Diggin' Record Label Tips

Greetings fellow Crate Diggers,

Since I see a lot of people saying that a portable Record Player works like a charm while hitting the record shops. I thought maybe we can share some tips for those who don't use a portable player.

First thing I usually look at when I don't know the record is on what record label it's on.

Here's a small list of labels I like and almost always find some gems on.

Jazz:
CTI
Joker
Prestige
Dixieland Jubilee
Blue Note
GRP Records.

If you find records from those labels you'll usually looking at a Jazz record.

Soul:
Stax
A&M
Motown
Daptone records
P-Vine (some funk too)

I'll be posting more soon. Please share your own list too. Each 1, Teach One Ya Digg!

ya labels are helpful, esp the smaller, niche ones, but I wouldn't buy something on RCA, just b/c there are a lot of great rca albums. Things I look at:

1. Date, not too interested on modern stuff, so look at the dates, also can be helpful in conjunction with cover art...sometimes something looks like it will be good, but then realize its probably disco, etc...

2. Producers are helpful, as are following specific musicians. Start to know yr session guys, if possible.

3. Instrumentation, helps if Im looking for something specific, might buy random records I wouldnt otherwise for an instrument, have a collection of Hawaiian guitars, doboros "Stunning Brass" etc, etc...popular in 50s and 60s to feature an instrument

4. Album art

5. Song titles that catch my eye, probably irrational, but hey, ended up with some goodies that way.

oh, and if yr asking abt labels, Impulse for Jazz!! and Kurtom for Psych-soul! Just found out about the "rare earth" label, its Motown's imprint for rock bands, of which Rare earth was their first.

I usually don't look too much at labels but it can help making the decision to buy or not to buy for sure.
BUT: I bought some records just because of the lable and the records were crap. I bought a Lena Zavaroni LP (never heard of her before) just because the record was released on Stax...I was like cause beside the Stax snapping finger logo the cover doesn't have anything that call "BUY ME".....but damn thats a Stax record and its only 1 EUR.......I came home, put it on the turntable and came to the conclusion that this is for sure the worst LP that came out on Stax


there are some labels tho that do make me look at a record twice although they may released many different artist.

Harvest
Vertigo
Trojan
the already mentioned Rare Earth
ATCO

peace

first thing i look for is the **** DATE.. if its 78, 79 or anything past that i usually don't buy the shit, i hate 80's sounding shit.. sometimes i will buy something in 78' only if the cover don't look 80's ish...

Lol at Lena Zavaroni.
That takes me back to the 70s. Even though she was really young, that was old people music even then.

inflict3 wrote:first thing i look for is the **** DATE.. if its 78, 79 or anything past that i usually don't buy the shit, i hate 80's sounding shit.. sometimes i will buy something in 78' only if the cover don't look 80's ish...

I once thought the same till I realised:
If I don't buy end 70s or 80s stuff there would be

no Zapp 4 U


no bounce


no Yearning


no outstanding


no Thriller or other 80s Michael Jackson

no Lets play house


or black hole


and so many other great stuff. Good Jazz stuff in the 80s too.

peace

inflict3 wrote:first thing i look for is the **** DATE.. if its 78, 79 or anything past that i usually don't buy the shit, i hate 80's sounding shit.. sometimes i will buy something in 78' only if the cover don't look 80's ish...

Some eighties is good, the ones I got if I told you were '80s you wouldn't believe me like Space Negroes, they sound like David Axelrod's early stuff.

black jazz
strata east
kudu
mps
flying dutchman
mainstream

Space Negroes

Chess
Kent
Blue note
light in the attic to name a few

not a label stickler, but ALWAYS check dates (after 80's im with inflict)

If i find something im digging, and theres a part i like, i will learn about it. eg if i hear a dope bassline, ill look who played it, what else he / she played in. What they used, etc. anythign that hints to some good sounds.

Ill tips ya'll, keep posting em. Nice find on that The Space Negros tip, I have yet to find one in the crates.

Keep Digging!
Each 1, Teach 1.

inflict3 wrote:first thing i look for is the **** DATE.. if its 78, 79 or anything past that i usually don't buy the shit, i hate 80's sounding shit.. sometimes i will buy something in 78' only if the cover don't look 80's ish...

yeah, never take a chance on records from '79.



or the 80's ....

yeah, there are exceptions.. I've got some awsome jazz records from the 79-early 80's for example.. James williams- alter ego

Just, from my personal experience, digging and listening to random records at the shop, most (like 80-90%-most) 80's records are **** awfull
The closer it gets to zhe 80's the dodgier. And it's not ignorance. I keep giving the 80's another chance, but ..
One time I found A stanley clarke record I din' know till then, and I thought:"stanley clarke is allways dope", so I bought it, took it home and it was horrible! Tryd listening again recently... Still dint like it.. The record is called "rocks pebbles and sand" ... From 1980