[06/06/10] The Bang Masters Contest

 

RECORD COLLECTOR'S CORNER

The Bang Masters Contest

 

View the Bang Masters Gallery
 

Back in the early seventies my close friend, guitarist Clay Barnes, and I
attempted a move to Atlanta.  I remember the whole Symbionese
Liberation Army thing was going on. 1973, right?

 

The TV news each night was sort of like the way The Rolling Stones' EXILE ON
MAIN STREET still sounds.

 

Our first few nights were spent in the apartment of our hometown (Meridian, MS)
hero Paul Davis and his wife Pam.  Many of you may like Paul's hits "Cool Night"
and "'65 Love Affair" as much as I do.  I like his first singles (recorded at
Malaco) even better, but that's another story...).

 

Paul recorded for the Bang label.

 

One morning he took us by their warehouse/office and, after looking
through the titles in stock, I decided to purchase one of their catalog items --
Van Morrison's BLOWIN' YOUR MIND.  I was a big Van fan, but didn't already
own it.

 

I knew it wasn't anywhere near as good an album as the fully-formed
absolute masterpiece that followed it on Warner Bros/Seven Arts.  Still, it did
have "Brown Eyed Girl" and, well, what the hell?

 

During the last ten years I've been amazed in my travels by the seemingly never
ending CD rereleases of the BLOWIN' YOUR MIND material.

 

You know what? This actually does blow my mind!

 

For a while I thought I'd collect them all----just for a lark. But after a few months
I realized that (even at the budget price they invariably sell for)
such a quest could leave me with little to spend on other releases of real
interest!  I gave up.

 

But no, wait! I'm back on it---I'm inviting you to join the mania and take part in
THE BANG MASTERS TOURNAMENT.

 

All you have to is scan the front and back of one of the (now numbering over
sixty?) versions and send this artwork to us at bang@steveforbert.com.
 

Sometimes it's packaged with a random live performance or some other kind of
Van Morrison grab bag of a disc. These sets are allowed.

 

All of these Bang-based releases are out of Van's control, stemming from his first
or second recording contract, and I'm sure they don't make him very
happy. Should he happen to hear about this contest I hope he won’t be
too offended by my little hobby.

 

Vinyl sets are allowed, too, if you can scan 'em!  We'll gladly put your
particular find up in the new virtual BLOWIN' YOUR MIND gallery.

 

You'll get personal credit for each respective verified entry AND we’ll supply
a pass code to download a secret EP of some of my own stuff that I'll assemble
for winners only.

 

Try Dollar General or Goodwill or (more likely) truck stops...or those
motorway Welcome Rest shops in England.  You may find a completely new
one on the moon!

 

I just hope you don't buy a pressing only to find that someone has already
posted it!

 

Please join us!  And happy hunting!  I'll get things started by putting up
seven.

 

Sincerely,
Steve

 

Entry #20 (from Slick Topango): Brown Eyed Girl / Sony Music / A 28414

 

Purchased at a CD Warehouse

 

 

 

Entry #19 (from Sue Tarnopal):
The Very Best of Van Morrison (The Bang Years)

Epic (Legacy) / 8869742230

 

Purchased online via BarnesandNoble.com

 

 

 

Entry #18 (from Donna Schuster): New York Sessions '67 / Snapper / SMDCD 103

 

Purchased online via Amazon.com

 

 

 

Entry #17 (from John King): Brown Eyed Girl / Black Box / BB255

 

Puchased somewhere in England

 

 

 

Entry #16 (from Ron Lavery): The Early Years 67-68 / Metro / METRCD017

 

Purchased at Freakbeat Records outside of Los Angeles

 

 

 

Entry #15 (from George Moser): Blowin' Your Mind! / Bang / BLP 218
 

I know we already have this listed below on CD, but I couldn't pass
up this original vinyl entry from the Bang label.

 

 

 

Entry #14 (from Tracy Plass): Super Hits / Columbia Legacy / 499952 2

 

Purchased at a finer record store in Floral Park, NY

 

 

 

Entry #13 (from Johannes Van der Westhuizen)
The 1967 New York Sessions / Hallmark / 312022

 

Purchase information unknown

 

 

 

Entry #12 (from Dana Erlandson): Brown Eyed Girl / Planet Media / PML 1057

 

Purchased in a used disc shop in the Soho district of London

 

 

 

 

 

 

Entry #11 (from John Kindell): The Best of Van Morrison / Bang Recds / BLP 222

 

Purchase information unknown
Vinyl LP w/ label scans!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Entry #10 (from Tracy Plass): Collections / Sony Music Canada / CK 65882

 

Purchased at Turn It Up Records in Northampton, MA

 

 

 

 

Entry #9 (from Neil Bretvick): The Best Of... / St. Clair Entertainment

 

Purchased at a Fred Meyer

 

 

 

 

Entry #8 (from Albino Slim): Spanish Rose / Neon Netherlands / NE 34502

 

Purchased at a Rite Aid in Natchez, Mississippi

 

 

 

 

The Bang Masters -- From Steve Forbert

 

Entry #1 (Steve Forbert): Super Hits / Sony BMG / A 705316