Delta Blues Garage Monster 45 (JACKIE BRENSTON) Trouble up the Road [HEAR] VG++

$

60

FOR YOUR
CONSIDERATION... 

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** A "DELTA BLUES Meets GARAGE ROCK" Monster **

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THIS 45: “TROUBLE UP THE ROAD”
by JACKIE “BRENSTEN” (i.e. BRENSTON) with IKE TURNER & ORCH.

On SUE RECORDS. From 1961. NOT A REISSUE.

VG++ (Barely played!)

CONTENT NOTE: “TROUBLE UP THE ROAD” should be among the TOP TEN songs that every teenager new to Rock & Roll should have to listen to--and memorize. We didn’t hear it ourselves until we had four heavy decades under our belt. But at least we heard it! And when we did, something like this escaped us: “O where have you been lo these many years, YOU BLISTERING MASTERPIECE YOU?”

The first thing that happens on “TROUBLE UP THE ROAD” is that IKE TURNER’s almost-fuzzy guitar riff busts outta your speakers with a superhuman force and charisma (and an inevitability) that you can’t hide from.

It is riff of such fierceness and hypnotic power that no matter how many times you hear it, it STAYS fresh and immediate in your mind, heart, guts, and bones.

(Other riffs of this magnitude that have opened songs--by THE ROLLING STONES or THE KINKS or whoever--have probably had a similar affect on you.)

And then, rather than diminishing from IKE’s absurdly forceful start, the rest of “TROUBLE UP THE ROAD” keeps the energy--and buzz and fuzz--kickin’ from start to finish.

SUMMARY: This current EBAY listing of ours (in which we begin to feature our rarest & best 45s) marks the first time we’ve ever used AUDIO SAMPLES. To us, it makes divine sense that the song that should kick off our SAMPLING should be “TROUBLE UP THE ROAD” by JACKIE B.

Please click below on our debut AUDIO SAMPLE to judge for yourself whether “TROUBLE UP THE ROAD” deserves the exorbitant praise we just heaped on it. Thank you!

"Listen to TROUBLE UP THE ROAD"

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RECORD
DETAILS

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TITLE: “TROUBLE UP THE ROAD” / “YOU AIN’T THE ONE”

ARTIST: JACKIE BRENSTEN (i.e. BRENSTON)

WITH: IKE TUNER & ORCH.

LABEL & CATALOG #: SUE 736 (SR-991 & SR-992)

MATRIX: BELL SOUND SR-991 A / BELL SOUND SR-991 B

YEAR: 1961

ORIGINAL ISSUE OR REISSUE: ORIGINAL!

CONDITION of SLEEVE: NM. NEW. GENERIC.

CONDITION of LABEL: VG+.
Very sharp--vs. dulled-out--coloring. A small vintage sticker (from a radio station?) is stamped with a date (“JAN 10 1961”) on the “YOU AIN’T THE ONE” side upon which, in red ink, the initials “M R&R” are written. A similar sticker on the other side eventually slipped but left sticker-residue in which its shape.

CONDITION of VINYL: VG++.
When it came into our possession, this record didn’t even look as if it had been played. (Only the label showed signs of human contact.) We have since played the “TROUBLE UP THE ROAD” side twice: the first time to test it, the second time to record it. We played the “YOU AIN’T THE ONE” side once.

Both sides of this 45 look BEAUTIFUL--the vinyl on each side glistens (and didn’t require cleaning). More importantly, both sides play BEAUTIFULLY: With NO SKIPS and ALMOST ZERO SURFACE NOISE. (Both sides tested.)

MORE ABOUT CONDITION: For a number of years, we treasured a dirty, scratched-up copy of “TROUBLE UP THE ROAD”--it even had a few skips (and we normally DESPISE skips). But this 45 is so hard to find, and “TROUBLE UP THE ROAD” is such a blistering sonic experience, that we were grateful to have even a pulverized, skipping copy in our midst.

Of course, the exact “TROUBLE UP THE ROAD” 45 that we are currently auctioning on EBAY is NOT our old beat-up copy, but a totally different vintage copy that we found--one that is extraordinarily clean and UNSKIPPING--a real beauty. Our experience is that you might not ever see another one in such fine shape.

So our suggestion is: BID WITH CONFIDENCE!

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HOW WE JUDGE CONTENT. Louis Armstrong famously said: “There is two kinds of music, the good, and the bad.” In reading our personal opinions about the records we are now selling, you will only read variations of praise. We know this risks sounding like insincere sales patter. But our praise is real because the records now before you happen to be the ones we most love from our record collection (a collection almost thirty years old). Of course we have bad stuff in our collection! But that’s not the stuff we are now selling.

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But it is the marvel on the flip side of this 45 that is the wake-up call to America, the world, and the future.

“TROUBLE UP THE ROAD”--the 1961 updating of IKE’s “YOU GOTTA LOSE” from 1958 (itself pretty hot)--is a scorching + very underrated DELTA BLUES/GARAGE ROCK amalgamation from the same JACKIE BRENSTON (born in Clarksdale, Mississippi) whose “ROCKET 88” from 1951 is considered by some scholars to be the “first” rock & roll record ever released.

