The Vinyl Guide - Artist Interviews for Record Collectors and Music Nerds

The Vinyl Guide
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Nate is a record collector, music lover and vinyl maniac. Join him on his journey to discuss, share and review all things related to vinyl records. We feature stories about and interviews with musicians, artists and people of knowledge in the area of vinyl records. Additionally we share information on desirable pressings of records, how to tell a $5 pressing from a $500 pressing and care and maintenance for your cratedigging hobby. Subscribe and share with your record-nerd friends. Cheers!

  1. Ep541: TV Smith - 50 Years of The Adverts

    6H AGO

    Ep541: TV Smith - 50 Years of The Adverts

    TV Smith joins Nate to discuss the 50th anniversary of The Adverts, an Australian tour backed by The Hard-Ons, and a career full of great songs and terrible label luck. Topics Include: TV Smith is touring Australia in April with The Hard-Ons. The tour celebrates the 50th anniversary of The Adverts. The Hard-Ons are already learning the surprisingly complex Adverts songs. TV finds it odd but joyful to still be performing. He got back into vinyl to quality-check his own releases. Bowie, Roxy Music, and reggae were key early influences for TV. The Sex Pistols made TV believe he could actually do this. The Roxy Club punk scene started with just 30 people. Brian James of The Damned personally recommended The Adverts to Stiff. They recorded One Chord Wonders in a single afternoon at Pathway. Stiff misspelled the title and controversially centred Gaye Advert on the cover. Gary Gilmore's Eyes was TV's satirical response to exploitative media coverage. The BBC was deeply reluctant to air Gary Gilmore's Eyes on TV. Anchor Records collapsed mid-momentum, leaving The Adverts suddenly without a label. Crossing the Red Sea was recorded at Abbey Road with John Leckie. Gary Gilmore's Eyes was left off the album deliberately — vinyl runtime constraints. RCA signed them against their own A&R team's wishes — chaos followed. Cast of Thousands suffered a botched mix, a terrible cover, label indifference. Channel 5 was finally properly remastered after the producer found a safety tape. TV is bringing vinyl to the merch table — especially the Handwriting LP. High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide Apple: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-ios Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-spot Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-amazon Support the show at Patreon.com/VinylGuide

    42 min
  2. Ep540: Swami John Reis - Record Collector

    MAR 23

    Ep540: Swami John Reis - Record Collector

    Swami John Reis of Rocket from the Crypt and Drive Like Jehu digs deep on record collecting, the thrill of the hunt, running Swami Records, and why the next release always matters most. Get yer tix to the Punk Rock Museum's 3rd Anniversary Show here Topics Include: Swami John Reis joins to talk record collecting and Punk Rock Museum. His collection is evolving — trading old hardcore for more desired records. Collection is 95% 45s, driven by a lifelong musical pursuit. Early punk led him to hunt for MC5, Stooges, Velvet Underground. The thrill: records still exist that nobody knows about yet. Digging through boxes feels calming, healthy, and satisfying every time. Hawaii vintage shop surprise — radio station collection hidden outside for decades. Detroit and Pittsburgh are his highest strike-rate cities for finds. Always ask the clerk — the best stuff is never on the floor. Styrene vs vinyl: the label sticker is the definitive tell. Making records informed his collecting — plain white sleeves, big hole 45s. Pressing plant relationships are everything; affordability is the biggest challenge. Customs delays under the current administration are wrecking release schedules badly. Major labels scrapped their own pressing plants — now everyone competes for time. Marketing records stopped making sense; the artist always drives interest anyway. Every record is essentially limited and out of print from day one. Smaller runs mean no unsold closet stock and more collector value later. Hot Snakes packaging and Rick Griffin's creativity still inspire him deeply. Upcoming: Sultans reissue, Mrs. Magician LP, new Swami John Reis record. Schizophonics collaboration in the works — the next thing is always the thing. High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide Apple: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-ios Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-spot Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-amazon Support the show at Patreon.com/VinylGuide

