CALIFORNIA POPPY PICKERS Today's Chart Busters 1969 FUZZ EXPLOITO PSYCH LP HEAR

$

30

THE CALIFORNIA POPPY PICKERS "PRESENT TODAY'S CHART BUSTERS" LP

ORIGINAL 1969 LP ON THE US ALSHIRE LABEL, STEREO S-5163

COVER IN VG+ SHAPE, BITTA RINGWEAR, 1" SEAM SPLIT ON BOTTOM, SOME ODD YELLOWISH STAINS ON BACK (PROBABLY BONG WATER)

VINYL IS SHINY, HANDLING SCUFFS ONLY, PLAYS VG+ TO VG++ OR BETTER

Looks like that cover model’s on some really BAD acid trip, man – either that or she’s doing one of those “I’m not touching you, am I bothering you?” things with her hands all up in your face.  Or maybe, just maybe, this is the last image burned into your retinas before being eaten by JoAnn Worley.  Whatever the deal, this is easily the RAREST of all the California Poppy Pickers’ LPs, Today’s Chart Busters, dropped on an unsuspecting Woolworths clientele in that magical year of 1969.  Four for a buck too, as the price sticker still flaunts, but that was back when a buck could buy you a used Datsun.  You can see right there on the cover too, if you can get around the stoned Laugh-In babe trying to bitch-slap you, the Poppy Pickers make a few valiant stabs at covering the Fab Four (“Get Back”, the crowd pleasing “Ballad of John and Yoko”) as well as Tommy James (“Crystal Blue Persuasion”).  But what’s with “Poppies to Be Picked”?  Or “Augie From Bakersfield”?  “Blues For Berkley Street People”?  Good Lord, are these ORIGINALS?  How strong IS this acid to think people wanted to hear original songs from an Alshire label cover band?

Yessirree, they are originals.  And even more amazing, they’re actually really good.  Listen to the triple-fuzz-guitar freakout “Horsefly” – that’s right, I said TRIPLE FUZZ GUITAR there, boys and girls – one in the left channel, one on the right, and one crammed right down JoAnn Worley’s buttcrack, and that’s more fuzz than you’d get from a Ventures/Davie Allen and the Arrows twofer (also available from Woolworths).  There’s even more fuzz to be had in the stompin’ bubblepop gobstopper “Special Delivery” and in the bluesy grooves of “Blues for Berkley Street People,” but I wonder if these studio boys meant the tribute to go to “Berkley Street” people or Berkley “street people.”  Gadzooks, it’s not enough for this Alshire budget pizza to give us original songs AND fuzz guitar, now they’re adding in some “John, I’m Only Dancing” ambiguity too!  Why, it’s enough to make me dig out my 1910 Fruitgum Company albums again.  A little acid and a poster of JoAnn Worley, and who knows what hidden treasures we can find?

HEAR IT!

PLEASE NOTE I NO LONGER SHIP TO ITALY DUE TO A CORRUPT POSTAL SYSTEM (THERE, NOT HERE).  BUYERS FROM ITALY AGREE TO PAY FOR GLOBAL PRIORITY MAIL INSURED ONLY!

The less exciting stuff

Media mail shipping with delivery confirmation starts at $4.00 in the US, with each additional record only $1 additional shipping.  I accept payments through Paypal. 

I try to grade as best as I can, and I list as many blemishes/imperfections I can find (writing, ringwear, scuff marks, etc.) – Also, please note that I DO listen to these albums – I may not listen to every track, but my grades are based on LISTENING, not just looking at it, since chances are you’ll be listening to the record you buy, not just looking at it.  Most of the albums I sell are the ones I’ve enjoyed for years – and I treat my records with kid gloves.  But sounds speak louder than words, so check out the sound clips below – they’re from the actual record you’re bidding on. 

SHIPPING AND PACKAGING

Listen, I buy a bunch of records too (when I’m not getting outbid at the last second, which is more often than not) – and I know what it’s like to get a rare, one-of-a-kind album packaged dangerously in a flimsy bubblewrap package.  I hate that too.  So rest assured, I ALWAYS package albums with stiff cardboard reinforcements, same for 45s.  And yes, the records are removed from the sleeves (for albums).  I ship out once a week, every Friday, because I have a regular day job.  But I’d be willing to give that up if you’d all be so kind as to bid my items up to stupidly high amounts. 

 For more security and international tracking, you may request GLOBAL PRIORITY MAIL - but bear in mind the cost of this service is upwards of $30.  For expensive items, however, it may be well worth it.  Unfortunately, there isn’t a cost-effective way of tracking parcels to foreign countries yet, and shipping times vary depending on your country’s postal system.   Italy in particular seems to be really bad at delivering packages quickly, or delivering packages at all, now that you mention it.  I will always email you when your package ships, but once it’s on its way, please don’t ask me when it will arrive because I don’t know.  If the world’s postal systems can ever agree on a universal tracking system that’s affordable, I’ll be the first to use it.

NOW IT’S YOUR TURN…

I will always leave positive feedback for successful transactions, and would appreciate the same in return.  All I ask of you is the following – please pay for your items within 14 days of the close of auction.  Compared to other sellers, that’s a generous amount of time, so if you don’t pay within 2 weeks, then I have to assume something’s wrong.  You’ll get an Ebay payment reminder at that point, and possibly a decapitated horse head in your bed.  If, after 30 days, you still haven’t forked up the cash, I’ll relist the item and yell at you if I ever see you in town.