Picture Record African American Cecil Gant I Wonder Boogie Gilt Edge 78 RPM
$
65
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Description
This is an incredibly rare, original 1944 historical artifact of American music history: an original Gilt-Edge Flexitone "picture record" featuring the legendary Private Cecil Gant, famously billed during World War II as "The Government Issue Sing-Sation."
Released in 1944, this unique record features Private Cecil Gant’s landmark rhythm and blues masterpiece "I Wonder" on one side, and the burning piano solo "Cecil Boogie" on the reverse. "I Wonder" was a massive hit during the post-war era, representing a crucial turning point that helped establish the independent rhythm and blues recording industry in the United States.
About This Unique Record Type (How It Was Made)
Unlike standard, fragile shellac seventy-eight revolutions per minute records of the era, this is a Gilt-Edge "Flexitone" record. During the World War II era, a severe shortage of shellac forced manufacturers to find creative alternative materials.
To work around this, Flexitone records were constructed using a brilliant multi-layer design:
The Core: A circular piece of thick, rigid cardstock/cardboard.
The Artwork: The photos of Private Cecil Gant and all the labels are printed directly onto that cardboard core.
The Playing Surface: The cardboard core is sealed and laminated on both sides in a very thin, flexible, transparent layer of glossy plastic. The musical grooves are stamped directly into this thin plastic layer.
This gives the record its uniquely lightweight, flexible feel and makes it a highly prized crossover collectible for both WWII historians and early rhythm and blues music collectors.
Product Details
Artist: Private Cecil Gant ("The Government Issue Sing-Sation")
Side One: "I Wonder" (Vocal and Instrumental) — Matrix Number 500 CG1F
Side Two: "Cecil Boogie" (Piano Solo) — Matrix Number 500 CG2F
Record Label: Gilt-Edge Flexitone Records (Los Angeles, California)
Format: Ten-inch, Seventy-Eight Revolutions Per Minute (78 RPM) Flexible Cardboard Picture Record
Release Year: 1944 (World War II Era)
Condition
Visual Appearance: The iconic green-and-gold illustrations of Private Cecil Gant remain incredibly clear, vibrant, and highly detailed on both sides.
Laminate & Edge Wear: There is some light aging, minor edge-wear, and typical soft surface paper creasing under the laminate layer as is common with these cardboard-core flexible discs.
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