By Pat Prince

Backstage Auction’s “Summer Classic” auction, September 17-25, will be unique for a rock ‘n’ roll auction house that typically handles consignments from only those involved in the recording industry. The sole collection for the “Summer Classic” auction is that of a private collector.

“This is the first, and likely only, exception we are making to our standard model,” says Backstage Auctions owner Jacques Van Gool. “We pretty much knew where these items in this auction came from. This is a collection that came from a private collector who has been a buyer from Backstage Auctions, literally, from the very first auction. And he never skipped a beat — every single auction we put up, he bought. So the one thing that I did know is that a lot of the things still have the original certificate of authenticity. I know where they came from, so I’m very comfortable. And items that we found that didn’t come from us, we had the signatures verified by a third party to make sure the signatures are authentic.”

He continues: “When you have an individual who has been so incredibly loyal to you, literally from the first day you been in business, you build a personal relationship with them— which is what we had. And he sadly passed away and his family did not know where to go. And we just felt — and it’s hard to put into exact words — but if he knows that we are taking care of this, then I would like to believe that that would make him happy.”

Uncle Ted's favorite Indian boots. Courtesy of Backstage Auctions

Also, this may be one of Backstage Auction’s most eclectic auctions yet. “The fact that he was so diverse and eclectic of a collector means that you’re probably going to find something from anyone who was somebody in rock ‘n’ roll. He wasn’t discriminating towards either a particular artist or a particular musical genre or a particular type of item — from ticket stubs to videos — everything you can think of. But he did have a couple favorites.”

One of those favorites is Ted Nugent. According to Van Gool, twenty-five percent of the entire collection is made up of Nugent-abilia. “There’s a tremendous amount of Ted Nugent stuff,” says Van Gool. “I mean, it’s impressive. The rarest vinyl you can think of. A CD collection that is just over-the-top. Then there’s also the personal stuff, like one of Ted’s most favorite outfits that actually used to hang in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which is a pair of his Indian boots that he used to wear for years and years. There has to be over a thousand photos where you can find Ted wearing those particular boots. And there are Gold and Platinum record awards (RIAA) that were all issued to Ted Nugent. These were his personal record awards, including one issued to his mother.”

He goes on: “One of the things I thought was so cool is that we came across a 7” of Pandora & the Males’ “Kiddie A Go Go” from 1965. We had set it aside because no one here had recognized what it was. Finally, when we started doing research on it, we found that Kiddie A Go Go (aka, Mulqueens Kiddie A Go Go) was a pre-teen dance show from 1965, Chicago — which was basically a cross between American Bandstand and the Mouseketeers. They had some pretty interesting artists on the show, but they also had their own house band which was Pandora (Elaine Mulqueen) and a backup band, The Males. And the soundtrack for the

Ted Nugent's first recording: 7" of Pandora & The Males, "Kiddie A Go Go." Courtesy of Backstage Auctions

show was “Kiddie A Go Go.” Well, Ted Nugent was the guitar player of The Males. And this little 7” is the very first recording that includes Ted Nugent. To me, something like that, is super awesome. Yeah, it’s great to have a “Double Live Gonzo” signed album hanging on your wall, and, yeah, we have that, and it’s cool to have, but then you have something like Pandora & The Males 7” from 1965 … I get excited about that kind of stuff.”

For many, it may be hard to imagine the Motor City Madman, who is about as polarizing a personality as one can ever imagine, as the guitar player for a pre-teen dance show’s house band. Whether it has to do with his opinions or his politics, controversy attaches itself easily to Ted Nugent. But Van Gool makes it clear that it isn’t his job to be the judge of such issues. “As an auctioneer we have never looked at which artist we like for their life views or their political views because it is irrelevant. You only can look at what their contributions are to the history of music, and how relevant they are to collectors. Nugent, without question, is very relevant. But I think that, as opposed to a lot of artists, there’s no denying that the world of Nugent is a little more black and white. You either really really like him or you really really don’t.”

But, as stated above, you don’t have to be a Nugent fan to be attracted to this auction. There will be plenty of other artists — over 1000 auction lots to chose from and the foundation of it is probably the vinyl record collection. “I mean, we’re talking about thousands and thousands of records here,” says Van Gool. “But what makes this so interesting is that just about every vinyl lot will include some really unusual, special releases. We found a very solid number of import vinyl — British pressings, German pressings, Japanese pressings. Then we found a significant number of broadcast vinyl. Back in the ‘70s, companies like Westwood One would make these broadcast specials, print them on vinyl and distribute them to radio stations around the nation. Westwood One had their Superstar Concert Series and those were legitimate live recordings. Westwood One also had a DJ named Mary Turner and a series called Off The Record. Mostly interviews, there are also some studio sessions and live sessions.”

