“As far as I can remember, my first souvenir was from the cover of Gainsbourg’s Love On The Beat—a portrait of him, smoking a thin cigarette, slightly transvestite, but as always, in a very elegant manner! As a child, I used to sing “Harley David Son of a Bitch” all the time, like it was something to be very proud of.”
My parents also had a wonderful collection of old soul records, like “Here Comes The Judge” from Shorty Long, records from Little Stevie Wonder, the first Marvin Gaye’s, etc…
Records have that special presence, they demand attention and you can tell from their shape and size that they are priceless, just like a great painting. You have to take care of them. I collect special editions of the records I love, like the White Album’s first edition with a number stamped on it. That is something I’m very proud of!
I’m not a vinyl DJ so I don’t own thousands of them, but I still buy some that have interesting covers. For instance DAF’s Alles Ist Gut cover is very representative of the music it contains; the sweat, the simplicity and Robert Görl’s posture is just perfect. Sometimes a wary look tells it all!
Sometimes I even like a vinyl as an object; I don’t even know the music. Just like a photo exposed in an art gallery, it can have enough stature to make you dream, make you laugh, to frighten you, to inspire you.”
—Claude Violante
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Enter to win Claude Violante’s 12″ “For You” on blue vinyl by simply telling us the most prized record in your collection. Claude’s pretty keen on her copy of the White Album with the first pressing serial number—how about you? We’ll give you a week for this one and choose a winner with a North American mailing address next Tuesday, 6/12.
