be held for Wilkes on Saturday, July 11th, in Orange, CA.


Read More about Tom Wilkes


Contact:
Carey Hays, Marketing Manager
The Allan Hays Company, LLC
405 S. Walnut, Suite 206, Muncie IN 47305
Cell: 765-760-3187 Main Office: 1-800-284-8745

###

Former Beatles/Rolling Stones Manager Allen Klein Passes at 77

Allen Klein, the powerful and controversial manager and record label owner, passed away on Saturday in New York at age 77. He had been fighting Alzheimer's disease.

Klein began his career in the late-50's and quickly became known as the "go to" guy when an artist wanted to get tough with a record company. He extracted $100,000 from Atco Records for Bobby Darin in unpaid royalties and helped Sam Cooke dissolve existing contracts and start his own Tracey Records, regain ownership of his songs and receive payment of back royalties.

In 1965, Klein became co-manager of the Rolling Stones, a position that initially drew great praise; however, by the end of the decade, Mick Jaggar suspected some of Klein's business practices and ended up firing him. Klein sued with the result being that the Stones gave up the rights to most of their pre-1971 recordings to Klein.

Klein, ever the savvy business owner, formed ABKCO Industries in 1968 when he purchased the catalog of Cameo-Parkway, putting his company in charge of the recorded output of artists like Chubby Checker, the Animals, Herman's Hermits, Bobby Rydell and many others. Later in his career, he also acquired the back catalog of Phil Spector's Philles Records, giving them the output of artists like the Righteous Brothers, the Crystals and the Ronettes.

During one of his last sessions with the Stones, Rock and Roll Circus, Klein met John Lennon. The Beatles had not had a manager since the 1967 death of Brian Epstein and their Apple Industries was in a bit of disarray as was the group who fought over business decisions. Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr agreed to let Klein take over business matters while Paul McCartney abstained from signing any contracts.

Klein negotiated a new royalty rate with EMI, allowed them to release a Beatles compilation album and was responsible for the release of Something/Come Together as a way to stave off looming financial disaster. He also arranged for Phil Spector to come in and save the Get Back sessions, which eventually became the group's last album, Let It Be.

Upon the split of the Beatles, McCartney chose to sue the rest of the group for a "divorce," breaking up the group as a business entity. He later stated that he did so to keep Klein's hands off their legacy.

Klein went on to work with both Lennon and Harrison on their early solo efforts, but a number of misjudgments around the Concert for Bangladesh led to both artists breaking off their relationship with him. At one particularly contentious moment, Harrison came up against Klein during the My Sweet Lord plagiarism lawsuit. Klein advised Harrison during the first part of the proceedings, but then bought Bright Tunes and obtained ownership of He's So Fine, basically putting him on both sides of the case. The maneuver backfired against Klein and Harrison eventually ended up owning both songs.

Later in his career, Klein got into producing films but had one last major lawsuit against the British group The Verve who had sampled part of the Rolling Stones' The Last Time in their song Bittersweet Symphony. Even though their had been a contract before the recording of the song, Klein sued the group and received 100% of the royalties after saying that too much had been sampled. He turned around and licensed Bittersweet Symphony to Nike for use in their advertisements and changed the writers of the song to Mick Jaggar and Keith Richards.

SOURCE: http://winkscollectibles.blogspot.com/

Sir Paul & Neil

As Neil Young brought his set at Saturday’s Hard Rock Calling concert in London’s Hyde Park to a close by covering The Beatles’ A Day In The Life, a shadowy figure emerged from the wings to sing harmony.....Now if only Neil Young could carry a tune....

This Date In Music History-July 5

Birthdays:

Robbie Robertson - Band (1943)

Michael Monarch – Steppenwolf (1946)

Huey Lewis - Huey Lewis and the News (1950)

Marc Cohn - singer/songwriter (1959)

Bengt Lagerberg - The Cardigans (1973)

Jason Wade - Lifehouse (1980)

Nick O'Malley - Arctic Monkeys (1985)

Producer Thomas "Snuff" Garrett (Bobby Vee, Gary Lewis, Cher and many other artists) turns 71.

