RARE RECORDS CATALOGUE
U-V
Q-R Ethnic Recordings U-V S-T O-P W-X K-L M-N V.A. I-J Y-Z G=H E-F C-D Compact Disk A-B

2686. UKAJI SHOJI: “Sound of Vision” (Private release 1987) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint) Over a decade or so, this record was fairly unknown and could – if lucky to encounter it – dig it up for under 200 euro or so. Sadly, due to a tsunami-like upsurge of interest in privately pressed Japanese jazz slides, those Golden Days can be considered ancient history. For over a decade now, I failed to unearth or get any lead on another copy of Ukaji Shoji’s sole privately released monster LP. Fortunately, a heavy trade with a free jazz collector yielded a copy straight out of the deepest dungeon of secret sonic marvels. The record is as a wild beast and the music is a recording of Ukaji flanked by all time free jazz drummer Yoshizaburo Toyozumi recorded at the legendary Tokyo’s Kid Ailakku Hall. A real free jazz monster of a disc. A slab right in yer face of vicious interplay between two of Japan’s finest still active fire music practitioners. Ukaji himself is a criminally under-recorded artist to say the least and discs by him just never surface. This one was released, I believe, in a tiny edition of 150 copies and only sold at local gigs way back. It is the first time in over a decade I have ever seen a copy up for sale, so rare does not even come close to describe the scarcity of this monster. Very nice recording in top condition. This one is the sole copy I know of so far that comes with the insert. Hideously rare, from the first groove it sounds like an acoustic tidal wave exploding into shards of dynamite. It breathes out that much beloved punk-primitive aesthetic that evolved out of the wake of US/Euro free jazz ground leveling. Ukaji’s blows caters evanescent, twisting runs in a style that, while hardly lacking in energy, stands in stark contrast both to Arthur Doyle's monumental sonic edifices and to the dense, furious blowing of the New York school of improvisers who grew out of Ayler and Coltrane. Throughout, Toyozumi gooses the proceedings with a masterful array of polyrhythm’s and his reactions are as lightning fast and tonally astute as anyone who came up in his shadow. Upon spinning this slide, you will be reaching for the seatbelt in anticipation of another obliterating slab of high energy instant composition. Ukaji’s playing is so hyper-focused, so exactingly executed, that he devours the minutes, bracketing accelerated, smeared scales with boppy heads and sudden invasions of the alto’s most phantom registers. It’s a fantastic set, one that explodes the tradition while simultaneously bolstering it, like all of the most ass-flattening free jazz dates. Ultra minuscule pressing that is getting so rare and sought after it is almost criminally insane. Price: Offers!!!!

2687. ULTIMATE SPINACH: “Ego Trip b/w Your Head Is Reeling” (MGM – DM-1169) (EP Single Record: Near Mint/ Flip Back Picture Sleeve: Near Mint). Japan only single issue from 1968 that failed to sell well, resulting in MGM to abort any plans for releasing a domestic release of the first LP. Ultimate Spinach was the most notorious, of the groups to be hyped as part of the "Bosstown Sound" in 1968 who created a seriously intended psychedelic stew. Bruce-Douglas' skittering, piercing organ lines steal the show here, creating one of the Bosstown Sounds archetypical moments. Ian's echoed voice, warning yet seductive guide you into “Ego Trip” – talking about your own misguided mind trip. The B-side "Your Head Is Reeling" has grungy, distorted Doors’ guitar lifted straight out of Robby Krieger's intro to "The End." As Bruce-Douglas' vocals are only adequate, it's unfortunate more was not heard from guitarist and occasional lead singer Barbara Hudson, who has the kind of ice-cool style trendy among the female psychedelic singers of the era. Nevertheless, the Spinach unleashed a unique blend of psych, jazz, rock, Gregorian vocals and Baroque instrumentation. Bloody rare Japan only single issue with cool picture sleeve. Price: Offers!!!
2688. ULTRAVOX: “S/T” (Island Records – ILS-80912) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Damned scare original 1977 Japan first original pressing in top shape. Ultravox’s debut, Ultravox!, is certainly not their most well-known work. That wouldn’t occur for another three years, and only after some significant changes to both their lineup and sound with 1980’s Vienna. Their debut, co-produced by Steve Lilywhite and Brian Eno, may be one of the forgotten debut masterpieces ever. This, likely, was caused by the change in sound after the departures of John Foxx and Robin Simon. But, everything about this album falls into the category of fully realized louder side of glam, charged up with snarling synths, veracious lyrical vox attack, punky attitude with a budding pop sensibility. Without a doubt, their best effort they would not surpass hereafter. Damned rare Japan original press with obi, just does not surface at all. Price: 300 Euro
2689. The UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: “S/T” (CBS – 63340) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Laminated Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint) Rare UK only MONO issue – first press issue on the orange-colored CBS label. Impossibly clean copy, flawless from start to finish!!! Price: 250 Euro
2690. UNIVERSAL EXPRESSIONS: “Roach Om” (United Sound – USR-4626) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Jacket: Mint, still housed in original shrink). This baby was sealed when I wheeled it in, so I let it breathe a bit and dropped the needle twice on the virginal record. Original 1971 US private press of excellent spiritual jazz slide. Universal Expressions’ is a superb, yet super obscure privately pressed album by a group spearheaded by poetess Roach Om hailing from the Bay Area. It’s quite tough to find proper information about any of the players involved or the album itself, not even the exact year this was pressed. All I can say is that this is a seriously deep and very funky spiritual jazz monster of the highest order, containing some gorgeous female afro-centric spoken word, rap-like vocals not unlike, for example, Camille Yarbrough or Sarah Webster Fabio. Sound-wise this could have easily been released on Strata East. Rumored to feature players from (Oneness Of) JuJu. Roach Om later on released one more Lp but had drifted by then into some deep gospel realms. But here she is flanked by stellar jazz cats and delivers a cornerstone spiritual free jazz slide that is nothing but totally intoxicatingly great. Top condition US original pressing, impossible to ever upgrade upon! Price: Offers!!!!
