thriftcrawler 07/30/05

07/30/05

01. Stylophone Electronic Organ

Picked up this quirky little keyboard from 1968 at the Jefferson Highway Flea Market for three dollars. This site can tell you a lot more than I can about the Stylophone, but it was pretty popular for awhile in the late 60s, is now highly collectible, and has been used by the likes of David Bowie, Pulp and Kraftwerk. Now that you've seen the box (it also came with the instruction booklet/song book and the original packet of silica gel), have a look at the real thing:

As you may have guessed by now, the Stylophone works by touching the metal keys with the attached "stylus" (basically a plastic pen-like device with a metal tip). The result is a completely unique buzzy tone which you can also lay some vibrato on (see vibrato switch above) to spook up the sound. Another fun thing to do is drag the stylus up or down across all of the keys for a nice glissando effect. In addition to what you see above, the Stylophone also has a 1/8" jack for an external amplifier(!), a 9V DC jack, and can also run on one 9V battery. Nice!

Special Bonus!! The Stylophone (with box and instructions) goes for anywhere from 25 to 150 dollars online.

02. Casio PT-100 keyboard

For five dollars (at the Flea Market) I couldn't pass up rescuing another Casio keyboard. It only has 8 preset sounds, 8 rhythms and doesn't have an output jack, but you guys should know by now I have a soft spot for old Casios. If you want to read more about the PT-100, this site has tons of information, including circuit bending tips.

03. E.T. for Atari 2600 (boxed/sealed)

Here it is, folks: the game that single-handedly caused the crash of the video game industry in 1983. Okay, I'm exaggerating, but this pitiful example of programming certainly had a hand in it. I remember playing E.T. at my cousin's house when I was about six years old and being astounded - even at such a tender young age - that such a horrible game was allowed to be unleashed upon an unsuspecting public. Because of the incredible stigma this game has - and the footnote in history it will always be because of it - a boxed and sealed E.T. cartridge is worth five dollars at the Flea Market to me. So back off, man!

Special Bonus!! E.T. was such a huge sales disaster for Atari that they ended up burying 5 million unsold copies of the game in the New Mexico desert.

03. 7 LPs, 4 45s, 6 8-tracks

One dollar for LPs. 50 cents for 45s and 8-tracks. Bridgehouse on Jefferson Highway. Left to right, top to bottom. And away we go...

33 1/3 RPM

01. Stan Getz & João Gilberto - Getz/Gilberto (Verve - 1963)
Bought this strictly for "The Girl From Ipanema", sung in part by Gilberto's wife Astrud. I've liked it ever since I heard the Muzak version of it in an elevator as a small child. No, for real.

02. The Ventures - The Ventures Play "Telstar" and "The Lonely Bull" (Dolton - 1962)
Surfy instrumental rock from the band best known for "Walk, Don't Run".

03. Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass - Whipped Cream & Other Delights (A&M - 1965)
Despite the undeniably sexy album cover, I've been avoiding buying this album for a long time - out of spite. This thing is fucking EVERYWHERE. I'm trying to sift through hundreds of records for something interesting and THIS worthless piece of brass-blasting crap keeps popping up every third album... just like those damn Ferrante & Teicher and Firestone Christmas albums. Even the casual thrifter has seen 40,000 copies of WC&OD. My parents had it in their album collection. I'm totally desensitized to the cover art at this point, but if I'm gonna be collecting sexy album covers, I really can't leave this one out. I give.

04. Yes - Yessongs (Atlantic - 1973)
130 minutes of live Yes on 3 LPs. Can you stand it? This plays like a live best-of, featuring material from the three previous studio albums (The Yes Album, Fragile, Close to the Edge) and a few wanky Rick Wakeman solo pieces. Amazingly, some of these incredibly complex songs sound even better than their studio counterparts.

05. The Moody Blues - Days of Future Passed (Deram - 1967)
Their third album, and the one where they finally decided to go psychedelic. Featuring the London Festival Orchestra and the smash hit "Nights in White Satin". Number six in my MB collection.

06. The Moody Blues - This Is the Moody Blues (Threshold - 1974)
This double-album collects best-of material from the group's 1967-72 material. I have most of those albums already, but what the hell - nice cover art and number seven in the collection. I only want their psychedelic era stuff, but I can't seem to find To Our Children's Children's Children anywhere. Granted, it's only been three days...

07. Steely Dan - The Royal Scam (ABC - 1976)
Bitter set of songs from Becker and Fagen, featuring "Kid Charlemagne" and "Sign in Stranger".

