Vinyl Record News & Music Notes

great article about some lost treasures being reissued!

Homespun vinyl

by CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER , Star Tribune

Bringing rare albums to collectors worldwide, Secret Stash Records truly is a secret in its hometown - except to its faithful volunteers

On a recent Monday night, when most men were at home watching football, a dozen male music geeks crowded into an Uptown Minneapolis office for a three-hour volunteer work shift. Their mission: Hand-package 1,000 vinyl copies of a record that came out 41 years ago and was largely forgotten.

Welcome to the cult of Secret Stash Records.

A two-year-old Minneapolis label with an especially strong following in Europe, Secret Stash finds old, long-out-of-print albums that it reissues to rare-vinyl-seeking record nerds around the globe. Its releases have ranged from Peruvian funk to Ghanaian R&B to '70s porn-movie soundtracks.

Read the rest at startribune.com

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For the Record

Dust off your turntable. Vinyl is back.

by Jennie Wood

The Nielsen Company and Billboard released their 2011 Music Industry Report in January 2012. The report included some positive news: total album sales were up for the first time since 2004. One obvious reason was the still-rising popularity of digital music. Digital album sales broke the 100 million mark for the first time, up nearly 20% from 2010. Three genres, Jazz, New Age, and Electronic, doubled their digital album sales. A second, indisputable reason for the increase in sales was Adele's blockbuster album, 21, which became the first record since Usher's Confessions in 2004 to sell more than 5 million copies in one year. A third and less obvious reason was, for the fourth consecutive year, vinyl album sales increased. In fact, more vinyl albums were purchased in 2011 than any other year since Nielsen SoundScan started keeping score.

Vinyl in a Digital Age

In 2011, vinyl album sales reached 3.9 million, up 36% from 2010. Of all those vinyl records sold, 67% were purchased at independent music stores like Chicago's Reckless Records. Having worked at Reckless since 2008, Rebecca Crawford has seen a rise in vinyl sales. When asked why she thinks vinyl sales have increased, she said, "It is primarily due to the 'digital age' of downloading music causing CDs to dramatically decrease in value. Many people will buy CDs, burn it, and then sell them back."

Crawford also said the renewed interest in vinyl was due to a younger generation discovering it for the first time.

Read more at Infoplease.com

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this from our friends at polyvinylrecords.com

Deerhoof/David Bazan Split 7"+Instant MP3 Out Now!

DeerBazan is the latest in a series of collaborative 7"s featuring guest vocalists singing self composed lyrics and vocal melodies over a Deerhoof instrumental.

Side A features David Bazan (Pedro the Lion, Headphones) on Deerhoof's "No One Asked to Dance" (from Deerhoof vs. Evil).

Side B features Bazan's re-working of the Headphones classic "Gas and Matches."

Limited edition of 2000 on clear blue vinyl.

All orders receive an INSTANT MP3 download at checkout.

Deerhoof/David Bazan DeerBazan Clear Blue 7" + Instant MP3 -- $5




Deerhoof Reveille LP+Instant MP3 Out Now!

Reveille, Deerhoof's fourth full-length, is the first to feature guitarist John Dieterich (Gorge Trio, SWAPS) -- joining Satomi Matsuzaki and Greg Saunier.

Now available for the first time on 180-gram light blue vinyl.

All orders receive an INSTANT full-album MP3 download at checkout.

Deerhoof Reveille Light Blue LP + Instant MP3 -- $14







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in an expanded music history for january 21st:

Born on this day in 1939, DJ Wolfman Jack. Master of ceremonies for the rock 'n' roll generation of the '60s on radio, and later on television during the '70s. Died of a heart attack 1/7/95.

In 1957, at Universal Recording Studios in Chicago, Chuck Berry recorded "School Day," backed by guitarist Hubert Sumlin, bassist Willie Dixon, and drummer Fred Below. The session(s) were produced by the Chess brothers – Leonard and Phil. It is one of his best known songs and is often considered a rock and roll anthem. It was first released as a single and later appeared as the lead track on Berry's first album, After School Session.

In 1957, Elvis Presley began filming his second movie, his first in color, "Loving You," co-starring Lizabeth Scott, Wendell Corey, Dolores Hart, and James Gleason.

Also in 1957, country music singer Patsy Cline was the winning contestant on "Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts" program on CBS-TV with her performance of "Walkin' After Midnight."

In 1959, the Kingston Trio, one of the foremost groups behind the folk music craze, receive their first Gold record for "Tom Dooley", a folk song based on the 1866 murder of a woman named Laura Foster in Wilkes County, North Carolina.

In 1964, Peter and Gordon record the Lennon / McCartney tune "A World Without Love."

It was released as their first single in February 1964, reaching number one in the UK Singles Chart in April. The song was written by Paul McCartney and attributed to Lennon–McCartney. The B-side was "If I Were You" written by Peter and Gordon. In June 1964, "A World Without Love" topped the Billboard Hot 100 in the US. It was included on the duo's debut album in the UK, and in the US on an album of the same name. It is one of two songs written by Lennon–McCartney to reach number one in the US by an artist other than the Beatles. The other is "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" by Elton John.

"A World Without Love" is one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.

McCartney did not think the song was good enough for The Beatles. Prior to giving the song to Peter and Gordon, he offered it to Billy J. Kramer, who rejected it.

McCartney described John Lennon's reaction to the song: "The funny first line always used to please John. 'Please lock me away –' 'Yes, okay.' End of song." Lennon said of the song that "I think that was resurrected from the past....I think he had that whole song before the Beatles....That has the line 'Please lock me away' that we always used to crack up at."

This song was never released by the Beatles and the only known recording of the song by any member of the Beatles is the original demo of the song performed by McCartney which is now in the possession of Peter Asher.

In 1965, over 3,000 screaming fans met the Rolling Stones and Roy Orbison at Sydney Airport when they arrived for a 16 date of tour in Australia and New Zealand.

In 1966, Beatle George Harrison married his long-time girlfriend, fashion model Patti Boyd, whom he met on the set of the Beatles' first movie, A Hard Day's Night. She would leave an unfaithful Harrison in the mid-'70s and hooked up with Eric Clapton, who would write the song "Layla" about her. Those two would marry in May 1979, but split in 1988.

In 1967, Davy Jones began recording Neil Diamond's "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You" with studio musicians and Diamond's producer Jeff Barry. Although Jones was the only Monkee involved in the recording, it was released six weeks later as the next Monkees single and earned them their third Gold Record.

European single cover

In 1968, Jimi Hendrix recorded his version of the Bob Dylan song "All Along the Watchtower" at Olympic Studios in London. Rolling Stone Brian Jones and Dave Mason from Traffic both played on the session. The Hendrix version, released six months after Dylan's original recording, became a Top 20 single in 1968.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience began to record their cover version of Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower" on January 21, 1968, at Olympic Studios in London. According to engineer Andy Johns, Jimi Hendrix had been given a tape of Dylan’s recording by publicist Michael Goldstein, who worked for Dylan’s manager Albert Grossman. "(Hendrix) came in with these Dylan tapes and we all heard them for the first time in the studio”, recalled Johns. According to Hendrix’s regular engineer Eddie Kramer, the guitarist cut a large number of takes on the first day, shouting chord changes at Dave Mason who had appeared at the session and played guitar. Halfway through the session, bass player Noel Redding became dissatisfied with the proceedings and left. Mason then took over on bass. According to Kramer, the final bass part was played by Hendrix himself. Kramer and Chas Chandler mixed the first version of "All Along The Watchtower" on January 26, but Hendrix was quickly dissatisfied with the result and went on re-recording and overdubbing guitar parts during June, July, and August at the Record Plant studio in New York. Engineer Tony Bongiovi has described Hendrix becoming increasingly dissatisfied as the song progressed, overdubbing more and more guitar parts, moving the master tape from a four-track to a twelve-track to a sixteen-track machine. Bongiovi recalled, "Recording these new ideas meant he would have to erase something. In the weeks prior to the mixing, we had already recorded a number of overdubs, wiping track after track. [Hendrix] kept saying, ‘I think I hear it a little bit differently.’” The finished version was released on the album Electric Ladyland in September 1968. The single reached number five in the British charts, and number 20 on the Billboard chart, Hendrix's only top 20 / top 40 entry there.

Dylan has described his reaction to hearing Hendrix's version: "It overwhelmed me, really. He had such talent, he could find things inside a song and vigorously develop them. He found things that other people wouldn't think of finding in there. He probably improved upon it by the spaces he was using. I took license with the song from his version, actually, and continue to do it to this day." In the booklet accompanying his Biograph album, Dylan said: "I liked Jimi Hendrix's record of this and ever since he died I've been doing it that way... Strange how when I sing it, I always feel it's a tribute to him in some kind of way."