2691. The UPSETTERS: “The Upsetter” (Trojan – TTL-13) (Record: Excellent/ Jacket: Excellent). Original 1969 pressing of Lee Perry's radiation soaked rootsy dub explorations. “In 1969, after serving what amounted to a producer-in-training stint at Coxsone Dodd's Studio One, Lee Scratch Perry began one of his frequent reinventions, this time emerging as the Upsetter, and he applied the name not only to himself but also to his new label and to the backing group he had assembled. The Upsetters were a fluid unit and initially consisted of studio veterans Gladstone Gladdy Anderson, Winston Wright, Hux Brown, and Clifton Jackie Jackson. This set is actually much more Upsetters than Upsetter, and keys primarily on Wright's bright organ playing. It's fun stuff, if not exactly like the heavier dub innovations Perry would slide into further on down the road.” (Steve Leggett, All Music Guide) A classic that is hard to fine in just an acceptable nice nick. This one is as nice as they get. Original press!!  Price: 175 Euro
2692. The UPSETTERS: “Return of Django” (Upsetter – TRL-19) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint). Original 1969 UK original 1st pressing of killer early Upsetters & Lee Perry jives. Top condition and impossible to ever upgrade upon! An early moment of genius from the legendary Lee Perry – and a set that uses Django imagery from Italian westerns to serve up a "bad boy" version of Jamaican music for the late 60s! Even at this early point, the sounds are mind-blowing – rocksteady brought through a really weird sort of filter – so that lots of familiar instruments are turned inside out, and used to create these incredibly far-out sounds – especially the keyboards, which get really weird tunings and timings – and the reed passages, which sometimes have surprisingly exotic touches. Production is a big part of this approach, yet is surprisingly understated too – especially in comparison to later Perry productions. Nice original 1st pressing of all time classic. Best condition imaginable – which is no small feat for a disc that always has some minor or major condition issues but this copy here is virginal all the way. Price: 575 Euro
2693. The UPSETTERS: “Return of Django” (Upsetter – TRL-19) (Record: Excellent – with a couple of faint hairlines/ Gatefold Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint – no defects but has the always present price sticker). Original 1969 UK original 1st pressing of killer early Upsetters & Lee Perry jives. Nice original 1st pressing of all time classic in great shape. Solid keeper but if you are after the most perfect copy, then look here above. Price: 300 Euro
2694. The UPSETTERS: “Clint Eastwood” (Pama – PSP-1014) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint). Damned rare 1970 UK first original MONO pressing in absolutely TOP shape & that comes housed in coated sleeve. More mind-blowing sounds turning dub inside out by master Lee Perry working from out of the producer seat. Nice condition of hard-to-get UK only issue. Record is absolutely flawless with only one faint press-miss bubble on run out groove of track 2 side 2 that causes 3 clicks. For the rest near flawless copy and best-ever to have crossed my eyes! Tough one to find this clean so… Price: Offers!!!!
2695. The UPSETTERS: “Scratch The Upsetter Again” (Upsetter – TTL-28) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Laminated Jacket: Excellent). Original 1970 UK 1st pressing in great shape. Released in 1970, ‘Scratch The Upsetter Again’ draws from sessions primarily cut in 1970 and finds the Upsetters straddling the fence between the R&B and ska-influenced sound of the late 60s and the deep roots vibe developing at the time. There are also traces of Lee Perry’s emerging dub experiments, with many tracks sporting a skeletal rhythmic architecture, washes of reverb, echo and shuddering sound effects. While a few songs feature lead vocalists, Dave Barker’s version of ‘Will You Still Love Me’ and Prince Miller’s proto-rap on ‘Mule Train’, ‘Scratch The Upsetter Again’ is largely instrumental, with plenty of bouncing bottom and heady melody to satisfy space cadets. Clean UK original pressing – again these are getting so hard to find in great condition so…Price: 250 Euro
2696. The UPSETTERS: “Super Ape” (Island Records – ILS-71050) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ OBI: Mint/ 4-Paged Insert: Near Mint). Rare 1st original Japanese high quality pressing of heavy dub slide. “Super Ape offered a series of the producer's finest 1976 rhythms, from Devon Irons' "When Jah Come" and the Blue Bells' "Come Along" to Romeo's "War in a Babylon" and "Chase the Devil." All are bathed in the distinct, murky atmosphere that was becoming a Black Ark trademark, then served up in the form of dub-like de-constructions. Island's U.K./U.S. sequencing of Super Ape places "Dread Lion" at the album's heart. If any track fulfills the cover's promise to "Dub it up, blacker than dread", this is it. Vocals from numerous cuts seem to compete for their spot on the rhythm, while a dizzying mix of horns, flute and melodica swirl around them. Punctuating the song's rock-solid underbelly, Perry conjures startling thunderclaps from his mixing board.” (All Music) Killer dub finest slide. Never seen before 1st original Japanese pressing with Jah-OBI. Price: 250 Euro
2697. The UPSETTERS: “Blackboard Jungle Dub” (Clocktower Records – LPCT-0115) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint). Us first original press issue in top condition. “On Blackboard Jungle Dub, Lee Perry and the Upsetters produce another fine example of their subversive brand of dub with a unique blend of murky rhythm tracks, warbling guitar effects and distant-sounding horns. Although it does not quite match the quality of the classic Upsetters album Super Ape, Blackboard nevertheless impresses with both the brevity of "strictly" drum and bass cuts such as "Dreamland Dub" and "Kasha Macka Dub," and expansive touches like the animated DJ toasting on "Cloak A Dagger (Ver. 3)." Living up to the "Upsetter" moniker, Perry wreaks his inimitable brand of mayhem during "Fever Grass Dub" with a half-baked MC intro, lion roars and air raid siren imitations; effects which blend in well with other eccentric features like the spastic trombone solo on "BlackBoard ver. 2" and reverb-heavy percussion on "Cloak a Dagger." Just standard technique for Perry really, and part of the sound which made his productions instantly recognizable amongst many '70s and '80s dub releases. Blackboard Jungle contains classic dub taken to the outer limits and is one of the highlights of the Lee Perry catalog.” (AMG). This was the very first pressing with the sunset label. Awesome condition – hard to improve upon. Price: 350 Euro
2698. The UPSETTERS: “Scratch And Company – Chapter 1” (Clocktower Records – LPCT-0114) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Top notch condition original pressing!!! Placed within legendary reggae producer Lee Scratch' Perry's prolific discography, The Upsetters Chapter 1 stands out as one of the eccentric genius's most interesting, adventurous works. Using a combination of established collaborators and new musicians, Perry creates a classic dub record that pulses with deep bass, echoing percussion and dissonant sound effects. Spiritual cuts (When Jah Come') are balanced by grand dub productions ( Tighten Up'), creating a cohesive, infectious sound that rivals the Upsetter's finest material. In short, this is pivotal Black Ark material blessed with brilliantly tripped out echoey dub production and scorching instrumentation laid down by the mighty Upsetters! Split roughly in half between Perry's nicely gritty instrumental mood-craft and hazy vocals, it features some uber prime Upsetters material. It's all here – heavily rumbling bass grooves, tripped out, though spiritually resonant vocals and just enough of smoky haze without getting too thick to breathe. Top condition 1st original pressing! Price: 350 Euro
2699. URABE MASAYOSHI: “Jyu-U (A Brute)”, (Self Released/No Label No Cat 2xLP.), (2 LP Record Set: Near Mint/ Gatefold Sleeve: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint.) TOP copy of this impossible to find, long-gone self-released double album from the exhilarating and intense young alto saxophonist Masayoshi Urabe. With scalp-shearing performances from 1987, 97 and 2000, this album was only available direct from the saxophonist himself and was pressed in a tiny edition of 100. This is hand-numbered 86. Beautiful, delicate, fold out package. Very rare. “For all the talk of Japanese saxophonist Masayoshi Urabe’s eviscerating power, he has a beautiful voice on the saxophone, a forlorn castrato, and his staggering control of the upper reaches of his horn results in some of the most emotionally articulate playing of any contemporary saxophonist. Much more so than his shadow, the late altoist Kaoru Abe, Urabe is interested in immediacy of communication and perhaps this is why he sees his spiritual allies as coming more from Rock – he’s a huge Lou Reed fan - than jazz. Still, by the very fact of the saxophone in his mouth, there are echoes of other horn-wielding musicians, whether unconsciously channeled or not… but it’s Urabe’s expressive use of silence that most marks him off from anyone else, the way he holds a sound in his lungs for minutes before allowing it all to come screaming out, as if in an attempt to re-connect long-fried synapses, to tear a piece of himself back from the past. Despite the violence of his delivery the prevailing mood is deeply melancholic, with huge sections of nothing serving to supernaturally magnify the significance of the slightest gesture,” The Wire. For fans of Free Jazz, Improv, Keiji Haino, Kosokuya, Masayuki Takayanagi, Evan Parker, Albert Ayler, Acid Mothers Temple, Chie Mukai, Ghost, Fushitsusha, Mainliner, Musica Transonic, High Rise, White Heaven. Copies just never surface anymore, steadily becoming one of the rarest Japanese free jazz private pressings out there. KILLER!!! Price: Offers!!!!

