Finally back home and completely worn out. Note to self: Get much fitter for next April!
Anyhow I picked up a nice mixed bunch including some spares for my next list
Perhaps the November fair didn't quite reach the heights of last April, but I am well pleased with many of the finds
Robin signing off (Yawn...)
The 11 of the 11th is the day when the area goes
nuts in a very Dutch way…
But the record fair seems to take place each year over the
same weekend
So a more subdued affair at the fair, still some nice pieces including the great Motions single. The Bugs are on the B side of the rather weird Strangler in the Night.
More info on this one here https://thelisteningpostblog.wordpress.com/2019/12/01/song-of-the-day-albert-desalvo-strangler-in-the-night/
Absinthe makes the heart grow fonder…
I digress
So back to Den Bosch then for the mighty fair. The lay out is different for the November fairs as more dealers take part so it gets spread out over 2 immense halls. It seems were are talking about 700 dealers (compared to 500 in April)?
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| Hall 1 |
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| Hall 2 |
One of the benefits is that there is a wider variety of stuff to be found, the downside…well there is a wider variety of stuff to seek out!
A good first day, with one key want now happily owned. Yes we are talking about the Swinging Machine. I never noticed how it resembles The Squires Going All The Way. Especially nice to get it at a very reasonable price.
Another great one where I probably paid a bit over for was The Sevens.
The Green Beans in its glorious pic sleeve was another top find, in near perfect condition.
A fun one is the Stach De RolA Danish only single – or Prince Stash (Prince Stanislas Klossowski de Rola) friend of the Stones, a Swinging London happening and now a TIKTOK star.
Anyway a good first day. Saturday might be a bit more measured then I expect a return to quantity on Sunday. We’ll see…
Bye for now
Hi
Over on the Purepop sister sale site, a 48 auction is now open. Bidding closes Sunday 10pm BST (UK)
Hi The list will be published at the link below at 10pm BST (UK) this Sunday. More details already available here
https://purepopsetsale.blogspot.com/
Thanks
Robin
Eskees – I’m Free/I Sure Miss My Friends – Self- release (US 1975)
Here’s a real obscure one, but a really great track that veers between riff rock, Glam and Powerpop. They certainly knew how to recognise and maximise a hook to its best effect with slashing guitars
The band were based in Las Vegas, but were an outgrowth of a band called The Esquires (yes, yet another one) from Belvidere, Illinois. The Esquires released the Am I To Blame / Pretty Little Blue Girl single on Feature in 1967. Pat Glass who wrote both sides, joined the Esquires in 1969, then moved to Las Vegas with the band changing its name to Eskees.
Hear a full version of I’m Free
So that was it - the 3rd edition of the Den Bosch fair. It was a good fair, perhaps not quite a buzzy as November's, but that is often the case. Great stuff though
So I walked 77,138 steps, spent too much money and came back with some great titles.
I have now definitely made the jump emotionally from Utrecht to Den Bosch. The Thursday outdoor Utrecht fair is REALLY rubbish, cheap shit and clueless chancers, so I will refrain from stopping off at Utrecht on the way.to Den Bosch again. Utrecht you are now dead to me
What is missing from Den Bosch are large hotels within a short walk of the fair. Utrecht had the NH and Park Plaza where there was a great amount of socialising with other buyers and sellers. In Den Bosch everyone is spread out.
I ended up staying in a converted convent, that was actually really cool, however a 32 minute walk from the fair.
So the last day
Pick up of the bunch is the French Love EP. Old shop stock with the tab (languette) and seamingly unplayed, paid a bit too much, but it's now done.
Swedes...The Shakers improve on Thee Stones' original - still desperately missing Who Will Buy (These Wonderful Evils).
and a few Yanks... The UK McCoys demo is a highlight
Till November then!
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A more subdued day today...
It seems dealers are more and more expecting Discogs asking prices (NOT sold prices), so there were many records I had to walk away from.
