I won several interesting boxes of mixed vinyl for £55 at the auction over the weekend.
There was a lot of chuff but some real gems tucked away including original Stones, Dylan etc.





Although there was a Satanic Majesties with it's daft 3D sleeve I was most pleased with this 1st UK mono pressing
of my 2nd favourite Stones album (there was sadly no first issue of Let It Bleed not that I'm complaining, honest)





I knew nothing about this until I noticed it was on the Sarah label and then a nice surprise to discover it's stupidly rare.



This was a lovely listen, old folk just rabbiting on about sheep and thatching and working with oxen, etc.



Out of a really odd mix of albums this Todd Rundgreny album of Power Pop stood out with some strong tunes.



A private pressing by a raucous local covers band, couldn't find much online about them except that their drummer is dead.




There was a whole bunch of unused flexi-disc greetings cards, probably from the late 50's.








Not a flexi-disc but tucked inside this EMI Xmas card sleeve was the comedians debut from 1968,
I definitely have an earlier disc by him though in the shape of a flexi in a 'Do-It-Yourself Comedians Kit', somewhere...



On the same label and in the same box was this early 7" by Leonard Cohen, someone certainly had eclectic taste.







I had not come across this disc before, released by the Crackerjack 70's TV show star,
alongside him is an early sighting of Lenny Henry who doesn't actually feature on the record, with it's cheeky b-side.






Locally stamped sleeve for the only release by the R&B band who would turn into Family a few years later.




This UK demo is signed on the label but am damned if I can make out who's name it actually is, it doesn't look like Cissy's.




One of the stranger discs in the boxes was this Swedish kinda proggy oddity by Ola & The Janglers.







This is the only 7" I have ever come across with it's own Zoetrope!

especially rundgreny when factoring in the physical resemblance of the bloke on the cover

all sorts of singles cropped up this week


The first KC 7" with the LP title track split over 2 sides





A pope-ular disc in it's day no doubt






Some old bands debut on a UK test pressing



Cheeky Jacko related cash-in






Tatty sleeve but a great tune







Groovy picture disc by the old Hawkwind fella, the B side is a bit suss







Flexi-disc of the week was this career opportunity offered with Sainsburys

a handful of SFX EP's + some 60's South African electronic dance albums found in a field today,
I was most taken by the sleeves of some but it turns out the music is pretty good too.

The 7"s were all by the same duo and the LP's were all by the same guy - though he is not to
be confused with the same Dan Hill who had a big hit in the 70's with Sometimes When We Touch

3 mysterious cases offered to me unopened at a garage sale - I couldn't resist so took a £20 punt on them, with mixed results...



Among an awful lot of rubbish I dug out a few gems including these 3 decent compilations.








The title of this turned out to be better than the Dutch band's music on it.






A nice early solo album by the great Bonzo's & Monty Python singer.



Along with dozen Slade & Elton John albums was this nearly mint copy of just the one T.Rex album.




I thought this selection of Stones albums might be the best of the bunch until I turned up an album in a plain white card sleeve.



A private pressing from '73 featuring various folk acts I contacted my friend Wild Willy Barrett who features
un-credited on the last track on side 1 and he replied "it was recorded at Turville Heath folk club run by Len Harman.
The club was held on a Dutch barn full of hay and straw bales with milk churns full of hot water for heating."

A midweek charity shop trawl has turned up some very odd unexpected vinyl. I can only assume it's because most folks are at work
that these records were either still in the racks or waiting by the counter (a smile and a bit of cheek can go a long way with ladies of a certain age)

A fresh batch of albums had "just been put out this morning" at 49p a pop, how could I resist?













I had no idea what this was but it was cheap and I liked the sleeve so I took a punt, turns out to be a lovely Brazillian LP








A box of records that had just been put out was full of Bowie/Prince/Tangerine Dream albums along with a shit load of picture discs...



...along with this Joy Division double album which I was very surprised to find as it still had it's ribbon and outer sleeve,
there was a bit of water damage to the front of it but I was hardly going to put it back now was I?!

With the car boots pretty much dried up, or rather too waterlogged if today is anything to go by, I'm reduced to my knees in shops
and checking out the local auctions. I had a massive clear-out last week and took 3 big boxes of albums that had been sitting around
here in the cellar for ages to my favourite charity shops, hey it's good karma man, but maybe it was just to make room for some more.



The past few days have turned up some quite unusual things, like this album which I nearly left in a £1 bin but thought I'd take a punt on
and was so pleased I did as it's really nice. I did some deeper searching on the artist and he's gone on to do TV themes for everything from
The Windsors to the ITV News and loads more, this was his debut album.