2700. VALENTE, DINO: “S/T” (CBS Sony – SONP-50338) (Record: Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint) Japan white label promo pressing and first and last solo LP by ex Quicksilver Messenger Servive kingpin.. First original press issue that came out in December 1970. Top copy, awesome pressing and scarce all together since the Japanese pressing of this disc was minuscule due to depressing sales. Rarely turns up at all. Brilliant solo album, every song is a winner and especially Valente's cover of "Me & My Uncle" rips like no other. This one comes with the always-missing insert. Sound just killer and far superior to the US pressing to these humble ears. Defenitely a dessert island record for me. Price: 175 Euro

2701. VALLE, MARCOS: “Previsao Do Tempo” (Light In The Attic – LITA-093) (Limited Edition Only Blue Wax Record: Mint/ gatefold Jacket: Mint, still housed in Shrink/ Booklet: Mint). Limited edition of only a few hundred for Japan that came pressed on blue wax. “Showcasing a groovy funk and jazz-fusion influence with help from then current backing band Azimuth (later known as Azymuth), synthesizers, Fender Rhodes, and electronic sounds took Valle’s samba, bossa nova, baião (a rhythmic beat from the rural northeast of Brazil), along with the inspiration of black American music and psychedelic rock from prior albums, to dimensions unheard. While not a complete departure, the vocals, grooves, and engaging songs of Previsão Do Tempo are guaranteed to make you feel free and think deep. Previsão Do Tempo was originally released in 1973 and quickly became a favorite of Valle disciples. Still committed to political/cultural criticism through his music, Marcos was reaching a plateau in terms of sound and vision (Previsão Do Tempo sports an arresting sleeve shot of Marcos underwater and also features contributions from Waltel Branco and O Terço).” (Light In The Attic). All time classic – limited issue on blue wax for the Japanese market. Price: 75 Euro
2702. VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR: “H To He Who Am The Only One” (Philips – 6369.907) (Record: Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Mint/ Poster: Mint). Original German press copy housed in laminated gatefold jacket. “I was scared witless about five second into ‘Killer’ when peter Hammill spoke the words ‘so you live in the bottom of the sea’ with such menace that I thought it was Charles Manson … and thus the tone of the album was set. Menacing, lyrically challenging and demanding complete attention, VDGG inhabit a very dark space of their own. Classically trained keyboard player Hugh Banton gives Hammill a run for his money in the existential angst stakes while David Jackson on numerous saxes and the very underrated drummer Guy Evans are not far behind. As a bonus, Robert Fripp guests on ‘Emperor’. The musicianship is almost telepathic admits a maelstrom of shapeless and intimidating sound. This is progressive rock at its most exhilarating and complex. But it is also very, very dark” (SC – Galactic Ramble) A classic that never lets you down. TOP COPY!!!! Price: 150 Euro
2703. VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR: “The Least We Can Do Is Wave To Each Other” (Charisma/ Nippon Phonogram – BT-5171) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint). Rare 1978 Japan first original pressing in top condition. Has been a while since a copy with obi drifted back in. Everybody needs some Van Der Graaf Generator in their lives! Highest recommendation and big fave around here! Price: 85 Euro
2704. VAN DYKE PARKS: “Song Cycle” (Warner Japan – P-8095W) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Insert: Mint/ Rock Age Flower Obi: Near Mint). Ultra-rare Japanese press that comes all complete with rarely seen Rock Age obi. Comes with insert & record on olive-green warner label. Stunning original copy, Japanese press with obi of this historical recording where field recordings, psychedelic music, mondo elements and plain weirdness blend beautifully into one mishmash of sound. Stunningly beautiful copy and deadly rare. Price: Offers!!!!
2705. VAN MORRISON: “Blowin’ Your Mind” (London – HAZ-8346) (Record: Near Mint/ Laminated Jacket: Near Mint). Top copy, original MONO UK 1st pressing in exquisite condition. “Blowin’ Your Mind” was Van Morrison's first solo album that contained the hit "Brown Eyed Girl," but the LP is actually dominated by the agonizing "T.B. Sheets" -- all nine-plus minutes of it -- that dominates this record and takes the blues and reinvents it as noble tragedy and humiliating mortality. It is a devastating song, beautiful, yet very poignant with Van Morrison belching out his dilemma when visiting his girlfriend, rendering the experience into a song that is one of his most spirited exercises in blue-eyed soul. As Morrison narrates this true story about a girl with whom he once lived, he takes a magnifying glass to mundane details, grasping at distraction, trying desperately to sidestep the creeping Conradian terror—the horror— of experiencing firsthand our fleeting, fragile mortal existence. Fevered, you can almost feel the man’s cold sweat just prior to his transformation into a household name and major stardom. “The cool room Lord, is a fool’s room. The cool room Lord, is a fool’s room. And I can almost smell your T.B. sheets. I can almost smell your T.B. sheets. I gotta go.” The sound of a sick room. Of terminal bed sheets sticky with cold sweat and sputum. There’s an eerie inevitably to the groove of “T.B. Sheets,” the titular nine-and-a-half-minute psychedelic R&B opus. It is one of the most real songs about death you’ll ever hear. As life saps steadily from the singer’s beloved, tuberculosis-ridden Julie, there is no trite drama, no nostalgic sugar coating or grand deathbed epiphany, but rather an “Is That All There Is?” fatalism—a mild, detached, slowly-suffocating bleakness. “The sunlight shining through the crack in the window pane numbs my brain,” Morrison moans over a skittering Hammond organ. Bewitchingly great. Original UK pressing in amazing condition – lamination fully intact with NO damages, record also Near Mint, probably the best copy one may ever encounter. UK pressing is rare especially in great condition, the record barely caused a ripple on the surface of the lake when it was released and tanked quickly until it was re-released in the States. Top copy in glorious mono. Music wise - a total killer. Price: Offers!!!!!
