Sunday 8 June 2014

Vinyl Feature: Pavarotti's Greatest Hits



Released in 1980 on the DECCA record label this was truly Pavarotti's greatest hits, showcasing the tenor maestro at his finest and doing what he did best.

I picked up this copy over the weekend from the Red Cross charity shop in Landskrona Sweden for the paltry sum of 10kr. They don't have a large selection of vinyl there, but I happen to know they have some great classical records in very good condition at the moment (including some more Pavarotti), but you will have to get there soon because I have them in my sights! ;-)

Mark Knopfler interview - Parkinson - BBC



Vintage Advertisement: Admiral Radio-Phonograph with Automatic Record Changer - 1941



Friday 6 June 2014

Vintage Advertisement: Fairchild Precision 440 - 1960



Vinyl Feature: Fame - Motion Picture Soundtrack - 1980



The soundtrack album from the movie Fame did exceptionally well both on the hit parades and in terms of awards. The album won the Academy Award for Best Music - Original Score. It was also nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score, the BAFTA Award for Best Film Music and a Grammy Award. Two songs, Out Here On My Own and Fame received nominations for the Academy Award for Best Original Song, with Fame going on to win the award.


Monday 2 June 2014

Vintage Advertisement: Pioneer M6500 music centre - 1976



Vinyl Feature: Fats Waller & His Rhythm - Handful Of Keys



Handful Of Keys by Thomas "Fats" Waller was released under the RCA Victor label and features a
compilation of the wonderful jazz sounds of Fats Waller & His Rhythm.

The album is a bit of a mystery to me however as there is another album using the exact same name but with a very different track listing that was released in 1929 under the same record label.



Friday 30 May 2014

Saturday 24 May 2014

Vinyl Feature: Billie Holiday - Billie Holiday



The tragic life of Billie Holiday is the stuff of jazz legend and this tragedy is accentuated through this album, her final recording before she died four months later at the age of 44. After her death the album was renamed "Last Recording", but was otherwise the exact same album.

Billie's voice on this record adds to the sense of finality with her sounding frail and weak through most of the album, and yet it is pure Billie Holiday and full of the soul and passion she always infused into her music. For me this album completes the collection of Billie Holiday LP's that I have and it simply wouldn't be the same without this addition.

Vintage Advertisement: Dual CS-505 Turntable - 1981



Friday 23 May 2014

Vintage Advertisement: RCA Records ad in Billboard Magazine - 1956


1956 RCA Records ad in Billboard Magazine hailing ELVIS PRESLEY as "the new singing rage":


Vinyl Feature: Lead Belly 2 - Storyville Blues Anthology vol. 12



This Lead Belly compilation album was released in Denmark in 1963 and was number 12 in the Storyville Blues Anthology. It is titled Lead Belly 2, and of course that means that there was a previous Lead Belly release in the same series, it was number 7 and I hope to find a copy of it some day.

I am a Lead Belly (and old time blues) fan so when I found this copy I was very thrilled, and the music certainly doesn't disappoint and contains some of his best recordings faithfully reproduced. I am a happy vinyl fan right now!


Thursday 22 May 2014

Vinyl Feature: Erroll Garner - plays all-time hits



Erroll Garner was distinctive in the jazz world as being entirely unable to read music, and everything he played was from memory. Despite this he was called "one of the most distinctive of all pianists" and a "brilliant virtuoso" by Scott Yanow of Allmusic. He also was also, apparently, Johnny Carson's favourite jazz musician and appeared on the Johnny Carson show several times.

This particular album, "Erroll Garner plays all-time hits" was his 33rd album and has a wonderful collection of hits from the era reinterpreted and delivered in true Errol Garner jazz piano style. It was released in 1965.