It pays to take chances, though sometimes we have to make our chances and then our payments before we can walk away with crate treasures.
I’ve been reading headlines that make my stomach lurch, turn, retch, and plain old rile up. I’d rather not see the latest hijinks perpetrated by the convicted felon and his never-elected muskrat, but I am an informed citizen or at least hope I will be next week, next month, next year.
I’ve also been actively crate-diving during the months since I last posted here. I am pleased that in my absence so many new followers have joined, surely seeking escape and a leisurely stroll through all the LPs I’ve been amassing, collected from record stores, boxes left on the street, and in the haul I’ll be showcasing today, properly curated from several old crates at a place called Heyday Vintage Antiques in Charlottesville, VA. The sweet proprietor of Heyday told me that the person who owns the crates I dug through knows his stuff.
“If you’d ever like to find him, he works at a tobacco store on the west side of town with his father.”
Interesting, but if you know me well, you know that I prefer people’s records to the people themselves. I also don’t smoke and other than records, I’m not sure this guy and I would have anything else in common. And like I said somewhere above, I’m willing to let cash be our go-between and not worry or trouble anyone else’s mind as long as all is fair in love and record collecting.
Today, Kevin Alexander, whom you can find elsewhere on this platform, wrote about his latest finds. I don’t blame him for passing on Life’s Rich Pageant for $130, but am glad he found that Aztec Camera record. You really can’t tell what’s waiting, and so when I started rifling through the crates, I couldn’t have expected to meet someone who likes to label his ware with enough info and gusto to make me salivate.
So here goes:
Manfred Mann’s Earth Band: Get Your Rocks Off/aka Messin’ (PD 5050 Polydor 1973). A very fine copy of the band’s third American LP. This is the original American version, featuring both title songs, and a song I remember hearing often on my once and dearly departed favorite FM underground station WJLN—”Buddah.” Some good prog rock with a bit of jazzy flavor from some of the guys who once poked us with “Doo Wah Diddy Diddy” and “The Mighty Quinn.”
Arthur Conley: Sweet Soul Music (33-215 ATCO 1967). The title song, Conley’s biggest hit, says it all. Produced by Otis Redding who also co-wrote that title song with Conley, as well as these others on the LP—”I’m a Lonely Stranger,” “Where You Lead Me,” and added these solo-written tunes as well, “Wholesale Love” and “Let Nothing Separate Us”—maybe the most remarkable thing of all is reading the liner notes, also written by Redding. Proclaiming the then-21 year old Conley as “one of the most fantastic young singers in the entertainment industry today,” Redding continues to gush, predicting longer fame for this young man. Fame, we don’t really know about. What we do know is that Otis himself died soon after, never knowing how wrong or right he was.
John Lennon: Mind Games (SW 3414 Apple 1973). An original pressing, though with one of those damned bullet-hole budget bin reminders. Budget Bin????? OK, not one of Lennon’s finest bodies, but the title song always reminds me of hearing my brother playing it from his bedroom on cold winter afternoons. With “Bring on the Lucie (Freda Peeple). I can now sell my re-released copy for something greater.
The Yardbirds: Having a Rave Up (BN 26177 Epic 1965). 1st pressing with very fine, intact cover. Featuring songs like “I’m a Man,” “Heart Full of Soul,” and “You’re a Better Man Than I,” this one came originally from the record collection of someone named John Paul Stark, bought on Oct. 29, 1966 in a place and venue long since forgotten, if ever known.
The Rolling Stones (in concert): Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out (NPS-5 London 1970). Another first pressing. Too bad I bought a new copy of the record just last week. Maybe my daughter wants that to help serenade the baby inside her now. I’m sure he’d enjoy this version of “Midnight Rambler” and “Stray Cat Blues.”
Tammy Wynette: D-I-V-O-R-C-E (BN 26392 Epic 1968). Yes yes yes, I already have two copies of this one, but dig the note left by the seller: “I’ve found this record 30+ times, this is literally the cleanest I’ve ever found and it’s like an 8.5/10.” So cool, I forgive the comma splice. When it comes to Tammy it was/is truly never enough. She makes me ache for sure, and I’ve never come close to living the title song either.
The Rolling Stones: Out of Our Heads (US version PS 429 London 1965). Who says you can’t always get what you want, since it was only last week that I was lamenting not being able to find this LP at an affordable price anywhere? And then, the sixth record I scrolled through, there it was. Not in the best shape, but with a little cleaning and love, I’m sure its natural rawness will blend with the long-lived experience on whoever’s old system it once played. Does anyone remember that Jack Nitzsche played keyboards and percussion and Phil Spector played some bass on this one? Or that “Cry to Me” is one of their best songs? They also cover songs by Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye, and Solomon Burke. My latest obsession lives on.
Overall, my purchases came to exactly what Kevin would have paid for the REM LP he mentioned and passed on. Not bad if you can swing it and especially if it helps ward off the presidential blues.
More coming soon, so for now, enjoy and keep on digging it.
Now, *this* is a haul!
Great to see you back on here, and I’m looking forward to seeing what else you find. You always seem to have incredible luck!