The First 2 A&M Albums That You Purchased.
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The First 2 A&M Albums That You Purchased.
TJB's WHIPPED CREAM followed soon by We Five's YOU WERE ON MY MIND (4110 & 4111). The latter came from our local Singer outlet, where the MILLION DOLLAR SAMPLER was available with other early A&M titles. This was in 1967 after the TV Special sponsored by Singer. My neighbor's Dad was hometown store manager.
JB
-- with shrink wrap & department store price stickers still intact on many early LPs.
JB
-- with shrink wrap & department store price stickers still intact on many early LPs.
Yes. I know you and I have talked about how we very well may have shopped there at the same time before we knew each other. I believe A&M Corner's own Randy Kosht and Steve Shaw frequented the shop as well. I wish those two would post more often.
I was there practically every day as I walked home from Canoga Park High School. Next door to Pal's, to the right in that picture (cropped off with only the awning showing) was Terry Gibbs' Music Stop, where I bought marimba mallets, drum heads and drum sticks on occasion.
--Mr Bill
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toeknee4bz
Well-Known Member
Summer of 82, I was 13 years old and I saw MAIN EVENT LIVE by Herb Alpert and Hugh Masekela when I was in the upstairs record section at Sears in the Volusia Mall, Daytona Beach, Florida. The lp was actually in the cut outs, irresistibly priced at $2.99. With tax it was $3.11. I bought it, played it all night. Right from the get, "Foreign Natives" started the jam. And what... a... wild... jam it was. Best three bucks I ever spent. And it was the first vinyl I ever purchased with my own money.
Second was the RISE album. I was so obsessed with that song that I just had to have the album, with the full length version timing at 7:37. What was totally welcome and unexpected was the potpourri of different styles on the album... all stellar, and all new to me, despite the album having been out for nearly three years already.
Afterward I would begin my [now complete] Herb Alpert collection, as well as my extensive (not quite complete) collections of Carpenters, Styx, Mangione, etc. They mostly collect dust these days as I usually just play my music through a 64 gb thumb drive, but they're still tucked away in the spare bedroom where they'll probably remain longer than I will. Good memories.
Second was the RISE album. I was so obsessed with that song that I just had to have the album, with the full length version timing at 7:37. What was totally welcome and unexpected was the potpourri of different styles on the album... all stellar, and all new to me, despite the album having been out for nearly three years already.
Afterward I would begin my [now complete] Herb Alpert collection, as well as my extensive (not quite complete) collections of Carpenters, Styx, Mangione, etc. They mostly collect dust these days as I usually just play my music through a 64 gb thumb drive, but they're still tucked away in the spare bedroom where they'll probably remain longer than I will. Good memories.
rockdoctor
Well-Known Member
I have the A&M lp's in my living room right by the turntable. I pull them every now and then to play as I do not have most of them on CD. I still look for the early A&M's when I go to used record and thrift stores.
I'm at a point where I'm weeding out many A&Ms from the LP collection. If I haven't played it since putting the current bunch of records into the family room shelves several years ago, chances are I'll never play it again. (It's not just the A&Ms either--I've already weeded out at least 80-90 from various shelves.) Some I digitized in high-res (although I'll be redoing all of them) so if I ever get in the mood, I can simply select a song or album on the digital system and play it that way. (Or if it's on Qobuz in CD resolution, it's good enough for a casual play. Again, Qobuz saving me money.) For now the records go into storage but, once downsizing begins, there's no guarantee they won't be traded in somewhere for something I actually want. I no longer buy anything "because A&M".
rockdoctor
Well-Known Member
I am weeding down some of my collection as well. I am pulling lp's that I have on cd and some items I have multiple copies. A friend has a cleaning and hauling business and he gives me records that he comes across. One used record store I go to gives cash and what they don't want I take to another used book and record store and they give me good credit amounts that I have used for book, lp and cd purchases.
Same here! 👍 I have also weeded out a lot of duplicates. In my case, I was looking for better playing copies of records, only I never got rid of the lesser copies. As for CD vs. LP, I still may keep both versions. For something like Herb's recent remasters, I only need the high-res downloads and I'm good. (I also bought the remastered LP versions that were released at the same time.) Keeping the Herb Alpert Presents CDs or those really old releases from the late 80s makes zero sense to me--they don't sound as good, and they waste precious space. I'm not obsessed with different masterings, mono vs. stereo, different pressing plants, etc. I've always seen myself as a collector of the music, not of physical versions of recordings. Just point me to the best-sounding version and that's my keeper.
If I'm listening to records, I'll toss on an LP. If I'm playing digital for the evening, I'll queue it up and give it a play. So in cases like that, I'm good with having a copy of those two formats to play.
If I'm listening to records, I'll toss on an LP. If I'm playing digital for the evening, I'll queue it up and give it a play. So in cases like that, I'm good with having a copy of those two formats to play.
I'm considering doing the same... not just with the music but the books, also... The aging completist in me appreciates the idea of having 9 copies of Fahrenheit 451 (each a different printing with different cover art), but the sensible me realizes my kids don't get that (especially after our recent discussions about "what happens to our collections after we pass")...
And...
Maybe even some of my "still-sealed"Lego sets. Some sets have grown to astronomical value and it makes more sense to sell than to part out into my parts bins. The $ can go to mine and Mrs. Bill's "Golden Years" plans!
Decisions decisions...
