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The Deep Spin: An Interview With a Rare Rockabilly DJ

At a busy Saturday record fair in Melbourne, the rarest-looking item is not always the most valuable. A clean black sleeve, a hand-stamped label and a title unknown to nearly everyone in the room can mean far more to a specialist than a famous pressing with a high price tag. For a DJ who works with original rockabilly 45s, discovery is tied to sound, history and the energy a record creates on a dance floor.

Eddie Mercer, a long-time collector and club DJ, has built his sets around obscure singles from the 1950s, early revival years and the wilder edges of hillbilly, rhythm and blues and western swing. His record boxes travel between small bars, festival rooms and late-night sessions, where the audience may know the classics but still responds to an unfamiliar flip side.

His collection began with Australian second-hand shop finds and expanded through dealers in the United States, Britain, Japan and Europe. The search now includes online catalogues, auction listings, private trades and conversations with collectors who recognise a matrix number before they recognise the artist.

This interview explores how a DJ judges a rare rockabilly record, why Australian collectors face particular hurdles and how a seven-inch single earns a place in a working set rather than simply sitting in a display cabinet.

Meeting The Collector Behind The Decks

Mercer describes himself as a listener first and a historian second. “I want the record to tell me something in the first few seconds,” he says. “It might be a strange guitar tone, a drummer playing too hard, or a singer who sounds as if the microphone is barely containing him. A record can be technically rough and still have enormous character.”

His first serious purchase was a worn 45 bought in Adelaide for the price of a takeaway lunch. The sleeve was missing, the label had writing across it and the record looked beyond rescue. Once cleaned, it revealed a sharp, echo-heavy rocker with a dramatic stop-time chorus. That single became a regular opener in his early DJ sets and taught him that condition alone cannot determine a record’s value.

What Makes A 45 Worth Chasing

Rarity is a combination of supply, demand and survival. A small regional label may have pressed only a few hundred copies, yet the record becomes truly desirable when very few remain playable. Promotional copies, alternate takes, withdrawn releases and singles with unusual label variations can attract collectors, while a common title may still be essential if it sounds exceptional.

Mercer checks the catalogue number, label design, publishing credit, address and matrix information before making a decision. He also listens for groove wear, distortion and signs of tampering. “A record described as mint can still disappoint,” he says. “The seller may mean the sleeve looks clean, while the grooves have been played with a heavy stylus for sixty years.”

Reading Labels, Grooves And Provenance

A label can reveal where a record was manufactured, how it was distributed and whether it belongs to an original pressing or a later reissue. Australian copies sometimes carry local distributor details or different lettering from their American counterparts. Those details matter when a collector is tracing how a song reached dance halls, radio programmes and suburban record shops.

Mercer keeps notes on every purchase, including seller details, condition, date and price. This record of provenance is useful when a valuable single is insured, sold or traded. Australian buyers should also remember that overseas orders can involve GST, postage charges and customs requirements, especially when a parcel includes several records or merchandise. A bargain can change once international shipping and taxes are added.

Where Australian Collectors Find The Good Stuff

The local market rewards patience. Melbourne’s inner suburbs have long supported record fairs and specialist shops, while Sydney offers regular events where vintage clothing, rock ’n’ roll memorabilia and vinyl appear side by side. Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Hobart have smaller scenes, but local sellers often know which estates, garage clearances and community markets produce interesting stock.

Mercer follows specialist retailers as closely as auction sites. He also checks the international revival catalogue when looking for current reissues, archival releases and related rockabilly material that can lead him towards older artists and labels. Japanese shops are particularly useful for carefully curated imports, although postage to Australia can be slower and more expensive than domestic delivery.

What He Checks Before Buying

A rare title can become a poor purchase when its condition, history or format is misunderstood. Mercer uses a practical checklist before he commits money to an unfamiliar 45.

He advises new collectors to avoid buying solely because a price guide calls a record scarce. A less expensive original with strong sound may provide more pleasure than a supposedly valuable copy that skips through the chorus. For DJs, playability is central: a record has to survive a real room, a quick changeover and repeated handling.

Building A Set From Seven-Inch Singles

Mercer structures a set like a conversation between tempos and moods. He may begin with a swinging hillbilly number, move into a hard-driving bopper, slow down for blues-based rhythm and blues, then return to wild rockabilly before the room loses momentum. The rarest record is not necessarily the first or last selection. Its position depends on what the crowd needs at that moment.

Australian venues can shape those choices. A small Sydney bar may have strict noise limits and limited space for dancers, while a festival outside Geelong may allow a longer set with a broader selection. He also keeps an eye on public performance obligations, with venue owners and promoters generally responsible for music licensing arrangements through organisations such as APRA AMCOS. “The DJ’s job is to make the music feel immediate,” he says, “but the event still needs to operate legally.”

For A Working Record Box

Mercer separates his collection into records he plays regularly and records he is still learning. The working box contains dependable favourites, strong second sides and a few surprises that can change the mood quickly.

He carries records in sturdy sleeves and keeps the box away from direct sun, hot car boots and sudden temperature changes. Australian summers make this especially important. Heat can warp vinyl and weaken paper sleeves, while coastal humidity around Sydney or Brisbane can encourage mould if records are stored in damp rooms.

Caring For Vinyl And Its History

Cleaning should be gentle and consistent. Mercer uses a carbon-fibre brush before and after playing, handles records by the edges and avoids household cleaners that can leave residue in the grooves. A proper stylus, correctly balanced tonearm and clean slipmat reduce damage during regular DJ use.

He also believes that preservation includes documentation. Scanning labels, recording matrix information and identifying musicians can help future listeners understand a scene that was often poorly archived. When a record has handwritten notes, a local shop stamp or a radio station marking, he photographs those details before placing it in a new sleeve.

Why The Scene Keeps Moving

Rare 45 collecting can look backward, yet the culture remains active because new musicians, labels and DJs continue to reinterpret the sound. Independent releases connect contemporary bands with the visual language of vintage singles, while reissue labels make difficult-to-find recordings available to listeners who may never encounter an original pressing.

Mercer points to specialist retailers such as Chat Noir Store as part of the wider network supporting roots music, clothing and scene culture. For Australian fans, online shops help bridge the distance between local events and international communities, especially when a regional collector cannot attend a Melbourne or Sydney fair.

His final advice is simple: buy with your ears, learn the details and allow room for accidents. The best discovery may come from a misfiled bargain, an overlooked B-side or a record that sounds strange until the right crowd hears it. A rare rockabilly 45 becomes truly valuable when it leaves the shelf, reaches the turntable and makes people move.