ARC Beatles LP worth $125,000?

At the end of January Goldmine magazine published a list of recent auction sales, and we noticed that we had a few of the featured items.  The headline of course is the Beatles first US LP on Vee-Jay, selling for $125,000.00

There was a lot of follow-up online chatter, some claiming the record was fake, the auction was fake, that the buyer will never pay up, you’ve gotta be kidding?, etc…  The Goldmine link be here.

So is our copy the real deal?  Probably not.  Ours not sealed.  But anyone can shrinkwrap these days.  The kicker is that ours lacks a shadow to the left of George, a sick-making pinkness to the skin, and a too-crisp fab-four outline.  There were so many bootlegs issued in the 70s, we think ours falls into this category.  But we do have an authentic mono version.  I know because I bought in 1963 at the Record Rendezvous; still has the $2.99 sticker on it.  This hovers between $3,000 – $12,000, depending on the weather.

Speaking of which, the lingering bleakness of the season has got me down.  Maybe that’s why we’ve been posting a lot of fluff and fun on the blog.  So how do we cure our blues?  Catalog blues LPs, of course.  So, below is a bit of substance to let you know that we actually are saving some interesting things here at the ARC.  All of these came our way in January – blues, blue-ish and R&B discs.  A good start to the year, I think.  It’s harder and harder to get the early stuff, but the list contains some nice reissues or later editions from the 70’s and 80’s, and of course foreign discs with dubious provenance, welcome for their attention to forgotten artists.   By the way we have also added quite a few blues CDs in Jan., and these are out-of-print and therefore, strangely, often worth more than the LPs.  But CDs are ugly, unlovable little things.  So no more hokum, uh, except for this…

• Duster Bennett.   Bright Lights …  (Blue Horizon, UK, 7-63221, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, 1969)

• Billy Bland.   Blues, Chickens, Friends and Relations  (Ace, UK, CH 222, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, 1987)

• Ruth Brown.   Brown, Black & Beautiful  (S.D.E.G., SDE 4023, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, 1990)

• Paul Butterfield.   Put It In Your Ear  (Bearsville Records, BR 6960, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, 1975)

• Mississippi Joe Callicott.   Blues Masters Vol. 6  (Blue Horizon, BM 4606, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, 1969)

• Dolly Cooper.   Ay La Bah  (Official, 6019, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, 1988)

• Reverend Gary Davis.   Let Us Get Together  (Kicking Mule, UK, SNKF 103, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, 1974)

• Fats Domino.   Reelin’ and Rockin’  (Charly, UK, CRB 1054, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, 1983)

• Champion Jack Dupree.   Shake Baby Shake  (Detour, UK, 33-007, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, 1987)

• Jack Dupree.   Blues for Everybody  (King, KS 1084, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, 1976)

• Skip Easterling.   Taking Inventory  (Charly, UK, CRB 1171, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, 1988)

• Clifford Hayes and the Dixieland Jug Blowers.   Clifford Hayes and the Dixieland Jug Blowers  (Yazoo, 1054, 12″, LP, n.d. [1976])

• Clarence Frogman Henry.   Clarence Frogman Henry Is Alive and Well Living in New Orleans and Still Doin’ His Thing…  (Roulette, SR 42039, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, n.d.)

• Jim Jackson.   The Best of Jim Jackson  (Earl Archinves, Austria, BD-613, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, 1984)

• Elmore James.   Original Folk Blues: The Legend of Elmore James  (United, US-7778, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, -)

• Elmore James.   Original Folk Blues: Resurrection  of Elmore James  (United, US-7787, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, -)

• Freddy King.   Hideaway  (King, KS 1059, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, 1976)

• Eddie Lang & Lonnie Johnson.   Blue Guitars Vol. II  (Parlophone, UK, PMC 7106, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, n.d.)

• Lightning Slim.   That’s All Right  (Quicksilver / Intermedia, QS-5062, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, 1983)

• Little Richard / Billy Wright / Tempo Toppers.   Hey Baby, Don’t You Want a Man Like Me?  (Ace, UK, CHA 193, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, 1986)

• Robert McCoy.   Blues and Boogie Woogie Classics  (Oldie Blues, Netherlands, OL 2814, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, n.d.)

