BEATSVILLE - RARE LP - ROD McKUEN BEATNIK KEROUAC BEAT ERA HI-FI JAZZ ESPRESSO

$

45

Please note: Relisting 3-22-2012 This Is A 7-Day Auction.  You Can Bid On This LP, or Buy It Now!  Lots of interest and emails  so far, thanks! If you have any interest in  this LP, make an offer soon!
R O D    M c K U E N B  E  A  T  S  V  I  L  L  E    HiFi Records   1959
     A Very Rare LP
This is the legendary, hard-to-find, original hi-fi pressing of Rod McKuen's classic  contribution to the beat era, as it was happening. Rod McKuen made dozens of books  & records over the past 50-plus years: poetry & short stories(print), and  poetry/singing & music(audio recordings). McKuen's LP titled BEATSVILLE is,  by far, the rarest,  the most sought-after of his audio recordings.  The Beatsville  LP has a cult following among collectors of 50's jazz, poetry, spoke-word recordings,  and bohemian/coffeehouse culture.  This LP serves as a documentation, of sorts, of the beat era. 
  This high-fidelity, analog audio recording is a must have for archivists, beat era  historians, and for aficionados of beatnik poetry. Beatsville will make an excellent addition  to a sound archive or to a private record collection. As well, this record would be  excellent on-air material for radio music programmers(DJs)  who specialize in jazz and/or spoken word.  
Label: HiFi Record             High Fidelity Recordings, Inc.             Sunset Blvd.             Hollywood, CA LP: R419 .... RIAA Curve Speed: 33 1/3 RPM Size: 12-inch Duration: Long-Play (LP)
 Principally recorded at HiFi Records, Hollywood, California, 1959  Liner notes: Ben Shecter  Liner photos: Richard Strauss and Ben Shecter  Cover photo: Rick Strauss
  Personnel: Rod McKuen (spoken-word, vocals); Bob McFadden, Dor (vocals);  Buddy Colette (flute); Chris Anderson (piano, guitar, concertina); Howard Heitmeyer (guitar);  Paul Gray, Brent Harding (string bass); and the uncredited session musicians; Bill Haley & The Comets.
 Description:  The cover features bold stylized title "BEATSVILLE", "rod mckuen" (all lower case) and  a color photograph of Rod McKuen and a woman sitting in a coffeehouse, jazz club or an  art studio. They are seated at a chessboard table with a blue-green wine bottle, two glasses  and a copper ashtray that has a glowing candle in it. The chairs seen in the photograph are rattan  tiki style which were popular in that era. In the background is an surrealist or  impressionist-style painting. (Painter unknown, not credited) Great art direction  and a wonderful example of cool jazz album cover art of the era.
The back cover features two black & white photos of Rod McKuen, his image  dividing the bold lower-case title "beats" and "ville". Ten paragraphs of liner  notes, by Ben Shector, which provide a condensed bio on McKuen, and lots of  information about the recording. The liner notes describe "the scene" and its  illustrious characters in a cafe district. Also listed on the back  cover is the list of McKuen's song-poems/tone-poems. 
 The LP cover left edge has the album title for reading it when filed on a shelf.  As well, the same title information is printed on the top edge, for reading when  filed in a record bin. The "top titling" is not very common and was likely  intended for radio disc jockeys' ease of use & retrieval. This LP was a retail copy  purchased originally fro a record shop in Beverly Hills, CA.  This is not a promo copy, a white label or a test pressing.
 Excerpts from the liner notes:  "Rod McKuen, who received such outstanding critical  response for his previous album, 'Time of Desire'(HiFiRecord R407)- again  gives us the unusual. This time the setting is the expresso(sic) houses, the beaches  and the pads of the beat generation. You don't have to be in a two point beer haze  or hypnotized by the jazz beat to enjoy this album but it is decidedly for the seeker of the off beat.  Just as 'Time of Desire' appealed to the lover seeker,  BEATSVILLE is for the wanderer, the restless breed.
 Although much of BEATSVILLE's mood is serious and lyrical, you will find Rod more  often than not playing tongue in cheek with the beard and leotard set that has proved so  serviceable for Kerouac and Ginsberg. Rod himself is more off-beat than beat, though  he has lived and worked in and around the beat areas much  of his life and obviously has an understanding of the movement."