Luckily my copy isn't as scratched as this track sounds on Youtube



The one below was in the same box but wasn't half as good.







I met with Trunk Records label boss Jonny Trunk earlier in the week to discuss a forthcoming book on flexi-discs we are
putting together with DJ Food for publication in the new year. After I was waffling on about flexis and Milton Keynes radio
he suddenly said how much he'd been looking for a Milton Keynes related flexi which I quite fortunately had a spare copy of.
So he very kindly offered to swap it for his new soundtrack album which landed on my doorstep the day after.
He was a lovely chap and I look forward to the book launch sometime around March 2019 at The British Library in that London.

This is the video I put up a while back featuring the music on it, don't be surprised if it turns up on a future Trunk release.







I couldn't resist this pair of signed old folk albums, by old folk no doubt.











I came across this unusual 7" slipped between some rubbish records in a box in a shop, I couldn't find anything
about it anywhere but it seems like it was a special pressing for the birthday party of the lady on the cover. She was
married to Tommy Tucker, who I assume is the same one who hit the charts in the early 60's with Hi Heel Sneakers
and their friends must have got together to make a one off single to celebrate her special day, it's a likely theory unless anyone knows more?





My best auction win of the week (for £6 + commission) were 2 x Century 21 albums from the mid 60's
that were both in beautiful, excellent+ condition. I have seen other copies before but they are usually pretty
well played and scratched as those pesky kids just didn't think to look after their records back in '65.
But it seems likely these were only played a couple of times and stored which is most unusual for Century 21 records.

A couple of nice and cheap vinyl surprises turned up at the tip shop under piles of old clothes right in the corner, just over there by the bins.
The top one is a soundtrack album which featured an odd mix of garage rockers The Pretty Things and Library Music giant Alan Hawkshaw!



But I was most excited by this one below as the label can turn up real obscure gems, the label had 'Folk Rock 1969'
written on one side of it which sounded very promising - however after listening through it turns out to be a school
production of Handel's Messiah. Damn, that monster rare and previously un-heard of Folk Rock classic had alluded me.

Picked up a pile of 7"s in a local charity shop that had just come in and at 4 for a quid seemed reasonable,
a lot of mostly 80's double packs and limited editions - I didn't take the lot as there was a lorra, lorra pop!





Fresh OJ disc still enclosed in it's paper bag





3 artists fighting for a summer hit came complete with car sticker!






The Spanish waiter from Fawlty Towers released a few singles but this was the first one I'd found out in the wild,
the B side is Waiter, There Is a Flea In My Soup haha.







This Welsh singer had previously tried to cash-in on Charles & Di's wedding, 4 years later he's at it again
doing a medley of songs to celebrate the end of WW2 complete with fold-out poster sleeve.







The most curious one of the lot was this cover of The Undertones classic by Radio 1 + 6Music DJ Liz Kershaw (sister of Andy)
who released a few records before she started spinning them. The fold-out sleeve features her in the middle but the oddest thing
about this is the bassist, check those credits, that can't be right can it?!











There was also a promo Tizer drink flexi-disc I had not come across before, complete with T-Shirt offer + stickers






My lizard laid claim to this double pack, damn.

odds and ends that seem to have come into my possession in the past week or so



There were a whole bunch of 30's and 40's Jazz records in a charity shop box but as most of it was before my time (just)
I dunno what's hot and what's not so plumped for a couple of compilations and soundtracks including these two albums.








This kind of weird album and demo single stuff is just catnip to me.






A real treat to find this re-issue of Ivor's debut album unplayed!




I do have a tatty old copy of this somewhere but this one is shiny nice and comes with the original poster,
it features so many great tracks all under 1 minute long from Andy Partridge to Robert Wyatt









I picked this up for the Dracula Cha Cha track but never even realized it was signed on the back until I got home.






A mid 70's pop tune by someone who's real name is Stephen Jameson,
I seem to remember the Two Ronnies doing a similar joke on this name, it's probably as bad as this 7" haha.





Also hard on the ears is this tune from 1981 - I like the sleeve though.






Odd Indie single I'd not heard or seen before.



I was most pleased finding this pair of original sheet music, the bloke who sold me them at a car boot took my email and said he had loads more so fingers x he gets in touch.

I've picked up some nice albums recently including a whole collection of Beatles from a guy I'd met
over the summer at a car boot and had given my card to - then 3 months later he actually rang me up!
Other stuff included...


Signed by the band who sound like an unfunny, low budget Barron Knights, but at least the sleeve is hilarious





A great German pressing of a compilation of 60's R&B.






