Over 8,000,000 DRM-Free Songs!

11-23-09 “Over 8,000,000 DRM-Free Songs!”

I was recently sent an email by amazon.co.uk offering me a bunch of cheap-ish CD titles for Xmas. At the bottom of the email was the offer to visit their “download shop” – with over 8,000,000 DRM-free Songs!

Let’s see…8,000,000 songs – that’s a boat-load! If I do even a small breakdown of my collection…approx. 4,000 x 7” singles (2 songs per) = approx. 8,000 DRM-Free songs, approx. 1,500 x 12” singles (3 songs per) = approx. 4,500 DRM-Free songs…rounding it off (some have more, some less – and the doubles, triples, boxed sets etc) – approx. 7,000 x CD’s (12 tracks per) = approx. 84,000 DRM-Free songs, approx. 7,000 x LP’s (10 tracks per) = 70,000 DRM-Free songs. Guess I’m a long way off of Amazon.co.uk with my measly 162,500 DRM-Free songs!

I still buy records & CD’s in stores in Los Angeles – availability! I’m going to do it as long as I can! I can discover new music without having to worry about DRM or computer virus things! I just pay the guy and put the records in Mr. Suzuki!

I went to Record Surplus a few Sundays ago – and I came out with an infinite vista of possibilities from the upstairs ‘$1 room’:

CARAVELLI – GRAND PRIX, COLUMBIA JPN LP test pressing; with a Jacques Dutronc EZ hit version of “Les Playboys”

CARAVELLI – MICHELLE A LA CARAVELLI, COLUMBIA JPN LP test pressing; Beatles EZ hit covers!

DELON, ALAIN / JEAN PAUL BELMONDO – s/t, SEVEN SEAS JPN LP test pressing; looks to be an LP of themes from movies they were both starring in, circa ’67/’68

ELGART, LES & LARRY – GIRL WATCHERS, COLUMBIA US LP no, not the O’Kaysions song, but a Teo Macero-produced LP with a beautiful ‘mod art’ cover! (see the scan!)

HOLLYRIDGE STRINGS – ELVIS PRESLEY, TOSHIBA JPN LP test pressing; this one didn’t have a title on it, being a test pressing, but it’s all Elvis songs, done in typical EZ hit style

LETTERMEN – PUT YOUR HEAD ON MY SHOULDER, TOSHIBA JPN LP red vinyl; the innersleeve offers Toshiba Japan pressings of “Sgt. Peppers” and “A Collection of Oldies But Goldies”!

LOVICH, LENE – FLEX, STIFF JPN LP test pressing; a bit out of date to the other Japanese test pressings I found; her 2^nd album – no hits!

NAZZARO, GIANNI – s/t, CGD JPN LP test pressing; Italian male vocalist; no rock & roll here, folks!

NEW TRIO LOS PANCHOS, LOS – QUE NO TE CUENTEN CUENTOS, COLUMBIA JPN LP test pressing; in stereo, guess that’s why it’s “New”

O.S.T. – UN HOMME ET UNE FEMME, KING JPN LP test pressing; avec Pierre Barouh

ORIGINAL FINNISH JENKA DANCE BAND – LET'S LETKISS! JENKA!, COLUMBIA JPN LP test pressing; Mute Beat covered the ‘Jenka’ song on their debut cassette!

POPP, ANDRE – MY WAY MUSIC, FESTIVAL JPN LP test pressing, the “Love Is Blue” album, circa ’67

THREE BRASS BUTTONS – BRASS IN THE NIGHT, DERAM UK LP Tony Osbourne; in the series of Deramic Sound System albums that include The Moody Blues “Days Of Future Passed”!

URBAN DANCE SQUAD – MENTAL FLOSS FOR THE GLOBE, ARISTA US LP NL ’90

V.A. – CHANSONS NOUVELLES, LES Vol. 2, BARCLAY JPN LP test pressing; circa ’67

V.A. – ESSENTIAL FOLK BLUES – 1, COLUMBIA JPN LP test pressing; Lightning Hopkins, Ray Charles etc.

V.A. – GORGEOUS FOLK SONG ALBUM, MGM JPN LP test pressing; Sheb Wooley etc.

VALENTE, CATERINA – BEST OF, LONDON JPN LP test pressing; “Tintarella Di Luna” – sung in Japanese!

VARTAN, SYLVIE – s/t, RCA FR 2LP looks to be a double LP of a TV special from the early 70’s ($2 because it was a double album) I don’t recognize any of the songs!

YAMAYA, K. / TOKYO UNION ORCHESTRA – MODERN JAZZ SCREEN MOODS, COLUMBIA JPN LP test pressing; subtitled “Sounds For Spies and Secret Agent Men” – too bad this test pressing doesn’t have a cover! Great big band jazz cover versions of all the spy movies of the late 60’s!

Followed by…

BRAND X – LIVESTOCK, CHARISMA UK LP Britsh pressing

BUCKNER & GARCIA – PAC-MAN FEVER, COLUMBIA US LP a whole LP of this!

BYRD, CHARLIE – CHRISTMAS CAROLS FOR SOLO GUITAR, COLUMBIA US LP Xmas

HARA, NOBUO / SHARPS & FLATS – SANTA CLAUS IS COMIN' TO TOWN, CBS/SONY JPN LP Xmas ’69

ITCHY FINGERS – QUARK, VIRGIN VE US LP with Stanley Unwin

JAVANESE GAMELAN MUSIC – JASMINE ISLE, NONESUCH US LP in the same series as “Golden Rain”

NORIS, GUNTER – TOP-HITS FOR DANCING 2, ARIOLA DE LP more EZ hits

STEVENS, SHAKIN' – MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE, EPIC UK 12” W/PS Xmas

TWIS WOOD-WINDS QUINTET / AMATI STRING – HOME CHRISTMAS DELUXE, COLUMBIA JPN LP Xmas

V.A. – CHRISTMAS DELUXE, CBS JPN LP Xmas

That’s right, Japanese 60’s Xmas compilations! Try downloading that!