Once you get on a record buying spree it is hard to stop. I had not been to the Belmont Swapmeet for months and now I’ve been two Sundays in a row.
I tried to play it cool. I looked at a few items, a record here, a book there, but I held off on buying anything. I had a strict budget this time.
It was at the fifth row of sellers that I found what it was that I was holding out for. A seller with three crates of records with the enticing sign of LP Records $2.
I started the flicking through. Crates 1 and 2 didn’t have much but what did impress me though was the condition of the records. They all had plastic sleeves and they were all catalogued. The owner had affixed post it notes to the spine ends of the plastic sleeves with details of the title and artist along with some sort of identifying system. This person was a pro.
I can’t cross fingers while flicking through records but if I could I would have because I wanted no one else to come along and start trawling through crate number three ahead of me and mercifully no one did. And it was in crate number three that the treasures lay.
The first two crates had unremarkable country and classical and a few pop gems that I already have plus some John Denver of which I will say no more. But Crate Number Three is where I blew my budget. I even scrapped up another dollar coin from my pockets and explained to the seller that I had $22 worth of records and only $21 for it. The very nice lady allowed this and I cut short my visit to the markets. No point in looking at everything else if you can’t afford it.
So what items from her Husband’s collection did she sell ( she told me it was her Husband’s collection – she asked if I had noticed the cataloguing – I certainly did)?
A close up of the cataloguing system here showing how JD Souther was classified. I don't get what the system was (numbers and letters?) but I do admire it.
And what items did I manage to pick out? First what didn’t I get. I always remember the ones I miss. I still mope about the time I missed a Little Feat album for a buck (what was I thinking?) and so this time due to budget constraints I had to put back a Paul McCartney album and a George Baker Selection album. The first I figured I would likely see again and the latter, honestly, I was only interested in the cover. It was a weird shot of George in a row boat with a lady dressed up like Scarlett O’Hara. Perhaps Google it if you are interested.
The interesting thing about the items on sale and that I came away with is that they were all of a limited time. The collection covered the late 70s to early 80s with only a few exceptions, one being an early America album, back when there were three of them.
America, after they came through that desert on that horse, what was he called again?
I got two Bonnie Tyler albums. Both of them have ‘interesting’ covers.
Electronic landscape or laser beam through the head? You decide!
I got a few doubles for the same price as the single LPs; one George Benson collection and the other a Bee Gees hits. Yes, another Bee Gees compilation, this one deals exclusively with their late 70s period. I also got Spirits Having Flown. For all my frequent blogging about Bee Gees I actually don’t have that many of their albums, but I have plenty of compilations. Also I read today that Robin Gibb is very unwell. Sad news.
Do I need another Bee Gees Greatest Hits? YES!
You all know Charlene right? I’ve hummed her song but I’ve never seen her album before, until now.
You don't have to dress like a drag queen to sing along to this song, unless you want to of course.
I got an EmmyLou Harris album with a gorgeous cover and continuing the trend of lady singers I picked up a record by Karla Bonhoff.
A mighty fine shot of the simply wonderful EmmyLou
To finish off there was a greatest hits by The Commodores and an offering from J D Souther. All in all a very impressive haul.
I didn't know Apollo Creed used to sing with Lionel Richie
Posted by arotulon 
