February 2021 Challenge (& Raffle)

Day 21 - wow me!

Michael Mazzarella - February
The Broken Hearts - Want One

When I was a teenager, I used to write off to bands using the addresses often found in the CDs. I struck up lots of conversations and received all sorts of things - signed photos, rare demos, original lyrics, tickets to both Glastonbury and Reading festivals. But this is undoubtedly the most special thing I ever got. The band in question was a New York power pop group called The Rooks and we'd been corresponding for a few years. I'd just moved to London for university and my 19th birthday came and went. A few weeks later, I received a package from them and in it was this - a song, February, that lead singer Michael Mazzarella had written for me. And a cassette with the process of him writing the song (it starts off as "It's Your Birthday" as he wrote it on my birthday, but then he changes the words because it's too soft). It's pretty damn special.

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Sadly, the Rooks don't have anything on vinyl (their best album, A Wishing Well, actually has a picture of me and my ex in the booklet as well!) But I'm spinning something else they sent me - an autographed copy of the first album of Michael's first band, the Broken Hearts. Their second album was due to be produced by Nick Lowe but they split up.

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Poly-Rythmo said:
Day 21 - wow me!

Michael Mazzarella - February
The Broken Hearts - Want One

When I was a teenager, I used to write off to bands using the addresses often found in the CDs. I struck up lots of conversations and received all sorts of things - signed photos, rare demos, original lyrics, tickets to both Glastonbury and Reading festivals. But this is undoubtedly the most special thing I ever got. The band in question was a New York power pop group called The Rooks and we'd been corresponding for a few years. I'd just moved to London for university and my 19th birthday came and went. A few weeks later, I received a package from them and in it was this - a song, February, that lead singer Michael Mazzarella had written for me. And a cassette with the process of him writing the song (it starts off as "It's Your Birthday" as he wrote it on my birthday, but then he changes the words because it's too soft). It's pretty damn special.

View attachment 89028

Sadly, the Rooks don't have anything on vinyl (their best album, A Wishing Well, actually has a picture of me and my ex in the booklet as well!) But I'm spinning something else they sent me - an autographed copy of the first album of Michael's first band, the Broken Hearts. Their second album was due to be produced by Nick Lowe but they split up.

View attachment 89029


Click to expand...

Holy shit, that's amazing!
 
Sun 21 – Wow me!
It’s my birthday so show off the coolest music thing you have (memorabilia, merch, record), and spin an associated record.

The Velvet Underground - White Light/White Heat

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Happy birthday!!

I know I’ve used this one in a previous month and mentioned this experience, but this record signed in person by Lou Reed many years ago is my most prized album. I was working where he did a reading and he was signing autographs for a very long line of customers. I was towards the back of the store helping a customer when he came back to take a break and he stopped for a minute to watch me and gave me this approving nod. His crew kind of gave him a look like, “what are you doing, do you know this guy?” and I just gave him an approving nod back, not knowing what else to do and he moved on. Later, I had this record signed and since I was last in line, he quizzed me about the origins of the cover and I swear he told me that the tattooed shoulder is his, even though looking it up online, it says it’s someone else’s.
 
Day 21 - wow me!

What better for you birthday than to play an African 45 set?

Here are a few choice selections from my collection that I'm spinning just for you.

Happy Birthday, friend!

Goom "Massai Pts 1 & 2" (1972 PYE International)
Fela Kuti "Expensive Shit" (1975 Editions Makossa)
Geraldo Pino "Heavy, Heavy, Heavy" (Suzumi)
Orchestre Poly Rhythmo de Cotonou Dahomey "Malin Kpon O" (Albarika Store)
El Rego Et Ses Commandos "Dis-Moi Oui" (L.A. Aux Ecoutes)
The Funkees "Too Lay" (1975 Contempo)

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Turbo said:
Day 21 - wow me!

What better for you birthday than to play an African 45 set?

Here are a few choice selections from my collection that I'm spinning just for you.

Happy Birthday, friend!