2706. VAN MORRISON: “Come Running b/w Crazy Love” (Warner Bros. – BR-2515) (7 Inch Single Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Picture Sleeve: Near Mint). Damned rare Japan only picture sleeve single issue – this one here is never offered before WHITE label PROMO issue spearheading the release of Van Morrison’s Moondance LP. Both the first pressing of Moondance as the accompanying single do not surface at all and are seriously rare. Comes housed in Japan only picture sleeve design. Top condition! Price: 450 Euro
2707. VAN MORRISON: “Brown Eyed Girl b/w Goodbye Baby” (Stateside – SR-1814) (2 Track 7 Inch Single Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Picture Sleeve: Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Near Mint). Rarest Van Morrison single to seep out of Japan. First single to be released in the archipelago under his own moniker, which only saw a single release and was not followed by a LP release. Single did not sell well, hence copies are scarce on the ground since forever. This one here is in top shape. Price: 500 Euro
2708. VAN MORRISON: “Astral Weeks” (Warner Pioneer – P-4704W) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Mint). Impossible to upgrade upon Japan 2nd press issue all complete with obi and insert. Top condition – impossible to ever upgrade upon! Price: 150 Euro
2709. VAN MORRISON: “Astral Weeks” (Warner Pioneer – P-4704W) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Promo Card: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Impossible to upgrade upon Japan 2nd press issue all complete with obi and insert. This is the rarely offered WHITE label PROMO issue. Top condition – impossible to ever upgrade upon but the obi has some damage on back so comes drop dead cheap! Price: 200 Euro
2710. VAN MORRISON: “Moondance” (Warner Bros. Japan – BP-8960) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Impossibly rare Japan very first press issue all complete with first issue obi in immaculate condition. Just about impossible to find very first press issue with obi, actually this is the very first copy I encounter in over 15 years! “The yang to Astral Weeks yin, the brilliant Moondance is every bit as much a classic as its predecessor; Van Morrison’s first commercially successful solo effort, it retains the previous album's deeply spiritual thrust but transcends its bleak, cathartic intensity to instead explore themes of renewal and redemption. Light, soulful, and jazzy, Moondance opens with the sweetly nostalgic "And It Stoned Me," the song's pastoral imagery establishing the dominant lyrical motif recurring throughout the album -- virtually every track exults in natural wonder, whether it's the nocturnal magic celebrated by the title cut or the unlimited promise offered in "Brand New Day." At the heart of the record is "Caravan," an incantatory ode to the power of radio; equally stirring is the majestic "Into the Mystic," a song of such elemental beauty and grace as to stand as arguably the quintessential Van Morrison moment.” (All Music Guide). Top condition, just perfect and next to impossible to upgrade upon. You know how rare this baby is so….give me your best shot and we will see where we end up. Price: Offers!!!!!
2711. VAN MORRISON: “It’s Too Late To Stop Now – Recorded Live In Concert - Los Angeles and London Summer 1973” (Warner – P-5134~5W) (2 LP Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ 4 paged Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint) Top condition Japan original all complete with obi. Indispensable Van Morison live slide. Price: 75 Euro

2712. VAN MORRISON: “T. B. Sheets” (Victor Records – MCA-6036) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Rarely offered Japan original press issue that came out in 1973. Comes complete with rarely seen obi. Due to licensing issues, this was only released on Victor in Japan instead of Warner and pressed in limited quantities back then. Classic Van the Man slide again! Price: 150 Euro

 

2713. VANITY RECORDS – 2 LP SET BOX: “Vanity Music – Various Music” (Vanity Records – Vanity-0010~0011) (2 LP Record Set: Near Mint/ Gimmick Outer Box Set: Excellent ~ Near Mint with no defects only very faint trace of edge wear/ All 7 Inserts (or 8 if you count the 2 cloth one’s separately) with cloth patch with safety pin included: Near Mint). First time I can offer an all-complete set with all the inserts and in great condition rare 2 LP box set on illustrious label. Best condition copy I have seen so far, near immaculate! Vanity Records out of Osaka, run by Agi Yuzuru, was responsible for birthing out new sounds and labeling this new style of sounds “techno-pop”, a term Agi used to describe Eno-produced bands such as the Talking Heads and DEVO. Techno-pop would eventually achieve international fame via the Yellow Magic Orchestra. Inspired by the punk movement and the mass of independent labels that boomed in its wake in London and New York, Agi started Vanity Records in 1978 and released in total eleven LP’s, three singles, twelve flexis and six cassettes. Each of Vanity’s releases was limited to a run of 300 to 500 copies. The item here is an amazing 2 LP set crammed to bursting with primitive, murky minimal electronics. The set gives an overview into the label’s stock-in-trade musical philosophy, which was centered on raw, electronic experimentation which sounds impressively contemporary when put up against current glitch, minimal techno and laptop artists. The music on the other hand consisted out of various home-recorded materials by totally obscure and anonymous artists. It featured in total 13 groups such as Pessimist, Unable Mirror, MR, Anode/Cathode (see Pinakoteca label), Kiiro Radical, Tokyo, Daily Expression, Plasma Music, Nose, New York, Arbeit, Isolation and Nectar Low. Most of the recordings that ended up on this compilation were low-fi electronic music exploits that are at times quite interesting. In short fantastically zonked minimal synthesizer buzzing gems, light-years ahead of their time. Totally elusive and never offered for sale before ultra-rare item, the rarest issue/ edition on the ultra-collectible Vanity Records label. Top copy of rare and in demand title in outstanding condition and all complete!!! Price: Offers!!!!
