Hello mates,
Please welcome DB, an English expert who drinks tea all day and is a little crazy about the Stones and Drum and Bass music.
I visited his lovely brownstone apartment in Park Slope, Brooklyn, and for a moment, I could imagine my future home in NY. The house was spacious, drenched with sunlight, and covered with modern art and collectibles from around the world. A humble desk space with lots of records around it.
DB digging for 45s with his favorite artwork.
What do you do for a living?
Well, I guess I’m in what they call a “transitional phase.” I’ve been a DJ for nearly my whole adult life and have worked in an industry that’s shrunk to almost extinction. Now, I’m kind of trying to reinvent myself, finding other creative ways to make a living.
For the last 3 years, I’ve been working on a book and art gallery tour project, focusing on fine artists, bands, skateboarders, and graffiti heads that have made stickers. The book just came out, and my partner Monica LoCascio is working on the project, and I am super happy.
What was your first album? How did you get it? At what age? Can you describe that feeling? Do you still have it?
I’m not sure what the first album I bought was, but the first records I bought were 7-inch singles. Band of Gold by Freda Pain is an amazing soul tune that still sounds hot and danceable today. The other, which explains my whole life’s musical psyche, was Paranoid by Black Sabbath. The two tracks are opposites of what you’d think a twelve-year-old boy would be into. That juxtaposition of loving dance and hard rock ‘n’ roll has followed me my whole life and still motivates me today. I recently started a project with a talented producer called SZ; we’re remixing our favorite indie rock tracks into Drum and Bass tunes.
Freda Payne – “Band Of Gold.” “An amazing soul tune that still sounds hot & danceable today.”
What prompted you to start collecting? What age did you start? Was there a specific event in your life, an era, that signified your transition from a music lover to a collector?
I think if I could, I’d collect everything I love, but my wife won’t have it : ) I started a record collection when I was around 12. My mom used to visit friends in the States and return to England with the latest U.S. albums for me. Again, it was soul stuff like Sly & the Family Stone, as well as the MC5 and psychedelic stuff from CA.
What’s up with that Stones 7-inch? Is it a bootleg? How and where did you get it??
“Cocksucker Blues,” so the story goes, was delivered by Mick and Keith to Decca Records as a “Fuck You” and a way to get out of their contact. I bought the bootleg 7-inch in the early ‘70s when I was really young and don’t remember what year, but then in the ‘80s, I started working for The Rolling Stones as sort of their unofficial DJ (I played lots of their private events, including Jade Jagger’s 16th birthday party and the band’s Life Time Grammy Award party), I made the sleeve from a magazine photo and asked Mick to sign it.
“Let’s just say my mother refers to Keith Richards as the devil.”
The Rolling Stones – “Cocksucker Blues.” “So the story goes, was delivered by Mick and Keith to Decca Records as a ‘Fuck You’ and a way to get out of their contact.”
What’s that paper that you’re reading??
Found this with you while we were digging through my old singles; I have no idea who wrote it. Looks like the speech from Fight Club.
DB holding a note that reminds him of the speech in Fight Club.
What was your Initial interest in music? Did you have any influence from your family? Or perhaps your best friend (or enemy)?
My mom loved (and still loves) music; I grew up with Aretha Franklin and The Beatles.
“From here to here are all Stones albums & studio bootlegs.”
So, you’re a big Stones fan. Well, I know it’s not a rare thing, but what was it like to grow up with The Stones as the soundtrack of your adolescence? Did they have much influence on your teenage life? If it were me back then, I would probably start drinking and smoking and doing more bad things….
Let’s just say my mother refers to Keith Richards as “the devil.”
The Rolling Stones – Sticky Fingers. “Spanish version, original was considered pornographic. Russian bootleg, with bad jeans photo & original Andy Warhol one.”
The Rolling Stones – Sticky Fingers. “Hammer & Sickle belt buckle propaganda.”
The Rolling Stones – Their Satanic Majesties Request. “I ‘needed’ to own all the different colored labels of” Satanic Majesties Request” on Decca.”
DB looking to shelve some LPs in his wall of records.
Ian Dury – “Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll.” “More wonderful Barney Bubbles art direction.”
Why vinyl?
