Occupation - Professional 60s Garage Record Buyer

[bosshoss]

I stumbled across this old interview with Jules Normington today. The whole interview is quite long and interesting, but the link below zooms in on page 7 where Jules describes his days as a professional '60s garage vinyl record buyer for Phantom Records, in the early '80s.

As a bit of background which is not mentioned in Jules' interview, Phantom Records was founded out of the remains of my own punk rock record store of the late '70s, White Light Rare Records. Although I doubt Jules is aware, the new owner Dare Jennings (who bought White Light and re-named it Phantom) asked me who I would recommend to run Phantom, and I told him "Get Jules!". White Light actually started the practice of visiting the USA and buying old '60s garage 45s to re-sell in the store, in 1977. I used to do it myself, haha! But Jules took it to levels I never dreamed of...

(the relevant part starts straight after the Debbie Harry section.)
http://www.collapseboard.com/features/columns/the-big-beat-in-the-heart-of-the-vinyl-jungle/7/

 

[soundog III]

I stumbled across this old interview with Jules Normington today. The whole interview is quite long and interesting, but the link below zooms in on page 7 where Jules describes his days as a professional '60s garage vinyl record buyer for Phantom Records, in the early '80s.

As a bit of background which is not mentioned in Jules' interview, Phantom Records was founded out of the remains of my own punk rock record store of the late '70s, White Light Rare Records. Although I doubt Jules is aware, the new owner Dare Jennings (who bought White Light and re-named it Phantom) asked me who I would recommend to run Phantom, and I told him "Get Jules!". White Light actually started the practice of visiting the USA and buying old '60s garage 45s to re-sell in the store, in 1977. I used to do it myself, haha! But Jules took it to levels I never dreamed of...

(the relevant part starts straight after the Debbie Harry section.)
http://www.collapseboard.com/features/columns/the-big-beat-in-the-heart-of-the-vinyl-jungle/7/

Jules visited NYC several times during this period, stopping in at both the shop I worked at and subsequently at the shop I owned. Along with Chris P. he was one of the regular Australian visitors to NY, and along with Chris was quite willing to be of assistance in tracking down requests. As the Ugly Things LP had recently been issued, along with several other OZ/NZ centric comps I had no shortage of wants to relay, and was invariably served up choice items during their visits. As I was equally interested in obscure 70's punk at the time I always made it a point to advise visitors to the shop to bring by any below the radar rarities they knew of. I distinctly recall Jules arriving with a special "surprise", as he characterized it, during a visit circa 1983/4, this being an Australian (70's) punk record he was sure that I would like, but which I hadn't known about at the time. Shouldn't be difficult to imagine both my surprise & totally unhinged amazement at the sound shortly issuing forth from the store Hi-Fi, in addition to the looks of unbridled desire spreading across the faces of several customers hanging about as the Fun Things EP roared across the shop. Instantaneously I received several offers to purchase the disc, of which of course there was absolutely ZERO chance of happening. This was going home with me that day, and over the course of the next few years I only ever came across one other copy, purchased in London at Plastic Passion. I hung on to that as a backup / trade copy for several years. It eventually factored into a trade for the French 13th Floor Elevators EP, accounting for about 50% of the swap value. Jules' good nature & depth of knowledge of records made him a pleasure to deal with, thanks for posting this most interesting interview.

 

[Bris Bands]

You learning something new everyday, thanks Bosshoss and Soundog III.

 

[Dominic]

I stumbled across this old interview with Jules Normington today. The whole interview is quite long and interesting, but the link below zooms in on page 7 where Jules describes his days as a professional '60s garage vinyl record buyer for Phantom Records, in the early '80s.

As a bit of background which is not mentioned in Jules' interview, Phantom Records was founded out of the remains of my own punk rock record store of the late '70s, White Light Rare Records. Although I doubt Jules is aware, the new owner Dare Jennings (who bought White Light and re-named it Phantom) asked me who I would recommend to run Phantom, and I told him "Get Jules!". White Light actually started the practice of visiting the USA and buying old '60s garage 45s to re-sell in the store, in 1977. I used to do it myself, haha! But Jules took it to levels I never dreamed of...

