Wednesday, March 26, 2014


Es-Say #7- (Not So) Mysterious Charity Single at the Charity Shop

The 45 RPM record that I purchased today for £.50 at the charity shop is a well-known recording and documented, but I have a ton of questions as I hadn't heard of it. Let me make a list here.

  1. The 1980s had tons of celebrity charity singles that famously(and arguably) started off with Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?" I'd like to know how many records featured Paul during this decade because every time I think I know, I find another one.
  2. Ferry Aid, The music group responsible for this Stock Aitken Waterman produced single is jam packed with artists taking part. However, I can only recognise the voices of McCartney, Boy George, Kate Bush, and Andy Bell. Everyone else gets lost in a loud choir. Why is that? (Ed Note: Would you like my opinion? It's a poor musical arrangement)  
  3. As a record that sold a half-million copies, was there a greater number of the population who refused to buy it because of The Sun newspapers association with the passenger ferry disaster?
  4. Equally, what caused some other artists to decide not to participate? or do a 360 degrees when first opposed?
  5. Did McCartney basically "phone it in" either by submitting a brand new vocal part of  "Let It Be" away from the roomful of celebrities located at a separate studio, or the original 1970 session tapes?
  6. I don't understand what I wrote in #5. What do you think I meant? He did "phone it in" but was it a new recording vocal done in 1987 or the original Beatles recording from 1970?
  7. Is there a video of this? Oh dear...Oh dear 
http://youtu.be/AmieR3KvQAc


Everyone had to lip-sync their 1987 vocals for the video including McCartney(to what does sound like the original 1970 recording) from a separate location. Ferry Aid seems to have focused on Boy George from the room choir but I can only think this is due to his very memorable performance on "Do They Know It's Christmas?"(and as we know, that too features our beloved Paul).

If I had heard of this charity back in 1987, I would just give directly to that charity given the choice of getting the record. Today, my crummy record player didn't skip once on either vinyl side(the side two jam choir is even worse) which means the previous owner didn't play it enough. The re-recording sounds disorganized but that is expected as it was rush-recorded. It's nice that celebrities want to help causes quickly but this is a clear example of why immediate telethons have gained in popularity when the 80s ended; nobody really has to sing in them.

Friday, March 21, 2014

Es-Say #6 - Can't Buy Me Records

Record show days remind me of the one thing I'm not- A man. As a woman, I have to either wave money in the air or slam 10 dvds in front of any vinyl dealer(male or female) to get a bit of attention. I want to be sold items but I usually have a ton of uninterrupted time to figure out what I might like to purchase. The dealers act like they are doing me a favor answering my questions but will take my money. The best experience I can get is maybe some tidbits of record information but I really have to go the extra mile myself. My online searches can only offer so much and girlfriends eyes to not sparkle when I say "Let's go to a record show!" Cue the violins.

At a record show today, I didn't expect much and still got a few good things. My partner bought a 7" of "Jet" without the B-Side pressed label of "Let Me Roll It" and I asked a dealer about its value. He thought it was worth about £10 which was 5x what we paid for it. The dealer didn't try to sell me anything but I bought a 5th pressing copy of "Help"(back cover- above, left, bottom) from 1976.

After awhile, I finally found some cheap but decent bootleg DVD's(view my youtube channel to see the unboxing www.youtube.com/magicmeri) of both Beatles and McCartney. I almost got a second DVD but no dealer would confirm that NTSC Region Free disc would play in a PAL system. This one had no specifications at all on the box but it was a risk that I took anyway.  It does work and I just have to now devote five hours of my life to sit through all of the EPKs and TV promo clips from Memory Almost Full. (Just not right now but I did watch about 30 minutes).


I found a white vinyl 7" Juke Box copy of "Off The Ground" for £3. It was next to an Italian copy of a 7" Picture Sleeve of another day(£8), but I didn't want it as it wasn't in great condition. It said "rare" on it but I didn't feel that way at all and I got the white vinyl 1993 single instead. This was a situation where I did have to bark "Money," like the guy on Storage Wars(or Hunters?) and I got the vinyl.

By this point I was tired and gave away £11. One last viewing at a dealer table was almost a bust as I saw newer 2013/14 items I could have been tempted to purchase but I didn't think my business was welcome. I stretched like a gymnast to reach things in boxes with higher prices and eventually gave up...until I spotted "Spin It On" for £3. "Money" got me the vinyl.

Finally, I got a vinyl carrying case from a dealer who did everything in his power to sell to me. I did accidentally hit my head on the sales table mid-sale, but I finally felt I got a bit of expected acknowledgement for my money. I'll let you know when the room stops spinning but I was very happy to find my way home with half my budget still in my pocketbook. Men...you just got to love 'em...
 

