Top 5 eBay Vinyl Records Sales

Week Ending 04/12/2008

1) 45rpm - Ty Karim "You Just Don't Know" / "All In Vain" Romark - $4,300.00

2) 45rpm - Tolbert Rojac "Lucky Man" / "I've Got It" Rojac - $3,250.00

3) LP - The Beatles "White Album" Parlophone - $3,050.00

4) 45rpm - Nirvana "Love Buzz" Sub Pop - $2,901.50

5) 45rpm - Eddie Whitehead "Just Your Fool" / "Give This Fool Another Chance" Black Jack - $2,684.00

This Date In Music History- April 17

Producer Don Kirschner (who gave us the Monkees and TV's "Rock Concert") turns 73.

Rock and Roll pioneer Eddie Cochran was just 21 years old when he was killed in Bath, England; after the car in which he was riding blew a tire, then hit a lamp post on April 17th 1960. Cochran enjoyed hits with "Summertime Blues,” "C'mon Everybody" and "Sittin' in the Balcony.” Gene Vincent, who recorded "Be Bop A Lula" in 1956, and Cochran's fiancée, Sharon Sheeley survived the crash.

In 1998, Linda Eastman, wife of former Beatle Paul McCartney, died while vacationing with her family near Tucson, AZ. She had been diagnosed with breast cancer in 1995. Paul was at her bedside when she passed away.

In 1964, Washington's FBI lab reported it couldn’t determine the lyrics to "Louie Louie.” They remain a mystery to me as well.

The first solo concert by the Band was held in San Francisco in 1969.

Them (with Van Morrison) made their first concert appearance, at Belfast's Maritime Hotel in 1964.

In 1970, Paul McCartney released his first post-Beatles solo album appropriately named, “McCartney.” The versatile musician played every instrument of the wondrous lo-fi recording.

2004- Kurt Cobain's right-handed 1960's Mosrite Gospel Mark IV guitar sold at an auction for $117,500. At the same sale, the piano on which Elton John wrote "Your Song" sold for $164,500. I made a few bids.

In 2003, a British fan who claimed he caught the flu off of Beatle Paul McCartney, attempted to auction off the germ on eBay. I did not bid on that one.

In 1983, Felix Pappalardi died after being shot by his wife in their New York apartment. The producer worked on records by Cream, Hot Tuna, Mountain, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. He was 41.

Liz Phair was born in 1967. Her extraordinary Exile in Guyville album is one of the most celebrated indie rock discs of the nineties.

Jan Hammer was born in Prague in 1948. The keyboardist performed with Santana and Jeff Beck, but we love him for his immortal "Miami Vice Theme."

Billy Fury was born in Liverpool, England in 1941. Molded by his manager as a British Elvis, Fury, with his suggestive stage presence and raw delivery, he was an immeasurable influence on groups like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones.

In 1965, RCA and Lear Jet Corporation announced the development of the combination 8 track tape player and car radio that will be available in new cars the next fall. All hail the 8-track!

All four former Beatles had solo singles on the UK chart in 1971: Paul McCartney: "Another Day,” Ringo Starr: "It Don't Come Easy,” John Lennon, "Power To The People" and George Harrison: "My Sweet Lord.”

In 1973, Pink Floyd received a gold album for "The Dark Side of the Moon," one of Rock's landmark albums. The LP would remain on the charts for more than ten years and become the longest charting Rock record of all time.

Celebrate Record Store Day

This is a repost of an article I wrote several weeks ago and I wanted to remind everyone about this very unique and special day. Many music artists have signed on to help promote this and many record stores are also celebrating this day. Check with your local record store to see what kind of promotion they have!


Celebrate Record Store Day- April 19, 2008

By Robert Benson


When Neilsen Soundscan releases their sales data regarding vinyl records, did you know that they do not count hundreds of ‘indie’ vinyl record shops in their totals? So when you read ‘vinyl sales have risen….such and such a percentage,’ that these numbers woefully underestimate the true sales of vinyl.

But local independent and national record stores want to be counted and included in the vinyl sales figures because it is at these smaller record stores where vinyl records are selling the best.

So to help bring attention to this dilemma and to help celebrate the record store culture, hundreds of independently owned music stores across the country will celebrate the first annual “Record Store Day” on April 19th.

I spoke with Eric Levin, who owns Criminal Records (www.criminal.com) a independent record store in Atlanta about the concept and celebratory plans of Record Store Day (www.recordstoreday.com).

“We came up with the concept at the annual Noise in the Basement convention in Baltimore, a gathering of independent record stores hosted by the Music Monitor Network (www.monitorthis.com). It is similar to “Free Comic Book Day (www.freecomicbookday.com), in that we decided to help bring attention to our stores by saying- we are out here, enjoy what we have to offer,” said Eric. “So on this day, all of the stores that choose to participate will simultaneously link together and act as one with the purpose of celebrating the culture and unique place that they occupy both in their local communities and nationally.”