2714. VANNIER, JEAN-CLAUDE: “L’Enfant Assassin Des Mouches” (Suzelle – JR-9414) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Textured Jacket: Near Mint). STEREO TOTALE!!!! Comes with the rarely seen killer hype sticker present. Original French 1st pressing in top condition. “Jean-Claude Vannier is best known in Europe (and all but unknown in the United States) as a celebrated composer of film scores, and as an arranger and producer of French pop music, he has worked with everyone from Brigitte Fontaine to Francoise Hardy To Johnny Hallyday. He is also known among music aficionados as the genius-arranger behind Serge Gainsbourg’s classic concept LP Histoire de Melody Nelson. That recording, with its bizarre and otherworldly blend of musical and non-musical sources, which effortlessly wound rock, jazz, pop, found-object music, avant-garde, and even funk into a seamlessly, utterly disconcerting whole, has been sampled worldwide by hip-hop artist and has been listened to with reverence by virtually everyone who's ever heard it. L’Enfant Assassin des Mouches ("The Child Killer of the Flies") is Vannier’s first solo recording, and an underground Francophone (and now worldwide) classic. Inspired by the work he did with Gainsbourg on Melody Nelson in 1972, he and his ensembles Insolitudes, set out to create his own concept work, blending everything he'd been working on and extending his range with total studio and aesthetic freedom. This suite, comprised of 11 parts (with truly weird and creepy track introductions by Gainsbourg), is a wonder, a truly strange bit of '70s musicalia. This set is the terrain where soundtrack music, classical music, gauche pop, hard rock, French café music, Middle Eastern modal music, vanguard musical iconoclasty, and sound effects collide, stroke, and ultimately come into union with one another -- often in a single cut. This music is alternately violent, garish, tender, elegant, silly, and gritty. Vannier plays piano, clavinette, and flutes, and directed the orchestra. The strings here are the result of a multi-tracked string quartet sounding like a 10001 string orchestra. He used three guitarists, electric bass, a single drummer and two percussionists, a reed and brass section, an accordionist, and a choir to achieve this. Its seamlessly beautiful yet hideous juxtapositions should never have worked, but they become the face of something so far beyond their individual parts that the end result is singular in both conception and execution. L’Enfant Assassin des Mouches is to music what surrealism was to literature: a bold new step that has been unmatched in vision and unequaled in performance since it was recorded. Highly recommended to anyone interested not only in soundtrack music, but in anything adventurous. This is a truly underground classic.” (Thom Jurek – All Music). Top original copy in almost virginal condition, hardly if ever offered in such pristine nick as this copy here and without a doubt one of the best records to seep out of France in its genre. Just bewilderingly awesome. Price: Offers!!
2715. VELVET UNDERGROUND & NICO: “S/T” (Verve Records – V6-5008) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint – no marks or scuffs, has very faint slightly visible hazing on one side that causes some static crackle in between tracks for the 1st half/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint with clean unpeeled banana sticker intact). Clean and top shape stereo East Coast pressing 2nd state sleeve art with the Torso airbrushed out. Has been ages since I last saw such a clean copy. Price: Offers!!!!
2716. VELVET UNDERGROUND: “S/T” (Verve Records/ Polydor Japan – MV-2060) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Peelable Banana Sticker: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint). 1st original Japanese pressing WITH first issue 2000 Yen Jacket + never offered before WHITE label PROMO issue!! Well, this is a disc that needs no explanation at all. If unfamiliar with this baby, you need to jack up fast and suck up desperately all the info you can get on music because this baby is the milestone in rock and psych and improv history. This here is a near mint copy of this 1st ever Japanese pressing that came out around 1970 housed contrary to the US and EU versions in a single cover, which is NM and with the peelable Banana sticker still firmly attached to the sleeve with tiniest part of the upper right side of the stem missing. This copy here is the rarely seen first press with 2000 Yen price printed on the sleeve (2nd issue has 2300 yen printed on sleeve). Never seen WHITE label PROMO in near mint copy in great shape. This is the original first edition Japanese pressing. Rarely – if never - turns up in such great shape… Price: Offers!!!!!
2717. VELVET UNDERGROUND: “S/T” (Verve Records/ Polydor Japan – MV-2060) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Peelable Banana Sticker: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ 2000 Yen Price First Issue Obi: Near Mint). 1st original Japanese pressing WITH first issue 2000 Yen Jacket + 2000 Yen price very first issue OBI + never offered before WHITE label PROMO issue!! Well, this is a disc that needs no explanation at all. If unfamiliar with this baby, you need to jack up fast and suck up desperately all the info you can get on music because this baby is the milestone in rock and psych and improv history. This here is a near mint copy of this 1st ever Japanese pressing that came out around 1970 housed contrary to the US and EU versions in a single cover, which is NM and with the peelable Banana sticker still firmly attached to the sleeve in top condition. This copy here is the rarely seen first press with 2000 Yen price printed on the sleeve (2nd issue has 2300 yen printed on sleeve). Comes also with seriously rare very first issue OBI as well – so all complete and never offered before WHITE label PROMO in near mint ~ mint copy in great shape. This is the original first edition Japanese pressing with OBI. Rarely – if never - turns up in such great shape… Price: Offers!!!!!
2718. VELVET UNDERGROUND & NICO: “S/T” (Verve/ Polydor Japan – 23MM0191) (Record: Near Mint/ gatefold Jacket with Unpeeled Banana Sticker: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Top shape and getting scarcer by the minute. Price: 200 Euro
2719. VELVET UNDERGROUND: “S/T” (MGM Records – SE-4617) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint) Closet MixYELLOW label PROMO issue in top shape. The album was produced by the band themselves, and issued in two different stereo mixes. The more widely distributed mix is the one done by MGM/Verve staff engineer Val Valentin. The other mix was done by Lou Reed, boosting his vocals and guitar solos, while reducing the level of other instruments. This version was dubbed the 'Closet Mix' by Sterling Morrison, because it sounded to him as if it had been recorded in a closet. The most dramatic difference is that the two versions use entirely different performances of 'Some Kinda Love', both taken from the same recording sessions. Stunningly beautiful condition copy here but not an audiophile pressing so… still one of the cleanest copies out there I think! Price: Offers!!!!
2720. VELVET UNDERGROUND: “III” (MGM Records – 23MM0192) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ OBI: Near Mint). Japan original 1st pressing – getting seriously scarce on the ground. 3rd Velvet Underground outing, hard to score 1st press original with obi…vinyl pressing is crystal clear, making your ears bleed. The music you all know the drill, indispensable to these ears. Top condition, just pristine! Price: 175 Euro
