T. Rex, T. Rextasy: The Best of T. Rex, 1970-1973, 1985 on Warner Bros.

Mid-eighties compilation of T. Rex. Between 1970 and 1973, the band had eleven top 10 singles in the UK – including many here. Produced by Tony Visconti.

I came to T. Rex indirectly through The Replacements (who covered “20th Century Boy” on Let it Be), Bauhaus (who covered “Telegram Sam”) and The Power Station (who covered “Bang a Gong”) as well as all the Bowie intersections and references.

My copy, via Beverly Coin & Jewel in Beverly MA, included an ad for Marc Bolan on Video – available in VHS or Beta from Passport Music / JEM (see image below).

#1970 #1973 #1985 #BeverlyCoinJewel #BeverlyMA #MarcBolan #Reissue #TRex #TonyVisconti #vinyl #vinylcollection #vinylfinds #WarnerBrothers

The Replacements, Don’t Tell a Soul, 1989 on Sire / Reprise

This was the Replacements first album with Slim Dunlop replacing Bob Stinson on guitar. It was recorded in LA, produced by Matt Wallace and mixed by Chris Lord-Alge, purportedly in an attempt to be more radio friendly, though Westerberg said he preferred the rougher approach of other ‘mats albums.

I think it’s a wonderful album – maybe a bit more “refined” than some of the noisier stuff, but Paul Westerberg’s songwriting is top notch here: “I’ll Be You,” “Talent Show,” and “Achin’ to Be” are among my favorites.

My copy via Beverly Coin & Jewel in Beverly MA

#1989 #Alternative #BeverlyCoinJewel #BeverlyMA #BobStinson #PaulWesterberg #Reprise #Sire #SlimDunlap #TheReplacements #vinyl #vinylcollection #vinylfinds

Wham!, Make it Big, 1984 on Columbia

This was the second studio album from the duo of George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley – the first, Fantastic!, didn’t make much of an impression in the US, but this album was unavoidable in the mid-80s.

“Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” seemed to come on MTV every hour for a year. “Careless Whisper” maybe every two hours, but still pretty much something you could not get away from.

My copy via Beverly Coin & Jewelry in Beverly MA

#1980s #1984 #AndrewRidgeley #BeverlyCoinJewel #BeverlyMA #Columbia #GeorgeMIchael #vinyl #vinylcollection #vinylfinds #Wham_

Willie Dixon, Mighty Earthquake And Hurricane, 1984 on PA USA

Though one doesn’t normally think of Dixon as an eighties artist (he started putting out recordings in the late 50s) he was still making great music into the 80s before passing in 1992. He also toured behind his album well into his 60s.

The band here includes Freddie Dixon (bass), Jimmy Tillman (drums), John Watkins and Johnny B. Moore (guitar), Billy Branch (harmonica), and Lafayette Leake (piano) – what Dixon called The Chicago Blues Allstars. Recorded in Chicago at Universal Studios by Stu Walder, with Dixon producing.

PA USA, with it’s American flag logo, was actually owned by an Italian company “Produttori Associati” (Manufacturer’s Association), but put out some great jazz and blues in the 70s and 80s – but later lost a multi-million dollar lawsuit for failure to pay royalties.

My copy via Beverly Coin & Jewelry in Beverly MA

#1980s #1984 #BeverlyCoinJewel #BeverlyMA #BillyBranch #Blues #Chicago #ChicagoBluesAllstars #FreddieDixon #JimmyTillman #JohnWatkins #JohnnyBMoore #LafayetteLeake #PAUSA #vinyl #vinylcollection #vinylfinds #WillieDixon

Various Artists, A Very Special Christmas, 1987 on A&M

Long before Maria’s “All I Want For Christmas” came this wonderful compilation to benefit Special Olympics International with a whos-who of mid-late 80s artists covering holiday songs:

• The Pointer Sisters – Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
• Eurythmics – Winter Wonderland
• Whitney Houston – Do You Hear What I Hear
• Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band – Merry Christmas Baby
• The Pretenders – Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
• John Cougar Mellencamp – I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
• Sting – Gabriel’s Message
• Run-DMC – Christmas in Hollis
• U2 – Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
• Madonna – Santa Baby
• Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band – The Little Drummer Boy
• Bryan Adams – Run Rudolph Run
• Bon Jovi – Back Door Santa
• Alison Moyet – The Coventry Carol
• Stevie Nicks – Silent Night

This is holiday music I can get behind – though Christmas in Hollis does have a certain earworm quality I still love it. Artwork by Keith Haring, of course.