(the relevant part starts straight after the Debbie Harry section.)
http://www.collapseboard.com/features/columns/the-big-beat-in-the-heart-of-the-vinyl-jungle/7/

Records from John Taylor's house are the foundation of many long-time TX record hound's collections. I've seen pages from a huge handwritten book where Taylor attempted to inventory his stock. Insane!

 

[gregk25]

Records from John Taylor's house are the foundation of many long-time TX record hound's collections. I've seen pages from a huge handwritten book where Taylor attempted to inventory his stock. Insane!

Would you tell us more about John Taylor, Dominic? Was he some out-of-control hoarder? A dealer himself? Why didnt Hanners / Shutt clean him out before '79?

I had read the Jules-interview before, but I forgot how great that story is.

Would also like ho hear some of your buying-trip-tales, Mark!

 

[OB1]

great read Mark! thanks for that

I still have lots of old Phantom / Jules record auction lists and I fondly remember the deep descriptions he put into the sell of those obscure comps and 45's I could never afford!

a plethora of fuzz always seemed to stand out ha ha!!

 

[Dominic]

Would you tell us more about John Taylor, Dominic? Was he some out-of-control hoarder? A dealer himself? Why didnt Hanners / Shutt clean him out before '79?

He was a combination of proto-typical "digger" and what would more charitably be called an accumulator. Unlike a hoarder, he was organized. As I mentioned in a previous post, he kept some sort of master list (which even now, his son would like to see in a museum).

He was a dealer, but he didn't specialize. I don't think he could be "cleaned out" bec he bought everything and was *always* buying: back in those days untapped jukebox stock was still pretty thick on the ground. He would put buying dealers up in his house and I suspect that's how many became specialists. With so much stock, every visit was like "record school," you know? He tolerated the local kids digging through his stock which is how much of the first generation of TX garage heads got their knowledge.

He didn't really go full-on until he'd retired from government work so he was relatively old, but--even so--he seemed to have boundless energy. Apparently, he'd travel for large collection (they didn't all fall in his lap). His son remembers looking through a massive collection in a hoarder's attic in Kansas City during peak summer heat when his dad was in his 80s! He seems to have been a going concern for 20 yrs [give or take a couple years].

 

[depravedskippy66]

Is Jules still selling on ebay? I have picked up several things from him since 2000 or so; always a good guy to buy from.

Has he begun going through George Crotty's collection yet? Pretty sure I heard something along those lines.

 

[bosshoss]

Is Jules still selling on ebay? Has he begun going through George Crotty's collection yet?

Yes under the name budus. He has definitely sold a lot of George's collection, but I'm not sure how much if any is left.

 

[Jules Normington]

I stumbled across this old interview with Jules Normington today. The whole interview is quite long and interesting, but the link below zooms in on page 7 where Jules describes his days as a professional '60s garage vinyl record buyer for Phantom Records, in the early '80s.

As a bit of background which is not mentioned in Jules' interview, Phantom Records was founded out of the remains of my own punk rock record store of the late '70s, White Light Rare Records. Although I doubt Jules is aware, the new owner Dare Jennings (who bought White Light and re-named it Phantom) asked me who I would recommend to run Phantom, and I told him "Get Jules!". White Light actually started the practice of visiting the USA and buying old '60s garage 45s to re-sell in the store, in 1977. I used to do it myself, haha! But Jules took it to levels I never dreamed of...

(the relevant part starts straight after the Debbie Harry section.)
http://www.collapseboard.com/features/columns/the-big-beat-in-the-heart-of-the-vinyl-jungle/7/

