CARL PERKINS MATCHBOX 78RPM LONDON HLS. 8408

	£		38
	$		50

Offered here is a highly sought-after slice of rock and roll history: an original 10-inch shellac 78 RPM pressing of Carl Perkins performing "Matchbox" b/w "Your True Love" on the iconic London American Recordings label (HLS 8408), originally released in April 1957.
Matchbox" is a foundational rockabilly composition written by Carl Perkins. The song’s opening lyrics are derived from the 1927 blues recording "Match Box Blues" by Blind Lemon Jefferson, illustrating the direct lineage between early 20th-century country blues and the development of 1950s rock and roll.

This track is a key document from the legendary Sun Records era, featuring Carl Perkins on lead vocals and guitar. The session notably includes a burning piano accompaniment by a young, pre-fame Jerry Lee Lewis.
Carl Perkins is widely recognized for writing "Blue Suede Shoes," a cornerstone of the rock and roll repertoire. His distinctive guitar style served as a primary influence on the development of British rock music, specifically impacting the playing style of pioneering artists such as The Rolling Stones.
The composition "Matchbox" achieved enduring status as an absolute rock and roll standard, famously covered by The Beatles during their 1964 Long Tall Sally sessions, which introduced the song to a massive global audience in the mid-1960s.
By the spring of 1957, the British music market was rapidly shifting toward the newly introduced 7-inch 45 RPM vinyl format. Consequently, Decca/London manufactured 10-inch heavy shellac 78 RPM discs in ever-decreasing, tightly restricted batches. Because these high-octane rockabilly records were immediately routed to local youth clubs and thrashed relentlessly on heavy-tracking gramophones, finding a transition-era survivor that has avoided catastrophic damage is incredibly difficult
Detailed Condition Report
Format: 10" Shellac 78 RPM Single
Grade (VJM System): Very Good (VG)
Play Surface: A beautifully preserved, highly playable original survivor. The shellac retains an admirable amount of its original gloss. Under bright inspection lighting, the disc exhibits some light, entirely unfeelable surface scuffs and minor sleeve marks that are entirely cosmetic and do not affect playback. Completely free of deep scratches, cracks, needle digs, or edge chips.
Audio Performance: Both sides play beautifully loud, crisp, and robust with immense mid-century acoustic presence. The blistering guitar leads and Jerry Lee Lewis' rolling piano lines track with fantastic clarity. Surface noise is steady but remarkably light, non-intrusive, and entirely standard for a 1950s London pressing.
Center Labels: The original London American labels are clean, crisp, and fully legible with vivid silver typography against the iconic black background.
Spindle hole remains tight with zero trailing wear. Free of modern ink writing, layout tearing, or vintage dealer sticker residue.

Postage & Packing Information
We specialize in shipping highly fragile vintage shellac. This historic disc will be packaged defensively to completely isolate it from external pressures, handling drops, and transit shocks:
Double-Skin Box: Enclosed within an ultra-rigid, double-walled outer corrugated shipping box.
Thick Card Packaging: Strictly sandwiched and locked securely between multiple oversized layers of thick, heavy corrugated cardboard stiffeners to guarantee absolutely zero flexing.
Bubble Wrap: Generously wrapped in layers of shock-absorbing bubble wrap to insulate it from vibration.
Void Fill: The entire internal assembly is locked in place inside the box using dense void-fill material to ensure absolutely zero movement during transit.Rest assured, this piece of musical history will be carefully packed and promptly dispatched.