This version of the song appears at number 48 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and in 2000, British magazine Total Guitar named it top of the list of the greatest cover versions of all time. The song also had the #5 spot on Guitar World's 100 Greatest Guitar Solos.

In 1970, the Elvis Presley film 'Change of Habit' was released. It would be his last movie except for documentaries and concert films.

In 1978, the soundtrack album 'Saturday Night Fever' started a 24 week run at No.1 on the US album charts, it went on to sell over 30 million copies world wide, making it the best selling soundtrack album of all time.

In 1982, B.B. King donated his entire record collection of over 20,000 discs to Mississippi University's centre for the Study of Southern Culture.

In 1983, bassist (Ramblin' Man) Lamar Williams, of the Allman Brothers Band and Sea Level, died of lung cancer at 34.

In 1984, soul singer Jackie Wilson died aged 49. Wilson suffered a massive heart attack while playing a Dick Clark show at the Latin Casino in New Jersey on September 29, 1975, falling head-first to the stage while singing "Lonely Teardrops," and had remained in a coma until his death 8 years later.

In 1984, Yes hits number one on the Billboard Hot 100 with their only Top Ten hit, "Owner Of A Lonely Heart". It reached #28 hit in the UK.

In 1987, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducts the Coasters, Eddie Cochran, Bo Diddley, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Bill Haley, B.B. King, Clyde McPhatter, Ricky Nelson, Roy Orbison, Carl Perkins, Smokey Robinson, Muddy Waters, Hank Williams and Jackie Wilson. Bruce Springsteen inducted Roy Orbison into the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame.

In 1989, Bobby Brown went to #1 on the US album chart with 'Don't Be Cruel.'

In 1989, Phil Collins scored his seventh US #1 single with "Two Hearts."

In 1989, six weeks after his death Roy Orbison started a three-week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with 'The Legendary Roy Orbison' collection.

In 1989, Steve Wahrer, drummer and vocalist for the Trashmen on their 1964 hit "Surfin' Bird," died of throat cancer at the age of 47.

In 1996, Cannibal and the Headhunters lead singer Francisco Garcia died at the age of 49. The group's biggest hit was "Land Of A Thousand Dances", which reached number 30 in 1965.

In 1997, 'Colonel' Tom Parker, Elvis Presley's manager and agent died of a stroke in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the age of 87. Born Andreas van Kuijk, a Dutch immigrant who changed his name as soon as he arrived in the US, Parker never applied for a green card and feared deportation his entire life. He briefly managed country singers Eddy Arnold and Hank Snow.

Also in 1997, songwriter Jesse Levine died of kidney failure aged 58. Co-wrote, "Knock Three Times" and "Tie A Yellow Ribbon" both US & UK #1's for Dawn in the early 70's.

In 1999, blues singer/songwriter/Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Charles Brown died of congestive heart failure at age 76.

In 2002, 81 year old Peggy Lee, best known in the Rock era for her 1958 version of "Fever", passed away after suffering a heart attack at her Bel Air, California home. Lee worked with Benny Goodman, Randy Newman, Quincy Jones and was nominated for 12 Grammy Awards, winning Best Contemporary Vocal Performance for her 1969 hit "Is That All There Is?" and had charted 46 times from 1945 to 1969, ten times in the Top Ten. She had suffered a stroke in 1998 and had been battling heart disease and diabetes.

In 2010, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry issued a statement that said global government legislation is essential to the survival of recorded music. The IFPI said that "Copyright holders cannot hope to micro-manage the behavior of every consumer" and "there is a growing threat to local artists posed by piracy."

Some of the musicians celebrating birthdays today include: Richie Havens (1941), Mac Davis (1942), Billy Ocean (1950), Chris Kilmore (Incubus) (1973) and Benjamin Moody (Evanescence) (1980)

Vinyl Record News & Music Notes

Bruce Springsteen releases new song



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looks like february is a killer month for new music releases! here a select few...

New Music Releases – February 2012

February 7

Lindsey Buckingham with Special Guest Stevie Nicks, ‘Live’ (2005) DVD
Paul McCartney, ‘Kisses on the Bottom’ (pop standards album)
Queen, ‘The Works’ (Deluxe edition)
Queen, ‘A Kind of Magic’ (Deluxe edition)
Queen, ‘The Miracle’ (Deluxe edition)
Queen, ‘Innuendo’ (Deluxe edition)
Queen, ‘Made in Heaven’ (Deluxe edition)
Van Halen, ‘A Different Kind of Truth’ (regular and deluxe editions)
Psycroptic, ‘The Inherited Repression’
Silverstein, ‘Short Songs’

February 14

Alice Cooper, ‘No More Mr. Nice Guy Live’ (2011 live album)
Todd Rundgren, ‘Todd’ (2010 live DVD)
Beneath the Massacre, ‘Incongruous’
Earth, ‘Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light II’
Goatwhore, ‘Blood for the Master’
Orange Goblin, ‘A Eulogy for the Damned’

February 21

Scorpions, ‘Get Your Sting and Blackout Live in 3D‘ (DVD)
Ten Years After, ‘Live Performance 1975′ (DVD)

February 28

Alfie Boe, ‘Alfie’ (featuring Robert Plant on ‘Song to the Siren’)
Kiss, ‘Destroyer‘ (Deluxe Edition)
Pink Floyd, ‘The Wall‘ (Experience and Immersion Editions)
UFO, ‘Seven Deadly’
Autopsy, ‘All Tomorrow’s Funerals’
Caliban, ‘I Am Nemesis’
Coldworker, ‘Doomsdayer’s Call’
Corrosion of Conformity, ‘Corrosion of Conformity’
Death, ‘Vivus!’ (Two-Disc Live Album)
Morbid Angel, ‘Illud Divinum Insanus: The Remixes’
Napalm Death, ‘Utilitarian’
Terrorizer, ‘Hordes of Zombies’

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fantastic article from down under, find the time to enjoy the records!

Records a labour of love in modern world

by: Iain Shedden

TWO weeks ago I was walking into a supermarket wearing a t-shirt with a picture of a 45rpm Motown single on the front when a lady, mid-20s approximately, came up to me and said: "Like your shirt. Is that one of those record things?"

I thought she was joking at first, but she wasn't.

It was an alarming illustration of how far we have come since the days when vinyl was an integral part of just about everyone's life.

Read the rest of this interesting article at theaustralian.com.au

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in illinois, a music store much more than the bricks and mortar....

Geneva’s Kiss the Sky serves as epicenter for local music culture

Independent shop’s future is uncertain

Geneva, IL — CDs and vinyl records lined the aisles as customers in their teens through their 60s scoured through them on a recent Wednesday at Kiss the Sky independent music store in downtown Geneva.

“I’ve been looking for this record for a long time,” said customer Erik Pertl, of Elgin, pulling out an album by rock guitarist Neal Schon.

Meanwhile, 17-year-old Kellen Maher purchased a vinyl record by the B-52s. He thinks his love of vinyl sets him apart from other teens, and he said he’s collected records long before a renewed interest began few years ago because of the indie music scene.

“I’ve had a record player my whole life,” Maher said.

This vinyl resurgence has helped keep the store in business.

The store’s owner, Steve Warrenfeltz, 59, said vinyl record sales now account for about 30 percent of his business. And that’s good for him because he said he’ll never conform to modern music media.

Customers won’t find an iPod charging station or digital downloads in his store.

Just then, three executives from the Aurora radio station The River walked in to discuss advertising with Warrenfeltz. Their suits contrasted the street clothes and rocker attire worn by many of the customers.

Something says this place is more than just a music store. This place is special. It’s a place for music lovers. It’s like a scene from the 1995 film “Empire Records.”

Read the rest at mysuburbanlife.com

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Singing legend Etta James dies at 73

By Todd Leopold, CNN

(CNN) -- Etta James, whose assertive, earthy voice lit up such hits as "The Wallflower," "Something's Got a Hold on Me" and the wedding favorite "At Last," has died, according to her longtime friend and manager, Lupe De Leon. She was 73.

She died from complications from leukemia with her husband, Artis Mills, and her sons by her side, De Leon said.  She was diagnosed with leukemia in 2010, and also suffered from dementia and hepatitis C. James died at a hospital in Riverside, California. She would have turned 74 Wednesday.