Terry Cashman of Cashman & West ("American City Suite") is 68.

Jason Bonham - son of Led Zeppelin drummer John (1966)


They Are Missed:

Born today in 1920, Smiley Lewis, R&B singer who wrote “I Hear You Knocking” (US #2 & UK #1 for Dave Edmunds). Lewis died on October 20, 1966.

Cassie Gaines, backing singer with Lynyrd Skynyrd was born in 1948. Gaines was killed in a plane crash on October 20, 1977 with two other members of the band.

Sun records musical director Bill Justis died of cancer in 1982 (age 55). He worked with Sam Phillips at Sun Records, worked with also worked with Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Charlie Rich and Jerry Lee Lewis. Had the 1957 hit “Raunchy” (the first Rock and Roll instrumental hit)

Michael "Cub" Koda, founder member of Brownsville Station died of complications from kidney failure in 2000. Wrote the 2 million selling 1974 hit “Smokin' In The Boys Room.” He took his nickname from Cubby on television's Mickey Mouse Club.

Ernie K-Doe ("Mother-In'Law") died of liver failure in 2001.

Lyricist Hy Zaret, who wrote the words for the song “Unchained Melody” died in 2007 (age 99). The song (which does not feature the word "unchained"), has been recorded over 300 times. Zaret co-wrote the song with film composer Alex North for the 1955 prison film Unchained. The Righteous Brothers' 1965 version was produced by Phil Spector.


History:

In 1954, while working together for the first time in a recording studio with Scotty Moore and Bill Black, Elvis Presley fooled around during a break with an up-tempo version of “That's All Right.” Producer Sam Phillips had them repeat the jam and recorded it. It became Presley's first release on Sun Records. Scotty Moore remembered, "When we heard a playback, we knew we had some kind of rhythm, a little different rhythm, but none of us knew what to call it."

In 2004, Elvis Presley`s "That`s All Right" was played simultaneously on radio stations around the world to mark the 50th anniversary of The King's first professional record. Scotty Moore, Presley's first guitarist, hits the button on a control board at Sun Studios to begin the satellite broadcast to over 1,200 stations.



Ray Charles recorded "Hit The Road Jack" and "Unchain My Heart" in 1961.

In 1964, the Irish band Them, featuring Van Morrison, recorded "Gloria."

On the recommendation of Rolling Stone Keith Richards girlfriend, Chas Chandler from the Animals went to see Jimi Hendrix play at The Cafe Wha in New York City in 1966. Chandler suggested that Hendrix should come to England, which he did and Chandler became his manager.

Promoter Bill Graham opened The Fillmore West in San Francisco in 1968.

In 1969, the Rolling Stones gave a free concert in London's Hyde Park before an audience of 250,000, as a tribute to Brian Jones who had died two days earlier. Mick Jagger read an extract from Percy Bysshe Shelley's 'Adonais' and released 3,500 butterflies; it was also guitarist's Mick Taylor's debut with the Stones.

A Led Zeppelin gig in Milan in 1971 turned violent when police fired tear gas at the crowd. The band escaped unharmed, but numerous arrests were made and a roadie was hit in the head with a bottle.

Bad Company's "Feel Like Making Love" was released in 1975.

In 1978, the manufacturing of “Some Girls,” the new album by the Rolling Stones, was halted after complaints from celebrities including Lucille Ball who were featured in mock advertisements on the album sleeve.

In 1999, the Eurythmics announced their first world tour for more than 10 years and that all profits would be given to charity.

Classic Rock Videos

The Pretenders - Brass In Pocket

Vinyl Articles of Interest

The Record Exchange keeps independent music alive

Chris Bodovinitz

Independently owned record stores seem to be a dying breed. Many are closing their doors in response to the current economy and the music industry's battle with Internet downloads. Boise's Record Exchange, however, remains strong. The store not only carries an endless supply of music, it also hosts many community events to help keep the music alive.

