It’s a Cold, Cold, World plus Stinkie Steve Returns

Trying to get out of the cold to sample records

With the mercury dipping below freezing once again, I knew I’d have my work cut out for me this morning. With a tip from DJ Prime that Stinkie Steve was now back in business, I knew today was going to be interesting. I hit the road before it was even light out, and even had to break out the parka, I mean the temperature read 25 without the wind. It’s a cold, cold world people. I knew that the Old Man would be holding some records for me (as he always does, even though his stash is getting thinner and thinner), and whatever else I could grab is always a bonus. Of course the same handful of record guys come every week, but at these temperatures, the only one I saw was Eggbeard, and I was lucky to get a 45 box before his egg stained hands and beard could reach for it. He’s notorious for Jazz 78’s and Lps, but I do question his motives with 45s. All of a sudden he’s interested. I’m sure he sees us 7″ guys out and figures he can turn a fast buck. Well I’m here to get the music to bring to you, not try and rape someone with E Bay prices on a daily basis, so Eggbeard please step aside. I met up with another dealer and we were painfully going through way too many 80’s records and talking about Stinkie Steve, when lo! and behold!, there is the sneaky Pennsylvania native rooting through the back of a Dodge Caravan. This sociopath (now commonly called ASPD: antisocial personality disorder) actually was kind of friendly. I can say that because he almost approached me to talk, commenting nonchalantly on my portable (which he’s seen a million times), but then going on a tear through the records with some other shady looking character he now calls his travel companion. He’s got rid of the Cadillac and now is driving some old Buick or Chevy sedan. In fact, he’s not even driving it, rumor has it he put up the cash for the car so someone else can put it in their name. Maybe he’s not as dumb as he looks, which by the way isn’t too swift. His Members Only (of course he is the only member) jacket and flood water work pants in combination with the rope belt, Kara-te shoes and half socks were classic SS, even though it was as the Devil Dick puts it: “Colder than a Witches Tit”. I guess he’s going for more of the fashion, not function thing.

Stinkie Steve returns, humbled, or does he have us all fooled?

I did hear him speak and he sounded a bit humble actually, but I had spent my limit and didn’t feel like standing in the cold for another 2 hours while he formulated a plan to sell me whatever records he scammed from some dying Jazz guy in Philly while he’s been away from the spot for a few months. Bottom line: Stinkie Steve may act reformed, but he’s not. He’s still the shadiest flea market guy you’ll ever deal with in your life, would get one over on his Mother if he had the chance, and is a textbook case of a sociopath. Do I miss him? Unfortunately yes, because without his charades, it really gets kind of dull at the Spot. He does look really worn (more than usual), but running from the law will probably do that to you kids, so let this photo be an example for you. Someone mentioned Karma today, and well, I think it might be coming back around to the Stinky One. I hit up a few more tables as it got a little later (while the rest of the collectros were still at the Stinkster’s spot), and then get the eff out of Dodge, blaring Art Blakey as loud as I could all the way home. I was smiling at the fact that despite the blustery winds and frigid weather, I once again was able to score some gems.

45s

The Cookies – Chains/ Dimension
The Exciters/ If Love Came Your Way/ UA
Maxine Brown – Now That You’ve Gone/ No Mar
Larry Williams – Short Fat Fannie/ Specialty
Bobby Marchan – There’s Something On Your Mind/ Fire
Eddie and Betty – Saturday Night Fish Fry/ WB
The Reflections – Can’t You Tell By the Look In My Eyes/ Golden World
Georgie Fame – Beware of the Dog/ Epic
Black Ivory – What Goes Around Comes Around/ Kwanza
The What Nots and the What Nots Band – Dance To The Music/ A & I
Herman Kelly and Life – Dance To The Drummer’s Beat/ Alston
Soul Brother Six – Some Kind of Wonderful/ Sugarville
Mike Pedicin Quintet – Shake a Hand!/ 20th Century
Hoodoo Rhythm Devils – Too Hot To Handle/ Blue Thumb
Cannonball Adderly Quintet – Walk Tall/ Capitol
Andre Williams – Do the Popcorn/ Checker
JB’s – Thank You For Lettin’ Me Be Myself and You Be Yours/ People
The Majestics – Oasis/ Chess
Rare Bird – Beautiful Scarlet/ Probe
The Ritchie Family – Voodoo/ Marlin
JJ Barnes – Chains of Love/ Groovesville
The Exciters – Are You Satisfied/ Roulette
Tom and Jerry O – Boo-Ga-Loo/ ABC Paramount
Isley Brothers – It’s Your Thing/ T Neck (finally a clean copy!)
Miles Davis – Seven Steps To Heaven/ Columbia
Ike and Tina Turner – Crazy ‘Bout You Baby/ Blue Thumb
Brother Jack McDuff – Can’t Get Satisfied/ Atlantic
Funkadelic – Undisco Kidd/ Westbound
The Royalettes – Out of Sight Out of Mind/ MGM

Lps

** NO RECORD SHIT! Doug Carn – Infant Eyes/ Black Jazz (Ok I just got the sleeve, I need this record in my life, so if anyone has doubles, hit me up!)
Randy Weston – African Cookbook/ Atlantic
The Lively Ones – Bugalu Party/ MGM
That’s Soul 3 – Various Artists/ ATCO (German Pressing)
The Jazz Messengers – At the Cafe Bohemia Volume 1/ Blue Note (reissue but I’ll take it)
The Dedication Series: The Bop Masters – Sonny Criss and Kenny Durham/ Impulse

1. “Let me listen to it on your portable, then I can formulate a price.”
2. “I was a ballerina, in the Jazz sense, in my past life”.
3. “By selling him records, essentially you’re making him a dealer”.
4. After someone just mentioned that there was a fresh turd next to a van (which turned out to be Steve’s), he said: “Fucking Hippies.”
5. “I’ve just pulled some greeeeat stuff out of my warehouse.”

Keep Diggin’!