Sealed but it's all up there on Youtube anyway.






The sleeve alone was enough to part me with a pound, but it turned out to be soft Hong Kong pop, damn






I was more than happy to part with 100 pennies for this first vinyl outing by John Cleese & two Goodies





Best buy of the week, by some distance was an entire Beatles collection along with various solo stuff, I probably have them all on vinyl
or CD somewhere but this lot were in such beautiful condition there are keepers and there were some pretty scarce issues in there.





Some issues of the US 'Trunk sleeve' had the cover pasted over the withdrawn 'Butcher sleeve',
but judging by the small tear to the bottom someone had tried to find it underneath, without much luck.





There were 2 different issues of Abbey Road one with the mis-aligned Apple sleeve.



Although it was a later issue to the first top-opening editions, a numbered White Album with all the bits was nice to find.

Big records + little records that have made their way into my cellar recently.



There was no way I was ever gonna leave this 12" in a 50p box, but it made me smile (once, slightly) it is actually pretty annoying though.











South African Disco album which didn't have the outer sleeve but it was cheap!








I kinda hoped this cover version compilation might be reggae versions, but sadly they are not, so what's the point?





Unusual UK promo version of The Lady Sings The Blues s/t by Diana Ross for a London clothing retailer,
I could not find anything more about this specially pasted over sleeve edition so if anyone knows more?






One of the gems I have been listening to that was from the boxes of albums I picked up the other week.


the pick of the 7"s that have come from charity shops this week







This E.P. from 1970 is signed inside by the vocalist, but the stand-out track on it is the organ heavy version of Soul Finger.

A big box of singles turned up at the auction with some nice bits that I either didn't already have
or just liked the look of, there were lots of 60's pop/rock but these ones caught my interest more.




An unusual Xmas related 7" on a great looking label I had no knowledge of, I had kinda hoped the John Carr Quintet might be
somehow related to the legendary Jazz man Ian Carr but despite Ian actually having a brother it turns out his name is Chris,
damn... and I couldn't find out anything online about this band or release.







Original UK EP from 1958







I have Yin & Yan's album which has some great spoken word samples, this promo 7" has the same 2 tracks
on each side for shops to give vinyl the hard sell from your local friendly record pusher.









UK promo from 1973





An obscure 60's TV theme from the guy behind Jason King, The Avengers etc



great old card sleeve from the early 60's - I assume it is as it had Gerry & The Pacemakers in it!


half a dozen odds 'n' ends

















Mildly amusing record from 1982 - signed by the band of merry men







Sadly not signed but on nice clear vinyl and a poster sleeve with a bloody great un-removable sticker on the front!

vinyl finds in a few charity shops and one bought in... a record shop!


This took my eye, not listened to it yet but it was cheap as chips (small bag)



Not sure quite how many times I will sit ALL THE WAY through this album, but I will try...



Sweet charity shop find and it's playable but is pretty scratched




A nice pair, fnarr fnarr, of belly dancing LP's from the 60's - I just love the inner sleeve of this one





this pair of middle east related 7"s were in the same box






this bunch of albums were unsurprisingly also in the same box but different shop






I bought this brilliant album new, I've had the CD since 1997 but it's such a personal fave it's lovely having it on vinyl

nothing more than a pound!


I first heard this when my dad used to play it at parties when I was growing up in the early 70's - I always loved the cover too.




A good compilation I'd not come across before which was alongside a pile of their original 70's albums, I picked them up as well but this is a keeper.




A should I/shouldn't I? dilemma as it's still sealed.








An original Jamaican pressing in single sleeve, my UK copy has a much smarter gate-fold but
it's weird how it's only now I have noticed that the background on it is all coloured in with blue felt-tip!





some odd singles



The music from various adverts for the ciggy company.











Dutch electronic band EP released in 1980 and came with a poster.








The Swedish soprano accompanied by a pianist on her only EP released in 1969.







A pair of old BBC library white labels, shame I couldn't find a few that were actually really good.








An unusual release I had not seen before - a clincher was that it came in this cool old sleeve, I dig the flip side more.









One of 3 copies in the same box of this Smiths cover version, still sealed.

Some odd finds from a few of charity shops and a recent record fair. These 2 were cheap and had nice sleeves, the music is a bit generic 80's synth though


Polish electronica by Władysław Komendarek who was an ex-member of symphonic rockers Exodus



A Russian electronic pop album, signed by Дисплей, ‎obviously...







A curious novelty pop disc I had not come across before



it also came with a colour-it-in-yourself insert, similar to the one that came with Ringo Starr's
album Scouse The Mouse also released a year later in 1977 and on the same label too.







