Bruce Cockburn, The Trouble With Normal, 1983 on True North

Cockburn’s 13th (I think) studio album, as he transitioned from old school folkie into new wave / alternative with more electric guitar and synthesizers but carrying forward the same politics and attitude. (“The trouble with normal is that it always gets worse”).

True North was an independent Canadian label founded by Bernie Finkelstein (who gets management credit but not producer credit on this LP) but was distributed by CBS/Columbia.

My copy, via Beatnick Records in Montréal Québec, is a CBS Records Canada pressing on True North labels via Don Mills ON, and came with a dual-language lyrics sheet in English and French.

Sarah Vaughan, Duke Ellington: Song Book One, 1980 on Pablo Today

First of two records of Sarah Vaughan doing Duke Ellington songs recorded in 1979 and released in 1980 (there is a Song Book Two, also released in 1980). Produced by Norman Granz, and engineered by Val Valentin and Bob Simpson.

Supporting artists include Waymon Reed (trumpet), J. J. Johnson (trombone), Frank Foster (tenor sax), Frank Wess (flute, tenor sax), Zoot Sims (tenor sax), Jimmy Rowles & Mike Wofford (piano), Joe Pass & Bucky Pizzarelli (guitar), Andy Simpkins (bass), and Grady Tate (drums), with Billy Byers arranging and conducting.

Pablo Today was a sub-label that started in 1979 and focused on “non-mainstream jazz” – not sure what that means but I’ve had great luck picking up Pablo records in general.

My copy, via Beatnick Records in Montréal Québec, is an original 1980 US pressing. with “Manufactured by Pablo Records” rim text.

Lou Rawls, The Best From Lou Rawls, 1976 on Capitol

2xLP collection of previously released Lou Rawls tracks I picked up during a trip to Montreal last year. What a fantastic set of songs – I think Lou Rawls is underestimated as a singer and vocal stylist across the 60s and 70s.

My copy, via Beatnick Records (Disques Beatnick) in Montréal Québec, is a Canadian pressing (manufactured by Capitol Records-EMI of Canada Limited).

Weird Al Yankovic, Dare To Be Stupid, 1985 on Scotti Bros.

This was the third studio LP from Weird Al, produced by Rick Derringer. Mixture of paradoes and “style parodies” which don’t copy specific songs but a generalized look and feel – like “Dare to be Stupid” which is in the style of Devo.

Apparently he approached Prince about doing a parody of “When Doves Cry” but Prince refused. (Yankovic could do these without permission but prefers to only do them with the participation of the originating artist). I do wish Prince had consented.

My copy, via Beatnick Records in Montréal Québec, is a Canadian pressing (Don Mills Ontario plant) manufactured and distributed by CBS Records Canada Ltd / CBS Disques Canada Ltée.

Peterson 6, The Oscar Peterson Big 6 at the Montreux Jazz Festival 1975, 1975 on Pablo

Titled as The Oscar Peterson Big 6, this is Peterson with Milt Jackson, Joe Pass, Toots Thielemans, Louis Bellson, and Niels Pederson – produced by Norman Granz, and recorded at the Montreux Jazz festival on July 16th, 1975.

My copy—via Fin Du Vinyle in Montréal Québec—is a Canadian pressing (Made in Canada by RCA Limited from master recordings owned or controlled by RCA Records).

Mose Allison, Middle Class White Boy, 1982 on Elektra Musician

First of two Mose Allison LPs out on Elektra Musician (the other was Lessons in Living) and (per the jacket notes) the 19th Mose Allison album. Allison plays Yamaha electric piano as well as traditional acoustic piano.

Allison is supported by Joe Farrell (tenor sax, flute), Phil Upchurch (guitar), Putter Smith (bass), John Dentz (drums), and Ron Powell (congas, percussion). Produced by Esmond Edwards.

My copy—via La Fin Du Vinyle in Montréal Québec—is a Canadian Cinram pressing (CR on label, Mfd and Distributed by WEA Music of Canada Ltd).

Mose Allison, Lessons in Living, 1983 on Elektra Musician

Recorded live at the Montreux Jazz Festival July 21st, 1982 with Jack Bruce (bass), Billy Cobham (drums), Lou Donaldson (alto sax), and Eric Gale (guitar) joining Allison.

Elektra Musician was a jazz oriented subsidiary of Elektra/Asylum, and started in 1982 – it was absorbed into Nonesuch in 1994.

My copy—via Aux 33 Tours in Montréal QC—is a Speciality pressing with a promo stamp and printed promotional use label.

#1980s #1982 #1983 #Aux33Tours #BillyCobham #Elektra #ElektraMusician #EricGale #JackBruce #LouDonaldson #MontrealQC #Montreux #MontreuxJazzFestival #MoseAllison #vinyl #vinylcollection #vinylfinds

SVT, Extended Play, 1980 on 415 Records

San Francisco / Bay Area new wave / rock band including Jack Casady and (my former colleague) Nick Buck (from Hot Tuna) with Brian Marnell and Paul Zahl (who replaced founding drummer Bill Gibson, who went on to be in Huey Lewis and the News).

This was out of print for a long time but was reissued on CD in 2005, and a reissue of all of SVT’s work (“Always Comes Back – The Authorized Recordings”) was recently reissued in 2020 on Liberation Hall.

My copy via Aux 33 Tours in Montréal Québec. A bit surprised (but happy) to find a rare-ish Bay Area record in francophone Canada. I’ve since scored a second copy locally as well at the Record Exchange in Salem.

#1980 #1980s #415Records #Aux33Tours #BrianMarnell #JackCasady #MontrealQC #NickBuck #RecordExchange #SanFrancisco #SVT #vinyl #vinylcollection #vinylfinds

Edith Piaf, Pleins Feux Sur Edith Piaf, 1973(?) on Philips

Not entirely sure on the year of release here, but “Pleins Feux Sur” (which translates as “spotlight on”) is a series of early 70s Canada releases on Philips. You can see some of the other releases in the series (“egalement disponible dans la même série”) in the gatefold.

My copy via Cheap Thrills in Montréal, Québec. I was concerned about some of the sun damage on the cover (it was originally all one consistent yellow) but it is in pretty good shape – some light edge warp but nothing that makes it unplayable.

#CheapThrills #EdithPiaf #Francophone #MontrealQC #Philips #Series #vinyl #vinylcollection #vinylfinds

M. Ward, Migration Stories, 2020 on Anti-.

Tenth studio LP from Portland OR’s M. Ward, released on 2020 as his first on Anti-. (Think of Spring came out at the end of 2020; Migration Stories in April).

Produced by Craig Silvey in Montreal with contributions by Richard Reed Parry and Tim Kingsbury of Arcade Fire (and others). There is a “migration story” here somewhere, based in M. Ward’s grandfather’s journey to the US, but it’s not super literal.

My copy, which I got from the merch table at an M. Ward show in Rockport MA, is on “coke bottle clear” vinyl. Ironically it required multiple rounds of cleaning to get clear sound from it – I should have held out for a black vinyl version. (But it sounds good now).

#2020s #anti_ #ArcadeFire #CraigSilvey #MWard #MontrealQC #RichardReedParry #vinyl #vinylcollection #vinylfinds