2721. The VELVET UNDERGROUND: “VU – Collection of Previously Unreleased Recordings” (Verve/ Polydor Kabushikigaisha – 23MM0432) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ 4 paged Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Japan original very first press issue all complete with obi Stock copy issue!!! The 10 tracks of VU (most of which originally intended for The Velvet Underground's unreleased fourth MGM/Verve LP) were recorded between 1968 and 1969. A slice of Velvet Underground that's almost as essential as the group's first few albums for Verve – material recorded during those years, but never issued at the time – finally put together in a legitimate package in the mid 80s, after years of circulating around as bootlegs! The songwriting here is great – a strong extension of the group's work on White Light White Heat and their third, self-titled album – especially the latter, because there's some nicely sweet and spacey moments. Titles include "Stephanie Says", "Ocean", "I Can't Stand It", "Foggy Notion", "I'm Sticking with You", "Temptation Inside Your Heart", "Lisa Says", "One Of These Days", "Andy's Chest", and "She's My Best Friend". Price: 135 Euro
2722. The VELVET UNDERGROUND: “VU – Collection Of Previously Unreleased Recordings” (Verve/ Polydor Kabushikigaisha – 23MM0432) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ 4 paged Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Japan original very first press issue all complete with obi. WHITE label PROMO issue!!! The 10 tracks of VU (most of which originally intended for The Velvet Underground's unreleased fourth MGM/Verve LP) were recorded between 1968 and 1969. A slice of Velvet Underground that's almost as essential as the group's first few albums for Verve – material recorded during those years, but never issued at the time – finally put together in a legitimate package in the mid 80s, after years of circulating around as bootlegs! The songwriting here is really great – a strong extension of the group's work on White Light White Heat and their third, self-titled album – especially the latter, because there's some nicely sweet and spacey moments. Titles include "Stephanie Says", "Ocean", "I Can't Stand It", "Foggy Notion", "I'm Sticking With You", "Temptation Inside Your Heart", "Lisa Says", "One Of These Days", "Andy's Chest", and "She's My Best Friend". Price: 200 Euro
2723. The VELVET UNDERGROUND: “VU – Collection Of Previously Unreleased Recordings” (Verve/ Polydor Kabushikigaisha – 18MM.0611) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Near Mint). Japan original press issue all complete with obi. The 10 tracks of VU (most of which originally intended for The Velvet Underground's unreleased fourth MGM/Verve LP) were recorded between 1968 and 1969. A slice of Velvet Underground that's almost as essential as the group's first few albums for Verve – material recorded during those years, but never issued at the time – finally put together in a legitimate package in the mid 80s, after years of circulating around as bootlegs! The songwriting here is really great – a strong extension of the group's work on White Light White Heat and their third, self-titled album – especially the latter, because there's some nicely sweet and spacey moments. Titles include "Stephanie Says", "Ocean", "I Can't Stand It", "Foggy Notion", "I'm Sticking With You", "Temptation Inside Your Heart", "Lisa Says", "One Of These Days", "Andy's Chest", and "She's My Best Friend" Price: 75 Euro
2724. VELVET UNDERGROUND: “Loaded” (Cotillion – SD-9034) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Company Inner Sleeve: Excellent). Scare & dammed clean and in top shape 1970 US 1st original pressing of totally underrated 4th album – first issue Broadway label with matching matrix numbers B/B. Hard to find super clean these days so here you have it. Price: 225 Euro
2725. The VELVET UNDERGROUND: “Screen Test: Falling In Love With The Falling Spikes” (Shining StaRecords - DOM 001) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Top copy of the legendary old skool boot that came out in 1985. Matrix DOM-001-A1 / DOM-001-B1. It's my understanding that this issue with a blue & black/white cover dates from 1985 and is the first edition of this material. Top condition and totally evaporated classic VU recordings. Price: 150 Euro
2726. VELVET UNDERGROUND: “Sweet Sister Ray” (Private) (2 LP Set: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent). If you ever have to own one single Velvet Underground live recording, then the choice is quickly made, “Sweet Sister Ray” is the one to go for. This monster blows all boots and live recordings by whatever band you can throw at me straight out of the water with their tails whopping between their legs like beaten stray dogs. And why is that you may ask, that I make such a bold statement? Exaggerated? No, not one tiny bit because this 2 LP set is just brutal. The VU here brings forth only one song – be it different live versions – of Sweet Sister Ray, respectively recorded on April 30, 1968 at La Cave in Cleveland (spread over the first 2 sides), a version of January 1970 recorded at the 4th Fret in Philly (side three) and finally a version taken at the Boston Tea Part 1969 (Side Four). Gradually starting of as a slowly unfolding suite that eventually explodes into sheer washes of white noise over to demented electronic thunderstorms ignited by feedbacking guitars, crashing drums and wailing vocals sounds, “Sweet Sister Ray” encapsulates all the ecstatic climaxes rock music, noise and improvisation have to offer. This is the shit. Heavily diluted, amphetamine drenched lysergic dementia all brought to you through intergalactic sonic wasteland shitstreams. Just plain massive. Hideously rare boot to get a hold off and this copy is clean as can be, so time to turn your amps up to 12 and rock out. Ride on!! Price: 350 Euro
2727. The VIBRATORS: “We Vibrate b/w Whips And Furs” (RAK – ERR-20164) (7 Inch Single Record: Near Mint/ Picture Sleeve: Near Mint). Top condition – WHITE label PROMO issue that comes housed in Japan only picture sleeve design. Two classic Vibrators songs showing that they could take to the fast/loud/stripped down punk thing like ducks to water, and both Knox and Pat Collier had a genius for writing short, punchy songs with sneering melody lines and gutsy guitar breaks. This comes to the surface on these two killer cuts, Japan 1st press single issue in top shape. Getting so impossibly difficult to unearth in any shape on these shores, let alone in such pristine nick as this one here. Classic punk bomb!!! Price: 450 Euro
2728. VICTOR ASSIS BRASIL: “Toca Antonio Carlos Jobim com Salvador, Helio Delmiro, Edson Lobo e Edson Machado” (Quartin – LP-RSQ-2) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Excellent ‾ Near Mint). Top condition Brazil first original pressing. Victor Assis Brasil’s had a tragically short life as he passed away aged just thirty-five, but by this point his status was already cemented as one of Brazil’s top players. Gifted his first saxophone by his aunt at the age of fourteen, his debut LP was recorded just four years later, alongside some mercurial greats of Brazilian jazz, Tenorio Jr and Edson Lobo. Following the release of his first two albums, Victor was granted a place to study at Berkley College of Music, and it was during this period he recorded toca antonio carlos jobim upon returning to Brazil in the summer of 1970. At a time in Brazil when the smooth n’ easy groove of the Bossa beat no longer reflected the inflamed politics of a nation under the thumb of military dictatorship, Victor Assis Brasil morphed Jobim’s soothing originals into raw, deep jazz cuts. Released on the legendary Quartin Records, the LP is a rare gem from 1970s Brazil. Victor Assis Brasil, who leads a crack team of instrumentalists in reimagining the iconic works of Antonio Carlos Jobim. While anyone with an interest in Brazilian music has likely heard much of Jobim’s work interpreted ad infinitum, Assis Brasil’s arrangements give these dreamy classics some teeth; he and his band (which includes pianist and samba soul maestro Dom Salvador) create some of the deepest, most unique interpretations of classic tunes like ‘Wave’ and ‘Dindi’ I’ve ever heard. Beautifully produced by Roberto Quartin, the album plays like a Brazilian equivalent to the heavy platters being released by Impulse! and Lansdowne in the States and England at the time, and at 29 minutes, it’s one of those rare examples of an album that honestly should be longer. Fans of heavyweights like Archie Shepp, Joe Harriott, Jackie McLean, and yes, John Coltrane would be wise to investigate this album – it’s one of the single most effective bridges between bossa nova and post-bop jazz that never once falls prey to kitsch or novelty, instead showcasing Jobim’s masterful talents as a composer by means of almost total deconstruction. The album’s influences span both American continents, finding a meeting point for Latin jazz and North American post-bop, with Roberto Quartin’s perfectionist approach to sound elevating the already incandescent music to divine new heights. Top condition for an original Brazilian pressing, hard to ever improve upon!!! Price: 450 Euro