Thank god for some sellers I know well and who's best price request often cane out better than I was expecting (often 30% less than asking price)
Love the French Beau Brummels EP - still with the "languette" (as is The Motions). The Charlatans is Danish so nice to have it with a small hole
I love the German pic sleeve for the MPD Ltd. It's not in the best condition, but I am sure another will pop up one day
Tomorrow many sellers drop their prices by 25 - 50%., so hopefully I will get some nice deals done
Reform – One For The Boys/ Salt Away – Young Blood International YB 1066 (UK 1974)
This one has been hard to track down as it has taken me over 10 years to finally acquire a copy. Reform also had another great single in a similar vein namely I’m Gonna Get You http://purepop1uk.blogspot.com/2012/09/reform-im-gonna-get-you.html
One For The Boys was produced by Miki Dallon in the UK and shares similarities with contemporary singles such as Getting Hungry by Big Boy Blue as it features slight Barron Knight inflections without forsaking its Irish pedigree “The crack…”.
Now I had never heard the B side before and Salt Away is a revelation with a fully bloodied raucousness recalling acts like The Sensation, Brother Susan and other 1974 crunchers
More information on Reform can be found here https://www.irishrock.org/irodb/bands/reform.html
Hear full sound clips of both sides
Cold Touch – Ride to Live, Live to Ride – Splattered Records -Splat 30 (US 2022)
A few years back I was sent an obscure Gold Star acetate that set many a tail wagging. http://purepop1uk.blogspot.com/2018/06/cold-touch-ride-to-live-live-to-ride.html The singer then got in touch with me and once I heard there were further recordings, I contacted Reed at Splattered Records, as I knew this could be right up his street
Heavy and not so ‘umble, these lost recordings by Cold Touch hit the spot and would be positioned high in the Bonehead Parthenon. The recordings are basic but of high quality, rough with just the right amount of ready
The opening trio of Ride to Live, Greasepaint Widow and Derailed Ladies (what a great title!) set the scene of much of what is to come. Again, as demonstrated on the acetate singer Barry has an inimitable garble-warble which is quite remarkable in its uniqueness and character.
His vocal delivery is in perfect fit with the heavy powerful Thudding that underlines these gems. Land of The Foxes has a Love It To Death Alice Cooper feel to it.
Side 2 is more of a mixed bag with a saxophone which tarnished the acetate version of Ride to Live, making further appearances. I have always had an aversion to men sticking things in their mouths and blowing on them, although I am partial to a bit of harp – go figure! There are still gems on the 2nd side including Rock n’ Roll Star which somehow reminds me of Mogan Davis and His Winos! The 2nd side also includes several alternative versions of some of the best tunes from side one, however often derailed by the sax
If some of these songs had come out at the time, people would be clamouring about them in the same way as Seompi, Supachief or Purple Sun. If this album had been released privately back then it would certainly be commanding four figure sums nowadays.
All in all it’s still an essential release and full marks to Splattered records for releasing this, however for some reason there are no liner notes or any information on the band line ups or recording dates.
From the online interviews found here .primitivemansoundz - Cold Touch it seems these sessions either took place in 74 or 75.
There are still a few copies left here https://www.splatteredrecords.com/
Hi all
The new Purepop set sale and mini auction goes live at 10pm GMT on Sunday 22nd January.
The list with pics and sound clips will be launched here PUREPOP set sale and mini auction
The list also goes out by email to those on my list
Thanks and good luck
Robin
I was glad to have stuck around on Sunday as I made some great deals, often knocking off 50% on many items I was looking at over previous days
Perhaps the icing on the cake is The Emeralds - UK copies were housed in Dutch printed sleeve, such a cracker I only discovered a few months ago
Today, picked up a few singles, then got a lift for a furtive glance to check what was going on at The Collector/Antique fair at the old Jaarbeurs location.
Although there is a dedicated area for records/CDs, there were no more than 5-6 dealers, I still managed to pick up that elusive 2nd Belfast Gypsies EP at a bargain price
A good score at Den Bosch were these really clean Tages singles. The sleeves are usually in rough condition as the paper is very fragile.
along with some US titles.
Tomorrow I will be back at the Den Bosch fair, to make a few offers on some singles I had my eye on, then train-plane-home with my aged cheese and records
A pretty good day, no mind-blowing finds, but a fine and varied collection.
