John Gowlandsa国际传媒檚 love affair with vinyl records began when he was a teenager.

And it continues today as the 69-year-old Kelowna resident boasts a collection of 9,000 albums in his home.

sa国际传媒淚 still have some, maybe 200 or 300, that I bought when I was a teenager but over the years Isa国际传媒檝e continued to add to my collection,sa国际传媒� Gowland said.

That is no easy task today with the digital revolution of the music recording industry that has seen vinyl records passed by by music buyers for CDs and then online downloading.

sa国际传媒淵ou have to get out there and hustle at yard sales, thrift stores, anywhere where you think records might be available. They are harder to get now,sa国际传媒� he said.

His love of records led Gowland to help organize the annual Kelowna Music Collectors Show with his partner and event co-founder Doogie Irvine.

The decade-old event takes place Sunday, April 22, at the Ukrainian Catholic Church, 1091 Coronation Ave.

It has become a premier local opportunity for Okanagan record buyers to add to their own collections, along with another major show in Penticton in September and record sales hosted by the Record City store in Vernon.

Gowland says the experience of listening to a record and the sound quality production are both characteristics that continue to appeal to him.

sa国际传媒淚 have about 3,000 CDs and the one thing I like about them is being able to get albums that our hard to find on vinyl,sa国际传媒� he said.

sa国际传媒淏ut there is something about that ritual of placing a record on a turntable, lifting the tone arm, dropping the needle and away you go. Listening to online or CDs is a much more sterile experience of listening to music.

sa国际传媒淵ou cansa国际传媒檛 do much if you have a record that is damaged or scratched, but a quality condition record on a good sound system takes you back to the simplicity of listening to records back to the old days.sa国际传媒�

On the technical side, Gowland says the compression of recorded music on a standard CD tends to cut off the mid-range to high treble and low bass sound levels that a vinyl records do not.

As well, he notes the artwork that adorned record album covers is also a collection element in itself inspirational for budding artists.

sa国际传媒淚 know people who buy Iron Maiden albums just to put the album cover in a frame on their wall because of the artwork,sa国际传媒� he said.

Listening to music is a life-long passion for Rowland, as he does not own a television or computer.

Asked to pick some of his favourite albums, he cites Abbey Road by The Beatles, Led Zeppelin IV and Aqua Lung by Jethro Tull.

But he points more to the the British music invasion of the 1960s and early sa国际传媒�70s started by The Beatles as the golden era of records, when music artists and producers began experimenting with sound quality and song writing techniques still prevalent today.

In the record collection trade, Gowland said the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd tend to be gobbled up quickly.

sa国际传媒淚t is really strange but records by The Beatles and even Elvis Presley donsa国际传媒檛 really sell that well. They have sold so many albums that the people who want them already have them,sa国际传媒� he said.

Rowland said his record collection is a hobby he doesnsa国际传媒檛 plan to give up anytime soon.

sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檝e had a girlfriend for the last 18 years but she has her place and I have mine because I need the space for all my records,sa国际传媒� he laughed.

Asked who he would pass on his record collection to one day, Rowland says he hasnsa国际传媒檛 really given that much thought.

sa国际传媒淚 guess my girlfriend will get my records when Isa国际传媒檓 gone and she can do what she wants with them,sa国际传媒� he said.

sa国际传媒淏ut hopefully I still have a few years left as I havensa国际传媒檛 really thought that far ahead.sa国际传媒�

The Kelowna Music Collectorssa国际传媒� Show runs April 22 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with an early bird entry fee of $5 from 9 to 10 a.m., and $3 admission after that. There will be hourly door prizes and donations will be accepted for the Kelowna food bank.

To report a typo, email: edit@kelownacapnews.com.

barry.gerding@blackpress.ca
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