Originally because of the sleeves. I would spend hours staring at Hipgnosis covers, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, etc. Then, because I became a DJ, and that’s what you used.
And these days? Why do you keep collecting?
Nothing has changed!
C’mon man!! Give me something here… You were collecting because that was the only format available back then. But now, you could just have MP3s or CDs…
I still have an insatiable appetite for new music; looking at my iTunes right now, I have 25,177 songs on it, but MP3s don’t hold any charm for me. Not much has changed; I’m still motivated to check out a record because of its visual presentation. The main difference between then and now is that I stopped buying records simply because the sleeves excited me. I had so many crap albums at one point. I’ll still spend silly money on a new vinyl release from one of the few bands that I still am nuts about, but I resent paying 99 cents for an MP3.
The Damned – Damned Damned Damned. “The Damned 1st album with the misprinted back cover showing Eddie & The Hot Rods instead of the Damned.”
What’s your digging habit in the digital day? Do you go out to dig in basements and fleas, or are you an eBay expert? Have things changed for you since the web days?
I’m not a hardcore digger; I get bored quickly. I really started collecting specific artists again in the late ‘90s when I discovered eBay. When I had a label at Warner Bros, I would spend silly amounts of time and money looking for rare Stones records. I’m now told that I have one of their largest vinyl collections.
“My skinny ass arm & the names, logos & artifacts that have been important to me.”
A rare 7-inch sleeve–one of DB’s favorites. “Mr. Bubbles again.”
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark – “Messages.” “Incredible design from Peter Saville.”
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark – “Red Frame/White Light,” “Electricity,” “Enola Gay.” “All so different, yet all so original & cool.”
New Order – “Ceremony.” “Peter Saville had the gold sleeves embossed.”
New Order – “Procession / Everything’s Gone Green.” “He was one of the first to use raw card stock.”
Air Liquide – “Robot Wars.” “Gary Pini & I produced with the group Air Liquide for Smile Communications. It shows artwork rendered for the competition Robot Wars that we organized.”
Steve Stoll – “Hyperrealism.” “Another ‘cutting edge’ vinyl gem that Gary & I created for the Techno artist Steve Stoll.”
Tell me a useful record storage/shelving tip!
When my wife and I decided we were going to leave Manhattan and move to Brooklyn for a bigger space, It was “suggested” by her that I should reduce my collection. So I went through every record and cut my collection down from about 10,000 to about 3,000 albums, 12-inches, and 45s. It was actually a very cathartic experience; I now know and love every record I own.
What’s your partner’s reaction to this obsession?
She’s cool with it. It’s not like I bring home records every week. I bring home stickers daily and stick them on the kitchen mirror until they can be scanned. She’s even cool with that (mostly).
DB holding an array of bootleg Stones’ 7-inches. “Stones fans start drooling now.”
The Rolling Stones – “If You Can’t Rock Me / Get Off My Cloud.” “Art direction & photography, Andy Warhol.”
Keith Richards – “Sheik, Baby Sheik ! Vol. Ⅰ.” “In 1979, I was a young assistant to a photographer & we visited the Stones office in NY. I got to meet Keith & he gave me this Not-For-Sale single with the amazing Annie Leibovitz photo.”
The Rolling Stones – “Fuckin’ Andrew.” “If memory serves, I believe it’s John Lennon, Eric Clapton, Mick & Keith singing nice things about the Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham.”
Name some golden grails from your collecting history.
Too many to mention really, Stones, White Stripes, and the very first Sex Pistols single (sorry, Steven, it’s not “God Save the Queen”). It was “Anarchy in The UK” on EMI, and 99% of the stock was destroyed because the label dropped them like a hot potato, even though the record would have gone to #1. I found it on eBay in 1997 and couldn’t resist dropping a big coin for it.
Fischerspooner – “Tone Poem.” “The very first release by one of my favorite current bands, Fischerspooner, its a Rectangle Picture Disc.”
DB holding four signed Ramones’ LPs. “I was a Ramones groupie!”
Out of your collection, there must be a few records you like to return to at any time. Name a few. What makes them so special for you?
