Scott Dudelson, 45, scans the cabinets of the Record Surplus vinyl retailer in Santa Monica. First opening its doorways in 1985, it has been his dwelling away from dwelling since childhood. While the opposite children stuffed CDs into the middle consoles, Dudelson flipped via the greenback report bins. He was a luxurious I might afford, provided that the going worth for the then-new compact expertise was between “$12 and $18” per disc within the late Nineteen Nineties – a far cry from what he put in his pocket.
There is a lingering despondency in his expression. Maybe it is as a result of only a week earlier, on Tuesday, January 7, he had seen the hellfire creep up the Palisades hills, then unfold via his group. It would cut back his home to ashes alongside together with his vinyl report assortment, which amounted to round 8,000 albums and constructed up over 25 years.
“Before the hearth was even reported, I went outdoors and smelled the hearth,” Dudelson says, recalling the small print over the telephone, together with his girlfriend by his facet to corroborate the account. “10 minutes later, I noticed smoke rising over my hills, proper above my group. And at that time I knew it was actually, actually dangerous.
Indeed it was. Fires continued to destroy practically 3,000 properties between the Palisades and Malibu. Just 20 miles away, Altadena has suffered an equally dire destiny, the place fires have consumed greater than 9,000 constructions because the blaze started.
But Dudelson remained composed on the time, as he and 6 different residents had been “toying with the thought of staying.” After all, simply three weeks in the past a home he was constructing – and into which he had deliberate to maneuver his assortment – close to Pepperdine in Malibu survived a sequence of fires. He had misplaced roughly 1,000 information throughout that incident, as wildfire smoke, like mould, contaminates the thick cardboard album covers, making them poisonous over extended intervals of publicity.
He had additionally spoken to a few of his colleagues who had saved their properties throughout the Woolsey hearth in 2018 (his survived with little injury and 500 paperwork had been misplaced). Little did he know that the Palisades and Eaton fires would burn greater than double Woolsey’s city acreage.
“I assumed for those who had been sensible, you may do it,” he added.
It did not take lengthy for actuality to sink in: “I noticed I’m not a firefighter and it is time for me to depart… so I left, crossed the road on PCH and watched my group burn.”
He ended up evacuating with the assistance of his ex-wife, Melissa, who paradoxically had simply helped him transfer his assortment (a complete of 55 bins) out of his Latigo Canyon dwelling as a consequence of renovations. It would enable him to maintain them there whereas his future dwelling, down the road from Pepperdine, was being renovated. He thought it was a great transfer since Malibu’s canyons had been significantly prone to burns: “Fire is a part of the approach to life,” he famous, having lived within the space for 20 years.
A video Dudelson recorded that day exhibits him panning a room crammed to the brim with information: “God prepared, all these items survives,” he says calmly as he navigates the maze of bins. “I really feel assured. My home did not burn final time and it’ll survive this time.”
The grim actuality of what had occurred did not hit him till the following day, when he checked out what remained of his dwelling on a CBS News broadcast.
Together, he and his ex-wife saved six bins, totaling about 450 information. Thankfully, his earlier experiences with wildfires have left him effectively ready, pre-labeling sure bins to save lots of primarily based on all the things from sentimentality to worth to a intestine feeling that they had been value hauling away.
“I launched two of my favourite albums of all time: Neil Young’s ‘Everybody Knows This is Nowhere’ and ‘On the Beach,’” he mentioned. “These usually are not costly information: I might go to any retailer and possibly discover a good, clear copy for 5, 15, 20 {dollars}.”
Others, like “The Psychedelic Sounds of The thirteenth Floor Elevators,” his Nick Drake albums, Elvis’ self-titled debut, a sealed 1968 “The White Album” and Big Star’s “#1 Record” ended up in these bins as a result of they’re value tons of to 1000’s of {dollars} every.
“There have been so many individuals who’ve reached out to me, each people within the vinyl group and report labels,” Dudelson mentioned.
(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
But there’s nonetheless lots he is misplaced.
“I misplaced all my Smiths information, the smaller, authentic Slayer model, ‘Reign in Blood,’” he recalled sadly. “I imply, I misplaced all the things. I had each David Bowie report, each Fleetwood Mac, as you say… it is all gone.
His copy of an alternate cowl of the Beatles’ “Yesterday and Today”, generally often known as the “butcher’s cowl”, was additionally misplaced. Nowadays, it’s handled extra like a historic artifact than only a uncommon vinyl report: solely 750,000 had been pressed in 1966 earlier than they had been recalled and repackaged.
There’s a basic sense that the worst is but to return, as Dudelson nonetheless would not have a whole understanding of what paperwork had been left behind. He just lately discovered {that a} uncommon Blue Note has been forgotten: a 1956 print of “At The Hickory House Volume 1” by Jutta Hipp (presently listed for ~$2,000).
But her lament turned to admiration within the following days, when she started posting in regards to the loss to her 55,000 Instagram followers. The account, @alldayvinylhad cultivated a group since he started sharing his findings in late 2018. Just a few years later, he would additional embrace this method by beginning his personal podcast, “LEGENDS,” which has hosted the likes of basic rock singer-songwriter Dave Mason and Robby Krieger of The Doors.
“There have been so many individuals who’ve reached out to me, each people within the vinyl group and report labels,” Dudelson mentioned, his voice heat. “Two of the primary individuals who contacted me had been pals at Rhino Records and Universal Music Group… they usually mentioned, ‘Sorry, let me understand how I may also help you rebuild the gathering.’ Come down and get some information from us.’”
She cried because the direct messages started to reach.
Above all, Dudelson and the vinyl report group are music lovers who deeply respect the “unsung heroes” of the business. He described the entire affair as “emblematic” of Los Angeles’ persistence to exist within the face of Earth’s try to set it adrift.
“I’ll by no means rebuild what I had, however I’m okay with it,” he says. “I had nice reminiscences with them. I discovered a lot about music. I learn so many liner notes.
“But I’m additionally a music junkie,” he confesses. “I’ll by no means cease shopping for music. I’ll by no means cease listening to music. I’ll by no means cease listening to information all day.”
