Another Great Donation -wanna help catalog?

Today, me and the boys picked up a generous donation of over 6000 LPs from Jerry Rappaport.  Now Jerry has the life, a former record exec. he runs a swell hotel with his wife in Grenada, La Sagesse, and they just planted some mangostein trees -  he’ll let you know how they’re doing in about ten years.  But for now he’s back in NYC, and cleared out a rental space of about half his collection to donate to the ARC.

Here’s Keith Streng, just before rushing off to a rehearsal and gig as a member of the Fleshtones, helping to unload the truck.   Nice boxes.

The collection is swell too!  Tons of world music and reggae from Jerry’s days at Mango, and a pretty good batch of R&B, and blues recordings from the 60s – right up our alley.  We took the am to pick them up, and jumped right in to cataloging that afternoon.  Always nice when you have six Misty In Roots LPs, and someone donates six you didn’t have.  And you gotta love a guy with 16 Elis Regina albums!

Fred is down for the count.                               Juan surveys the field.

AND – We are looking for folks to volunteer @ ARC and help catalog all this great stuff.  If you have a 4 hr block, at least once a week, give us a call!  212 -226-6967

Board Member Ellie Greenwich Dies

A founding member of the ARChive’s Board of Advisors died today.  With sadness we report the death of songwriter Ellie Greenwich.  Pretty much a recluse for many years now, her great music lives on through classic songs like  “And Then He Kissed Me,” “Da Doo Ron Ron,” “Chapel of Love,” “River Deep, Mountain High” and “Be My Baby.”   She also sang some perfectly silly ones like “Niki Hoeky.”  Her version of this is rockin’.  Do Wah Diddy, she will be missed.

…above LP from the ARC collection :   Ellie Greenwich Composes Produces and Sings. (United Artists, USA, UAS 6648, LP, 1968).

Some RIPs

Ghostly Visit to 54 White St

Well, the Summer Sale is over and was a great success.  Thanks to all who braved the rain and helped us out by carting off our wretched excess.  We’ve neglected the blog for a while, so here’s some recent things that caught our eye/ear.  And it’s more than the weather that has made me a bit cranky.

Midsummer Night Swing (a fine roster of entertainment from an organization that I boycott because of the segregation of a paying and not paying sections, non payers getting lousy sound) will feature our very own archivist – DJ: Phast Phreddie the Boogaloo Omnibus.  Fred will play the pony, twist and way funkier stuff, pre –mid + post The Chubby Checker set.   It’s this Wednesday, July 8, 2009 at 6:30.  Dance Lesson at 6:30, Live Music at 8:30, Damrosch Park, 62nd Street between Columbus and Amsterdam.  They don’t say it upfront (because they are ashamed) and they hide the single event price (pushing an $80 batch of tickets), but you can actually get on the dance floor for ONLY $15.

Other shocking news is that one of the best Rai singers is in the clink.   Reuters reports that Cheb Mami (Mohamed Khelifati ) got 5 years from a French court for trying to force his girlfriend to have an abortion.  It wasn’t just that he offered a strong polemic; it seems he had her kidnapped, drugged, and he and his henchmen attempted an amateur operation at the star’s villa in Algeria.   A light sentence if you ask me.

I‘ve often abandoned artists with reprehensible acts in their resumes.  Not that my vote counts, but if you shoot your wife in the head (Wm Burrohs) or seem ‘fascinated’ by fascism (any old Futurist), or that joining the Hitler Youth is good training for being the Pope, well, you lost me.

A speaking of the wrong person in a nice place, Prince is once again slated to perform at the Montreux Jazz Festival – the closing act no less.  What, they couldn’t book Hanna Montana?   That there is so little imagination left in this world is baffling.  Prince is but one of too many non-jazz acts, making the festival indistinguishable from all the other Euro summerfare.  Call me naïve, but I believe a jazz festival should book jazz artists.

On the bright side, one donation during the sale brought in a signed copy of, Have Guitar Will Travel, by that world renowned jazz artist, Bo Diddley.  For youguns out there, the calling card and travelin’ theme on this LP comes from a late 50s-early 60s TV western “Have Gun Will Travel” starring Richard Boone.  His character, Paladin, was a mustachioed knight-errant, schizo-ing between tails and all-black westernwear.

Finally, I’m torn between my hatred of the lowest common denominator and corporate media rule, in an AP story of Disney having its lawsuit dismissed against the masterminds (?) behind the animated comedy (?) Family Guy, for their off-color parody of “When You Wish Upon A  Star” from Pinocchio, sung by Cliff Edwards (Ukulele Ike).  The only thing worse than a lame parody, it the protection of an imagined sacred source.

