Monday, June 30, 2008

New Vinyl Releases

Eagles - Long Road Out of Eden

Robert Flack - At Her Best: Live

Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots

Madonna - American Life

Mudcrutch - Mudcrutch

This Date In Music History- June 30, 2008

Birthdays:

Sweet's Andy Scott was born in Wrexham, Wales in 1951.

Ageless pop vocalist Lena Horne ("Love Me or Leave Me") was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. in 1917.

Glenn Shorrock (The Little River Band)-1944.

Hal Lindes (Dire Straits)-1953.

History:

James Brown's 'Live at the Apollo, Vol. 1,' was released in 1963. Reaching #2 on the album charts, it was the most successful album issued by Syd Nathan's King Records.

Frank Zappa joined The Mothers in 1964, later to be ammended to the Mothers of Invention.

In 1922, Eck Robertson and Henry Gilliland layed down six fiddle tunes recorded at New York's Victor studio, in what's later called the first country music recording session.

The late Florence Ballard of the Supremes ("Back In My Arms Again") was born in 1943.

Chet Atkins (country star and guitarist on many Elvis Presley classics) died in 2001 at age 77.

The Rockabilly Hall of Fame in Jackson, Tennessee opened in 2001.

25 people were hospitalized after a melee at a Bill Haley concert in Asbury Park, New Jersey in 1956. The city council will later vote to ban all Rock and Roll concerts.

Pink Floyd founder Syd Barrett died aged 60 in 2006. He defined British psychedelic eccentricity with songs like "Arnold Layne" and "See Emily Play," but LSD and a mental breakdown forced him out of the band in 1968.

Buddy Holly recorded "Peggy Sue" in 1957. In real life, she was Peggy Sue Gerron, the girlfriend of Crickets drummer Jerry Allison. The song was initially titled "Cindy Lou", but Allison convinced Buddy to change the title just before the recording session. Allison and Gerron were later married.

In 1979, one of the first records to use a synthesized drum track, "Ring My Bell" reached number one in the US for Anita Ward. It also topped the charts in the UK.

Also in 1979, Donna Summer held the number two and number three positions on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with "Hot Stuff" and "Bad Girls". She was the first solo entertainer to hold two of the top three positions simultaneously.

At a New York auction in 1985, John Lennon's psychedelic Rolls Royce sold for $2 million.

In 1976, cops raided Neil Diamond's home looking for drugs, but find less than one ounce of the stuff. Diamond gives the police copies of his new album, Beautiful Noise.

The Beatles played the first of three concerts at the Nippon Budokan Hall in Tokyo in 1966.

The KISS comic book arrived in 1977. Legend has it the red ink was mixed with blood from each member. Yeah, right.

Nine people are crushed to death at a Copenhagen Pearl Jam concert in 2000. People push forward because they can’t hear due to broken speakers. Vocalist Eddie Vedder tells the audience to move back but to no avail.

In 2005, the record industry said that Led Zeppelin has sold 107.5 million albums in the U.S. That secured the #3 spot on the all-time list. Only The Beatles (168.5 million) and Elvis Presley (116.5 million) have done better.

Huey Lewis and the News went to No.1 on the US album chart with 'Sports' in 1984.

The Everly Brothers announced plans for a reunion tour in 1983, ten years after they had split up.

Saturday, June 28, 2008

This Date In Music History- June 28

Birthdays:

Lester Flatt (Flatt and Scruggs) was born in 1914.

Born on this day in 1945, David Knights of Procol Harum, (1967 UK No.1 & US No.5 single 'A Whiter Shade Of Pale').

Also from Procol Harum, Bobby Harrison, who was born in 1943.

Dokken’s vocalist and namesake, Donald Maynard Dokken, has a birthday (1953).

History:

Crosby, Stills & Nash released their self-titled debut album in 1969.

Neil Young joins Crosby, Stills and Nash on their tour in 1969. Young’s addition comes at the suggestion of Atlantic Records president Ahmet Ertegun. Good idea, Young brings a needed edge. CSN becomes CSN&Y.

Jerry Lee Lewis made his first appearance on The Steve Allen Show in 1957, performing "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On". After the show airs, sales of the record soared.

Pink Floyd released their soundtrack "Obscured by Clouds" in 1972.

Aretha Franklin appeared on the cover of Time magazine in 1968.

DJ Murray-the-K's "It's What's Happening, Baby" TV special aired on CBS in 1965 with the Drifters, the Dave Clark Five, Tom Jones, Gary Lewis, the Supremes and many others.

The Drifters recorded "Up On The Roof" in 1962.

The Beach Boys released "Summer Days (and Summer Nights)"in 1965, their 10th album in three years.

In 1975, the Eagles started a five-week run at No.1 on the US album chart with 'One Of These Nights'.

Wings went to No.1 on the UK chart with the album 'Venus And Mars' in 1975, featuring the US No.1 single 'Listen What The Man Said'.

It's the British Invasion all over again in 1973 as the Searchers, Gerry & the Pacemakers, Herman's Hermits, and Wayne Fontana appear at a revival show at New York's Madison Square Garden

Confused about something or other, Roger Waters spits on the audience during a Pink Floyd show in 1975. He later writes The Wall about the experience.

Stryper released their Christian metal classic "In God We Trust" in 1988.

At a concert in Liverpool, England in 1990, Paul McCartney performed the John Lennon songs "Strawberry Fields Forever," "Help!" and "Give Peace a Chance" live in public for the first time.

George Harrison had an operation to remove a growth from his neck in 1997. The tumor proves to be benign.

Wham! made their farewell concert appearance at London's Wembley Stadium in 1986. Elton John made an appearance in a clown suit to sing a song and then came back later to sing "Candle In The Wind" with George Michael. During their career, the duo of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley have sold more than 38 million records. I didn’t buy any of them.

Dick Clark's Rock and Roll TV show, Where The Action Is, featuring Paul Revere and The Raiders, premiered on ABC in 1965.

In 1969, Henry Mancini's "Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet" topped the Billboard Pop chart in the first of a two week stay.

David Bowie's "Fame" was released in 1975. It will become his first and only number one hit in the US.

Radiohead’s landmark “OK Computer” entered the U.K. chart at #1 in 1997.

Friday, June 27, 2008

Ion Audio ships one millionth USB turntable

CUMBERLAND, RI — (June 27, 2008 1:15 PM) ION Audio, a leader in consumer audio and entertainment technology, has shipped its one millionth USB turntable, according to a company announcement.

Introduced by the brand in 2006, USB turntables enable users to convert the music on vinyl records to digital files on a computer. The popularity of ION Audio's USB turntables is attributed to their ease-of-use, high audio quality and breadth of available models.

A USB turntable works in the same manner as a traditional record player, but is enhanced by technology that transforms vinyl tracks to electronic files using nothing more than a simple USB cord. Every ION Audio USB turntable comes packaged with EZ Vinyl Converter software, which instantly converts music from records, directly to a user's iTunes library, where it can be played as an MP3 file, transferred to an iPod or recorded to CD. This proprietary software is unique to ION Audio's USB turntables and is a key element of the product's overwhelming sales in the marketplace.

"We are pleased to see that a revolution has been sparked with ION Audio's suite of USB turntable products," said Jack O'Donnell, ION Audio president and CEO. "People are taking their old vinyl out of the basement and listening to it on their iPod, enjoying it once again. We are pleased to be a part of this movement and we plan to bring even more digital conversion technology to the marketplace."

Based in Cumberland, ION Audio manufactures a full line of consumer audio and musical instrument products.



Buy your USB turntable here:


http://www.tkqlhce.com/j7115ar-xrzEHGFNLNOEGFINHNFG?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.firststreetonline.com%2Fproduct.jsp%3Fid%3D76209%26promotion%3D86678&cjsku=01635


Source: http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080627/NEBULLETIN/807010317

Vinyl Returns in the Age of MP3

LP and turntable sales grow as fans find warmer sound in classic format

By DAVID BROWNE

Source: http://www.rollingstone.com

For his 19th birthday, Simon Hamburg wanted only one present: a turntable for his dorm room at the University of Southern Mississippi. His father bought him a portable $69 model, and Hamburg's older brother chipped in LPs by Simon and Garfunkel and the Who. "Listening to 'Baba O'Riley' on vinyl is always better than listening to 'Baba O'Riley' on anything else," Hamburg says. "You can hear every instrument. It sounds stupid, but it's like you're feeling the music. You're part of it."

As CD sales continue to decline and MP3s are traded without thought, the left-for-dead LP is staging a comeback. In 2007, according to Nielsen SoundScan, nearly 1 million LPs were bought, up from 858,000 in 2006. Based on to-date sales for 2008, that figure could jump to 1.6 million by year's end. (According to the Recording Industry Association of America, CD shipments dropped 17.5 percent during the same 2006-07 period.) Sales of turntables — which tumbled from 1.8 million in 1989 to a paltry 275,000 in 2006, according to the Consumer Electronics Association — rebounded sharply last year, when nearly half a million were sold.

From Bruce Springsteen's Magic and the Raconteurs' Consolers of the Lonely to Cat Power's Jukebox and Portishead's Third, it's now possible to buy vinyl versions of many major new releases at retailers like Best Buy, Amazon and indie record stores. And artists are making their preferences for vinyl known. Before releasing Consolers, the Raconteurs announced that they "recommend hearing it on vinyl." In April, Elvis Costello and the Imposters' Momofuku arrived first on LP, though it included a coupon for a free digital download (the CD version arrived weeks later). "Is it a revolution?" says Luke Lewis, president of Costello's label, Lost Highway. "Fuck, no. But our beliefs have been validated a little bit — not to mention we're making a couple more bucks. It's hard to do that now in the record business, you know."