2729. VIOLENT FEMMES: “Hallowed Ground” (London/ Slash Records – L25P-1201) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ Obi: Mint). Promo issue – Japan original pressing from 1994 with rare obi present. “After the surprise success of their landmark debut, Violent Femmes could have just released another collection of teen-rage punk songs disguised as folk, and coasted into the modern rock spotlight alongside contemporaries like the Modern Lovers and Talking Heads. Instead they made Hallowed Ground, a hellfire-and-brimstone-beaten exorcism that both enraged and enthralled critics and fans alike. Like Roger Waters purging himself of the memories of his father's death through The Wall and The Final Cut,bandleader Gordon Gano uses the record to expel his love/hate relationship with religion, and the results are alternately breathtaking and terrifying. Contrary to initial public response, Hallowed Ground is not a parody. Gano, the son of a Baptist minister, may wear his faith like a badge of honor, but it's a badge, not a shield, and what keeps the songs so volatile is the fact that they're filtered through the eyes, ears, heart, and loins of a teenager. Like the first record, all of the songs on Hallowed Ground were written during Gano’s high-school years -- he was barely in his twenties when it was released -- resulting in a perfect rendering of the sweetness and brutality of the postpubescent teen, especially on the album's centerpiece; a searing indictment of loyalties broken and the snitches that break them, "Never Tell" is the perfect balm for the bloody righteousness of youth, and when Gano screams, "I'll stand right up in the heart of Hell/I never tell," it's hard not to stand right beside him. Christian imagery aside, Hallowed Ground is not as polarizing as some make it out to be. The band explores gothic Appalachian folk and child murder on the banjo-fueled "Country Death Song," bawdy and bluesy Lou Reed-inflected infatuation on "Sweet Misery Blues," and nuclear holocaust on the brooding title track, leaving little doubt that this is the same band that penned underground classics like "Gone Daddy Gone" and "Add It Up." Even the decidedly politically uncorrect "Black Girls," with its free jazz mid-section that includes everything from jaw harp to the screaming alto sax of John Zorn and the Horns of Dilemma is full of the same smirk and swagger that made "Blister in the Sun" the soundtrack to so many people's halcyon days. The Femmes are nothing if not true to themselves, and Hallowed Ground is a testament to their tenacity, courage, and sheer obliviousness to industry ogling. Each track is as naked as it is bursting with ideas, and as the landscape changes, the band changes with it, leaving the listener at a crossroads; with each incantation, growling invective, and honey-whispered promise, they're forced to either jump off the gospel train or ride it along with them into the mouth of Hell.” (All Music Guide) What a slide, it ruled my youth and still stands proud as one of the most important records in my collection. Brutally beautiful from start to finish, not many recordings are so important and perfect as this one. Bloody rare Japan original with OBI! Price: 200 Euro
2730. VIRUS: “Thoughts” (Pilz – 2021102-9) (Record: Near Mint ~ Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint ~ Mint). The band’s second and final album and it is a psych blast for sure. By now the drugs really kicked in, and it all got snarling nasty. Musically it is a big change from their first one. With a changed lineup that left only Krahe and Rieke from the original group who were flanked by new found sonic hoodlums Axel Nieling (drums), Jürgen Schäfer (bass, vocals), Bernd Rosner (guitar) and Werner Vogt (bass, guitar, vocals). The album was released on the now highly collectible Pilz label. Heavy sonic krautrock moves that catapult all the right ingredients right in yer face, heavy guitar and organ workouts, dopes out vocals, all the works, a classic. Top condition, you never need to upgrade ever again. Price: 450 Euro
2731. VITET, BERNARD: “La Guepe” (Futura – SON-05) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). One of the rarest releases on the legendary label and also one of the best in my humble opinion. Bernard Vitet was a key figure in the French free jazz / improv scene of the early 70’s. This mythical avant jazz LP is the result of a truly magical session Vitet put together in December 1971. Setting up around the concept of what he called a “free-dada-surrealist” ensemble/ group, Vitet embarked on creating a polyphonic adventure build up around a text by Francis Ponge. Central is the voice of Françoise Achard, around which Jouk Minor (reeds and “bizarre” instruments), François Tusques, the double bassist “Beb” Guérin, the composer Jean Guérin and the trumpeter (violinist, horn player, pianist, vibraphonist) Bernard Vitet invented an unattainable sound object in order to birth out an instantaneous musical drama of theatrics, sounds and words. The end result is quite a challenging excursion into free improvisation. This is not just your standard free jazz honk from the early 1970s but instead incapsulates it with even bridging over into the realms of 20th Century avant-garde/ experimental sound detail that would not have been misplaced on some of the most memorable albums on the Italian Cramps label. To these ears, “La Guepe” is one of the true high-water marks on the legendary Futura records imprint, cementing the creative genius that was Vitet while no one was listening. Price: Offers!!!!
2732. VITOR ASSIS BRASIL: “Desenhos” (Forma – FE01.017) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). Top condition and stupidly rare Brazilian 1966 original STEREO pressing, which is scarcer than the Mono one. Incredibly hard to come by Coltrane influenced debut of Brazilian sax great Victor Assis Brasil for the cult label Forma, of Roberto Quartin. To many this is where Brazilian jazz truly began: 1966, the legendary saxophonist and composer Victor Assis Brasil laid down his debut album at just 21. He lead this session on January 11th 1966 with his quartet, featuring the legendary pianist Tenório Jr plus double-bassist Edison Lôbo and drummer Chico Batera. It’s one of the greatest jazz albums ever recorded in Brazil and the highlights go to the original compositions and the wonderful João Donato tracks. Still as smoky and sentimental as it was 50 years ago (but sadder knowing his life was cut short by a rare disease just 15 years later), the playful sense of space, rhythm and technique displayed are delivered with a certain blunt and pure rawness, clarity and sense of fun such as the R&B double bass backdrop of "Simplesmente" or the cat and mouse style counterplay between the horns on "Dueto". A touching and ultimately timeless piece of jazz history. Top condition original – next to impossible to ever upgrade upon. Price: Offers!!!
