RUBBER MEMORY Welcome 1970 HEAVY FUNK PSYCH LP LISTEN

$

43

WHAT WE HAVE HERE IS…

THE RUBBER MEMORY "Welcome"

RPC STEREO repressing (from the original band) of the MEGA RARE 1970 LP

Cover:  NEAR MINT (inserts)

Vinyl:  NEAR MINT

I bet the name Rubber Memory sounded groovy back in the late 60’s.  Y’know, part Rubber Soul, part Elephants Memory, both Beatles references from a band who admittedly had a strong Fab Four influence.  But still, I can’t help thinking of a bad pun, as in “Did I remember to use a condom?”  You see, that’s a real rubber memory.

Welcome, the Rubber Memory’s lone album, came out in the Summer of 1970, recorded “in the Back Room” as the front cover proudly announces and I’m gonna avoid using another condom reference on that one, or any other euphemisms that might get me in trouble.  At the time, the band pressed only 110 copies.  Which means originals are rarer than a moment of humility from Donald Trump, and sadly for me and my dreams of a big-screen HDTV, this ain’t one of those originals.  Lucky for us, though, the band pressed up a few reissues, so we can now afford to hear this obscure little gem.  Strange though, for a band of self-admitted Beatles fanatics, there’s little on their 1970 album that shows it.  Truth is, it doesn’t sound like the Rubber Memory boys were very good at pop.  There are covers of “Mr. Spaceman” and “It’s For You” (a Beatles song never done by the Beatles), but they’re pretty lightweight and inconsequential.  It’s when the Rubber Memory crank the amps up to 11 and get a little Seventies Rock thing goin’ – that’s when things get REALLY interesting. 

Yeah, believe it or not, The Rubber Memory can rock.  With a capital R, preferably in an early 70’s font like Bell Bottom or Weltron Ultra.  “The Walnut Song,” which has nothing to do with walnuts by the way, sounds an awful lot like Chicago’s “Beginnings” only with a bunch of big skuzzy Seventies guitars slashing big electric holes in the horn section.  And those proto-Sabbath guitars and thrashing drums on “All About Me” sound like a bunch of velociraptors rehearsing “War Pigs” with the Muppets’ Animal behind the kit.  It’s a heavy psych stomp, crushing Tokyo highrises under its prehistoric feet until someone finally shouts “Hey!” and the band suddenly race toward a brick wall at 300 mph.  Someone crashes, and we all burn.

But none of this, absolutely NONE of it prepares you for the full-on Afrodelic acid funk of “All Together,” a sneering strutting cockwalk (there we go with the puns again) of heavy metal thunder, a P-Funk aftershock of apocalyptic proportions.  Hard to believe a couple of white boys from New Orleans singlehandedly predicted the monster fuzz riff from Lenny Kravitz’s “Always On the Run” not only three decades before Lenny, but also a full five years before anyone even knew who Roxie Roker was!  But there it is, buried mysteriously in the middle of Side 1, all bellbottom blue Seventies charm with its shagadelic wakka wakka guitar and scratch blocks, while the cries of “Help us, we need you!” only add to the mystery because these cats clearly don’t need any help in getting their freak on.  This is the kind of heavy crunching guitar funk that Larry Graham and Graham Central Station were known for in their early days, but again, the Rubber Memory got there three years ahead of time.  I guess you could say they came prematurely.

And so, like Trojans defending their Lifestyle, the Rubber Memory fell apart shortly after the release of Welcome, perhaps because they were ribbed for the band name, as well as for her pleasure.  Maybe a name like Condom Sense might’ve been a better choice, or something more psychedelic like Prophylactic Bubble Plastic.  Regardless, they left behind an amazing album, where a trio of monsters lay in waiting among the unassuming pop covers.  But now at least you know what to expect.  And as anyone with the word “rubber” in their name can tell you, it’s always better to be prepared. 

 here's a sample from the record you're bidding on:

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.  ALL DOMESTIC ORDERS REQUIRE DELIVERY CONFIRMATION, WHICH IS AN EXTRA 75 CENTS.  Air mail shipping to Canada starts at $10 US, each additional record $2 shipping.  Air mail shipping everywhere else in the world starts at $16 US, with each additional record only $3 shipping.  ALL FOREIGN ORDERS REQUIRE CERTIFICATE OF SHIPMENT, WHICH IS AN EXTRA $1.10.  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. 

And finally, I include delivery confirmation on all shipments inside the US.  This is my proof of shipment, and also helps us to track your package if it doesn’t arrive when it should.  I will email you within 2 days of shipment and give you the confirmation number at that time.  Insurance is always optional, but for larger orders, it’s highly recommended.   I DO NOW REQUIRE THAT ALL FOREIGN BUYERS PAY AN ADDITIONAL $1.10 FOR PROOF OF SHIPMENT.  IT'S A NOMINAL FEE AND THE CHEAPEST WAY FOR ME TO PROVE THAT I ACTUALLY SHIPPED YOUR PACKAGE AND DIDN'T JUST POCKET YOUR MONEY AND SKIP TOWN.  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.