"Everybody feels last year was a watershed year," says Cris Ashworth, owner of United Record Pressing, the Nashville plant that's one of the country's largest and few remaining. (Around a dozen exist now, down from more than twice that in the Eighties.) When he took over the business in 1989, Ashworth made only a little over $1 million in profit and barely had 10 employees. Today, he employs over 50 and profits have more than quadrupled, thanks to a surge in jobs that included Costello's LP along with pressings of Nine Inch Nails' Year Zero, Ryan Adams' Easy Tiger and independent-label products. "My son was very worried for 10 years," Ashworth says. "He kind of looked at me and shook his head and said, 'Dad, you just ain't livin'.' Now he says, 'Well, maybe Dad's a little bit smarter than I thought he was.'"

Despite the uptick, vinyl remains a niche market. Most new releases, indie or major, sell between 2,000 and 10,000 copies; recent bestsellers include Radiohead's In Rainbows (13,000) and Bob Dylan's 2004 Blonde on Blonde reissue (25,000). The possibilities of future growth are limited: As Matador general manager Patrick Amory says, "There's definitely a ceiling." And thanks to higher fuel prices (oil is used to manufacture plastic vinyl, and LPs are shipped by truck) and the scarcity of pressing plants, an LP can cost as much as $4.50 per unit to manufacture, compared to roughly a dollar for a CD. "There are still reasons not to do vinyl," says Mac McCaughan of Merge Records, which has seen an increase in sales of vinyl releases by Arcade Fire and Spoon. "It's more expensive, it's more complicated, it takes longer. We try not to lose money, but we probably are."

Although technological advances (like the CD) seriously wounded the LP, new technology is now playing a part in its resurgence. Old LPs can be converted to MP3s thanks to a new breed of turntables equipped with a USB port. Numark, one of the leading manufacturers of these models, produced them for club DJs and was surprised when the model took off; the company recently shipped its millionth unit.

Also abetting vinyl's homecoming is a growing disillusionment with CD and MP3 sound. The CD has long been known for its clean but overly bright (sometimes grating) audio. "With vinyl, the range is from accurate to warmer" when it comes to reproducing the original source material, says renowned mastering engineer Bob Ludwig, who has worked with everyone from Springsteen to Nirvana. "With digital, it's totally the opposite: accurate to brighter. The brightness in the digital domain is a sound our ears don't seem to like that much, whereas people don't seem to be bothered by the slight loss of top-end you might get with vinyl." (Ludwig, like others, does separate mastering sessions for CDs and LPs.) The compressed audio heard in MP3s has only exacerbated the trend in audio degradation. "It's taking 90 percent of the music and basically throwing it out," says Ludwig. "It takes the bad part of digital and makes it even worse."

Assuming a record is pressed under optimum conditions and played on a high-end system, vinyl can restore some of those missing sonic properties. When the Doors' Ray Manzarek listened to recent high-grade reissues of the band's original studio albums, he was stunned. "On 'Light My Fire,' the guitar and organ solos are like, 'Yeah, that's it — that's the way they're supposed to sound,'" Manzarek says. "Vinyl has a warmth and crispness without the edginess of CD."

There's also something less technical lurking behind vinyl's mini-renaissance. Whether it's inspecting a needle for dust or flipping the record over at the end of a side, LPs demand attention. And for a small but growing group, those demands aren't a nuisance. "There's nothing like putting the needle into the groove of a record," says country singer Shelby Lynne. "It's about as real as you can get. You got your vinyl, your weed, your friends, and while you're rollin', they're pickin' out another record. We're all taking music for granted because it's so easy to push a button. I mean, come on — music should be fun."

[From Issue 1054 — June 12, 2008]

More record news:

Making vinyl records the old-fashioned way

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13772_3-9977878-52.html?tag=blogFeed

News/Record Releases

Really cool things to do in Chicago

The Randolph Street Market Festival, 1350 W. Randolph, on Saturday and Sunday June 28 $ 29 2008. The festival is held the last weekend of every month through October and features more than 200 vendors. This weekend's event also boasts the Chicago Antique Market, the Vinyl Swap Meet (rare and original vinyl records), the Fancy Food Market and the Indie Designer Market. Admission is $10, good for both days. Hours, Saturdays: 10 a..m.-5 p.m. (outdoors), 11 a.m.-5 pm. (indoors); Sundays, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Info: randolphstreetmarket.com.

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The Seconds Re-Release Second Album On Vinyl

Story by: Liz Pelly

Brooklyn-based punk rock trio the Seconds will re-release their most recent album, Kratitude, which was originally released in 2006 by 5RC. This time, the record will be released on vinyl only, via Dress Up!

Though the band has only released two albums of its own since forming in 2000, the band has very remained active in Brooklyn's music scene. Members Jeannie Kwon, Zachary Max and Brian Chase have played in and collaborated with artists like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Ex Models, Knyfe Hyts, Marnie Stern, Sway Machinery, Matthew Welch, Mary Halvorson and Seth Misterka, among others.

Kratitude, which was self-recorded and self-produced, consists of eleven tracks of punk rock that is repetitive and rhythmic, yet melodic and diverse. The band cites many sources as influencing the album, some being the Mars song "Puerto Rican Ghost", Genesis P-Orridge's writings, North Indian Classical music, West African drumming styles and Just Intonation tuning theory.

Source: http://prod1.cmj.com/articles/display_article.php?id=68547590

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Trash Talk To Release Self-Titled Debut

By: ChartAttack.com Staff

Three-year-old Sacramento, Calif. hardcore outfit Trash Talk will release their self-titled debut album on July 22 via their own Trash Talk Collective label.

The quartet recorded the album's 12 tracks in less than two days with Steve Albini (Nirvana, Pixies) at his Electrical Audio studio in Chicago. The group previously released a cassette, seven-inch EP, split seven-inch with Steel Trap, an EP and a 12-inch EP in small runs before taking this next step. Limited-edition coloured vinyl versions of the new LP will also be issued.

You can preview "Dig" and "Well Of Souls" on the band's MySpace page.

Trash Talk are touring Europe and the U.S. through the end of July, but no Canadian dates have been announced.

Here are the tracks on Trash Talk:

"The Hand That Feeds"
"Well Of Souls"
"Birth Plague Die"
"Incarnate"
"I Block"
"Dig"
"Onward And Upward"
"Shame"
"Immaculate Infection"
"All The Kings Men"
"The Mistake"
"Revelation"

Source: http://www.chartattack.com

—Zack Vitiello

Thursday, June 26, 2008

This Date In Music History- June 26

Birthdays:

Larry Taylor, bassist with Canned Heat, was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. in 1942.

Keyboardist with Van Morrison and a British chart-topper with his own "Yeh Yeh," Georgie Fame was born in Lancashire, England in 1943.

The Clash's Mick Jones was born in London in 1955.

Billy Davis, Jr. of the 5th Dimension ("Up- Up And Away") turns 68.

Chris Isaak, author and singer of "Wicked Game," was born in Stockton, Calif in 1956.

Singer Patti Smyth was born in New York in 1957.

Berlin vocalist Terri Nunn was born in L.A. in 1961. Berlin is known for the song "No More Words" and the ballad, "Take My Breath Away," from the Top Gun soundtrack.

History:

After it was leaked to radio in 1964, United Artists Records released A Hard Day's Night, the first Beatles album made up of their own compositions.

Today in 1956, in Look magazine, clarinet-tootling god Benny Goodman was asked his opinion about rock music. "I guess it's okay, man," he said. "At least it has a beat."

The late Colonel Tom Parker (Elvis Presley's manager) was born in Holland in 1910.

Sonny & Cher's divorce became final in 1975. Cher married Gregg Allman four days later.

Elvis Presley played the final concert of his career on June 26th 1977, at Market Square Arena, Indianapolis. Before the show, he was presented with a plaque commemorating the 2 billionth record to come out of RCA's pressing plant. The last song the King ever performed publicly was "Can't Help Falling In Love".

In an eerie coincidence, Elvis' father, Vernon Presley died of a heart attack in Tupelo, Mississippi at the age of 63 on June 26, 1979. Nearly two years earlier, he cried at Elvis' coffin, "Son, Daddy will be with you soon. Daddy will be with you soon." Vernon is buried next to his son at Graceland.

John Lennon and Paul McCartney composed "She Loves You" in a hotel room in Newcastle, England while on tour there in 1963.

Elvis Presley recorded "His Latest Flame" and "Little Sister" in 1961.

In the midst of a German tour in 1966, the Beatles made a long-awaited return to Hamburg, the city where they got their start performing in local clubs. This time they came back in an eight-car motorcade and played to 7,000 people at Ernst Mercky Halle.

Bob Dylan officially released the long-bootlegged Basement Tapes in 1975.

Gary U.S. Bonds had his only US number 1 hit, "Quarter to Three" in 1961. Bonds and Gene Barge (Daddy G.) added lyrics to an instrumental called, "A Night With Daddy G". Although he released several more singles in the US including "Dear Lady Twist", Bonds found more success in England than his homeland.

The Byrds "Mr. Tambourine Man" reached the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in 1965, but the only member of the group to actually play on the record was Jim McGuinn on vocals and 12 string guitar. Studio musicians Leon Russell, Glen Campbell, Larry Knechtel, and Hal Blaine recorded the other instruments while the Byrds' David Crosby and Gene Clark sang background vocals.

In 1966, the Rolling Stones play San Francisco's Cow Palace, with Jefferson Airplane and Sopwith Camel opening.

1986 - James Hetfield (Metallica) broke his wrist while trying to skateboard down a hill. One show was cancelled and the remainder of dates on the tour James was on vocals only and John Marshall (later with Metal Church) was on guitar.

At the height of the "Summer of Love" in 1967, the Mothers of Invention released 'Absolutely Free,' a dark-themed album from the anti-establishment mind of bandleader Frank Zappa.

In 1955, Decca Records announced that Bill Haley and His Comets had sold more than 3 million records in thirteen months. Both "Rock Around The Clock" and "Shake Rattle and Roll" sold a million copies, while "Dim, Dim the Lights" and "Mambo Rock" sold about 500,000.