Also included in this record collection is much sought after bootleg vinyl. “Usually in vinyl collections you’ll come across these releases,” says Van Gool. “They’re mostly from the ‘70s. And back in those days they would press like a 1000 copies, and yeah, you know, the audio quality is probably not the greatest but 30-40 years later these albums have become real collectible. It’s almost more fun to complete a bootleg collection of your favorite artist.”

Apart from the vinyl, it doesn’t stop there. There are hundreds of signed items, over 300 concert t-shirts (mostly officially licensed), ticket stubs, backstage passes, guitar picks, drum sticks, photos, posters, promo items, reels, CDs, DVDs and videos, books and over 1000 magazines (first assorted by artist, then by genre and then by title). There is even an entire lot of Goldmine magazines.

It may all seem a bit overwhelming but one thing’s for sure, rock ‘n’ roll collectors, this is one auction not to miss.

Go to www.backstageauctions.com to find out more.

By Susan Sliwicki

5.  $3,100 — Leaf Hound, “Growers of Mushroom,” LP. While the music may not be to everyone’s taste, this 1971 pressing of (Decca SKL-4.5094) stereo pressing seemed to hit the the right notes with eager bidders.

“Monster rare, only 500 copies in the world, and serious collectors will know just what this album represents!” the seller wrote. “This massively rare LP initially sold barely anything and therefore had a very small run and is incredibly hard to find. An astonishing album that really deserves to be in every serious ’60s/’70s record collection!

Forty-two bids were exchanged before a winner was declared for this VG+ copy. Earlier this spring, a copy sold for $4,300.

4. $3,350 — Sonny Clark, “Cool Struttin” LP. When we saw this Sonny Clark record in our Market Watch countdown earlier this spring, it sold for $2,258.12 for an EX- copy.

This clean-playing NM copy of Blue Note 1588 came from a deejay’s collection. The labels, which carry the 47 W. 63rd address, grade as VG+. The cover bears the DJ’s address stamp, but no formal grade was assigned by the seller.

Along with Clark, trumpeter Art Farmer, and alto sax player Jackie McLean appear to perform “Cool Struttin’,” “Blue Minor,” “Sippin’ at Bells” and “Deep Night.”

Thirty-two bids were exchanged before a winner was declared.

3. $3,833.33 — Billy Boy Arnold, “I Ain’t Got No Money” and “Hello Stranger,” 78. Here’s an artist and entry we don’t recall seeing on the Market Watch countdown before. Unfortunately, we won’t learn much from listings, as the seller shared precious little.

“This record is in E+ condition … like new-flexible disc … Super rare label … Recorded by RCA …” the seller wrote.

This promo-marked 78 was issued on the Cool Records label (Cool 103), which is listed on the label as a division of Co-Ben Recording Co. And, the seller wrote that this rarity was Arnold’s first record.

Eighteen bids were exchanged before a winner was declared.

2. $3,516 — John Heartsman And Circles, “Music of My Heart,” 2 LPs. While buyers do seem to appreciate original pressings of this self-released 1976 set, its value seems to be dropping over time, at least in terms of Market Watch countdowns. A VG+ copy sold for $5,500 in March 2010; two months later, a Mint-Minus copy sold for  $4,200 by May 2010. Unfortunately for this seller, this “pristine” copy featuring autographs by all the album’s major players only brought $3,516.

“These LPs are clean, glossy and perfect,” the seller wrote. “My mom was the bass player in a little-known Sacramento-based all girl rock ‘n’ roll band called Filly in the early 1970s. Filly played gigs around the area, at times with John Heartsman. Mr. Heartsman gave this copy of this album to her, a music fanatic and musician in her own right, along with autographs.”

Nine bids were exchanged before a winner was declared.

1. $3,999, Johanna Martzy, “J.S. Bach: The Unaccompanied Violin Sonatas, Vols. 1-3,” 3 LPs. This 3-LP set pressed in Great Britain in the 1950s is no stranger to our countdown, selling earlier this summer for $5,027.72 for EX+ vinyl with VG to E covers. This set of Columbia 1286-1288 posted vinyl grades of EX, VG+ and EX to EX+; its sleeves are all in a very handsome EX+ condition.

“The violin sounds clean and sharp, but there’s some light background crackling in some parts,” the seller wrote. “I think it’s very hard to get this set in a better shape … especially for such an old item of an age of about 60 years now.”

