Hidden Gems!

[Vince Capece]

What are those hidden gems in your record collection? Records that aren't necessarily collectible but you wouldn't want to part with them. Records that you pull out whenever the conversation leads toward interesting music. We've all got them. Here's a taste of mine:

Def Leppard "Rocket" single - I've got all seven vinyl singles from the Def Leppard album "Hysteria" and they all have interesting B-sides. "Rocket," however, has the most interesting. It's listed as "Release Me" by "Stumpus Maximus and the Good Ol' Boys." It's actually Def Leppard with their tour manager Malvin Mortimer singing and Joe Elliot on piano. They cover Engelbert Humperdinck's classic song but it'll never be on a Humperdinck tribute album. It's something that needs to be heard...mere words can't describe the....um...performance.

Berlin "Masquerade" single - This lesser-known Berlin track from their debut album "Pleasure Victim" is a great song, but the flip side is a live extended version of their first hit "Sex (I'm A...)," at over six minutes it is perhaps the longest song on a single that I own.

Dire Straits "Love Over Gold" - Before they released "Brothers in Arms," there was "Love Over Gold." Only five tracks long, the album contains "Industrial Disease" (a radio-friendly track that got me to buy the album in the first place), the title track (a beautiful song in the Dire Straits tradition), and "Telegraph Road," an epic song that was re-recorded for the "Live Alchemy" album later.

[Paul Luscusk]

Vince, mine would be Gentle Giant "Playing The Fool The Offical Live Gentle Giant. Recorded during their mid 70's world tour,
Vince Guaraldi "Oh Good Grief" the music from the Peanuts TV specials. It has never been surpassed,and the cover is worth the cost of the record.
Gilberto with Turrentine. a early1971 date with ASTRUD GILBERTO, AND StanleyTURRENTINE,ARRANGED AND CONDUCTED BY EUMIR DEODATO Enginnered by Rudy Van Gelder. I love the sound Rudy got on this on a good system Astrud And Stanley are in your room
I agree Love over Gold is one of my favorites , but don't forget he album before it "Making Movies

[Paul Luscusk]

PS Vince, How about telling the other members about any of these on the my favorites group.? II don't want to be a one man band

[Vince Capece]

I've got a small Vince Guaraldi collection, but all on CD. I have "Greatest Hits," "A Charlie Brown Christmas" (a must!), and "Vince Guaraldi at Grace Cathedral." He was great!

"Making Movies" (I've got it on CD) was good, but I have a soft spot for "Love Over Gold."

[Paul Luscusk]

Vince, you know that Vince has Lp's on the OJC label, his best known is Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheuis and has Cast Your Fate to the Wind .All the OJC are under $15.00 and you can find them at better records stores or Music Direct which has most of the whole cataloge. Great stuff., good pressings ,most are Rudy Van Gilders

[Crystal Jennifer]

I actually just came across my hidden gem this evening, a still factory sealed copy of a french childrens' record based on Asterix the Gaul. I don't understand French, but you couldn't get me to part with this one for anything!

[Hunter Bush]

My favorite is the self-titled record by the band Touch. I found it amongst a crate of rescued-on-trashnight vinyl, up in my attic. The cover is a symmetrical image of two hands floating disembodied in space over a strange landscape with the band's female-genetalia-looking logo. Also the sleeve opens in the middle, revealing a poster of another alien landscape and (a personal favorite) naked ladies floating in space. I was intrigued, so I put it on.
The band's sound lies somewhere between psychadelia and prog-rock; the musicianship is flawlessly diverse and (most interestingly, in my opinion) the vocals are mixed behind the keys on the majority of tracks. The songs dip and roll through a handful of genres, past a number of sonic landmarks.
After listening to the record, I HAD to look it up and found out online that Touch was formed in late '67 by Don Gallucci (famously the "kid" who played the keyboard riff on The Kingsmen's "Louie Louie" and was forced to exit the group when his age (15) became a hinderance to the band's touring). They released only this album, in '68, and disbanded shortly thereafter due to their belief that the record's sounds could not be replicated live.
Apparently, thanks Wikipedia, this record is credited as influencing Yes, Kansas, Uriah Heep, and the "rebirth" of Genesis after Peter Gabriel left.

Sorry, that was very long. But the record is great at parties, a conversation piece in its own right, and perfect for enjoying certain... herbal cigarettes.

[Vince Capece]

The encouragement to get more Vince Guaraldi and this information on Touch is what I need. Now I have to look for those the next time I'm out record shopping!

[Paul Luscusk]

Vince , I thought thats what BBD is all about Look for Cal Tjaders's Latin Concert on Fantasy. (Could also by on OJC )Cal On vibes Vince on piano,. Al Mckibbon, bass Willie Bobo on drums,and Mongo Santamaria on congas, What a Band

[Paul Luscusk]

Vince, I have to add Kai Winding - More (theme from Mondo Cane) big Band Surf Music with Kenny Burrell on guitar, the Enginner is Phil Ramone. The sound in Mono Is HUGE!!! Check out this Quote from the liner notes by Steve Brindl" Surfin is a West Coast fun catching on all over the country through music-a mixture of rocking beat and gentle Hawaiian -type melody.Sometimes there's much more of one than the other, but it really doesn't matter".guess Jan & Dean and the Beach Boys did not get the memo.

[Paul Luscusk]

Vince, I do not want to depress you ,but today I found a near mint copy of Vine Guaraldi's "Jazz Impressions Of Charlie Brown"for $6.99 A blue label Fantasy.(Not A brown label reissue) I could not belive it

[Vince Capece]

I hope you bought it!

[Paul Luscusk]

Duh, you bet