Read the rest at cnn.com

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Johnny Otis, the Godfather of Rhythm & Blues, Passes Away at 90

Johnny Otis, the man known as the Godfather of Rhythm and Blues, passed away at his home in Altadena, CA on Tuesday at the age of 90. Otis had been in poor health for some time.

Otis was born John Veliotes and grew up in a predominantly African-American neighborhood in Berkeley, CA. At the age of 18, he started playing with Count Otis Matthew's West Oakland House Rockers and, four years later, was advised to move to Los Angeles by Nat King Cole and Jimmy Witherspoon.

Read more at our friends at vintagevinylnews.com

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and in music history for january 20th:

Leadbelly (Huddie Ledbetter) was born in 1888 (died 1949)

In 1958, the management of St. Louis radio station KWK had all Rock 'n' Roll music removed from its play list. The disc jockeys gave every Rock 'n' Roll record in the station library a "farewell spin" before smashing it to pieces. The station manager, Robert T. Convey felt that Rock 'n' Roll had dominated the airwaves long enough and called the action "a simple weeding out of undesirable music."

In 1958, Rick Nelson started a two-week run at #1 on the Billboard album chart with "Ricky", which featured his hit single "Be-Bop Baby".

Also in 1958, Capitol Records releases the original cast recording of "The Music Man", which will occupy the #1 spot on the Billboard album chart for twelve weeks and remain in the Top 200 for a total of 245 weeks.

In 1964, Capitol Records released the album 'Meet the Beatles.'

Meet The Beatles! is the second Beatles' album released in the United States, despite the "first album" claim on its cover. It was the first Capitol Records Beatles album, issued in both mono and stereo. Capitol is a sister company to Parlophone, the Beatles' British label, and both are subsidiaries of EMI.

Meet The Beatles! opens with the December 1963 Capitol single "I Want to Hold Your Hand"/"I Saw Her Standing There", and the B-side "This Boy" from the original November 1963 Parlophone single of "I Want to Hold Your Hand". It contains many of the tracks from the earlier British album With The Beatles and shares the same cover photograph. However, "You Really Got a Hold On Me", "Devil in Her Heart", "Money (That's What I Want)", "Please Mister Postman" and "Roll Over Beethoven" were omitted from Meet The Beatles! and released on the next Capitol album, The Beatles' Second Album.

The cover featured Robert Freeman's portrait that was used for the U.K. With The Beatles release with a tinted blue hue added to the original, stark black-and-white photograph.

"Meet The Beatles!" reached the number one spot on Billboard album charts starting on February 15th, 1964. It remained at number one for an impressive 11 weeks before being replaced by "The Beatles' Second Album"; the first time that an artist replaced itself at the number one album position.

In 2003, Meet The Beatles! was ranked number 59 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

Side One
1. "I Want To Hold Your Hand" (Lennon-McCartney)
2. "I Saw Her Standing There" (Lennon-McCartney)
3. "This Boy" (Lennon-McCartney)
4. "It Won't Be Long" (Lennon-McCartney)
5. "All I've Got to Do" (Lennon-McCartney)
6. "All My Loving" (Lennon-McCartney)

Side Two
1. "Don't Bother Me" (George Harrison)
2. "Little Child" (Lennon-McCartney)
3. "Till There Was You" (Meredith Willson)
4. "Hold Me Tight" (Lennon-McCartney)
5. "I Wanna Be Your Man" (Lennon-McCartney)
6. "Not a Second Time" (Lennon-McCartney)



1965 Dutch picture sleeve

In 1965, the Byrds recorded "Mr. Tambourine Man."

The master take of "Mr. Tambourine Man" was recorded on January 20, 1965, at Columbia Studios in Hollywood, prior to the release of Dylan's own version. The song's jangling, melodic guitar playing (performed by McGuinn on a 12-string Rickenbacker guitar) was immediately influential and has remained so to the present day. The group's complex harmony work, as featured on "Mr. Tambourine Man", became another major characteristic of their sound. Due to producer Terry Melcher's initial lack of confidence in The Byrds' musicianship, McGuinn was the only Byrd to play on "Mr. Tambourine Man" and its B-side, "I Knew I'd Want You". Rather than using band members, Melcher hired The Wrecking Crew, a collection of top L.A. session musicians, who (with McGuinn on guitar) provided the backing track over which McGuinn, Crosby, and Clark sang. By the time the sessions for their debut album began in March 1965, however, Melcher was satisfied that the band was competent enough to record its own musical backing.

The Byrds' recording of the song opens with a distinctive, Bach-inspired guitar introduction played by McGuinn and then, like Dylan's version, goes into the song's chorus. Although Dylan's version contains four verses, The Byrds only perform the song's second verse and two repeats of the chorus, followed by a variation on the song's introduction, which then fades out. The Byrds' arrangement of the song had been shortened during the band's rehearsals at World Pacific Studios in 1964, at the suggestion of Jim Dickson, in order to accommodate commercial radio stations, which were reluctant to play songs that were over two-and-a-half minutes long. Thus, while Dylan's version is five-and-a-half minutes long, The Byrds' runs just short of two-and-a-half minutes. The lead vocal on The Byrds' version of "Mr. Tambourine Man" was sung by McGuinn, who attempted to modify his singing style to fill what he perceived as a gap in the popular music scene of the day, somewhere between the vocal sound of John Lennon and Bob Dylan. The song also took on a spiritual aspect for McGuinn during the recording sessions, as he told The Byrds' biographer Johnny Rogan in 1997: "I was singing to God and I was saying that God was the Tambourine Man and I was saying to him, 'Hey, God, take me for a trip and I'll follow you.' It was a prayer of submission."

In 1965, Alan Freed, who many credit with coining the term "Rock and Roll", died at the age of 43. Freed was a Cleveland disc jockey who started promoting dances that featured the top artists of the day, including, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino and Jerry Lee Lewis. After moving to New York and appearing in some teen movies, he was caught up in the payola scandal of 1959 for accepting money for playing certain records on his radio show. Before his death, he was virtually broke and fighting charges of tax evasion. It was a sad end for one of Rock and Roll's most important pioneers.

Also in 1965, the Rolling Stones and the Kinks make their first appearance on ABC-TV's Shindig! Also appearing were the Dave Clark Five, Petula Clark, Bobby Vee, Bobby Sherman and Gerry And The Pacemakers.

In 1966, in San Francisco, promoter Bill Graham held a three-day "Trips Festival" at Longshoremen's Hall, featuring the Grateful Dead, Big Brother and the Holding Company, and Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters.

In 1968, John Fred's "Judy In Disguise (With Glasses"), a song title inspired by the Beatles "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds", knocked the Fab Four's "Hello Goodbye" out of Billboard's top spot. It reached #3 in the UK.

In 1972, Pink Floyd premiered Dark Side of the Moon during a concert in Brighton, England.

In 1973, Jerry Lee Lewis was booked to play the Grand Ole Opry on the condition that he would stick to Country and Western tunes only. Jerry did just that for a while, but eventually broke into his old Rock hits from the 50's, while swearing up a storm. He proclaimed, "I am the rock and rollin', country and western, rhythm and blues singin' motherf***er."

In 1982, Ozzy Osbourne bit the head off of what he thought was a plastic bat thrown at him during a concert in Des Moines. The bat turned out to be real and Ozzy later went through a series of injections against rabies.

In 1988, the Beach Boys, the Beatles, the Drifters, Bob Dylan, Berry Gordy, Jr., Woody Guthrie, Leadbelly, Les Paul and the Supremes are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during ceremonies at New York's Waldorf Astoria. During the Beach Boys acceptance speech, vocalist Mike Love insulted just about everybody in the music business, including Paul McCartney, Diana Ross, Bruce Springsteen and Mick Jagger.

In 1999, Bill Albaugh, drummer for The Lemon Pipers on their 1967 US #1 single "Green Tambourine", died at the age of 53.

In 2000, bassist Ray Jones of Billy J. Kramer With The Dakotas died at the age of 60.

birthdays today include (among others): Rob Bourdon (Linkin Park) (33), Greg Kriesel (Offspring) (47), Rick Evans (Zager & Evans) (69), Slim Whitman (88), Ian Hill (Judas Priest) (61) and Paul Stanley (Kiss) (60)

Vinyl Record News & Music Notes

in yesterday's post I made a mistake with a link, here is the correct link to see the story A Dead Format? written by Sammi Chichester from mindequalsblown.net  sorry about that folks........

very impressive article, well worth the read. not sure if everyone who buys vinyl is an audiophile, i don't consider myself one. hey, if you play your 45s on your grandmother's old suitcase-style turntable and you enjoy your music, that is what it is all about......

