The series of articles about the books I have published have a loose chronology and narrative that makes the most sense if read in this order:
1. Rock & Roll Record Albums Price Guide (1985)
2. Elvis Presley Record Price Guide (1985)
3. A Touch Of Gold – Elvis Presley Price Guide (1990)
4. Goldmine’s Price Guide to Collectible Record Albums (1st edition, 1991)
5. Goldmine’s Price Guide to Collectible Jazz Albums (1992)
6. Goldmine’s Rock’n Roll 45RPM Record Price Guide (1994)
7. Goldmine’s Price Guide to Collectible Record Albums (5th edition, 1996)
8. Blues And Rhythm & Blues 45s Of The ’50s (2000)
Links to each book are listed at the end of this article.
IN 2000, THINGS CHANGED. I was several years removed from O’Sullivan Woodside and Goldmine and Krause Publications. So I published The Umphred Guide To Blues And Rhythm & Blues 45s Of The ’50s under my own imprint, Monaural Press. I did it the old-fashioned way, paying a printer to make the books.
When I first conceived of this book, my first—and only choice—for co-author was the legendary Val Shively. His used-record store R&B Records had been a fixture in the Philadelphia area for decades, and his knowledge of the rhythm & blues field was legendary!
So I trekked to Upper Darby, Pennsylvania (look it up) to entreat Val to join me. He turned me down but sent me on my way to Grant’s Pass, Oregon.
To read more about what happened next, click here.
As the first printing of The Umphred Guide To Blues And Rhythm & Blues 45s Of The 50s was for a limited edition, advanced copy, it did not have finished cover artwork. Instead, it looked like this: I hand-stamped “Advance Copy” on each book. With few exceptions, all copies of this book look like this—not that most of you will ever see a copy.
My other books
There are eight articles on this site explaining the various books I published for record collectors. They are best read in the following order, which is roughly chronological:
1. O’Sullivan Woodside’s Rock & Roll Record Albums Price Guide
2. O’Sullivan Woodside’s Elvis Presley Record Price Guide
3. Goldmine’s Price Guide to Collectible Record Albums (1st edition)
4. Goldmine’s Price Guide to Collectible Record Albums (5th edition)
5. Goldmine’s Rock’n Roll 45RPM Record Price Guide
6. Goldmine’s Price Guide to Collectible Jazz Albums
7. A Touch Of Gold – Elvis Record & Memorabilia Price Guide
8. Blues and R&B 45s of the ’50s Price Guide