Vinyl Community – Page 7 – The Past Dispatch

A&M Records Highlights: Fairport Convention

August 5, 2025November 15, 2023 by Bonnie Waters

Shooting from the hip here, so feel free to kindly counter this claim in comments, but I suspect there was no more prolific group on either side of the Atlantic in 1969 than Fairport Convention, and only Led Zeppelin achieved more impactful strides within those 12 months.

FC is the subject of this installment of #TuesdaysWithJerry, my journey through A&M Records’s past, in tribute to that label’s late co-founder Jerry Moss. I’ll get to why you’re as likely to find UK editions on Island Records as stateside pressings.

Soundtrack Sunday: Absolute Beginners

September 1, 2025November 12, 2023 by Bonnie Waters

I’ve long considered contributing cinematic wax to the weekly roundup that is #soundtracksunday, hosted by (who else?) @soundtracksunday.

Christine McVie Deep Dive: The Alternate ‘Live’

July 3, 2025November 10, 2023 by Bonnie Waters

First off: Could they have picked a more distant, boring, pointless photo for this thing?

The frenetically blurry pic adorning the original Live back in December ‘80 said everything. This poorly framed glimpse taken from Loge 57 Row Z says absolutely nothing beyond ‘these are the five people in this band.’ The shot of them embracing inside the gatefold would have made a much better cover.

A&M Records Highlights: Baja Marimba Band

August 5, 2025November 7, 2023 by Bonnie Waters

This wasn’t the pairing I planned to present today for the 10th installment of my #TuesdaysWithJerry series, an ongoing look at the history of A&M Records (cofounded by the late Jerry Moss) that I’ve hitched to ye olde #VinylTwosDays wagon, captained each week by @vinyl_is_life.

Christine McVie Deep Dive: Fleetwood Mac ‘In Concert’

July 3, 2025October 25, 2023 by Bonnie Waters

That’s right, Mac watchers, you’ve guessed correctly: It’s time now to resurrect a trove of Tusk-an tour mementos. Buckle up, kids, because there are two more live sets right behind this one — literally seven LPs & 14 sides of performances to get through before we take a fresh look at 1982’s Mirage.

A&M Records Highlights: Best Of…

August 5, 2025October 24, 2023 by Bonnie Waters

We’re technically jumping into the ‘70s with these compilations when there’s still plenty left in the ‘60s worth mentioning. The Procol Harum assortment with the inexplicably celestial cover is from ’73, Spooky Tooth’s set with peeking tiger from ’76.

Saturday Saloon Costume Party

July 3, 2025October 22, 2023 by Bonnie Waters

They’re throwing a country costume party today over in #TheSaturdaySaloon, what with Halloween rapidly approaching. When I first heard about this masquerade, my mind immediately conjured words I never expected to think let alone type out for public ridicule:

Christine McVie Deep Dive: The Alternate ‘Tusk’

July 3, 2025October 20, 2023 by Bonnie Waters

If you’ve spent time listening to any of these alternate versions of Fleetwood Mac’s beloved behemoths, whether in vinyl form (like this parallel Tusk) or via scores of tracks that litter deluxe-edition digital copies, you’ve got to admit: Sometimes it’s really hard to discern much difference between outtakes and finished products.

A&M Records Highlights: Samplers

August 5, 2025October 17, 2023 by Bonnie Waters

Today’s #TuesdaysWithJerry topic: samplers!
I wish more labels had kept up with this promotional practice, tossing together gateway tracks as a means of enticing ears to seek out more from their rosters, while sometimes slipping in a rarity or two to help such things become collector’s items.

Christine McVie Deep Dive: ‘Tusk’

July 3, 2025October 16, 2023 by Bonnie Waters

I hardly know where to begin with this beast.
Were this an ongoing deep dive into the varied sounds of Lindsey Buckingham, I’d know exactly how to start: Despite memorable material from Christine McVie and Stevie Nicks — including the utterly gorgeous, sometimes seductive ‘Sara,’ my pick for the latter’s peak moment in Fleetwood Mac or otherwise — this thing still plays like LB’s first solo LP.