Tag: vinylfinds
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The Ink Spots, If I Didn’t Care, 1964 on Crown Records (CST 448)
Crown is somewhat reviled as the king of the discount labels – records were issued without even paper inner sleeves, and issues records between 1953 and 1972. Records issue by Crown often have really noisy recordings or sound warn, but this one actually holds up pretty well. Their biggest single, the title track here, came…
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Herb Ellis, At Montreux, 1980 on Concord Jazz (CJ-116)
Recorded live by Mountain Studios at the Montreux Jazz Festival, Montreux, Switzerland July 1979. With: Produced by Carl Jefferson, who founded Concord Records (as well as the Concord Summer Festival in Concord CA) and sold it in 1994. My copy via Beverly Coin & Jewel.
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Erroll Garner, Feeling is Believing, 1970 on Mercury
Garner’s first album in the 1970s, with five of his own compositions plus recordings of the Beatle’s “Yesterday;” Blood, Sweat, & Tears’ “Spinning Wheel;” “For Once In My Life;” “Strangers in the Night;” and the Hal David Burt Bacharach “The Look Of Love.” Listed as “A Product of Octave Records” – who are currently reissuing…
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Art Farmer, The Many Faces of Art Farmer, Scepter Records, 1964
My copy (as you can see from the images) is an UpFront records reissue from the 70s, retitled as just Art Farmer. UpFront was a sublabel of Springboard International out of New Jersey, which reissued lots of compilation jazz and blues records from artists originally released on other labels (some are advertised on the rear…
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Johnnie Frierson, Have You Been Good To Yourself, 2016 on Light in the Attic
Took a flyer on this one at a $10 sale at Vinyl Destination in Lowell, based on my appreciation of other Light in the Attic reissues – it’s really a wonderful collection. Call it lo-fi gospel with some almost spoken word production. Frierson originally put these recordings out on home-produced cassettes in the 1990s but…
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Leonard Cohen, Songs of Leonard Cohen, 1968 on Columbia
You don’t often find Leonard Cohen LPs in record stores as people tend to hold on to them to the end. Even if you haven’t had a turntable in years you’re reluctant to give these up. Cohen is one of those artists I came to a bit later in life but feels like he’s always…
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Savages, Adore Life, 2016 on Matador
Sophomore LP from English post-punk band fronted by Gemma Thompson (guitar) and Jehnny Beth (vocals), with Ay?e Hassan (bass) and Fay Milton (drums). Love the post-punk revival sound here but they’re no tribute act – this is vibrant compelling and modern. Unfortunately they’ve not released any new music since 2017. Found this copy at Vinyl…
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Billy Bragg, Brewing Up With Billy Bragg, 1984 on CD Presents
Billy Bragg’s sophomore full length, subtitled “a puckish satire on contemporary mores.” This was released on Go! Discs in the UK but David Ferguson‘s CD Presents in the US. CD Presents started as a promotions company organizing West Coast shows for PiL. My copy, which I found at Academy Records in New York, includes a…
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Benjamin Booker, Self-Titled, 2014 on ATO Records
Wonderful debut full-length on ATO from New Orleans based blues / soul guitarist/singer/songwriter Booker. Recorded (analog) at the Bomb Shelter (Nashville) and produced by Andrija Tokic who worked with Alabama Shakes and Hurray for the Riff Raff. My copy via Vinyl Destination in Lowell MA
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Elvis Costello & The Attractions, Almost Blue, 1981 on Columbia
Recorded in Nashville, this is Costello’s covers album of country greats – including Hank Williams and George Jones. I love Costello in his Americana / roots / country incarnations, and I love cover records, so this is among my favorites from him. My copy via Academy Records in New York City.
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The Oscar Peterson Trio, In a Mellow Mood, 1973 on MPS-BASF
This 2xLP set is actually a reissue of The Way I Really Play and Mellow Mood, which were volumes III and V of the Exclusively For My Friends series. Makes it very confusing when I’m in a record store and trying to determine whether I’ve completed the series or not. (I have not – still…
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Nancy Sinatra, How Does That Grab You?, 1966 on Reprise
Another Lee Hazlewood produced mid-sixties Nancy Sinatra record – this was the followup to Boots – on Reprise. It didn’t do as well as Boots, but did reach #41 on the Billboard charts in the US and #17 in the UK. Arrangements by Billy Strange (who also arranged Boots). There’s some parts of this followup…
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Depeche Mode, Speak & Spell: The 12″ Singles, 2018 on Mute
Reissued box of singles by Rhino / Sire / Mute. The singles: “Dreaming of Me,” “New Life,” and “Just Can’t Get Enough” all came out in 1981, the same year as Speak & Spell the band’s debut album. This reissue from 2018 also includes a flexi-disc with “Sometimes I Wish I Was Dead” (which was…
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Let’s Active, Cypress, 1984 on IRS Records
Mitch Easter, Faye Hunter, and Sara Romweber’s debut full-length as Let’s Active, following after the Afoot EP. My copy is UK pressing – “A & M Records Ltd are the exclusive licensees for the UK. Made in England” on the label – but still has the IRS logo. Hunter and Romweber would both move on…
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Weather Report, I Sing The Body Electric, 1972 on Columbia
Joe Zawinul, Wayne Shorter, Miroslav Vitous, Eric Gravatt, and guests, in a foundational fusion album from the early 70s. This was their second album after a self-titled debut. Side A is new studio work, Side B is live from a concert in Tokyo. I’m certain I actually had a copy of this back in the…
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Depeche Mode, Live at Crocs Night Club Rayleigh Essex 27th June 1981, unlabelled bootleg, 2018
Per discogs, this seems to be a 2018 Spanish pressing of a bootleg that first appeared in the UK in 2006. Track A6 is listed just as “Boys” before being renamed “Boys Say Go!” on the album Speak & Spell. Someone’s uploaded it to YouTube: You can listed to (and download) a soundboard at dm/live…
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Aztec Camera; High Land, Hard Rain; 1983 on Sire
Aztec Camera were a Scottish new wave band led by Roddy Frame – this was their debut album recorded for Rough Trade in the UK and distributed in the US by Sire. Best well known hit was “Oblivious,” but really the whole album is wonderful My copy via Academy Records in NYC
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Steve Goodman, Steve Goodman, 1971 on Buddah Records
Steve Goodman’s an under-appreciated American singer songwriter, mostly known as the guy who wrote “City of New Orleans” (as in, Good Morning, America, how are ya? Don’t you know me I am your native son . . . ). He also hung out with John Prine and Kris Kristofferson in the Chicago folk scene before…