In the same box was this mid-80's issue, on Knotty Ash Records no less, and nicely signed on the front



now then, now then...





One of a handful of Beatles albums sitting in a box at the Age Concern shop, I didn't quibble a a quid a pop







In the same box as the Fabs was this mid 70's cabaret recording by Jimmy Crawford, whooooo?







Best find by far at the fair for a fiver was this bizarre electronic album from the mid 70's by Mort Garson

Several of the flexi-discs I have picked up in the past few months, not sure any will make the forthcoming book
but some nice additions to my collection and some will be ear-marked for a 2nd volume should it ever happen.







































nicest of the lot was this Japanese promo + inserts for the early 70's movie Twinky also known as Lola

Various vinyl things that I have come across in the past few weeks, some came from the charity shops of Sheffield while I was taking a break
and a couple were in with a box of bits I won in a local auction including some nice Jazz and Library albums I'd not seen or heard before.


I got this one for the sleeve but the music isn't too shabby either.




This sleazy jazz classic was minty!






Nice mixing desk on the cover of this library music album on the other Studio One label.




Another library music album I'd not seen before.




This is an oddity, I couldn't find anything online about either the record company or the album, it looks and sounds mid 70's.







This curious acetate featuring the 70's TV series theme by Mr. Brooks turned up in the back streets of Sheffield.






mmmm, jazz improv, nice...




odds & ends including a couple of Manchester Utd related 7"s













I was best pleased by this early Julie London album on London which although the sleeve was a bit tatty the vinyl was beautiful.

bits and bobs from a digging spree over the weekend


I have never seen a copy of this 7" in the wild before and was so pleased to find it, as it was the name of the film
my parents saw and then decided that was what they would call me, still relieved they never went to see Heidi that day.


I found up a cheap load of old folk LP's on a trip to sunny Milton Keynes yesterday, on labels like Topic & Trailer but these were the pick of the bonny bunch.












the most unusual pair were these two


a 10" released in 1971




a beautiful album released on a label I had not heard of in 1965





This rare album was sitting next to a box but was sadly scribbled on!

Never even heard of this before in my chuff. I thought his first album was 'Ludo'.

it's got a totally different sleeve to the original!

I picked up a lovely stash of old Prog progs - most of which were from 1975 just before my gig-going time, my first was Queen in '77


someone was certainly out & about a lot in '75


all '75 - the Wakeman one was King Arthur ON ICE!


ELP '72 + '74



3 x early Genesis, including Foxtrot '72 era, The Lamb Lies Down '74 and an envelope with inserts including flexi-disc (Twilight Alehouse)
and a lovely fold out poster from their Selling England By The Pound in '73





various Tull tours from '72 to '80

A new book on flexi-discs - the first one ever published on the subject and to which I contributed around 75% of the discs will be available in a few weeks - pre-order if you please, thanks!

A mix of groovy LP's and 7"s have made their way into my cellar the past few weeks, including...



A nice pair of hippy self help albums, I never realized thought was such a menace.





I've always loved the title tune so was very pleased to come across the long player.







I knew nothing about this so bought it on the strength that it was on Island Records from '66
and should have guessed from the rear that the title tracks were not the usual stuff that Island
were releasing at the time, it turns out to be quite pleasant easy listening, sung in Italian.




some of the singles

with the car boot season in full swing allsorts of vinyl delights are beginning to turn up


I just liked the sleeve of this 12" which turns out to be someone called Dubble D ‎
and sadly not the inspiration for the Walking On The Moon drum solo.



The sound of lots of old cars driving very...very... slowly... from London to Brighton including BBC's Blue Peter team .




The 2nd LP by Ivor Biggun aka Doc Cox from the 80's TV show "That's Life" features a whole host of erm, stars.







I have had this guy's How To Lose Weight album for years but until I found this one I never knew
he had done one on smoking too, nice touch on the rear of the sleeve where there is a cigarette burn!






Various cover versions arranged by the dad of the 4AD record boss released on the Pinnacle label in 1974.




A nice pair of stereo originals, I have a friend in China who'll have these!


2 x compilations, the first is bands on the Bomp! imprint including The Flamin' Groovies





and a pretty good mix of Avon based new wave and indie bands






a few nice singles turned up today, this electronic sounds one is excellent and I like the copyright credit on the label





this 7" with it's signed sleeve has a great flourish on the signature!







I could hardly leave this oddity in a 50p box, a 10" album in the back of an A3 sized book released in 1970
which includes a history of the London drinking holes, I wonder how many of these pubs are left today