Ray Charles 78 Atlantic 999 V+ Condition Mess Around/Funny (But I Still Love You

$

78

Greetings everybody! Thank YOU very much for stopping by another of my ebay record auctions, as I am very glad that you have taken time out of your busy day (or night!) to have a look at what I have to offer this time! I know that recently my auction listings have been sporadic, but I'm doing what I can to get back to action like I'm used to. I just enjoy being around records, don'tcha know! Hopefully, some of the ones I have up for bids are ones you'd enjoy being around and listening to as well! I suppose theres only one way to find out! Let's see what's up for bids 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 1953 10” 78rpm release on the Atlantic Records label, label #999, by Ray Charles. This is the single of “Mess Around” b/w “Funny (But I Still Love You)”. This single reminds me of the Ray Charles LP called “The Many Moods Of Ray Charles”, even if there are only 2 moods on this single. But this is like night and day the way these two tracks offset each other. “Mess Around” isn’t so much r&b as it is boogie-woogie, and I mean jet-fuel, high energy boogie-woogie! Ray’s playing the keyboard like a madman, and has help from the bass as well as a pair of saxophones, as this side hauls ass from the get-go, and doesn’t stop until the needle hits the run off track. Pure energy, and at times you might think that Ray’s got some Little Richard mixed in, and danged if that feeling isn’t already lethal enough! Dang, this is the kind of song to wake up to-because you sure ain’t gonna be able to sleep through it!  But then-it’s flip to the other side-and what do you get? You get classic Ray Charles, the Blues singer/player. It’s slow, it’s full of some of the finest piano playing you’ll ever hear, and until the last minute or so, you won’t even notice that Ray has some accompaniment. This, folks, is Ray Charles, bluesman supreme. The playing surface doesn’t look very promising, as this has scuffs, needle marks, scratches and graying, however, the folks at Atlantic didn’t mess around (no pun intended) (maybe), as their 78s, even the worn ones seem to hold up to wear quite well, and this disc is proof. Both sides did play through with zero needle problems. The sound wasn’t really bad, there was more hiss than there was crackling. This might look in the V to V- range, but sound-wise, I still like this enough to give it my V+ grading.  “Looks matter” be hanged (but please note the GE Wildcat disclaimer above). 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 and spindle tracks, and the “Funny” side also has a sticker that I would not suggest trying to peel, lest you tear the surface underneath. The sticker doesn’t cover any text, which is still clear and quite easy to read. 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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