991 brings you the Editor's Intro to the current R.C. Newsletter. The full unedited newsletter includes tour news, live reviews, collecting news and exclusive offers and you can subscribe to this directly by emailing  anna.bowen@metropolis.co.uk  [Please mention 991].

The latest issue of the monthly Record Collector magazine is on the shelves for just two more days! Grab your copy quick... 

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To buy or not to buy?, as Hamlet soliloquized, although I may have misheard – my hearing’s not what it was, which I put down to seeing the first incarnation of Motorhead. Well Hamlet, I say buy. But I understand the dilemma, because I’ve been through it time and again, and I’m going through it now. You see, as music lover, there are certain tunes I am itching to get a hold of. But as a record collector, I am itching to get them a hold of them on their original pressing. So whadduya do when someone reissues the blighter? I already told you Hamlet. Buy for now, and carry on your dogged search for the original. My current dilemma is about a 45 by The Ethiopians, whose leader Leonard Dillon passed away this month, and who is the subject of an appreciation in the next issue of Record Collector. Trojan’s limited edition series of 7” continue with I’m Shocking, a single released in 1968 by the group, although “released” isn’t exactly the right word – slipped out under cover of darkness at a time when everyone was looking in the opposite direction might be a better description. Suffice to say it’s not easy to get, but that doesn’t stop foolish folk from fancying it – in fact that’s a positive inducement to some of us. I’m delighted to see it coming out and yes, I’m buying a copy, but that doesn’t stop me wanting the original. They’re only available here, http://www.trojanrecords.com/shop, and while that doesn’t help support our struggling record shops, it’s great that 7” are still being released by a major company – Trojan are owned by Universal. The company also has the Lucky Sevens box set due out at the start of next month, featuring seven repro 7” of rare gems. Of course, I’ve got the originals already… well, two of them, anyway, sigh. The hunt goes on.

So we’re down in that nether region at the moment where we’ve done all we can to the next issue of RC, but it’s not in the shops until November 3 (although subscribers get it earlier). It’s like look but don’t touch. And who enjoys that?! Very proud of the mixture we’ve got for you in the next issue though; everything from a man who plays a flute standing on one leg to some geezer called Walt who always dresses in a pork pie hat and a black and white suit. Plenty of prog, an album offer, the country legend who rocked, and some of the rarest LP covers you ever saw – if you are lucky enough to own one. And believe me, you’ve got to be exceptionally fortunate to have owned one of them, which is the rarest Beatles album I’ve never seen… and I don’t know anyone who has laid eyes on it. But it exists, and Ian Shirley, the editor of the Rare Record Price Guide, found a man who owns it, who kindly allowed us to obtain a photo of it. It’s one of the most familiar images, and yet… it isn’t.

Of course, the really scary thing is, it is so familiar, maybe some of us have seen it, and just passed it over without taking a second look… gulp.

Thank you for reading

Have a great week

Ian

Ian McCann

Editor-in-Chief, Record Collector

 

The latest issue of the Record Collector mag which is on the shelves for just two more days includes:-

Elvis: in search of the man behind the myth; Ryan Adams talks... plus his vinyl gems;

the roots of Kid Creole, the Tropical Gangster;

The Story Of Rough Trade and 42 collectables;

Studio One rarities and WIN The Smiths £250 box set plus Sandy Denny and Iggy goodies!

You can subcribe to the magazine by clicking here.