HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME…..

The month of June 2023 will go down as one of the most memorable in my life.

I turned 60, a significant milestone which was marked by a long-planned event at which 26 family members and close friends came along to a dinner at one of my favourite restaurants in Glasgow city centre.  This took place on the Saturday evening, the night before my actual birthday, with the Sunday spent catching up further with those friends who had travelled from afar and had needed to stay overnight in hotels, which meant they became the first to hear what had happened in the hours right after getting home from the restaurant…….

While we had all been enjoying the fine food and wine, Comrade Colin had got in touch via text – he had been invited along but was unable to accept as he was travelling back from an overseas holiday on the same day.  Colin’s text referred to a Facebook posting within a group dedicated to Postcard Records.

Without going into too much detail, someone had taken the very difficult decision, for personal reasons related to ill-health, to sell off a substantial part of their record collection, including some very rare and hard to find singles. The plan was to put the 45s on Discogs and/or e-bay, but in the meantime an invitation was made to send PMs in which would-be buyers could express an interest in some or indeed all the items.

Falling and Laughing was on the list. Postcard 80-1.  The holy grail when it comes to vinyl records.  One that Rachel (aka Mrs VV)  had thought long and hard about tracking down to give as her present for me turning 60, but in the end she had shied away as she couldn’t be sure if what was on offer on Discogs was even authentic, and if so, whether it was one of the estimated 200 copies that had come with the flexi disc and free postcard.

The one that was about to be put up for sale certainly ticked all these boxes.

Which is why, at just before 1am on the day I turned 60, I found myself half-drunkenly composing a PM in which I introduced myself, referencing the blog as evidence of my long-held desire to get my hands on a copy of Falling and Laughing and making what I felt was a realistic offer for the copy, all the while saying I was sorry the seller facing circumstances in which the various 45s were up for sale.

Within a couple of minutes of me sending the PM, I received a detailed reply, including the following.

“Hi Jim.

Thank you for your message. There have been an enormous amount of offers, but yours is most definitely acceptable. “

I won’t go into all the details of the reply, as to do so could reveal the identity of the seller. But it was quite clear I was now corresponding with a genuine lover of all things Postcard and that this copy was the real deal, and indeed had at one point in time passed through the hands of one of the label’s inner circle as the free postcard actually ‘had Robert Forster’s Brisbane address written on the back as part of Orange Juice or Alan Horne preparing the two heads deal.’

Within the hour, the deal was sealed, which is why, on the day I turned 60, I finally had the promise of getting my hands on a copy of the long-sought 45.  And when I told Rachel, she immediately agreed to pay for it as she was still struggling to come up with the ‘perfect ‘gift, having now turned her attention to a possible holiday involving taking in a gig somewhere.

As I was about to head off to Toronto on the 20th, I asked the seller to hold back from sending it to Villain Towers, until I returned, which he was more than happy to do.  It finally arrived safe and sound late last week.  Here’s the vinyl rips.

mp3: Orange Juice – Falling and Laughing
mp3: Orange Juice – Moscow Olympics
mp3: Orange Juice – Moscow

Here’s the flexidisc, which carries the title I Wish I Was A Postcard:-

mp3: Orange Juice – Felicity (live)

Now that they’ve both been played once and at the same time ripped as mp3s, the vinyl and flexidisc have been carefully returned inside the protective sleeve and the single has been put in a very safe and secure place.  I’m not saying I won’t ever play them again, but it’ll only be on special occasions.

I have to say that it crossed my mind that this would be just about the perfect way to call time on the blog after what is now coming up for 17 years, but with so much still going on, not least Dirk‘s fantastic ongoing rundown of 111 great 45s, I feel there’s still some life yet in TVV, albeit I might retire from buying any further second-hand records…..I said ‘might’ as no doubt something will tempt me…….

All that remains today is to belatedly thank all of you who offered up birthday wishes via the comments section and/or through e-mails and messages.  You’ll hopefully understand why it has taken so long to get round to doing the birthday wrap-up, and agree that it’s been worth the wait.

Tune in tomorrow for a fascinating guest ICA, about a group never featured before on the blog.

JC