Tubby Hayes' Vinyl Collection

[sidewinder]

This might be of interest - Tubby's old collection of his own vinyl (select the page shown on the RHS).

Tubbs Vinyl

Judging by the condition, looks like Tubby was using them as frisbees.

Edited November 1, 2011 by sidewinder

[BillF]

This might be of interest - Tubby's old collection of his own vinyl (select the page shown on the RHS).

Tubbs Vinyl

Judging by the condition, looks like Tubby was using them as frisbees.

I wouldn't expect pristine condition for the collection of someone who went "Pub Crawling With Jimmy Deuchar", to quote one of the items' titles.

[Big Beat Steve]

Judging by the condition, looks like Tubby was using them as frisbees.

Not wanting to be rude towards British music lovers, but to me that's not THAT surprising if you're dealing with records from the "collection" of someone who "lived" (and possibly worked) with his records in Britain.

In my early collecting days in the 70s I bought quite a few secondhand records from record stalls in London (whatever one's student's purse could afford so secondhand items often were the route to go ) and there were several early 70s reissues of 50s music (both r'n'r, blues and jazz) that really looked like both the covers and the records had had a hard life though the records werent really "old". Despite visible scratches and scuffs the records played well enough (occasional pops and clicks but no skips) but the covers were relatively tattered in many cases - desite the relative "young" age of the records. Many of these records did get lots of spins on my turntables too but I can claim that in the 30+ years I've had them they have hardly deteriorated much more. 90% of their current wear was accumulated in the first 5-6 years of their lives in Britain.

Same experience in the mid- to late 90s again when I bought secondhand records here and there in Britain again (no, not at Mole or Ray's where most records were significantly better, but these records clearly DID come from collectors' homes too). O.K., the price was right (and usually they were rare enough to take the plunge) but still you could not help wondering why on earth those who really cared enough about their music to buy special-interest LPs far, far beyond the usual throwaway hit parade fare felt such an intense need to seemingly get their grimy, grubby fingers on the playing surfaces of the records each and every time they took the records out of their sleeves. :D (Which evidently leads to other traces of wear too) Something I've hardly ever come across to taht extent with that kind of collectible LPs of relatively "recent" vintage when buying secondhand stuff in other countries.

Edited November 1, 2011 by Big Beat Steve

[clifford_thornton]

Well, the provenance is what's important. When Juma Sultan's collection of other artists' LPs was being sold off to generate cash for his website/online archive, almost everything was trashed. But it was kind of cool to see things like original Jihad and Coltrane Records vinyl from a brother who was there and actually making work with these people.

[Royal Oak]

When I used to buy records (when records were all you could buy, unless you consider cassettes) I don't recall it being such a big deal keeping them in pristine condition - you played them and that was that.

Chances are you had a crappy turntable, you'd bump into it and send the arm flying, or you'd drop the arm trying to cue on to a certain track. You might leave the thing on the platter for days on end. You didn't wash your hands before you handled it, you were often stoned/drunk and clumsy (record sleeves were used for skinning up). If it got scratched, so be it.

I never felt I was in posession of a "precious thing" - it was just, well, a record, a way of listening to music you liked.

[JSngry]

We had a longtime jazz DJ around here named Bob Stewart, who was on a variety of stations over the years, and as the years went by, he'd play a lot of the same stuff that he always played, using the same records he always used (even after the stuff came out on CD). I first head him in 1972 or so, and last heard him not too many years ago on a late-nite shift on the local community access station. He was playing some Milt Jackson CTI thing, something I know I heard him play when it was new, and plenty times since. The scratches had gotten pretty audible. I remember thinking to myself, damn, I've grown up and grown old with those scratches.

[peterintoronto]

We had a longtime jazz DJ around here named Bob Stewart, who was on a variety of stations over the years, and as the years went by, he'd play a lot of the same stuff that he always played, using the same records he always used (even after the stuff came out on CD). I first head him in 1972 or so, and last heard him not too many years ago on a late-nite shift on the local community access station. He was playing some Milt Jackson CTI thing, something I know I heard him play when it was new, and plenty times since. The scratches had gotten pretty audible. I remember thinking to myself, damn, I've grown up and grown old with those scratches.