(Like “TROUBLE UP THE ROAD,” “ROCKET 88” also features IKE TURNER--who, like JACKIE B., was born in Clarksdale.)

Rock scholars tend to go on and on about “ROCKET 88.” And, in the end, that “first rock & roll record” speculation takes up too much space--and “TROUBLE UP THE ROAD” takes up too little in their history books.

Because when it comes to music, what we hear is always more important than what we are told. And while “ROCKET 88” (for all its oomph) still SOUNDS more like straight R&B than Mesmerizing Rock & Roll Innovation--which is exactly what “TROUBLE UP THE ROAD” sounds like.

In short, the twisted, fiery, out-of-control Delta Blues / Garage Rock of “TROUBLE UP THE ROAD” blows “ROCKET 88” off the highway.

In other words:

JACKIE BRENSTEN / BRENSTON never sounded better.

“ROCKET 88” never sounded better.

IKE TURNER never sounded better (or fuzzier).

GARAGE ROCK never sounded better (or bluesier or fuzzier).

THE ROLLING STONES and LED ZEPPELIN never sounded better (or bluesier or fuzzier).

ROCK & ROLL RIFFS never sounded better--or more instantly classic.

P.S. THE BIG QUESTION IS: Why isn’t this song more famous?

THE SMALL ANSWER IS: We don’t know! But we hope the best DJ’s in the world will be inspired to change that.

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FLAPPINCAT's
HOUSE RULES
& GENERAL BUSINESS POLICIES

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HOW WE

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OPERATE

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#1.

In classic "Golden Rule" fashion, FLAPPINCAT will treat you, our eBay customer, just as we like to be treated when we buy on eBay (and we often do). In other words, FLAPPINCAT will be honest and fair and respectful with you.

#2.

FLAPPINCAT will accurately and clearly describe all items that we peddle. When depicting an item and its condition, we will not permit ourselves vagueness, gobbledygook, doubletalk, or stretchers. If we screw up, our error will be one made in good faith--not from an attempt to deceive or cheat you by falsifying language.

#3.

FLAPPINCAT considers the packing & shipping of the items to be an essential part of our business, not an afterthought or a burden. We understand that unless items are CAREFULLY protected, they can be ruined during shipment. Thus, we take time and care to package things well and to ship them in sturdy--and well-taped--containers. (If anything, we over-tape; you might need a letter-opener to open a FLAPPINCAT box.)

#4.

FLAPPINCAT pledges to be prompt.

#5.

FLAPPINCAT takes to heart the truth that without you--without customers--we don't exist. It is really that simple. And FLAPPINCAT is sincerely grateful for your business--for your trust (!) in us--and though it may sound corny to some, our gratitude is genuine and it motivates our engagement with you.
 

HOW WE
GRADE CONDITION

As buyers, we 100% dislike it when the records we've bought online arrive in shabbier condition than they were described. In memory of that dislike, and outta respect for you, we, as sellers, will strive for accuracy, not hype, when describing the condition of the records we sell.

The prism through which we inspect, and grade, vinyl records is called "THE GOLDMINE STANDARD." This system was devised, and refined, by the experts at GOLDMINE RECORDS (the leading journal for vinyl collectors) and is regarded as the go-to guide by the Record Collectors Guild and many (if not most) amateur and professional vinylists and eBay sellers.

*

THE GOLDMINE STANDARD. 

Though condensed for readability, the following GOLDMINE text has not had its meaning altered:

1. MINT (M) or (STILL) SEALED. "Absolutely perfect in every way. Certainly has never been played, possibly even still sealed."

2. NEAR MINT (NM or M-) [also called: VG++ or E+]. "A good description of a NM record is 'it looks like it just came from a retail store and it was opened for the first time.' In other words, it's nearly perfect... NM records are shiny, with no visible defects..... (NM records don't have to be 'never played'; a record used on an excellent turntable can remain NM after many plays if the disc is properly cared for)."

3. VERY GOOD PLUS (VG+) or (EX) EXCELLENT. "A good description of a VG+ record is 'except for a couple of minor things, this would be NEAR MINT.' Most collectors, especially those who want to play their records, will be happy with a VG+ record, especially if it is toward the high end of the grade (sometimes called VG++ or E+).

"VG+ records may show some slight signs of wear, including light scuffs or very light scratches that do not affect the listening experience. Slight warps that do not affect the sound are OK. Minor signs of handling are OK, too, such as telltale marks around the center hole, but repeated playing has not misshapen the hole...."

4. VERY GOOD (VG). "Many of the imperfections found on a VG+ record are more obvious on a VG record.... VG records have more obvious flaws than their counterparts in better shape. They lack most of the original gloss found on factory-fresh records. Groove wear is evident on sight, as are light scratches deep enough to feel with a fingernail.

