Friday, May 29, 2020

Scratching my itch

Once I had completed my project to document the 12” single collection on 45Worlds the obvious next step was to address the 7 inchers. Over the years I have made good inroads in documenting those on 45cat, but there were random boxes and piles still to do, so that has kept me busy in the last week or so and that task is now just about complete – until I come across another pile of little ones I had forgetten about in some cupboard somewhere! As of today my 45cat collection stats tell me I have 2703 little ones.

This process had me digging into the furthest recesses of the collection, which served to scratch an itch that had developed. Our lockdown has, like most of us I guess, eased a little in recent days. We have been reacquainting ourselves with the car for instance. Driving again takes me past charity shops. Closed still, of course, but that started my itch for them, and car boots, to be reopened. It seems charity shops will be opening again by the end of June, but quite what the experience will be like I am not sure. The charity shop sector hopes that with not much else to do in the last couple of months we have all been sorting stuff out and decluttering, which in turn will lead to an avalanche of donations. I can dream of lots of fresh vinyl stock to riffle through. But hang on, it sounds like browsing will be actively discouraged in our new Covid-19 aware new normal, so am I to be expected to buy that little stack of vinyl in that crate tucked under the size 16 skirts and partially obscured by some natty looking home crocheted cushions BLIND?

Hmm, my itch eased a little with that thought. It was however eased some more by the discovery the other day of this wallet of sleeveless, and scratchy, records I found in one of the bedroom cupboards. 

I had forgotten I had these records, which I would have found over the years at car boots and in charity shops. So it was almost like a charity shop dig and has scratched my itch – for the moment anyway.

There is nothing spectacular in this wallet, at the same time I think its contents must be the result of a previous sort, of sorts, I must have made some years ago as it also contains no rubbish. As I said all a bit scratchy, but nice records to own in any event, mostly 60s a mix of soul and beat. It reminds me that it is a few years now since I have turned up records like these with any regularity out in the wild.

Here is a nice piece of blue eyed soul from the late Sixties. I could have used an Audacity tool to remove a lot of the surface noise – this is a mono recording I believe, but I notice the pops and clicks are in stereo :) - but I thought to make sure the itch stays scratched a little longer the scratches should remain.

Tony And Tandy – The Bitter With The Sweet 1969


2 comments:

C said...

Oh, we were saying exactly the same about the new non-browsing experience just this morning. Flicking through racks of records and CDs - checking out the condition, studying the labels, etc. (this is Mr SDS' area really - as is 45Cat and 45Worlds! - but I do it with books). How's it going to work? Maybe we'll be offered disposable gloves on entry to use during our visit. Or have to hand-sanitise before and after browsing each section. It's a lot to get our heads around!
Love the song too by the way. Am I right in thinking the Tandy here is Sharon Tandy? I'm familiar with 'Hold On /Daughter Of The Sun'.

Darcy said...

Hi C. Yes. disposable gloves and/or hand sanitisers must be the way forward, we must be able to browse!

Yes it is Sharon Tandy, and Tony is Tony Head who was in the band The Fleur De Lys, which are also the band on this single. The single you mention I wasn't familiar with (nor much of this later 60s UK beat/psych scene come to that) but I see it was her single that immediately preceded this one. I notice that Bryn Haworth, also in The Fleur De Lys, played electric guitar on the single you mention. I picked up his debut solo album in a charity shop for the customary £1 a year or so ago and was impressed, it's in with my keepers now. Much more laid back than his late 60s days.