The Search for Rare Soul in Allentown, Pennsylvania: Day 1

I had only heard of the Allentown, Pennsylvania Record Fair once before. It’s dedicated exclusively to the sale of 45rpm records, with the odd 78 thrown in there. Although it’s one of the biggest of its kind on the continent, it doesn’t have any real website promoting it. Its reputation is due mainly to word of mouth. Held twice a year for the past 27 years, it’s the domain of the diehard collector and the seasoned DJ with some serious disposable income. This is why you see so many Brits and Japanese roaming around.

My partner in crime, DJ Papa Bill, a fellow collector/dealer named Nick and I decided to make the 7 hour journey into the heart of Pennsylvania to go see what the fuss was all about. Nothing had prepared us for what was going to be a very intense 48 hours.

We left very early on Friday morning so that we could stop along the way to do some record digging. Our only stop was in the little college town of New Paultz, New York. 

On the main street, there were 2 record shops that we wanted to investigate. First was Rhino Records. It had a decent collection of LPs but no 45 section that was worth our while. A lot of the albums were reissues so we quickly moved on.

Across the street was Jack's Rythms. Again, the 45 section was practically non-existent but Nick managed to buy 2 albums that were reasonably priced.

A small antique store/vintage clothing shop a few doors down had caught my attention. So instead of going through row of common albums, I tried my luck at the antique store. I ended up leaving New Paultz with a fantastic vintage green slim tie instead of some wax.

We arrived in Allentown around 3pm. After setting up in our cheap motel, we set out to find some dealers. We heard that some vendors arrive and set up in motel rooms a week before the convention starts to do some wheeling and dealing. After contacting the organizers, the rumor was confirmed. The motel in question was just a few blocks away. When we touched base, it was a sight to behold.

People were gathering in the parking lot, portable turntable in hand, around opened car trunks. Everyone had one purpose in mind, finding a gem that was overlooked by the others. What was encouraging was that the majority of the 45s being sold were sweet Soul. A YouTube celebrity was even in attendance! Ben recognized the one and only Osaka Twist and Shout and went to talk to him!

 

My first experience of trunk digging wasn't very fruitful. After almost an hour, all I managed to come up with were 2 measly records. This is my favorite of the two. I discovered Chet "Poison" Ivey a few months back on a great compilation and I was happy to add Shake A Poo Poo to my collection. The rest of the records that were for sale were, do I dare say it, poo poo.

 

It was time to move to the rooms. Well... I didn't get to visit many because the one I ended up in had everything I hoped for. This one dealer from Cincinnati had bought the entire content of a defunct record shop. He purchased an impressive 150 000 records and the ones in front of me, most of them Soul records, were all new old stock. The prices were very attractive but there was a catch. You had to buy multiple copies of every record. For the 45s listed under 5$, you had to buy 3 copies and the ones that were 6$ and up, you needed to buy 2. The seller wasn't open to any negotiations. Buying a single copy wasn't even up for discussion. I have nothing against dealers that are there to make money. No shame in that. Just don't start bragging that you got the collection for dirt cheap (I'll leave out the actual figure) and that you already tripled your initial investment, just as you are about to make a big purchase.

Buying multiple copies isn't very practical when you are not a record shop owner or an eBay seller. Luckily, I was travelling with my DJ friend that happens to share very similar taste in Soul music. This is when Ben and I sat down with my trusty Soundburger and spent a couple of hours going through every single wholesale box and listening to everything that looked remotely interesting. When do you get the chance of buying a stack of 60s Soul 45s that have never been played before? The opportunity was too good to let slip by. If we both started bobbing our heads to a track, it went in the "buy" pile.

I ended up with such great stuff, a few of them that were on my extended wish list Monkey See - Monkey Do by The Five Du Tones and You Got Soul by Bill Johnson were amongst them. I can't believe I got pristine copies too! The only downside to this whole ordeal is that Ben and I will have to fight over who gets to spin some of them when we DJ together. 

So instead of posting YouTube videos like I usually do, I decided it was time that Parka Avenue ventured in the podcasting universe. So here you have it Soul lovers, the first official Parka Avenue  Podcast on Mixcloud.

This selection is from most of the records that I bought on that first day. Enjoy. In  the meantime, feast your eyes on those great looking 60s record labels!

Will the Mod pad prevail?

This summer, my friend Stéphane recommended me to a TV scout because he thought I would be the perfect candidate for a reality show that was being launched on the Quebec Home Decor cable network CASA. Ma Maison Bien-Aimée (My Beloved House) is a concept based on the British television show May The Best House Win. The American version is known as Four Houses and can be seen on the TLC network.

The premise is pretty simple. Four contestants visit each other’s homes and give a score out of ten based on different criteria like originality, style and livability. The highest score wins $1000. If I lived across the border, I would have had a chance to add a 0 to that $1000.