45 RPM

01. Cyndi Lauper - The Goonies 'R' Good Enough b/w What a Thrill (CBS - 1985)
I already bought this 45 not too long ago, but I couldn't pass up a copy of it in the original picture sleeve. Again: awesome song, awesome movie.

02. Culture Club - Church of the Poison Mind b/w Mystery Boy (Virgin/Epic - 1983)
Never did really like the song, but this 45 is from Japan. Wait a second. This isn't a Japanese disc - the hiragana lettering is just part of the cover design! Why, I've been hornswaggled - it's a regular ol' American record! I'll fucking get you for this, cover designer Nick Egan!

03. "Weird Al" Yankovic - Like a Surgeon b/w Slime Creatures From Outer Space (Rock 'N' Roll Records - 1985)
I was a big fan of Weird Al as a goofy little kid in the 80s, so this picture sleeve copy of "Like a Surgeon" was really calling out to me. Both songs are taken from the Dare to be Stupid album.

04. Thompson Twins - Lies b/w Beach Culture (Arista - 1982)
OKAY! OKAY! This really is a Japanese 45! No, I'm serious you guys, c'mon! Look, it says right on the disc label: "Manufactured by Nippon Phonogram Co., Ltd., Tokyo"!! Japanese and English-language lyrics adorn the reverse side of the pull-out picture sleeve - the dust jacket itself is separate, and all are contained in a clear protective baggie. This single originally sold for 700 yen.

3 3/4 IPS

01. The Moody Blues - This Is the Moody Blues (Threshold - 1974)
Sitting on top of the vinyl version of this album in the above picture is the 8-track version. The cover art for the 8-track version was taken from the top left corner of the back cover art of the vinyl version. Huh?

02. The Bee Gees - Main Course (RSO - 1975)
I've been giving the Bee Gees disco-era output more of a chance lately, and some of it's not bad at all. The killer cuts from this - the first disco album from the Brothers Gibb - include "Nights on Broadway" and "Jive Talkin'".

03. Bob Dylan - Dylan (Columbia - 1973)
This is how the Allmusic Guide's entry for this album starts: "Commonly regarded as the worst album in Bob Dylan's catalog..." Yeah.

04. MFSB - Love Is the Message (Philadelphia International - 1973)
Proto-disco funk/soul from the group responsible for the Soul Train theme.

05. Yes - Tales from Topographic Oceans (Unauthorized copy! Call the RIAA!)
Some long-haired stoner thoughtfully recorded his vinyl copy of Yes' Tales from Topographic Oceans onto a blank Memorex 8-track cartridge and hid it in a small nook in a 70s thrift store for me to find some thirty years later, knowing that said Yes album will be the only one I won't be able to find on vinyl! Thanks, man!

06. Pete & Christy (Marriage)
Yup, this is a (surprisingly high-quality) recording of a couple's marriage on a blank Scotch 8-track tape. From the constant muffled church organ in the background to the creepy whisperings of the 8-track recorder operators and the obligatory performance of "Sunrise, Sunset", it's a very moving experience. Seriously, though, it's an interesting thing listening to a Very Big Moment in two random people's lives thirty years ago. How did this end up in a thrift store? Are Pete and Christy still married? Are they happy? Are they dead? Are you, the reader, either Pete or Christy? If so, please let me know what happened to you and your spouse, okay?

Special Bonus!! The priest unintentionally name-checks 70s white funk outfit Tower of Power at one point during his mind-numbing ramblings.
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© 2005 seawall