Not really; I don’t listen to old stuff that much. I have an insatiable ear for new music, so my iPod is filled with 90 percent of the stuff that’s come out in the last few months. I should add that this is not music that I necessarily want to own on vinyl. It has to be very special for me to want new vinyl, music such as Radiohead, Dead Weather, The Verve, and NKLE (and of course Drum and Bass vinyl for DJing. The sound quality difference in a club when I play a CD with an MP3, compared to Vinyl is enormous).
“Goldie’s dope picture discs.”
I know that every “your favorite” question is a tough one, but try to remember. Can you name a few of your favorite album covers?
Wish You Were Here Is probably the one I spent the most time staring at, but only because of the acid.
In the ‘70s and ‘80s, one of my favorite designers was the late Barney Bubbles, but I did not know it because he had never been credited for his sleeves. But he did pretty much all of Stiff Records and the later Elvis Costello stuff, too.
Also, Factory Records designer Peter Saville had a huge influence on me, and I still love everything he puts his hand on.
Nowadays, I also love Stanley Donwood‘s art or anything by Futura.
Is there a specific musical instrument that attracts you when listening to music?
BASS!
What about digging buddies? Do you share, or do you go solo?
In London in the ‘80s, when rare groove and then house music first took off, I used to go shopping with my DJ partner Tommy D. We would go to this one store where they had “The good shit” and spend five pounds for every Chicago import.
“In the words of Fischerspooner – ‘Looks good, Sounds good, Feels good too.”
DB’s vast collection of The White Stripes 7-inches on Third Man Records.
The White Stripes – “Live Under Blackpool Lights.”
The White Stripes – “You Don’t Know What Love Is (You Just Do As You’re Told).” “So beautiful.”
Tell me a particularly sad record story!
I sold my rarest Punk singles to buy drugs once. Stupid, Stupid, Stupid!
Tell me about a record that has healed heartbreaks! Name one that made them worse!
“Tumbling Dice” always makes me feel better. “My Funny Valentine,” covered by Elvis Costello, always makes me cry.
Tell me about a record you still regret not picking up.
The first few singles that Jack White’s label Third Man Records put out.
“The start of my Third Man Records collection.”
“Assorted Third Man Records 7-inches.”
Share some wisdom with us… D.B
Vinyl is unlike 8 Tracks, Cassettes, or CDs; it won’t ever completely vanish because nothing quite feels or sounds the same (as good).
There will always be a niche collector, so labels will always be willing to produce it. In the last couple of years, vinyl sales have risen.
In the words of Fischerspooner – “Looks good, Sounds good, Feels good too.”
AMEN!!!
DB’s current concentration is on his publishing company, Blurring Books. There, you can catch his most recent books CRASH BANG: Pictures from a Punk and THE UNBELIEVABLY FANTASTIC ARTISTS’ STICKERS BOOK along with a helm of other fascinating stories from published authors.
Keep up with DB’s projects here:
Interview edited by Sam Cohen.
Dear Dust & Groovers,
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Groove on,
Eilon Paz and the Dust & Grooves team
9 Comments
Noah
It's always nice to see Barney Bubbles art as I feel he's not praised enough. If you haven't seen it, I recommend Paul Corman's book; "Reasons To Be Cherrful: The Life And Work Of Barney Bubbles".
-Noah
www.coffeebreakradio.com
DaveB.
Fantastic profile. Selling records for drugs is the quote that will stick with me. Whew...
Peace and SOUL,
HSB DaveB...
Shelf-Stacker
Love the blog! Always impatient for your next posting. Good to see a fellow Brit featured.
cyber Sequencer review
Great... my collection looks soo small compared to this one
Anonymous
As a HUGE Stones fan, seeing the insane amount of rare stuff he has almost brought a tear to my eye with jelousy haha, one lucky guy.
Studio Headphones
Which record is that SAW blade looking one?
Elle
so, i just found this blog.. it's wonderful! i love it. just read three profiles, but i gotta say - this guy is something else. so stylish. i'm in love with bubbles' work and i was glad to see it hyped here. that photo of the white stripes collection was great. can't wait to see the next post, keeping an eye on this blog!
cheers,
elle
(ellewagner.tumblr.com)
Mr.Brian
Maniacal. Great Collection(s) Deebs!!
Paul G
Great profile of a great guy with a great habit (and great pics as well). DB = no dweeb. All hail PG