My copy via Beverly Coin & Jewelry. Different versions exist with black vs gold lettering on the cover, and with green/red on different side labels.

#1980s #1987 #AM #AlisonMoyet #BeverlyCoinJewel #BeverlyMA #BruceSpringsteenTheEStreetBand #BryanAdams #compilation #Eurythmics #holiday #JohnCougarMellencamp #Madonna #PointerSisters #Pretenders #RunDMC_ #StevieNicks #Sting #U2 #variousArtists #vinyl #vinylcollection #vinylfinds #WhitneyHouston

Sly & Robbie; The Sixties, Seventies + Eighties = Taxi; 1981 on Mango

Great collection of songs produced by Sly Dunbar & Robbie Shakespeare, whose production company and label were both called Taxi, released on Mango which was an Island Records subsidiary focused on Caribbean artists.

Great covers of Herbie Hancock’s “Watermelon Man” and the Lennon-McCartney “I Should Have Known Better” as well as some more traditional ska and reggae classics.

My copy via Beverly Coin & Jewelry in Beverly MA

#1980s #1981 #BeverlyCoinJewel #BeverlyMA #Mango #RobbieShakespeare #SlyAndRobbie #SlyDunbar #Taxi #vinyl #vinylcollection #vinylfinds

Sinéad O’Connor, The Lion and the Cobra, 1987 on Chrysalis / Ensign

This was Sinéad’s debut album and is still just astonishingly great. The spoken word intro in gaelic by Enya before “Never Get Old” is Psalm 91:

For He will give His angels charge over thee, To keep thee in all thy ways.

They shall bear thee upon their hands, Lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

Thou shalt tread upon the lion and asp; The young lion and the serpent shalt thou trample […]

#1980s #1987 #BeverlyCoinJewel #BeverlyMA #Chrysalis #Ensign #SinéadOConnor #vinyl #vinylcollection #vinylfinds

https://wp.me/p4tTZ-6HM

Michelle Shocked, The Texas Campfire Tapes, 1986 on Mercury / Cooking Vinyl

This was the debut album for Michelle Shocked, purportedly recorded by Cooking Vinyl founder Pete Lawrence on a Sony Walkman at an unplanned performance at the Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas. Shocked herself has called it a “bootleg” and says it was released without her permission:

My music career began as the Bootleg Poster Child. It’s such a quaint word, bootleg, conjuring images of […]

#1980s #1986 #BeverlyCoinJewel #BeverlyMA #CookingVinyl #Mercury #MichelleShocked #PeteLawrence #vinyl #vinylcollection #vinylfinds

https://wp.me/p4tTZ-6FK

Howard Jones, One to One, 1986 on Elektra

Howard Jones was one of my first concerts I saved up for and bought tickets to myself. I don’t think he was the first, but he was certainly an early one. I especially loved his early-80s output: Human’s Lib and Dream Into Action.

One to One was his third studio album – for some folks this was where he lost some luster but I think it is still a solid LP. Guests include Afrodiziak, Phil […]

#1980s #1986 #Afrodiziak #BeverlyCoinJewel #BeverlyMA #Elektra #HowardJones #NileRodgers #PhilCollins #vinyl #vinylcollection #vinylfinds

https://wp.me/p4tTZ-6yl

Tim Finn, Escapade, 1983 on A&M

Tim Finn’s better known as one of the co-founders of Split Enz, and later member of Crowded House. This was his debut album as a solo artist, originally on Mushroom records, a large indie label in Australia, but distributed in the US by A&M.

It was a #1 record in New Zealand, top ten in Australia, and top 100 in Canada – but only made it to #161 in the US charts. Vince Gill guests on […]

#1 #161 #AM #BeverlyCoinJewel #BeverlyMA #CrowdedHouse #Mushroom #SplitEnz #TimFinn #vinyl #vinylcollection #vinylfinds

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