Rare John Lennon Acetate Test Pressing Offered To Collectors

The John Lennon collectibles market has always been popular and remains this way nearly thirty years after his death. On sale right now is a acetate test pressing of the LP "Wedding Album."

















(PR July 8, 2009) -- Possibly one of the rarest Beatles related records:

A one-of-a-kind acetate test pressing of John Lennon's Wedding Album is now being offered for sale to Beatles memorabilia collectors. This item is on consignment from a major record collector who is retiring.

Numerous searches on the Internet fail to show another item like this being offered or sold. As a vinyl record appraiser, this is the coup-deville, the mother load, if you will. He are some specifics from the seller:

"Timing is the same as the album. Record does show some marks and a ding in the start of the cue lines but probably won't affect play. Please see photos for examples. None of the marks should skip the record but let’s be honest, "DON'T PLAY IT", it's an acetate. No gray grooves and probably only played once or twice by the original owner."

Let's explore the details of the album:

The Wedding Album is the final LP of three experimental albums by John Lennon and Yoko Ono and was released in 1969. The record consisted of two tracks, one on each side of the record. Side one, simply called, "John & Yoko," is a recording of Lennon and Ono calling to each other, through a range of emotions, over the sound of their heartbeats.

Side two, "Amsterdam," consists of a series of interviews, conversations and captured sounds during the couple's famous "Bed-In" honeymoon. After being married on March 20, 1969 and being experts at marketing, the couple used the event to publicly promote world peace by inviting the press into their hotel room (room #702 at the Amsterdam Hilton Hotel in the Netherlands) for interviews and conversations about world peace. In fact, the next month, John and Yoko sent acorns to the heads of state in various countries around the world in hopes that they would plant them as a symbol of peace. However, the couple was not granted a single visit with any world leader.


The Wedding Album was initially released on Apple Records and reissued in 1997 through Rykodisc with three bonus cuts - all of them B-sides by The Plastic Ono Band composed by Ono.

As a vinyl record appraiser, I have never seen an item like this offered before and my online efforts to find a similar item being offered were fruitless; so the asking price of $25,000 is acceptable and within collectible market limits. For any fan of the Beatles (John was technically still with the group at the time), and specifically John Lennon, this rare acetate would make a compelling addition to any collection.

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For more information: www.vinylrecordappraisals.com

fonzie1957@charter.net
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Sheboygan, WI 53081
(920) 287-7190

Mr. Music with Jerry Osborne

I am continuing our new feature: Ask "Mr. Music." Now in its 23rd year of syndication (1986-2008), Jerry Osborne's weekly Q&A feature will be a regular post every Wednesday from now on. Be sure to stop by Jerry's site (www.jerryosborne.com) for more Mr. Music archives, record price guides, anything Elvis, buy & sell collectibles, record appraisals and much more. I thank Jerry for allowing the reprints.

DEAR JERRY: Your recent recap of all the Beatles live shows brought back fond memories for me.

In the summer of 1964, I was lucky enough to see the Beatles in concert. I say see, but not hear, since all the screaming pretty much drowned them out.

One of the opening acts was a pretty young blond singer whose name might be Shannon, but whether that's a first or last name I don't know.

What I do remember after 45 years is how she sang some Buddy Holly songs, but added the same kind of “wooooo” that the Beatles practically turned into a trademark.

Can you supply the details that my brain has seen fit to discard?
—Marsha Collingwood, Terre Haute, Ind.

DEAR MARSHA: First, here is one morsel of information you might want, in case your ticket stub got tossed:

Assuming you watched (not heard) the Beatles in the area where you now live, then the date you and about 8,000 others crammed into Indiana State Fair Coliseum (Indianapolis), is September 3, 1964. That building is now named the Pepsi Coliseum.

Opening for the Beatles that summer — their first American tour — were the Righteous Brothers; Bill Black's Combo; the Exciters; and that “pretty young blond,” singer-songwriter Jackie De Shannon.

An admitted Buddy Holly fan, he inspired Jackie's first Liberty single, appropriately titled “Buddy” (Liberty 55148).

Dozens of tribute recordings exist to Holly, as well as the Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens, but what sets Jackie De Shannon's record apart is it came out in August 1958, over five months before the February 3, 1959 plane crash, in which those three stars and their pilot (Roger Peterson) perished.

In early 1964, Liberty issued Jackie's versions of two Buddy Holly classics on a single: “Oh Boy” and “I'm Looking for Someone to Love” (F-55678). It is “Oh Boy” where she does a few marvelous McCartneyish “wooooos,” as he does in “She Loves You.”

