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[sherriandjack]

Hi Jeff,
I noticed you mentioned the Virgil Caine album as one of your favorite downloads.
I remember this one from my youth.
I've been unable to find out much about the Virgil Caine album, which a friend of mine bought in 1971. It was sold locally through a record/head shop and the owner (who now lives in California) tells me one of the members was a student at Danville Community College, while the guy in the tie taught at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. That's about all he could remember, except that the l.p. was recorded at home in either Salem or Roanoke, Va.
I'm a reporter and also write for a southern garage web page but have been unable to track down the album or the band members. I passed on a used copy at a yard sale about 15 years ago because I'm too much of a stickler for condition and the jacket was water damaged. I've lived to regret that decision.
I do remember the songs (particularly "Swamp Witch") and would appreciate any help your members be able to provide.
I understand an independent label in Maine that specializes in folk/psyche albums is planning a ltd. reissue in the spring; however, I'd like to get in touch with anyone associated with the group for an interview.
Thanks.

Jack Garrett

[jefflewis]

Hi Jack -
Wow, that's a lot of Virgil Caine associated memories, cool that you know the record and that you even heard it back in the day! Yeah, it's always the records you DON'T buy that you regret, never the ones that you do! I think all of us learn that the hard way (usually more than once!).
The Virgil Caine album has a lot of special associations for me, and I consider it a very special album. I've been hesitant to recommend it to people as highly as I recommend some of my other favorite private-press records, because I feel like maybe people wouldn't like the record as much as I personally do, I feel like Dandelions or Virgin Insanity have more instantly attractive qualities to people.
Anyway, like I posted before, all I have of the record is a CDR that somebody burned from a copy of the original album. I got this from Jason Cronus in Texas, I don't think he owns an original copy but he owns a lot of rare records and often trades rare records and rare CDR recordings of rare records with friends of him, I think that's how he got his hands on the Virgil Caine CDR. If I remember correctly, I think Jason told me that this record is a relatively recent find among collectors of this stuff, it has not been a "legendary" collectible record until some collector within the past few years heard a copy and started telling other collectors about it. Usually when this happens it means that the collector has already tracked down an original band member or two and gotten every available remaining copy before publicizing the find.
I've been able to find out very little about this record on the internet, though the front cover is viewable on at least a couple of different blogs. As is often the case with these things, a bit of mystery enhances the experience, so I don't really care too much about finding out more. I've listened to this CDR a ton of times over the past few years and I really love it, my drummer Dave also appreciates it.

I also like that this CDR I have is taken from a vinyl copy of the record, the slightly scuffy muddled sound quality also adds to the "lost" "mysterious" atmosphere of the album, I don't think a cleaned-up, master-tape based reissue will be as special to me...
BUT
I'm really glad to hear it's being officially reissued, if this reissue is actually going to benefit the original artists then I'd gladly buy a copy since they've brought me so much enjoyment. I'd just be scared to read any liner notes that might mess with the mental place this album brings me to in its current no-information mysterious form... you know how that goes.

Jeff

[sherriandjack]

Thanks, Jeff.
I'd love to get a cd-r from you at some point.
This is one of those albums that had an instant attraction to me and I've really never heard anything like it before or since And the photo on the cover is timeless.

[jefflewis]

I'll send you a CDR of the album on two conditions....
That you don't spread it around, by making it available on the internet etc, since apparently somebody from the band or from the reissue label did apparently politely request that the album be taken off the internet...
And that you promise to buy a real copy when/if an official reissue occurs, since I figure this band doesn't have THAT many fans, every CD sale is going to count for them!
If you want you can send me your mailing address (there's a private message function on this board too) -

Later!
Jeff
PS - Oh yeah, I should add a third condition... you say you're into this sort of stuff... you should trade me for a CDR of some interesting lost old album you recommend that you think I oughtta hear! I'm a big fan of psych, garage, etc... sounds like you must know a huge amount of stuff most people don't know!

[Dav]

A copy of the Virgil Caine lp was sold 699 dollars on ebay in february...

http://www.popsike.com/VIRGIL-CAINE-LP-ST-PRIVATE-GARAGE-ROCK-ACOUSTIC-FOLK/380205874077.html
_________________
http://uberaffe.bandcamp.com

[sherriandjack]

Hi Jeff,
No problem.
Yes, I have a huge collection. I'm 53 and have been at this since buying "No Particular Place to Go" in 1st grade.
I just picked up a bunch of 60s garage 45s this morning (Richard & the Young Lions, etc) and haven't had the chance to sift through them. I have 10,000+ albums, ep's, singles and specialize in garage and UK bands of the 60s, esp. the obscure ones like the Remo 4, Sorrows, Creation, etc. Oh yeah, one of the singles in that lot was by the Riot Squad! Great group!!!
I have a couple of private pressings that may be of interest. Are you familiar with Kallabash? They were based in Greensboro, N.C. and recorded one album on Big Bill (or was it Brother Bill?) Records in the early 70s. Someone in the USSR has bootlegged this, but I'll be happy to make a cd-r from my vinyl copy. There was another mid-70s group called Afton (from Danville) that recorded an l.p. ("1st Day of Summer"... it was recorded in 1 day and that happened to be it!) in '75 or 1976. It's reminiscent of the Eagles. I also have an album (1969) by a blue-eyed soul band called the Quasars on Gringo Records. They call it Beach Music around here but the Brits refer to it as Northern Soul,
I'm a drummer and played in various local bands. I last played in a 17-piece swing band (my dad was a professional musician who played clarinet and alto sax) but had to give it up when my twin girls were born 4 years ago.
Thanks again.

