What is the 'crown jewel' of your music collection

Probably my Dap-Kings 45's which were kindly signed by the late, great Sharon Jones

 

After almost 30 years, my music collection itself is the crown jewel.

 

A late 1966 Mono UK Export copy of The Rolling Stones LP entitled:

Have You Seen Your Mother Live?
Same track listing as US LP called Got Live If You Want it but likely only a couple of 100 pressed.

I have seen completed sales of 2 stock copies and 2 demo copies only.
Both stock copies sold for $3000AUD.

 

Autographed to me (with a photo taken by a friend documenting the occasion):

NM DCC "Aqualung" LP cover... signed by Ian Anderson

In second place, autographed to me "Strange Days" cover... signed by Robby Krieger


These could likely only be eclipsed if I ever got an authenticated John Lennon autograph.

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Probably Emmylou Harris's 6 CD set - SongBird, Rare Takes & Forgotten Gems - complete with informative book.

 

The Beatles. Blue Box. Bought used but all records nice n minty.

 

You're lucky. Once seen cannot be unseen.

 

I've owned the Beatles mono CD set twice. 3 times if you count a Chinese knockoff set. Owned the stereo set several times too. Also owned the 2 Capitol CD box sets. Also owned the 1987-88 Beatles CD set. Now all I own is 1 CD (2017 Sgt.Pepper), which was a gift, so I will hold on to it. I'm an iTunes guy, so no more CDs for me.

My "crown jewel" is the original UK Beatles LPs, EPs & Singles safely tucked away in the 2102 stereo LP black box. Sold those 2012 LPs too.....

 

Same

 

Maybe it's my copy of Steve Hackett's box set "Premonitions: Charisma Recordings 1975-83" signed by Mr. Hackett. It's certainly the largest box set I own. (10 CDs + 4 DVDs)

Or it could be my CD of "The Master and the Musician" with the original cover signed by Phil Keaggy. When I presented it to him to sign, he was surprised to see one of the original releases. That concert holds very special memories for me, it was exactly what I needed to bring me out of a very dark place, so that CD, and the interaction with Mr. Keaggy means a lot to me personally.

Or the first pressing vinyl of Badfinger's "Wish You Were Here" found at a garage sale for $1. The cover is now kind of beat up, but the record is VG+.

The colored vinyl issues of the Beatles white, red and blue albums - DMM versions from Germany - are also contenders. Oh yeah, at the same garage sale where I found that Badfinger LP, I also picked up a UK import of A Collection Of Beatles Oldies on Parlophone that I think might be a first pressing. Regardless, it's one of the best sounding Beatles records I own.

 

The Beatles original UK mono LPs. No doubts

 

I have four that, while easy to find on CD now now, I had to work hard to track down in the late 80's and early 90's... combing through the tiny print in copies of Goldmine, placing bids via snail mail or by phone and relentless music store searches...
1. Jason and the Nashville
Scorchers 7" Reckless Country Soul EP on Praxis. Near Mint.
2. The Blasters original American Music LP on Rolling Rock in VG
3. Lonnie Mack The Wham of That Memphis Man on Fraternity I bought from a record dealer in 1992 that was still sealed !
4. Gene Vincent Be Bop A Lu La b/w Woman Love on 78. It's framed under glass, but I still take it out and play it from time to time.
Like I said, all easily found now but pre-internet it took a lot of work to find these things and I treasure them as much for the memories and passion it took to track them down as I do for the incredible pieces of music they are.

 

Nothing amazing, but standouts might include (for their sentimental value more than monetary):

CDs
Rush 'atomics'
Eloy on Electrola
Scorpions - Blackout (W. Germany Polygram)
Scorpions - Blackout ('atomic' disc with no printing on it)
Stevie Nicks - pristine 'targets' of Bella Donna and The Wild Heart
a Japanese Yessongs that's the best-sounding I have heard
This Mortal Coil - a disc of 'originals' they covered, and a disc of early singles
Abba - a couple of discs of B-sides and rarities
The Cure - a custom disc of early live recordings
a split Emperor/Enslaved disc
everything by Harmonium
some nice Rush soundboard recordings from the '80s
some very nice early Visage discs
Los Jaivas - Alturas de Machu Picchu
The Cure - 1985 European tour soundboard recording
Berlin - an 'atomic' Love Life
Soft Sounds for Gentle People series
The Music of Cosmos (original BMG/RCA disc)
various 'black triangles', 'Vertigo swirls', early Japanese discs, etc.

LPs
some nice RCA Bowie
Dismal Euphony - Soria Moria Slott
Eloy - Performance (clear vinyl)
The Cure - Happily Ever After
Enslaved - Frost (early pressing)
Rush - various early Holland pressings
Pink Floyd - Live at Pompeii (colored vinyl)
A Drop in the Gray - Certain Sculptures
Los Jaivas - Alturas de Machu Picchu
Le Orme - Felona e Sorona
a few Capitol 'rainbow' Pink Floyds
Simple Minds - New Gold Dream (colored vinyl)
lots of nice K-Tel compilations from the late '70s and '80s

...a lot of early European imported releases of favorite recordings.