A Dead Format?

by Sammi Chichester

For what many may think is a dead format, the fact is that sales of vinyl records are increasing year after year. Nielsen SoundScan projects vinyl in 2011 to have a 25 percent increase in sales from the

previous year. But how much is really sold, who buys it, and why?

For perspective, Nielsen has reported about 1 million vinyl sales every year in the past decade stating in 1995. Then in 2008, sales jumped to 2 million and then another half million the following two years.

The projections show this year to have a total finishing sale of 3.6 million, including many from top-selling artists such as Radiohead, Foo Fighters and Mumford & Sons. While it is true that digital downloads account for more than half of all music sales, the June mid-year report by Nielsen showed 155 million records were sold in all formats. Rock is the most popular genre with 52 million sales and rock’s close partner genre, alternative, makes up another 27 million in sales. “About 93 of the 100 best selling vinyl albums in 2011 fall within the rock or alternative genres,” the report states.

Even if vinyl records only account for about 2 percent of the music industry’s sales, the trend cannot be ignored because of one of the final statements worth noting – “Two out of every three vinyl albums are purchased at an independent music store.”

Please read the rest at mindequalsblown.net

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BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN TO RELEASE NEW STUDIO ALBUM 'WRECKING BALL' ON MARCH 6

Bruce Springsteen's new album 'Wrecking Ball' has been set for March 6 release on Columbia Records. Marking his 17th studio album, 'Wrecking Ball' features 11 new Springsteen songs and was produced by Ron Aniello with Bruce Springsteen and executive producer Jon Landau. A special edition of 'Wrecking Ball' will also be available and include two bonus tracks and exclusive artwork and photography.

'Wrecking Ball' Song Titles:
1.We Take Care of Our Own
2.Easy Money
3.Shackled and Drawn
4.Jack of All Trades
5.Death to My Hometown
6.This Depression
7.Wrecking Ball
8.You've Got It
9.Rocky Ground
10.Land of Hope and Dreams
11.We Are Alive



Said long-time manager Jon Landau, "Bruce has dug down as deep as he can to come up with this vision of modern life. The lyrics tell a story you can't hear anywhere else and the music is his most innovative in recent years. The writing is some of the best of his career and both veteran fans and those who are new to Bruce will find much to love on 'Wrecking Ball.'"

Bruce Springsteen will make an appearance as the keynote speaker at SXSW 2012. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will be touring extensively in the US and Europe in 2012. 

'Wrecking Ball' is available for pre-order now Wrecking Ball (Vinyl LP)

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something we all know, glad it is being recognized!!

Two-Thirds of All Vinyl Records Are Sold at Indie Record Stores

According to stats recently shared with Digital Music News by Nielsen Soundscan, more than two-thirds (or 67 percent) of all vinyl albums in the US were sold by indie record stores last year. And this is a booming niche: last year, vinyl sales reached 3.9 million units, the biggest mark in two decades and a 39 percent gain over 2010. That's still about one-percent of broader album sales, but a rare example of growth in the physical category.

All of which raises a major problem: vinyl is on a serious comeback, but the main driver of those sales is drying up. Last year, neighborhood fixtures like Atlanta-based Criminal Records were threatened with shutdown, and even bigger outlets like Amoeba Records are struggling to find their footing.

In 2010, indie retailers accounted for an even more impressive 71 percent of all vinyl sales in the

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Legacy Recordings Commemorates Janis Joplin's Birthday With Announcement of The Pearl Sessions

Definitive Two-Disc Edition of Janis Joplin's Farewell Album Masterpiece Debuts Newly Discovered Studio Outtakes, Banter & Rarities Including Nine Previously Unavailable Tracks

Janis Joplin - The Pearl Sessions Available Everywhere Tuesday, April 17, 2012

NEW YORK, Jan. 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- On the occasion of Janis Joplin's birthday (January 19), Legacy Recordings is proud to announce the upcoming release of The Pearl Sessions, a newly-curated definitive two-disc edition of Joplin's final studio album premiering, for the first time, newly discovered studio outtakes, live performances and other sonic rarities recorded during her dynamic last chapter of accelerated tumult and creativity.

Originally released on January 11, 1971 (three months after her passing on October 4, 1970), Pearl debuted Joplin's final finished studio recordings as well as intimations of what the influential American country-soul-blues-rock singer was capable of delivering.

The only album Joplin ever recorded with the Full Tilt Boogie Band, the touring ensemble that had backed her on the Festival Express (a mythic 1970 concert tour by railroad across Canada with the Grateful Dead, the Band and others), Pearl included canonical studio recordings of songs that had been introduced to audiences on tour.

Peaking at #1 on the Billboard 200, a position it held for nine weeks, Pearl included some of Janis's most familiar and best-loved performances including her cover of Kris Kristofferson's "Me and Bobby McGee" and her off-the-cuff a cappella "Mercedes Benz."

When putting together material for a 40th anniversary edition of Pearl, researchers discovered a treasure-trove of previously uncatalogued audio tapes from the album's sessions, produced by Paul Rothschild. An industry legend, perhaps best-known for producing the first five Doors albums, Rothchild further solidified his position in music history with his work on Pearl.

The Pearl Sessions brings together, for the first time in one package, the original mono versions of the album's 45s alongside the original LP tracks as well as the revelatory newly-discovered alternate versions, outtakes and vocal takes of Pearl's classic tracks.

The Pearl Sessions includes newly discovered recordings of Janis in the studio, joking with producer Paul Rothchild and her Full Tilt Boogie bandmates as they work through what would become an essential part of Janis Joplin's core catalog.

Disc One of The Pearl Sessions includes the original album as well as the original mono singles from the album ("Cry Baby," "Get It While You Can," "Me and Bobby McGee").

Disc Two is a collection of behind-the-scenes recordings illuminating the Pearl sessions with highlights and insights revealed in candid studio dialogue, song demos and alternate takes including nine previously unissued tracks.

Janis Joplin - The Pearl Sessions

DISC ONE:
The Pearl Album - produced by Paul Rothchild
Move Over
Cry Baby
A Woman Left Lonely
Half Moon
Buried Alive In The Blues
My Baby
Me and Bobby McGee
Mercedes Benz
Trust Me
Get It While You Can

Bonus Tracks - the Mono Single Masters - produced by Paul Rothchild
Me and Bobby McGee
Half Moon
Cry Baby
Get It While You Can
Move Over
A Woman Left Lonely

DISC TWO:
The Pearl Sessions & more...
Overheard in the Studio...
Get It While You Can (take 3) - previously unissued
Overheard in the Studio...
Get It While You Can (take 5) - previously unissued
Overheard in the Studio...
Move Over (take 6) - previously unissued
Move Over (take 13) - previously unissued
Move Over (take 17) - previously unissued
Me and Bobby McGee (demo version)
Me and Bobby McGee (take 5 - alternate) - previously unissued
Cry Baby (alternate version)
A Woman Left Lonely (alternate vocal)
Overheard in the Studio...
My Baby (alternate take) - previously unissued
Overheard in the Studio...
Get It While You Can (take 3) - previously unissued
My Baby (alternate take)
Pearl (instrumental) - Full Tilt Boogie Band

Bonus Track
Tell Mama (Live) - June 28, 1970 - Toronto

The release of The Pearl Sessions marks a renewed focus on Janis Joplin and the continuing influence of her music. Columbia/Legacy Recordings recently announced the release of Live at the Carousel Ballroom 1968, a previously unavailable live concert recording of Big Brother and the Holding Company featuring Janis Joplin, recorded June 23, 1968 by legendary soundman Owsley Stanley, a/k/a "Bear," who supervised the mastering of this release before his fatal car accident on March 12, 2011, in his adopted homeland of Australia. Dedicated to Bear, the album will be released on March 13, 2012, marking the one-year anniversary of his passing.

Pre-Order Your Copy Today!

SOURCE Legacy Recordings

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this from our friends at vinylcollective.com

Two Fun. Albums on Vinyl Feb 21

Fueled by Ramen and Nettwerk Records will be issuing their Fun. releases on vinyl February 21. The Nettwerk release, “Aim and Ignite” will be pressed on a deluxe double lp, embossed metallic gatefold with an etched picture disc. Fueled by Ramen will release “Some Nights” on a 180 gram vinyl which includes the CD. Pre order is up now!

Fun. – Some Nights LP

Fun. – Aim and Ignite 2XLP






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love this cover.....