    1h 1m
  3. Ep539: Dr Strange Records' Summer Bash Festival

    MAR 18

    Ep539: Dr Strange Records' Summer Bash Festival

    Dr. Strange Records' Bill Plaster talks Summer Bash and the chaos of booking a festival, punk history, record collecting, Live Strange, and how punk rock can genuinely change lives. Get Summer Bash tix here  |  Follow Dr Strange for Live Strange here Topics Include: Bill Plaster of Dr. Strange Records joins to discuss the upcoming Summer Bash. Punk Rock Bowling's cancellation — visa bans, politics, venue loss — created the opportunity. Bill connected with Gallo, who runs the Fox Theater and the Cathedral in Pomona. The Cathedral: a stunning, refurbished 1921 four-story YMCA venue hosting the event. A massive two-day lineup — 30-plus bands across punk, hardcore, and old-school SoCal. Notable acts include the Effigies, Channel 3, the Skulls, featuring Kevin from Green Day. Every band asked said yes — Bill takes no money, purely doing it for the community. Dealing with booking agents was the biggest headache of organising the festival. Planning started in November; Bill hopes Summer Bash becomes an annual event. The Punk in the Park cancellations discussed — Bill argues protest with your vote, not boycotts. Bill credits Rod for building Dr. Strange's social media profile and making the festival possible. Bill's mentorship philosophy: punk rock can genuinely change lives for the better. The Dr. Strange "family" ethos — making fun of people with love, never punching down. Bill's book discussed — early punk discoveries via Damned, Buzzcocks, and XTC seven-inches. The brutal gang violence at early 80s LA/SoCal punk shows — constantly watching your back. A close call at Spanky's: the guy next to Bill got stabbed during a Guttermouth gig. Biggest missed show regret: skipped Oingo Boingo due to peer pressure from girls in line. Never saw Black Flag — their reputation for brutality genuinely scared him off. Eight years of mail order before opening the store; Voodoo Glow Skulls his biggest-selling record. Live Strange runs Wednesdays and Fridays — the cowbell is Bill's money-back guarantee. High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide Apple: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-ios Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-spot Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-amazon Support the show at Patreon.com/VinylGuide

    50 min
  4. Ep538: John Flansburgh of They Might Be Giants Returns!

    MAR 16

    Ep538: John Flansburgh of They Might Be Giants Returns!

    John Flansburgh of They Might Be Giants talks rare vinyl rarities, the chaotic story behind the new album's cover art, why re-recording old music is almost always a mistake and lots more Order the new album "The World Is to Dig" here Topics Include: Flansburgh owns roughly 2,000 records across three turntable setups at home He doesn't identify as a collector — just a serious listener His rarest record: an Andy Warhol-autographed Sticky Fingers with wild provenance photos He also owns a peeled-banana Velvet Underground and a Blonde on Blonde rarity Deep dive into what makes each of those pressings so collectible TMBG's new album title comes from a Maurice Sendak-illustrated children's book That led to a fascinating detour on painter Ad Reinhardt's secret black-on-black canvases Flansburgh has been TMBG's de facto art director for 35 years The new album's cover art was nearly a Washington Post-licensed sinkhole photo Washington Post's mass layoffs killed the deal at the last possible moment A Hudson Valley School painting of Yosemite became the actual cover Flansburgh and Linnell don't stockpile songs — cuts are made for specific artistic reasons He once had to shelve a song because Linnell came in with a nearly identical opening line TMBG song titles are uniquely searchable — except the new one referencing Wu-Tang Flansburgh is firmly against re-recording old material — cites Zappa as a cautionary tale Great discussion on remastering: Beatles got it right, Hendrix remaster was disorienting TMBG evolved from NYC performance art venues to rock clubs — crowd energy changed everything Their boutique 8-track manufacturer couldn't keep up when TMBG needed a thousand units Dolby Atmos debate: Flansburgh is skeptical, Nate makes the case for spatial audio Nate's most collectible record is a Nevermind test pressing — rejected pressings are worth more Extended & High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide Apple: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-ios Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-spot Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-amazon Support the show at Patreon.com/VinylGuide