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

The Five Sharps

Have some extra cash laying around? Check out this rare and valuable record being auctioned off at Christie's Auction House:

The Five Sharps "Stormy Weather/Sleepy Cowboy" Jubilee 5104
Original 78 RPM record, circa 1952. 10"


Sale Information
SALE 2012, 25 June 2008
POP CULTURE


Conditions of Business for this Sale
Estimate(Set Currency) $20,000 - $30,000 Christie's Buying Guide

Previously unknown example of this legendary rarity. Recorded in 1952 Stormy Weather by The Five Sharps has attained vaulted status among record collectors, not necessarily for the music but more for the fascinating story of its discovery and subsequent history. Jubilee 5104 was the first and only release by the teenage quintet from Jamaica, Queens The Five Sharps. The recording of Stormy Weather and flip side Sleepy Cowboy, took a few hours, and the group of was paid in hot dogs and soda. An unknown quantity of records were released but somehow it failed to make an impression. It was rediscovered in 1961 when a copy was found, and Time Square Records owner Slim Rose played it on his popular radio show.

On the way home from the studio Rose snapped the fragile 78 record in half (although some accounts have his pet raccoon Teddy doing the deed). In an attempt to find another copy, Rose advertised a reward in his shop. Over the next few years the reward got more and more lucrative, but no one came forward. Since then, a scant few have surfaced and legend of Stormy Weather has grown.

The offered example was purchased by our consignor in 1952, at the Blue Note Record Shop in Harlem. A Harlem resident, she enjoyed music, and looked forward to purchasing a new record each week, which she then would meticulously record in her 78 album sleeves (not offered, see inset for illustration). It has been in her and her family's possession ever since.

Source:

http://www.christies.com/LotFinder/lot_details.aspx?from=searchresults&intObjectID=5095614

More New Vinyl Releases

The Hold Steady have unveiled some bonus material for the upcoming physical release of their new album. The record is titled "Stay Positive" and is due out July 15, 2008.

The band apparently pushed out a digital release quickly to counter a leak, and so the physical releases will include bonus tracks. The vinyl version will include "Ask Her for Adderall" and the CD version will include "Adderall" in addition to two other tracks, "Cheyenne Sunrise" and "Two Handed Handshake."

Charlatans Release Tenth Studio Album

Brit-rock pioneers The Charlatans have recently released their tenth full-length record. Described as an album of "childhood fantasies and adult realities," the LP finds the UK quintet reinvigorating the 80s with a contemporary sensibility.

Available earlier this Spring as a free download from a UK site, You Cross My Path was downloaded more than 90,000 times. The album is available now via Cooking Vinyl.

You Cross My Path Tracklist:

1. Oh! Vanity
2. Bad Days
3. Mis-takes
4. The Misbegotten
5. A Day for Letting Go
6. You Cross My Path
7. Missing Beats (of a Generation)
8. My Name is Despair
9. Bird Reprise
0. This is the End


Other recent and upcoming vinyl record releases:

Adele: 19 [vinyl]
Black Lips: Black Lips! (reissue) [vinyl]
Booka Shade: The Sun & the Neon Light [vinyl]
The Builders and the Butchers: The Builders and the Butchers (reissue) [vinyl]
The Cure: Freakshow (Mix 13) (single)
Dosh: Wolves and Wishes [vinyl]
Elbow: One Day Like This (import single)
Emylou Harris: All I Intended to Be [vinyl]
Foals: Red Socks Pugie (import single)
Foxboro Hot Tubs: Stop Drop and Roll!!! (with bonus CD) [vinyl]
Gas: Nah und Fern (2-LP) [vinyl]
James Hunter: The Hard Way [vinyl]
KaiserCartel: March Forth [vinyl]
Levon Helm: Dirt Farmer [vinyl]
Madonna: Hard Candy (3-LP edition with CD) [vinyl]
Mars Volta: The Bedlam In Goliath [vinyl]
Miss Kittin: Kittin Is High [vinyl]
My Morning Jacket: At Dawn [vinyl]
My Morning Jacket: The Tennessee Fire [vinyl]
Odd Nosdam: Pretty Swell Explode [vinyl]
Old 97s: Blame It on Gravity [vinyl]
Plants and Animals: Parc Avenue [vinyl]
Robert Pollard: Robert Pollard Is Off to Business [vinyl]
Subtle: Exiting Arm [vinyl]
Supergrass: Diamond Hoo Ha [vinyl]
Various Artists: Body of War: Songs That Inspired an Iraq War Veteran [vinyl]
Vetiver: A Thing of the Past [vinyl]
The Virgins: The Virgins [vinyl]

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Massive Vinyl Record Sale

The Music Exchange To Open Doors After Two Years for Massive Blowout Sale


Gregg Pfister of Sunflower Auction announced the news that his auction house is working with former Music Exchange employee Steve Franz and the widow of the store's late owner Ron Rooks, Nancy Rooks, to sell off the hundreds of thousands of records plus all the posters, flyers and memorabilia -- Ron called the stuff "Americana" -- contained in the West Bottoms building to which Ron moved his Westport institution in May of 2006, five months before he died.

"It's pretty much like he left it," reports Pfister, describing the two-story complex at 1413 West 13th Terrace in the Bottoms as holding about a quarter of a million LPs, a hundred thousand 78s, and twenty to thirty thousand 45s -- a half million records, overall, Pfister thinks.

With the exception of a handful of special LPs that will be reserved for an auction on Saturday, July 12, at 10 a.m. that will serve to sell the non-vinyl items (i.e., the Americana), the vast majority of records will be on sale for $1 each -- including many that are worth more than that -- on the following days: Wednesday, July 16 - Saturday, July 19 and Wednesday, July 23 - Saturday, July 26 (10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Daily).

This Date In Music History- June 24

Birthdays:

Arthur Brown - formerly of the Crazy World of Arthur Brown - was born in Whitby, England in 1944.

Curt Smith of Tears for Fears was born in Bath, England in 1961.

Jeff Beck of the Yardbirds ("Over, Under Sideways Down") is 64.

Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac ("Tusk") turns 61.

Colin Blunstone (lead singer of the Zombies "She's Not There") is 63.

Dire Straits founding member, bassist John Illsley, starts life in Leicester, England in 1949.

History:

Pink Floyd made their debut performance on the BBC's Top of the Pops in 1967, performing their new single "See Emily Play." Syd Barrett wore a suit of velvet and satin.

The final Beatles world tour began in Munich in 1966.

The Richard Carpenter Trio (with sister Karen on drums) won a "Battle Of The Bands" at the Hollywood Bowl in 1966. Heavy, man, heavy.

In Fort Worth Texas in 1972, the Rolling Stones filmed the concert that will be released as "Ladies and Gentlemen, the Rolling Stones."

In 1975, the US Attorney in Newark, New Jersey handed down indictments to 19 music industry executives after a two year investigation. Counts of income tax evasion and payola are leveled against Clive Davis, former president of Columbia Records and Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, architects of the Philadelphia sound of the 70's.

In 1999, Eric Clapton raised over $5 million for his Crossroads Centre at Antigua, and alcohol and drug-dependency treatment center in the West Indies by selling 100 guitars. "Brownie," the 1956 sunburst Fender he composed "Layla" on, goes for a record-breaking $497,500.

A Lennon/McCartney song topped the country charts for the first time in 1989. It's Rosanne Cash's cover of "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party."

John Lennon's second book, A Spaniard in the Works was published in 1965. It consisted of nonsensical stories and drawings similar to the style of his previous effort, 1964's In His Own Write.

In 2000, KISS begin auctioning off costumes and props from their 25 years in show business. The items brought in $876,000 on the first day of the two day event.

The beginning of the end came for The Lovin' Spoonful when guitarist Zal Yanovsky quit after a performance in New York at the Forest Hills Music Festival in 1967. One year later, John Sebastian would also leave the band to go solo. Although he made several unannounced guest appearances during John Sebastian concerts, Yanovsky gradually withdrew from music altogether and eventually became a restaurateur. He was 58 years old when he suffered a fatal heart attack on December 13th, 2002 at his farm near Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

Also in 1967, Procol Harum's "A Whiter Shade of Pale" entered the Billboard chart, where it peaked at #5. The song was written by the band around a melody composed by the group's organist, Matthew Fisher, who was inspired by the chord progression of Johann Sebastian Bach's "Orchestral Suite in D".

Brownsville Station leader, singer and guitarist Cub Koda died from complications due to kidney failure in 2000. Coda co-wrote, along with bassist Michael Lutz, the great “Smokin’ In The Boy’s Room.”

Sam Cooke started a two week stay at New York's Copacabana Club in 1964. A 70-foot billboard announcing the engagement was erected in Times Square.

Destiny's Child singer Beyonce Knowles releaseed her solo debut "Dangerously in Love" in 2003, featuring guest appearances from her boyfriend Jay-Z, Sean Paul and Missy Elliott.

The Insane Clown Posse released their album The Great Milenko in 1997, which Hollywood Records pulled from stores the same day. Good thinking.

Johnny Cash joined Kris Kristofferson onstage in Nashville in 1998 to sing "Sunday Morning Coming Down." It's Cash's first live performance since announcing he suffers from Shy-Drager Syndrome.

At the Cow Palace in 1966, the Beach Boys' Summer Spectacular featured performances by the Jefferson Airplane, the Lovin' Spoonful, Percy Sledge, the Byrds, and the Sir Douglas Quintet.

Monday, June 23, 2008

Mr. Carlin- You Will Be Missed

As I reflect on the 'passing' of one of the most intelligent and provacative comedians of all time, I recall all the times he made me laugh. In fact, I have one of his CD's in my machine now, it has been there for weeks. Although I have heard his 'schitck' many, many times, I still find it funny. Kind of like the Three Stooges humor, you knew what was coming, but it made you laugh anyway.

