Which band did you most love that you took a wild punt on from a charity shop?

axisus

Maybe other people don't rummage through charity shop racks like I do, but I'm always on the look out for something cheap or interesting. Two for me:

Way back around 1981 I was in a charity shop checking out the vinyl and I came across this record. E Pluribus Funk by Grand Funk Railroad. 



I'd never heard of the band, but the packaging was most interesting, a metallic round cover. It was a pound so I bought it, and bloody loved the record! I then spent years tracking down all of the bands output on vinyl - 15 albums. No easy task back then as they were never big news over here in the UK. 

The other one was about 2 years ago. Not a band, but I found a Best of Barbra Streisand double CD for £1. I thought why not, and I REALLY got into her singing. Such a fabulous voice. I haven't gone mad and bought all her records, but I still absolutely love this CD. I picked up the (expensive!) songbook for the collection and I love trying to play along. 

Funkfingers

Not charity shop but, in 1978, I took a punt on Magazine's Shot By Both Sides because I liked the Odilon Redon image used on the cover.

thecolourbox

I got Nizlopi's debut album from a charity shop, about a year or so after the JCB Song and I still listen to it occasionally now, they are alright

munckee

I bought this from the bargain bin in a second hand shop 20 years ago and I still listen to them a lot

https://i.imgur.com/MioIs6l.jpg ;

Part of the group went on to be the polyphonic spree.

PolarityMan

I suspect there's a fair few rush CDs to be had if you look around

fretmeister

It was a Graham Central Station cd.

I just liked the cover. 

Turns out Larry Graham can play a bit!  

merlin

Free for Fever by Fédération Française de Funk (French Funk Foundation). 

I think I bought it in Cheapo Cheapo Records (any remember that shop!) May have been £2

english_bob

I could probably come up with a list as long as your arm if I thought about it.

I've bought plenty of albums I knew- or was at least fairly sure- I'd like by artists I already knew, but I don't think that counts. 

Stuff I've taken a punt on, having heard little or nothing of the artist and ended up liking:

65Daysofstatic - The Fall of Math
The Afghan Whigs - 1965
Chvrches - Every Open Eye
The Decemberists - The Crane Wife
Four Tet - Rounds
Little Feat - Feats Don't Fail Me Now
Oceansize - Effloresce
Talk Talk - The Colour of Spring
Tinariwen - Amassakoul

Probably didn't spend more than £2 on any of them.

english_bob

munckee said:

Part of the group went on to be the polyphonic spree.

Wait, part of the group became the Polyphonic Spree?






How the hell many members did Tripping Daisy have?


/deliberate misinterpretation

thecolourbox

munckee said:

I bought this from the bargain bin in a second hand shop 20 years ago and I still listen to them a lot

https://i.imgur.com/MioIs6l.jpg ;

Part of the group went on to be the polyphonic spree.

And part of the group The Polyphonic Spree became St Vincent 

paulphoenix

I picked this album up in a second hand store in the mid 90's. love it.  

blobb

This:

I liked the cover art, brilliant group of musicians.

Offset

Funkfingers said:

Not charity shop but, in 1978, I took a punt on Magazine's Shot By Both Sides because I liked the Odilon Redon image used on the cover.

That was a brilliant single, and I always found the cover artwork rather unsettling.  I probably still have the 7" single lurking around somewhere.

Dominic

I caught on early decades ago........got a James Last Album
didn't know what to expect but the name sounded Californian 
Never went back !

english_bob

Dominic said:

I caught on early decades ago........got a James Last Album
didn't know what to expect but the name sounded Californian 
Never went back !

I developed a system of quickly skimming large amounts of charity shop vinyl to see if it was worth having a proper look through. Skip every ten or so records. If you get three James Last LPs in a row, walk away. Nothing to see there.

boogieman

Porcupine Tree’s Warszawa. Had no idea who they were but I was intrigued by the band name. Best £1 I ever spent. 

dazzajl

Bought James McMurtry and the Heartless Barstards, Live in Aught Three for 50p, never heard of them just liked the name. James McMurtry is now one of my favourite artists. 

zepp76

Not a charity shop but as a kid I bought Deep Purple In Rock and Whitesnake Saints & Sinners for 50p all in at a car boot sale. I never looked back!

ICBM

Bright Eyes

Funkfingers

Waiting for the Dirty Snake Mouth CD to hit the 50p bins.

ThePrettyDamned

I found City of vultures in a charity shop. I hadn't heard of rise to remain before, but that brought me back from being purely into modern tech metal and reminded me of the sheer power of a great riff.