ARTHUR BIG BOY CRUDUP KATIE MAY 78RPM RCA VICTOR 20-2989
  £   45
  $   60   

 


£ 45   (best offer accepted)   Sold For
Jun 10, 2026 Sold Date
Jan 21, 2026 Start Date
1 Number Of Bids
  Great Britain Country Of Seller
eBay Sold at
 
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Description

This disc captures the transition of American roots music. Released in July 1948 on the glossy black-and-gold RCA Victor imprint, this original US pressing features the legendary composer and blues pioneer Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup delivering his masterful Katie May b/w Boy Friend Blues. Both sides were recorded during a definitive single-day session in Chicago on October 7, 1947. This record is fiercely hunted by advanced pre-war and post-war blues collectors alike, as well as early rock 'n' roll musicologists looking for the exact blueprints that inspired Elvis Presley's formative Sun Records style.
​The performances beautifully highlight the extraordinary, stripped-down emotional power that defined Crudup's mid-century output. Side A (Katie May) features Crudup's unmistakable, high-pitched Mississippi vocal delivery and sharp, hypnotic electric guitar lines. The performance is anchored by an elite, uncredited studio pocket consisting of foundational jazz/blues bassist Ransom Knowling and master drummer Judge Riley. Together, they create a heavy, swinging, and syncopated groove that perfectly anticipates the structural framework of urban electric blues. Side B (Boy Friend Blues) continues the raw momentum, delivering a stark, slow-burning country-blues stroller that brilliantly showcases Crudup's vocal control and unmatched rhythmic timing. Finding clean, unscuffed examples of late-1940s RCA Victor blues entries entirely free of heavy steel-needle gray tracking wear, center-hole stress fractures, or deep surface scuffs is an absolute rarity. This premium specimen has been beautifully looked after, boasting a strong original factory gloss, sharp groove walls, and clean, readable label faces.
​Technical Data
​Artist: Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup (Blues Singer with Guitar, Bass, and Drums)
​Lead Vocals & Electric Guitar: Arthur Crudup
​Featured Acoustic Bass: Ransom Knowling
​Featured Drums: Judge Riley
​Compositions: * Side A: Katie May (Arthur Crudup)
​Side B: Boy Friend Blues (Arthur Crudup)
​Label: RCA Victor (Original US Black & Gold Numerical Line)
​Catalog Number: 20-2989
​Master Session Matrices: D7VB-1060-1 (Katie May) / D7VB-1065-1 (Boy Friend Blues) Sequence
​Format: 10" Shellac Record, 78RPM
​Manufacture: Made in USA (RCA Victor Division of Radio Corporation of America)
​Recording Date: October 7, 1947 (Chicago, Illinois)
​Release Date: July 1948
​Genre: Post-War Country Blues / Chicago Blues / Elvis Presley Blueprint Foundations / Premium Independent Shellac Grails
​The disc is sandwiched between corrugated cardboard and wrapped in bubble wrap. This is then placed inside a double-skin box filled with packing void to prevent movement and provide maximum protection.
​Carefully packed and promptly dispatche


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