Mr. George Carlin had that gift, he could make anyone laugh...pretty much about anything. And nothing was 'off limits' for this comic genius. Yes, he is coarse and crude, but, as he explains, they are just words. And that is what I will miss the most, his words. May you rest in peace, Mr. Carlin.

I am posting a couple of his more recent "thoughts" and be warned, it will contain language that some will consder offensive:




Sunday, June 22, 2008

This Date In Music History- June 22

Birthdays:

Jesus Jones vocalist, Mike Edwards, has a birthday (1964).

Happy birthday to a Barenaked Lady, Stephen Page who was born in 1970.

INXS bassist Garry Gary Beers was born in 1957.

Vern Allison, tenor with the Dells, was born in Chicago in 1936.

Peter Asher of Peter & Gordon ("Woman") is 64.

Country outlaw and Rhodes scholar Kris Kristofferson was born in Brownsville, Texas in 1936. Besides acting opposite Barbara Streisand, he wrote the Johnny Cash masterpiece, "Sunday Morning Coming Down" as well as the legendary “Me And Bobby Mcgee.”

Todd Rundgren ("Hello It's Me") is 60.

Howard Kaylan was born in New York in 1947. He became famous as the latter half of Flo & Eddie, the lead singers of the Turtles. That's also him you hear singing backing vocals on Bruce Springsteen's "Hungry Heart."

Jimmy Castor, who recorded such novelty favorites as "Troglodyte (Cave Man)" and "The Bertha Butt Boogie," was also born in New York in 1947.

History:

In Paris France, 32 year old Adolphe Sax, a Belgian musician and musical instrument designer, patents the saxophone in 1846. Sax continued to make instruments throughout his life, however, rival instrument makers challenged the legitimacy of his patents and initiated a campaign of litigation against him and his company, driving him into bankruptcy twice, in 1856 and 1873.

Corinthian "Kripp" Johnson of the Dell-Vikings ("Whispering Bells"), died of prostate cancer in 1990.

Mark David Chapman pleaded guilty to murdering John Lennon in December of 1980 and was sentenced to 20-years-to-life in prison. The most hated man in Rock and Roll history was denied parole at his first hearing in October of 2000 and again in October 2002, October 2004 and October 2006. He is still in New York's Attica state prison. Idiot.

Elvis Presley's "Wild In The Country" movie opened nationally in 1961.

At a recording session in Hamburg in 1961, the Beatles layed down the tracks "Ain't She Sweet," "Cry for a Shadow," "When the Saints Go Marching In," "Why," "Nobody's Child," and "My Bonnie."

In 1963, Little Stevie Wonder's "Fingertips, Part 2" became the first live single to go to No. 1.

Jimi Hendrix's handwritten lyrics to "Room Full of Mirrors" sold for $35,200 at a New York auction in 1991.

Blind Faith's first and only LP was released in 1969.

The Safaris' "Wipe Out" was released in the US in 1963. It entered the Billboard Hot 100 two weeks later and reached #2. The same record would be re-issued in 1966 and climb to #16.

After placing 17 instrumental singles on Billboard's Hot 100, Herb Alpert's initial vocal attempt, "This Guy's In Love With You" became his first number one hit in 1968. The song reached #3 in the UK.

Mason Williams' "Classical Gas" was released in 1968. It entered the Billboard charts three weeks later and reached #2 on the Pop chart and #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart. The record has since received more US radio airplay than any other instrumental in Rock history.

Linkin Park's "Minutes To Midnight" is certified platinum by the RIAA in 2007, the record-industry organization. The album takes less than a month to hit the 1 million-sales mark. The single "What I've Done" tops both the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks and the Hot Modern Rock Tracks charts.

Both The Beatles and Grand Funk Railroad played NY’s Shea Stadium (home of the Mets) but Billy Joel is the first Rock performer to appear in concert at Yankee Stadium in 1990.

At New York's Madison Square Garden in 1975, Eric Clapton joined the Rolling Stones onstage to jam on "Sympathy for the Devil."

"Sky Pilot,” by Eric Burdon and the Animals, entered the Top Forty in 1968. It is the Animals’ last Top Forty hit in the U.S. and one of my all-time favorites

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Vinyl LP records - still spinning after 60 years!

The Power Of Vinyl!

Vinyl records reunite old sweethearts

By AP Press wire


GRAND CHUTE, Wis. -- They fell in love in 1942 but lost touch after Don Spooner went to war.

Spooner, then 21, and Shirley Brown, then 17, spent a last day together on the shore of Lake Michigan and he took a photo of "Shirl" sitting on the sand.

"We talked about getting engaged before I went overseas, but if I came home without an arm or a leg, it wouldn't be fair to her," he said.

He was gone for three years. Brown married another man and the two never spoke for six decades. Until now.

Spooner's memories were revived last month when he found two 78 rpm records in his old army trunk. Spooner said his parents had decided the recordings would be a great way to send their voices to him.

But Spooner couldn't find a phonograph to play them while overseas. So he didn't listen to them.

But after finding the records again, he was curious to hear the sounds if only he could find a machine to play them.

Spooner, 87, a widower, mentioned his dilemma at the car dealership where he works as a part-time driver.

Co-worker Robb Szymik used a record player and computer to put them on a CD. Spooner could hear his parents, Brown and others talking and singing.

"I went through a half a box of Kleenex," Spooner said. "All the voices were just as I remembered them."

He figured Brown also would love to hear them. He used an alumni directory to track her down. The two plan to meet tomorrow.

"I can't believe all this," Spooner said. "It's all because of the records."

Friday, June 20, 2008

sgt pepper fans warned about the 'record collecting gene'



New site seeks to forewarn potential music widows.

To mark the fortieth anniversary of Britain’s all time favourite album, Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (released on June 1, 1967), online record collecting superstore 911.com is issuing a warning aimed at the hundreds of thousands of music fans whose taste has been in some way influenced by the seminal Beatles album.

Newly published, independent psychological research suggests that men aged between 25and 45 who are into music featuring ‘proper’ bands with guitars are most at risk from something termed ‘the record collecting gene.’

If allowed to go unchecked, record collecting can cost the addict tens of thousands of pounds and, in extreme cases, their marriage / relationship - potentially creating a nation of music widows.

Using interviews with record collectors, chartered psychologist, Professor Alex Gardner, built a profile of a typical record collector. His in-depth study identified several key attributes and behaviours to help create a portrait of the type of person most at risk of developing from being a simple music lover to vinyl junkie.

According to the research conducted by Professor Gardner, the group most at risk consists of:

· Men, aged between 25 and 45 who are into "proper bands with guitars"

· These men are likely to assign more importance to music than the car that they drive and even the clothes that they wear - for instance he’ll put more effort into choosing the music for a dinner party than what he is actually wearing when his friends come round

· They are likely to arrange their records and CDs alphabetically and will take care to keep them apart from any other music in the house (or flat)

· In addition, they’ll have a tendency towards what they refers to as ‘the good old days’, often citing early incarnations of the likes of Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Bruce Springsteen, The Jam, The Clash, The Smiths and Oasis as the only ones worthy of contemplation

· Even in the age of digital downloads, they remain perfectly happy buying their music on records and CDs even though they may carry much of it around on their iPod

Professor Gardner stated: "My findings show that record collectors would rather forgo holidays, cars and even clothing rather than have anything happen to their precious collection. One married respondent even said he’d rather lose his wife than part with his records."

"Some collectors spend over £2,000 a month on their habit - readily admitting it is more than a hobby - and talk about it in terms of the affective domain or feeling component as distinct from the cognitive or thinking one. In other words they let it rule their heart rather than their head."

The research was commissioned by 991.com, the world’s largest single source of rare vinyl, CDs and music memorabilia. 991.com felt it had a duty of care to music fans and their partners to highlight those people most likely to succumb to such a potentially addictive and expensive habit.

The British company has now posted this portrait, together with a suitable warning, on the site’s homepage.

Source: http://991.com/

Who is in the famous and legendary cover Sgt. Pepper? Visit here to find out the 'players':

http://math.mercyhurst.edu/~griff/sgtpepper/people.html

New Vinyl Releases

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!

Cream - Fresh Cream

Cream - Wheels of Fire

Cure - Faith

Cure - Pornography

Cure - Three Imaginary Boys

Hawkwind - Space Ritual Sundown, Volume 2

Madonna - Confessions on a Dance Floor

Jonathan Richman- Because Her Beauty is Raw & Wild

Who - Who Sell Out

Columbia Records to Release 'David Gilmour Live In Gdansk' -- Double Live Album and Concert DVD Available On September 16, 2008 Featuring Pink Floyd Songs Never Previously Performed Live with Orchestra

David Gilmour Live In Gdansk (Vinyl) -- 5 LP Box Set and 20-page
booklet, plus web-pass to download the album, features:
The full Live In Gdansk concert including 'Wot's...Uh The Deal?,' plus
extra audio tracks that include two of the private recording sessions
known as the 'Barn Jams.'

This Date In Music History- June 20

Birthdays:

Creative genius Beach Boy Brian Wilson was born in 1942. As songwriter, arranger, singer and musician he creates some incredible Rock ‘n’ Roll but at an extreme personal and professional price.

Duran Duran bassist, John Taylor (Nigel John Taylor), starts life in Birmingham, England in 1960.

Anne Murray was born in Springhill, Nova Scotia in 1945.

Cyndi Lauper has a birthday today (1953).

Lionel Richie also has a birthday today (1949).

Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony was born in Chicago in 1955.

The late Chet Atkins (country star and guitarist on many early Elvis Presley recordings) was born in 1924.

Billy Guy was born in 1936.

History:

Bob Dylan and the Band release the live album Before the Flood in 1974.

In 1980, Billy Joel went to No. 1 with "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me." It was his first chart-topper.

