February Meeting (Work Day)

We don’t have an official meeting this month. Instead you’re invited to Fred’s house on the 20th at noon for a social. Don’t be late or you’ll miss lunch! Please think of those ten songs you want played.

BTW we may do a little work preparing for our CD & Record Show.

Is Recorded Music Whale Blubber?

Most of you are familiar with Brian Eno. Here’s an interesting quote from Brian’s interview with The Guardian (U.K.) "I think records were just a little bubble through time and those who made a living from them for a while were lucky. There is no reason why anyone should have made so much money from selling records except that everything was right for this period of time. I always knew it would run out sooner or later. It couldn't last, and now it's running out. I don't particularly care that it is and like the way things are going. The record age was just a blip. It was a bit like if you had a source of whale blubber in the 1840s and it could be used as fuel. Before gas came along, if you traded in whale blubber, you were the richest man on Earth. Then gas came along and you'd be stuck with your whale blubber. Sorry mate – history's moving along. Recorded music equals whale blubber. Eventually, something else will replace it." The full article.

Should we change our name to The Alabama Whale Blubber Collectors?

Vinyl Rarity - Bobby Keys

What do Dion's Runaround Sue and the Stones' Brown Sugar have in common? Saxman Bobby Keys, who, in addition to having a standing gig with the Rolling Stones for the past 40 years, has shared stages and studios with everyone from Barbra Streisand to Lynyrd Skynyrd. It started at age 14, touring with fellow Texan Buddy Holly. That's Bobby you hear on the baritone sax on Elvis Presley's Return to Sender. He joined the Stones about the same time as Mick Taylor with the Let It Bleed album. In the Stones' 1972 concert movie, politely known as CS Blues, you can see Bobby and Keith throwing a television set from a hotel window.

But for all his sessions and tours for other artists, Bobby Keys has only two solo LPs, one of which is the subject of this, the first Vinyl Rarity offering in the ARCA blog. The all instrumental LP was released in 1972 on Warner Brothers in the UK only. Titled as simply Bobby Keys, it featured, uncredited, Jack Bruce, Jim Gordon, George Harrison, Nicky Hopkins, Dave Mason, Felix Pappalardi, Jim Price, Ringo Starr, Klaus Voormann, Eric Clapton and Leslie West. If you happen across this one, snatch it up quickly. There is no US pressing, no CD release, and you'll pay $100-$200 IF you can find one online. Watch for more Vinyl Rarities served up semi-regularly on the ARCA blog.

January Meeting

Our next meeting is January 17th. Jay Michaels, currently a DJ with WZZK in Birmingham will be speaking to us. Jay has been in the radio business for many years. Some of us also remember him as the drummer with the Townsmen. Visitors are always welcome at our meetings! We meet at the Homewood Library, located at 1721 Oxmoor Road, near Homewood Park. Our meetings are in Room 110 in the lower level (social starts at 2 P.M. and official meeting at 3 P.M.).