    55 min
  5. Ep537: Bongo Fury at 50 – Zappa, Beefheart and the Vaultmeister

    MAR 9

    Ep537: Bongo Fury at 50 – Zappa, Beefheart and the Vaultmeister

    Zappa Vaultmeister Joe Travers discusses the Bongo Fury box set, the Frank and Beefheart origin story, Frank's cutting edge approach and what may be next from the Zappa Universe. Order the Zappa/Beefheart Bongo Fury 50th Anniversary editions here Topics Include: Joe and Nate bond over the Stooges and unreleased raw recordings Bongo Fury turns 50 with 48 previously unheard tracks Two complete Armadillo shows finally presented unedited in sequence Portuguese Lunar Landing emerges from rehearsal tapes—a true nugget Frank kept tour itineraries but few detailed production notes Joe worked solo digitizing tapes for decades under Gail's direction Universal now controls the vault—the process has changed significantly Frank's Mac had one gigabyte—they dumped mixes to tape constantly Kennedy backup tapes and Synclavier data may be unplayable forever Racing against tape decay and obsolete machines that can't be replaced Heartbreak: 1630 tapes getting stuck and destroyed inside malfunctioning machines Early history of Frank and Captain Beefheart The Soots recorded together—Tiger Roach released, two covers still unreleased Frank invited Beefheart to join tour to get him some money Beefheart was unpredictable—lyrics in paper bags, sketching onstage mid-show "Born to Suck" captures spontaneous studio magic with Snoop tape banter Frank constantly taped everything—jokes often sparked future song ideas Post-tour darkness: Herb Cohen fallout left Frank uncertain about everything Frank and Beefheart reconnected—hour-long phone calls in Frank's final months Warner Brothers failed to promote One Size Fits All and Bongo Fury Cheaper Than Cheap footage sat in vault for decades—sync issues unresolved Joe finally identified the mystery tapes; Universal funded the restoration More Atmos projects coming—Joe teases a big announcement next month Extended & High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide Apple: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-ios Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-spot Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-amazon Support the show at Patreon.com/VinylGuide

    1h 1m
  6. Ep536: Danny Goldberg - Bumping Into Geniuses (Led Zeppelin, Nirvana, & more)

    FEB 23

    Ep536: Danny Goldberg - Bumping Into Geniuses (Led Zeppelin, Nirvana, & more)

    Danny Goldberg shares insider stories from his 50-year career as Led Zeppelin's publicist and Nirvana's manager, revealing Kurt Cobain's creative genius and the first-hand dynamics behind rock's biggest bands. Order Danny's book "Bumping Into Geniuses" here Topics Include: Danny discusses the 2026 reissue of "Bumping into Genius" Admits his turntables are mostly for show, prefers streaming now Kept about 100 vinyls including The Fugs on ESP Records Answered a Billboard ad not knowing music business existed Found his calling through enthusiasm and sensitivity to artists Became Led Zeppelin's US publicist in 1973 for Houses of the Holy The biggest band in the world had never gotten positive press Peter Grant described them as "just mild barbarians" Bonzo would arrive early to tune drums for each room's acoustics Jimmy Page avoided TV—felt it couldn't deliver Zeppelin's true sound Physical Graffiti era: Danny became Swan Song Records vice president His blues tribute pitch rejected—later repurposed for Foghat Robert Plant was eloquent and handled most press duties willingly Jimmy's Crowley interest rarely came up in day-to-day interactions Met Ringo, never John or George—All Things Must Pass is essential Nirvana's 92 Australian tour produced the Rolling Stone cover shoot Kurt's "Corporate magazines still suck" shirt was pure tightrope genius He storyboarded every Nirvana video shot by shot himself Appeared on Headbangers Ball in a dress to subvert metal culture Nevermind hit five radio formats simultaneously—unprecedented crossover success Kurt agreed to edit In Utero packaging for Walmart-only kids Fame invaded his privacy—tabloid coverage of Courtney infuriated him Depression and heroin predated fame—confirmed by Chris Novoselic Danny dismisses conspiracy theories—Seattle PD had no coverup motive Sub Pop planned "Cash Cow"—Kurt licensed it back as Incesticide Incesticide liner notes rank among Kurt's most remarkable creative statements Danny calls In Utero Kurt's best songwriting, his personal favorite Bonnie Raitt's Nick of Time gave Danny credibility to expand management John Silva brought Redd Kross, leading to Sonic Youth, then Nirvana Born Innocent documentary on Redd Kross earns Danny's recommendation High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide Apple: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-ios Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-spot Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-amazon Support the show at Patreon.com/VinylGuide