 

Yes I bought that when it first came out...with the too short d.v.d....I still love this set!classy packaging!!!

 

A bunch of CD’s and LP’s would qualify, but two really stand out: of these two items that are my most treasured, one is worthless (in any commercial sense), but the other is “worth” a decent amount - although both are priceless to me:

1. The empty sleeve of my first childhood record, a 1970’s Peter Pan Records LP entitled Monster Mash with George Peed cover art. The record is long gone, and the sleeve is pretty trashed, but this copy was my very first album.

2. An autograph album from the late 1940’s containing signatures of Hank Williams, Miss Audrey, and most of the Drifting Cowboys, all on separate pages, along with many other performers from that era, most C&W. After seeking a genuine Hank autograph for years, and once getting burned with a fake, to me this was a real milestone. I don’t handle it much, but sometimes I like to look at it and think - Hank touched that book! It’s a weird & awesome feeling.

 

UK Decca Export Only Issue
Rolling Stones Mono LP late 1966
Have You Seen Your Mother, Live?

Almost without any question the rarest UK Decca manufactured Rolling Stones LP.

I have seen 2 copies on popsike sold for $3000 AUD (similar to the test pressings)

Also a German forum member has stated it took him approximately 40 years to track one down.

I lucked in getting mine for $40 AUD.

 

really tough call here for me, as i hunt for the obscure and unique. Guess i will say its my John Webb Bass , Deep down in the Sea. because it has US Patent and GB Patent numbers stamped in the run out matrix, 1956 . close seconds would be either my Marvin Gaye "whats going on" original gatefold or my one of a kind Europa record that was pressed in Hawaii in 1979. 3 others i bought just for the investment Madonna Immaculate collection Blue and Gold Vinyl, The Buggels Age of Plastic transparent Vinyl, or Santana Abraxas

as far as what i listen to often or the most.Probably my Neil Young Harvest , ZZ Top Deguello, or Anita Baker Rapture

 

Blues for Allah Kevin Gray Audio Fidelity lp

 

I've got a Canadian first pressing 45 of Beatles 'Love Me Do' from 1963. Got a lot of stuff but most would be replaceable and means little to me now. Only the stuff that is irreplaceable is important to me now. Like all the reel to reel off the board tapes from a band I did sound for from 1968-1974. Can't replace that.

 

One of many favorites
Shiny Toy Guns-We Are Pilots Variations
V1
V2
V3 Digi, +2x12 gatefold
Waiting Alone Promo cd

 

I found a sealed mono version of that at a yard sale recently!

 

Sealed Neil Young bootleg from 1971

 

Santana "Welcome" (Japan cd) signed by Carlos Santana.

 

This one is the most personal and prized record I own it also helps that the Artist has a nice back story.

I grew up in Ashtabula, a small town in NE Ohio. Driving down main street it was difficult to miss the sign for "Queenie's Lounge." Though my friends and I did more than our share of partying (late 70's early 80's) "Queenie's" was never a place we frequented. Years later (late 90's) I stopped in and found the atmosphere to my liking as there was a jukebox loaded with R&B, Soul and Blues and a pool table. It also helped that Queenie was a sweet and strikingly good looking woman. Things soon changed in my life and my visits ended. Fast forward probably ten years or more to when I started buying records again. I am "searching" Ebay for 45's and I see one by Marie "Queenie" Lyons. How many "Queenie" Lyons' can there be right? Turns out it is the Queenie from Ashtabula. After some google searches I discover the story is that this "mysterious" Artist made this one and only album that showed promise and then disappeared from the music scene never to be heard from again. It struck me that I could grow up in this small town and had never heard the story. At this point, probably eight years ago, I only visit family in Ashtabula from time to time as I live in Rochester now. I buy a reissue of the album and on my next trip stop in to re-introduce myself to Queenie. As usual she is gracious and agrees to sign the record cover for me. As we started to talk about music and records her face brightens and we have a wonderful conversation. She performed with James Brown and Bobby Womack among others and it was JB who helped facilitate the cutting of her album at King. There is an article she showed me that talked about her being the first female lead to perform at some hot NYC nightspot and that the Beatles had been in the audience on one occasion. In addition to the lp there are some singles of hers as well. The original album and all but one of her singles are difficult to find and fetch a good price when I see them available on Ebay or Discogs. I feel fortunate to have finally bid enough to get the WLP pictured above. I also have several of her singles including one she cut under the name of Shelley Shoop & The Shakers. She still operates "Queenie's Lounge" and she is still the same sweet woman I have always known her to be though she has suffered some personal tragedy in her life, including recently losing her brother in a train accident as he was taking a "shortcut" home from her birthday celebration. I still enjoy my infrequent visits and yes she still has a wonderful selection on the jukebox and the pool table.