Goom "Massai Pts 1 & 2" (1972 PYE International)
Fela Kuti "Expensive Shit" (1975 Editions Makossa)
Geraldo Pino "Heavy, Heavy, Heavy" (Suzumi)
Orchestre Poly Rhythmo de Cotonou Dahomey "Malin Kpon O" (Albarika Store)
El Rego Et Ses Commandos "Dis-Moi Oui" (L.A. Aux Ecoutes)
The Funkees "Too Lay" (1975 Contempo)

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Totally awesome! Some great tunes there, and plenty I have to check out as the only one I own is the Poly-Rythmo (I have the Fela and El Rego songs but not in this format). And greetings to Gatineau - I spent most of the summer of '98 in Ottawa where my ex was from...
 
Poly-Rythmo said:
Day 21 - wow me!

Michael Mazzarella - February
The Broken Hearts - Want One

When I was a teenager, I used to write off to bands using the addresses often found in the CDs. I struck up lots of conversations and received all sorts of things - signed photos, rare demos, original lyrics, tickets to both Glastonbury and Reading festivals. But this is undoubtedly the most special thing I ever got. The band in question was a New York power pop group called The Rooks and we'd been corresponding for a few years. I'd just moved to London for university and my 19th birthday came and went. A few weeks later, I received a package from them and in it was this - a song, February, that lead singer Michael Mazzarella had written for me. And a cassette with the process of him writing the song (it starts off as "It's Your Birthday" as he wrote it on my birthday, but then he changes the words because it's too soft). It's pretty damn special.

View attachment 89028

Sadly, the Rooks don't have anything on vinyl (their best album, A Wishing Well, actually has a picture of me and my ex in the booklet as well!) But I'm spinning something else they sent me - an autographed copy of the first album of Michael's first band, the Broken Hearts. Their second album was due to be produced by Nick Lowe but they split up.

View attachment 89029


Click to expand...

That Rooks album is a great one, and what a cool story!
 
Sun 21 – Wow me!
It’s my birthday so show off the coolest music thing you have (memorabilia, merch, record), and spin an associated record.

I think this is a cool bit of memorabilia; when I signed up for the pre-order for New West's 20th Anniversary box set I was in the first two hundred to sign up, so I am in the Special Thanks section.

And, I've said it here before, but this collection is superb. 6 LPs, and I've played it start to finish on many weekends.

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Day 20 - Vinterferie

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The Mama's and the Papa's- If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears

I'm certainly California Dreaming with all these snow storms that keep hitting NJ

Edit: I got this for free and I knew it was in bad condition and this is my first time spinning it. Of course my favorite song has the worst damage and it basically skips the whole song
 
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Day 21 - Wow me!

Happy birthday @Poly-Rythmo !

I don’t have a ton of cool memorabilia (that I haven’t shown at least), but this is fairly interesting. About a week before the release of this album, Matador had to recall it because there’s a Cars Just What I Needed interpolation that was never cleared. All record stores had to pull it, but I had it preordered from Amazon, and they still shipped the recalled version. So, pretty cool to be able to hear the song as originally intended. It’s called Just What I Needed / Not Just What I Needed, whereas the general release was changed to Not What I Needed.

I try to avoid buying from Amazon if possible, but they came through in this case!

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Fleetwood-Matt said:
Day 20 - Vinterferie

View attachment 89098

The Mama's and the Papa's- If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears

I'm certainly California Dreaming with all these snow storms that keep hitting NJ

Edit: I got this for free and I knew it was in bad condition and this is my first time spinning it. Of course my favorite song has the worst damage and it basically skips the whole song
Click to expand...
Yes, cover up that toilet! Gross!
 
Day 21: Wow me!

I don't do a lot of merch/swag/memorabilia stuff, but I did get the first 2 of these screenprints. The artwork is from Andy Partridge when his book "Complicated Game" was released, the screen-printing was done by Andrew Swainson, who's artwork has been used for various things. I have one of his "Jaws" lithos on my wall...and a couple others I still need frames for.

XTC ‎– This Is Pop?
Virgin ‎– VS 209, 1978

UK 7" - b/w Heatwave

Cut by Chris Blair
Pressed at CBS Pressing Plant, Aston Clinton

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Sun 21 – Wow me!: It’s my birthday so show off the coolest music thing you have (memorabilia, merch, record), and spin an associated record.

Happy birthday @Poly-Rythmo!

Childish Gambino - Because the Internet

I'm pretty sure I've told this story a few times on here before, but the details of this one are included in the Instagram post below. I was so lucky to get this album and fortunate to get it signed and get tickets to the sold out show thanks to a friend!

 
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