With Jackie doing two shows a day in front of huge crowds in sold-out venues, Liberty jumped on the bandwagon by gathering a dozen of her earlier tracks and packaging them in an album titled “Breakin' It Up on the Beatles Tour” (LRP-3390/LST-7390). Among these cuts is “Oh Boy,” but not “I'm Looking for Someone to Love,” though the 20-track CD edition includes both, plus “Maybe Baby,” making for three Holly tunes.

While this is an excellent compilation of De Shannon's 1962-'64 output, it has nothing to do with her live shows with the Beatles.

Less than a year after breakin' something on the Beatles tour, Jackie took the Hal David - Burt Bacharach tune, “What the World Needs Now Is Love” to the Top 10.

In the summer of '69, “Put a Little Love in Your Heart” made the Top 5. Written by Jackie and Jimmy Holiday, this became the biggest hit of her singing career.

Jackie's overall top seller, “Bette Davis Eyes,” which she wrote for Kim Carnes, reached No. 1 in 1981.

Now the name game: Born Sharon Lee Myers, Jackie's first record (1956) identifies her as Sherry Lee . On the next two (1957-'58), one of which is “Buddy,” she is Jackie Dee. The subsequent five labels (1959) credit Jackie Shannon, with the four that follow (1959-'60) showing her as Jackie deShannon. Finally (1960), Jackie De Shannon becomes the standardized name, even though her personal preference is Jackie DeShannon.

Enough details for ya?

IZ ZAT SO? Because Jackie De Shannon and Buddy Holly both began recording in 1956, plus her admiration for him, folks assume the two were friends, or had at least met.

While such a meeting never took place, as Jackie explains, they did come close to performing together in early 1959:

“Though I never met Buddy, I was scheduled to do a show with him. However, that same evening his plane went down in an Iowa cornfield.”

Copyright 2009 Osbourne Enterprises- Reprinted By Permission

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"Rockin Records" is now on sale- call with the code "CVR" and receive $6 off your purchase

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Jerry Osborne's "Rockin' Records" has long been the most popular record guide. Now with 1,104 pages, it is by far the biggest record guide we've ever made. It is regarded throughout the industry as the best available guide, and it is the one accepted by all the major insurance companies.

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Michael Jackson Vinyl

Jackson Dominating Charts

The sales of Michael Jackson's albums in the United States increased 90% last week over the previous week's already record totals. Sales of Michael Jackson’s catalog topped over 800,000 copies in the first full week since the singer’s death. Leading the charge was Jackson’s Number Ones, selling 339,000 copies to rank Number One on the Top Albums chart (Jackson’s discography is ineligible for the Top 200 chart because the releases are older than 18 months). Thriller came in at Number Two with 187,000 copies. Both albums sold more than the week’s Top 200 champ the Now 31 compilation, which sold 169,000 units.

A check of eBay shows that there has been some over-the-top listings, one "Thriller" LP listed at 1 million dollars (I hope that got pulled) And there are some that list the "Thriller" album as "RARE". Rare?

"Thriller" was recognized as the world's best-selling album on February 7, 1984, when it was inducted into the Guinness Book of World Records. It is one of only three albums to remain in the top ten of the Billboard 200 for a full year, and spent 37 weeks at number one out of the 80 consecutive weeks it was in the top ten. The album was also the first of three to have seven Billboard Hot 100 top ten singles, and was the only album to be the best-seller of two years (1983–1984) in the US. The album is cited as having sold between 47 and 109 million copies worldwide; the Guinness Book of World Records lists Thriller as having sold 65 million copies as of 2007, a number that has certainly gone up.

So, when reading these idiot posts about a "RARE" "Thriller" LP, be wary, it is just some fool trying to cash in on Jackson's untimely death. I have noticed that the records on ebay are selling for about triple of what the record price guides are listing, so don't overpay for a Jackson LP.

Music News & Notes

Beastie Boys Album Set For Reissue

The Beastie Boys latest album to be reissued has been announced.

The band are set to reissue III Communication later this month.

The multi-format reissue will hit store shelves on July 14 via Capital Records with pre-orders now available on Beastieboys.com.

The reissue will include b-sides and rarities with the ultra-deluxe 3 LP vinyl version to include a hardcover coffee table book case and will be limited to 1500 copies.

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Carrie Underwood to Release a New Album in November

Carrie Underwood has announced she’ll be releasing a new album on November 3.

The American Idol winner hasn’t had a new album out since 2007’s Carnival Ride, and though her third and upcoming album doesn’t have a name yet, she’s currently working on it and plans for the first single to be hitting the airwaves late this summer.

Carrie’s first two albums, Some Hearts and Carnival Ride, have sold over 10 million units and netted her the distinction of being the first country artist hit to 10 #1 hits off her first two albums.

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Soundgarden Box Set Release?

Soungarden have been talking, however not about touring or recording, but about the band’s legacy.