01.	Stan Getz & João Gilberto - Getz/Gilberto (Verve - 1963) Bought this strictly for "The Girl From Ipanema", sung in part by Gilberto's wife Astrud. I've liked it ever since I heard the Muzak version of it in an elevator as a small child. No, for real.
02.	The Ventures - The Ventures Play "Telstar" and "The Lonely Bull" (Dolton - 1962) Surfy instrumental rock from the band best known for "Walk, Don't Run".
03.	Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass - Whipped Cream & Other Delights (A&M - 1965) Despite the undeniably sexy album cover, I've been avoiding buying this album for a long time - out of spite. This thing is fucking EVERYWHERE. I'm trying to sift through hundreds of records for something interesting and THIS worthless piece of brass-blasting crap keeps popping up every third album... just like those damn Ferrante & Teicher and Firestone Christmas albums. Even the casual thrifter has seen 40,000 copies of WC&OD. My parents had it in their album collection. I'm totally desensitized to the cover art at this point, but if I'm gonna be collecting sexy album covers, I really can't leave this one out. I give.
04.	Yes - Yessongs (Atlantic - 1973) 130 minutes of live Yes on 3 LPs. Can you stand it? This plays like a live best-of, featuring material from the three previous studio albums (The Yes Album, Fragile, Close to the Edge) and a few wanky Rick Wakeman solo pieces. Amazingly, some of these incredibly complex songs sound even better than their studio counterparts.
05.	The Moody Blues - Days of Future Passed (Deram - 1967) Their third album, and the one where they finally decided to go psychedelic. Featuring the London Festival Orchestra and the smash hit "Nights in White Satin". Number six in my MB collection.
06.	The Moody Blues - This Is the Moody Blues (Threshold - 1974) This double-album collects best-of material from the group's 1967-72 material. I have most of those albums already, but what the hell - nice cover art and number seven in the collection. I only want their psychedelic era stuff, but I can't seem to find To Our Children's Children's Children anywhere. Granted, it's only been three days...
07.	Steely Dan - The Royal Scam (ABC - 1976) Bitter set of songs from Becker and Fagen, featuring "Kid Charlemagne" and "Sign in Stranger".

01.	Cyndi Lauper - The Goonies 'R' Good Enough b/w What a Thrill (CBS - 1985) I already bought this 45 not too long ago, but I couldn't pass up a copy of it in the original picture sleeve. Again: awesome song, awesome movie.
02.	Culture Club - Church of the Poison Mind b/w Mystery Boy (Virgin/Epic - 1983) Never did really like the song, but this 45 is from Japan. Wait a second. This isn't a Japanese disc - the hiragana lettering is just part of the cover design! Why, I've been hornswaggled - it's a regular ol' American record! I'll fucking get you for this, cover designer Nick Egan!
03.	"Weird Al" Yankovic - Like a Surgeon b/w Slime Creatures From Outer Space (Rock 'N' Roll Records - 1985) I was a big fan of Weird Al as a goofy little kid in the 80s, so this picture sleeve copy of "Like a Surgeon" was really calling out to me. Both songs are taken from the Dare to be Stupid album.
04.	Thompson Twins - Lies b/w Beach Culture (Arista - 1982) OKAY! OKAY! This really is a Japanese 45! No, I'm serious you guys, c'mon! Look, it says right on the disc label: "Manufactured by Nippon Phonogram Co., Ltd., Tokyo"!! Japanese and English-language lyrics adorn the reverse side of the pull-out picture sleeve - the dust jacket itself is separate, and all are contained in a clear protective baggie. This single originally sold for 700 yen.

01.	The Moody Blues - This Is the Moody Blues (Threshold - 1974) Sitting on top of the vinyl version of this album in the above picture is the 8-track version. The cover art for the 8-track version was taken from the top left corner of the back cover art of the vinyl version. Huh?
02.	The Bee Gees - Main Course (RSO - 1975) I've been giving the Bee Gees disco-era output more of a chance lately, and some of it's not bad at all. The killer cuts from this - the first disco album from the Brothers Gibb - include "Nights on Broadway" and "Jive Talkin'".
03.	Bob Dylan - Dylan (Columbia - 1973) This is how the Allmusic Guide's entry for this album starts: "Commonly regarded as the worst album in Bob Dylan's catalog..." Yeah.
04.	MFSB - Love Is the Message (Philadelphia International - 1973) Proto-disco funk/soul from the group responsible for the Soul Train theme.
05.	Yes - Tales from Topographic Oceans (Unauthorized copy! Call the RIAA!) Some long-haired stoner thoughtfully recorded his vinyl copy of Yes' Tales from Topographic Oceans onto a blank Memorex 8-track cartridge and hid it in a small nook in a 70s thrift store for me to find some thirty years later, knowing that said Yes album will be the only one I won't be able to find on vinyl! Thanks, man!
06.	Pete & Christy (Marriage) Yup, this is a (surprisingly high-quality) recording of a couple's marriage on a blank Scotch 8-track tape. From the constant muffled church organ in the background to the creepy whisperings of the 8-track recorder operators and the obligatory performance of "Sunrise, Sunset", it's a very moving experience. Seriously, though, it's an interesting thing listening to a Very Big Moment in two random people's lives thirty years ago. How did this end up in a thrift store? Are Pete and Christy still married? Are they happy? Are they dead? Are you, the reader, either Pete or Christy? If so, please let me know what happened to you and your spouse, okay? Special Bonus!! The priest unintentionally name-checks 70s white funk outfit Tower of Power at one point during his mind-numbing ramblings. \|