Archives for category: Records

I’m back! New auction list and rare Swedish Hifi Test records

May 20, 2014 //
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It really has been a while since, but now I’m back. This first post is just a brief one to let you know that I have a few classical records out on eBay, there are a few violin records with Leonod Kogan, among other’s this double Lp where Kogan plays Bach’s sonatas.:

 

Leonid Kogan plays Bach Sonatas

Leonid Kogan plays Bach Sonatas

 

I have also a few iconic British quality pressings such as Stravinsky’s Symphony in Three Movements. conducted by Klemperer:

 

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And on the real Audiophile side there is a few gems, why not get a copy of the TAS-list classic Carmina Burana on MFSL, conducted by André Previn:

MFSL Carmina Burana Carl Orff TAS Previn

MFSL Carmina Burana Carl Orff TAS Previn

I got hold on a few hifi test records earlier and am now offering you a few, such as this coveted Ortofon test record:

 

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And on the Swedish eBay site TRADERA, i list a few other Hifi Test records, among these a Swedish Kenwood Hifi test record I have never seen:

 

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Carbon Anti Static record

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Carbon Anti Static Record

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So why do you not head to my lists and get yourself an audiophile catch!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Categories Classical, News, Records

New top line classical records out on eBay!

September 12, 2013 //
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I have now over 200 great items on eBay many of them really minty top notch classical stereo records from the early sixtier (SAX, SXL, ASD etc)!

Go there and have a look!

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Categories Classical, News, Records

Kjell Öhman plays Thomas keyboard Commercial for Thomas – rarely ever seen!

March 21, 2013 //
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$60

It is now time for the first single on the blog, and a really rare one at that. The well reknown keyboardist Kjell Öhman with quite a few easy listening minor classics under his belt, especially the sought after Misturada. This, however, is something completely unique. Four instrumental songs, first three unaccompanied soloing and the fourth with drums by Roger Palm, of ABBA fame. Palm was one of the elite session drummers in Sweden during the seventies.

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This is a truly fascinating release. Year is unknown (please get in touch if you have have information). Kjell Öhman is hired by Svenska Piano, Malmsjö,  Arvika who is the best known Swedish piano maker internationally. Their line of keyboards, Thomas elorglar, is showcased by Öhman who plays four songs, each with a different keyboard from Thomas, ranging in price from the cheapest (SEK2500) to the most expensive (SEK19500) the latter would be about a year’s pay for the average worker in the early seventies.

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The four songs he plays are What a Wonderful World, by Weis/Douglas, and made famous by Louis Armstrong. After that he moves to a Swedish great, Evert Taube and his Min älskling/Stockholmsmelodi.

 

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On the second side Öhman plays the Petula Clark hit Call Me, by Tony Hatch and ends the EP with the marvellous I Left My Heart in San Francisco, by George Cory with lyrics by Douglass Cross and is, as most of you know, Tony Bennett’s iconic song. But my favorite recording of this gem must be Bobby Womack’s bluesy soul version.

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The single is in really great shape, the record is EX! The cover is a little wobbly, but still a great, presentable VG+ copy.

 

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Categories Easy Listening, Records

Star Wars – Zubin Mehta Decca SXL 6885

March 19, 2013 //
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$50

This is a gem that is going under most audiophiles’ radar. A really great album that should head right into all TAS-lists and all other audiophile lists everywhere! John Williams scores have never been as sublimely beautiful! This is also a strangely rare record in this press. The US London press is very common but this UK Decca SXL press is very hard to find indeed!

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Space Age cover!

Obviously trying to exploit the extreme interest for space drama, following Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounter of the Third Kind and – obviously – George Lucas 1977 smash Star Wars Decca enlisted Zubin Mehta and his Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra to record a collection of the most lush and entertaining pieces from the movie and accompany this with an extended theme arrangement from “Close Encounter of the Third Kind”.

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Star Wars, Close Encounter of the Third Degree and everything else which is Spacey and hip in 1977

The Star Wars Suite consists of the Main Title, Leias Theme, The Third Movement (The Little People), Cantina Band and lastly on side 2, The Fifth Movement (The Throne Room and the End Title). The B-side continues with the Close Encounters piece.

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Really top audiophile pressing! Wonderful dynamics!

The cover is a fantastic space-agey design which both showcase the space geography and signals action with implied laser weapons and other cool exhibits!

For a second opinion you can read this review of the CD version which includes Holst The Planets as well (Can you see the pattern?) but this says nothing of the audiophile qualities of the vinyl of course.

The record is a beautiful EX+ copy with barely no trace at all of playing – stunning audio! The cover has some very slight seamwear and a hint of ringwear, but is at least very strong and presentable VG+!

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Categories Classical, Records

Monica Zetterlund – Ohh! Monica! Top Vocal Jazz from 1965

March 19, 2013 //
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$200

This album by legendary singer Monica Zetterlund, who passed away six years ago, only 67,  may not be as iconic or famous as the previous “Waltz for Debby” from the year before. But I do hold this LP at least one notch higher. And the cover! What more could you wish for on a front cover?

