As a music fan of various styles and a penchant for vinyl (and most formats to be frank), I've collected since I was a kid of about 9 or 10. During that time, LPs on vinyl as well as CD and even cassette were the main items. In addition, I have a bit of a soft spot for 7" vinyl as well, either singles or EPs. I haven't counted, but I reckon I have about 350 or so 7 inches. Vinyl generally, but I think 7" in particular have this strange ability to shift time and space. When you pick them up, compared to when they came out, where you were when you got them, compared to where they came from. I say that about 7" because they are more likely to be about a certain time, whereas an album can have multiple pressings and reissues. So anyway here's some of my favourites from my collection.
An unissued single at the time (1966) by BBC Radiophonic Workshop pioneer Delia Derbyshire and in collaboration with songwriter and singer Anthony Newley. This was released by the good folks at Trunk Records in 2014.
At some point in the 90s I decided I wanted to try and collect as many of the 'Nuggets' garage-psych singles that I could. I never really got very far getting proper original singles, it was often easier getting some of the excellent compilations.
But here's a few I did get. Quality not quantity. I got the Strawberry Alarm Clock from a vinyl trader back in 1998 for $8 and the two Seeds records around the same time for a similar price.
There was a guy in the north of my homestate who would often set up a stall at Record fairs under the name Token Records, and he specialised in 7" vinyl. I had been a confirmed Elevators/Roky fan for a number of years and recall reading about Roky's first solo recording after being released from the Rusk Mental Hospital, I think I ready about it in Nick Kent's collection of articles called 'The Dark Stuff'. By the description of it, a 7" single of 'Two Headed Dog'/'Starry Eyes', it was a much rawer, out of control version of both songs than what was later recorded and released in the early 1980s.
I had to hear it. In late 1997, there is was at a local record fair at Token Records stall. It was $35, but I had to have it. I believe it is not a large pressing and super rare.
The other little oddity includes something I posted as my Thursday song of the day and is a one sided flex disc that a friend of mine gave me back in the mid 90s and I believe was promo freebie that came with NME in the UK in 1978.
A little collection of KISS 7" with picture sleeves I've accumulated over the years.
'Magic Touch'/'Save Your Love' is a French copy, 'Star Trax' is an Australian exclusive 4 track EP, this one is the slightly rarer one that was withdrawn and replace with one with KISS' proper logo.
In pretty shabby shape, but I finally managed to find a "picture sleeve" version of the 'I'/'The Oath' single back in the mid 2000s I think. And the thing on the right is again an Aus exclusive, officially licensed release from 1998, this is the translucent red vinyl version. A thing of visual and aural beauty.
Some metal singles from 1980/81 with picture sleeves. Some real time and space travel here.
The Ozzy one came out in 1981 and is an British copy. I got it in my childhood/teen home town of Burnie from a second hand shop in about 1985, for probably $1.00. I recall there were a bunch (maybe 30 issues) of really early Kerrang magazine for very little and I grabbed a bunch of them too. A headbanger from the UK had bought a stash with them and dumped them at this shop. I don't have any of those anymore unfortunately.
The Motor HeadGirl School EP single came out in 1980. I found it in a second hand shop in Norwich UK in 2006 for 3 pounds.
The Judas Priest one was of course a 1980 single, this is an Aussie pressing, I was working in a CD and Coffee shop back in 2005. For some reason someone bought in a bunch of second records that just sat up in the upstairs store room because we didn't really do vinyl. I think the plan was to maybe get into that. Anyway I said I'd take custody of the Priest single, and got it for $5. The owners of the business wanted to retire and the shop closed a little later.
One of my prized possessions. Not really that rare I don't think, though I've never seen another copy. These guys were (occasionally still are when they do the odd reunion show) a great Melbourne based hardcore/punk/thrash crossover band. This is a lovely little 3 tracker that was a formative record in my teens. I got it in a mainstream record shop (that was managed by a guy who would get in a lot of metal and punk on import because us teen metalheads would frequent there…not many choices in Burnie at the time…less now. Don't remember how much it was, but it can't have been much because I was a broke 15 year old and I recall I bought it on a whim.
