Do Not Sell At Any Price

Last updated
Do Not Sell At Any Price: The Wild, Obsessive Hunt for the World's Rarest 78rpm Records
Do Not Sell At Any Price.jpg
Author Amanda Petrusich
LanguageEnglish
Subject Record collecting
Publisher Scribner
Publication date
July 8, 2014
Media typePrint, Ebook
Pages272
ISBN 978-1-4516-6705-9
Website Do Not Sell At Any Price

Do Not Sell At Any Price: The Wild, Obsessive Hunt for the World's Rarest 78rpm Records is a 2014 book by American music journalist Amanda Petrusich.

Contents

Development and publication

Do Not Sell At Any Price grew out of research for a piece Petrusich wrote for Spin circa 2010; in reporting on the renewed commercial interest in vinyl records, she met collector John Heneghan and became interested in the project of record collecting. [1] As a critic inundated by new music seeking review, she was intrigued by the scarcity that drove collectors of 78s. [2]

Petrusich published the 272-page book with Scribner on July 8, 2014. [3]

Reception

Do Not Sell At Any Price was widely and favorably reviewed. [4] [5] [6] Randall Roberts described the book in the Los Angeles Times as a "thoughtful, entertaining history of obsessed music collectors and their quest for rare early 78 rpm records." [7] In Flavorwire, Jillian Mapes says Petrusich "captures the...weird beauty and legitimate historical importance" of collecting physical records: "This book will make you consider, and possibly rethink, digital music culture." [8] Writing in Paste Magazine, Elias Leight says that even in the context of Petrusich's "stellar resume", Do Not Sell At Any Price may be "her most compelling and inventive [work] yet." [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Single (music)</span> Release with one to three tracks

In music, a single is a type of release of a song recording of fewer tracks than an album or LP record, typically one or two tracks. A single can be released for sale to the public in a variety of physical or digital formats. Singles may be standalone tracks or connected to an artist's album, and in the latter case would often have at least one single release before the album itself, called lead singles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Extended play</span> Musical recording longer than a single but shorter than a full album

An extended play (EP) is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record. Contemporary EPs generally contain up to eight tracks and have a playing time of 15 to 30 minutes. An EP is usually less cohesive than an album and more "non-committal".

<i>Tusk</i> (album) 1979 studio album by Fleetwood Mac

Tusk is the twelfth studio album by British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac, released as a double album on 12 October 1979 in the United States and on 19 October 1979 in the United Kingdom by Warner Bros. Records. It is considered more experimental than their previous albums, partly as a consequence of Lindsey Buckingham's sparser songwriting arrangements and the influence of post-punk. The production costs were initially estimated to be about $1 million but many years later were revealed to be about $1.4 million, making it the most expensive rock album recorded to that date.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phonograph record</span> Disc-shaped analog sound storage medium

A phonograph record, a vinyl record, or simply a record or vinyl is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The groove usually starts near the outside edge and ends near the center of the disc. The stored sound information is made audible by playing the record on a phonograph.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paramount Records</span> American record label

Paramount Records was an American record label known for its recordings of jazz and blues in the 1920s and early 1930s, including such artists as Ma Rainey, Tommy Johnson and Blind Lemon Jefferson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bibliomania</span> Aspect of obsessive–compulsive disorder

Bibliomania can be a symptom of obsessive–compulsive disorder which involves the collecting or even hoarding of books to the point where social relations or health are damaged.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Album</span> Collection of audio recordings

An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), vinyl (record), audio tape, or digital. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records (78s) collected in a bound book resembling a photo album; this format evolved after 1948 into single vinyl long-playing (LP) records played at 33+13 rpm.

A cast recording is a recording of a stage musical that is intended to document the songs as they were performed in the show and experienced by the audience. An original cast recording or OCR, as the name implies, features the voices of the show's original cast. A cast recording featuring the first cast to perform a musical in a particular venue is known, for example, as an "original Broadway cast recording" (OBCR) or an "original London cast recording" (OLCR).

Alcide "Blind Uncle" Gaspard was a partially blind vocalist and guitarist from Louisiana who alternated between string-band music and traditional Cajun balladry on his recordings for Vocalion. Born in Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana in 1878 of Acadian descent, he became partially blinded when he was seven. It is unknown how Gaspard became blinded in one eye.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Record collecting</span> Hobby of collecting sound recordings

Record collecting is the hobby of collecting sound recordings, usually of music, but sometimes poetry, reading, historical speeches, and ambient noises. Although the typical focus is on vinyl records, all formats of recorded music can be collected.