Toast Of The Town, which would later be called The Ed Sullivan Show, premiered on CBS-TV in 1948. The first telecast was produced on a meager budget of $1,375. Only $375 was allocated for talent and $200 of that was shared by the young stars of that night's program, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.

The 3 day Newport '69 Festival started in Northridge, California in 1969. 150,000 make it to hear Jimi Hendrix, Joe Cocker, CCR, Ike & Tina Turner, Jethro Tull, The Rascals, Steppenwolf and others. Hendrix receives $125,000 for his appearance, at the time it was the highest fee ever paid to a single rock act for a single appearance.

Also in 1969, David Bowie signed with Philips Records and then entered Trident Studios in London to record "Space Oddity".

On June 20th 1972, the Tallahatchie Bridge, made famous in Bobbie Gentry's "Ode To Billie Joe,” collapsed.

Neil Diamond appeared on the 20th anniversary show of American Bandstand in 1973, along with Little Richard, Paul Revere & the Raiders, Cheech and Chong and Three Dog Night.

In 1995, a judge in Los Angeles awarded ownership of the Kingsmen's recordings to the group itself and away from Scepter-Wand Records. The court ruled that the company breached its contract by not paying the Kingsmen their proper royalties. The main song in question was "Louie, Louie", recorded in 1963.

Lawrence Payton of the Four Tops died on June 20, 1997 of liver cancer at his home in Southfield, Michigan. He was 59.

June 20, 2004, marked the 3000th time that Paul McCartney took to the stage as a professional musician. He had performed 2,535 concerts with the Quarrymen and the Beatles, 140 gigs with Wings and 325 solo shows.

Claydes Charles Smith, a co-founder and lead guitarist of Kool & the Gang died on June 20, 2006 after a long illness. He was 57.

In 2006, the BBC announced they are axing their flagship music program Top of the Pops. The show debuted in 1964, with The Rolling Stones singing "I Wanna be Your Man."

The Byrds' folk-rock version of Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man" will spend a week at the top of the charts in 1965.

After topping record charts around the world, a medley of hits credited to Stars On 45 reaches number one in America in 1981.

Neil Young’s Cinnamon Girl” goes gold in 1970.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

The Tear Jar

I received a call from DJ Tom over at www.ilike2rock.net and he was very excited to tell me about a local (he lives in PA) project that he has just added to the radio station. Read about the new musical below and if you love Blues music, I encourage you to visit the site and give a listen to some fresh, new Blues music that is bound to thrill your ears. I can see this production heading for Broadway in the near future, and you can here the music first!


The Tear Jar

An Explosion Of Blues Music

written by Robert Benson

Anyone who has ever listened to the “Blues” knows that it is more than just music, but an inspiration, an unfolding of the emotions that we all feel. From Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, Willie Dixon and many other influential Blues legends, to the more contemporary Blues artists such as Robert Cray, Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan, Blues music has and always be a part of out musical heritage.

Capturing the essence and spirit that the Blues represent is a novel “Blues Musical” called “The Tear Jar.” Not focusing on a particular band or individual, the “Tear Jar” instead is a collaboration and meeting of the minds of many talented people including producer Chris Bravacos, song writer Robert Welch, audio engineer Frank Silver and writer Jerry King Musser.

Blended into the musical are the rare talents of musicians such as: industry veteran Diane Wilson (singing the character of Savannah), talented Bluesman Don Johnson (singing the character of Mason Ball), Blues guitar virtuoso Jared James Nichols (singing the character of JD Hunter), Jazz sensation Rose Hudson (singing the part of Chandra), veteran Gospel singer Eugene Barclift (playing the character of Stubs) and Soul Music vet Charles Lee (as the Preacher), among others.

To set up the story, one needs to know what a ‘tear jar’ is and what it represents. In ancient cultures, water was a prized possession and giving up water from one’s own body, in the form of tears, was considered a personal sacrifice. They would catch their precious tears in tiny pitchers or ‘tear jars.” The ‘saved’ tears could then be used to ward off evil or to help a sick child. The writer takes this belief and implements into the storyline and applies it to the infectious Blues songs that encompass and define the musical. Here is a brief synopsis of the story:

“Seasoned, itinerant blues man, Mason Ball, returns to The Blue Rose, a club in which he enjoys playing, with an owner he deeply 'admires.' Upon his arrival, he's surprised to discover that a 'new kid in town' has claimed the stage and attention of an appreciative audience. This young upstart, one JD Hunter, is unwilling to relinquish the limelight and makes it clear that the 'old blues' is dead. To add to the tension, Mason's private love interest shares with him a serious, personal loss. Frustrated with his inability to appease her emotional pain, Mason dips his finger into a jar of tears given him by his recently departed mother and touches her with the potion. This act, apparently, manifests in wondrous results... relieving her of her anguish. Mason doubts his healing powers, yet can't dismiss the changes he seems to have made. When word gets out, the audience demands Mason's appearance onstage and seem to come for his 'gift of healing' as much as his gift of song. JD challenges Mason's abilities, those both spiritual and musical. When a plan to expose Mason backfires, JD Hunter learns what it's like to be on the receiving end of 'the gift.' But, gift or not, the characters in this story find themselves at a new place in their lives after discovering life's potential magic is available to anyone.”

I have not seen the production, but have listened to some of the music and was overjoyed to hear a dizzying array of crisp, fresh Blues cuts that are certain to be standards and will have die-hard Blues fans clamoring for more.

“When Does The Healing Begin” is full of Gospel-fueled licks and superb vocals that fuses the Blues and Gospel in an explosion of sound. The cut called “The Magic,” like any great Blues song, just bleeds emotion, from the growling vocals and the Stevie Ray Vaughan-like riffs, yet it still remains achingly tender. “Satisfier” is expertly played and sang, with sultry vocals and is sung with immeasurable passion and strength. “I’m Gone,” is bound to become a classic blues rocker, tight and structured, and just compels you to bob your head or tap your foot with melodic adventure. “Stormbringer” perfectly fuses Soul and Blues music, with impassioned vocals and stellar guitar and organ work.

“The Tear Jar” is bound to become an instant classic Blues production, with fresh Blues music for all fans of the genre, who are sure to be pleased with the efforts of all the performers and everyone who is involved with this wondrous project. In its beginning stages, “The Tear Jar” has a performance slated for the Sunoco Performance Theater on Thursday, August 7 and Friday August 8, 2008 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. And with an intriguing storyline, a stellar cast and new Blues standards, it will soon make a bold impression in the music world and specifically Blues music.

To learn more about this inventive project and learn more about the players visit:

www.tearjar.com

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

This Date In Music History- June 18

Birthdays:

Nathan Morris of Boyz II Men is born in Philadelphia in 1971.

Sandy Posey ("Born A Woman") turns 61.

Tommy Hunt of the Flamingos was born in 1933.

James Paul McCartney was born in Liverpool, England in 1942.

History:

In 1918, Morganfield receives the nickname "Muddy Waters" as a result of his grandmother calling him "little muddy baby" because he liked to play in dirty water puddles and a muddy creek. "Waters" was added later, thus resulting in the moniker Muddy Waters.

In 1967, Jimi Hendrix performed at the Monterey International Pop Festival. Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones introduced him as "the most exciting performer I've ever heard." At the end of his performance, he burns his Fender Stratocaster. "The time I burned my guitar it was like a sacrifice," Jimi said. "You sacrifice the things you love. I love my guitar. I'd just finished painting it that day and was really into it." Literally overnight, the Jimi Hendrix Experience became one of the most popular acts in rock music.

Hank Medress of the Tokens ("The Lion Sleeps Tonight") died from lung cancer in 2007.

In 1977, Fleetwood Mac scored their only Billboard number one hit with "Dreams.” Over the next dozen years, they would reach the Top 40, thirteen more times.

1977- The No. 1 album in the U.K. is The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl, a live album created by splicing together two performances at the venue from 1964 and 1965.

In 1987, a concertgoer sued Motley Crue, claiming that she went deaf because their PA was turned up too loud.

In 1948, Columbia Records began the first mass production of the 33 1/3 RPM LP. The new format could contain a maximum of 23 minutes of music per side, versus the approximately three minutes that could be squeezed on to a 78 RPM disc.

Guitarist Danny Cedrone died in 1954, following a freak stairway fall, just a month after he had recorded the lead on "Rock Around The Clock" with Bill Haley and His Comets.

Our parents were delighted to find out that Frank Sinatra's "Strangers In The Night" overtook The Rolling Stones' "Paint It Black" as the best selling single in the US in 1966.

Ray Charles' funeral was held at the First AME Church in Los Angeles in 2004. Among the performers at the service are Stevie Wonder, Willie Nelson, and B.B. King. Also in attendance are Little Richard, Berry Gordy Jr. and Jesse Jackson.

The epic “River Deep Mountain High” was released in 1966. The Ike & Tina Turner’s single, produced by Phil Spector, who considered the record his masterpiece, falls far short of the Top 40 in the U.S. causing a disillusioned Spector to go into semi-retirement. The song does go to #1 in the U.K.

In 1993, A&M Records chairman Jerry Moss and vice-chairman Herb Alpert announced they were leaving the company they founded more than 30 years earlier. They had sold A&M in 1990 to Polygram for about $500-million. Moss and Alpert started the label in the garage of Alpert's Los Angeles home in 1962.

In 1977, the Sex Pistols’ Johnny Rotten gets his face and hands slashed by some thugs who apparently didn’t take to kindly to the group’s U.K. hit “God Save The Queen.”

Rare Earth drummer Peter Hoorelbeke was arrested in 1974, after throwing his drumsticks into the crowd.

R&B legend Fats Domino recorded "I Want to Walk You Home" in New Orleans in 1959.