Ben Shecter closes his liner notes with this...  "To borrow a phrase from  one of Rod's BEATSVILLE characters,  'Put the needle down on the opening groove, and groove.' "
BEATSVILLE has 17 tracks.  Note: A great companion to this LP would to to obtain the CD  re-issue, which has additional tracks and liner notes.  I do not have a copy of that CD for sale.
The BEATSVILLE track list:
Side 1: Co-existence Bagel Shop Blues              Bearded Ladies              Haiku Poems              No Pictures, Please              Back To Sausalito              Three Songs For "S"               R.S.V.P.               Joue               Reflections On A Plane Trip Home
Side 2:  Life Is               The Elegant Prison Downstairs               The Bird Boy               Grant Avenue Square Dance               A Gallery Of Assorted Beats               Get The Hell Out Of My World               Like               What Is A Fabian?
   Condition:  The LP cover is in good condition for being 53 years old. The front cover  has vibrant color, one tear on the upper right edge, and a very faint image  of a hand-written name "G.D. ?last name?". that is underlined twice. I can't  tell if it is in the original cover printing or not. I am assuming  it was the name  of a previous owner of the LP, not the name of the painter who  made the colorful backdrop seen in the photograph. The small tear I  mentioned (approx. 1 1/2 inches x 3/8 inch) look like it may have been where a  burn mark was. Perhaps the original owner of the LP had rested a cigarette  on it...(in 1959, in SF's North Beach??).
The back cover is in fair condition. All text is clearly readable. Very light surface  soil, six small stains(perhaps spilled espresso??), and a few slight folds in the paper  labeling(likely a flaw from the record company or printer's labeling/gluing process.  This does not affect the readability of the liner notes and song list. Approx. 1 1/4 inches  above the word "beat" is a hand-written name "CHRIS"(all caps) in blue ink pen.  Above that can be seen the rubber-stamped mark from the original retail record shop.  For some collectors, this is a plus. It reads "Joseph Sachs Records  260 North Beverly Dr., Beverly Hills".
The top edge of the LP cover has a few very tiny nicks. They are only surface  and do not go through the cover's  cardboard material. The left side edge  of the LP cover has a few spots where the printed label is peeling some.  At first glance, it appeared to be a split in  the seam, it is not. This LP cover has no split seams.
Please note: I have made no repairs to this LP cover. I will leave any  spot cleaning, paper repair, gluing, taping or other  repair methods/materials up to the buyer. 
The record is in excellent condition. It has no warping, no chips, no deep  scratches, no residue(glue, gum, tape adhesives, dirt build-up, etc.).  It has extremely light surface scratches from being handled over the  years by previous owners. Side 1, track 1 has a very light scratch,  more of a scuff, as it is very shallow and does  not affect the record  playing quality noticeably.  The center hole is in excellent condition, like brand new.  The label on Side 1 is in excellent condition but has two very light blue  ink notations on it. They may be timing notations "-1:00" by track 1, and "-38" by track 4.  Track 4 is not a short track, so this notation may have another meaning. 
Side 2 is in excellent condition. No significant scratches, only the  extremely  light surface scratches from previous handling(as I mentioned above). On track 8  there is a tiny bump in the vinyl. The bump(not the correct term) is approx. 1/64th of an  inch in size. This is from the record pressing process. It is a very slight pressing  process flaw and did not seem to affect the playing quality of the recording.  I only listened to this record one time.  The label on Side 2 is in excellent condition, no ink writing at all.
I have made note of every conditional detail of this LP(cover & record) that I can see.  This record and its cover are being sold as-is, no returns. Please read the entire list  of details before making an offer on this rare LP. If you have any questions, you can  contact me through eBay Messages, or by clicking on the Ask Seller A Question"  of this listing page.  My seller name is hwycinema . (Yes, I own a cinema, and yes... it travels on  the highway, or in beatnik terms... on-the-road.)