It started with a bit of Bootboy merriment
Perhaps the best find was this Tony Brook and The Breakers single, pretty wild stuff for 64
Some more 60s singles. Love that Kink's Party Line and the Johnny Kid (without patch) is also from Norway. The Portuguese Renegades features Thirteen Women. Got a nice upgrade on the Randy Fuller
The Den Bosch fair is just under a 30 minute walk from the City centre, so did 20.000 steps today and I now feel at least 14,000 of them. Had my eye on a few more singles, and still more to wade through tomorrow
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So here we go again, now for the 2nd time of the "Utrecht" fair is at its new location in Den Bosch.
Stopped off at Utrecht for the outdoor fair. There seems to have been a change, several of the regular dealers (those with the more interesting singles) seem to have given up. Some hearsay of disagreements with the organisers...
So it was mainly cheap/overstock LPs and 1 euro singles which seemed to be on display here on the way to landfill
However I found the Sheephouse single with the rare Danish sleeve. Basically a few UK copies found their way to Denmark and a sleeve was produced locally. I had been after the sleeve for 15 years, so a nice surprise. Such a cracker with/without the sleeve
Hi all
The list go out by email on Sunday October 30th at 10pm GMT, but it will also go live here on my Purepop Sale Blog at the same time
Kevin Buckingham – Paradise/Take Me Back – MA 7218- Self Release (AUS 70s)
Here’s a totally obscure Aussie release that was worth uncovering. First thoughts it sounds Welsh, well it’s got that Dave Edmunds chug doing on as well as a melodic Glam overlay reminding of another Welsh combo, The James Hogg Band (Everybody Smile). Albatross’s Rock and Roll Boogie Man also come to mind.
Although it has low production values, the performance really cooks and features not 1, nor 2, but 3 lead breaks!
Update: Kevin Buckingham was the guitarist for Melbourne-based band Dave and the Derros.
The A side is pleasant 70s Pop, a bit like a rural Pilot.
Kevin – where are you and do you have a better condition copy?
Hear a full version of Take Me Back
Han Shake – It’s Revolting – Pye Acetate (UK 1971/72?)
With a title like It’s Revolting, you probably expect a no holds barred Proto Punk venom spewing Trasher, but in fact you get something quite different. Han Shake (who him/they?) serve(s) up a breezy, catchy but driving ditty. Kind of like McGuiness Flint meets Badfinger with a touch burgeoning Glam. You can easily imagine the same tune in full raucous Junkshop trappings, instead of its stripped back low-key delivery. No idea at all who this could be, but it sounds like it belongs in 1971/72. The answers might be out there…
Hear a Full version of It’s Revolting
So today I returned to the Jaarbeurs in Utrecht instead of a 3rd day at the Den Bosch fair. Utrecht is half way between Den Bosch and the airport, so made a stop over for old time sake
In truth I had rumours that there would be some records as part of the general collector fair. I was even told that one dealer had 100.000 record on show
Well that was true on both counts. One area of the fair was taken over by a gated area where there were at least 100K records. However the whole approach was more like a supermarket/ prison, the staff all wore the same branded tops and what about the records? Well...
I spent about 20 minutes going through the alphabetised singles, went from W to S and found ZILCH
It was mainly 80s stuff, totally over-priced and crap that should be destined to landfill
Leaving the area in disgust, I then stumbled upon 3-4 dealers scattered around the main hall and found some nice stuff
Of particular note is The Riats. How did a Dutch band n 1967 end up recording 2 Velvet Underground tunes from the first album.
Although I missed the emotional and social buzz of Utrecht fair when I was at Den Bosch, I will reserve judgement in term of its merit and how special it might become. Change is never easy, so let's see what happens in November
The fair got pretty busy on the first day open to the public, but I had 3 hours before the masses descended on proceedings. As mentioned the new location makes the fair feel roomier, but it feels a bit weird. At Utrecht you knew instinctively where every regular dealer stalled out, now we start again from scratch.
Some nice finds today all nicely priced. Top of the bunch might be The Danish Koobas with the exclusive B side. The Searchers EP is a UK issue and a real tough one to find.
Again some nice US 60s stuff and The Bootles in its Swedish pic sleeve on blue vinyl is a real charmer
Tomorrow it looks like I am going for a different yet potentially familiar experience…
