I recently got the chance to talk with Robert Croydon, one of the founders of EIL-Esprit, a well known UK-based purveyor of rare records, memorabilia and older vinyl pressings that, while not necessarily “rare,” are often hard to come by in pristine condition. I thought readers might appreciate the insights of a long-established dealer: Q: You’ve been in business since 1987- that seems to coincide with the death of vinyl as a mainstream audio medium. Can you tell us a little about how the business started? And what was the core inventory at the outset? I... Read More
Cleaning Vinyl Records- My Personal Odyssey
My current approach to record cleaning grew from the casual use of a basic vacuum record cleaning machine (a VPI) to more studied efforts to improve the sound quality of older vinyl records that suffered from various forms of contamination. See Record Cleaning- An Introduction. I was cognizant of basic “good practices,” including those described by the U.S. Library of Congress website, which is a reasonable starting place, see Cleaning and Archival Standards of Care. But, in many ways, my more recent experience went beyond these basic practices. An Oversimplified History of... Read More
A Sidebar: Black Sabbath on Vertigo
Any discussion of the Vertigo Swirl label would be incomplete without some mention of the early Black Sabbath albums since they are, from today’s vantage point, probably the best known band to have signed with the label and are often the entry point for many who are buying Vertigo Swirls today. Sabbath’s first four albums, including Paranoid and Master of Reality, were first issued on Vertigo in the UK and a number of other countries (but notably, not the United States, where the band had signed to Warner Bros.). For those venturing into the sometimes deep... Read More
Patto- self-titled-Vertigo Swirl
This band was never on my radar until I started to dig into the Vertigo Swirl catalog. They recorded two albums on Vertigo, both of which were produced by Muff Winwood. The first, self-titled album is a strong rocker with a front and center vocalist, Mike Patto, and stunning guitar work by Ollie Halsall, who brought a vibraphonist’s touch and sensibility to his stringed instrument playing. The tracks don’t necessarily light up listening to them over a digital stream but the vinyl can be marvelous. And, there is a relative bargain to be had here. Unlike many of the Vertigo Swirls... Read More
May Blitz-self titled Vertigo Swirl
I’m going to bite the bullet here and suggest that there are few records that can put a guitar power trio into the room with the immediacy of the second track on side one, entitled “I Don’t Know.” This was power rock at its best, and the guitar work is only part of the story; the band was held together by Tony Newman, a well-known drummer who went on to work with Jeff Beck and a long list of name-brand talent. I think the original UK Vertigo is the one to buy, and you may find one on the cheaper side of expensive if you are willing to suffer a tatty cover, a missing... Read More
Cressida- self titled Vertigo Swirl
I never thought of myself as a fan of “progressive” music, although I certainly listened to some of the bands (Crimson, Tull and early ELP, along with YES and a few others, back in the day) . More than 40 years later, the concept seems dated, and the term seems to apply to a range of music that didn’t fit neatly into one easy to define genre. At its best, it reflected music that followed an almost “classical” form, but drew from jazz, pop and more contemporary influences, including the use of Mellotron, synthesizers and other keyboard instruments, along with... Read More
A Conversation with Olav Wyper – Creator of the Vertigo Swirl Records
Vertigo Records, in the era of the ‘Vertigo Swirl,’ is legendary- from its unique ‘swirl’ label, to its eclectic mix of artists, strong musical talent and extremely high production values, to the ‘art’ of the album jackets and the clever album packaging. My introduction to the label came late-this UK label carried the work of some famed artists, like Black Sabbath, but so many of its records- and some of the most desirable ones in my estimation, musically, were recorded by bands like Cressida, May Blitz, Patto, Affinity and Gracious, which are hardly household names. Even fewer... Read More
From the Editor
Mel Brooks was once asked what the hardest part was to film making: “Punching all those little holes on the sides,” was his answer. Putting a fresh round of material together for this site is easier and more fun than you’d imagine, but it requires time (and some hole punching). Although my original intention was to do constant updates to the content here, I’m now on pace to publish at more leisurely intervals with periodic updates in between. The latest issue features: an interview with Olav Wyper, the creator of Vertigo Records. This label fascinates me for a variety of... Read More
Sir Doug and the Genuine Texas Cosmic Groove
Doug Sahm is one of those unheralded musicians whose public recognition is generally based on a few old pop hits, but whose range of talent mixed Beatle-esque tunefulness with Tex-Mex sensibility. He was a child when he played with Hank Williams, Sr. and did the rhythm and blues circuit in the 1950’s. As the Sir Douglas Quintet, he joined the British Invasion to chart with “She’s About a Mover,” with a band that was more south of the border than Liverpool and later, struck again with the hit “Mendocino.” You’ve probably heard these songs at some point in your life, but Sahm... Read More
Forgotten and Worth Finding
__________________________________ SPIRIT TWELVE DREAMS OF DR. SARDONICUS, Epic E 30267 or KE 30267 (yellow or orange ‘target’ label) A time capsule of brilliant psychedelia, short tuneful tracks, including “Nature’s Way” and “StreetWorm” featuring Randy California. California, so nicknamed by Jimi Hendrix, was invited by Hendrix to travel to England to start a new band. Randy’s mom nixed that plan (Randy was only 15 at the time). Hendrix formed the Experience, and the rest is history. California formed Spirit with his stepfather, Ed... Read More