• Jimmy McCracklin.   Everybody Rock!  The Best of Jimmy McCracklin  (Chess, UK, RED LP 10, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, 1989)

• Jimmy McCracklin.   Blast ‘Em Dead!  (Ace, UK, CHD 219, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, 1987)

• Bette McLaurin.   The Masquerade Is Over  (Official, Denmark, 6045, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, 1989)

• Big Jay McNeely.   From Harlem to Camden  (Ace, UK, CH 111, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, 1984)

• Big Jay McNeely and the Rocket 88s.   AZ Bootin’  (Big J, JLP-107, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, 1988)

• Big Jay McNeely.   Swingin’  (Big J, JLP-103, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, 1984)

• Memphis Slim.   Rockin’ the Blues  (Charly R&B, UK, CRB 1030, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, 1981)

• Freddie Mitchell.   Rock’n Roll  (Official, Denmark, 6021, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, 1988)

• Little Brother Montgomery.   Crescent City Blues  (Bluebird, AXM2-5522, 12″, vinyl disc-2Lp, 1977)

• Robert Parker.   Get Ta Steppin’  (Charly, UK, CRB 1174, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, 1987)

• Gene Phillips.   I Like ‘Em Fat  (Ace, UK, CH 245, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, 1988)

• Professor Longhair.   The Last Mardi Gras  (Atlantic / Deluxe, SD 2-4001, 12″, vinyl disc-2Lp, 1982)

• Fenton Robinson.   Mellow Fellow  (Charly, UK, CRB 1131, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, 1986)

• Ted Taylor.   Keep Walking On  (Charlie, UK, CRB 1011, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, 1980)

• Big Mama Thornton.   Stronger Than Dirt / The Way It Is  (Charly, UK, CDX 24, 12″, vinyl disc-2Lp, 1988)

• Ike Turner  His Woman, Her Man Vol. 1 : The Ike Turner Diaries  (Funky Delicacies, DEL LP 0045, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, 2002)

• Ike Turner  His Woman, Her Man Vol. 2 : The Ike Turner Diaries  (Funky Delicacies, DEL LP 0046, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, 2002)

• Ike Turner and His Kings of Rhythm [ various artists ].   Talent Scout Blues  (Ace, UK, CHD 244, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, 1988)

• Ike Turner and His Kings of Rhythm [ various artists ].   Ike Turner and His Kings of Rhythm Vol. 2  (Ace, UK, CHD 146, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, 1985)

• Various Artists.   Sun – The Roots Of Rock Volume 3, Delta Rhythm Kings  (Charley, UK, CR 30103, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, n.d.)

• Various Artists.   Rumble Chillen  (Charly, UK, CRM2033, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, 1988)

• Various Artists.   Rock Sock the Boogie  (Charly, UK, CR 30237, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, 1984)

• Various Artists.   Rootin’ ‘n’ Tootin’  (Charly, UK, RCB 1043, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, 1985)

• Various Artists.   Women Whiskey & Wailin’  (Charly, UK, CRB 1141, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, 1985)

• Various Artists.   Lyons Avenue Jive  (Ace, UK, CHD 171, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, 1986)

• Various Artists.   If It’s Not a Hit I’ll Eat My Hat  (Ace, UK, CHD 154, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, 1985)

• Various Artists.   Cruisin’ and Bluesin’  (Ace, UK, CHD 284, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, 1990)

• Various Artists.   Blues Guitar Blasters  (Ace, UK, CHA 232, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, 1988)

• Andre Williams & the Sadies.   Red Dirt  (Sonic, SR 9901, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, 1999)

• Andre Williams.   Bait and Switch  (Norton, ED-288, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, 2001)

• Andre Williams with the El Dorados.   Greasy  (Norton, ED-248, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, 1996)

• Andre Williams and Green Hornet.   Andre Williams and Green Hornet in Holland Shuffle! Live at the World Famous Vera Club  (Norton, ED-299, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, 2003)

• Andre Williams & Velvet Hammer.   Whip Your Booty : Rare & Unreleased Soul, Funk & Dance Jams from the Vaults of Andre Williams – 1967 – 1977  (Soul-Tay-Shus, STS LP 6349, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, 2001)

• Andre Williams.   Silky  (In the Red, ITR056, 12″, vinyl disc-LP, 1998)

• Paul Hucklebuck Williams and His Orchestra.   The Hucklebuck  (Saxophonograph, Sweden, BP-500, 12″, LP, 1981)

• Paul Hucklebuck Williams and His Orchestra.   Spider Sent Me  (Saxophonograph, Sweden, BP-510, 12″, LP, 1988)