For related items that you may enjoy in our Goldmine store:

• Find out what your 45s are worth with “Goldmine Price Guide to 45 RPM Records” on CD
• And click here to check out all the latest price guides from Goldmine

Rich Rosen's "Stormy Weather" acetate

By Pat Prince

Rich Rosen, owner of Wax Trax Records in Nevada, was once called “the white god of rock ‘n’ roll music” by a record collector in Japan. Others have simply known him as “The King of Doo-wop.” Neither nickname is surprising for a man who has spent his entire life searching for the rarest records in the doo-wop genre.

Rosen has owned Wax Trax Records for over forty years, starting the business from his home in Brooklyn, New York. From Brooklyn he moved to Pennsylvania before eventually settling in Las Vegas. But his interest in record collecting goes back to his childhood. “One time I was home sick with a cold,” Rosen explains, “and I sent my father out with a list of 45s that I was looking for. Out of a list of 25, he got me four records. My father was the best and if he didn’t get it for me, something was wrong. So I said, ‘You know something? Records are going to become scarce (one day). Certain records are not going to be found.’ That’s when I decided to start collecting records, and searching for them.”

Rosen had a good ear for music, seeking out artists that many had overlooked; this is where the tag “King of Doo-wop” began to stick. “They all knew I was digging up records that nobody had picked before,” explains Rosen. “In other words, the other dealers were passing up things because they didn’t know what they were. What I would do is sit and listen.”

Rich Rosen with “Stormy Weather”

Collecting doo-wop would soon become the way Rosen earned his living. His main way of collecting would be “buying out” music publishers in New York City. He would contact music publishers in New York City and ask them if they had any old records to sell. At times, the publishers would sell Rosen all the existing “old” vinyl they had in storage. His search, of course, eventually expanded to record stores. One such search in the 1970s brought him to a record store he remembers as “Branfords” in New Jersey. It was there where he would purchase what he calls the holy grail of doo-wop, a Stormy Weather acetate disc — an item that Rosen feels can earn him over twenty-thousand dollars one day.

“I walked into this record store in New Jersey that was in a burned-out area,” says Rosen. “I asked if they had any old records. The person behind the counter said that they had a basement with a lot of old records, and no one had been down there in a long time. So they give me a miner’s cap — one with a light on it — and I climbed down. It was like a bomb shelter of sorts with a ladder going down. And I’m looking all over the place. I’m finding great jazz and Blue notes and stuff like that and then there was this stove but it was not against the wall. I wondered why and saw records were holding the stove back.”

Lo and behold, the vinyl slueth would pick up the record of his dreams. “I put my hand down there expecting to be bitten by a rat,” Rosen continues, “and I picked up a handful of records. And the top record was a 78 of “I Live True To You” by the Larks on Apollo and right underneath was the acetate of “Stormy Weather” by the Five Sharps. I was so nervous that I wet my pants because I’m saying to myself ‘How do I get out of this store with this record?’ I didn’t know what to do, so I just threw it into a box with some other albums and 45s and walked up (to the counter) and they said ‘Give me twenty bucks for the box’ and I just said ‘You got it.’”

When the crowned “King of Doo-wop” moved to Vegas about twelve years ago, he immediately became involved in the music community. He convinced the radio station KLAV 1230 AM to take him on as a doo-wop disc jockey, and ever since he has been producing a doo-wop show at 7 to 9pm every Monday night called the Street Harmony Revue. “I felt like my love for doo-wop should be shared by everybody” says Rosen, “and my radio show is considered to be one of the best doo-wop shows on the airwaves. What I do is single out the better songs, and I have a lot of unreleased stuff, from when I used to buy out the publishers in New York.” Tune in and you will get a chance to hear doo-wop’s most beloved and most obscure. Top requests on the show have been “Summertime Angel” by Intentions on Jamie Records, “Heavenly Bliss” by Classic IV on Twist Records, and “What a Night For Love” by the Notations on Wonder.

As far as still finding rare records, Rich Rosen has never given up hope that people will keep unearthing them in basements and attics everywhere. “One man recently walked in to Wax Trax with a pile of records,” Rosen says. “It contained “It’s Too Soon To Know” by the Orioles on Jubilee, “Please Remember My Heart” by the Solitaires on Old Town and about 50-60 records of that caliber. Most were not mint but there was one record that was,worth $4,000: The Encores on Checker.”

He adds, “So, you never know what’s going to walk in off the street.”

