FLAME 1970 LP Brother BEACH BOYS RUTLES great Beatles Badfinger POP PSYCH LISTEN

$

50

Beach Boys fans, this one’s for you.  Oh yeah, and Beatles fans too.  And fans of Badfinger.  It’s complicated, I know, but here’s the deal.  The Flames were a very popular South African band during the late 60’s.  Sometime around 1970, they met up with Carl Wilson of the Beach Boys – I’m not sure exactly HOW that happened but I bet it’s on the internet somewhere.  Anyway, Carl apparently liked what he heard, or more like LOVED what he heard.  Not only did he produce their next album – this one, from 1970, where the band ditched the plural and became simply “The Flame.”  He also got it released in the States on the Beach Boys’ own Brother label (where it’s still the ONLY non-Beach Boys album on the label).  And then, to top it all off, he recruited two of the Flame members – Blondie Chaplin and Ricky Fataar (who later became better known as Stig in the Rutles) to join the Beach Boys!  Now, knowing all this, if you’re expecting a Beach Boys sound out of these guys, well, think again.  Ricky’s future stint in the Rutles should tip you off more to the sound.  The Flame sounds most like late Beatles – think White Album and Abbey Road in particular – especially when the floaty psych pop “Dove” segues into the liquidy day-glo rock of “Another Day Like Heaven.”  And that “Hey Jude” chorus just brings it all home.  Elsewhere, the band’s naturally rawer, more aggressive sound, coupled with their innate Beatles tendencies, make them sound almost exactly like Badfinger.  “See The Light” could’ve fit nicely on STRAIGHT UP.  It’s great catchy power pop with a Beatles guitar riff nicely “borrowed,” shall we say.  The in-your-face “Hey Lord” sounds like the heavier side of Badfinger – think “Constitution” for example, and the fact that it’s immediately followed by the sweet McCartney pop of “Lady” is a tad bit cruel.  “Lady,” meanwhile, with its bright and sunny cowpoke lazy farmhand vibe, sounds like it would really love the company amongst Paul’s RAM album.  Musically, The Flame is all things Beatle, while personnel-wise, it’s all things Beach Boys.  Good thing they broke up shortly after – they could’ve gone on for years competing with themselves.

Original 1970 LP on the US Brother label.  Vinyl plays VG to VG+ with some pops, notably on Side 1.  Cover's in VG+ shape, pretty average wear, top seam is half split, bottom seam 1/4 split.  

Click here to listen to a second song...

...and click here to listen to a third song (because this album is THAT good)

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.  Overseas shipping has, unfortunately, gone way up in the fast few months, which translates to $15 for the first LP to Canada ($3 each one thereafter) and $24 for the first LP everywhere else in the world, with each add'l LP an extra $5 (so it pays to buy more, nudge nudge wink wink).   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. 

 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.