[Dixielandjazz] Resurgence of Vinyl

[Norman Vickers]

To:  DJML and Musicians & serious jazzfans list

>From :  Norman Vickers, Pensacola

 

Dear Listmates-This from Carmen Brown, radio personality and activist with
Mobile, AL Jazz Society  MOJO ( Mystic Order of the Jazz Obsessed).

She's on the Musicians and Serious Jazzfans list, but because of the
significance, I am also posting on DJML.

Thanks, Carmen.

 

 

 

From: smoothoperator983 [mailto:smoothoperator983 at carmenbrown.com] 
Resurgence of Vinyl

 

Have a collection of over 3000 vinyl LPs, color discs, acetates and 12"
singles....along with a turntable that is over 40 years old (but can still
find stylii at one of the "big box stores.") Many of these have not been
re-issued in the CD format, so am reluctant to part with them.

 

One of the things that I'm still fond of doing is putting a platter on the
turntable, dropping the needle and picking up the cover to look at the art
or read the liner notes (without the aid of a magnifying glass as the CDs
require.)  

 

Another thing - many of the LPs came with bonus posters - of which I have
many, either still in the jacket or framed - and informational postcards to
get on mailing list or order label's or group's compilations.)  

 

Personal disclaimer prior to next section:   Before I got seriously immersed
in JAZZ, I was an album oriented rock DJ for over ten years.

 

The promotional "odd shaped"  LPs  sent to radio stations will never be
released in the CD format and they are priceless (i.e, Prince's "Purple
Rain" heart shaped single - currently desired by Japanese collectors who are
willing to pay thousands; Toto's "Hold The Line" octagon shaped singles; Rod
Stewart's limited edition numbered "Do Ya Thing I'm Sexy" picture disc or
Led Zeppelin's "In Through The Out Door  [The original LP album featured an
unusual gimmick: the album had an outer sleeve which was made to look like a
plain brown paper bag, and the inner sleeve featured black and white line
artwork which, if washed with a wet brush, would become permanently fully
colored.  There were six different sleeves (have them all) featuring a
different pair of photos (one on each side), and the external brown paper
sleeve meant that it was impossible for record buyers to tell which sleeve
they were getting.  (There is actually a code on the spine of the album
jacket, which indicated which sleeve it was - this could sometimes be seen
while the record was still sealed.)  The pictures all depicted the same
scene in a bar (in which a man burns a Dear John letter
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dear_John_letter> ), and each photo was taken
from the separate point of view of someone who appeared in the other photos.
The album artwork was designed by Hipgnosis
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hipgnosis> .   In 1980 ,the album was
nominated for a Grammy Award in the category of best album package.]   All
of these are part of my modest collection.

 

My friend and JSOP listmate Peter Kerr introduced me to a vinyl format a few
years back that I was totally unfamiliar with.  (He's from GB)...and over
there, the vinyl was sold as what I describe as mini-45 EPs with 2-4 songs
on them.  Perhaps he'll weight in more on this, as he owns quite a few.

 

Thanks, Doc - batten down the hatches!  Any jazz artists with the first or
last name Gustav?

 

Your in JAZZ and str 8 ahead!

 

Carmen

 

 
--end--