Get the record player working...

... Those sage words of advice came from my friend Eric last year, while we were discussing my to-do list... 

Eric, better known as Wreckless Eric, is an ‘antique English pop musician’ who once wrote a song called (I’d go the) Whole Wide World. Considered “one of the great Stiff singles”, it was produced by Nick Lowe for London’s Stiff Records in 1977 and re-released in 2013 on the Ten Big Stiffs compilation. His name may or may not sound familiar, but you’ve probably heard the tune before. Perhaps you know the 2007 cover version by The Proclaimers, or maybe you recall Will Ferrell singing it to Maggie Gyllenhaal in Stranger than Fiction? In his book, A Dysfunctional Success, Eric wrote:

---

It was single of the week in all the music papers, and number one on the TimeOut alternative chart. It stayed there for weeks. Elton John reviewed it for the Record Mirror, saying it was the only album he liked.” 

Last October, we had the great pleasure of hosting Wreckless Eric for a week in Decatur. He drove down from upstate New York for his debut one-man-show of paintings, which we exhibited Upstairs and to the Left, our satellite gallery in the famous Brick Store Pub. We also promoted a rare solo performance at New Street Studio, an intimate venue which was filled to capacity on the night. I enjoy mixing art & music and we always choose the tunes for our openings & events as thoughtfully as we select the pictures. Having a legendary musician & painter come here for a gig & exhibit was absolutely fabulous!
 

(Not too) early one morning, Eric and I were discussing the events and going over my to-do list. I had just gotten a used turntable, quadraphonic tube amp and two speakers. My vinyl collection (most of which belonged to my dad) dates back to the sixties, and I’ve recently returned to buying records instead of CDs. The large format of album artwork, the ritual of putting a record on, hearing the bump of the needle hitting the wax, and listening to the warm tones is an experience that you just can’t download. When I mentioned that my newly acquired vintage stereo system wasn’t playing properly, Eric insisted that I not only "get the record player working” but that I "put it at the top of the to-do list!".

A few months later, my brothers managed to find two early Wreckless Eric records for me for Christmas: his self-titled release from 1978 (on blue vinyl) and Big Smash, a double album from 1980. For Record Store Day, I got Le Beat Group Electrique, which was reissued by the good folks at Fire Records, Eric’s new label. 

Record Store Day should become a national holiday in my opinion... if only record stores had the same clout as Hallmark Cards...

Speaking of Hallmark, I’d like to wish Eric a very Happy Birthday! He’ll be 60 on May 17th and will celebrate the occasion with a live show at The Lexington in London as part of a monthlong UK tour, to be followed by an Eastern US tour in June. We’re talking about getting him back to Atlanta in September, so stay tuned right here and make sure to ‘Like’ his Facebook page so you don’t miss it (you can send him birthday wishes too). I also highly recommend his blog: Ericland - the official Wreckless Eric diary.

“The Donovan of Trash” reissue hits US record stores on May 20th (thanks to our friends at Decatur CD for the update). Call your local record shop (if you still have one) and pre-order a copy now, or click on over to the Fire Records website. For you art collectors, Eric’s original paintings are available right here at BuyBritishArt.com. 

I just returned from an epic week in Nashville, during which I was treated to a private tour of United Record Pressing. That’s an interesting story for another time, but it inspired this blog post by reminding me of that wise 'Wreckless' advice - there’s no better time than the present to get the record player working!

---