Record Store Day is Fast Approaching

by Leo Cahalan

I went to Hello, Records during my lunch hour today. It is one of a handful of used records stores in and around Detroit that consistently scores and makes available records that are usually only found on internet sites. Great jazz, soul, reggae, and rock titles for prices well below those on online specialty sites. Shhhhhh . . .

As I walked in, Wade the proprietor glanced up as he was cleaning a new batch of 45s. “What’s new, Wade?” I asked. “Been a slow buying week,” he replied.

I first checked the walls where the better offerings are displayed. I spotted a glossy copy of John Coltrane’s Ballads. It was a mono pressing in very nice shape. It was an original press, which was very exciting! An original mono Ballads can bring $500 on the internet, and Wade was only asking $35. I inspected the deadwax in hopes of seeing the ‘VAN GELDER’ imprint. Instead, I found the Bell Sound script. Some prefer the Bell Sound mix to Rudy Van Gelder’s. But I find the Van Gelder version irresistible. Plus, I already own a Bell Sound stereo pressing on the orange and black label. I tenderly returned the record back to the wall for another collector to discover.

I turned to the rock-n-roll wall and spotted a very fresh looking copy of David Bowie’s Space Oddity. It was the later RCA press, not the preferred Man of Words Mercury pressing. It was a black label Dynaflex in great shape, and there was no way it wasn’t coming home with me. I looked up and spotted a copy of Crocodiles, Echo & The Bunnymen’s remarkable first release. The strangely lit cover photo took me back to the proto-goth of the ’80s –  strange decade for popular music. To me, this record stood out because it sounded more like a modern version of the Doors. I grabbed that one, too.

It’s no secret that vinyl is back. With Record Store Day approaching on April 20, it’s time to start getting your fingers warmed up to flip through the bins. And grab a coffee, cause you’ll be waiting in line a while to grab all the cool limited RSD releases.

‘Tis the season to acquire…