Monday, June 16, 2008

Top 5 Vinyl Record eBay Sales

Week Ending 06/07/2008

1) 45rpm - The Larks "My Reverie" / "Let's Say A Prayer" Apollo Red Vinyl - $3,338.88

2) 45rpm - Young Ladies "He's Gone To Another" / "I'm Tired Of Running Around" Stang - $2,819.99

3) 45rpm - Kenny and the Cadets "Barbie" / "What Is A Young Girl Made Of" Randy - $2,606.56

4) 45rpm - Dusty Brooks "Tears And Wine" / "Heaven On Fire" - $2,524.99

5) 45rpm - George Harrison "Love Comes To Everyone" / "Soft Touch" Dark Horse Picture Sleeve - $2,199.00

This Date In Music History- June 16

Birthdays:

Gino Vannelli ("I Just Wanna Stop") is 56.

Songwriter Lamont Dozier (co-wrote most the Supremes' and Four Tops' hits) is 67.

David "Little Caesar" Johnson of Little Caesar & the Romans ("Those Oldies But Goodies") turns 74.

Eddie Levert of the O'Jays was born in Canton, Ohio in 1942.

History:

Over 200,000 people attended the first Monterey Pop Festival this week in 1967. Many of the leading Rock acts of the time appeared, including Otis Redding, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Simon and Garfunkel, Canned Heat, The Mamas and The Papas, The Grateful Dead, Eric Burdon and The Animals, The Association, Booker T. and The MGs, David Crosby, Steve Miller, The Who, Jefferson Airplane and The Byrds. John Phillips, of The Mamas and The Papas would later write, "San Francisco" (Be Sure To Wear Flowers In Your Hair)" about the festival, which became a big hit for Scott McKenzie.

'Trout Mask Replica,' by Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band, was released in 1969. This avant-garde classic was produced by Frank Zappa and released on his Straight record label.

In 1993, the U.S. Postal Service issued stamps honoring Bill Haley, Buddy Holly, Otis Redding, Ritchie Valens, Clyde McPhatter and Dinah Washington.

The Elvis Presley/Nancy Sinatra movie "Speedway" premiered in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1968, where much of it was filmed.

A young woman named Gogi Grant knocked Elvis out of Billboard's number one spot in 1956 with a song called "The Wayward Wind". It was a tune that she recorded almost as an after thought, with just fifteen minutes of studio time remaining. Six weeks later, Elvis would be back on top with "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You".

Also in 1956, Patti Page saw what would be her biggest hit, "Allegheny Moon" enter the Billboard chart, where it would reach #2 during a 22 week run. In all, the Oklahoma native would place sixteen songs in the Top 40 between 1954 and 1965.

Accusing them of harassment during deportation proceedings, John Lennon files a suit against former U.S. Attorneys General John Mitchell and Richard Kleindienst in 1975.

1990- Inexplicably, the Rolling Stones' "Paint It Black" goes to No. 1 in the Netherlands 24 years after it was first released.

In 2003, Toto apologized to keyboardist David Paich after claiming he was sitting out their summer tour to get a sex change operation. Paich is actually tending to a sick family member. Guitarist Steve Lukather says he's sorry the joke got out of control. Uh, bad joke.

1970 - Woodstock Ventures, the sponsors of the original Woodstock, announced that they lost more than $1.2 million on the festival.

The New York Jazz Museum opened in 1972.

Herman's Hermits were awarded their first gold record in 1965 for "Mrs. Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter". The song was originally an album cut that got so much air play, MGM Records released it as a single.

The Rolling Stones were the most powerful Rock act in the world, according to Forbes magazine's 2006 Celebrity 100 list. The band sits at #2 behind actor Tom Cruise, on the survey, which rates stars on their earnings and media visibility during the past year. Other Rock artists ranking on the Celebrity 100 include U2 (#4), Bruce Springsteen (#11) and Paul McCartney (#14).

Pretenders guitarist, 25 year old James Honeyman Scott, died in his sleep in London, England in 1982. The official cause of death is "cocaine related heart failure."

In 1982, Donny Van Zant of .38 Special is arrested on stage in Tulsa, Oklahoma for public drinking. Oops, Tulsa was a dry town.

Snoop Dogg, who has turned recreational smoking into something of a rap career, is stopped in Temecula, Calif. in 2000, after border-patrol officers detect the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. A posse member cops to owning the bud, and Snoop is free to play the Up in Smoke tour in San Jose.

Saturday, June 14, 2008

New Vinyl Releases:

New Vinyl Releases:

DEF LEPPARD will release the second single from the "Songs From The Sparkle Lounge" album, "C'Mon C'Mon", on July 14. The single, which will be released only on 12" vinyl picture disc, is available for pre-order from Amazon.com.

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THE CURE have released 'Freakshow', the second single from their new studio album, today (June 13th).

The band are releasing a new single of the 13th of every month in the run-up to the release of their as-yet-untitled album on September 13th.

Like last month's single,'The Only One', 'Freakshow' is available as a digital download, CD and 7” vinyl and comes backed with the b-side, 'All Kinds of Stuff'.

Details of the next two singles from the album are expected to be announced shortly.

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JUDAS PRIEST unveils "Nostradamus" (Epic), the veteran U.K. metal act's 16th studio album -- and its first concept work. The double-disc set, due internationally June 16 and one day later in the United States, tells the story of 16th-century prophet Michel de Nostredame, better-known as Nostradamus.

The set is the second album since Halford returned to the band in 2003 after doing other musical projects for 12 years.

"Nostradamus" is available in three configurations. Fans can buy the regular version of "Nostradamus" in a jewel case with a 20-page artwork booklet designed in conjunction with artist Mark Wilkinson, who has worked on numerous Judas Priest albums. Or they can choose the "regular deluxe" version, which has the double-CD housed in a 48-page hardbound book.

A third "super deluxe" release includes a triple-album vinyl version of the set and an exclusive poster plus the hardbound CD/booklet package. That version will be available through normal retail channels internationally, but in the States is exclusive to Best Buy stores.

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On July 29, Be Your Own Pet's first label, Infinity Cat, will release their "ten-track maxi-EP" called The Boys R Back in Town on vinyl.

The Vinyl Comeback

The Vinyl Comeback- As more and more attention is being spent on this phenomenon, the great 'vinyl comeback' is in full swing. And as the upward trend in vinyl sales continues, we will be seeing more stories like this one in the news:

This Date In Music History- June 14

Birthdays:

Rod Argent of the Zombies ("She's Not There") and Argent ("Hold Your Head Up") turns 63.

1952 Jim Lea of the mighty Slade ("Run Runaway") was born in Wolverhampton, England in 1952.

Drummer Alan White has a birthday (born in 1949). Aside from his lengthy tenure with Yes, White is known for his work with ex-Beatles John Lennon ("Instant Karma") and George Harrison.

History:

The original "butcher block" cover for The Beatles "Yesterday And Today" album was officially recalled by Capitol Records in 1966, due to "extreme negative feedback," just prior to its release. Either meant as a "pop art satire" or a way of getting back at Capitol for rearranging the group’s albums for U.S. release, the cover, with the group placed among cuts of meat and decapitated dolls, soon becomes a collector’s item. A standard group photo is used instead. (Also known as the ‘Trunk Cover.”)

In 1964, in Melbourne, Australia, a crowd of 250,000 greeted the Beatles. It's reported to be the most Australians that have ever congregated in one place.

Also in 1964- In England, a tea chest addressed to the Beatles was opened. Twelve-year-old Beatlemaniac Carol Dryden was discovered inside.

Paul McCartney recorded "Yesterday" by himself in 1965, after trying unsuccessfully to fit the rest of the Beatles into the song. The cut goes on to become the world's most covered song.

The Beatles topped the British charts in 1969 with their first stereo single, "The Ballad of John and Yoko."

Showing the kind of financial sense that would lead to their downfall, Grand Funk Railroad spend $100,000 on a block-long billboard in New York to advertise their latest single, "Closer to Home." It went to No. 22 in 1970.

Cops broke out the tear gas in Tucson, Ariz., after a Rolling Stones concert gets out of hand in 1972.

In 1995, the Columbus, Ohio, police received more than 20 complaints that a Ted Nugent concert there is too loud. Nevertheless, Ted refuses to turn down the volume, as he's within the legal noise limits.

Bob Dylan recorded "Like A Rolling Stone" in 1965.

Mick Taylor was introduced as the new guitarist for the Rolling Stones in 1969.

Eric Clapton's band, "Derek and The Dominoes," made their live debut in Britain in 1970. The group was joined by Dave Mason, who played the guitar parts performed by Duane Allman on Derek and the Dominoes' only studio album, "Layla".

The first Hard Rock Cafe opened in London in 1971. The original is a L.A. dive featured on the back cover and inner sleeve of The Doors Morrison Hotel/Hard Rock Café” album (On the inner sleeve the band is sitting at the bar).

In 1975, Peter Frampton’s concert at the Marin Civic Center in San Rafael was recorded. This performance along with a show the following night at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco comprise “Frampton Comes Alive,” one of the best selling double albums of all time.

"Thank God I'm A Country Boy", recorded live at the Universal Amphi-theater in California in 1975 by John Denver, became the best selling record in the US. The song was written by John Martin Sommers, a member of Denver's backup band.

Henry Mancini ("Mr. Lucky") died of pancreatic and liver cancer in 1994.

Janis Ian released "At Seventeen" in 1975, which will reach #3 in the US later in the year.

America achieved their second Billboard number one record and their seventh Top 40 hit in 1975 with "Sister Golden Hair.”

'Workingman’s Dead,' a landmark album by the Grateful Dead, was released in 1970. It is followed only five months later by 'American Beauty,' another classic studio album.

Roxy Music was formed in 1971.

The movie "Roadie," starring Meat Loaf, debuted in 1980.

Rory Gallagher, an Irish blues guitarist also known for his checked shirts, died in London in 1995.

In 1968, 23 year old Rod Stewart got his first major exposure in the US when he opened a tour with The Jeff Beck Group at the Fillmore East in New York. Stewart had such a bad case of stage fright, he hid behind a speaker cabinet throughout the first song.

