INSANELY RARE-Matt Sweeney, Claude Coleman- 1st 7" - Ween, Chavez, Guitar Moves
$
30
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Description
ONLY 500 EVER PRESSED, AND THERE ARE NOWHERE NEAR THAT MANY IN CIRCULATION, ESPECIALLY IN MINT CONDITION. THIS IS INSANELY RARE. IF YOU THINK THIS IS EXPENSIVE, GO AHEAD... SEARCH AROUND. FIND IT CHEAPER IN ABSOLUTELY MINT CONDITION. YOU CAN'T.
YOU WILL ONLY FIND THIS ITEM FOR SALE IN ONE OTHER PLACE, ONE COPY HERE IN NEW YORK. SAME PRICE (and less stuff).
KEEP READING TO THE BOTTOM. A BONUS ITEM IS INCLUDED.
We have Skunk (1986 - 1991). Twin/Tone recording artists, and obscure indie band from New Jersey, one more group of loud rock and rollers -- fixated on equal parts Sabbath and Flag, Bad Brains and Stooges -- playing CBs, Maxwell's, and The Pyramid in the days just prior to grunge's meteoric ascent.
The band is noteworthy in 2017, if at all, because of the substantial subsequent achievements of its members.
Matt Sweeney, host of YouTube's popular 'Guitar Moves' series, co-leader of the excellent rock band Chavez, and a first call session guitarist who has contributed to recordings and concerts by an assortment of diverse artists ranging from Neil Diamond and Cat Stevens all the way to Baby Dee, Current 93, Tinariwen, Andrew W.K., and a little known songstress name of Adele.
The band's drummer was Claude Coleman. While a gifted multi-instrumentalist, and the survivor of a car accident that would have sidelined most mortal men, Claude is well-known for his time behind the traps with groups such as The Eagles of Death Metal. But he is best known, and most beloved the world over, for his time as Ween's drummer; a throne he fills to this day (whenever Ween chooses to gig), and has done since 1991. In days between Ween gigs, he plays the drums for The Dean Ween Group.
This 7" is INSANELY rare, with only 500 copies ever having been pressed. Some were sold, many were given away to friends and potential record labels -- of which Twin/Tone was one -- many were mailed to club promoters, etc. Very few copies are any longer traceable, even to the former members of the band.
The record is credited to Mighty Joe Young, the band's name prior to learning that a blues artist had previously recorded under the name in the 60s and 70s. It features the original, and vastly superior versions of their debut album tracks "Hoss" and "Chump." We'll be returning to the matter of that debut album in a moment.
The record also features -- in lieu of a proper picture sleeve, on one side of its label -- the trademarked visage of a famously, tragically mentally ill man (unknown to the group at the time), whose make-up design is owned by two famously litigious men. But if you recognize it, you do.
BONUS!
Skunk's 'Last American Virgin' L.P. on CD? It's even an official Twin/Tone release. And it will be thrown in with this auction.
Skunk's existence straddled a bizarre turning point in the music industry. In 1989, when their first album was released, the vast majority of recorded music released -- be it on indies or majors -- was on vinyl or cassette. Only the very biggest bands had their albums released on the then much ballyhooed CD format.
In 1991 when Skunk released their second and final album, 'Laid' (a personal fave of Jack Black, of Tenacious D not "You Can't Win" fame) most releases -- be they on indies or majors, at least in the states -- were on only CD or cassette.
This is the sort of thing you bring up during a date while the girl who is really too young for you anyway turns glassy eyed with boredom.
Oh, where was I?
OH, so... In the early noughties Twin/Tone's website was sort of a primitive affair even for its era. The label did at that time own some records worthy of actively keeping in print, of course; what most consider The Replacements' most vital output, the early Soul Asylum records, crucial releases by Babes in Toyland and The Jayhawks.
But the second-tier bands' material was made available, strictly via mail-order, and a means I'm fairly certain was grey-market at best. The label's proprietor would burn you a copy -- purported to have been carefully remastered for the CD format -- of whichever of their catalog items you desired, and for a price that seemed unreasonable as no artwork was to be included. In the pre-iTunes/YouTube/BitTorrent/ even Music Blog world I guess for some it was better than nothing.
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