I was flattered that they showed interest so I decided to tempt faith and meet up with the exuberant Lili, the TV scout in question. Even if at first I approached the process with a healthy dose of caution, Lili was so enthusiastic and jovial that it was hard to say no to her. After a tour of the loft, a few photos and a quick interview, I asked her what my chances were to be chosen for the show. “Oh Pat! Not only are you in but you’re going to win!” (Her words. Not mine.) 

Alright! So where do I sign? Here’s my chance to show how a 21st century Mod lives. Granted I am proud of where I live because I put so much time, money and effort into it. But I wasn’t overly cocky and confident, like so many reality TV show contestant act. My approach, attitude and “strategy” were certainly unconventional in that aspect. I went in with only two goals in mind: have fun and make people laugh. The money was a distant third. Without revealing right away if I won or not, I believe I accomplished my mission.

Let me introduce you to my competition. First visit was to Antoine’s condo. Antoine is a French ex-pat that decided to put up roots in Montreal. One of the ways he makes a living is by renovating, redecorating and renting out the condos in his building to students and business people from abroad.

 

He has a very European style that mixes modern design with antiques. Out of the three contestants, he was by far my favorite place to visit. I would also say that his taste is the most similar to mine. When you have a Bang & Olufsen sound system, a Breuer Wassily chair and a Le Corbusier Chaise Longue in the living room, you get thumbs up from me. 

There were a few things I didn’t get: the black and whites glass tiles that are velcroed to the white carpet, the drum set at the end of the bed and the wood bench near the balcony. And can someone explain to me why it’s trendy to lean paintings and frames against the wall instead of hanging them? Aside from that, I really dug his place and actually felt guilty by the end of the show to have only given him a score of 7.

 

Next was Linda. She lives in Pincourt, a suburb that is a 45 minute drive from Montreal. 

She completely gutted and renovated, with the help of her contractor boyfriend, an old cottage that they turned into a contemporary country home. She has a million dollar, breathtaking view overlooking a tranquil bay. I felt she had mass appeal and was probably my biggest competition. Again, something was off the mark. In the corner of her country living room, she had two oversized gloomy gothy paintings of scary cyborg babies. Can you say out of place?

Last but not least was Nicole. How can you not fall in love with Nicole? This young grandmother of 4 grandkids reminds me of my own dear mother. 

Her small 50s bungalow reflects exactly who she is: a welcoming and family oriented woman. When I first saw her cosy little brick house, I was hoping to step into a time capsule. 

Sadly, it is what it is, a cosy and warm home, filled with family pictures and a cat collection in the living room. I have nothing against that type of living arrangement but it’s a decor that I’ve seen hundreds of times.

Finally, I was the last one on the list. By then, we had all come to enjoy each other’s company and the other contestants started to size me up, with my witty humour (again, their words, not mine) and my charming ways. By the end of the second day of shooting, Nicole even asked me where I got my clothes. I believe that’s a good sign.

I was not present when the other contestants visited the loft so I had to wait until last week to see what they finally said in my absence. The show’s host/narrator started by introducing my place as a “Retro-Mod-kitsch-Vintage-Scandinavian” pad. In a nutshell, that’s what my loft is. The fact that I live in a 1906 cookie factory doesn't hurt my chances either.

When I welcomed the trio, I warned them that in order to pay the mortgage, I had a few things that they need to pay to use. For example, a dime will let you use the pay phone, a penny will let you have a gumball, a few nickels will feed the parking meter for a while, a quarter gives you one play at the pinball machine and the taxi meter besides the toilet needs to be activated when you use it. 

If I wasn’t going to win the grand prize, at least I would finish with a pocket full of change. After viewing the show, I saw that the payphone and parking meter were fed. Perfect! My plan worked!

I know that one of the more popular surprises in the condo is my fifties chrome cash register on the kitchen counter. Linda’s reaction when she opened the cash drawer was priceless. When she realized that it was where I stored my cutlery, she burst out laughing.

But I wasn’t immune from criticism too. When Nicole, who is afraid of heights, had to access the mezzanine using a ladder, I knew that it was going to cost me a few points. And let’s be honest. A four foot high ceiling is not everyone’s ideal for a bedroom.

So?  Did my wacky 60s inspired decor play in my favor or was I too "out there"? Maybe I simply was dismissed as being a  second class ticket and seen as a tacky Austin Powers wannabe?

Well, my friends, it seems that Mods have proven yet again that we are trend setters and know about style and taste because… I won!

Here are the finals results. Out of a total possible score of 30:

1) Patrick: 24

2) Linda: 20

3) Nicole: 19

4) Antoine: 16

1

To add a cherry on top of the whole experience, I just learnt that I also won the public’s vote on the CASA website with a score of 4.8 stars out of five.

The reason why I can write this post is in part because I won the show. A few weeks ago, my Mac went kaput! Now I’m writing to you from a brand new Mac Book Pro. Rejoice! Parka Avenue lives on!


* Some of the photos are the property of TVA and Quebecor Media.