LECHEROUS NOCTURNE: 'Behold Almighty Doctrine' Artwork Unveiled

South Carolina-based extreme metal band LECHEROUS NOCTURNE has set "Behold Almighty Doctrine" as the title of its third album, due later in the year via Unique Leader Records. The CD was recorded at SoundLab Studio in Lexington, South Carolina with longtime engineer Bob Moore.

Read more at Blabbermouth
















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oh, this cover art won't turn some heads....

Soulfly Reveal Artwork for New Album

Soulfly have just unveiled the album art for their new full-length album called 'Enslaved.' It is the band's eight studio effort and is scheduled for release on March 13 on Roadrunner Records. The album was recorded at Tallcat Studios in Phoenix, Arizona and was produced by Zeuss (Shadows Fall, Hatebreed.)

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STRAPPING YOUNG LAD Vinyl Box Set On The Way

Finnish extreme metal non-profit Blood Music has announced an incredibly long-overdue vinyl worship session of every last bit of STRAPPING YOUNG LAD's music one could ever ask for.

The monstrous limited edition 7xLP box set discography will contain all five STRAPPING YOUNG LAD full-lengths, as well as extra vinyl dedicated to the band's non-album material, plus other special gifts yet to be announced.

The genre-busting Canadian industrial/death band has never seen their seminal albums "Heavy as a Really Heavy Thing", "SYL" nor "The New Black" touch wax before. Their other two records — "City" and "Alien" — were pressed in ultra-limited numbers of 500 copies only and sold out within months of their release.

Get more information at our friends at Blabbermouth

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what a trip, love to visit.......

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum Announces Its Newest Featured Exhibit: Grateful Dead: The Long, Strange Trip

CLEVELAND, Jan. 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is proud to present a major exhibition devoted to a truly unique American rock and roll band, Grateful Dead: The Long, Strange Trip. The exhibit will open to the public on Thursday, April 12, as a part of the 2012 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Week events. The Mickey Hart Band, featuring the Grateful Dead drummer, will perform on the Rock Hall's Main Stage for an exhibit opening event on Wednesday, April 11.

"The Grateful Dead is a band that is identified with a remarkable era in American history, and, inasmuch as they embody that era, their work is timeless," says Jim Henke, vice president of Exhibits and Curatorial Affairs. "They've inspired many performers and bands, but none has exhibited their musical depth and cultural resonance. In a 30-year career, this group wrote their own rules and created a community unlike any band before or since."

Grateful Dead: The Long, Strange Trip explores the band from a non-linear point of view. Individual sections within the exhibit will be devoted to Grateful Dead as a recording group and a touring band, the fans who devotedly followed them, tapers and fellow travelers (people who were important to the band). It will include finished and working manuscripts for classic songs, handwritten notes from legendary taper Dick Latvala, artifacts from original sound designer Owsley "Bear" Stanley, and promoter Bill Graham's Father Time robe and Grateful Dead Hotline answering machine.

Art and design have always been closely associated with Grateful Dead, and this exhibit will include an unprecedented collection of original artwork that is immediately recognizable from the band's album covers and posters. It will feature numerous instruments used by the Grateful Dead over the years, including keyboards, drums, percussion, guitars and elements from the legendary Wall of Sound PA system. The Grateful Dead Archive at the University of California-Santa Cruz has loaned a significant number of items from their extraordinary collection, which will open to the public in spring 2012.

Additional highlights include:
•Five Jerry Garcia guitars, including his Travis Bean TB5
•Mickey Hart's custom-painted drum kit
•Two Bob Weir guitars, including his first Ibanez "cowboy" custom guitar
•Several original lyric manuscripts, including "Truckin'," "Box of Rain" and "Sugaree"
•Several original Grateful Dead-related artworks, including images from Workingman's Dead, Without a Net and Fillmore Auditorium poster art
•Bill Graham's "Father Time" robe

Formed in Palo Alto, California, in 1965 from a previous incarnation as a bar band called the Warlocks, the Grateful Dead were at the epicenter of the sweeping cultural event that was San Francisco in the Sixties. Their music was informed by a diverse set of influences – contemporary classical composition, bluegrass, rhythm & blues, free jazz, rock and roll and the blues. Fueled by a cultural underground of writers, poets and bohemians that stretched from Oakland and Berkeley in the East Bay to Palo Alto on the peninsula, the Grateful Dead developed an ethos that embraced true artistic pursuits over commercial concerns, improvisation over rote arrangements and mind expansion through the use of psychedelic drugs.

At the exhibit opening event on the 11th, Mickey Hart Band will perform new songs from his forthcoming album to be released this spring as well as Grateful Dead classics. Hart will be touring this spring in support of his new album which he told Rolling Stone features samples of "light waves from the cosmos, starting 13.7 billion years ago with the Big Bang."

This exhibit will be open through December 2012.

SOURCE The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum

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and in music history for today, january 19th:

The legendary Janis Joplin was born today in 1943 (died in 1970).



In 1959, the Platters reach the number one spot on the US Pop chart for the fourth time with "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes," a ballad that was written by Otto Harbach and Jerome Kern in 1933. The record will top the UK chart next month.

In 1963, the Beatles make their first ever TV appearance on the UK TV show Thank Your Lucky Stars, where they perform their current #45 hit, "Please Please Me."

In 1967, the Monkees were at #1 on the U.K. singles chart with “I’m a Believer,” the group’s only UK #1.

In 1967, at EMI's Abbey Road Studios in London, the Beatles began recording "A Day In The Life," which had the working title "In the Life of..." The basic track was refined with remixing and additional parts added at recording sessions the next day and on February 3. The track was completed with the recording of the orchestral part on February 20. The total length of time spent recording "A Day in the Life" was 34 hours. By comparison, their first album, "Please Please Me," was recorded in its entirety in just 10 hours.

The song is the final track on the group's 1967 album 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.' Credited to Lennon–McCartney, the song comprises distinct segments written independently by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, with orchestral additions. While Lennon’s lyrics were inspired by contemporary newspaper articles, McCartney’s were reminiscent of his youth. The decisions to link sections of the song with orchestral glissandos and to end the song with a sustained piano chord were made only after the rest of the song had been recorded.

The supposed drug reference in the line "I’d love to turn you on" resulted in the song initially being banned from broadcast by the BBC. Since its original album release, "A Day in the Life" has been released as a B-side, and also on various compilation albums. It has been covered by other artists including Sting, Bobby Darin, The Fall, Neil Young, Jeff Beck, The Bee Gees, Robyn Hitchcock, Phish and since 2008, by McCartney in his live performances. The song is frequently listed among the greatest songs ever written.



In 1971, at the Charles Manson murder trial for the murder of actress Sharon Tate and four others, several tracks from the Beatles' "White Album," including "Helter Skelter," were played as prosecutors attempted to find out if any of the songs could have influenced Manson and his followers to commit murder. At the scene of one of the gruesome murders, the words "helter skelter" were written on a mirror.

Also in 1971, during court proceedings held to dissolve The Beatles' partnership, Ringo testifies under oath that "Paul behaved like a spoiled child."

In 1974, a song called "Show and Tell" by Al Wilson overcame all odds and rose to the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100. The tune had failed to become a hit for Johnny Mathis and was relegated to the "B" side of Wilson's single, but still ended up selling over three million copies and had a chart run of sixteen weeks.

In 1974, Black Oak Arkansas appeared at Kent State University, Kent, Ohio. Support act was Bruce Springsteen. Tickets cost $4.

In 1976, American promoter Bill Sargent issues a $30 million offer to The Beatles to re-unite for one show. He proposes that the band play together for at least twenty minutes at any venue they choose on July 5th. The former members of the group wasted no time in turning him down, but Sargent would later say that he was shocked by the refusal.

In 1978, Johnny Rotten was fired from the Sex Pistols for “not being weird enough anymore.”

In 1980, Pink Floyd’s The Wall started a 15-week run at #1 on the US album chart. The group’s third US #1, it went on to sell more than 8 million copies.

In 1993, an inaugural concert was held in Landover, Maryland to honor President-elect Bill Clinton. Aretha Franklin sings "I Have A Dream" and Fleetwood Mac perform "Don't Stop", a tune that the Clinton campaign used as their theme song. Others appearing were Michael Jackson, Judy Collins, Chuck Berry, Michael Bolton and Little Richard.

In 1994, Paul McCartney inducts John Lennon into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, saying "The thing you must remember is, that I'm the number one John Lennon fan. I love him to this day and I always did love him."

