what happened to Larry Levan's records when he died?

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

just curious.

(also, what an incredible resource it would be if there was some kind of library archive where DJ's could bequest their collections.....)

― OCP (OCP), Tuesday, 24 February 2004 04:51 (twenty years ago) link

The story I read was that he sold most of his records during slower times, perhaps for money for drugs, and there's some story about DJs/supporters going around buying it back for him at some point.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Tuesday, 24 February 2004 05:26 (twenty years ago) link

i heard a story about a collector of fuck-off-rare US garage rock 45s who died, apparently his collection was in limbo for years before finally being sold off to a dealer who was hassling the executors pretty heavily..

― the surface noise (electricsound), Tuesday, 24 February 2004 05:28 (twenty years ago) link

I've read that story about his friends/supporters buying it back for him numerous times, so it probably true. Also, everytime I've read about that, it's been from a different colleague with a different anecdote about how they came across Levan's records in a second hand store, which means Levan probably did this constantly which involve a fairly high attrition rate to his collection. Or he did a Tony De Vit, in which he beqeauthed his records to a fellow DJ who was then hated by all his peers.

― Jedmond (Jedmond), Tuesday, 24 February 2004 05:42 (twenty years ago) link

all i have heard are the rumours lsited above - ie he sold his records for drugs and then his friends bought them back so he could play out again.

― Aaron Grossman (aajjgg), Tuesday, 24 February 2004 06:06 (twenty years ago) link

God I'd never even thought about what happens to those huge collections of rare vinyl.

Note to self: become David Mancuso's best friend immediately.

― Jacob (Jacob), Tuesday, 24 February 2004 10:32 (twenty years ago) link

Sad thing I saw in a charity shop once, a large collection of Jim Reeves albums with Jim's head cut out of all the front sleeves...

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 24 February 2004 10:40 (twenty years ago) link

I read that when Larry came to the UK to play the Ministry of Sound he brought absolutely no records with him.

Pretty tragic for someone who so obviously loved music so much.

― jinxed, Tuesday, 24 February 2004 11:05 (twenty years ago) link

James Hamilton's entire collection (promos of just about bloody everything from early 60s to 1996) was broken up into uncatalogued job lots by Bonhams and flogged off piecemeal for around £35k. Awful.

(Apart from the dozen or so crates that got left behind and passed on to me, which I've now got to sift through and shove up on E-bay. Ooh, Larry Lurex promo!)

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Tuesday, 24 February 2004 11:25 (twenty years ago) link

any tintern abbey in there?

― the surface noise (electricsound), Tuesday, 24 February 2004 11:26 (twenty years ago) link

No, it's nearly all 7-inchers from 1970 to 1975. Bridget St. John, anyone?

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Tuesday, 24 February 2004 11:29 (twenty years ago) link

Who, of the Village Voice critics, has decided to become better friends with Cristgau - is their another critic who has served as long, and would have recieved all the rarities?

― Jedmond (Jedmond), Tuesday, 24 February 2004 12:04 (twenty years ago) link

Bridget St. John, anyone?

yes please!

― zappi (joni), Tuesday, 24 February 2004 12:13 (twenty years ago) link

Actually, it's quite a good Bridget St. John - a collaboration with Kevin Ayers called "If You've Got Money", b/w a rare Ayers/Daevid Allen composition called "Yep".

Edwina Biglet & The Miglets, anyone? Or Dib Cochran & The Earwigs?

― mike t-diva (mike t-diva), Tuesday, 24 February 2004 12:47 (twenty years ago) link

six months pass...

Just saw the thread, Most of Larry's records went to Danny Tenaglia. Apparently when Larry got sick, Danny paid for their storage.

Larr

― anthony larr, Thursday, 26 August 2004 18:05 (nineteen years ago) link

five months pass...

any idea when larry actually died in 1992?

― Ben Thompson, Friday, 25 February 2005 04:08 (nineteen years ago) link

November 8, 1992, according to Last Night a DJ Saved My Life (which also repeats the story about Larry selling off his records for drugs and his friends going and buying them back).

― TayBridgeCatastrophe (TayBridge), Friday, 25 February 2005 04:20 (nineteen years ago) link

(also, what an incredible resource it would be if there was some kind of library archive where DJ's could bequest their collections.....)

i don't know about library, but there's most definitely an archive, the amazing archive of contemporary music in new york. their collection is available for research and you can listen to their LPs (for a fee), but i'm pretty sure you can't take 'em out.

the country music hall of fame has a pretty amazing vinyl archive, too, though i'm not sure if they would need larry levan's records.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Friday, 25 February 2005 04:58 (nineteen years ago) link

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.