Alabama man’s massive 78 RPM record collection: Is it valuable? (Blog version)

A version of this was published Monday night on AL.com.

A 20-something Alabama man may be sitting on a goldmine with thousands of 78 RPM records he inherited from his grandfather.

Or. he may not be.

Sitting on a goldmine, that is.

Now it’s time for the thrill of the search and research.

A 78 sold for $19,600 just last week. It was by pre-war blues singer Charley Patton, according to ValueYourMusic.com.

The young man who inherited the giant collection contacted me after reading a column I wrote recently on 78’s — those antiquated platters, 10 inches in diameter, made from shellac. The heavy but fragile discs give you one song at a time on the turntable, spinning at a blistering pace of 78 revolutions per minute.

Is there another Patton in these endless boxes? How about a Robert Johnson, another pioneering blues singer, whose music on 78s have sold for more than $10,000 at least three times.  Tommy Johnson, another now deceased bluesman, had one of his 78s sell for $37,000.

But the man with inherited records knows there may be money in those boxes but he isn’t holding his breath for something that is kind of like winning the lottery. The man who agreed to talk as long as we don’t name him for security and privacy reasons, may just have a big collection of fine music, whose value might make him wonder whether it’s worth the time and effort to store and catalog. Upon his invitation, I went to view the collection a few days ago and am still in awe of its scope and quality — most were in mint or near mint condition — that’s a big plus in the collectors world.

I warned him ahead of time I’m no expert. After looking at about 10 percent of his collection I found no Holy grails — Pattons or Johnsons. They may be in there — but it is kind of a needle in haystck search. I got the feeling there’s stuff in here that people have forgotten.

On a tight schedule, I took some pictures and poked around for two hours. He has some interesting stuff. Early Louis Armstrong, The Ink Spots, Rosetta Tharpe, King Oliver, Sy Oliver, Bud Powell, the Mad Caps, the Royal Mounties, some spoken word, and lots of promotional records (for the DJ’s).

He has more than a dozen 78s of a young Frank Sinatra. Early stuff. There was a whole box of only Gennett labels, a label started in a piano maker’s business in Indiana. Some of those Gennett’s dated back to the turn of the century.

I discovered Lincoln Chase — he’s the guy who wrote the novelty song ‘Jim Dandy’ made famous by Black Oak Arkansas.

You can see how I can go down a rabbit hole like this and never come back.

But back to the needle-and-haystack cliche’.

As the generation of people who actually bought and listened to 78 RPM records dwindle, the attics are being searched and basements explored, sending a lot of shellac to market.

The old blues music being the most sought after is a supply and demand issue. Blues at that time consisted of black musicians playing to black audiences, often in rural areas.

That’s why there are so many 78 collections out there that are flush with Big Band and Easy Listening music — Tommy Dorsey, Guy Lombardo, Lawrence Welk and Fred Waring. That was what sold to mainstream white America. Of course, blues music came to be one of the cornerstones of rock and roll. And the Brits, for the most part, beat white Americans to the discovery of this timeless music made in America.

The records most people are familiar with are 12-inch vinyl records that spin at 33 1/3 RPM, and the 7-inch 45’s that spin at, well you know.

Spinning is what my head was doing when I saw the collection. There were boxes and boxes — I counted about 45 to 50 that I could see, boxes of 40 to 50 records each. There were rows high up I couldn’t count and, he said, there were more up in the attic. To add to it, he had LP’s (33 1/3) and 45’s — boxes of them. I Iooked through a box of 45’s and LP’s and saw a real hodgepodge of older and newer records from the likes of Pink Floyd, Roy Orbison, Beastie Boys, Michael Jackson, and Johnny Cash.

I’ll follow this search and bring results when he gets them. He says he wants to sell but like everyone with a large collection he is unsure whether to sell individually, in lots, or in bulk.

No matter what method, I think he’ll do well.

My own MyVInylCountdown collection started at 678 and has grown some. But as I age and battle this disease I, too, will downsize my records. While it is fun to nab a record that gets more valuable with time, the most important thing is the music.

As the Doobie Brothers sang, “Listen to the music.”

David Olney, singer, died singing, guitar in hand

I posted this earlier on AL.com. I really enjoyed this man’s work. I wish I could find an old video of the band Dave Olney and the X-Rays doing Oh My Love.