A very belated thanks, Mark! Had no idea you'd put me forward to Dare. Although he and I had talked about him 'starting a shop' while we were travelling around the UK on the Birdman/F.Groovies tour, he hadn't exactly said he'd call me in on it. But that phone call in Feb '79 changed my life, natch. Thanks too for your other kind words. I do remember he (Dare) told me he'd bought all your old stock to get things rolling. Couldn't have been a more perfect beginning...White Light remains one of thee greatest shops I've ever been in (except for the day you plonked a huge still-warm tub of pigs' blood on the counter and said "Feel this" which I did, and then recoiled squeamishly when you added "I've just been out to the abattoir to pick it up. It's for the cover of our single."...then there's a whole 'nother story about what happened to Dave Taylor that night!) - And on John L. Taylor (none of these Taylor's are related, by the way!): he was a wonderful man...very kind...he reminded me so much of my Dad...he was exactly the same age and kinda looked like him too. Plus he treated me so well. Every day he'd come pick me up from my hotel, and every lunchtime he'd come over to the house I was in (of his...scouring for 45s), and take me out to a rib-joint for some tucker...and often he'd insist on paying. We'd sit there for 30 - 40 minutes and just ramble on about anything from record collectors to baseball/football to my life in NZ or Oz - he was so interested always...and then he'd remember another rib-joint that we'd have to go to tomorrow...we never went to the same one twice. It always felt like about half an hour after I got there in the morning, that he'd come get me for lunch, coz when you're that much in the zone, discovering the wildest fuzziest 45s ever, that you had no idea existed..one after the other..time just flew. The adrenalin rush was massive...it was like I was perpetually on 3 cups o' the strongest coffee, all day. We'd come back from lunch, and 'an hour' later he'd drop by and say it was time for dinner, and I'd go out and it was dark (the windows were all covered with record racks in front of them so you could never tell what time of day it was unless you went out into the hallway near the front door). I'd go in and have dinner with him...home-cooked, I suppose by his wife but I hafta admit I can't remember her, and then back in for another coupla (mostly fuzz-filled) hours at the mini-record player, before he drove me home at 9pm. Like clockwork: 9am pick-up, 12-midday lunch, 6pm dinner, 9pm back to hotel. I know he's not with us anymore, such is the state of impermanence we all live in, but I had massive respect for that man....a true gentleman.

 

[Jules Normington]

Yes under the name budus. He has definitely sold a lot of George's collection, but I'm not sure how much if any is left.

In order to get my money back as quick as possible, I listed (on eBay) all the rarest of the Aussie garage 45s, plus all the myriad Easybeats label variations, but to date have only sold just over 2,000 items...and there were almost exactly 30,000 x 7"s, and 8,000 LP's in his collection. However, let's not pretend all the 45s were garage...George was a dealer too, so there's a myriad of 50's and 60's 45's on say, Aussie London label, and Coronet, Mercury, Decca, Parlophone, etc...so they include quite a lot of chaff. One good thing is that almost ALL are in their original company sleeves, which will keep oodles of folk outside of this chatroom pretty happy...but not you lot. George was attempting to write an Easybeats book, so I've inherited all that stuff...loads of pix...plus contact details of most members of virtually EVERY Oz garage or beat group that ever existed...(really!)...including many who never even released anything. It's an amazing hoard, I gotta admit. I felt pretty privileged to acquire it all.

 

[Jules Normington]

Naturally you have me intrigued as to who you might be, but pretty chuffed to read your kind words (you guys are all so blimmin' NICE!). Except you've all got secret pseudonyms so I don't know who any of you are. - Not sure when I woulda been in NYC with a Fun Things as, post my 70's visits, I was only there Easter and Oct. 1980, and Oct. 1985, but I did know the band members and up till about '85 was able to contact them for a few more copies every now and then till they ran out. One of them musta kept about 30 or 40 of them. He ended up charging me about $15 for them once they got rare. (I just sold one - a mint un-used one - on eBay for $1626 - berserk!). I'm assuming it was in '85 I delivered that one. It always had the same effect when I played it in Phantom too.

 

[Jules Normington]

Naturally you have me intrigued as to who you might be, but pretty chuffed to read your kind words (you guys are all so blimmin' NICE!). Except you've all got secret pseudonyms so I don't know who any of you are. - Not sure when I woulda been in NYC with a Fun Things as, post my 70's visits, I was only there Easter and Oct. 1980, and Oct. 1985, but I did know the band members and up till about '85 was able to contact them for a few more copies every now and then till they ran out. One of them musta kept about 30 or 40 of them. He ended up charging me about $15 for them once they got rare. (I just sold one - a mint un-used one - on eBay for $1626 - berserk!). I'm assuming it was in '85 I delivered that one. It always had the same effect when I played it in Phantom too.