Bob Stewart the tuba player who worked with Arthur Blythe?

[sidewinder]

Chances are you had a crappy turntable, you'd bump into it and send the arm flying, or you'd drop the arm trying to cue on to a certain track.

And invariably around that time-frame it would be a radiogram with auto-changer and a knitting needle-ish stylus.

[Royal Oak]

Chances are you had a crappy turntable, you'd bump into it and send the arm flying, or you'd drop the arm trying to cue on to a certain track.

And invariably around that time-frame it would be a radiogram with auto-changer and a knitting needle-ish stylus.

The first was an "ALBA" box with the built-in speaker. Yes, it was an auto-changer. Couldn't say about the stylus but it did have a decimal halfpenny glued to the headshell.

[sidewinder]

Couldn't say about the stylus but it did have a decimal halfpenny glued to the headshell.

Obligatory . Even that battered old deck upstairs at Mole had one of them.

[JSngry]

We had a longtime jazz DJ around here named Bob Stewart, who was on a variety of stations over the years, and as the years went by, he'd play a lot of the same stuff that he always played, using the same records he always used (even after the stuff came out on CD). I first head him in 1972 or so, and last heard him not too many years ago on a late-nite shift on the local community access station. He was playing some Milt Jackson CTI thing, something I know I heard him play when it was new, and plenty times since. The scratches had gotten pretty audible. I remember thinking to myself, damn, I've grown up and grown old with those scratches.

Bob Stewart the tuba player who worked with Arthur Blythe?

Nah, this guy was a drummer and a DJ. NEver played a tuba in his life so as I could tell.

[Royal Oak]

Couldn't say about the stylus but it did have a decimal halfpenny glued to the headshell.

Obligatory . Even that battered old deck upstairs at Mole had one of them.

When I had a dig through my late dad's record collection the other day (sister inherited it) I was pleasantly surprised at how well it looked. I guess the Telefunken system he bought in the early 70s must have been okay. The one exception was "Go Go Gouraguer" (I believe it's quite a collector's item) - it was in a fairly bad way, but it had obviously been bought second hand - had a price sticker to the front (£3.50)

[Son-of-a-Weizen]

you were often stoned/drunk and clumsy (record sleeves were used for skinning up). If it got scratched, so be it.

I remember spying a bunch of Zappa recs in a second hand shop in your area (1981?) and was pleasantly surprised to find 'em all in NM condition. Definitely had expected those ones to have been used & abused by someone who'd been hammered like a mackerel.

[Royal Oak]

I wonder where Tubby's records have been all these years?

you were often stoned/drunk and clumsy (record sleeves were used for skinning up). If it got scratched, so be it.

I remember spying a bunch of Zappa recs in a second hand shop in your area (1981?) and was pleasantly surprised to find 'em all in NM condition. Definitely had expected those ones to have been used & abused by someone who'd been hammered like a mackerel.

The records I mentioned in the post above contained a LOT of Zappa LPs. Dad was no stoner though, and if he ever went to parties I doubt they played Zappa!

Ah memories of "Hot Rats" and "The Grand Wazoo" while stoned.....

[Kevin Bresnahan]

Back in the days of vinyl, I was paranoid about scratching up my records. I used to clean them with a Discwasher prior to every spin and I always returned them to their sleeve after I played them. One time, a friend of mine asked to borrow my LP of Hendrix's "Electric Ladyland". I stupidly let him. It turned out that he wanted it for a party at his house. I walked into the party and heard it playing and I thought, "No, that can't be mine". I go over and see one LP spinning on the turntable and the other LP sitting on a table with a beer on it. Ahhhh!

It cleaned up OK but I still remember a pop during "All Along The Watchtower". It got so I expected that pop. When I first heard it on CD, I was caught off guard when there was no "pop".