Here’s what I posted earlier today and there’s also a Countdown story I did back in December as I was working on the ‘O’s of my 678=record collection. See link to that below or search Olney on the Search on my blog


David Olney joined the club of those who died doing what they love.

In this club are the marathoner who was struck and killed by lightning near the finish line and Pete Maravich who collapsed and died playing pick-up basketball.

He joins my colleague Jim Jennings, a crusty veteran journalist, who slumped in his chair but did not fall like Olney. I was sitting right next to him at the Oakland Tribune when he was hit with a massive heart attack that all the compressions in the world could not overcome.

Witnesses, according to NBC -News, said Olney stopped in the middle of a song at a festival in Florida, said “I’m sorry,” slumped over and died. Just like that, life left him.

I’ve talked to Olney and have some of his music. He fronted one of my favorite bands when I was a student at Auburn University. He played the Casino — now defunct, I believe. Thursday nights $5 cover and 50-cent Budweiser long necks. We’d go there and dance. His band was incredible and I’d talk to them during breaks. That’s a great song I’d say. Thanks, he’d say.

[GO HERE FOR MY COUNTDOWN PROFILE OF OLNEY]

And Dave Olney and the X-Rays were good songs, Oh My Love, the Contender and Gonna Wait Here for the Cops. The guitarist was phenomenal.

Here’s an acoustic version of a song on his first album.

Olney is one of my Countdown columns. Check the link here for more about Olney and to sample some more music.

Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door Pete Carr and Patterson Hood in backyard

Carr made and topped my list before.

It’s a backyard BBQ I’d have loved to have been therel

My Vinyl Countdown still on track but it is more difficult (blog version)



Sitting here hunting and pecking my keyboard this early morning until my meds kick in.

In the morning after 10 or more hours without the meds find me with my most outsized symptoms. Tremors and slow thinking to be specific.

But morning is my best writing time simply for its peace and quiet. Only distraction: Internet.

So, it’s like catching a wave. timing the meds. Which reminds me I’m going to see the Beach Boys in Birmingham next month. I could seriously use some ‘Good Vibrations.’

For right now, I’ll pull out some tasty record reviews from the archives after I tell you what I’ve done and what I will do over this long MLK weekend. Good weekend for having a dream.

Quicky recent ICYMIs: I almost ‘bought’ a record store.

I explored the subset of record collecting — 10″ 78s.

I gave readers a tour of my brain.

Coming up this weekend: A young man contacted me about his grandfather’s record collection and I enlisted my wife, Catherine, to drive a long way so I could help at this gentlemen’s request discern what he has. News reports of 78s worth thousands of dollars has, it is safe to say, people running to their attics or basements. The collection I looked at was spectacular, easily more than 2,000 mint condition 78s. But is there a holy grail in there? See what I find out in a column this weekend.

And lastly for another column coming this weekend: MVC as simple as 1,2,3.

My Vinyl Countdown by the numbers. I am getting closer to the 678 record reviews or record reminisces as I call them to bring awareness to my disease: Lewy body dementia. I’ll give you an update on my top wat my top 10 (or 15) musical countdown posts are and my top 10 or 15 non-countdown posts.

I’m in the ‘P’s in my alphabetic listing and the P’s are taking a lot of time, might turn out to be my biggest alphabet number so far, still to come Prince and Pink Foyd and a dozen or so lesser known, but good to great music. Music like John Prine, P.J. Proby, and Bud PowelI hope you will explore if you find what I write compelling you to give something new a whirl.

Now on with some reviews from the archives.

The Flamin’ Groovies

ALBUMS: Now (1978)

MVC Rating: 4.0/$$$

I was graduating from high school when this came out. Talk about retro.. This group was like something out of 1966. They cover ‘Paint it Black’ on this album like it was a new song.

‘There’s a Place’ cover sounds like the 1960’s prom band checking in on the Beatles.

All this came to me in the early 1980s.

I discovered this Flamin’ Groovies in a strange way. I was at the Birmingham public library doing some research and they had vinyl records that you could check out, like a book, and return later. This would have been mid-1980s.