Rich Rosen’s List of The 20 Rarest Doo-Wop Records
In alphabetical order by label
• Admiral 913 / “Please Be My Love” / The Spirals
• Cameron 1 / “I’m Looking Over” / Tony Evans & Group
• Chelton Ham 1001 / “Remember Me Baby” / Billy & The Essentials
• Club 1011 / “Darling Come Back” / Patty Cordell & The Crescenets
• Comet 2147 / “Wonderful” / Stan Vincent & The Del-Satins
• Delsey 301 / “Sugar Girl” / Lenny Rocco
• Guyden 2087 / “Only Girl For Me” / Bobby Young
• Hawk 153 / “I Still Love You” / Joey & The Ovations
• Herald 569 / “Betty My Own” / Tony Maresca & The Dynamics
• Jamie 1252 / “Summertime Angel” / The Intentions
• Little 813 / “Lorraine” / Joey Dee
• Little Star 112 / “Baby” / The Quarter-Notes
• Orange East / “My Girl” / Tony Dell
• Planet 1048 / “The Wonderful Years” / Barry & The High Lights
• Stasi 1002 / “Every Road” / Anastasia
• Tropelco 1007 / “Lover’s Bells” / The Royal Boys
• UWR 900 / “Rain” / The Demolyrs
• Valley 302 / “Yo Yo Girl” / Dickie & The Debonairs
• Wonder 100 / “Chapel Doors” / The Notations
• Zooma 101 / “My Dream” / The Clee-Shays

Rich Rosen’s 20 Most Wanted Records*
• Aladdin 3449 / “Two Lovers” / The Blenders
• Bardo 529 / “Please Come Back” / The Fi-Dels
• Brooks 2000 / “Baby” / The Carribeans
• CeeBee 1062 / “Oh Why” / The Softones
• Central 2605 / “Blue & Lonely” / The Pretenders
• Chase 1600 / “Write Me” / The Remarkables
• Cyclone 5012 / “If I Could Hold Your Hand” / The Calendars
• De Besth 1124 / “I Want You” / The Five Crowns
• Gee 10 / “Blue” / The Coins
• Gone 5010 (Black) / “Lamp Light” / The Deltas
• Lessie 99 / “That’s My Girl” / De Jan & The Elgins
• Mark 146 / “Tell Me A Lie” / The Charm Kings
• Markay 108 / “Pardon Me” / The Cezannes
• Marlin 803 / “Frankie My Eyes Are On You” / Little Iris Culmer
• Moon 109 / “Crying” / The Endorsers
• Planet X 9621 / “I Want” / Henry Sawyer & The Jupiters
• Play 1002 / “I Thank Heaven” / The Tone Blenders
• Rama 215 / “My Foolish Heart” / The Joytones
• Teen 121 / “What Is Your Name Dear” / The Ebb Tides
• Tops / “Heaven Sent You” / The Concepts

*Listed in alphabetical order by label. Rosen started off collecting Doo-Wop and Ihen ventured into R&B. He still collects Doo-Wop, but it seems that most of his want list, below, is R&B, or you could say R&B oddities – things that have eluded him during his 45 years of collecting records.

Wax Trax Records is located in the Westside neighborhood of Las Vegas, Nevada. 2909 S Decatur Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89102. Owner Rich Rosen,“The King of Doo-wop,” can be contacted at (702) 362-4300 or waxtraxinc@aol.com

Goldmine reader, Wally Farkas

What do you do for a living?
I own and operate Molken Music (www.molkenmusic.com), which is a direct-to-consumer label. I manage the archives of my close friends, rock trio King’s X. I started Molken as an avenue to get archival releases such as important live shows, demos, etc. into the hands of their hardcore fans that want more than what is commercially available, so I sift through tapes, find the gems, and then do necessary post-production audio clean-up, get artwork made, product manufactured, and then sell and ship direct to the fans through the website.

I also now have a few titles of newly recorded music, namely the last few solo releases from King’s X guitarist, Ty Tabor, and also will be releasing a new Jelly Jam album later this year, featuring Tabor on guitar, John Myung (Dream Theater) on bass, and Rod Morgenstein (Dixie Dregs) on drums. We’re also selling Tres Mts. through a joint distribution deal with the Pearl Jam camp, which is a side project featuring Jeff Ament and Mike McCready (Pearl Jam), dUg Pinnick (King’s X) and Richard Stuverud (The Fastbacks).

What are your passions besides collecting records?
Writing, recording and producing music. I used to be the guitarist for a band originating from Houston known as Galactic Cowboys. I’m currently working on a solo album (aptly titled Past Due) that I’m trying to get out there later this year. Thus far, I have some help from one of my former bandmates, Alan Doss, as well as from the King’s X guys. Gene Parsons of The Byrds also contributed some great pedal steel playing which I’m very excited about too. Big Star bassist Andy Hummel was going to come down and play on a track but, sadly, he passed away last summer before he could do it.