[BillF]

Well, as I said before when speaking of Tubby's collection, booze and pristine vinyl don't go together. Tubbs made no secret of his love of the sauce, with titles like "Pint of Bitter", "On the Wagon" and "Pub Crawling With Jimmy Deuchar". Incidentally, were there any other alco-titles in his repertoire, which I haven't heard of/remembered?

[A Lark Ascending]

Couldn't say about the stylus but it did have a decimal halfpenny glued to the headshell.

I had one of those on my first two cheapo record players - only way I could keep the stylus in the groove.

[sidewinder]

Well, as I said before when speaking of Tubby's collection, booze and pristine vinyl don't go together. Tubbs made no secret of his love of the sauce, with titles like "Pint of Bitter", "On the Wagon" and "Pub Crawling With Jimmy Deuchar". Incidentally, were there any other alco-titles in his repertoire, which I haven't heard of/remembered?

You forgot '100% Proof'

I wonder where Tubby's records have been all these years?

Must have been kept by his wife (common law?). I would guess that the amazing tape archive being put out by the Savage Solweig label is also being put out as part of this 'holding'. Looking at that page with the list of tapes held we are in for a treat and a half if they continue to put this stuff out. The Vol 2 recorded in 1964 at the 'Dancing Slipper', Nottingham is really excellent. And in pretty good audio, thanks to Dancing Slipper host 'Foo' Kinnell's sound system.

Edited November 2, 2011 by sidewinder

[BillF]

Well, as I said before when speaking of Tubby's collection, booze and pristine vinyl don't go together. Tubbs made no secret of his love of the sauce, with titles like "Pint of Bitter", "On the Wagon" and "Pub Crawling With Jimmy Deuchar". Incidentally, were there any other alco-titles in his repertoire, which I haven't heard of/remembered?

You forgot '100% Proof'

Ah, yes! Cheers!

[Royal Oak]

Well, as I said before when speaking of Tubby's collection, booze and pristine vinyl don't go together. Tubbs made no secret of his love of the sauce, with titles like "Pint of Bitter", "On the Wagon" and "Pub Crawling With Jimmy Deuchar". Incidentally, were there any other alco-titles in his repertoire, which I haven't heard of/remembered?

It seems that the booze was de rigeur among musicians in that era. My old man had many a tale. I bumped into one of his old musician friends recently - he said of Bredbury Hall (a nightclub where they played together in the 60s) "It was the breathalyser that killed live music there".

[six string]

Back in the days of vinyl, I was paranoid about scratching up my records. I used to clean them with a Discwasher prior to every spin and I always returned them to their sleeve after I played them. One time, a friend of mine asked to borrow my LP of Hendrix's "Electric Ladyland". I stupidly let him. It turned out that he wanted it for a party at his house. I walked into the party and heard it playing and I thought, "No, that can't be mine". I go over and see one LP spinning on the turntable and the other LP sitting on a table with a beer on it. Ahhhh!

It cleaned up OK but I still remember a pop during "All Along The Watchtower". It got so I expected that pop. When I first heard it on CD, I was caught off guard when there was no "pop".

I had a similar experience in high school when I loaned my copy of Pink Floyd's Relics to a friend and when I got it back a week later it looked like it had been kicked down the street a few times. There wasn't a record in my collection that had half as many scratches on it.

I never loaned an lp out after that which is good because not only did I preserve my lps for my enjoyment but I never felt a need to write my name all over the cover and the label of my records to help me claim them later.

[Leeway]

With the exceptions of a few warhorses (Cliburn, Pops, etc), most classical vinyl one finds second-hand is usually in pristine condition. Probably played once and returned to the shelf.

Some jazz records are invariably trashed. Tops are Jimmy Smith LPs. I think that's because they are such great party music.

[sidewinder]

Tops are Jimmy Smith LPs. I think that's because they are such great party music.

Closely followed by Horace Silver's Blue Note LPs !