“The only thing that we have talked about is trying to put together an album of B sides and maybe a box set with some unreleased tracks we have,” Cornell releated to Rolling Stone. “This is something we first talked about 10 years ago. We all feel it’s time to do that, and we have a lot of fans out there, and we have a lot of new fans discovering our music, and I think the catalog and the legacy of the band has been ignored by the record label and previous management, so we decided to get together, and start working towards putting something like that out.”

Cornell was steadfast in his denial that a tour would be happening this time next year, adding that such talk has been nonexistent. His main Soundgarden-related focus? Getting those B sides out.

“We did so many B sides, and we were always miffed by the concept that the largest part of our audience was in the U.S., and yet, we were always churning out B sides for other territories, so they would buy the local release instead of the import. That’s what I am the most excited about, to get that collection out so every one knows its there and has access to it. I think a box set would be good, too.”

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New Lennon Song?

It's rumored that there may be a third new Beatles track about to be released. "Now and Then" was recorded by John Lennon in 1978 and there have been rumors that of its existence since the Anthology recording sessions in 1995. A source has told BeatleNews.com that Paul McCartney has done some embellishments over the last couple of years to prepare the cut for release.

The source said, "There is no doubt the song is finished, none, or that the finishing touches were done over the last couple years. There is no doubt that all four Beatles are on the track. I heard that George Harrison sings back up as well as playing at least one guitar. It is thought McCartney sings at least some back up, if not more and plays several instruments. It is also possible he wrote additional sections to the song. Why it is not out, I dont know. My sources cannot be revealed but they are very reliable."

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Sir Paul & Beatles Catalog

There have been reports about the Beatles' publishing rights and where they are with releation to the death of Michael Jackson. Some have said that Jackson had promised Paul McCartney that the rights would pass back to him upon his death. When no mention was made of it in his will, it supposedly left McCartney devastated.

McCartney has released a statement addressing the rumors, basically calling them all hogwash:

For the Record - Message From Paul

Some time ago, the media came up with the idea that Michael Jackson was going to leave his share in the Beatles songs to me in his will which was completely made up and something I didn’t believe for a second.

Now the report is that I am devastated to find that he didn’t leave the songs to me. This is completely untrue. I had not thought for one minute that the original report was true and therefore, the report that I’m devastated is also totally false, so don’t believe everything you read folks!

In fact, though Michael and I drifted apart over the years, we never really fell out, and I have fond memories of our time together.

At times like this, the press do tend to make things up, so occasionally, I feel the need to put the record straight.

Paul

Rolling Stone Readers Pick "American" Songs

In this week's issue of Rolling Stone, a readers poll revolved around favorite "American" songs. That wouldn't be songs ABOUT America or songs written BY Americans, but songs that have America or U.S.A. in their titles. here are the results:

Top 15 "American" Songs:


1. American Girl - Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
2. American Pie - Don McLean
3. American Woman - Guess Who
4. America - Simon & Garfunkel
5. Born In The U.S.A. - Bruce Springsteen
6. Living in America - James Brown
7. We’re An American Band - Grand Funk Railroad
8. I’m Afraid of Americans - David Bowie
9. Young Americans - David Bowie
10. American Idiot - Green Day
11. I’m So Bored with the U.S.A. - Clash
12. America - Neil Diamond
13. Ashes Of American Flags - Wilco
14. Little America - R.E.M.
15. America The Beautiful - Ray Charles

Not sure why "Born in the USA" is listed, if we go there, how about John Mellencamp's "R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A."?

Restocks at Vinyl Collective

Want some great vinyl? Stop by www.vinylcollective.com and pick some up! (tell Virgil you found out about the restocks from collectingvinylrecords.com!)

