New Brighton’s The Dream Machine know their way around a great record – especially when it’s been unearthed from a charity shop crate. For this piece, frontman Zak McDonnell digs through his favourite second-hand vinyl finds, from doo-wop classics to sun-bleached soundtracks, sharing the stories, sounds and small obsessions that make each record special. Welcome to The Dream Machine’s Best Charity Shop Vinyl Finds – proof that some of the best musical treasures are hiding in plain sight.
1 . Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers – The Best Of
Nearly 70 years on, when this opens with Why Do Fools Fall In Love it’s instantly apparent that Frankie Lymon is the coolest 14-year old ever put to vinyl. I went through a phase of listening to this every day when I was reading The Wanderer – Dion’s Story. He told stories of him and Frankie as teenagers in 1950’s New York snorting heroin and walking down the broken white line in the middle of the road, looking up at the sky, with a massive line of angry cars behind them and not a care in the world. Frankie was seeing one of The Platters at the time I think, his career only lasted a couple of years and then he ended up homeless. It’s all really tragic. Acapella intros, distorted screaming sax solos and unreal harmonies. This is just my kind of record.
Best Tracks: Why Do Fools Fall In Love, Paper Castles, Out In The Cold Again
2. Duane Eddy – Twangy Guitar, Silky Strings
I listened to a comp called The Twang Gang a lot, especially a song called Girl On Death Row with Duane Eddy and Lee Hazlewood on but I didn’t have any of his stuff before this record. I pretty much bought it for the title and cover alone. The arrangements are great, just instrumentals again. I remember Matt and our producer James trying to write a Duane Eddy style riff for a song called ‘The Horse’ on our last album.
Best tracks: Born To Be With You, When I Fall In Love, Angel On My Shoulder
3. The Upsetters With Vin Gordon – Musical Bones
Technically not a charity shop find, as I got it on clearance at an instore in Portsmouth we were doing for Small Time Monsters. It’s a load of Lee Perry instrumentals that are just great for when you don’t want to think. It’s ultimate relaxation music, but a bit evil too occasionally. If you shut your eyes when you’re doing the dishes with this on, you can pretend you’re on the beach.
Best tracks: Coco-Macca, The Message, Licky Licky
4. Paul Simon – Hearts And Bones
Clearly the people of Wallasey have no taste as this was buried under the usual million Leo Sayer records in a bargain bin. The title track for me is one of the best things he’s ever done. Some of it is verging on 80’s cheese but in the best way possible. It also gave me some words to live by:
“If you want to write a song about a face
If you want to write a song about the human race
Write a song about the moon”
Best Tracks: Hearts and Bones, Song About The Moon, Train In The Distance
5. Hank Williams – The Last Picture Show Soundtrack
I always come back to this film and the soundtrack in the summer. They sort of remind me of New Brighton, for a lot of reasons, so this is good for cruising around New Brighton when it’s sunny. ‘Lovesick Blues’ reminds me of that cowboy lad that went viral for singing it in Walmart, so it often gets skipped, but there are some seriously brilliant love songs on there. Each song is such an extensive tale packed into two-and-a-half minutes. Sometimes it’s in the things he doesn’t say. The film and soundtrack have both been a big inspiration to me.
Best Tracks: Cold Cold Heart, Half As Much, My Son Calls Another Man Daddy
The Dream Machine’s upcoming album, Fort Perch Rock, is released on Friday 27 February on Run On Records. Pre-Orders here.