In 1998, rock 'n' roll pioneer Carl Perkins died of stroke related causes at the age of 65. Carl wrote and recorded "Blue Suede Shoes" which went to number 2 for him in 1956, selling 2 million copies. The Elvis Presley version topped out at number 20 the same year. Alcoholism and a car accident kept Perkins from fulfilling his full potential, as he never reached the US Top 40 again.

In 2006, soul singer Wilson Pickett died in hospital near his Ashburn, Virginia, home of a heart attack at age 64. Pickett recorded the soul classics “Mustang Sally,” “Everybody Needs Somebody to Love” and “In the Midnight Hour” plus he scored 15 other US Top 40 singles.



In 2007, Canadian singer songwriter and former Mamas and the Papas singer Denny Doherty died at the age of 66. He died at his home near Toronto, Canada, after a short illness.

In 2008, singer-songwriter John Stewart, who wrote the Monkees hit “Daydream Believer,” died at age 68 after he suffered a massive stroke or brain aneurysm in San Diego. Stewart was a member of folk group The Kingston Trio and went on to record more than 45 solo albums with his biggest solo success being a U.S. top five single, “Gold,” in 1979.

birthdays today include (among others): Phil Everly (Everly Brothers) (73), Joe Butler (Lovin' Spoonful) (71), Martha Davis (Motels) (61), Dolly Parton (66), Dewey Bunell (America) (60), Ricky Wilson (Kaiser Chiefs) (34)

Ask Mr. Music by Jerry Osborne

FOR THE WEEK OF JANUARY 16, 2012


DEAR JERRY: I have the original 1959 Crystalette single (724-X) of “Pink Shoe Laces,” by Dodie Stevens, but it doesn't answer the question I've had for over 50 years. In fact, there doesn't seem to be any book, blog, or forum anywhere that identifies the man providing the voice of Dooley.

He has only this one line: “Just before the angels come to carry me, I want it down in writin' how to bury me.”

Often, guest voices are credited on the labels, but the only names Crystalette mentions here, besides Dodie Stevens, are Bobby Hammack and Mickie Grant. Might Dooley's line be by one of those two?
—Dean McKeag, San Leandro, Calif.


DEAR DEAN: Bobby Hammack and His Orchestra just provide the music, and Mickie Grant is the writer of “Pink Shoe Laces,” so it's neither of those.

Also on the session, but not credited, are the Jack Halloran Singers. More about that in a moment.

Even with my endless reference sources, I too find no mention of who sings the part of Dooley, which makes me even more curious.

But sometimes it's not what you know, but who you know. And I know someone who was in the studio when “Pink Shoe Laces” was recorded: Miss Dodie Stevens.

I figured if anyone would know Dooley, it would be the one who introduces his line in the song, and probably stood next to him as he spoke.

So I sent your question on to Dodie, and here is her prompt reply:

Hi Jerry! I hope you had a Merry Christmas, and I wish you a very Happy New Year.

As for Mr. McKeag's question: It was neither Bobby Hammack nor Mickie Grant (Mickie is a female). Dooley's voice in the song was provided by one of the Jack Halloran Singers. They sang background on the session.

I don't recall the name of exactly who did it, but I would assume it was the bass singer in the group.

I don't even know who's idea it was to add Dooley's part, though I do know it was not mine.

Since I was only 12-years-old when I recorded “Pink Shoe Laces,” I didn't have a lot of session input. I just did what everyone told me to do.

I do remember that the “woo hoo, ooo ooo ooo” I sang at the end of every chorus was the idea of my vocal coach, who also attended the session. That part became the hook of the song.

Have a wonderful day!
—Dodie Stevens, San Diego

Thank you so much, Dodie. Unless he, or someone else from that session, sees this and comes forward, we may never know who verbalized Dooley's dying wish.

Come to think about it, I can't recall a solo artist who received a Gold Record Award for a million-selling single for a song they recorded at a younger age than you (12), for “Pink Shoe Laces.”


DEAR JERRY: One of my faves from the 1960s psychedelic era is “Naturally Stoned,” by the Avant-Garde. I notice Chuck Woolery is credited as the writer. Is this the “Wheel of Fortune” game show host? Did he also sing with the group, or just write the song?
—Merilee Norgran, Portland, Maine


DEAR MERILEE: Chuck accounts for one-half of the Avant-Garde, his partner being Elkin “Bubba” Fowler.

Woolery wrote “Naturally Stoned” (the song, not his condition while writing), and sings the lead.

Yes, this same Chuck Woolery hosted numerous game shows. Some of the more memorable ones are: “Wheel of Fortune”; “Love Connection”; “Scrabble”; “The Dating Game”; “Greed”; and currently on the Game Show Network, “Lingo.”


IZ ZAT SO? If asked to name the female singer with the biggest hit single of 1959, one's first pick would likely be Connie Francis.

Makes sense. Connie had eight hit songs that year, four of which were Top 10. Definitely the overall No. 1 female star of 1959.

However, the No. 1 single for a girl in '59 is “Pink Shoe Laces,” by Dodie Stevens, which ranked ever so slightly ahead of Connie's (2) “My Happiness” and (3) “Lipstick on Your Collar.”

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

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

Copyright 2011 Osborne Enterprises- Reprinted By Exclusive Permission

Vinyl Record News & Music Notes

very impressive article, well worth the read. not sure if everyone who buys vinyl is an audiophile, i don't consider myself one. hey, if you play your 45s on your grandmother's old suitcase-style turntable and you enjoy your music, that is what it is all about......

A Dead Format?

by Sammi Chichester

For what many may think is a dead format, the fact is that sales of vinyl records are increasing year after year. Nielsen SoundScan projects vinyl in 2011 to have a 25 percent increase in sales from the

previous year. But how much is really sold, who buys it, and why?

For perspective, Nielsen has reported about 1 million vinyl sales every year in the past decade stating in 1995. Then in 2008, sales jumped to 2 million and then another half million the following two years.

The projections show this year to have a total finishing sale of 3.6 million, including many from top-selling artists such as Radiohead, Foo Fighters and Mumford & Sons. While it is true that digital downloads account for more than half of all music sales, the June mid-year report by Nielsen showed 155 million records were sold in all formats. Rock is the most popular genre with 52 million sales and rock’s close partner genre, alternative, makes up another 27 million in sales. “About 93 of the 100 best selling vinyl albums in 2011 fall within the rock or alternative genres,” the report states.

Even if vinyl records only account for about 2 percent of the music industry’s sales, the trend cannot be ignored because of one of the final statements worth noting – “Two out of every three vinyl albums are purchased at an independent music store.”

Read the rest at news.cnet.com

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great to see!

Oklahoma pair stake out new career as vinyl record producers as medium makes comeback

Vinyl records, declared dead a quarter century ago, are making a comeback. It was enough to prompt friends Rob Vera and Clint McEwen to take a shot on forming their own record company in Oklahoma City, Okie Dope Records.

BY STEVE LACKMEYER

Vinyl records, declared dead a quarter century ago, are making a comeback.

In an age when it's assumed compact discs will join the list of dead media, one-time vinyl record owners like J.D. Merryweather are rebuilding collections. And the surge in interest is prompting music
enthusiasts to recast themselves as record producers.

Read more at newsok.com

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i've read a lot of this writer Steve Guttenberg's material and always am on the lookout for more - here is poses the question of youngsters buying vinyl, so, if you are under 40 or so, drop him a line and tell him why vinyl is so appealing.....

Poll: Why do young people play LPs?

by Steve Guttenberg

I'm over 40 and still play and buy new records, but I'm curious about why younger people are getting into vinyl. Is it the sound, the feel, or the satisfaction of holding a nice hunk of vinyl in your hands?

I'd like to hear from my younger LP playing readers; please tell us in the Comments section why you listen to LPs, and where you buy them.

Read the rest and chime in at news.cnet.com

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Screaming Females New Album Artwork

The garage punk band Screaming Females have recently announced that their fifth studio album, 'UGLY ' will be released on April 3rd via Don Giovanni Records. Preceding the LP release the New Brunswick group will put out a 7" of the LP's first single "It All Means Nothing" on February 11th. The effort was produced by Steve Albini.

Tracklist:
1. It All Means Nothing
2. Rotten Apple
3. Extinction
4. Red Hand
5. 5 High
6. Expire
7. Crow's Nest
8. Tell Me No
9. Leave It All Up to Me
10. Doom 84
11. Help Me
12. Something Ugly
13. Slow Birth
14. It's Nice



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The Mars Volta New Album Due in March

The Mars Volta will release their sixth album, 'Noctourniquet,' on March 27. This is another one of their concept records and the songs will center on a character based on Superman villain Solomon Grundy and the mythical Greek figure Hyacinthus.