2733. VITOUS MIROSLAV: “Purple” (CBS SONY – SOPC-57101 J) (Record: Excellent ~ Near Mint – has one inaudible hairline/ Jacket: Excellent/ Cap Obi: Near Mint). Japan only release, this is the very first 1970 press issue all complete and in top shape. Killer slide from bass great Miroslav Vitous, recorded shortly before Weather Report was formed. Vitous and Billy Cobham are on all five tracks, Cobham is typically awesome, and Vitous is showing off considerable range, including quite a bit of bowing. Joe Zawinul plays electric piano on the first two tracks, while Vitous himself plays keys (as well as bass) on two of the last three. A subdued John McLaughlin also throws in some shredding guitar work. One during an interview, Vitous commented on Purple: “I made that album after Infinite Search. I was working with David Baker, the engineer, and was experimenting with different musicians and material. I had Billy Cobham, John McLaughlin and Joe Zawinul there. They experimented with me. After six months, I thought I had enough material and put together an album. I think there is some excellent music on it. Purple was made before Weather Report started, but you can already hear some material that we later played with the band. There’s a song called “Water Lily,” which has an identical skeleton to a piece we recorded with Weather Report called “Morning Lake.” There’s another Weather Report piece called “Seventh Arrow” that was also on Purple. There was a development of the material on Purple that ended up in Weather Report. It was a stepping stone.” Japan only issue, very first pressing in top shape. A head shredding slide that totally vanished…. Price: 150 Euro

2734. VODKA COLLINS: “Tokyo New York” (Express) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ Insert: Near Mint/ OBI: Mint) Rare Japan original 1st press – WHITE LABEL PROMO ISSUE with OBI!!! The band Vodka Collins was like a comet that burned briefly and brightly over the Tokyo rock scene. In their two year existence as a unit they dominated the rock n roll world of Japan and their sole album “Tokyo New York” is considered a milestone and a ground breaking LP amongst musicians in the domestic Japan rock scene. The disc contained three hit singles, “Sands Of Time”, “Automatic Pilot” and “Billy Mars”. All killer tracks. The core band of Vodka Collins consisted of singer-guitarist Alan Merrill and drummer percussionist Hiroshi Oguchi (of Tempters and PYG). Music-wise they can be affiliated with their British counterpart band T Rex. Quickly closing the ranks of the outfit was Hiroshi “Monsieur” Kamayatsu of Spiders fame on rhythm guitar, and Take Yokouchi (of the Four Leaves) on bass. Initially Vodka Collins actually started out when Merrill and Oguchi were called in to back up Monsieur on some solo shows after his band The Spiders broke up. Merrill and Oguchi started to experiment with Merrill's newly written glam rock songs providing the foundation for what would merge into Vodka Collins. With the addition of guitarist Take Yokouchi Vodka Collins was born. Right from the star they began recording and a steady fan base grew in their wake. The demand for an album was so great that the LP was hastily recorded a fact that attributed its charm and sparkling interplay. The Vodka Collins phenomenon was growing, and they were spearheading a new direction in the Japanese rock scene. However, beneath the surface, their management was choking the life out of the band by withholding money. Before Vodka Collins became insanely busy, Merrill was able to augment his Vodka Collins income by doing recording sessions as a session player for producers Yuya Uchida and Miki Curtis, playing on records by the likes of Garo, Too Much, Yamashita Kejiro and Hirao Masaki. When Vodka Collins’ fame hit the ceiling, he had to rely on the meager income the band was able to generate. Sucked dry by managers and chocked by overnight success, Vodka Collins split up in the winter of 1973. The band was being ripped and raped sideways, front and backwards which left Merrill with no other option but to board a plane for London the day before Vodka Collins were about to headline at the Budokan. Stellar disc comes with fold out insert and RARE OBI. To boot, white label promo issue. A must, one of the greatest gem and widely overlooked Japanese rock artifacts. Price: Offers!!!

2735. The VOIDOIDS: “Give It To The Hell! The Voidoids Live At CBGB’s N.Y.C. ‘77” (Private/ Memorial Records – No number) (EP Record: Near Mint/ Picture Sleeve: Near Mint). Bloody rare and obscure privately released live recording of the Voidoids in their prime in 1977. This came out in Japan in 1986 in a tine run of only 200 copies. 33RPM single that has 6 tracks in total of vintage and well-recorded Voidoids live in action. My favorite Richard Hell live recording to date, it will be hard surpassing on this one, the material is vital to say the least. Best ever record!!! Price: 150 Euro
2736. VON SCHLIPPENBACH, ALEXANDER: “Globe Unity/ Sun” (MPS Records/ Nippon Columbia – YS-2105-MP) (Record: Near Mint/ Gatefold Jacket: Near Mint/ OBI: Mint). Original Japanese pressing, 1st press as released in May 1969. First time I can wheel in a copy with OBI present!!! Top notch copy on the highly collectible, Japanese MPS label – first pressing released in 1969 in stunningly death mint condition and housed in a thicker than life fold out jacket. On this one Von Schlippenbach teams up with other hardcore players Peter Brötzmann, Günter Hampel, Manfred Schoof, Peter Kowald, Willem Breuker, Willi Lietzmann, Kris Wanders, Jaki Liebezeit (Can drummer) and Guru Guru’s own Mani Neumeier You can hardly go wrong with such a line-up. The music speaks for its self, lyrical free blowing jazz touching on almost divine spheres. This is an incredible example of '60s energy music, a sure-fire way to clear your head. Schlippenbach, Brotzmann, and their small circle of Europeans joined the Free Revolution years before any but a tiny handful in the States realized it. Consisting of two long-form orchestrations, the record shows two opposing sides to the composer: “Globe Unity” is the side of stands as a key predecessor to today’s “free” improvisation, while “Sun” suggests an early interest in the influences of mid-century “world” music in the Europeans’ task of making a unique, modern voice for itself outside of coexisting American forms. Great all over and ultra collectable, especially in this condition. A must and a benchmark in free improvised music circles. Price: 100 Euro
2737. VOX POP: “More Drugs Than Elvis – Live KPFK Radio 1980” (Very Bad Trip Records) (Record: Near Mint/ Jacket: Near Mint). How can you go wrong with a record being graced with such an appealing title? Simply put, you just can’t. Vox Pop were kind of an all-star psyched out trash punk combo that slumbered through the US West Coast underbelly. Made up out of members of illustrious bands such as the Germs, Dream Syndicate, 45 Grave, the Angry Samoans and Nervous Gender, Vox Pop was bound to crack some skulls. Sadly, the band was totally under documented and left behind – according to my knowledge – only two artifacts being the single “Become a Pagan” and this LP, a document of the band live in action at the KPFK radio station. Sonic-wise the band sounded like an outfit of noses-full-of-crystal-meth that were fronted by a singer snarling like a wounded grizzly bear, ripping through songs such as the Velvet’s “Heroin”, “Destruction Unit” and “Outer Limits”. White suburban trash armed with beat up gear, Vox Pop was awesome. And like the back cover states “There is no Sonic Youth, there is only Vox Pop” you can be sure you are going to be in for one hell of an amyl nitrate ride. Totally awesome! Has been quite a while since a copy last graced my eyes, so overlooked but damn, so awesome! Price: 50 Euro
2738. VOX POP: “Just Like Your Mom b/w Vab Driver” (Bad Trip Records - 300) (Single Record: Near Mint/ Paper Sleeve Outer: Near Mint). Original 1980 pressing of classic punk slide that remains elusive ever since it was released. Vox Pop were kind of an all star psyched out trash punk combo that slumbered through the US West Coast underbelly. Made up out of members of illustrious bands such as the Germs, Dream Syndicate, 45 Grave, the Angry Samoans and Nervous Gender, Vox Pop was bound to crack some skulls. Sadly enough the band was totally under documented and left behind a couple of ep’s. Sonic-wise the band sounded like an outfit of noses-full-of-crystal-meth that were fronted by a singer snarling like a wounded grizzly bear, ripping through both sides of this killer slide. White suburban trash armed with beat up gear, Vox Pop was awesome. And like someone once said “There is no Sonic Youth, there is only Vox Pop” you can be sure you are going to be in for one hell of an amyl nitrate ride. Totally awesome! 1980 original pressing for cheap! Price: 50 Dollars