I have a gauge about rare records that come into our department. Discogs can provide all kinds of information about a record, but I frequently find myself asking Garry Shrum about them for his personal memories. The man worked in record stores and conventions for decades, and when he says he’s never seen something, that says it is very rare.
In the case of a couple of items coming up in our May 11-14 auction, Garry says he didn’t remember ever seeing Rodriguez’s two proper LPs when they were released in the early 1970s. So for us to find sealed, original copies of Cold Fact (featured image) and Coming From Reality, it’s a thrill.
I openly admit I was not aware of Sixto Diaz Rodriguez’s music until I saw the Searching for Sugar Man documentary. Given my enjoyment of Love, Paul Williams, and Nick Drake, it makes a lot of sense that songs like “I Think of You,” “I Wonder,” and “Silver Words?” really connected with me. Whether it’s a sad song or a beautiful love song, his music runs from both sides of life’s spectrum.
When we received the 7,600+ records from the Jim Copeland estate, it was like an entire carefully-curated record store opened in our warehouse. We look forward to auctioning these records off in the months to come.