The Record Exchange, known to regulars as The RX, opened its doors in 1977, making it Idaho's oldest and largest independently owned record store. Its shelves are packed with new and used CDs and DVDs, its walls with cassette tapes and vinyl records. There are also a coffee shop and novelty section located inside the building that adds to the store's wide variety of merchandise.

Free in-store concerts are another great attraction that keeps The Record Exchange in the community's musical spotlight. Often times, popular bands travel through Idaho on tour but aren't scheduled to play in any local venues. The store will sometimes catch these acts and ask them to play a smaller show in the area. Most of the time, the concert is held in the store itself.

Read the rest here:
www.idahopress.com


===========================


SPINNING AGAIN: Newly pressed vinyl records making a comeback

Many of today's artists are producing LPs

By JOHN PRZYBYS
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

To oldsters, and not-quite-oldsters, it's like seeing an old friend you had thought to be long dead.

Vinyl LPs, in all their shrink-wrapped newness, in cardboard sleeves bearing artwork visible without a magnifying glass and liner notes that don't look like the small print on a mortgage contract, sitting, right out there in the open, on the racks of your neighborhood mass-market retailer.

Just like they used to, so many years ago.

Vinyl records -- newly pressed ones, not vintage or pre-owned albums -- are making a comeback. A small comeback, a minor comeback., but a comeback nonetheless.

According to the Recording Industry Association of America -- the trade group whose members include record manufacturers -- about 2.9 million LPs and EPs were shipped in 2008.

In comparison, about 385 million CDs were shipped and consumers downloaded more than a billion singles and about 57 million albums that same year. But, for a recorded medium that has spent most of the past decade on life support, last year's 2.9 million isn't bad.

Again, according to the association: In the years after 1998, when about 3.4 million LPs and EPs were shipped, LP/EP shipments went into a steady free fall until 2006, when fewer than a million were shipped.

Then came 2007, when LP/EP shipments jumped to about 1.3 million, setting the stage for last year's 2.9 million. The bottom line: Last year brought shipments of vinyl records back to where they were 10 years ago.

Read the rest here:
SPINNING AGAIN

Lennon Collectibles Sell Well At Auction

On July 1st, a Pop & Rock Memorabilla auction at Christie's in London netted some huge amounts for some one-of-a-kind items:

The top selling lots:

•John Lennon's 1958 Hofner Senator acoustic guitar - $337, 226

•Brian Jones' Harmony Stratotone electric guitar - $130,208

•John Lennon's hand drawn placard from the 1969 Monteal bed-in, signed by Lennon and Yoko Ono - $120,350

•John Lennon's photocopied and hand annotated lyric sheets (10) for the Imagine album - $41,075

•John Lennon's handwritten prose and poetry c.1964 - $26,699

•Beatles unpublished photographs (about 800) taken from 1968 forward by several fans - $26,699

•John Lennon pen and ink drawing, Randolph's Party - $24,645

•Beatles 45 of Hey Jude/Revolution from the Our First Four promotional single
presentation pack with photo signed by all four - $22,591

•Beatles Please Please Me mono LP signed by all four - $22,591

•John Lennon pen and ink drawing, Figures Involved in a Meeting Around a Table - $20,538

•John Lennon pen and ink drawing, Liddypool - $19,511

•John Lennon pen and ink drawing, Sad Michael - $18,484

•Paul McCartney's 1970's Hofner 5000/1 Bass, signed by McCartney - $17,457

•John Lennon & Yoko Ono interview reel-to-reel tape with John Peel - $16,430

•Metallica's original artwork for their Ride the Lightning album - $15,403

Classic Rock Videos

Chrissie Hynde Pretenders - Stop Your Sobbing - Live