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On Friday, ABC South East Bega is selling off its entire vinyl collection – for $2 a record.
All money raised is going to the carers accommodation project at South East Regional Hospital. And with an estimated 1000 or so LPs and a shelf full of 7-inch records there’s a handy contribution sure to be heading the way of CCASE.
The collection is gathering dust, and a little water damage – and seems a little heavy on Kate Ceberano and Slim Dusty. But if you go digging there is some real gold in there said breakfast presenter Simon Lauder.
“There’s good reason for all the nostalgia around vinyl,” Mr Lauder said. “Pressing a button on a computer is nowhere near as fun.
“It’s a bit sad to be getting rid of it all, but in practical terms we just can’t keep it. I think if we made a request for a new record player ABC management would start asking questions,” he added with a chuckle.
Mr Lauder said the ABC playlist of today has a lean towards emerging artists that may not otherwise have an outlet for such wide exposure.
“We’ll occasionally get a text asking for some Frank Sinatra – that will always be in there – but it’s great to embrace new trends in music,” he said.
The record collection goes back decades, covering greats like Perry Como, Roberta Flack, The Beatles and John Farnham.
Just as interesting as what is included are some of the hand-written notations on the archived album-liners indicating which tracks on an record aren’t to be played, like Renee Geyer’s Without Love, which is “bordering on too rocky”!
There is even a selection of ABC-branded sound effect 45s, including the brilliant “bakery at lunchtime” and who could forget the all-time classics “pedestrians in a mall” and “wool auction”.
Unfortunately we can’t keep this all to ourselves, no matter how many vinyl tragics are in the newsroom.
The sale is happening in Ayres Walkway, Bega, from 8.30am Friday. SES volunteers will have a barbecue going as well. All snags and records are $2 each.