How did you get into music collecting?
I was obsessed with music before I could walk or talk. As a kid, I was never into toys, only records. I have a sister who is twelve years older than me; she always had music blaring from her bedroom, so I was exposed to everything from Black Sabbath to Barbra Streisand. We lived about an hour north of Houston in an area that was quite rural at the time so records weren’t always easy to come across. However, I was able to find records at drugstores, garage sales and, believe it or not, gas stations.

I got my own copy of Led Zeppelin II on LP in 1972 when I was three years old and the collection took off from there. I also vividly remember getting Paul Simon’s There Goes Rhymin’ Simon LP for Christmas in 1973. I instantly became obsessed with “all things records” – not just the music but even the record label designs all the way down to things like how those old album covers even smelled!

What’s your record-collecting motto/philosophy?
Well, I have two. The first is that if you find a record that you cannot live without, get it and eat noodles for a week if you have to. Hunger is fleeting; records are forever.

Secondly, just because a newly-pressed LP is “carefully cut from the original masters” and on 180 or 200 gram vinyl does not necessarily mean that it is going to sound awesome. For a while I really got into all of these vinyl reissues of classic albums, but after I got a large handful of LPs that could not sonically hold a candle to an original pressing, I had to stop and ask myself, “Why am I wasting money on albums that I already have at home that sound much better?” I have been quite pleased with the consistency of the “From the Capitol Vaults” series and 4 Men with Beards pressings as well as many of the Warner/Rhino RTI pressings but many of the other label reissue campaigns have been extremely “hit or miss,” in my opinion. Oftentimes you can find a much better sounding original pressing of a classic album at a thrift shop for fifty cents than spending $25+ on a new, 180/200 gram pressing.

What is the focus on for your collection (genre, band, era, etc.)?
I have somewhere around 10,000 LPs, 1,000 45s, and several thousand CDs, so it’s a rather varied and eclectic collection. The majority of LPs are original-press pop and rock from the ‘60’s and ‘70’s though I also have some earlier and more recent. There’s loads of Beatles, Zeppelin, The Who, Stones etc. I also have a lot of old blues, soul, country, folk, classical, and jazz… some cool Miles stuff, like an original, mono “6 eye” Kind of Blue, Impulse! Coltranes, early ‘60’s Ornette Coleman on the black Atlantic label, some great Blue Notes, quite a bit of avant-garde stuff like Sun Ra and many BYG/Actuel releases.

What’s the No. 1 item on your want list right now, and why? How long have you been seeking it?
I have my eye on a first pressing of ZZ Top’s First Album (London Records, 1971) still in original shrink. I’ve been looking for nothing short of NM of this one for several years. Those original covers were very thick but barely had a spine, so it’s almost impossible to find one that doesn’t have any seam splits, dirt smudges, or some dude’s name scribbled all over it. Nowadays, that album is overlooked in their catalog but it’s my favorite. I wore out many a copy while learning to play the guitar.

What is your most-prized item (both in dollar value and sentimental value)?
Regarding commercial value, it would definitely have to be one of my guitars…probably the 1975 Les Paul Standard. Sentimentally…it’s a tie between my autographed copies of Jeff Beck’s Blow By Blow and Wired and also an old Atlantic German press of Allman Bros. At Fillmore East that sounds totally different than the pink US Capricorns. They both utilize the same mix but the German pressing (which I presume is the same as a UK) uses a much different master.

If money and availability were of no concern, what one item (either a record or memorabilia) would you choose to add to your collection, and why?
Now, that’s a tough question. I would LOVE to have a session acetate of Neil Young’s Tonight’s the Night. That album is raw and a mess, in the best way possible. I think it’s his greatest and I would love to hear the originally prepared version that wasn’t released….with the talking between tracks and different songs/running order, etc. Hopefully it will see the light of day on his next archival box but I wish for a proper, stand-alone release of it.

What is your method of collecting? Where do you usually find the best bargains?
I have most of my favorite albums on original US pressings and duplicates of many of them. I mainly focus on finding copies in better condition so I’m constantly upgrading. I would also like to further expand into more original or early pressings from the UK; I’ve discovered that so many of them sound amazing and also quite different. If I am patient, I can still find some great deals on eBay. I just scored an impressive copy of Dr. John Gris Gris on Atlantic (UK). It’s not a plum label nor from ’68, but rather a standard red/green Atlantic, pressed in ’72. It sounds fuller and clearer than any US Atco pressing.