    1h 3m
  7. Ep535: Making Music & Vinyl History w Producer Plug

    FEB 10

    Ep535: Making Music & Vinyl History w Producer Plug

    Producer Plug discusses his journey from New York DJ to hip hop producer for Wu-Tang members, running multiple record stores, and launching R&G Records in Inglewood with Snoop Dogg. Topics Include: Producer Plug discusses meeting again at Austin Record Fair His three superpowers: DJing, executive producing, and music production Born in Flushing Queens with father's influential Fisher sound system Father introduced him to WCBS-FM and classic disc jockeys The Fugees "Killing Me Softly" became his first musicology lesson Father taught him to stay curious and humble about music Started buying records at Nobody Beats The Wiz and Coconuts Carried white garbage bag of records through high school All The Right Records shop combined haircuts and vinyl shopping Made popular mixtapes across Queens neighborhoods, sold as CDs Got on record label promo lists by showcasing his tapes Mixtapes evolved into producing albums with original beats naturally Career progression through DJing, A&R, and label executive roles Opened multiple Records & Goods locations across different cities R&G stores feature unique Grail Museum showcasing rare pressings Hip hop's importance: taking best moments from every music genre Each store represents a spiritual piece of his father Haradio Sound Lab offers vinyl meditation space for listening sessions Tom Silverman's advice: learn from my billion-dollar mistakes instead Vinyl On Demand releases reissues plus upcoming Big Boo collaboration High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide Apple: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-ios Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-spot Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-amazon Support the show at Patreon.com/VinylGuide

    1h 6m
  8. Chuck Negron (1942-2026) - The Vinyl Guide interview

    FEB 7

    Chuck Negron (1942-2026) - The Vinyl Guide interview

    Co-founder and former Three Dog Night frontman Chuck Negron (1942-2026) discusses the collectible records of his career, the early releases on small labels, the rare and recalled albums of Three Dog Night and mega-smash excesses and turnaround of his life and career. Interview from July 2022 Topics Include: Chuck's autobiography Three Dog Nightmare . Basketball was first passion growing up in Bronx schoolyards. Made first record "Oh Baby" in 1958 at age fifteen. Early releases on tiny Bronx Records label extremely rare today. Progressed through Rondelles, Marlinda, and Heart Van regional California labels. "I Dream of an Angel" became regional hit across central California. Columbia Records offered deal while playing college basketball at Hancock. Chose to finish basketball season, damaging initial Columbia Records excitement. Learned hard lesson about commitment after squandering early industry enthusiasm. Bill Sharman offered Cal State LA scholarship but chose music. Left school permanently, ending high-level basketball career for music industry. Three Dog Night formed with three lead singers sharing spotlight. Band's strategy: find great songs, not write them themselves exclusively. "One" by Harry Nilsson became breakthrough hit launching massive success. Achieved 21 consecutive Top 40 hits selling over 60 million records. "Joy to the World" became worldwide number one, band's biggest success. "Black and White" addressed racial integration as mainstream social statement message. Hard Labor's controversial birthing cover recalled after hundreds of thousands distributed. Now hosts weekly WhatNot show selling rare Three Dog Night collectibles. At 80, credits basketball training for vocal stamina and survival. High resolution version of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide Apple: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-ios Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-spot Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/tvg-amazon Support the show at Patreon.com/VinylGuide

    52 min
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About

Nate is a record collector, music lover and vinyl maniac. Join him on his journey to discuss, share and review all things related to vinyl records. We feature stories about and interviews with musicians, artists and people of knowledge in the area of vinyl records. Additionally we share information on desirable pressings of records, how to tell a $5 pressing from a $500 pressing and care and maintenance for your cratedigging hobby. Subscribe and share with your record-nerd friends. Cheers!

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