108 “A NEW BEAT FROM A DEAD HEART” LP red vinyl
A DAY IN BLACK AND WHITE “Notes” LP
A DAY IN BLACK AND WHITE ìMy Heroes Have Always Killed Cowboysî LP
ALPHA & OMEGA “Devil’s Bed” 7″ clear vinyl
AUSTIN LUCAS “Common Cold” LP US version black vinyl
BLACK ANVIL “Time Insults The Mind” LP
BLACKENED “This Means War” LP
BLACKLISTED “Heavier Than Heaven” LP transparent blue vinyl
BOILING OVER “Trash City” 7″ clear vinyl
BOYSETSFIRE “Live for Today” 10″
BRIAN PETERSON “Burning Fight: The Nineties Hardcore Revolution” BOOK
CEREMONY “Still, Nothing Moves You” LP grey/black marble vinyl
CEREMONY “Violence Violence” LP white/black splatter vinyl
CHIMAIRA “The Infection” LP picture disc
COLD WORLD “Dedicated To Babies Who Came Feet First” LP white vinyl
COLISEUM “No Salvation” LP yellow w/ red splatter vinyl
COLISEUM “True Quiet / Last Wave” 7″ blue vinyl
CRIME IN STEREO “Is Dead” LP blue/white marble vinyl
CRIME IN STEREO “The Troubled Stateside” LP white vinyl
DEADLY SINS “Selling Our Weaknesses” LP
DEADLY SINS/ LEFT ALONE split 7″ blue marble vinyl
DETOURNMENT “Screaming Response” 7″ yellow vinyl
DISFEAR/ DOOMRIDERS split 7″ beer vinyl
DISNIHIL “Future Cancers” 7″ red vinyl
DOWN TO NOTHING The Most LP yellow/purple half and half
DOWN TO NOTHING/ 50 LIONS split 7″ green vinyl
ELLIOTT “Song In The Air” LP
ELLIOTT “U.S. Songs” LP
END OF A YEAR “S/T” 7″ clear w/ white vinyl
ENFORCER “Into the Night” LP
ENGINE DOWN “S/T” LP
EXMORTUS “In Hatred’s Flame” LP
FARSIDE “Monroe Doctrine” LP clear yellow vinyl
GORILLA BISCUITS ” Start Today” LP
GORILLA BISCUITS “S/T” 7″
HARMS WAY “Reality Approaches” LP
IGNITE “Our Darkest Days” LP white w/ black vinyl
IRON AGE “Constant Struggle” LP clear vinyl
KILLING THE DREAM “Fractures” LP white w/ sky blue splatter vinyl
MODERN LIFE IS WAR “S/T” 7″ white vinyl
MONUMENT TO THIEVES “Anyone But You” 7″
MOTHER OF MERCY “Passing Through The Fire” 7″
NARROWS “S/T” 7″ pink w/ brown splatter vinyl
NATIONS AFIRE “The Uprising” 7″ clear vinyl
NEW FOUND GLORY “Tip Of The Iceberg” 7″ white w/ rainbow splatter vinyl
NO DOUBT “Tragic Kingdom” LP green vinyl
NOFX “Maximum Rock n Roll” LP pink vinyl
NOFX “Maximum Rock n Roll” LP mustard yellow vinyl
ONLY LIVING WITNESS “Prone Mortal Form/ Innocents” dbl LP
OUTBREAK “Failure” LP red vinyl
PAINT IT BLACK “Amnesia” 7″ white vinyl
POLAR BEAR CLUB “Sometimes Things Just Disappear” LP green vinyl w/ CD
POVERTY BAY SAINTS “S/T” 7″
PYGMYLUSH “Mount Hope” LP clear vinyl
RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE “People Of The Sun” 10″
REIGN SUPREME “American Violence” 7″ transparent red vinyl
REMEMBERING NEVER “God Save Us” LP
RITUAL “Beneath Aging Flesh And Bone” LP
SET YOUR GOALS “Mutiny” LP brown vinyl
SHAI HULUD “A Profound Hatred Of Man” LP pic disc
SHAI HULUD “Hearts Once Nourished With Hope” LP pic disc
SHAI HULUD “That Within Blood/ Ill-Tempered” LP
SIDE BY SIDE “You’re Only Young Once” LP
SINCE BY MAN “We Sing The Body Electric” LP
TERROR “Always The Hard Way” LP red vinyl
TERROR “The Damned, The Shamed” LP picture disc
TERROR Rise Of The Poisoned Youth: Blood Track Demos 7″ black w/ silver
TEXAS IS THE REASON “Do Yo Know Who You Are?” LP
TEXAS IS THE REASON “S/T” 7″
THE KILLER “Not All Who Are Lost Want to Be Found” LP
THE WONDER YEARS “Won’t Be Pathetic Forever” 7″ black vinyl
THROWDOWN “Haymaker/Vendetta” dbl LP red/maroon vinyl
THROWDOWN “Venom & Tears” LP blue vinyl
TIDES / GIANT split LP red/white swirl vinyl
TOUCHE AMORE “S/T” 7″ red vinyl
UNDERTOW “Everything” dbl LP color vinyl
YOUTH OF TODAY “Break Down The Walls” LP
YOUTH OF TODAY “Canít Close My Eyes” LP

The day I met Michael Jackson

I found this story online and thought it was very interesting, amazing and tells of just how real the man was:


"just finished watching the Michael Jackson memorial on television, and I decided as soon as it was over that I wanted to write about the day I met Michael Jackson.

I have told this story to many friends and family members, but I never actually wrote it down. I might as well do it right here, right now, as Michael is on my mind, and the memory of my encounter with him will only fade over time......"


Read the rest here:
the-day-i-met-michael-jackson