Crate digging is a hip hop term for when one goes to a record store to look for old records to sample.
My latest passion in this late stage of my life is Virtual Crate Digging (see definition above c/o Urban Dictionary). I consider it virtual because I do my work ONLINE (via my trusty desktop computer), at ANY time (such as 4am o’clock when my adorable Lily dog wakes me up) through the Internet.
These days, YouTube is my Record Store and my crates are the various channels created by collectors posting / boasting about their prized vinyl.
- Vinyl Questions? Start here .
When I find a collector I like, I give a quick sample listen of each of their gems.
To me, these collectors are very much like Art Dealers, and their Channels are like Galleries or Showrooms.
If you think about it, Galleries / Showrooms exist to bring attention to a particular form of Art. The shared experience of witnessing these creations often captures the reflective mood of society at a certain point in time.
So Wonderful, Yet, Merely 2% …
I have not heard 98% of the music I stumble across. True fact. Excited, I immediately commence making playlists with the music that catches my ear. I call these my rediscoveries. Why is that, you ask?
I call these my rediscoveries. Why is that, you ask? They were originally “discovered” by the Collectors who posted them in the first place.
Why I Share…
I share these playlists with friends and family, hoping to spread the “Spiritual Enlightenment” that I felt when I heard these “Little Masterpieces.”
Come with me and you’ll be
In a world of pure imagination
Take a look and you’ll see
Into your imagination”
Journey with a Purpose…
I find that these Journey(s) serve two purposes. For the Collectors, they are Adventures where their quest is to seek and find that “Holy Grail” (AKA the rarest and most unique 45s.
For the rest of us, as virtual hitchhikers, the journey becomes an adventure of spiritual discovery within ourselves…
I like to think of the music and songs as time capsules. Our Souls breathe in the essence of the work.
And then, the Pondering begins…
“WHO created this, HOW did they create it and WHY did they create it?”
There are some songs I find so emotionally powerful that I seek answer to these questions. Using the skills of JEDEMI, I find myself scratching at the surface, finding sparks of knowledge. Each clue has me digging deeper and my desires are fulfilled when I share my findings here within “Mr Pete’s WowMe Wednesday” posts.
In July it was “Freedom Riders” — a song I found to be musically powerfully as well as culturally important.
As of a few weeks ago, this human jukebox NEVER heard before.
I Wanna Go…
I present my latest find “(I Wanna GO) Where the Soul Trees Grow”
The lyrics are just an appetizer. Wait until you hear the performances!
My JEDEMI senses helped me discovered the following:
- This song was recorded by two artists: Arthur Prysock and Beau Dollar.
- Timeframe? Late 60s / early 70s
Note: This WMW12 is getting long, so we’ll publish a separate post with more information for further background.
The Journey’s End (?)
In Annie’s world (the founder of Jedemi), the phrase is “pencils down” or sometimes, “that’s a wrap.” For me, the visual is a needle coming to the end of a record and then being gently put back in place for next time. This particular journey’s end is actually the beginning of more adventures.
Thanks for coming along. I very much hope that you’ll find some inspiration and do some crate digggin’ and sharin’ of your own. Meanwhile, please give listen to this journey inspired playlist. Please share and, as always, we encourage you to #SCMF: Stay Curious!
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About Mr Pete
A music aficionado, Mr. Pete’s mind and ears have no horizons. He has the uncanny ability to suss out the right song for the right time — a skill that is truly amazing. The Gang here at Jedemi enjoys his contributions.
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