So in memorial, after you hit Forest Lawn for a MJ deathpeek, grab a uke and mosey over to visit Cliff Edwards at Pierce Brothers Valhalla Memorial Park in Burbank.  We have no idea where Vibe is buried, but it’s gone too…

ARC Partners with Columbia University

It’s taken a while, but here’s the text of the official press release from Columbia University.  Yes, were changing the face (facade) of academic study!

Columbia Forges Partnership with ARChive of Contemporary Music
Collection of be-bop, bluegrass, blues, country, jazz, rap, reggae, rock, zydeco
and other forms to be made available for research and education

NEW YORK, April 6, 2009 — Columbia University has joined in a cooperative agreement with the ARChive of Contemporary Music, the largest collection of popular music in the world, to integrate the resources of the archive into arts programming at the university and other educational and scholarly activities.

The partnership is between the archive, Columbia University Libraries and the Arts Initiative at Columbia. Holdings of the archive include the Keith Richards Blues Collection, endowed by Richards, and the 50,000 disc World Music collection.

“The ARChive is excited to partner with Columbia to create innovative academic initiatives and online content to help with the study, understanding and enjoyment of popular music from all over the world,” said Bob George, director of the archive. “One of the first projects under this new partnership will mount the ARChive’s catalog online, for both students and the general public to access. This initial database, the International Discography, will provide data on a half-million recordings in the collection of over 2 million sound recordings.”

The New York-based archive is supported by a remarkable board of advisors which includes David Bowie, Jellybean Benitez, Jonathan Demme, Ellie Greenwich, Jerry Leiber, Youssou N’Dour, Lou Reed, Keith Richards, Nile Rodgers, Todd Rundgren, Fred Schneider, Martin Scorsese, Paul Simon and Mike Stoller.

“The archive is an extraordinary resource and it is an honor for Columbia to make the collection available for education and scholarship,” said Jim Neal, vice president for information services and University Librarian. “We welcome this opportunity to advance wider availability and use of the archive.”
As part of its continuing commitment to engagement in the city, University Libraries and the Arts Initiative will work with the archive to reach out to interested communities to develop programs and projects that support the work of the partnership. The Arts Initiative will work to develop and implement public programming which highlights the work of the collaboration and brings visibility to the archive.

“The Arts Initiative is especially happy to have collaborated with Jim Neal in the expanded access to this remarkable collection,” said Gregory Mosher, director of the Arts Initiative and adjunct assistant professor of theatre arts. “Connecting the arts with other ways of understanding the world is central to the Arts Initiative’s work, and Bob George’s collection is a unique way of understanding the American, not to mention international, experience as expressed through its most popular art form. We look forward to working with Bob, the library, Columbia’s scholars and artists, and artists from around the world to create unique and compelling programming in the coming years.”

The ARChive of Contemporary Music is a not-for-profit archive, music library and research center located in New York City. It collects, preserves and provides information on the popular music of all cultures and races throughout the world from 1950 to the present. Now in its 24th year, the archive consists of 2 million sound recordings and approximately 3 million photographs, books, press kits, videos, memorabilia and related ephemera.

The Arts Initiative was launched by Columbia President Lee C. Bollinger in February 2004 to re-examine the role of the arts in the university and the university’s role in the arts. Under the direction of Gregory Mosher, the Arts Initiative strives to enliven the arts on campus, connect the campus to the city’s culture, and link the arts with other ways of understanding the world. It collaborates with student and faculty partners across the campus, unconstrained by academic field, and works regularly with the city and national and international cultural partners to make the arts a part of every Columbian’s education and life.

Columbia University Libraries/Information Services is one of the top 5 academic research library systems in North America. Its collections include over 10 million volumes, over 100,000 journals and serials, as well as extensive electronic resources, manuscripts, rare books, microforms, maps, graphic and audio-visual materials. The services and collections are organized into 25 libraries and various academic technology centers. The Libraries employs more than 550 professional and support staff.

About Columbia University
A leading academic and research university, Columbia University continually seeks to advance the frontiers of knowledge and to foster a campus community deeply engaged in understanding and addressing the complex global issues of our time. Columbia’s extensive public service initiatives, cultural collaborations and community partnerships help define the University’s underlying values and mission to educate students to be both leading scholars and informed, engaged citizens. Founded in 1754 as King’s College, Columbia University in the City of New York is the fifth oldest institution of higher learning in the United States.