<i>Record Collector</i> British monthly music magazine

Record Collector is a British monthly music magazine focussing on rare and collectable records, and the bands who recorded them. It was founded in Sept 1979 and distributes worldwide. It is promoted as "the world’s leading authority on rare and collectable records" and claims to be currently "the UK’s longest-running music magazine".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LP record</span> Vinyl analog sound storage discs

The LP is an analog sound storage medium, specifically a phonograph record format characterized by: a speed of 33+13 rpm; a 12- or 10-inch diameter; use of the "microgroove" groove specification; and a vinyl composition disk. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire US record industry and, apart from a few relatively minor refinements and the important later addition of stereophonic sound in 1957, it remained the standard format for record albums during a period in popular music known as the album era. LP was originally a trademark of Columbia and competed against the smaller 7-inch sized "45" or "single" format by RCA Victor, eventually ending up on top. Today in the vinyl revival era, a large majority of records are based on the LP format and hence the LP name continues to be in use today to refer to new records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Other Music</span> Former music store in New York City

Other Music was a music retail store that sold CDs, records and cassettes online and at their brick-and-mortar location in the Noho neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. The store specialized in the sale of closely curated underground, rare and experimental music. The physical store was located at 15 E 4th St, New York, NY 10003 from 1995 to June 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Lee Lewis discography</span>

This is a detailed discography for American rock and roll, country, and gospel singer-songwriter Jerry Lee Lewis (1935–2022). One of the pioneers of rockabilly, Lewis recorded over 40 albums in a career spanning seven decades. Lewis was a versatile artist, and recorded songs in multiple genres. Lewis, in 1986, was one of the first inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and was the last surviving rock and roll pioneer of Sun Records. Some of his best known songs are "Great Balls of Fire", "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On", and "High School Confidential". His album, Live at the Star Club, Hamburg, is widely considered one of the greatest live concert albums ever. In his lengthy career in music, Lewis had 30 songs reach the top ten on the "Billboard Country-and-Western" chart. Lewis was regarded as one of the greatest and most influential pianists of the rock and roll era, and was ranked number 24 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dust-to-Digital</span> American record label

Dust-to-Digital started as a record company that specialized in documenting the history of American popular music, including historical recordings of blues, gospel, and country music. They've since expanded their catalogue to include a breadth of international music, and their full discography has over 70 releases from all over the world. Their method combines rare recordings with historic images, photographs, and detailed texts describing artists and their works. The company has won multiple Grammy Awards.

Greg Neri is an American author and is known for his work in young adult fiction. He has written books in free verse and novelistic prose, as well as graphic novels and non-fiction. He has written 14 books for young people. Neri is the winner of the Michael L. Printz award and a Coretta Scott King honor and has received awards from the American Library Association, the Simon Wiesenthal Center and the International Reading Association.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amanda Petrusich</span> American music journalist

Amanda Petrusich is an American music journalist. She is a staff writer at The New Yorker and the author of three books: Pink Moon (2007), It Still Moves: Lost Songs, Lost Highways, and the Search for the Next American Music (2008), and Do Not Sell at Any Price: The Wild, Obsessive Hunt for the World's Rarest 78rpm Records (2014).

<i>It Still Moves</i> (book)

It Still Moves: Lost Songs, Lost Highways, and the Search for the Next American Music is a 2008 book by American music journalist Amanda Petrusich.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Record sales</span> Economic activity related to selling records through record shops or online music stores

Record sales or music sales are activities related to selling music recordings through physical record shops or digital music stores. Record sales reached their peak in 1999, when 600 million people spent an average of $64 on records, achieving $40 billion in sales of recorded music. Sales continued declining in the 21st century. The collapse of record sales also made artists rely on touring for most of their income. By 2019, record sales accounted for less than half of global recorded music revenue, overtaken by streaming. Following the inclusion of streaming into record charts in the mid-2010s, record sales are also referred to as traditional sales or pure sales.

References

  1. White, Caitlin (10 March 2016). "Brooklyn 100: Amanda Petrusich, Writer, Critic and Professor". Brooklyn Magazine. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  2. Dean, Eddie (2014-07-11). "Book Review: 'Do Not Sell at Any Price' by Amanda Petrusich & 'Pioneers of the Blues Revival' by Steve Cushing". Wall Street Journal. ISSN   0099-9660 . Retrieved 2017-07-06.
  3. "DO NOT SELL AT ANY PRICE by Amanda Petrusich | Kirkus Reviews". Kirkus Reviews. April 20, 2014. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  4. "Music Journalist Chronicles The 'Wild Obsessive Hunt' For Rare 78 RPM Records". Fresh Air. NPR. August 11, 2015. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  5. Rohter, Larry (21 July 2014). "'Do Not Sell at Any Price' and 'Dust & Grooves'". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  6. Mazor, Barry (July 3, 2014). "Revival Revival". New Republic. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  7. Roberts, Randall (3 July 2014). "'Do Not Sell at Any Price's' hunters stalk rare 78 rpm records". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  8. Mapes, Jillian (9 July 2014). "Staff Picks: Flavorwire's Favorite Cultural Things This Week". Flavorwire. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  9. Leight, Elias (August 20, 2014). "Do Not Sell At Any Price by Amanda Petrusich Review". Paste Magazine. Retrieved 6 July 2017.