Mr. Zerr0’s Favorite Vinyl Records
Dr. Rox Remember When? Article #92-FR for WDGY
Sep -2018 By: RLSchwinden
So recently I was interviewed I was interviewed by ” Vinyl Times Magazine” New York 10165, about my 2 favorite Vinyl Record Covers. As I was talking to David of “Vinyl Times”, it got me to thinking about a film that could have been written about my life “High Fidelity” (2000 Touchstone), where the Star “DJ Rob Gordon” continues to talk about his “Top 5” everything …so I decided to create a list of my Top 15 Vinyl Records. Please Note: the USA virtually stopped all Vinyl Production in Dec 1987, as most customer purchased Cassettes or CDs at that time in history, so this list will contain nothing after 1987 even though there was some great music put on CD only after 1987, 99% of it was not released on Vinyl.
- Monkees: “1st LP” 1966 – Colgems
According to my Father & my Mom I was a fan of the TV show very early on, as it aired about the same time as “Batman” did in 1966. I have met the Monkees, many times. My 3 favorite tracks: “Last Train To Clarksville” “Saturday’s Child” & “Sweet Young Thing”
- Beatles: “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” 1967 -Capitol
My Uncle Jeff, (who was acquaintances of Tommy R. Bolin) lived with us for awhile in 1971, he brought with him, his record collection, which included this gem. One of the very few perfect LPs. My 3 favorite tracks: “Fixing A Hole” “Sgt. Pepper’s” & “Within You, Without You”
- Mama’s And Papa’s: “Farewell To The First Golden Era” 1967 -Dunhill
My Mom & I lived her friend Carol in late ’68 she bought this LP, one of the few I ever remember her buying, she played it all the time, I remember watching the Christmas tree lights and hearing this album, over and over. My 3 favorite tracks: “12:30 young girls are coming to the canyon” “California Dreamin” & “Monday Monday”
- Jimi Hendrix: “Smash Hits” 1969 -Reprise
I think my Uncle Jeff had this LP too. I do distinctly remember seeing it somewhere in my young childhood. The cover was great the music even greater. My 3 favorite tracks: “All Along The Watchtower” “Purple Haze” & “Foxy Lady”
- Steppenwolf: “7” 1970 -Dunhill
My Dad had a ’68 white VW Beetle with an 8-Track player & a whopping 3 tapes, this was one of them, he played it everywhere we went. Another perfect LP. My 3 favorite tracks: “Foggy Mental Breakdown” “Hippo Stomp” & “Renegade”
- Partridge Family: “Sound Magazine” 1971 -Bell
This was when I was at the right age to watch this show on TV. My Aunt Cathy was a huge fan so I got to hear her play these records. this one was one of my favorites. I did meet Cassidy in 1992. My 3 favorite tracks: “Summer Days” “Rainmaker” “I’m On My Way Back Home”
- Osmond Bros. “Crazy Horses” 1972 -MGM
My Uncle John was the Drummer in a band “Freedom Of Wild Water II” in the band he sang a song of this LP. I gave it a listen and it became one of my favorites, my copy is autographed by all 5 bothers. My 3 favorite tracks are: “Hold Her Tight” “Life Is Hard Enough Without Goodbyes” & “Hey Mr. Taxi”
- Black Sabbath: “Vol. 4” 1972
My Uncle John’s 1st wife loaned me this LP, summer of ’78, it changed my life, another perfect album. I was the singer in a “Black Sabbath Tribute” band. My 3 favorite tracks: “Supernaut’ “Snowblind” & “Wheels Of Confusion”
- New York Dolls: “1st LP” 1973 -Mercury
In the early 80s I wanted our band have a look which was a variation of KISS, this was shortly before “Motley Crue” our Guitar Player Eric D. told me “Here, try this” and handed me this LP. I was Blown Away … This was in fact the look I was searching for. The music had the attitude I wanted also. I have met Johansen & Sylvain from the band. My 3 favorite tracks: “Jet Boy” “Private World” & “Lonely Planet Boy”
- KISS: “Hotter Than Hell” 1974 -Casablanca
I had heard KISS on the radio I was not impressed until my neighbor Jimmy played the song “Flaming Youth” for me, I was hooked. My friend Greg A. gave me this LP for my Bday since then this has been my favorite of their albums, so much so I am in a KISS Tribute band (KISSin Time MPLS) focusing on this album & time period. Of course I have met these guys. My 3 favorite tracks: “Got To Choose” “Parasite” & “Strange Ways”
- Tommy Bolin: “Private Eyes” 1976 -Columbia
Being from Sioux City, Iowa, birth place of Tommy, everyone I knew had this LP, I can remember anytime I walked into our local recordshop “Uncle John” “Bustin Out For Rosie” would inevitably be playing, so how can I not love this album. I have been working on a book on Bolin for many years; someday I will finish it up. My 3 favorite tracks: “Hello Again” “Post Toastee” & “Sweet Burgundy”
- Aerosmith: “Rocks” 1976 -Columbia
I had heard this band at school & a church dance, I thought they were pretty good, this was next next new release form them, so I bought it. I think it’s the best of their albums; I met Kramer & Tyler sometime ago. My 3 favorite tracks: “Lick And A Promise” “Back In The Saddle” & “Sick As A Dog”
- Journey “Infinity” 1978 -Columbia
When I lived in Mississippi Van Halen & Journey performed a concert there my friend Greg gave me a cassette with “Infinity” on one side & “Van Halen 1” on the other. This 4th LP from Journey is another perfect album, I met Rolie & Dunbar from this lineup. My 3 favorite tracks: “Opened The Door” “Winds Of March” & “Feeling That Way”
- Cheap Trick: “All Shook Up” 1980 –Epic
My last year of school one of my best friends Brett R. was a huge fan and played this new release for me, I knew their older material, and I was not impressed, but I loved this Album. I have met all of the band members from this lineup. My 3 favorite tracks “Love Comes A Tumblin Down” “Stop This Game” & “I Love You Honey But I Hate Your Friends”
- Thin Lizzy: “Thunder And Lightning” 1983 -Warner Bros.