Dave Clark – Can’t Pay, Won’t Pay

We know the world has lost its moral compass when Gandhi chotskis hit the auction block.  Further proof is when former rockstars ask for a favor, on a quick turnaround, and than stiff you.  No we won’t go into ALL the folks who don’t pay their bills, knowing that ARC is too small to ever sue anyone, but here’s the latest.   We were asked to send a scan the cover of “Coast to Coast” (Epic, USA, LN 24128, Mono, [1965]) by Dave’s office.  We did it in a few hours, sent the scan, sent the bill.  A month later, nada.  We recontact and they say they sent by wire transfer.  We send them a copy of our banks transactions, proving it was never received.  They say well, it’s OUR problem.

So Dave.  I know times are tough.  You may not have the $100.  Sad.  Buy hey, when you wanted the scan we did it quickly, expertly, on faith.  That was our responsibility.  Your responsibility is to pay.  So despite the brazen stance in front of the US map, Dave Clark is no friend of America!  From the Stamp Act to the Dave Clark unpaid bill, it’s the same old story…

the SALE Continues…

Come on down and help us pay the rent here at the ARChive and pick up some great bargains @ bargain prices – CDs, books, singles, LPS – all for a good cause

!

All our Singles are Worthless Now?

As you may know the ARC was the reciepient of one of the best solid rock collections in the USA when Jeep Holland gave us his record collection. Jeep was also the mastermind behind A2 (squared) records our of Ann Arbor (A squared), as both he and I (B-squared) went to the UofM there.

Today ACE Records / Big Beat released the definitive collection of Jeeps efforts, A2 (of Course) # CDWIKD 274, on CD. Here you’ll find “historic recordings by luminaries MC5, Thyme, Scot Richard Case and Frost, plus the rarely-heard Prime Movers, with a young Iggy Pop on lead vocals.”

The thorough and nice Alec Palao put it all together, and he had a long look at our holdings – and was kind enough to thank Freddie and B, although we could provide nothing new to his exhaustive survey.

But our sale is still on and if you want the the original A2 singles by the Frost, Thyme or MC5, come on down – we’re here until Sunday.

The Latest Sect

This just in : Today, 5/22/2008, the N Y Times posts a story on Acrassicauda, the (only?) Iraqi Heavy Metal band, who just happen to be named after a species of black scorpion. There’s a new documentary about them and their love of insects…

Wanna watch? or watch another video?

As a kid, in Ohio, in the 60s, in the garage, I was one of many who preferred the Stones to the Beatles, and the twistymouth charms of singing “My. My. My. Like the spider to the fly, jump right ahead in my web” to any handholding lyric by those cheery entomologists. Otherbugwise, Spike Jones’ version of the Rimsky-Korsakov beething was great. And yes, I liked the Crickets, but it would be a while before I learned to love Spiders from Mars.

But now hear this; Jason E. Bond, who probably had a band in the 60s, is a biologist at East Carolina University who named a newly discovered trapdoor spider, Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi – a name with a fake Greek ju-jitsu ring to it, but in honor of his favorite musician all the same.

So, in honor of Youngi, who we lovi, and eschewing away all other itsy bitsys, like Flea, Adam Ant, WASP, Iron Butterfly, The Honey Bees, The Fleas, Honey & the Bees, The Spiders, Halo of Flies, The Bugs, The Buggs, The Butterflys, The Bee Gees, Steel Caterpillar, Insect Surfers, Praying Mantis, The Fire Flies, Lord Flea, Lord Fly, J.W. Grasshopper & Butterfly, Celi Bee, Tarantula, the Tarantulas, The Insect Trust, Spider Webb, the Termites, Scorpion, Blowfly, and Spider John Koerner, accept our humble discography of arachno-centric seven-inch singles.

