What is the oddest way you have acquired a record?

My very first album: I was living overseas with my family in the early 1960s when I encountered a group of U.S. Marines playing frisbee with some albums. A copy of the Everly Brothers' greatest hits landed near me, and I asked them if I could keep it. There was no cover and it was scratched from the abuse it had, but it still played on my record player (although I probably needed to place a coin on the tonearm). It was a treasured item for a kid like me.

And, as someone else mentioned, some ebay sellers use other records for packing. I once received an album that I had purchased, and the seller included an original mono copy of Pet Sounds for packing material. It was probably in VG condition and played without skips, so I listed it on ebay. I think it sold for $12.

 

No, it was taking place west of Worcester MA, too...

 

"I got some candy."
"I got an apple."
"I got a rock ... a rocking album!"

 

In 6th grade I won a spelling bee and my reward was a 1967 promo record that Trini Lopez cut for Fresca.

Oh, and this was in 1976.

Perhaps one of our teachers was cleaning out their record collection.

I really took a liking to "The Blizzard Song"!

 

What th...!?

I have this 45 in my collection (for some reason):

 

A buddy of mine from New England about 30 years ago put a small ad in a local community newspaper saying he was looking for "local records from the 60's", no other information. Someone responded and sold him two original mint copies of the Lazy Smoke and a nearmint copy of the Ones on Ashwood House. I couldn't believe it when I saw them. I think he said he only paid about $50 for the three. The three are worth close to $5000 now. All from a small dinky ad in a local paper. Unbelievable.

 

This reminds me of how I got my first Led Zeppelin record, when I was about 9 years old: during some family party where the booze was flowing liberally, one of my cousins and I were going through a much older (like, 19 or so) cousin's record collection and playing whatever seemed cool. We had the lights on low and when we slapped on side three of Physical Graffiti, the intro to "In the Light" creeped us out so much that we turned out the lights and just listened in silence. This wasn't Kiss or even Meat Loaf, man. I got so into that music that I had to have it immediately, so I pulled together the meager funds I had on hand, marched downstairs and offered to buy it off my cousin then and there. Well he was several sheets to the wind and essentially said "hey, just take it, man!" So I did! Years later I wondered if he ever wondered what happened to his album.

 

I once had to intervene in a fight between Method Man and RZA...got my ass kicked pretty badly and all I got for my efforts was a copy of something called "Once Upon a Time in Shaolin"...I really don't like that kind of music so I threw it in the trash...maybe someone will find it and appreciate it someday...

 

Yeah, I remember that one. I had it as well. I was a huge Mad Magazine fan at the time.

 

A Jill Jones 12”

 

Mine was just a lower middle class swim club. Don’t be too jealous.

 

...not so odd how I got it - but odd that I got it (and odd that I played it as often as I did).


In the mid-60s, my dad worked in vinyl formulations (including for records).

He received the 45 below [Plastic] - promotionally - in connection with this work.

He brought it home and I ended up with it.


The only other records I had at age six were I'M A BELIEVER/(I'm Not Your) STEPPIN' STONE and PENNY LANE/STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER.

So this disc was added to my "rotation". It's truly horrible.


The record remained in our house:

My brother is seven years younger than me. He got this record.

My other brother is ten years younger than me. He got this record.

All of us share this dreadful early musical memory.



Serendipity Singers - Plastic
The Serendepity Singers - Plastic (Philips).

The flip side (equally bad - possibly worse - but it's difficult to compare)

Serendipity Singers - When Peaches Grow on Lilac Trees

 

Black Thumb may have gotten the better deal with the '67 Winter of Love.

I've heard that Trini really makes The Blizzard Song his own! (...but you can sing - and dance - along with Mitch)

Same backing track?

 

This is gonna sound boring compared to most of these fantastic stories.

Tracking down items that can only be found overseas, I would have to say. Very fun and adventurous. I've ordered albums from, of course, England, but also France, Denmark, and a few more. Black Moon Circle albums could only be found in Denmark (if memory serves, may have been another Scandanavian country). First time I did it I was a bit nervous, but went off without a hitch. So yeah, that's kinda fun.

 

Betting on a Stanley Cup playoffs hockey series.

 

When I saw Tommy Keene play in the mid 90's he tossed copies of his "Places That Are Gone" ep into the crowd at the end of the show. I snagged one and got him to sign it.

 

Apparently they originally gave them away if you bought a case of Fresca. I wonder if there were any other artists who made one.

 

Not the same backing track, no. Trini's sounds like a cross between "La Bamba" and "Cherry Cherry".

Mitch's sounds like a cigarette commercial.

 

I was at the dump and some guy was taking albums and throwing them like frisbees into the fire. I told him I'd give him 5 bucks sight unseen for what he had. Within those albums were MEET THE BEATLES on the original Capital label and THE CHIPMUNKS SING THE BEATLES.

 

WAY better than the promo I got. [SEE ABOVE]


Battle of the Blizzards:

Trini Lopez - The Blizzard Song - FRESCA (1967 Promo)

 

Battle of the Blizzards:

The Blizzard Song by Mitch Miller Orchestra (1966)

 

...and the Blizzard lives on:

Fresca 2010 feat. Trini Lopez (the blizzard mix)

 

I won an album by The Cult from a radio station.

 

You'd think they'd give ya a scholarship - but at least you didn't get Mitch.

 

One time my sister-in-law was looking at a house that was for sale and she asked me to come along to have a look. The house was completely empty except for a good sized collection of Christmas albums in the corner. Being a huge Christmas music fan, I decided to help the realtor by clearing them out of the house.

Another way was more creative than odd, but years and years ago there was a record store in town that had a box by the door that was for hopelessly beat up records, and it was full most of the time. I would go there and collect the records from the box, and then go across town to another record store where they would take absolutely any used records, regardless of condition, for store credit. This was about 1983, so I acquired brand new copies Asia "Alpha", Heart "Passionworks" and others this way.