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Es-Say #5- A Day In The Storage Container(s)

Today, I decided to take some of my collection into my self-storage unit. My living room is small and I actually worry about magazines getting damaged. My partner owns every issue of Q magazine, but remained calm when many of the copies got soaked with rain water. I took comfort in the knowledge that the 1st issue from 1986 with Paul was unharmed. If any of my own magazines have similar problems, I need a moment to recover and then an action plan. I like to think I keep on top of my entire collections maintenance.

The truth is different. It's all over the place. In addition to my local self-storage and at home, my sister is storing my long-forgotten Beatles/McCartney items in her hallway closet. I have no record of everything I currently own, nor the current condition. I just usually know what items are missing and which of the three places probably has the item. I have been careless with many things and moving things around is not a great idea. I hope I can remember what I brought to the self-storage unit this morning.

I chose to bring some duplicate magazines and Sunday newspaper pull-out magazines. I took a duplicate copy of a recent book(I think the subtitle is called "Paul McCartney in the 70s") just so I wouldn't have an extra reminder about that I need to read it. At the storage unit, I got a bit of a blast- from-the-past. I can only imagine why I had to make the poor decision to TEAR OFF THE FRONT COVER. I was thankful to be sitting down while discovering this 1995 article of Vegetarian Times.

  

I'm sure I've had this at least 17 years, so it's good to at least see it again. I also have decided to look for another copy that can be better cared for in plastic to make up for this catastrophe. I remember I paid about a dollar for the used magazine from the library. I don't think it will be that low cost anymore. Just thinking about my magazine being damaged made me want to leave the building. I decided to go to the supermarket; buy another magazine and complain to no one that the Linda McCartney veggie burgers were no longer on sale.(another Es-Say for another time?)

Monday, March 17, 2014

Es-Say #4 Icon Cassette

Twenty-two years ago, I was a teenager. I loved most British Classic Rock and my favourite group was Genesis. I know I loved the Beatles as most of the local radio stations would play the hits. To be honest, I didn't have a "favourite" one. The Beatles were always just collectively "fab."

Not all people look back fondly on their secondary school days. I can recall joining the environmental club in the 9th grade just to be a part of something because I couldn't twirl a baton to save my life. By the third year (22 years ago or 1992), it was standard to find me sitting in the back of the class wearing an over-sized jacket and a Sting T-shirt. When called upon to answer questions, I panicked as my Sting-hating classmates were always curious by my long-winded answers. The person I admired the most told me "If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bologna." It was encouragement that got me through the end of the year.

Back at home, my most admired person had been dating my parent for about a year. We got to go to the Genesis concert that summer with the girl who was virtually my step-sister by now. She went to my school and was only a year younger. We didn't have tons in common but we liked each other enough to hang out at each others houses while our respective parents were on dates. We also both couldn't stand my little sister.

I didn't have cable television, so a major network must have aired the video for "Hope Of Deliverance." In the Billboard charts, it was only a hit on the AC charts(source: Wikipedia). I really remember liking it and the video for "Off The Ground" which was released after the album came out. Much of that interest that I had towards the actual album I can only remember in flashes. I can't even remember if I bought the cassette myself, but once I heard "Biker Like An Icon" on Saturday Night Live, I must have kissed the shoes of the person who handed it to me. I was that kind of a teen- melodramatic, passionate, and impressionable.

My virtual step-sister wasn't herself on a family trip. We stayed at a beautiful hotel but I was sad because I didn't feel like she was enjoying it. It took the car ride upstate and most of the afternoon to figure out that this "virtual step-sister" was giving me the silent treatment and we had to share a room. Thank goodness for that copy of the "Off The Ground" cassette and a working Walkman because I started sulking badly. I think I might have even sung the praises of the album at one point just to ease the tension of the moment and my little sister running in and out of the adjoining bedroom. My parent and my admired friend did not see the piercing judgemental eyes of virtual step-sister. No, we CAN'T work it out.

Away from our shared high school, I did what I would never do on school grounds- Lose my temper. "What is your problem? Why won't you tell me what you think I did? I didn't do anything!" The reply? "Your annoying!!!!!". I glanced over to my "actual" sister jumping on the bed and darted out of the hotel room. It's safe to say the Walkman was with me and that holiday was ruined as our respective parents wanted to take us all home.

I lost the cassette eventually but I quickly lost my virtual family that same year. I didn't lose my interest in Paul McCartney's music. Music is timeless and often personal. I would love to find the promotion for this album and I think I remember this photo below (credit:eil.com). I've got the CD now and a few items in storage somewhere. "Off The Ground" is precious but don't get me chatting about some of my love for the other albums. I understand that might get annoying...



     


   

Sunday, March 16, 2014



Es-Say #3- Argentina Te Quiero!

Watching McCartney concerts from the comfort of your home can be a nice experience. I prefer to listen to the audio only of most of the visual media available. I'd like to speak to the camera men and editors from most of the DVDs released in the last twenty years. I buy these videos and I feel that the footage shows the audience happily watching the show just as much as the concert. That could be withstood, but once you jump continuously between the two images for two hours, this editing combination is unbearable. Not for me.