• Ballad Of Spider John, WILLIS ALAN RAMSEY, SHELTER, 7324, 1972
• Big Widow Spider, BILLY JACK HALE, D, 1216, 1961
• Black Spider, ROCKHEART JOHNSON, RCA, 1947-5136, 1953
• Black Widow Spider, BIG BROTHER & HOLDING COMPANY, COLUMBIA, 45502, 1971
• Black Widow Spider, DAMON FOX, CRIMSON, 1013, 1967
• Black Widow Spider, SANFORD CLARK, LHI, 1203, 1968
• Black Widow Spider Blues, LOWELL FULSON, SWINGTIME, 115, 19??
• Black Widow Spider, LOWELL FULSON, SWINGTIME, 308, 1952
• Black Widow Spider Woman, JACK HAMMER, MILESTONE, 2001, 1959
• Boris The Spider, JOEY COVINGTON, ORIGINAL, SOUND, 1967
• Boris The Spider, The CORDS, LAURIE, 3403, 1967
• Church Of The Poison Spider, DAVID HALLYDAY, SCOTTI BR, 07299, 1987
• Inky Dinky Spider, AIMABLE, SCEPTER, 12134, 1966
• Itsy Bitsy Spider (The), CARLY SIMON, ARISTA, 9525, 1986
• Me And My Spider, The REVERES, VALIANT, 196041, 1964
• Mean Red Spider, MUDDY WATERS, ARISTOCRAT, 1307, 1949
• Redback Spider, BROWNSVILLE STATION, BIG, TREE, 1972
• Return Of The Spiders, ALICE COOPER, WARNER, 7398, 1970
• Rubber Spiders In Coffee, Tommy HUTTON & KIDS BAND, MASTERVIEW, 102, 19??
• Spider, LIMMIE & FAMILY COOKING, AVCO, 4602, 1972
• Spider, HERBIE HANCOCK, COLUMBIA, 10563, 1977
• Spider, The DE MIRES, LUNAR, 519, 1959
• Spider, The LEAPING FLAMES, MAH, S, 1961
• Spider, CLODAGH RODGERS, RCA, 1947-9779, 1969
• Spider, The ELLINGTONS, RCA, 10528, 1975
• Spider, The STARLINERS, NO-NEE, 101, 19??
• Spider And The Fly, SAL RAIMONDI, CORAL, 62282, 1961
• Spider And Fly, JIMMY THOMASON, KING, 1085, 1952
• The Spider, AMOS MILBURN JR., SHALIMAR, 106, 1963
• The Spider, GENE NASH, JOSIE, 826, 1957
• The Spider, DOC BAGBY, GONE, 5087, 1960
• The Spider, JOE MORRIS, ATLANTIC, 859, 1949
• The Spider, The MARVELIERS, JOANY, 4439, 19??
• The Spider And The Fly, BANKS, ARTE & TELLERS, IMPERIAL, 5788, 1961
• The Spider And The Fly, BOBBY HART, BAMBOO, 507, 1961
• The Spider And The Fly, RAMBLIN JIMMIE DOLAN, CAPITOL, 1487, 1951
• The Spider And The Fly, STAN KENTON, CAPITOL, 1616, 1951
• The Spider And The Fly, The MONOCLES, CHICORY, 407, 1967
• The Spider And The Fly, BOBBY CHRISTIAN, WING, 2102, 1958
• The Spider And The Fly, LINDA JEAN, FAYETTE, 1628, 1965
• The Spider And The Fly, VON RUDEN, IVANHOE, 503, 1970
• The Spider And The Fly, TRAVIS & BOB, MERCURY, 71866, 1961
• Spider In My Stew, BUSTER BENTON, JEWEL, 842, 1974
• Spider In My Stew, BUSTER BROWN, RONN, 105, 19??
• Spider Man, HERO, LIFESONG, 45004, 1976
• Spider Man, FREDDIE McCOY, PRESTIGE, 398, 1966
• Spider Man, WILL POWER, PRIVATE, STOCK, 1975
• The Spider Song (Inky Dinky Spider), The KIDS NEXT DOOR, FOUR, CORNERS, 1965
• Spider Walk (The), JOHNNY DARROW, SUE, 738, 1961
• Spider’s Web, MAURICE KING & WOLVERINES, OKEH, 6800, 1951
• Spider’s Web, TAB SMITH, UNITED, 195, 1957
• Spider’s Webb, JAY JOHNSON, NEW, JAZZ, 19??
• Spider Web, TINY BRADSHAW, KING, 4727, 1954
• Spider Woman (Novela Das Nove), WALLY BADAROU, ISLAND, 99530, 1986
• Spider Woman, WALLY BADAROU, VISUAL ARTS, 99557, 1986
• Spiders, OZZY OSBOURNE, CBS ASSOC, 04318, 84
• Spiders And Snakes, JIM STAFFORD, M-G-M, 14648, 73
• Spooky Spider, The BUDDIES, SWAN, 194073, 1961
• Theme From Spider Man, The WEB SPINNERS, BUDDAH, 327, 1972
• What’s The Name Of This Funk, Spiderman, RAMSEY LEWIS, COLUMBIA, 10235, 1975

Oh, and there’s just so much more, like Tom Paxton’s “There’s A Spider On the Floor” or the debut single “Itzy Bitzy Spider” by Aqua (called Joyspeed at the time), “The Spider” by Eon and both Townes Van Zandt and Say Anything have a ditty called “Spider Song.”

Ps – Back on de bug track, don’t ignore the whirligig beetle, who’s very fond of sunglasses, aka Orectochilus orbisonorum.

