Who we are
My friend Tony and I are record collectors and we especially love finding old records with crazy, beautiful, sexy, funny, shocking, provacative, absurd, tacky covers. We search flea markets, salvation armies, house sales, stoop sales, garbage cans and, when we can find them, record stores that still sell vinyl. After 30 years of doing this, we kind of feel like we’ve seen everything, but still we search for that new old record with a cover we just can’t believe. eBay, while having effectively killed the used record stores we grew up loving, has opened up a world of records from other countries that we probably would not have seen otherwise. Tony and I spend far to much time (and money) on eBay clicking around for record covers that hit that sweet spot.
We’ve actually organized our lp collections into cover categories like “cartoons” and “cheesecake” and “beatniks”; even “dolls” and “monsters” and “big heads.” So we’re getting it together to show you the highlights and low points of our obsessive habit. To show you record covers that you don’t see everywhere else. Covers that might otherwise be lost to the junk heap of history.
We’ll also include some covers that are recognized as icons of graphic design and influencers of style. Covers that are quintessential in their own way and that are timeless and “cool.”
In beginning to put this blog together, we’ve also discovered on the internet how many others around the world share our love of album covers and our “inside” joke. So we’re hoping to connect with them and you and provide links to those related sites and blogs that we’ve found.
We owe a debt to those collectors and dealers who have turned us on to many of our most treasured albums, including the late Jack “Beabopa” Brown, the very much alive Will Louviere of Show and Tell Music, our buddy Otis 45, OZ, “Bollywood” Edo in The Netherlands, Preston Peek of Vinyl Lives! and others. And thanks to Fred Seibert for encouraging us to share our collections online and for showing us how.
When I’m not playing with records, I own an event marketing and promotion agency in New York City. You can contact me at matthew@grandcentralmarketing.com.
Tony with his Christmas-themed record wall (which came down after the holidays to make room for a James Brown tribute wall.)
March 8th, 2007 at 3:40 pm
Matt & Tony:
GREAT JOB !! Well versed & “picturesque” -(excuse the Pun) You on my favorite places to visit
J.J. (Pola Negri Collectibles)
May 6th, 2007 at 8:44 am
Thanks J.J.!!
December 24th, 2007 at 2:41 am
My hats off to you two. Your site is my favorite cover archive online. And you’ve made my computer very happy, as the covers you feature rotate endless on the screen saver.
Cheers,
Otis
July 19th, 2008 at 6:17 pm
You guys are great and very creative. As “Chaino’s only record producer I thank you so much for entering my; “Chaino” LP’s on your “World’s Best LP Covers.
My favorite saying is; “There are some people who make things happen–others who watch things happen and– the rest don’t know anything happened.”
You guys are #1, the “Doer’s” of the world. Keep up the good work. With Respect, Kirby Allan
September 20th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
Love the Site!! after 30 years i want to be where you guys are!
Thankz,
Dat Digga
ONe L
September 29th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
“What Would People Say If I Let Them See the Real Me?”
“Mr. Tony - Tear Down This Wall!!!”
November 1st, 2008 at 7:26 am
A cool photography blog called Reciprocity Failure (reciprocity-failure.blogspot.com) wrote this about Lpcoverlover: “I spent way too much time perusing the hallowed vaults of LP Cover Lover, only to enjoy every damn second of it. Some weird, wonderful combination of nostalgia, post modern retro chic and online cabinet of curiosities. Somebody stop me…” We like that!
November 5th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
You guys are GREAT !!! Amazing friends with a wonderful idea !!! Hope to interview you in March for my Youtube show.
God luck and all the best,
Your buddy DAN
November 21st, 2008 at 8:58 pm
Thanks for all the fun trips down memory lane!! We’ve been in the retail record biz for over twenty years and it was great to see so many friends that had to be left behind !!
The Wilsons’
NYC & Charlottesville, VA
December 31st, 2008 at 1:04 pm
Nice work gentlemen. As an avid vinyl lover and collector, please keep up the good work,
Just added you to my blogroll!
Jt
Austin, TX
January 23rd, 2009 at 8:23 pm
This is treat. Absoulutely first rate!!!!! Well done, guys.
February 1st, 2009 at 2:05 am
Stumbled on the site and now 30 minutes later I have to tear myself away to get on with my life. Wonderful job on the site and collection. I’m an opera guy so collect vinyl covers of divas — see my web site http://www.vinyldivas.com. But I really do love all style of absurd or brilliant covers. Once i was being put up for business for 3 months in a corporate apartment with neutral decor, so i went to the local thrift stores and bought about 100 crazy covered LPs for 25 cents each and pinned them up on the walls in rows. It was a great bargain way to add some color and verve to the dreary place. Suddenly, all the parties of the team were at my apt! I had to toss them all when I moved on, but I’ll never forget how fun that was. Your site really brought back that great time. Thanks!
JOHNNY.
February 1st, 2009 at 8:17 am
Hi Johnny, thanks for the kind words and the story. Vinyl Divas is great. I added a link. All the best, M
June 18th, 2009 at 6:53 pm
I do not sell records and I am not in business. I am just a hobby-collector and troll garage sales in the suburbs west of Chicago. Please check out the blog I have just started http://curtiscollectsvinylrecords.blogspot.com/
What I do is (almost) every day - post a photo of a record jacket in my collection along with a short comment.
June 30th, 2009 at 8:55 pm
oh nice idea with the frames on the wall. I inherited my dad’s record collection about 5 years ago..but just starting to go thru it. What a blast. Have around 14,000 and starting to add to it already. Also about 4,000 78s..and a few thousand 45s. The artwork is so amazing. Some of the 50s albums in particular is sooo framable. Have to find some of those album cover frames!!!