Tracklist
1. The Whip Hand
2. Aegis
3. Dyslexicon
4. Empty Vessels Make the Loudest Sound
5. The Malkin Jewel
6. Lapochka
7. 'n Absentia
8. Imago
9. Molochwalker
10. Trinkets Pale of Moon
11. Vedamalady
12. Noctourniquet
13. Zed and Two Naughts


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ENTHRONED 'Obsidium' Cover Artwork Unveiled

Belgian black metallers ENTHRONED recently signed on with Agonia Records and the band's new effort, 'Obsidium' is set for releases in early 2012. The cover artwork, which was created by Olve J. W.l.

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Punch Brothers' New Album Available For Pre-Order

The Punch Brothers new album, 'Who’s Feeling Young Now?,' is due out February 14 via Nonesuch Records and is now available for pre-order in the Nonesuch Store. Pre-orders include an instant download of the album's opening track, "Movement and Location," plus an exclusive set of five custom Punch Brothers paper coasters illustrated by New Yorker cartoonist Matthew Diffee and signed by the band. The vinyl album, also available to pre-order, is due out on March 20. Completed over three weeks at Blackbird Studios in Nashville, 'Who's Feeling Young Now?' was produced by Grammy Award winner Jacquire Kingtic.

Legendary producer T Bone Burnett recently said of Punch Brothers, in an interview with American Songwriter magazine: "That’s one of the most incredible bands this country has ever produced. Chris Thile, their mandolin player, is probably a once in a century musician, like Louis Armstrong was a once in a century musician. Chris is one of those kind of cats."

Pre-order Here




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MESHUGGAH Album Art Revealed

Here is the cover art for Meshuggah's highly anticipated new album called 'Koloss.' The album is due out on March 27th via Nuclear Blast.

Tracklist
'I Am Colossus'
'The Demon’s Name Is Surveillance'
'Do Not Look Down'
'Behind The Sun'
'The Hurt That Finds You First'
'Marrow'
'Break Those Bones Whose Sinews Gave It Motion'
'Swarm'
'Demiurge'
'The Last Vigil'










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Pre-Order Xiu Xiu Always CD/LP+MP3/T-Shirt+MP3

New album announced! In stores March 6. Pre-orders ship Feb. 24.

LP limited to 500 on 180-gram clear pink vinyl.

At its core, Always symbolizes the mutual camaraderie with and deep dedication to each person who has internalized Xiu Xiu's work, tattooed its name on their skin or soul, and throughout the past ten years made the band a part of their lives.

Produced by Deerhoof's Greg Saunier (who also contributes drums and vocals to the album) and mixed by John Congleton (Antony and the Johnsons, Marylin Manson,the Roots) Always is positively vibrant.

Pre-order the album in a variety of options:
CD
180-gram black vinyl (includes 2-sided 18" x 24" photo collage and lyric poster)
Limited edition 180-gram clear pink vinyl (500 copies, includes 2-sided poster)
T-Shirt + MP3
Package deals with new album + t-shirt or Jamie Stewart's new collection of haikus, A Neo Tropical Companion
All pre-orders include two FREE 1" buttons and ship Feb. 24. In stores March 6.

Pre-order Here

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Meat Loaf Announces New Album

Meat Loaf promised three new albums to commemorate his 40th anniversary of his career and the first, ‘Hell in a Handbasket,’ is scheduled for a March 13 release.

”‘Hell In A Handbasket’ is the most personal record I’ve ever made,” Meat Loaf stated in a press release. ”It’s really the first record I’ve ever put out about how I feel about life and how I feel about what’s going on at the moment.”

Tracklist
1. All of Me
2. The Giving Tree
3. Live or Die
4. Blue Sky/Mad Mad World/The Good God is a Woman and She Don’t Like Ugly’(feat. Chuck D)
5. California Dreamin feat. Patti Russo
6. Party of One
7. Another Day
8. 40 Days
9. Our Love and Our Souls (feat. Patti Russo)
10. Stand in the Storm (feat. Trace Adkins, Lil Jon and Mark McGrath)
11. Blue Sky
12. Fall From Grace

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Diamond Head, UFO Drummer Robbie France Dead At Age 53

by: Dave Swanson

Former Diamond Head, UFO and Wishbone Ash drummer Robbie France passed away on Saturday (Jan. 14) at age 53. France was only with the UK metal band for a short time, but his work with them was crucial to the development of one of the groups Metallica has frequently cited as an important influence on their music.

France was born in England but moved to Australia at age 11. There he studied at the National Academy of Rudimentary Drummers and eventually became a music teacher at the Australian Academy of Music.

After moving back to the UK in 1982 he joined up with Diamond Head during the famed ‘New Wave Of British Heavy Metal’ era, playing the legendary Monsters Of Rock/Castle Donnington festival alongside Dio, Twisted Sister, Whitesnake and ZZ Top.

Read more at ultimateclassicrock.com

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Rock Guitar Legend Tommy Bolin Paid Tribute on "Great Gypsy Soul"

CD AND SPECIAL EDITION DOUBLE CD WITH BONUS TRACKS SET FOR RELEASE MARCH 27 ON 429 RECORDS

All Star Lineup Contributes To All New Recordings of "Teaser" Tracks Performing Alongside Bolin

Guests Include Peter Frampton, Warren Haynes, Nels Cline, Steve Morse, Steve Lukather, Brad Whitford, Joe Bonamassa and Others.

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Jan. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- In the annals of rock history, Tommy Bolin occupied a brief, but shining stint as a brilliant guitarist who wowed those in the know with his mastery of many genres—rock, fusion, funk, reggae and heavy metal among others. Along with a much lauded solo career that, pushed the boundaries of rock/jazz fusion, Bolin played with The James Gang and Deep Purple which set him up for major solo guitar stardom which was cut short by his untimely death in 1976. Not to be overlooked, there's been much written about the guitar wunderkind and now a top notch roster of players have signed on to pay tribute to Bolin on GREAT GYPSY SOUL. Produced by Greg Hampton and Warren Haynes, it's a remarkable project that brings together major players who actually perform alongside Tommy Bolin's playing and vocals from the recording outtakes to his solo debut album "Teaser." Peter Frampton, Warren Haynes (a key supporter of the project), Nels Cline, Steve Lukather, Steve Morse, Brad Whitford, Joe Bonamassa, John Scofield, Derek Trucks, Glenn Hughes and Myles Kennedy all contribute to this amazing project. GREAT GYPSY SOUL will be released on 429 Records on March 27 in both a single CD format and double CD with bonus tracks. A series of promotional concerts are also in the works.

Tommy Bolin was the quintessential guitar prodigy who focused his talents within the burgeoning rock/metal scenes of the early 70's as well as mastered a highly lauded jazz fusion technique, catching the attention of rock tastemakers and guitar legend peers. It was just a matter of time before Bolin was making a name for himself playing on projects as diverse as Billy Cobham's "Spectrum" project (considered one of the great jazz fusion recordings of all time), replacing Joe Walsh in the James Gang, playing session work on seminal fusion projects by Moxy and Alphonse Mouzon, to replacing Ritchie Blackmore in Deep Purple. With the release of his second solo album "Private Eyes", what should have been a red letter moment for Bolin, opening up for Jeff Beck in Miami, sadly turned tragic as Bolin was found dead of an overdose shortly after the gig.

Says Warren Haynes: "Many of the guests added after the fact have a close personal connection to Tommy—all share in acknowledging his place in rock history. Watching (and hearing) it all come to fruition some 35 years later was a journey of its own—well worth the travel."