YouTube is a great resource to find my way back to recently filmed concert viewing. It was a pleasure to find this 2010 show from Argentina. It feels like I could have been with the audience enjoying the show. My eyesight feels a little better too and I can recall what Paul was wearing on stage. This pro-shot filmed concert need to be among my collection. If I'm wrong about it being "pro-shot," it's of high quality worthy of the style of filming.

It's not going to be very easy to buy. Even though it was broadcasted, it looks to be a bootleg(or as I say 'Questionable Recording') somewhere floating around. Enlisting the help of uninterested friends hasn't helped this time. (They may have changed their Argentina address...probably not). Good to know YouTube is still in business.   http://youtu.be/qx2gaoXBmPI (if unable to view above)

Friday, March 14, 2014

ES-Say #2-The Magical Mystery Tour Of Slow Transport.

I Love Florida! Rather, I love the idea of Florida-Sun, Sand, Sea, and Sunburns. I got one out of four on my recent trip(SUN!) but I had gone to the state to visit an ill relative and was a bit preoccupied. I think I focused any sadness I must have felt by planning a day to visit a record show in a neighbouring city on another day. My shopping list wasn't urgent but I wanted to find the Capital Label '45 for "Good Night Tonight." The cost of the vinyl just would not justify the effort last week to attend the show. As the day approached, I knew my number was up- Transportation would not be an option. It would have cost $100 in taxi fare. The show was on a Saturday and the local area buses did not run on the weekends. I couldn't walk there and my other relative wanted to go somewhere else later in the day with the car. My puppy dog eyes were not going to change the situation. I moved on by looking for walking distance record shops. I found one a mile and a half away. I didn't heed the warning to watch out for motorists as nearly everyone in Florida drives. I was out-the-door before you could say "Look, another Palm Tree!"


I get to the strip mall after briefly getting lost and the book store(with music) was closed. The opening hours were correct but the owners did not come to work on time as they lived down the road(the other local business explained). I stood there an hour, staring at Senor Bubbles(a Latin Laundromat) across the road half the time and the rest of the time pressing my nose up against
the outside glass of the store. I saw nothing but a few classical LPs through the window and turned back to walk back to where I had started.


After explaining that "Senor Bubbles" was not a porn star while re-telling my empty-handed LP adventure back at the house, I decided to wait to get to a newsstand at some point. The idea to find vinyl took a back seat when I found out Life magazine would have a Paul-only special edition available three days later on Amazon. It turned out the magazine had been out in shops for at least a month. I had no problem finding the issue along with another magazine(see youtube video).
I got to visit a local Target. Target has changed their music department: There are many empty rows and barely any back catalog. It was to my amazement when I saw a Beatles display and offer. The deal was somehow tied into the celebration of the 50th Anniversary on their American arrival. I didn't want a $5 gift card for getting two items. I just knew there were two limited edition t-shirts left in large that was packaged in a box for $10 and I didn't care the box was dented.
I should have cared more about the box and the offer because the cash register refused to scan the item. I suppose if I had gotten the cavern-club-wall-designed-coffee-mug, three employees wouldn't have made me feel like I was breaking the 2-for-Gift Card deal. It was just wonderful to find anything I hadn't been expecting at all on my trip. Here is the flattened box(tag not part of this shirt/another shirt it came from):
 When it was time to go home, I needed to pack smartly. I couldn't travel with the t-shirt box and I had to use my worn clothes to protect the magazines getting bent in transit. Everything survived, I just need to wash a smelly t-shirt.
 
 
 
 

Thursday, March 13, 2014

Essay #1- Introduction
I've started this blog without any expectations. At worst, nobody reads it. I still will have an account of all the things I've added to my collection and a timeline for reference. I can be forgetful at times. This is my musical journey that started in either 1979, 1988, or 1993. It sometimes gets dormant. Other times, trigger words like "Tour" or "Limited Edition" will awaken adventures of the unexpected, laughable, and bizarre.

The one thing that doesn't change is the consistency: There's a celebrity looming over my head and I'm ok with that. Personally, The Beatles were significant as they hung in one framed poster next to a separate framed poster of Elvis in my living room when I was very young. I would view these posters from the carpet while watching my cartoons on a 70s television(cleverly designed as a piece of floor furniture). Then, Elvis left the building(aka "my parents divorced").

At least, I got to choose McCartney over Lennon myself, but I'll never forget having those five strangers to look up at during commercial breaks and the bouts of frequent arguing. I'm glad the music turned out to be good just as good as they all looked but I now love collecting Rock & Roll Vinyl and Memorabilia...I just seem to have way too many copies of Wings' "Goodnight Tonight"
I might need to speak to somebody about this! Suggestions?!?