Above is the first article ever written about Bob Dylan; a rave review in the New York Times by music critic Robert Shelton, written a mere 7 months after Dylan arrived in New York (and only 3 months after the young Bob Zimmerman began calling himself “Bob Dylan.”) According to Clinton Heylin’s excellent “A Life […]
Last week my good friend in London, Bill Allerton (left), emailed to tell me that me that sometime next April he and Bill Forsyth would be closing their legendary side-by-side London record shops, Stand Out and Minus Zero. In a follow up phone call, Bill told me the toll of “running a counter service shop” […]
I’m a huge fan of Traffic, Blind Faith and Cream; but I must admit, I haven’t followed Steve Winwood or Eric Clapton’s solo work for a long time. But a year or so ago a friend gave me a copy of the DVD from the Crossroads Guitar Festival (2007), and the Clapton/Winwood Blind Faith semi-reunion […]
Some experiences just leave you shaking your head in confusion. Meeting Nico was one of those. 32 years later, I still can’t quite make sense of it. Here’s the story. December 1977. Sitting in my L.A. apartment late one night, reading BAM (Bay Area Music, the free music newspaper,) I came upon an ad I […]
I love those rare opportunities when I can showcase something that I’ve never seen nor knew existed—and this poster is exactly that. If you take the time to click on the art and can decipher it, you’ll see it’s a poster for the Million Volt Light and Sound Rave, an electronic music and light festival […]
Friday, April 12, 1963 was a very important date for the then 22 year old Bob Dylan. For on that night, Dylan played New York’s Town Hall—his first-ever concert as a headliner. Prior to that night, Dylan had only headlined in small clubs and at the 200 seat Carnegie Recital Hall, where he drew fewer […]
Here’s a particularly nice signed John Coltrane album, that I found on Ebay tonight, minimum bid $1000. Looks great, eh ? Very similar to other authentic Coltrane signatures and inscriptions I’ve seen. Just as messy and dashed-off as the other Coltrane autographs out there, don’t you think ? Only one problem. And it’s a big […]
During these challenging economic times, I thought I’d remind everyone that we’re actively looking for high-end music collectibles and rare vinyl in excellent condition. For the right material, we can pay well–so if you’ve got anything you’re thinking of selling, please do let us know. You can reach us at:recordmecca@earthlink.net . Visit our rare record […]
Though I’ve been collecting records and memorabilia since 1971, I still can’t wait for the mailman (or Fedex) to arrive on days when I’m expecting something new and groovy. This was very much the case a few days ago, when this most amazing handbill arrived. It advertises a January 8, 1968 concert by the Jimi […]
Here’s a weird story. My friend Gary Greenberg (who has a great blog about his collecting exploits called Garyrocks) contacted me last week about something he’d found on Ebay. Since I just settled a contentious lawsuit (see below) I’m going to be circumspect in telling this story, but the short version is that Gary had […]
Anyone with an email account knows about the online scams and rip-offs that proliferate on the internet. And as most colletors know, there is no shortage of fake autographs and memorabilia being offered online, on Ebay and elsewhere. As earlier posts about my lawsuit against Peter McKenzie (re: Bob Dylan memorabilia he sold me) illustrate, […]
(double click to enlarge) As readers of this blog know, I’ve got a ton of respect for the late Ralph J. Gleason, the legendary music critic from the San Francisco Chronicle and co-founder of Rolling Stone magazine. Gleason was an early supporter and friend of Bob Dylan’s. But here’s Gleason’s column from the December 30, […]
As readers of this blog and followers of the Bob Dylan collecting scene may know, in November 2007 I filed a lawsuit in the New York Supreme Court against Peter McKenzie, accusing him of fraud, breach of contract and unjust enrichment. The suit came about because of questions about the authenticity of some signed and […]
Those who know me know I’m obsessed with documenting the authenticity of the items I collect and sell. Every week I spend countless hours on the phone, internet, and speaking to people in person to make sure EVERYTHING I offer for sale is absolutely genuine. And then I guarantee everything to be authentic with no […]
Forgive the terrible pun, but here is a truly “Killer Queen” collectible–a handwritten letter sent by the Queen frontman Freddie Mercury to Elektra Records founder Jac Holzman, the legendary music executive who signed Queen. As you may know, Queen is one of the most collectible groups in the world. And any artifact related to Freddie […]
A great day indeed–the lead in the Associated Press story said it all: NEW YORK – Thanks to Bob Dylan, rock ‘n’ roll has finally broken through the Pulitzer wall. Dylan, the most acclaimed and influential songwriter of the past half century, who more than anyone brought rock from the streets to the lecture hall, […]