--Mr Bill
And...
Maybe even some of my "still-sealed"Lego sets. Some sets have grown to astronomical value and it makes more sense to sell than to part out into my parts bins. The $ can go to mine and Mrs. Bill's "Golden Years" plans!
Decisions decisions...
--Mr Bill
Bobberman
Well-Known Member
I missed out on most of the late 80s TJB A&M Reissues (except the hits comps and LB. WCAOD. AND Christmas album and whatever wasn't deleted as of 1990 on) and I still regret it I'm keeping everything I have physically as to me they may sound different in their respective issues but to me they sound good on CD rather than worn to death vinyl to me it's nice to have at least one copy of every album issue on CD in the case of Herb alpert I have everything in a mix of A&M. Shout factory. And Herb Alpert Presents and 2 copies of some on CD and I got all the HAP releases for my computer and Copied the computer audio to SD cards but I like having these historical artifacts. And I hope to introduce my Grandkids to this music one day.
That's the tough part. The only thing I'm "completist" about is having all the music recorded by an artist or band I might be collecting. Yet even where I've ended up with multiple versions of something, it feels like I'm breaking apart some sort of collection that belongs together.
What really woke me up out of the slumber was having moved in 2010, after having moved three times in the three years prior. Some of those boxes of books I packed up in 2007 are still in those boxes, untouched. I've retrieved maybe half a dozen at the most. These days, I still buy the occasional physical book but, more often than not, I'm ordering it for the Kindle so I don't have more "stuff" to deal with. The author still gets paid, and I'm rewarded by less clutter to deal with.
I will still hang onto a few of the books (like the Pete Turner Colors of Jazz coffee table book...as long as it's not in one of the water-damaged boxes, and the signed Mancini bio) but the rest I'll probably just donate to the small family bookstore near us and let them sell those off. My ex was big on immediately throwing away the slip covers on hardcover books 🙄, so those aren't even worth anything.
I would agree on the LEGO sets. Strike while the iron is hot. I'm sitting here now looking at some of the Star Wars sets my kiddo and I built (six in the family room) yet, if I put them in the spare bedroom, she'd never miss them. Some I will keep because I like them but otherwise, I could probably turn over $1,200 selling off the kits I have (those are the "median" prices at BrickLink) as I have the original boxes, booklets, and spare pieces that came with them.
I just walk into the basement now and see so much "stuff" that I just want it gone. Our plan was to stay for a couple of years and move, or relocate, so I left most everything in boxes and have never sorted through them. So there are things from both of our previous houses, and still boxes from my parents' house. I look at boxes of CDs I've ripped to network storage that I will never look at or play ever again. Boxes of Laserdiscs. Books. DVDs. (Those are also ripped to the server.) Old LPs I will never play. Stacks of things, even audio components and speakers, knowing I'll never use any of them. Most I can't sell except in bulk at fire sale prices (especially CDs and DVDs). I'd almost be happier getting a dumpster and getting it all out of my life, to be honest.
Supertramp "Breakfast In America" ($ 6.99 OR $ 7.99 at the old Camelot Music at Fashion Square Mall in Saginaw, Michigan) on August 20, 1979. I also bought Chicago "13" (Tower) (Columbia) also there & I was 14 years old. By the way, Camelot Music record store switched from dark blue & black to orange white while remodeling!!
ABSOLUTELY hang on to that! There are three (not a typo---three) available on Amazon this morning...$299.95, $329.00 and $582.11.
rockdoctor
Well-Known Member
Books are harder to deal with than records but with the rise of used book stores, it is easier. When my mom passed in 2017, she had loads of books all over the house. The ones that were in very good condition, I donated to the local library. Many of the paperbacks were falling apart so they went to recycling. All the other books were split up between thrift stores and the local yard library. I buy very few books these days unless it is associated with my Nature/Geology hobbies.
DeeInKY
Well-Known Member
And I thought I was the only one who called Magnavox that.
Anyway, the first two A&M albums in our house were Whipped Cream and Going Places. Our console television/stereo was a Curtis-Mathes.
Bobberman
Well-Known Member
My Grandmother had A Curtis Mathes TV from 1975 until she replaced it in 1998 or so. those were guaranteed for life I remember their ads " They Cost a little More But Darn well worth it".
Late2theParty
Member
first was Blodwyn Pig's "Ahead Rings Out." Was a Tull fan, so thought I'd give Mick Abrahams new band a try. Famous album cover, and my local radio station ripped it off and has been using it for over 50 years. Listening to bands like this...is why I missed the Carpenters when I could have seen them live....darn it.
first was Blodwyn Pig's "Ahead Rings Out." Was a Tull fan, so thought I'd give Mick Abrahams new band a try. Famous album cover, and my local radio station ripped it off and has been using it for over 50 years. Listening to bands like this...is why I missed the Carpenters when I could have seen them live....darn it.
Just going to tag onto this with the original A&M cover:
Seeing that in the record store for the first time was the clearest indication yet that A&M was going through changes.
Indeed. That ain't Herb!
rockdoctor
Well-Known Member
I never saw this in any local record store but I would have probably ignored it. I do remember seeing it in their color catalog. I still look at A&M albums in the thrift stores hoping someone stuck a copy of the catalog inside.Just going to tag onto this with the original A&M cover:
Seeing that in the record store for the first time was the clearest indication yet that A&M was going through changes.
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