Friday, June 13, 2008

Vinyl is still king

Every now and then I run across a great article. This is the case with the article posted below as it has a statement that I have been repeating for many years, what vinyl comeback?:

Source: http://www.cantonrep.com

Stark Matters: Convenience aside, vinyl is still king

BY BOB RUSS


I saw the story in Saturday's paper about the rebirth of the vinyl record.

It made me laugh.

It's a story that resurfaces every year or so, when someone discovers that LPs are not only still being manufactured and sold, but that a substantial amount of the public still craves the vinyl sound.

The reason I laugh is, I've been reading pretty much the same story for the last 25 years.

Someone is astounded to find out that records still exist — and then writes an article to share their amazing discovery.

But records never went away.

NOT A NEW STORY

Those who are into high-end stereo — audiophiles, as these strange creatures are known — have insisted for years that, given proper playback equipment, vinyl's sweet sound is heads and shoulders above the sterile sound of digital music.

When compact discs were first introduced, they were billed as perfect sound in an indestructible format.

But as anyone who's had CDs for any length of time can attest, they are far from indestructible. They can be scratched or broken, and sometimes cease to play for no apparent reason.

As for the sound, well, that depends. Today, there are plenty of awesome-sounding CDs available, provided the disc is properly recorded and mastered. But others — and most of the first CDs suffered this problem — are just transferred to disc with little regard for the sound, resulting in a dull, tinny sound that is as annoying as it is musical.

That's why, despite the introduction of the CD more than 25 years ago, the record album has held a special place in the hearts of music lovers.

MORE LIFELIKE

In general, the average record played back on quality equipment has several sonic advantages over the average CD: More life to the music, more "air" around the instruments, better imaging (in which each instrument seems to come from a different spot on the soundstage) and more punch to crescendos.

The CD has one major advantage, and I'll admit it's a big one: No background noise. The sound comes to you out of a background of dead silence, compared to the rumbly, pop-filled backdrops provided by a disc of well-worn vinyl.

Of course, if you take good care of your records, clean them before each playing and store them in their jackets in a protective sleeve, the way vinyl junkies do, the LP can be virtually soundless as well.

How can an ancient record album possibly sound better than a modern CD? Digital recording places samples of sound very close together, creating the illusion of continuous sound. The better this is done, the better the sound.

But records are analog, not digital — reproducing actual continuous sound, not bits of sound separated by milliseconds of silence.

Beyond the sonic benefits, there is something magical about a record album that compact discs can't capture: The feel of an album in your hand, the different textures of various album covers, the often-stunning cover art, liner notes big enough to be read — even the fact that the album must be turned over to be heard in its entirety.

CDs are nice and convenient. But records bring music to life.

The Collector’s Corner

I received this press release and thought I would pass it on. A look at the site shows, although they don't have tons of vinyl, the records that they do carry are very good.

For immediate release:

STEP INTO THE COLLECTOR’S CORNER


Concord Music Group unveils new section of ConcordMusicGroup.com
devoted to rarities and collectibles


BEVERLY HILLS, JUNE 4, 2008 - With labels such as Fantasy, Specialty, Prestige and Stax, the scope of the Concord Music Group catalog is as deep and eclectic as your beloved public radio station left of the dial and as vast as the greatest neighborhood indie store. The quandary now is where to go to find a collection of Jerry Garcia’s oeuvre with Merle Saunders or to find Soultrane on vinyl without having to take out a second mortgage. Well, record collecting has just turned a corner.

Concord Music Group welcomes you to The Collector’s Corner.

Break out those lists of the obscure, out of print and the monophonic. At The Collector’s Corner section of ConcordMusicGroup.com, you can peruse aisles of Miles, freights’ of ’Trane, and the deeper treasures that await with each click.

Everything is here, from Carolina bluesman Pink Anderson (whose name inspired Syd Barrett to christen his little English quartet Pink Floyd) to Albert King paying tribute to that other King, Elvis Presley; to the classic comprehensive Miles Davis and John Coltrane box sets from the Prestige vaults.

Audiophiles and rarity hunters will also discover the bliss of having Waltz for Debby and Creedence Clearwater Revival’s Chronicle on vinyl is no longer relegated to the labyrinth of online auctions. In The Collector’s Corner, visitors can peruse through titles available in the venerated vinyl format.

In addition to great collectibles, each month The Collector’s Corner offers reviews, pointers and suggestions from experts and Concord Music Group staffers. They’ll share the must-have collectibles, from the historic to the bizarre.

Visit ConcordMusicGroup.com and see what special surprises have been tucked away. It’s all been packed into The Collector’s Corner -

http://www.concordmusicgroup.com/collectors-corner/

Thursday, June 12, 2008

This Date In Music History- June 12

Birthdays:

Len Barry ("1-2-3") is 66.

Reg Presley of the Troggs ("Wild Thing") turns 67.

Rocky Burnette ("Tired Of Toeing The Line" and son of Johnny Burnette) is 55.

Boston's Brad Delp was born in Boston in 1951.

Cheap Trick drummer Bun E. Carlos was born Brad Carlson in Rockford, Ill in 1951.

History:

"Back In My Arms Again" topped the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in 1965, making the Supremes the only American group to release five Number One hits in a row.

Janis Joplin debuts a new band, Full-Tilt Boogie, at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky in 1970.

1979- 13 of the 23 #1 songs were disco, including Rod Stewart's "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?", Blondie's "Heart Of Glass", and Michael Jackson's "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough.” "Disco Demolition Night" at Chicago's Comiskey Park, hosted by Steve Dahl, spearheads the"Disco Sucks" movement.

'Some Time in New York City,' a double album by John Lennon backed by the New York rock group Elephant’s Memory was released in 1972.

Yes was formed in 1967.

Jimmy Dorsey ("So Rare") died of cancer in 1957.

In 1965, Sonny & Cher made their first TV appearance, on ABC's "American Bandstand.”

The Dave Clark Five break a record (for rock performers), as they appeared for the twelfth time on the "Ed Sullivan Show" on CBS in 1966.

Bill Haley's "Rock Around The Clock" was originally released to no success in 1954. The song won't top the charts until May 1955.

The Beach Boys recorded "Surfer Girl" and "Little Deuce Coupe" in 1963.

Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, Bruce Springsteen, James Taylor, and Gary "U.S." Bonds are in the 750,000-strong crowd at the Rally for Nuclear Disarmament in New York's Central Park in 1982. The demo becomes the biggest political rally in U.S. history.

Sam Cooke and Jackie Wilson performed on the same bill in Norfolk, Virginia in 1959. At Cooke's insistence, arena management includes integrated seating for the audience.

For everybody who ever wished there were more cars at Graceland, the Presley estate opens the Elvis Presley Autoland Museum in 1989. Now fun-seekers can ogle 20 of the King's vehicles.

In 1935, at age 17, Ella Fitzgerald recorded her first songs. The two songs were "Love and Kisses" and "I'll Chase the Blues Away."

The Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" was released in 1965.

Cab Calloway suffered a stroke in 1994, from which he never truly recovered from. He died November 18, 1994 at the age 86.

The Zombies conducted their first recording session at Decca Studios in London in 1964. Among the tracks recorded is their hit, "She’s Not There."

Janis Joplin’s Greatest Hits,” released in 1973, finally goes gold in 1975.

England's Queen Elizabeth awards the Beatles MBEs in 1965. John Lennon would later return his in protest of the Vietnam War. Canadian MP Hector Dupuis, who also has an MBE, is disgusted. "The British house of royalty has put me on the same level as a bunch of vulgar numbskulls," he moaned.

In 1968, the Rolling Stones appeared at the annual New Musical Express Poll Winners Concert at the Empire Pool, Wembley, England, where they play their latest release "Jumpin' Jack Flash". It will mark the last time that guitarist Brian Jones performs with the band.

The 21 song John Lennon tribute album "Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign To Save Darfur" was released in 2007. The set contains Jackson Browne's rendition of "Oh My Love," as well as contributions from Green Day, U2, Aerosmith and R.E.M. who provide the compilation's first single, "#9 Dream," featuring the band's founding drummer, Bill Berry. Proceeds go to Amnesty International's initiative against the Darfur genocide.

Also in 2007, the Traveling Wilburys (George Harrison, Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and Electric Light Orchestra's Jeff Lynne) two studio albums were reissued together with extras (including a DVD with videos and a group documentary). Contractual problems kept the group's work out of distribution for several years.

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

The Continuing Story Of The Comeback Of Vinyl Records

There have always been audiophiles that worship vinyl. It’s not every store where you can still get those records. They are around if you know where to look.

According to this story, more people are catching the vinyl bug and some mainstream retailers have started stocking vinyl once again. This is extremely interesting in an era of mp3s and ipods and where it’s just as easy to buy CDs online as go to the mall. But there’s something about vinyl records that’s more tactile. People want to hold them and touch them when buying. Moreover, they’re fragile, so shipping them can be problematic. So in a lot of ways it does make sense for vinyl records to return to brick-and-mortar locations. Now, if only companies would start carrying record players too.

It was a fortuitous typo for the Fred Meyer retail chain.

This spring, an employee intending to order a special CD-DVD edition of R.E.M.’s latest release ‘Accelerate’ inadvertently entered the ‘LP’ code instead. Soon boxes of the big, vinyl discs showed up at several stores.

Some sent them back. But a handful put them on the shelves, and 20 LPs sold the first day.

The Portland-based company, owned by The Kroger Co., realized the error might not be so bad after all. Fred Meyer is now testing vinyl sales at 60 of its stores in Oregon, California, Washington and Alaska.

Other mainstream retailers are giving vinyl a spin too. Best Buy is testing sales at some stores. And online music giant Amazon.com, which has sold vinyl for most of the 13 years it has been in business online, created a special vinyl-only section last fall.

The best-seller so far at Fred Meyer is The Beatles ‘Abbey Road’ album. But musicians from the White Stripes and the Foo Fighters to Metallica and Pink Floyd are selling well, the company says.

