awesome smelling lp's

[alocispepraluger102]

mercury recordings of the late 50's/early 60's had this awesome smell when you opened the jacket. it seemed to be on the vinyl itself. they should have marketed the fragrance.

as i recall, the capitol's smelled nice, too, but not that great.

does anyone recall any top smelling vinyls?

Edited December 12, 2007 by alocispepraluger102

[Chuck Nessa]

You reminded me of the "Mercury smell" but never encountered the Capitol.

My guess it was a residual effect of the printer's laminating process for the covers.

[alocispepraluger102]

i thought it might have been the staticguard.

yeah, it was a bit inky.

Edited December 12, 2007 by alocispepraluger102

[Christiern]

I don't associate any particular smell with Mercury records, but I have always liked the smell of acetate discs--even my 50 year old acetates have retained a prepossessing fragrance.

Then, of course, there is Victor 22493, which was better than Woolworth's Evening in Paris, and should have been bottled.

[Chuck Nessa]

[alocispepraluger102]

chris is on a roll tonight!

[Don Brown]

The Stein Song?

[Teasing the Korean]

YES! Mercury Records from that era do have a distinctive aroma!

But the BEST smelling LPs are Casablanca albums from the mid to late 70s...

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

First "smellie" I encountered was Grant Green's "Easy" on Versatile. Then all the other Versatile albums I bought, until the label moved into Buddha's ambit, smelt like that. And the smell never goes. Now THAT is something I find strange.

There were some Gospel companies whose LPs smelt like that. I think Atlanta International/Gospearl was one of them. Some Malaco double LP sets like the Florida Mass Choir's "Let the Holy Ghost lead you" smell the same. But I've ever encountered smelly Savoy LPs that were manufactured by Malaco in the same period.

But in all these - and other - cases, it seems to me that it's the actual record that smells, not the sleeve. You only get the smell when you get the record out.

MG

[Big Beat Steve]

There were some Gospel companies whose LPs smelt like that.

That reminds me of one or two Excello twofers I bought new in the late 70s. They had a funny and intense smell unlike any European records that would have made them immediately recognizable if I had been doing a blindfold test. I did notice a similarly intense smell with other U.S. pressings with cardboard covers (though far from all, and the smell of that Excello was unlike that of the others). I don't know if it is the typical U.S. cardboard covers of the 70s with their lousy printing inks that develop ring wear faster than you can pull the record out of your rack but it does seem like the smell of some U.S. printing ink did move on into the interior of the sleeves and maybe settled in the vinyl. Or was it the label glue?

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

I just tried a few Excello LPs from that era. Yes, they do smell just a bit different from the Versatiles and other gospel labels. I also tried a few Nashboro and Creed LPs from the same period - "Slim & the Supreme Angels sing old favorites" smells - but rather different from any of the Excello LPs; and different from the other smellies I have. I did get a strong feeling that this was more to do with the shrinkwrapping that's still on that copy than the vinyl - but after you've sniffed a few...

MG

[Christiern]

Should we, perhaps, initiate a Sound Sniffer's thread? Excluding, of course, the many recordings that would stink on any label or tape.

[umum_cypher]

This thread crosses the line

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

This thread crosses the line

The Equator?

MG

[Christiern]

Kindly specify line.

[JohnS]

I've never had a 'sniffy' thing about vinyl. Some of mine smell a bit musty these days.

[user0815]

substance-abuse glorification shouldn't be allowed here.

glue sniffing can damage your brain cells ... i'm just saying ...

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

substance-abuse glorification shouldn't be allowed here.

glue sniffing can damage your brain cells ... i'm just saying ...

Never thought of that - but never noticed any improvement in the music, either.

MG

[JSngry]

Kindly specify line.

It's probably what made those Casablanca albums smell like they did...

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Kindly specify line.

It's probably what made those Casablanca albums smell like they did...

That was the artwork And Parliament's costumes

MG

[Man with the Golden Arm]

this one smelled right outta the shrink wrap. his "all senses" album ... so was that lavender or pitchooli?

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

this one smelled right outta the shrink wrap. his "all senses" album ... so was that lavender or pitchooli?

Yes, it does - even now, just tried it. I don't know if the UK version does, but mine's an original.

MG

[7/4]

PCBs!

[Christiern]

I am told by leading historians that no recording is as funky as the Bolden cylinder.

[bertrand]

Not only do leading historians say it, but so does Wynton Marsalis.