“We have over 200 independent record stores that have signed up for the event, with more signing on each day. Each store will be doing something different to celebrate Record Store Day. Some stores may opt to have an ‘in store’ performance, special sale events, demonstrations, dances, swap meets or ‘an afternoon at a record store’ promotion as well as provide a ‘goodie bag’ that promotes new formats, new releases and exciting information about music, theatrical and gaming releases. Everything that makes an indie store unique should be on display,” related Eric.

Music stores have been part of our culture for decades and it is important to note that, while there may not be as many of them as there used to be, there are still those unique music shops that continue to thrive and are still part of our local and national music culture.

In fact, many music related entities have signed on to be part of Record Store Day as Eric explains:

“We have many groups involved including the Coalition of Independent Music Stores (www.cimsmusic.com), the Alliance of Independent Media Stores (www.thealliancerocks.com), Newbury Comics (www.newburycomics.com) & The Music Monitor Network (www.monitorthis.com), where one can find links to some of the best indie record shops around the country; with many more organizations signing up each day.”

“In fact, all indie record stores are invited to participate by making April 19th, 2008 a day of celebration at their place of business. Some music labels are getting involved as well by releasing special editions marking the day and the celebration of the music and the record store,” said Eric.

Moreover, many famous musicians are chiming in and doing their best to, not only promote Record Store Day, but the culture that encompasses it. Here are a few quotes:

Paul McCartney - “There’s nothing as glamorous to me as a record store. When I recently played Amoeba in LA, I realised what fantastic memories such a collection of music brings back when you see it all in one place. This is why I’m more than happy to support Record Store Day and I hope that these kinds of stores will be there for us all for many years to come. Cheers!"

Norah Jones - “It’s important to keep indie record stores alive because their unique environments introduce music lovers to things in a very personal way.”

John Doe - “The physical act of picking up a recording (CD, vinyl, cassette), checking it out, finding something unavailable, etc.; is an experience you will NEVER get online. And now it's becoming common knowledge that CDs have more digital information than most files, so they sound better. A great or even good record store is like no other."

Chuck Berry - "Music is an important part of our culture and record stores play a vital part in keeping the power of music alive."

Joan Jett - “The indie record stores are the backbone of the recorded music culture. It's where we go to network, browse around, and find new songs to love. The stores whose owners and staff live for music have spread the word about exciting new things faster and with more essence than either radio or the press. Any artist that doesn't support the wonderful ma and pa record stores across America is contributing to our own extinction.”

Ziggy Marley - "Record stores keep the human social contact alive it brings people together. Without the independent record stores the community breaks down with everyone sitting in front of their computers"

Ben Watt (Everything But The Girl) - "It is hard to underestimate the role of independent retail in the music industry. As the world continues to try and cram every purchase they make onto their computer, turning music into binary digits and artwork into pixelated packshots, we can only sit and wait for them to wake up from their dream and realize that ultimately human interaction in shops, with informed good people, handling cherishable artefacts is good for the soul. In the meantime we need to support the people who keep this world alive for the moment we all realize we need it again."

Sam Phillips (A&R/producer for Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and many others) - “There would be no Elvis. There would be no Johnny Cash. There’d be no B.B King. There’d be no Roscoe Gordon. There’d be no Carl Perkins. There would be no Jerry Lee Lewis. There would be no Roy Orbison. I can just tell you. We owe all of that to the independents and the independent people that work so hard for us to have something that could be accepted through their efforts,hard work, and desire to keep a personal feeling in every record..”

Dean Wareham (Luna) - “We are drowning in a sea of Myspace, blather, and too much information. Music is everywhere and nowhere. The independent record store is the solution, a place staffed by friendly (or not) people who are actually paid to weed through this crap and help you find the good stuff.”

G. Love- “Independent record stores are where kids like me learned about the music that made them the musicians they are today. Independent record stores are about the love of records not the love of money!”

So as you have just read, the passion that these musicians have for the independent record shops is immeasurable. These are the professionals who know a little something about the music industry and embrace the concepts, culture and meaning of Record Store Day. Let’s make Record Store Day a national celebration of the independent record store, the musicians who love them and the historical culture that each individual store brings to each and every one of us.

Top 5 Vinyl Records eBay Sales

Week Ending 04/05/2008


1) 45rpm - Bruce Springsteen "Spirit In The Night" / "For You" Columbia - $4,000.00

2) LP - Stephen David Heitkotter (self titled) Private Press - $2,999.99

3) LP - Frank Ballard "Rhythm & Blues Party" Phillips - $2,950.00

4) 78rpm - Louie Bluie and Ted Bogan "State Street Blues" / "Ted's Stomp" Bluebird - $2,946.00

5) 45rpm - Hayes Cotton "Black Wing's Have My Angel" / "I'll Be Waiting" Resist - $2,750.00