Please note: I choose not to use other people's grading terms and criteria.  I am not a high-volume LP seller, hence I am able to take the time to research and  compose a detailed listing for the LPs that I list here on eBay. I have been  collecting LPs for over 30 years, have done public & commercial radio  programming(vinyl LPs), and worked doing on-location audio  recording(boom & mixer using Nagra analog tape), as well I've done soundtrack  selection for documentary & feature films, and post-production sound  editing(radio, TV, cinema). I'm not bragging, I just want to  emphasize that I have a good ear & eye for records. 
Please note: I have made not cleaned this record. I will leave any  cleaning and any repair of light scratches or scuffs up to the buyer. 
This LP is from a non-smoking home.
I am not selling this as a perfect or mint-condition LP, nor is it a sealed LP.  Please read all details about condition of the LP cover and the record.  If this LP and its record were in mint or sealed condition, I would be selling it  through a book and/or music-related auction, with a reserve or minimum starting bid of $200.00
This is a 30-day auction and there is a counter if you are interested in how many  views this listing gets. Those curious about how many people are watching this  item's sale can make inquiry by sending me a message on eBay.
This LP will be wrapped carefully and shipped "in a box, inside of  another box", using bubble wrap, stiff cardboard inserts and other  protective packing materials. The package will be insured for the full  value(based on the final selling price), and  the buyer will be able to track the package while in shipment.  If you prefer USPS Priority Mail or UPS shipping,  you need to contact me prior to making an offer on this LP.
Price: Bid on this LP, or choose the Buy It Now option. Payment: PayPal only. Shipping: $4.00 via USPS Parcel Post with eBay tracking,  delivery confirmation and insurance. I can only ship to USA 50 states at this time.  Payment: PayPal only.
               THIS LP RECORD IS BEING SOLD AS-IS, NO RETURNS.
              Additional Information about "Beatsville" 
One reviewer of the re-issue CD of Beatsville wrote: "This coffee-fueled tribute to/parody of then-contemporary Beat culture has stood  the test of time and serves as an authentic peek through the keyhole of  American bohemian culture of the 1950's."
 Indeed, it is up for debate as to whether McKuen meant this to be a tribute to  the beat poets of the same era, or if it was a satirical piece, a parody. Whatever his goal  was, the LP created a few sub-markets, so it was a win-win I suppose. Submarket: The beat  poets, poetry fans and the typical coffee house crowd of circa 1959-67 era bought the LP,  and likewise, fans of Rod McKuen were so enthused that they went out and bought copies  of beat writer books of the era including On The Road, Howl, A Coney Island of  the Mind, Naked Lunch and other books when they were first editions in  bookstores like City Lights(SF).
Note: This record had a re-release (on CD only) in 1999 to celebrate its 40th anniversary.  Even the CD is not so easy to find, though I've seen a few here on eBay. 
key words: Rod McKuen - Bob McFadden - Dor - West Coast Poetry and Jazz - beat  beanik - Herb Caen - beat era - Vincent Balestri - Kerouac: The Essence of Jack , a jazz play -  Beat Angel (a Kerouac themed narrative feature film, shot and edited on 16mm) -   Allen Ginsberg - Howl - William S. Burroughs - Naked Lunch - Naked Making Lunch -  The Town and the City - The Subterraneans - Lawrence Ferlinghetti - A Coney Island  of the Mind - Charles Bukowski - Bar Fly - Mickey Rourke - Gary Snyder - Paul Bowles -  Marrakech - Tangier Morocco - Gregory Corso - Tennessee Williams - Neal Cassady -  Dean Moriarty  - Diane di Prima - William Saroyan - Hunter S. Thompson - Duke -  Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas - Johnny Depp - gonzo journalism - Rick McKinney -  Jiggle Box - Where The Buffalo Roam - Bill Murray - beat prose - 3-dot journalism -  stream of consciousness writing - poetry readings slam - readers theater theatre -  Dharma Bums - J.D. Salinger - Catcher In The Rye - Jean-Louis Kerouac -  Lowell, Mass. MA - Gerard - Washington Square Park NYC -  Washington Park Square SF - San Francisco - Broadway & Columbus - Chinatown -  Powell & Market - Golden Gate Bridge - Coit Tower - The Filbert Steps -  The Washbag - The Washington Square Bar and Grille - Vitamin V -  North Beach - Harvard Square - Cambridge - newsstand - bookstore - Lucien Carr -  Columbia University - Thomas Wolfe - Desolation Angel - Desolation Peak fire lookout -  Graham Kerr - The Galloping Gourmet - Buddhist Buddha Buddhism Zen  -  John Clellon Holmes - Six Gallery - Vesuvio's - Caffe Trieste - Graffeo Coffee -  Upper Grant Street - Grant Avenue - Savoy Tivoli - Mario's Bohemian Cigar Store Cafe -  Cafe Roma - Peets -The Mediterranean - Telegraph Avenue - Moe's Books -  Shakespeare Book Company - Cody's Books - Powell's City of Books - Portland, Oregon  - Port Townsend - LaConner - San Juan Islands - Lopez - Waldron -  Vashon -  Gulf Islands - Cortez - Ganges, Salt Spring Island - Valdy - Vancouver BC - Gastown -  Elliot Bay Book Company - Seattle - Pioneer Square - The University District -  Village Books - Fairhaven - Toad Hall - West Village - East Village - The Blue Note jazz club - Greenwhich Village - The Village Gate - Village Vanguard -  The East Village Other - The Berkeley Barb - The Oracle - The Northwest Passage -  Los Angeles Free Press - Venice, California - SF - The City - "Please don't call it Frisco."  - Bagdad By The Bay - Enrico's - Vanessi's - Jazz At Pearl's - Cal Tjader -  Stan Getz - Stanford - UC Berkeley -Vince Guaraldi - Bola Sete - Chet Baker -  Jimbo's Bop City - The Saloon - Grant & Green - El Matador - The Blackhawk -  The Purple Onion - The Hungry i - Basin Street West - The Jazz Workshop -  The Cellar - The Boarding House - Francis Ford Coppola - Zoetrope - The Sentinel Building -  Jack Kerouac Alley - Vesuvio - The Avalon Ballroom - Keystone Corner -  Earthquake McGoon's - Turk Murphy Jazz Band - The Buena Vista - Nob Hill -  Telegraph Hill - cable car - San Remo Hotel - Gold's Bar - Tadich Grill -  56 Gold Street bar - Melvin Belli - bohemian - bongos cool hip hep cat  groovy chick - Bimbo's 365 Club - Specs - Spec's - Specs' Twelve Adler Museum Cafe -  Tosca Cafe - Caffe Sport - bebop - jazz - Miles Davis - Charlie Bird Parker - Charles Mingus -  Straight No Chaser - 'Round Midnight - Clint Eastwood - A Great Day In Harlem -  Let's Get Lost , a film by Bruce Weber - Jazz by Ken Burns - Frank's Pizza in North Beach  - Gino & Carlo - North Beach Restuarant - Sausalito - Bridgeway - houseboat - Gate 5 Road  - Gate 3 - Jean Varda - Alan Watts - The Vallejo - The Charles Van Damme - The Red Legs -  Arquez Boatyard - Mill Valley - Bolinas - Pt. Reyes Station - The Point Reyes Light -  Fairfax - Marin county - coffeehouse - espresso - cappuccino - wine - Coffee Gallery -  The Co-existence Bagel Shop - Smithsonian - Folkways - Alan Lomax -  Michael Ochs Archives - Getty Museum - sound bank - sample - sampling  - archives - archival - vinyl - acetate - reel to reel - analog tape recording - audiophile  - Vespa - motor scooter - Lambretta - poodle - snapping fingers - far out - too much -  dullsville - happening - commune - communal - pad - crash pad - crib - cake - bread -  dough-re-mi - Al Jazzbo Collins - "I don't gotta show you no stinking badge." -  Steve Allen - Little Red Riding Hood For Cool Kids - Mort Sahl - Dr. Irwin Corey -  Phyllis Diller - Bob Newhart - Bill Cosby - Sid Caesar - The Smothers Brothers -  The Marx Bros. - Bob & Ray - Carl Reiner - Mel Brooks - folk music - Big Sur - Napenthe  - Esalan - Pfieffer Beach - Ventana - Deejun's Big Sur Inn - Monterey - Cannery Row -  Carmel - Napa Valley - Mendocino - Jenner By The Sea - Henry Miller - fifties
      BE WARM.... STAY COOL, DADDY-O!