Jack

Here's my address:
Jack Garrett
217 Montague St.
Danville, VA
24541

[sherriandjack]

Hi Jeff,

Here's a link to a piece I did on Afton for southerngaragebands.com. I also did the profiles on Leslie Roebux, Kallabash, the Soulmasters and the Generals.

http://southerngaragebands.com/afton.html

Jack

[sherriandjack]

Hi Jeff,

Thanks for the disc! It sounds just as good (or should I say strange) as it did in 1971.

Yours will be mailed Monday.

Oh, I checked out some of your videos on Youtube. Great stuff...

Jack

[sherriandjack]

Jeff,

I mailed your discs today.

Sorry for the delay; I had problems getting one to copy.

Merry Christmas!

Jack

[prabbit]

I just saw this a few minutes ago and signed up.

I actually own a copy of this album. I love it and am not interested in selling it (just thought I'd get that out of the way).

I've been a collector for many years, am 51 and a musician of sorts. I found my copy about 15 years ago in a thrift store in Falls Church, VA, near DC.
It cost me $.50. I picked up a few other interesting things that day, I assume from the same collection...Country Joe, Eclection and a few other things but the Virgil Caine album was easily the score.

I contacted some of the usual suspects (Paul Major, Stan Denski, etc.) and no one had ever heard of it, so I kind of kept in under my hat. I tried tracking the band down, with no success. I would play it for other heads that I thought would dig it, and the response was usually one of astonishment. A couple of years ago, I burned a CD-R copy and sent it to Tony Coulter at WFMU, where he featured several tracks from the album. A few people have offered me serious $$$ over the past couple of years, but, as I mentioned above, I don't plan on selling, at least at this time...

Best,
JS

[sherriandjack]

Hello JS,

I'm 53 and met one of the members (the tall guy on the left) when "Virgil Caine" was sold locally through "The Music Emporium," a small record/head shop here in Danville that opened in 1971. This was around the time that "Who's Next" was released, if memory serves me correctly.

It was the "featured album" for a while and the owner had a box of them. Anyway, my best friend had copy (long since lost to time; he never kept anything) and we used to love listening to "Swamp Witch" and "Biscuit High."

It's scheduled for a ltd. edition reissue (500 copies) on vinyl in the spring, but the company wouldn't give me any information on the group.

This is one of those rare albums that defies definition and sounds just as fresh today as it did then. I think what struck me most at the time was (and is) the cover.

Jack

[jefflewis]

Wow, thank you guys for the stories.
I got my CDR copy of the Virgil Caine album from my friend Jason Cronus (ex- bass player of Voxtrot), he's a record collector in Austin, Texas. It was also from him that I got to hear Virgin Insanity, Captain Jack, and some other stuff. He owns a lot of rare records (including the Virgin Insanity "Illusions of the Maintenance Man" lp) but I don't think he had a vinyl copy of this one, just a CDR from another collector.

I'm very curious about the history of the FAME of these sorts of records... like how an album like Virgil Caine slowly (or not so slowly) goes from something that is known and appreciated by a few local people who bought copies originally, or happened to buy it at a thrift store on a whim and took it home and like it, to something that is a world-famous "rare collectors' item" with an entry in Acid Archives and a somewhat agreed-upon price tag.

Like, what year did D.R. Hooker's "The Truth" become known as a desirable item? Does each one of these items have a history of fame that can be traced to a certain article in a collector's mag or something? Clearly none of these albums had much of a market when first released, or they would have sold more copies and they wouldn't be rare! So how did each one go from undesired to much-sought? They must each have an individual story of when and how they were brought to light.

[sherriandjack]

That's a good question, Jeff.
Generally these discs are "discovered" by someone who buys a copy at a yard sale or thrift store, rips a copy and posts it online. Then it becomes a question of supply and demand. I've seen it happen locally with the 45s recorded on Raven Records. They were seemingly everywhere until tracks by Lost Soul, IV Pack and the Soulmasters appeared on some 60s compilation discs. Then suddenly they are "rare" garage collectibles that fetch $100 apiece. It took longer with Virgil Caine, probably because there were fewer copies pressed. Ironic, as the local record store couldn't give them away in 1971.

[jefflewis]

Hey sherriandjack!
I just got your CDs in the mail, thanks for sending!
Can't wait to hear 'em...

[sherriandjack]

I'm told the Virgil Caine l.p. reissue has now been pushed back to late summer, at the earliest.
I'd appreciate any information from anyone who knows how to get in touch with the original members, who were from the Roanoke, Va area. Still trying to compile a bio for southerngaragebands.com.