"When played, a VG record has surface noise, and some scratches may be audible, especially in soft passages and during a song's intro and ending. But the noise will not overpower the music otherwise."

5. GOOD (G) or GOOD PLUS  (G+) or VERY GOOD MINUS (VG-). "Good does not mean bad! The record still plays through without skipping, so it can serve as filler until something better comes along.

"But it has significant surface noise and groove wear, and the label is worn, with significant ring wear, heavy writing, or obvious damage caused by someone trying to remove tape or stickers and failing miserably...."

6. FAIR (F) or POOR (P). "Records are cracked, impossibly warped, or skip and/or repeat when an attempt is made to play them."

COPYRIGHT: "THE GOLDMINE STANDARD" is: © Goldmine Magazine.

*5 MORE NOTES
TO SEE CONDITION 

*1.

We agree that grading condition is subjective. We will try, at least, to be accurate and clear about our subjectivity.

*2.

Rather than just slapping one of GOLDMINE's short-hand codes (VG, VG+, etc.) onto a record, we usually offer details about the condition of every record we sell. These details--some of which can be exhaustive and/or exhausting--are listed in the text area of each sale.

*3. 

In grading the records we sell we try to be conservative rather than hyperbolic. A record we label "VG" might be called VG+ or VG++ by another seller.

*4.

FLAPPINCAT will emphasize all discernible flaws in the records we sell. But we will sometimes fail to notice, and then note, a flaw. It my be that we sometimes also fail to notice every virtue of a record.

*5.

Many sellers give one overall grade to a record they are selling. But the condition of a record's cover, sleeve, and label does not necessarily reflect the condition of the vinyl itself (and the sounds on that vinyl). Because they aren't even made of the same materials,let's consider them two groups: the paper group (cover, sleeve, label) and vinyl group. When FLAPPINCAT judges LPs and 45s it will judge and grade the paper and vinyl elements separately. 

FREE SHIPPING IN THE USA

FREE SHIPPING: FLAPPINCAT now offers free shipping (unless otherwise noted) on all purchases of vinyl records that are to be shipped within the United States. (We cannot, unfortunately, afford items to international countries for free.)

METHOD OF SHIPPING: In the United States, we ship all records via "media mail."

EXPEDITED SHIPPING: In the United States, expedited shipping can be purchased by the buyer if done so in advance of our processing, or shipping, of your order.

EXCEPTIONS: Any exceptions to our policy of shipping for free in the United States will be noted in the department that eBay calls "Shipping" and which appears onscreen with every item we sell on eBay.)

INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING

DO WE SHIP RECORDS INTERNATIONALLY: Yes!

WHY? Because good music doesn't believe in boundaries.

INTERNATIONAL PRICES: Unfortunately we cannot offer free shipping on international orders. Instead, we use--and follow--the guidelines of­ eBay's GLOBAL SHIPPING PROGRAM.

EBay's GLOBAL SHIPPING PROGRAM automatically determines the specific cost of shipping each item to a specific international country and charges you that amount. This pricing--and other international shipping data--can be found when you click on the item you are interested in.

HOW LONG MUST INTERNATIONAL BUYERS WAIT TO RECEIVE THEIR PACKAGES? This varies. EBay itself shares details about how long each specific package takes to reach a specific country in the text of each listing.

JUST SO YOU KNOW: When FLAPPINCAT sells an item to somebody in an "international" country, we are obligated to send that item, rather than straight to you, to a specific eBay office in the USA. From that point on, eBay itself is completely responsible for the packaging and the rerouting and the shipping (and the monitoring) of your international purchase from us.

HOW TO PAY

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NOW on EBAY

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A NEW
FLAPPINCAT SERIES

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OF RARE VINYL
 AUCTIONS

FEATURING...

*OUR MOST BELOVED 45s*

*NOTHING LESS THAN OUR VINYL BABIES!*

*FUNK & SOUL, GOSPEL & XIAN, PSYCH & GARAGE, BLUES & FOLK*

*ROCKABILLY & COUNTRY BOP, R&B & JAZZ, LONERS & ODDBALLS*

*MISC. & ETC. inc. THE KITCHEN CINQ (coming....)*

*SMALL LABEL & PRIVATE PRESS CUTIES*

*NO REISSUES*

*The RAREST & MOST ASTONISHING 45s from our private collection*

(A collection thirty years in the making)

*SCARCE & GREAT & WEIRD RECORDS ONLY!*

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To BELIEVE this INCREDIBLE but TRUE VERBIAGE,

Your EARS Will Need to HEAR (for themselves)

the AUDIO SAMPLES that Accompany each 45.

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WHAT ELSE CAN
FLAPPINCAT SAY?
Jeepers! Haven't we said enough? Well, the one thing we don't mind repeating is our core belief. Our core belief: We at FLAPPINCAT think­--and feel­­--that it is both natural and civilized to treat you--our honorable eBay customer--as fairly, and as respectfully, and as fondly, as we ourselves like to be treated. So we will!

With gratitude, your online pal,

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FlappinCat