SONICS RENDEZVOUS BAND 'CITY SLANG' ORIGINAL USA 7" ORCHIDE PREVIEW MC5,STOOGES*

	A$		82
	$		54

Trivial guff...merely to explain where some of the more unusual things I'm listing might've come from:

From 1974-1978 I managed an indie/alternative record store here in Sydney (known firstly as Ripple then Revolver Records)...along with the expected, we sold the most obscure imported stuff - from all the still-available 60's and 70's prog 'n' psych stuff, 60's garage/surf/soul, 70's power-pop, plus we dived head-on into the early punk scene importing all the classic 7"s from the US and UK scenes...then we also specialized in Krautrock imports from Germany (virtually all of which were still available at that time), and the latest reggae releases straight from Jamaica (we had thee coolest suppliers!)...in 1978/79, I lived in the UK & USA - my job description in the U.S. was simply: to buy second-hand vinyl goodies in any of the above categories, with unlimited funds at my disposal (I doubt there's ever been a better job!...anywhere...ever) - to send back to Australia...then had my own record store in Sydney (with my great mate and business partner, Dare)...from 1979-1998...that was Phantom Records (we had a record label then as well - started purely coz, apart from the fact both our girlfriends were lead singers in bands that no major label was interested in, so were lots of our friends) -

Anyway, what I'm really getting at, is that I amassed a huge collection (of mostly first pressings and originals) over all those years and scenarios, and looked after it pretty well (while all the while gently thrashing the hell outta them of course). But many I had 2 copies of and will be close to mint. So...I'm selling some.

(They're not all unusual or hideously rare...quite obviously...but there's some cool stuff amongst it all.)

Here's one of the items from the above lot:

ARTIST:     SONICS RENDEZVOUS BAND  .
TITLES:        "CITY SLANG" (MONO, 5:07) / "CITY SLANG" (STEREO, 5:07)   .
FORMAT:     …vinyl 7" single…
LABEL:                 ORCHIDE .
CATALOGUE #:    OR-1002  . 
DATE OF RELEASE:  1978 .
PRESSED IN:    USA .

ORIGINAL FIRST PRESSING?:    Yes, it is...

Remains one of thee greatest Detroit punk 45s ever released...you already know how it sounds, I'm sure...if not go visit here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=fvwp&NR=1&v=9oSxHI9vMXs 

Anyway, there's a story that goes with this: As mentioned above, in the late 70's and for another 20 years, I had an indie/punk/alternative record store in Sydney. In October 1979 I was in Ann Arbor, on a vinyl buying trip, staying with Mark Sisto (of the Visitors) and hanging out with he and Deniz Tek and their pals (I'd been mates with, initially, then roadie/amateur sound guy/pretty crap first manager for Radio Birdman in their early days, hence the connection)..anyway again...Ron and Scott Asheton were amongst the 'pals' we were hanging out with, and I happened to mention to them that I wondered if there were any copies of this 45 still around - I told 'em I'd take 'up to 100 copies'...Scott said he'd check - next day he pops around with Fred (Sonic) and Ron, in tow, and they've got the last remaining copies of this single...we do a count and there's 87 copies...Fred goes "That's it I scoured everywhere and there's no more...these are the last. But sorry we don't have any of the normal ones left...we did up a few hundred promo copies and these are all we have, but it says 'preview' not 'promo' so you could probably sell them." Then he adds: "No-one will know down there" (meaning in Australia...like as if we're all thick down here). He laughs...it was funny. I ask him how much he'd like for them, and he cringes while telling me wants 2 bucks each...as if selling promo's was a crime and that was an outrageous price to ask...even though they were their own promo's made and paid for by themselves..."Like what's the difference" I'm thinking?! I'm over the friggin' moon...delighted. And pay up. End of Part One.

Coupla days later (after 2 awesome nights of hanging with them all at a pair of electrifying Sonics R.B. gigs at Flicks, an Ann Arbor bar), I was heading to NYC...not wanting to carry these 45s and a whole wadge of other stuff, I packed them up in a large box and arranged to have it sent back to Australia via a surface shipping company...ship was due to arrive a few weeks after I got back to Australia. I arrive back. Only...the due date passes...and nothing....then still nothing....still nothing again weeks later....then they own up that the box is missing. It's gone...they have no idea where...they offer minimal compensation...I accept...devastated. Meanwhile the aura of the 45, via its utter brainkill guitar-monstering escalates it to serious legend status. But you can't find a copy anywhere - no-one who owns it would ever part with it...of course. Late 1980, over a year later, the shipping company gives me a call. They've found the box. It'd been hidden behind a bunch of guff in a warehouse in Hawaii....and it's on its way. Not prepared to get excited, figuring it either still might not make it, or the chances of it not being crushed/smashed/soaked/heat-damaged/whatever were slim. Well, 8 - 10 weeks pass and the box arrives. Looks the same as the day I'd packed it. Everything was in perfect condition. Same day I opened it, there was a box of "City Slang" blue and white covered, twin blue label, preview copies on sale on my counter...$9.95 each. I felt so guilty selling it for that much at the time...I mean, with freight added in, they'd cost me about $2.05 each...the margin was way above my norm. But they walked outta the shop...or I pushed them onto unsuspecting customers, and to every Radio Birdman fan who wandered in as well. ...So...This is one of those 87 "City Slangs" which left Fred 'Sonic' Smith's house in 1979, and took one trip on the ocean blue, was lost and forgotten, then buffetted it's way across the Equator on a second ocean voyage, and down south here in the no doubt dank and humid hold of some ol' cargo ship. True story. Some people refer to this as the greatest 45 ever made (plays at 33 actually, being that it's over 5 minutes long)....I'm on their side.

Here it is then...yours for the taking.

CONDITION:

COVER: ( VG+[+] )...paper sleeve...has a small stain in the bottom left corner, a small seam split at the bottom, and some crinkling and minor ringwear...see pix...

VINYL: ( VG++ )...has a scuff on the mono side, which has no effect on play...plus a few light 'hair-line'marks...crackles at the beginning before the tune kicks in, then it's pure mayhem all the way from there...if there are any crackles they're utterly drowned out by the sheer volume in the grooves...it's a great listen, and a copy you'll be very happy to own...

LABELS: (Side One: MINT / Side Two: MINT )...

Thanks for considering this item...Cheers, Jules.

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