(The above was a response to the log by 'soundog III' near the top.)

 

[Stampy]

... so I've inherited all that stuff...loads of pix...plus contact details of most members of virtually EVERY Oz garage or beat group that ever existed...(really!)...including many who never even released anything. It's an amazing hoard, I gotta admit. I felt pretty privileged to acquire it all...

Hello Jules.

I've also been privileged to have contacts details of most of the more obscure band members too. Especially of Brisbane bands.

 

[soundog III]

Naturally you have me intrigued as to who you might be, but pretty chuffed to read your kind words (you guys are all so blimmin' NICE!). Except you've all got secret pseudonyms so I don't know who any of you are. - Not sure when I woulda been in NYC with a Fun Things as, post my 70's visits, I was only there Easter and Oct. 1980, and Oct. 1985, but I did know the band members and up till about '85 was able to contact them for a few more copies every now and then till they ran out. One of them musta kept about 30 or 40 of them. He ended up charging me about $15 for them once they got rare. (I just sold one - a mint un-used one - on eBay for $1626 - berserk!). I'm assuming it was in '85 I delivered that one. It always had the same effect when I played it in Phantom too.

Hi Jules,

I attempted to make a best faith effort to recall the where's & when's of the day back then. I definitely remember that we we met when I worked in NYC during the 80's.

Here's a pic taken at my shop Hideout circa 1986/7, with the ever patient Mrs. Soundog to the fore. Hey, maybe it was Chris P. who hooked me up w. the "things".. or Frank or some other Western cat. ; 'twas the 80's after all..



At any rate, I know we touched base back then,whatever, great to know your still up & at 'em...

 

[bosshoss]

I do remember he (Dare) told me he'd bought all your old stock to get things rolling. Couldn't have been a more perfect beginning...

Hi Jules!
As well as all the White Light LP and 45 record stock, Phantom opened it's doors with the ex-White Light staff as well. Lee Taylor, John Foy and Rob Younger. If I'm not mistaken after 32 years, haha! After a few months Dare wasn't entirely happy with the way things were being managed, and that's when he contacted me and your name came up, naturally.

 

[BTO]

Hi Jules,

I attempted to make a best faith effort to recall the where's & when's of the day back then. I definitely remember that we we met when I worked in NYC during the 80's.

Here's a pic taken at my shop Hideout circa 1986/7, with the ever patient Mrs. Soundog to the fore. Hey, maybe it was Chris P. who hooked me up w. the "things".. or Frank or some other Western cat. ; 'twas the 80's after all..

View attachment 947

At any rate, I know we touched base back then,whatever, great to know your still up & at 'em...

I remember it so well, Mr Dog.
Went past last time I was in town and choked back the tears.

 

[Jules Normington]

Hi Jules,

I attempted to make a best faith effort to recall the where's & when's of the day back then. I definitely remember that we we met when I worked in NYC during the 80's.

Here's a pic taken at my shop Hideout circa 1986/7, with the ever patient Mrs. Soundog to the fore. Hey, maybe it was Chris P. who hooked me up w. the "things".. or Frank or some other Western cat. ; 'twas the 80's after all..

View attachment 947

At any rate, I know we touched base back then,whatever, great to know your still up & at 'em...

Ah, yes, that's a face I remember, but no idea of your name (why is everyone so blimmin' secretive on here??)...what's the deal?...I don't get it.

 

[Jules Normington]

Hi Jules!
As well as all the White Light LP and 45 record stock, Phantom opened it's doors with the ex-White Light staff as well. Lee Taylor, John Foy and Rob Younger. If I'm not mistaken after 32 years, haha! After a few months Dare wasn't entirely happy with the way things were being managed, and that's when he contacted me and your name came up, naturally.

Yeah, Mark...that triumvirate all worked there. Rob appeared to be ousted by me coming back, John stayed for a little while after I returned, but Lee stayed on for 8 months...then went out to deliver some of our records (the label had just started...first 2 releases) one day...and simply never came back...like ever. Disappeared. His girlfriend called up a few days later and said he wouldn't be back. Never found out why. I'd thought we were a great team.