Ton o’ Tomes

Today we honor David Hinckley, of the New York Daily News. David has, over the years, contributed mightily to ARC. Unlike MOST critics, David neither sells nor hoards the swag and promos the recording industry sends his way. He reviews and comments on what he likes, promotes what he can, keeps what he loves the most, and then, generously, passes on piles and piles to us to fill in our collection. When we get third copies of things we sell them off. This in turn, helps keep ARC alive.

This year, as the promos dwindle to a precious few (because of electronic press kits) well, we get fewer and fewer new CDs donated. So David, feeling low that 328 CDs that he dropped off seemed a little ‘light’, culled his bookshelves for 261 good books to donate.

Aside from the simply odd, the simply odd and wonderful, the essential and the tossable (which we would never do) there were quite a few we really needed.

David added 48 books on the Beatles to our already catalogued 513 on our shelves. As always, Elvis was a close second, followed by Stones, Bowie and Dead (a law firm you can trust.)

One nice duo we’ve never seen was First Pressing , a two volume set of “Rock History as Chronicled in Billboard Magazine” compiled by Galen Gart in 1986 and published by Big Nickel – one of our favorites. Ringbound, and covering the years from 1949-1952, these oblong wonders attempt to summarize the newstories that did and didn’t matter. Looking at Oct 1949, we learn that Sensation Records, out of Detroit,“…recently resumed pressing after dissolving its contract with King Records, [and] is returning strong in the race field…” with releases by John Lee Hooker, Milt Jackson, and Wild Bill Moore. Well, try googling ‘Sensation Records” and you’ll wear out your mousearm by the time you can get to any real info on this indie long-gone. Did we mention there’s a reason we save, use and need books?

Look for a nice stack at our sale, as many are third copies. And not only should you come by [buy] and shop, but consider donating materials if you have any similar antiques, like records, CDs or books cluttering up the home or office.

SUMMER RECORD + CD SALE
20,000 discs’o'joy for sale @ great prices!
Sat June 7 – Sun June 15
everyday 11-6

ARChive of Contemporary Music
54 White Street • New York City, 10013
3 blocks South of Canal between Church + Broadway
Take the #1 train to Franklin St, or any train to Canal
tel : 212-226-6967 • e : arcmusic@inch.com • url: www.arcmusic.org

United Airlines Lacks Musical Sensitivity

As you know, we live in the least developed country of the so-called developed nations. I write this from the San Francisco airport. I fly domestically, maybe, twice a year. I fly internationally 4 or 5 times a year. I have NEVER had a flight delayed in Europe or Asia, and I have never once, in 10 years, taken off on time in the USA. And UNITED is the worst. Everytime. Two hours delay so far and counting. And I hate them.

BUT, if you are lucky enough to loose your mind at the United Domestic Terminal, there is a wonderful Exhibit of Catalinaware – pottery made in the Arts and Craft / Art Deco style on that tourist isle, from about 1927. This is the ONLY accredited art museum in an American airport. And certainly you have the hours to wile away if you fly United. (who I hate).

The Catalina Collector’s Blog < http://catalinacollectors.org/blog/gallery > says this is the largest exhibition of the material every mounted. So why talk about this in a music blog that hates United Airlines?

Well because of the photo of that gal a-playin’ her flower pots! They are playing ‘tuneful pottery’ in 1932 on the “Island of Romance.” And that’s about all I know.

So the hunt begins to find out more.

For an existing soundtrack, Singles-wise, consider
• The Four Preps, “Twenty-Six Miles (Santa Catalina).” Capitol, 3845, 1957 – this was an actual hit the following year.
• The Four Jokers. “Catalina Leana.” Apollo, 1163, 1950
• The Four Jokers. “We Met In Catalina.” Crystalette,730, 1959.
• Jan Garber Orchestra. “Catalina Bounce.” Capitol, 15468, 1949.
• Gordon Jenkins. “Santa Catalina.” Decca, 27031, 1950.
• The Commanders. “Cat From Catalina.” Decca, 29485, 1950.
• Bert Kaempfert. “Catalina.” Decca, 30866, 1959
• Tret Fure. “Catalina.” MCA, 40029, 1973.
• Freddy Martin. “Santa Catalina.” RCA, 47-3780. 1950.
• Nancy Sherman, Joan Van Armen. “Catalina Honeymoon.” Wanderlust, 1109, 1959.
Orchestra Mambo Rico. “Mambo Con Catalina.” Capitol, 15681, 1950 – this is the one I’m looking for!

There is also another exhibition titled, “30th Anniversary San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival” in another terminal but no one seems to know where that terminal is, and it seems missing from the airport map at the United Terminal, and did I mention I hate United?