‘It’s not just a nostalgia thing,’ said Melinda Merrill, spokeswoman for Fred Meyer. ‘The response from customers has just been that they like it, they feel like it has a better

Source: Written By David Bodamer
http://blog.retailtrafficmag.com/

This Date In Music History- June 10

Birthdays:

Kim and Kelley Deal (The Breeders) were born in Dayton, Ohio in 1961. Kelley is eleven minutes older than her sister.

Blues legend Howlin' Wolf was born in West Point, Mississippi in 1910.

Shirley Owens Alston of the Shirelles ("Soldier Boy") turns 67.

Judy Garland (as Frances Gumm) was born in Grand Rapids, Minn in 1922.

History:

Ray Charles, known as "The Genius of Soul" and one of the major pioneers of the form, died in 2004 of complications resulting from liver disease. He was 73. Among Charles' biggest hits were "What'd I Say?" "I Got a Woman" and "Georgia On My Mind." During his 45 year career, Ray appeared on the US Pop charts 77 times, with 33 of those songs making the Top 40. He became the first artist to have an album on Billboard's Hot 200 for six decades in a row.

Janis Joplin debuted in concert with Big Brother & the Holding Company at the Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco in 1966.

In 1972, Elvis Presley recorded two live albums at Madison Square Garden in New York City (the evening concert is released a week later, the afternoon show is released in 1997).

Elvis Presley recorded "A Fool Such As I" and "A Big Hunk O' Love" while on leave from the U.S. Army in 1958.

The Rolling Stones recorded part of their "12x5" album in 1964 (including "It's All Over Now") at the legendary Chess Records studios in Chicago. Their heroes Chuck Berry, Muddy Waters, and Willie Dixon visit them over the next two days in the studio.

1967- In Woodstock, N.Y., Bob Dylan and the Band begin to record what will become known as The Basement Tapes.

In 1971, a crowd gets so excited during a performance by Jethro Tull in Denver, that police fired tear gas on them. Must have been the flute.

Capitol Records released the Beatles' single "A Hard Days Night" in 1964 and the album of the same name.

In 1966, the Beatles were first heard using reversed tape in the song "Rain." It was a 'B' side to the song "Paperback Writer."

At Seattle's Kingdome in 1976, Paul McCartney & Wings played for a crowd of 67,100, setting an indoor attendance record.

Days after a federal judge declared 2 Live Crew's As Nasty as They Wanna Be obscene, two members of the Crew were arrested in 1990 for performing songs from the album at a club gig.

Steve Sanders (Oak Ridge Boys) was found dead at the age of 45 in 1998. He had apparently died of a self-inflicted gun shot wound.

The Beatles' "Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band" started a 23 week run at #1 on the UK album chart in 1967.

Sammy Davis Jr. enjoyed the biggest hit of his career in 1973 when "Candy Man", taken from the musical Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, went to number one in the US.

Micki Harris of The Shirelles, died of a heart attack in 1982 after a performance in Atlanta, Georgia. She was 42.

1993- Irish singer Sinead O'Connor took out a full-page ad in the Irish Times asking the public to "stop hurting me please." She blamed her troubles on abuse she suffered as a child. O'Connor was still being criticized for ripping up a picture of the Pope during an appearance on Saturday Night Live the previous October. Shut up bald chick!

Country Joe and the Fish debut on the album chart in 1967 with 'Electric Music for the Mind and Body'.

In 1974, the Who play the first of four sellout nights at Madison Square Garden in New York. Tickets for the shows sold out in 60 hours.

Sunday, June 8, 2008

Rare Beach Boy Reissue

(PR) Eternal Beach Boy Dennis Wilson's much sought-after 1977 solo album, which Mojo Magazine has heralded as a "buried treasure", will return to circulation on the occasion of its 30th anniversary, and the 25th anniversary of Wilson's untimely death in 1983, at age 39. The double-CD PACIFIC OCEAN BLUE – LEGACY EDITION will arrive in stores June 17th on Caribou/Epic/Legacy, a division of SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT. A vinyl edition of the LP will also be released at the same time, on the Sundazed label.

In 1977, Dennis Wilson's Pacific Ocean Blue became the first solo LP to be released by a member of the legendary Beach Boys. Dennis, the band's surfer, drummer and free spirit, emerged from the shadow of his older brother, pop genius Brian Wilson, and shocked the industry with a sound and style unlike any other. Over thirty years later Pacific Ocean Blue remains arguably the greatest solo work by a Wilson.

"In all those years since Pacific Ocean Blue became a rare gem, I have been eager to make it more widely available," says James William Guercio, producer and owner of Caribou Records, who served then and now as executive producer. "The music that caught the ear of critics and fans in 1977 has fallen from popular consciousness in the last two decades, and it has long been due this incredible treatment. The devotion that the Legacy Recordings crew has shown to both the official album and the huge number of unreleased tracks is a testament to the strength of Dennis' musical genius."

Dozens of musicians and singers collaborated on the Pacific Ocean Blue and Bambu sessions, which took place at numerous studios around Los Angeles, Seattle, and Miami. In addition to Dennis Wilson on vocals, drums, percussion, keyboards, and harmonica, there were his wife Karen Lamm-Wilson; Carl Wilson of the Beach Boys on guitar and vocal backgrounds; latter day Beach Boys members Billy Hinsche and Bruce Johnston (vocal backgrounds) and Ricky Fataar (drums); Beach Boys engineer Earle Mankey (guitar); and many West Coast session greats. A host of background vocalists included Christine McVie of Fleeetwood Mac, Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell of America, Dean Torrence of Jan & Dean, and more.

Disc one of PACIFIC OCEAN BLUE: LEGACY EDITION will comprise the original 12-song LP sequence: 1. River Song • 2. What's Wrong • 3. Moonshine • 4. Friday Night • 5. Dreamer • 6. Thoughts of You • 7. Time • 8. You and I • 9. Pacific Ocean Blue • 10. Farewell My Friend • 11. Rainbows • 12. End of the Show. The album was produced by Dennis Wilson & Gregg Jakobson (original co-producer and co-writer); with James William Guercio, executive producer.

In addition, disc one will contain four previously unreleased bonus tracks: 13. Tug Of Love • 14. Only With You • 15. Holy Man (instrumental) • 16. Mexico. These tracks were produced by Dennis Wilson, John Hanlon (credits: the Beach Boys; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; Jayhawks; R.E.M; Gillian Welch), and Gregg Jakobson. Of special note, "Only With You" was never known to exist – Dennis co-wrote the song with fellow Beach Boy Mike Love, for the group's 1973 Holland album, with Carl Wilson singing lead.

Disc two of PACIFIC OCEAN BLUE: LEGACY EDITION will be a godsend to Dennis Wilson and Beach Boys devotees around the world – especially those who have been aware of the Bambu album he had hoped to release as a follow-up, but never completed. The tape archive is the source for 17 bonus tracks, all previously unreleased except for one ("All Alone"), from the original Pacific Ocean Blue and Bambu sessions. Bambu has been referenced as "Bamboo" in numerous articles on Dennis and the Beach Boys, but paperwork that accompanied the sessions now reveals the artist always intended for the album to be titled Bambu.

Now titled Bambu (The Caribou Sessions), disc two comprises: 1. Under The Moonlight • 2. It's Not Too Late • 3. School Girl • 4. Love Remember Me • 5. Love Surrounds Me • 6. Wild Situation • 7. Common • 8. Are You Real • 9. He's A Bum • 10. Cocktails • 11. I Love You • 12. Constant Companion • 13. Time For Bed • 14. Album Tag Song • 15. All Alone (originally issued on the Capitol Records Soundtrack Endless Harmony) • 16. Piano Variations on Thoughts of You • Bonus Track: 17. Holy Man, with new vocal by Taylor Hawkins of Foo Fighters.

The Bambu tracks were produced by Dennis Wilson, John Hanlon and Gregg Jakobson; with James William Guercio serving as executive producer. Of special note, "Holy Man" features a newly-recorded vocal by Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, a longtime friend of Jakobson. Hawkins, a huge Dennis Wilson and Beach Boys fan, was someone who Jakobson always had in mind to add to the project, should he ever get the chance to revisit some of the unfinished tracks he made with Dennis.

Liner notes for PACIFIC OCEAN BLUE: LEGACY EDITION have been written by several Beach Boys scholars, starting with Ben Edmonds, a MOJO contributing editor who has written a 2,500-word essay entitled "Love Remember Me: Dennis Wilson's Dreams Delivered." A second essay, "Dennis Wilson: Chronology of a Solo Artist," has been newly-penned by Jon Stebbins (author of Dennis Wilson: The Real Beach Boy, 2000) and David Beard (editor of the Beach Boys fanzine, Endless Summer Quarterly).

A final essay by David Leaf will appear as a PDF embedded on the Pacific Ocean Blue disc. Leaf is the author of the Brian Wilson biography Beach Boys and the California Myth (1978), and the follow-up, Beach Boys: Spirit of America (1985). He has annotated nearly 30 Beach Boys-related reissue projects, including the Good Vibrations: Thirty Years Of the Beach Boys (1993) and The Pet Sounds Sessions (1997) box sets, which he co-produced. Leaf is also an award-winning television producer, director and writer of more than 50 entertainment-related biographies and specials, including An-All Star Tribute To Brian Wilson (TNT, 2001); Beautiful Dreamer: Brian Wilson and the Story of SMiLE (Showtime, 2004); and The U.S. vs. John Lennon (Lionsgate/VH1, 2006).

The full-color booklet in PACIFIC OCEAN BLUE – LEGACY EDITION will feature extensive discographic information and rare photos. Among these are the images taken for the original LP package by photographer and lifelong friend Dean Torrence (of Jan & Dean), thought for decades to be lost but later uncovered in the Sony Music archives.

Source: http://www.antimusic.com