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Monica Zetterlund, standing firmly in great 60’s outfit on this gorgeous cover!

All the tracks on the album are sung in Swedish, although several are translated from other languages. This is almost the perfect vocal jazz album – top songs, top lyrics (for those of us that understands Swedish), top musicians and – of course – pitch perfect singing delivered with a creative panache and suave which is completely inimitable! On the first side there are 6 marvellous songs. The first one is a waltz called Farfars vals (Grandpa’s waltz) written by the legendary jazz composer Lasse Färnlöf (The Chameleon among others) with lyrics by Beppe Wolgers. The second song is a Swedish version of Joao Gilberto’s Chega de Saudade, called Siv Larssons dagbok with the Swedish lyrics by great comedian and intellectual Tage Danielsson, with whom Monica Zetterlund cooperated in many shows. Konstigt (Strange) follows by Torbjörn Lundquist and lyrics by Wolgers again. After that it is time for the absolutely stunning Swedish version of Bill Evans’s Waltz for Debby, called Monicas vals (Monica’s Waltz) with absolutely gorgeous lyrics by Wolgers. En dag i augusti (One Day in August) comes after that by Swedish female schlager composer Britt Lindeborg. The A-side ends with yet another jazzy waltz, this one called Vilsevalsen (“being lost-waltz”) by great bassist/composer Georg Riedel and Wolgers.

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Great record with great songs! All Swedish lyrics for the connoisseur

The B-side starts off with a Swedish classic, a poem by Nils Ferlin, melody by Lillebror Söderlundh, called En valsmelodi (A Waltz Melody) and continues with Jag tror på dej (I Believe in You), a Swedish version of Frank Loesser’s song from his musical How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying. The next song is another Lundquist/Wolgers cooperation, När jag vaknar (When I Wake up). Vart tar vinet vägen (Where goes the Wine?) by Riedel/Wolgers follows with another Lundquist/Wolgers original after that, Spela för mej (Play for me). The record’s last song is one of the most covetet Swedish jazz songs of all time, Jan Johansson’s Visa från Utanmyra (Song from Utanmyra).

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Original Philips pressing from 1965, highly sought after!

The Philips Studio Orchestra playing on this album is the very best of Scandinavian jazz musicians at the time, which then very much was the European elite, including Staffan Abeleen, Egil Johansen, Rune Gustafsson, Jan Johansson, Lars Färnlöf , Georg Riedel and several others!

The cover is beautiful in every sense, only minor wear on the spine brings it from EX to VG+, really beautiful! The record has been lovingly played several times and has marks and lines here and there. There is some background noise and slight crackles in between tracks but still a very enjoyable VG copy.

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Categories Records, Vocal Jazz

Mats Rondin Solo Cello 1985 Acoustica Extremely Rare

March 18, 2013 //
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$250

This is an absolutely wonderful album to launch this blog with! Mats Rondin debuted as a recording artist with this lp in 1985 on the audiophile label Acoustica. Only around 300 copies were ever pressed, and no reissue on vinyl. So here we have the potent mixture of a highly regarded, sought after musical masterpiece and a extremely small supply of it world wide!

Mats Rondin plays solo cello; Bach, Britten and Ingvar Lindholm. On Audiophile Swedish label Acoustic.

Mats Rondin plays solo cello; Bach, Britten and Ingvar Lindholm. On Audiophile Swedish label Acoustic.

Mats plays in a little chapel in Dalarna, Sweden, and thus gets the most warm acoustic you will ever experience. The A-side is all Johann Sebastian Bach. Mats interprets Bach’s Suit no 6 for Solo Violin Cello in D Minor. Goose bumps! On the other side, Rondin plays the under-appricieated Swedish composer Ingvar Lindholm’s Fantasia Supra Laudi and after that ends with Benjamin Britten’s Second Suite for Cello. Wow!

Mats Rondin plays solo cello; Bach, Britten and Ingvar Lindholm. On Audiophile Swedish label Acoustic.

Beautiful condition on this rare audiophile record!

The condition of this album is absolutely stunning! It is played, but maybe one or two times, so the record is between EX+ and M-! And the gorgeous gatefold cover has hardly any wear at all, only the faintest of corner wear, a beautiful EX+ cover if you ever saw one!

Mats Rondin plays solo cello; Bach, Britten and Ingvar Lindholm. On Audiophile Swedish label Acoustic.

One of the very few recordings of an Ingvar Lindholm composition.

I hold Mats Rondin as highly as the best there is, including Enrico Mainardi, Andre Levy, Janos Starker, Pierre Fournier and Daniil Shafran. But it is up to you to decide this by your own.

Mats Rondin plays solo cello; Bach, Britten and Ingvar Lindholm. On Audiophile Swedish label Acoustic.

The very seldom seen Swedish audiophile label Acoustic

So, all of you solo cello lovers! This is a very rare gem, coveted by the connoisseurs around the world and highly sought after. If you would like it in your own collection, do not hesitate to contact me even if it would be sorely missed on my shelf.

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Categories Records, Strings of all kinds