I was already a fan of Thin Lizzy from ’76, but while I was on tour with “High Fever” in the mid-west (somewhere in South Dakota), they released this perfect LP. My 3 favorite tracks: “Bad Habits” “Sun Goes Down” & “Holy War”
- Hanoi Rocks: “2 Steps From The Move” 1984 -CBS
About the same time Eric D. gave me the “New York Dolls” record, he informed me of this band from Finland. They had an updated look and sound, I met Monroe & Yaffa who signed my copy of this album. This perfect LP was their last release. My 3 favorite tracks: “I Can’ Get It” “Underwater World” & Cutting Corners”
*Vinyl Albums Came to an END in Dec 1987 so I will NOT List Anything After 1987 on this particular list.
It is worth noting I have played songs off of every single one of these albums on my weekly WDGY Radio (Radio) Show “Mr. Zero’s PsychoGello Vinyl Radio Show”. I was talking with someone the other day about my radio show, and I had to bring it their attention that the Sound Exchange- FCC rule states “A Terrestrial Radio Station may not play more than 2 songs by a single artist in a 1 hour period, without receiving a substantial fine” so the beauty of my radio show is I have a Producer (Keith Johnson: Ground Breakers: 4-17) that allows me to do a 1/2 hour show on one artist – band each week. I have done over 63 shows so far for WDGY (and 7 for KFAI). I would like to explain how the idea for my show started, it was all the way back in Summer 1992 in Des Moines, Iowa, I went down to KIOA to interview local legend Dic Youngs, while talking with him I presented the idea of doing a 1 hour radio on the 60s Pop-Duo “Boyce & Hart” Dic replied “Do you have a producer? Do you have a sponsor? If not, then you cannot, and you can thank Dick Clark, for getting busted back in April 1960 for taking “Payola” and the end result creating the FCC rule in 1962, ‘No more than 2 songs per artist per 1 hour’ So unless you get a producer there’s no way you can do this type of Radio Show”.
I would like to also mention the title of my show came from a combination of 2 “Monkees” TV show Episodes #52 & #58. In episode #52 “Mr. Zero” ran the pawn shop where Peter Tork sold his soul to play the harp. And in episode #58 Mike Nesmith uses the term “Psychojello” to make fun of the current “Psychedelic Hippy Movement” in April 2017 Keith Johnson approached me to create a “Vinyl Radio” show for his program block “Ground Breakers” on WDGY. So I booked some time at “Wishing Star Studios” in St. Paul and created a 30 min Demo of my Show idea on “The Monkees” (it was the quickest show I could slap together in the shortest amount of time). The idea is 1 song from each of the albums in the order of their release, by a single artist, doing the best we can with the time constraints. I turned it in to Keith and he gave me the green light. My first show aired in June 2017 and we have aired 61 episodes so far, you can hear all of the past episode at www.MrZeroS.Com -Podcast, and check out upcoming info on the “fb” page “Mr. Zero’s Music history Show” also you can read about the artists we cover here at “RosevillePatch.Com” and www.MrZeroS.Com -Blog over 90 articles are available.
Here’s a list of the Artists from the Mr. Zero’s PsychoGello Radio Show (since Jun 2017):
Monkees, KISS (x2), Tommy Bolin (x2), Nilsson, George Harrison, Boyce & Hart (x2), BYRDS, YES (x2), Bad Company, New York Dolls (x2), Black Sabbath,Buddy Miles, Thin Lizzy, Journey (x2), Partridge Family, Little Richard, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Xmas Show, T-Rex, Michael Nesmith, Mamas & Papas,Queen (x2), David Bowie, Black Oak Arkansas, Cheap Trick, AC/DC, ABBA, Stevie Wonder, Ringo Starr, U2, Jimi Hendrix, Everly Bros. RUSH, Badfinger, Gypsy (x2), Underbeats, Four Tops, Steppenwolf, Aerosmith, Linda Ronstadt, Trashmen, Deep Purple, 60s R&B, Kinks, Peter Tork, James Brown, Derek St. Holmes, Osmond Bros, Temptations, Bay City Rollers, Bangles, Rascals, Emerson, Lake, Palmer, ACE Frehley, Yardbirds, 60s Mod Show, Mississippi Blues Show, Hanoi Rocks, Dave Clark 5, (Please Note: there Is NO: Led Zeppelin or Pink Floyd or Guns N Roses).
So tune and check it out, if you want to hear some different music from some familiar artists or bands; you may think you already know.
Same time next week … Sunday’s 10:30am on WDGY.
I am MrZerr0 and this was my show.
Mr. Zero’s
*Est. 2009
1744 Lexington Ave. N.
Roseville, MN. 55113
www.MrZeroS.Com
Steppenwolf
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