Page 1 of 1

8. The Keggs vs. The White Stripes

Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2010 12:22 am
by higherlimits
Can you compare and contrast the scarcity and mystery surrounding two elusive 7s that you have owned: The Keggs "To Find Out" and The White Stripes Hand Painted "Lafayette Blues"?

Re: 8. The Keggs vs. The White Stripes

Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2010 12:37 am
by subpopfan1
The Keggs: inept garage band from Westland, Michigan record two outta tune blasts at Be A Star Studios in a shady neighborhood in Detroit in the summer of '67. They come back two weeks later to pick up their records and find that the studio burned down in the riots. Yolanda Owens (listed as "producer" on the record but really she just lent the name of her label, Orbit, to the 7") had made a safety master and was still able to press the record. According to liner notes for the "Back From the Grave" compilation only 75 copies were made, but research indicates that 100 were made with the missing 25 supplied by Yolanda Owens to local radio DJ's for promotion. "Discovered" by compiler Tim Warren in 1984 (I believe in Los Angeles) he treks to Detroit and spends 2 days parked in front of the house of a former band member in hopes of turning up more copies. He gets two more copies, one of which is sold at the Paris Record show in 1986 to an Italian collector who I buy my copy off of in 2005. Total number of copies known to still exist is somewhere around 12. I paid $2561 for my copy in 2005 and a barely playable, cracked copy sold for $373 in 2009. This is, by far, the pinnacle of Detroit garage music.

The White Stripes: it's been said a thousand times beforeā€¦the sleeves for the Stripes' second 7" were delayed so Jack White and Dave Buick hand-paint 15 sleeves for the record release show. They sell for $6 each. One person bought two copies. After the White Stripes get big Tom Potter puts his copy on eBay with a starting price of $999. It goes unsold. It is eventually sold privately for $800. A few more copies show up on eBay in the following years, each rising considerably in price. A few copies sell for high four-figures in 2008 and in 2009 a copy sells privately for $15,000. And the one I own is by far the prettiest.

Re: 8. The Keggs vs. The White Stripes

Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2010 2:05 am
by Grimtale
"WOOOOO-HOOOOO!" as Ben said Jack said...
This one was my question. Still think it was better than a soda pop question.... but I wasn't the judge :-)

I've wanted a copy of the Keggs for many moons. As many of you know I collect a lot of things and lots of different vinyl. This one was on my list before the HP LB was to be honest but finding them is nearly impossible. It was good to hear Ben's take on all this as he is the only person I know of lucky enough to own both the HP LB and Keggs 45s.

And the MOST IMPORTANT part of what Ben said... He has the prettiest HP LB. I so wish he would show us what it looks like. For the best of the best to go unseen is just a shame :-)

A special thanks goes out to Ben for answering our questions and as any good interviewee does... leaves us wanting more.

-Grimtale