I picked up a Flamin’ Groovies album called Groovies Greatest Grooves. It had the song ‘Shake Some Action,’which blew me away. It’s the sense of discovery that you live for as a record collector. Again I was looking for tunes not rare artifacts and that song was one good song. Cracker later recorded it and it was featured in a movie, all much later.

I made a cassette tape out of it that I have no idea whether I have or not.

The  thing that made the Groovies groove work was that they played essentially covers or originals that sounded so close to their heroes, early Beatles, Stones, and Who. — with no irony. That’s what makes it great. Just a few guys from San Francisco playing songs they love from another era.

So, it wasn’t surprising to see that this 1978 album, a comeback of sorts, was produced by retro-man Dave Edmunds. “Yeah My Baby” written by Edmunds, and band members Cyril Jordan and Chris Wilson sounds like a long lost classic. Or long lost classic B-side.

The sound seems  like it was coming through a B&W TV set.



The Pentangle — 275

ALBUM: Solomon’s Seal (1972)

MVC Rating: 3.5/$$$

When it was suggested that the band was a folk-rock band, one of the band’s members said that is wrong. One of the worst things you can do is put a rock beat on a folk song, said John Renbourn. The band preferred a folk-jazz categorization.

I think that’s fair. I’ve often said that a portion of what is called progressive rock isn’t really rock. Emerson Lake and Palmer, for example have gone off on deep forays into what is closer to classical music — unless that term is reserved for time-tested centuries old compositions by Bach, Beethoven and Mozart.

Pentangle’s original line-up from the late 1960s through the 70s: Jacqui McShee (vocals); John Renbourn (vocals and guitar); Bert Jansch (vocals and guitar); Danny Thompson (double bass); and Terry Cox (drums).

This music is pretty and subtle. It has a sound that is both timeless and dated at the same time. Let me explain. I feel like I’m way back in time when I hear Pentangle but can’t pinpoint a date or era. That’s unlike, for example, the Stray Cats, whose style can be tied directly to 1950s music– at least in that bands original incarnation.

Pentangle could be turn of the century music or 14th century music. I don’t know — just go with me here. They look and sound like a band that would sound great Live at the Stonehenge.

I almost bought a record store (blog edition)

If you didn’t see my AL.com post of this on Friday, I’m am posting the blog version below.

Summary: Charlemagne Record Exchange a beloved record store in a walk-up at 5-Points South announced it was going out of business after 42 years. I knew Charlemagne a little bit, starting 1982 to 1987. Five Points was a different then. It did not have a Chick-fil-A centerpiece. It was the after-work party and dining destination. There was no Lakeview district; downtown Birmingham turned off the lights about 5 p.m. and Avondale was yet to begin flourishing.

Here’s blog version of my story published on AL.com on Friday:

My Vinyl Countdown: I almost bought a record store.

Oh, did I forget to tell you? I almost bought a record store a few weeks ago. The venerable Charlemagne Record Exchange on BIrmingham’s Southside announced it was shutting down after 42 years of operation.

I probably would have kept the name — lot of history there. Although, I’ve always dreamed of having a record shop called Wax, Shellac and 8-Tracks. In reality, ‘almost’ buying it may be a stretch.

But I was serious when I called Marian, the co-founder and co-owner. I was still serious when I took a tour: Is this my long-time dream, baby? Or is it more of a welcome to my nightmare situation.

Mike record collection

Ultimately I had to be restrained from pursuing this by a family intervention. I’m still locked in the basement as I write this.

Seriously, I have spent a lot of my life in record stores and I have a lot of records. I know popular music — classic rock, soul, some country and jazz — pretty well.

But I’m not a business person. I don’t think I’d enjoy keeping up with the bottom line, health insurance, taxes, and such. I have family members to think about and, as some of you may know I have a progressive illness to take care of.

Ultimately, it came down to this: I can’t figure out if Charlamagne’s example is one of strictly local explanations –more competition with Renaissance Records down the street and Seasick in Avondale – or is it tied to a larger trend of vinyl sales leveling off. In other words is it that a canary portending misfortune or another yellow bird about finding joy?Will vinyl stay hot?

