I’ve been interested in bad records for years

Bristol writer Darryl Bullock recently released his second volume of his World’s Worst Records Book, we grabbed a quick chat with him to find out more.

What inspired you to tackle this subject matter in a book?

I’ve been interested in bad records for years. One of my first jobs was working as singles buyer for HMV in Gloucester: every week a record company rep would come in with some piece of rubbish or other, desperate for us to stock it. I started collecting the worst examples and very quickly became obsessed.  

How did you approach researching it?

I’ve been writing the blog, The World’s Worst Records, since 2007, so a lot of my time is taken up in researching obscure and downright dreadful records for that. The Internet is invaluable, but I’m also a voracious reader of music biographies, books on music history and so on. Writing the blog has helped put me in touch with other collectors and with some of the artists themselves, several of whom I’ve been lucky enough to interview.

You must’ve come across some weird stuff. Anything of note?

Oh loads: but one of my absolute favourites is the album called Sing It Again, Sam recorded in the early 1960s by a tone deaf New York businessman by the name of Sam Sack. It was all done in one take and you can hear him arguing with the recording engineer between tracks. He performs a song called Yodel Blues but he can’t yodel. The results are hysterical.

What’s the response to the book(s) been like?

Fantastic. Andy Partridge of XTC loved the first book and it went down really well in America, where it’s been featured on radio several times. I’ve already had some wonderful comments from people on the second volume too. I’m really touched by the fact that people seem to enjoy what I’m doing.

Can we expect a World’s Worst Records volume 3?

No. I’ve decided that there won’t be a Volume Three – at least I have no plans at present. The problem is you have to write about big name acts as well as obscure records to keep people interested, and once you’ve attacked Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, Coldplay, Elton John, Frank Sinatra, Bette Midler, Robin Thicke and others you start to run out of legitimate targets!

What’s the first record you ever bought? 

Maxwell’s Silver Hammer by the Good Ship Lollipop – an obscure cover of a terrible Beatles song – in 1970, although that’s easily the worst song in the entire Beatles canon. I was six years old and already a die-hard Beatles fan. Next was Simple Game by the Four Tops, an infinitely better record!

And the last?

I’ve just grabbed the Monty Python/Stephen Hawking Record Store Day 7″. 

How do you find Bristol for record shopping?

Most of the stuff I buy comes from charity shops, and it’s getting harder to find a bargain as charities have gotten wise to the fact that there are loads of collectors out there. Rise on the Triangle is fabulous, and it’s great to see vinyl making a comeback, but I spent the first 14 years of my working life in record shops – it’s just not the same. Fopp is great for bargain CDs.

To buy a copy of Daryl’s latest book, World’s Worst Records Volume 1 and/or 2, visit: www.amazon.co.uk/The-Worlds-Worst-Records-Atrocity