Peel slowly and see (how much you spent)
typed for your pleasure on 9 December 2006, at 6.26 pmSdtrk: ‘Mr Alphabet’ by The glove
*does excessively dramatic Danny Thomas-style spittake* HOLY
Insanely Rare Velvet Underground LP on eBay for $19K
Pitchfork | 12-01-06
Got a little extra cash from mowing lawns this summer? Or from, say, a massive inheritance, a game show victory, or the child labor racket? If not, you may as well stop reading now, because the following is directed solely at the fiscally well-endowed.
The interweb, as it’s known to do, has been positively buzzing today with reports of an online auction for an insanely, absurdly, preposterously, unfathomably, overwrought-modifier-of-your- choosing-ly rare slab of test-pressed acetate from the one and only Velvet Revolver.
Oh wait, scratch that– the one and only Velvet Underground. Seems that while in NYC’s Chelsea hood in September 2002, a serendipitous young man from Montreal stumbled across an original 1966 test-pressing of an early version of The Velvet Underground & Nico, featuring alternative takes and mixes of nine of the uber-classic’s ramshackle jams.
“ARGUABLY THE RAREST & MOST IMPORTANT ROCK ‘N’ ROLL AND POP-ART ARTIFACT IN THE WORLD”, as the auctioneer subtly puts it, the record has been listed on eBay for the world to bid upon. It’s believed to be the only one of its kind in existence, part of the storied Lost Scepter Studio Recordings, and an unparalleled snapshot of the VU during its infancy.
Best of all, our little Chelsea crate-digger bought this thing for 75 cents. It’s a captivating tale of dumb luck and triumph in the face of– er, mostly dumb luck, and you may read about it in the auction listing here.
As of press time, the record’s going for a cool $19,000, and the auction ends December 8 around dinnertime (central)– so if you don’t want some chump bidder named “emoscreamo” to get his/her grubby hands on the most precious piece of plastic since Barbra Streisand’s fifth nose, best pony up.
Apparently, some bloke named ‘mechadaddy’ (heh) walked away with the acetate, having paid a finance-destroying price of $155,401 USD. That’s impressive, by its sheer fanatical monomania alone.
That individual had better see about remastering it for a Cd version, as I’m sure I’m not the only one that’s really really curious to hear the alternate versions of ‘Venus in furs’, ‘Femme fatale’, and all the others. But egad — for that much dosh, that LP better come with the ghosts of Nico and Sterling Morrison
Random similar posts, for more timewasting:
La mediocre vita / The Return of the Fender Jaguars on February 9th, 2008
18 May 1980 on May 18th, 2007
December 13th, 2006 at 5.35 pm
First of all, congrats on getting the new BlogSpace together!
Secondly, I am dying to hear this nugget! The VU’s first LP was one of my first buys, I believe I got it in May of 1967. I remember playing it on my parent’s cabinet-record player (‘cos it was much superior to my player-in-a-suitcase dealie), and having Mom listen in :-O
Yes, I’m sure that she was VERY pleased in hearing “Heroin” coming out of her speakers, let alone enthusastically-listened to by her li’l boy LOL
I actually ruined my first copy by actually peeling the banana sticker off *cries*. later on I replaced it though with a fresh copy (cost me $25 tho’). Meedless to say, the sticker stayed stuck 😛
SO! I assume then you have the “Velvet Underground” box set then? 5 CDs of bliss! PLUS, a great version of Nico’s “Chelsea Girls” that you must hear 🙂
Anyway, hoping for the other shoe to drop, namely a release of this new find!
Cheers,
PBS, Lily, & Eden
December 16th, 2006 at 3.59 pm
Hey PBS and les femmes –
Good to see you could make it! And double-glad to see that you lot dig the new layout and etc! It’s a labour of love. At times, it was rather like being in labour, but that’s neither here nor there. 🙂
I remember first hearing ‘The Velvet underground and Nico’ round ’92 – ’93; my best friend Sean and I were in a band with this individual named Adam, and he had a copy of the LP on vinyl. Adam was surprised that I was a Warhol fan
aticthat had never heard VU, so he taped me a copy. Unfortunately, he just threw a tape in, hit Record, and walked away, so until I bought a Cd copy years later, I hadn’t heard the entire album, as the tape stopped midway through ‘Heroin’. Man. *shakes head*Unfortunately, I haven’t yet picked up that box set — yes, I know, it’s been out for years — but to be honest, I’ve only just started listening to the Doug Yule-years of VU. It was hard enough for me to come to grips with Nico leaving…
And you peeled off the banana sticker?? Well, were I your age, I would’ve done the same, so that’s not a surprise. 🙂
$155k for an acetate, though? That’s a bit much. But then, I want to purchase the Merzbox (avg. retail price, $500 USD), so who’s to go by me. 🙂
December 18th, 2006 at 6.29 am
Yeah, ouch. That’s a LOT of money… I quit overspending on music years ago, mainly ‘cos I couldn’t afford it 😛
Music junkie, I yam. Main reason i bought the first VU album was because of Warhol’s name, plus it was on Verve label, which was pretty offbeat at the time. Nico’s pic on the cover didn’t do no harm either LOL!
And once I peeled the corner of the sticker (slowly, of course!) I had to stifle a nauseus urge, ‘cos knowing Warhol, there was NO telling what disgusting pink thing was under the banana! Well, of course I had to see 😛
A frickin’ pink banana LOL
Warhol, go figure!
Anyway, I do suggest the box set; you’ll be full to the brim after that is done!
Cheers all 🙂
PBS & the etcs