Its resurgence took many by surprise. But it is still a smaller slice of the music industry than it once was. While vinyl is set to overtake CD’s in sales, it is still just a niche’ market up against live streaming service — iTunes, Spotify, Pandora, etc.There are those like me who love to buy used, older records for $5 bucks each.

But new vinyl records for $26.99. Eh. Not so much.I told Marian, I don’t think the timing is right.But I’ll likely be selling the 678 (reality: 800) records of My Vinyl Countdown, bricks and mortar store or not.My wife, Catherine, has made me promise I’d take care of the albums before I go to my Graceland.

And my daughter’s getting married. And that costs money. Let’s just say after looking at potential wedding costs, I was heard quoting James Brown: Owww! Good God, Y’all.

=====


Top 6 things I learned about 78 RPM records (Plus: Blog edition ‘Is 78 the new 33-1/3?

Top 6 Things I Learned about 78 RPM Records

  1. The records are 10 inches, as opposed to 12 inches, and most are made of shellac. Vinyl records are 12 inches. 45’s are 7 inches. (These are diameters)
  2. The 78s, put out from the turn of the last century (think 1900 until the 1950s, often came in ‘albums’ where four or five records slid into sheets in the book or album. So they were truly albums in that sense of the word. The word has been expanded, it seems, to include one record in a jacket or even CDs. Confusing.
  3. 78s can look beat up but still play very listenable music. I was surprised — I have both beat up discs and others that are in remarkable shape.
  4. There are tons of labels and some people shop labels. I have Columbia, Decca, Jubilee, Bop, Vocalion, Blue Note, Okeh, Dial, among others.
  5. Some 78s — while a niche’ market — are valuable, as in thousands of dollars valuable. These tend to be rare ones in the country blues, or plain blues vein and older jazz, also rockabilly.
  6. Robert Johnson who with ‘Crossroads’ as having sold his soul to the devil for his guitar abilities put out a few records which are highly sought after

So go now. Check grandma’s closets — could be a Hank Mobley in there.

Short version of ‘Is 78 the new 33 1/3?’ Expanded version here.

Life is a kick. We leave this world helpless, crying and unable to eat solid foods — just as we came in.

I don’t know when the regression of one’s life begins. For me it was about 50 or so. Just more aches and pains. My diagnosis at 57 with Lewy body dementia put the aging process in the fast lane.

I say all this to tell you about my new hobby, listening to 78 RPM records

You’ve seen them even if you haven’t ever used them. They are those 10-inch records usually hard and heavy. Now when we talk about collecting vinyl, we are usually talking about 12-inch records which bring forth the music at the slow moving 33-1/3 revolutions per minute. There are also collectors of the 7-inch, 45 rpm records commonly called 45’s or singles.

Collecting 78’s is the next step toward total regression in the popular human pursuit of listening to music. For me listening to music is therapeutic and can be transcendent, spiritual even.

FOR REST OF POST: Is 78 the new 33 1/3?

Daily Journal, Dec. 22, 2019. (Vacation edition)

I’m out for the rest of the year. hahahahahahaha

See you next year hahahahahaaha

Do you remember the first time someone said that and you fthought it was so funny and you filed it away to irritate later another employee who has miraculously never heard the joke.

“See you next year. … hahahahahahaa.”

Remember that? I don’t either. Do that joke on Dec. 30 and see how funny it is.

****************

An old friend of mine by the name of Chris has contacted me and Cat. Chris thanks for the kind and beautifully written words you send (via snail mail WTF)? Seriously, your words mean a lot. Hopefully we can see each other before too long..

Daily journal, Dec. 16, 2019, ‘Knocking’ edition

Who does the best version of ‘Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,’ the Bob Dylan song from the 1970s?

Watch for a post on that later this week but you can help by sending me suggestions. There’s of course Dylan’s version and Guns and Roses version which I would start at as reference points. There’s other good competition though.

Regular readers of this blog may miss stories that appeared in AL.com only. And vice versa.

Here’s two stories that didn’t get published here. I received good feedback from the one about Lennon and mixed response from ‘bloody fable.’

Lennon’s God

Bloody Fable

I’m coming up on some time off but keep looking a i will continue to post when needed or inspired.

NP (Now playing Pretenders and Tom Petty as I wade deeply into the P’s. I also have found a couple of stragglers from the N’s and O’s that i need to get up.