Track Listing:
Disc 1
1.The Grind w/ Peter Frampton
2.Teaser w/ Warren Haynes
3.Dreamer w/ Myles Kennedy and Nels Cline
4.Savannah Woman w/ John Scofield
5.Smooth Fandango w/ Derek Trucks
6.People People w/ Big Sugar and Gordie Johnson
7.Wild Dogs w/ Brad Whitford
8.Homeward Strut w/ Steve Lukather
9.Sugar Shack w/ Glenn Hughes and Sonny Landreth
10.Crazed Fandango w/ Steve Morse
11.Lotus w/ Joe Bonamassa, Glenn Huges and Nels Cline

Disc 2 Bonus CD
1.Flying Fingers w/ Oz Noy and Nels Cline
2.Marching Bag –Movement One w/ Nels Cline, Bolin, Greg Hampton, John Scofield, Sonny Landreth
3.Marching Bag—Movement Two w/ Nels Cline, Bolin, Steve Lukather, Derek Trucks, Peter Frampton
4.Marching Bag—Movement Three w/ Gordie Johnson, Bolin, Nels Cline, Oz Noy, Steve Lukather, Steve Morse, Joe Bonamassa
5.Marching Bag—Movement Four w/ Nels Cline, Bolin, Warren Haynes, Joe Bonamassa, Oz Noy, Brad Whitford, Peter Frampton

SOURCE 429 Records

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this from our friends at vinylcollective.com

OOP Warning: Blink 182 Neighborhoods First Pressing

It appears as if the first pressing of Blink 182 Neighborhoods is coming down to the last copies! The album was released in late 2011 and is the first new material from Blink in many years! Three variants were pressed, with only a few of two colors left:

Blink 182 – Neighborhoods LP (White, LTD 3,500 - VERY few left)

Blink 182 – Neighborhoods LP (Blue/White) (Blue/White Record Store Day pressing, LTD 2,500)






Sleigh Bells – Reign of Terror Vinyl LP Pre Order

Sleigh Bells are set to release, “Reign of Terror” the anticipated album since their 2010 release. The album will be out on wax February 21. It is noted that it will be a gatefold with nine unique insert art pieces!

Pre order your copy now here








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GRIMEY'S BEST SELLERS 1/09 - 1/15, 2012

Vinyl Top 25:

1. The Black Keys - El Camino
2. The Civil Wars - Barton Hollow
3. Guided By Voices - Let's Go Eat The Factory
4. Bon Iver - Bon Iver
5. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
6. Jellyfish - Bellybutton
7. Alex Chilton - Free Again: The 1970 Sessions
8. Snow Patrol - Fallen Empires
9. Jellyfish - Spilt Milk
10. M83 - Hurry Up We're Dreaming
11. My Morning Jacket - Friends Again 7"
12. Florence + The Machine - Ceremonials
13. The Beach Boys - The SMiLE Sessions
14. Real Estate - Days
15. Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto
16. Ryan Adams - Ashes & Fire
17. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magic
18. The Civil Wars - Tracks In The Snow 10"
19. Diarrhea Planet - Loose Jewels
20. Harold Grosskopf - Synthesist
21. Radiohead - Kid A 2x10"
22. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
23. Washed Out - Within & Without
24. Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
25. Kaleidoscope - Tangerine Dream

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got a laugh after reading some of the covers, for shits and giggles, check it out

Album covers are a lost art form. These days we actually buy music based on what it sounds like, but if you listen to the guy who works in your local record store, that's a tragedy. We asked you to show us what it might have looked like if the covers of albums had actually been honest about their contents.

Read more If Album Covers Were Honest

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and in music history for january 18th:

In 1944, the first jazz concert was held at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. The performers were Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Lionel Hampton, Artie Shaw, Roy Eldridge and Jack Teagarden.

In 1960, Johnny Preston's Indian love song "Running Bear" reached number one and became the first song to do so after it had fallen off the Billboard chart completely. Penned by J.P. Richardson (The Big Bopper), the tune originally entered the chart in October 1959, then quickly vanished, but re-entered in November and slowly climbed to the top. It was also #1 in the UK.

In 1964, the Beatles had their first appearance on the US singles chart with "I Want to Hold Your Hand". The disc entered the Billboard Hot 100 at #45, just ten days after its release, making it the fastest-breaking and the fastest selling single in Capitol Records history. Capitol had earlier turned down "Love Me Do", "Please Please Me", "From Me to You" and "She Loves You", which were then released by Vee Jay Records. After a nasty lawsuit, Capitol Records was granted an injunction, restraining Vee Jay Records from further manufacturing, distributing, advertising or otherwise disposing of recordings by the Beatles. If you have any old Beatles records on Vee Jay, hang on to them, they are now collector's items.

In 1965, at the RCA studios in Los Angeles, Mick Jagger sang and played tambourine, Keith Richards played acoustic guitar, with Phil Spector on bass guitar and Jack Nitzsche on harpsicord, as they recorded the Rolling Stones track "Play With Fire."



In 1967, Jimi Hendrix recorded an appearance on U.K. TV show, Top of the Pops, and also played a show at the Seven and a Half Club in Mayfair, London.

In 1969, Pete Best won his $8 million defamation suit against his former group, the Beatles, but settled for a considerably lesser amount in the judgment.

In 1971, in a move to help promote Canadian musicians in their own country, Canada passes a law known as CanCon, that requires that from 6 am to 12 am, 30% of all music aired on the radio must be by a Canadian artist. They count as Canadian if two of the following four characteristics are met: *Music composed entirely by a Canadian, *Artist is Canadian, *Produced in Canada, *Lyrics written entirely by a Canadian.

In 1973, at the Los Angeles Forum, a Rolling Stones benefit concert raised $200,000 for Nicaraguan earthquake relief. Mick Jagger donated an additional $150,000.

In 1973, at EMI's Abbey Road Studios in London, Pink Floyd completed their recording of the album "Dark Side Of The Moon."

In 1974, former members from Free (Paul Rodgers and Simon Kirke), Mott The Hoople (Mick Ralphs) and King Crimson (Boz Burrell) formed Bad Company. The band went on to score a U.S. #1 album with their debut release.

In 1981, in Milwaukee, Wendy O. Williams of the Plasmatics was arrested on stage and charged with simulating a sex act with a sledgehammer and resisting arrest. A jury found Williams not guilty of assaulting a police officer and the other charges were dropped. Williams later filed a multimillion-dollar civil suit against the Milwaukee Police, charging that they sexually assaulted and beat her during the arrest. A jury rejected her claims.

In 1975, Barry Manilow launched his career with the number one smash "Mandy". Originally called "Brandy" when it was recorded in 1972 by Scott English, Manilow changed the title to avoid confusion with the hit of the same name by a group called Looking Glass. It was long rumored that Scott English wrote the song about his dog, but this urban legend had been debunked by English himself who explained that a reporter called him early one morning asking who "Brandy" was, and an irritated English made up the "dog" story to get the reporter off his back.

In 1978, Johnny Paycheck's cover of David Allan Coe's ode to workplace frustrations, "Take This Job and Shove It", reached the top spot on the Billboard Country chart. Although the song failed to crack the Pop chart Top 40, it still seems to be one that we all know and can relate to.

In 1985, Cleveland, Ohio was chosen to be the site of the permanent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

In 1986, Dionne Warwick, Stevie Wonder, Elton John and Gladys Knight saw their recording of "That's What Friends Are For" hit number 1 in the US. The song was originally on the soundtrack to the movie, Night Shift, as performed by Rod Stewart. Warwick suggested doing it as a duet with Stevie Wonder and then Gladys Knight was added to the mix. To finish off the song, Elton John was asked to sing the final chorus. It became the biggest selling song of the year and all proceeds raised were donated to AIDS research.

In 1989, the Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder, the Temptations, Otis Redding and Dion were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Wonder was the youngest person ever inducted.

In 1991, during AC/DC’s North American tour, three fans were killed during a crush in a crowd at a gig in Salt Lake City, Utah.

In 1996, Lisa Marie Presley files for divorce from Michael Jackson, citing irreconcilable differences. The marriage had lasted 19 months.

In 1997, songwriter and producer Keith Diamond died of a heart attack. He wrote “Caribbean Queen” and “Suddenly” for Billy Ocean, as well as hits for Donna Summer, James Ingram, Mick Jagger, Sheena Easton and Michael Bolton.

In 2003, HBO aired a live Rolling Stones concert from New York City's Madison Square Garden

In 2000, Spencer Goodman was executed by lethal injection in Huntsville, Texas. Goodman was convicted of kidnapping and murdering the wife of ZZ Top manager Bill Ham in 1991. Ham was present for the execution.

In 2007, rocker Ted Nugent caused a stir at the inaugural ball of Texas Governor Rick Perry when he appeared on stage wearing a T-shirt adorned with the Confederate flag, then started an angry monologue about people who don't speak English. The 58-year-old Nugent also carried a fake machine gun on stage with him.

In 2011, at a new museum in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the largest collection of Beatles memorabilia – more than 8,500 objects – went on display. Items included a box of condoms bearing the names of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, a brick from the Cavern Club, a hunk of the stage from the Star Club in Hamburg, certified copies of the band members' birth certificates, and 64 boxes of chewing gum in the form of Beatles records.

birthdays today include (among others): Bobby Goldsboro (71), Legs Larry Smith (Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band) (68), Jonathan Davis (Korn) (41), Luther Dickinson (Black Crowes) (39)