Argo records. a quick question

[BoneyVotel]

Hoping that someone may be able to give me a clue as to why the decent LP's / ones that Id like on Argo are so dam elusive?? Having been digging for many years I 'aint found any of the decent jazz on Argo on the cheap, I dont expect to any more but like 8 years ago or so you'd have thought the'd of turned up every now & again?
What was the distribution of these LP's like?
How many would of been pressed?
Is there a untouched stash in a warehouse some where (like a UK version of USA 45 warehouses??)
Why are the only ones Ive found cheap steam train noises?
Im talking bout Michael Garrick Norma Winstone & the like also some folk as well.
Any pointers muchly appreciated

[Funky Guzzo]

I've always assumed that Argo was a US label. I see quite a few out here in Los Angeles. Just picked up a nice jazz LP on this label from a guy named Sam Lazar that features a young Grant Green.

[john stapleton]

two different labels - the U.S. one was a division of Chess and put out a horseload of jazz lp's, some of which are very common, and some less so. The U.K. one was a division of the Decca label, and released mostly spoken word and classical stuff, plus some folk and extremely rare jazz lp's. I'd guess the pressings were pretty small (500 - 1000?) on the jazz stuff because it's pretty specialist music, then as well as now. Personally I've never seen albums like Norma Winstone's 'Edge of Time', either in a collection or for sale at any price, in a good few years of looking. and if there's a secret Argo stash somewhere, it'll likely be Great Western train sounds and Dylan Thomas poetry albums

[BoneyVotel]

Cheers John. I have got Edge of Time & its a fantastic LP. (Did'nt come cheap) Ive also got 'Black Marigolds' & 'October Woman' by Michael Garrick. I was thinking that perhaps Black Marigolds may be easier to find than some of the other releases 'cause Ive seen it listed more?? Would love to have The Heart is a Lotus'.
One of the folk LP's I was thinkin' of is the one by Bonnie Dobson?? Never seen this & wondered if it is similar to her RCA LP at all.
Another UK jazz lable I've been picking up when I can is Ogun. It's fairly free, but some mad LP's that you just dont seem to see.

[Seventies Kid]

As you might've spotted in my recent chart - I picked up a mint copy w/insert of Alan Cohen's 'Black, Brown & Beige' on Argo (1973) from my local Oxfam for 99p recently.

It features all the heavywieght Brit-jazz guys/gals such as Mike Gibbs, Henry Lowther, Kenny Wheeler, Harold Beckett and Norma Winstone.

I'd be very interested to find out if it's rare/how much a jazz dealer might knock it out for.

[john stapleton]

i picked up michael garrick's 'home stretch blues' recently that features norma winstone - amazing record, but also didn't come cheap

[BoneyVotel]

A fair bit I reckon. I've got this LP on a USA release, when I checked the US copy did'nt seem to hold a massive price tag.

[BoneyVotel]

I passed up a Home Stretch Blues about three years ago & rue that day to this day!

[john stapleton]

I could do you a shifty burn if you like....

[john stapleton]

I could do you a shifty burn if you like....

[BoneyVotel]

That would be much appreciated John, cheers mate.
I'll email my details & if there's anything i can sort for you let us know.

[Lord Thames]

Does anyone have any details of the LPs Rick Jones (of 'Fingerbobs' and 'Bang On A Drum' fame) did for Argo? I'd be interested to find out what they're like.

[theeman]

good thread, this. which brings is on to a new discussion... what do people think of the mid/late 80s Brit jazz material?

personally (see next month's chart) i can see this eventually going the way of Rendell and co - beautiful and under-appreciated in many cases, and pressed in tiny quantities since CDs were starting to become the jazz format of choice.

iain ballamy, django bates, loose tubes, human chain, bill bruford's earthworks, julian joseph, jason rebello etc...

comments?

[Belson]

Quote[/b] (theeman @ Nov. 27 2003,13:25)]what do people think of the mid/late 80s Brit jazz material?

personally (see next month's chart) i can see this eventually going the way of Rendell and co - beautiful and under-appreciated in many cases, and pressed in tiny quantities since CDs were starting to become the jazz format of choice.

iain ballamy, django bates, loose tubes, human chain, bill bruford's earthworks, julian joseph, jason rebello etc...

comments?

It really is six of one and half a dozen of another. A lot of good stuff floating around amogst the quagmire of AJ (which then depends whether that floats your boat or not.)

As well as your list, Ed, you can include the following in the same breath - thing is, the gap in quality between these artists, IMO, was huge. I'll leave my comments out of it, so that you guys can formulate your own opinions.

Orphy Robinson, Snowboy, Philip Bent, Alan Barnes, Jazz Warriors, Guy Barker, the oririgns of Courtney Pine.

OK, one for the road - what in the hell happened to Philip Bent - uber talented in the Warriors, shite on his Jack Jones.

[BoneyVotel]

I can see some of the late 70's / early 80's jazz becoming quite collectable in the future. Take for example Stan Tracy's lable Steam. Very few copies of these LP's must of been pressed & another lable of note may be 'Wave' Ive had a few on this lable before & the quality of the music is pretty high if I remember rightly.