Ian's reference Fred Astaire is timely in that my next radio program will include a couple of songs from the movie Easter Parade in which Fred and Judy Garland sang that delightful song 'A Couple of Swells'. Why am I including them? Because Australians first had the opportunity to see the movie in April 1949.

Lobosco wrote:

Speaking of Fred Astaire recordings, I can not find the LP of "They Can't Take These Away From Me". I have "Attitude Dancing", and I have all the recordings on CD, but I would love to have a copy on LP. Holler, if you know any sources to find it.

David,
Lovely to hear you're a Fred fan, too.
Yes, I've found a lovely looking copy on the "Discogs" website (see the link for that particular copy, below).

https://www.discogs.com/sell/item/434636235

I don't know how international single web page links operate but please don't be alarmed if a large postage charge of twenty-nine dollars (double the album price) is showing. This will be the price to ship this to the UK (where I'm based and where I of course accessed this link). This is if the website hasn't already adjusted the page for postage within mainland America. Here's also a link to the general sales page for this item:

https://www.discogs.com/master/682584-Fred-Astaire-Attitude-Dancing

It often tempts trouble when I "thoroughly recommend" anything but with this, I feel (as a customer only) on fairly safe ground. If you're unfamiliar with this site, it specialises in vinyl sales (and CDs) from independent merchants. I have been a fairly regular customer on there for almost five years, having placed orders from all over the world (and many from the USA). I have found most of its merchants most reputable and reliable, indeed. Ebay is fine but one can sometimes be the victim (as was I last month) of a perfectly nice dealer but one just entirely unaccustomed to the selling, grading and packaging of CDs and vinyl.

On Discogs, for the most part, LPs are generally more accurately graded and dispatched within specialist designed, fully protective corrugated cardboard LP mailers. As with Ebay, customer "Feedback" is just as important (if not more) to each dealer's reputation, so this gives most of them the impetuous to provide a high quality service. Having said that, it is (with knowing through a single poor experience out of 217 transactions) possible for individual merchants to appeal to have poor feedback reviews removed - but in the main, I have found their customer reviews to be accurately reflective of the service each provides. Also as with Ebay, you have the security of being able to purchase via PayPal.

Just a final few words on this (promise!). If you do decide to purchase either this or any other copy on offer, I would always without fail, order a "Mint" or "Near-Mint" graded copy if you prefer being completely free of crackles from a seller with generally excellent "Feedback reviews. I appreciate the Discogs gradings are made very clear - please see the link, here:       

https://support.discogs.com/hc/en-us/articles/360001566193-How-To-Grade-Items

- but despite this, there are often disputes between sellers and buyers as to what constitutes a Very Good ("VG") or a Very Good Plus ("VG+") piece of vinyl.

Unless you're prepared to take that chance (which can sometimes be very positive indeed), I just don't think it's worth the trouble and disappointment. Many sellers will but many sellers won't fund any return postage incurred if they feel they have been accurate. However, I have recieved a few refunds without having to even return an appallingly misgraded item. I appreciate all this is possibly going way off topic, so should this be the case, please feel free to privately message me if you wish to chat, further.

 

Last edited by Ian Kerstein (27/4/2022 5:58 pm)

Oh, David! I am so sorry. I need to be hit with the "Not listening" stick, don't I? Despite what you said, I still blithely  had "Attitude Dancing" on the brain from Easter. Plus, before attacking you full on, essay style,  how easy would it have been to have just initially asked if you'd previously purchased from Discogs? Oh dear! No, there doesn't seem to be one for sale on there close to you at all, does there? I'll keep a lookout and if I find anything via anyone else and nearer your neck of the woods, I'll give you a shout. Otherwise, it's going to have to be that infuriating decision whether or not to pay for the album at least twice over again with some international postage and import taxes. Grrrr .. 
Apologies again for not absorbing!

 

Last edited by Ian Kerstein (27/4/2022 9:48 pm)

David,

No rush but I sent you a  Private Message on this yesterday. I think it was just within the maximum characters permitted. Let me know if it hasn't reached you (it's showing in my "Sent" box) but being a "newbie" on here, I'm uncertain if that is a definitive sign if hovering around the "character" limit. Please let me know at your leisure if it hasn't appeared and I'll edit and send it again.

Kind regards,
Ian. 

Recently I've been delving into the work of Jolson.  I'd heard a couple songs of his before and thought they were okay, but not much else.  Now I'm really loving them, and can understand why Bing was such an admirer of Jolson.  Definitely a departure from parts of Bing's style, but not an unwelcome one.