Floyd Ray 78 Miltone 213 V+ Cond. 3 O'Clock In The Morning/Commin On With The Bl

$

22

Greetings everyone! Thanks for stopping by another of my record auctions! I appreciate that you made the time in your busy schedule to check out the goods! I’ve been doing this on ebay for the past 8 years of so, and it’s always fun to have folks show up and see what’s available…though it’s more fun to get what I have sold, and into your hands! Your business is always appreciated, and that’s not just lip service! So let’s see what I’ve got for you folks this time!

NOTE!-All records I list on ebay are all play-graded so I can give an accurate description, or at least let you know that yes, I have listened to them. All 78s are played on my late 1960s GE Wildcat portable record player. This table has a good history of being able to play 78s in rough shape, but in doing so-my results might be a bit better than those who use turntables that are of higher quality, so, in other words-your mileage may vary.

This time up, I have a 10” 78rpm release (date of release, I could not find, but would guess somewhere in the 1940s) on the Miltone record label, label #213, by Floyd Ray and the Blenders, with some vocal help from the Miltones on “3 O’Clock In the Morning” while the flip side, “Commin On With The Blues” has vocal assistance by Jimmie Grissom and (again) the Miltones. I picked this single up ages ago, and when it re-surfaced as I was doing my picking for the week, the label does stand out a bunch, so I decided it was high time to get this play-graded and listed for you folks. Boy oh boy, am I glad I did. I’ve heard Roy Milton before, and since I believe this label was his to begin with, so my interest was already piqued. “3 O’Clock In The Morning” might be labeled as a “Jump Blues” tune, and with the music, it’s pretty doggone close. But honestly, the mix of brass and reeds are so refined, and they have such a mellow sound overall, I was listening to Floyd Ray and the Blenders, but for some reason, I felt I was hearing Glenn Miller, which isn’t a bad thing whatsoever. The band is tight, no one is flaking off to try and outdo anyone else, which gives other instruments that could have otherwise been drowned out (bass & piano) a chance to add to the sound mix, and the result is upbeat and quite warm. “Commin On With The Blues” is definitely more of a bluesy feeling, as the tempo is a bit slower, and this does give a few instruments a chance to solo, mainly the bass, sax, and trumpet. This does have a verse of lyrics, and Jimmie Grissom does have a nice bluesy sound to his singing, but he doesn’t get growly, and doesn’t even wail (much) as the lyrics are minimal-as is the singing. But it’s pretty neat as the whole band is getting into it, but when it’s time for the vocals, the instrumentation drops to the piano and bass, the bass getting a few licks in after the verse is done, and then the rest of the band kicks in, with the occasional solos for the rest of the tune. Very enjoyable, and as close to the “Big Band” sound as you’ll hear on a blues disc. The playing surface does have wear though (it was found without a sleeve-which didn’t help-but I’ve taken care of that since), storage wear, play wear, scuffs, needle marks, scratches, and graying. Plus, this really needs a good, deep, thorough cleaning. Both sides did play through without the needle ever getting stuck or skipping, but there is crackling while playing and a few revolutions near the beginning of “Commin On…” that did cause a “tick” sound. A much better sound than I’d anticipated, but given the visual looks (and that “tick”ing), I am only giving this my less than average grading of V+. That’s my grading though, and my grading is considered non-standard. If you are considering placing a bid, please read the paragraph that follows this one, as it will show you the gradings and their respective descriptions. It won’t take long to read, please do. The labels have some storage wear, staining, and spindle tracks, however the text and artwork are still clear enough to read and enjoy easily. If you need more pictures or description, I can and will be happy to provide. If you have any comments or questions, please send them to me, and I will reply as soon as possible. 

My Grading is as follows: M (Mint)-ONLY for Still Factory Sealed Records ONLY! No 45 nor 78 will ever get this grading. E+, minimal wear, perhaps only needs cleaning. E, a few light marks, maybe some minor background crackle and/or hiss. E-, light marks, crackling (nothing major), scuffs, etc.. Not great, but still quite playable. V+, More marks, scuffs, needle marks, scratches-but nothing that would make the needle skip. Will have background noise that even with a cleaning will still be around. V. Worn. Scuffs, scratches, can be noisy, but still (probably) won’t cause the needle to skip nor get stuck. V-, Noisy? You bet! Worn? Oh yeah. Playable? Sure, but don’t expect it to sound all peachy keen. P. Bleah! Playable perhaps, but do so at your own risk. Don’t trash a new needle on it. Only used on records considered rare enough for “fill in” purposes to a collector-or to those who do digital restoration. 

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IMPORTANT NOTE FOR NON-U.S. BUYERS!!!!
All items I sell will be sent with postage printed up from eBay. This way, the prices are automatically listed for customs purposes and cannot be altered. Yes, this does mean that the customs people will know the value, but since I get a bit of a price break on postage, I can keep the prices low for you-the buyer.  I will not "mark item as a gift", just so you can evade import rules.  The people at my post office know me, and they will check overseas packages for inspection.  I hope you will understand my position about this, my apologies if you are not able to comply.

Also, international bidders, the price listed for postage on my listings are for domestic mailing.  I wish I could send overseas for that price, but reality speaks different.  I place a fair price on all international postage.  Watch for the invoice if you win.

ALSO-I need to let international bidders know of a certain problem that doesn't always happen, but will arise from time to time.  All International mail sent from this region has to go through the U.S. Postal Service sorting center in Sandston Virginia, by our local airport.  This sorting center has been named the least efficient sorting center in the entire U.S. Postal Service.  They prove this from time to time by mis-routing packages.  If this happens-and I will monitor the delivery-usually it will add at least an extra week for it to arrive.  If there are any problems, please contact me first, and I will do what I must to make sure you are satisfied with the order.
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Folks, I have lots of records for sale/auction here on ebay, but I also have another outlet that I use as well, where items I haven’t listed elsewhere, and occasionally things that have been listed (but not anymore) here as well. I work for a record store as you may already know, and my boss has been putting out one of the largest, if not the oldest record auction in the Mid-Atlantic area. If you look online for RecordSmith auctions in Richmond, VA, you can easily find the site. If not, or if you’d like any information, you can always contact me through the ebay message system, and I will be glad to get that information for you. Hey, I love my boss, and love working there. So I don’t mind doing some “shilling” for him, and I’m certain he (and I!) would enjoy your participation and business!