Smoky Babe and Friends vinyl LP 77 Seventy Seven records. 1st press 1962 blues

	£		40
	$		53

welcome to

MY COLLECTING PASSION

Unexpected health issues have brought me to the point that after forty years of collecting I want to part with my vinyl and try to fund some bucket list experiences. 

I am reluctant and excited to be making the move to sell my entire record collection. One record at a time. 

I've really enjoyed collecting records and crate digging wherever I went. Some were bought new at the time or release. Others I bought used from record shops, markets, secondhand shops.

These items are all from my own personal collection. I am not a shop!

I will take the time and care to give you all the information that you seek and provide your records in a safe and timely manner or your money back.

BEFORE YOU START BIDDING

Here are some things that are good to know in advance.

Most of my collection has been carefully boxed and stored for a number of years.I'm just unpacking some of it now. I will give them a simple clean before playing but all will have some amount of dust and I leave any deep cleaning up to you, as everyone has there own preferences.

• I play test every record from start to finish.

• I write more about any flaws than I do about the great bits.

• Vinyl is played with a Thorens TD 165 turntable and Rotel amp.

• A track by track assessment is given.

• I use the U.K Rare Record Price Guide used for grading.

• The definitions for each grade are displayed below the listing.

• Postal information and prices are also displayed below.

• Records are provided with an additional white inner and poly sleeve.

• Records OVER 40 GBP will be shipped Royal Mail Special Delivery to enable insurance cover. The cost is 8 GBP. Please wait to be invoiced.

• I'm happy to answer any questions you may have.

and finally the listing

SMOKY BABE

and friends

HOT BLUES

General information about this record

I first heard Smoky Babe by way of a compilation tape a friend made for me when I was first getting into music. Eight years later and on the other side of the world I finally found this copy in a second hand record shop. You must understand in pre internet days getting that obscure album you wanted was extremely hard. Patients and luck were your friends. This is a first UK pressing, and it originally came with a promotional paper hand out that I never had. So no insert with this copy. It is a reasonably rare blues record with some really great tunes. Sad to see it go, after spending years tracking it down. Now it can be yours with just a click of a button. 

Record label.Cat.Date.Country

77 RECORDS. 77 LA 12/12. 1962 U.K 

Matrix.Stampers.Mother codes.

I start with the matrix numbers then work anti clockwise around the dead wax.

A.DW67-1

B.DW68-1

GRADES

We'll take a look at the record sleeve, inner and any additional inserts. Visually grade both labels and both sides of the vinyl. I will play each side through and give a track by track analysis and grade. From those grades an average grade is reached for each side.

finally the grades

THE SLEEVE

Original front and back laminated flip back sleeve.Printed by West Brothers Printers.

FRONT

Nice looking front panel with no handwritten names or shop stickers. No major creasing though light creasing is prevalent  around the top, bottom and spine edges. No particularly bad marks visible. Some small marks here and there. The only one of any note, is minor, and that is a circular area where the original shop sticker had been. A little bit of gum remains, but by rubbing at it I can tell you it will mostly wipe off. Below that there is a 2mm round white dot whereto orange surface has come away, and on the ND of friends, there is a tiny section beginning to lift off, but the surface is still present. Minor things, mentioned for accuracy. This is a well maintained cover. Early signs of laminate lift along the lefthand edge by the spine. Other than that the laminate is in great shape. Grades as very good. 

BACK

Actually in pretty good, clean condition. No bad creasing, or bad marks. Flip back edge are in good shape. Top one has a bit of laminate lifting off just beside 33 1/3. Creases appear alone the spine. A couple have developed into splits that will run across the spine. Neither front or back has any ring wear.  Very good minus.

SPINE.

This has a pinched type spine. Meaning that at either end, the spine has been made narrower than the rest of it. This is nothing odd, nor particularly unusual, just thought I'd point that out. All in all the spine is in pretty good shape. No serious splits along the length, and the text is visible. Four of the creases have developed into small splits that run across the spine, not along it. Not uncommon in sleeves made from this type of thinner card. 77 Records wasn't a big label, with big label budgets. 

OPENING

Good and flat. No feathering, or serious creasing, and no rips. Really good. 

CORNERS.

None are bashed or dented. All have elements of rubbing. And all have a tiny bit of cover surface missing. Much better condition that you would imagine for the age, and sleeve type.  

TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES

No issues at all with either. No rubbing except at the tips of the corners, and no splits. 

INNER SLEEVE

This comes housed in generic looking paper sleeve with circular window. It has no markings or any print, just blank. I do not know if this is the original or a replacement. No splits, tears or writing, and generally clean. 

LABELS

Both are lovely looking labels with no real issues. Both grade excellent.

let's have a listen

AUDIO GRADING

Listening through headphones

and a light stylus setting

SIDE ONE

Rabbit blues.

Ok folks, so you know this is an acoustic blues album. Sally Dotson shares the vocals on this track. Her vocals sound very sweet, close mic'd and intimate. It is a nice loud and bright sounding recording. Smoky has a very unique voice, Smoky by name , smoky by nature. Minor crackle of low levels. Grades excellent minus.  

Too many woman.

It's Delta blues, one man and his guitar style. Some nice harmonica getting blown here. No loss in audio quality, no breaking up of high or low frequencies. Minor crackle as would be expected and acceptable. Oh, just heard one quick low pop. Grades very good plus.

Two wings.

It was this track that my mate recorded for me, and my introduction to Smoky and his friends. He is sharing vocal duties with William Dotson. Dotson's voice is like gravel. I still love this track. Why am I selling this? I ask myself. I love it. Grades very good plus.

Mississippi River so deep and wide.

Hard for me to compare him to another bluesman. Perhaps a little like Sleepy John Estes, or a little like Sonny and Brownie. You decide. Couple of little pops in this one, muffled not an issue. Henry Thomas is the harmonica player. Grades very good.  

I'm broke an' I'm hungry.

Like I mentioned the top end hangs in well. No distortion when things get loud or high pitched.

You do the vibe of guy in small room, with one or two mics, and a guitar. Very intimate. Foot tapping away throughout. Grades very good.

My baby she told me.

An upbeat track again with Henry Thomas on harmonica. A little more crackle than the other tracks, but nothing outrageous. In need of a good clean I'd say. Very enjoyable. Grades as very good.  

Overview. A really pleasing side with surprisingly good audio. I heard no repeating clicks, or overly loud pops. The stylus never jumped, or skipped. Crackle was persistent throughout, but mostly way back. It popped it's head up in isolated parts but never to a point where it took my mind of the music. Grade for this side is very good plus.

SIDE TWO

Black ghost.

Good warm sounding recording. Sally Dotson joins him on vocals again. Some nice guitar work here. Some crackle evident, but certainly no signs of being overplayed. I think that the tracks with Dotson were done in the same session; they sound a little different to the recording sound of the other tracks. More intimate, warmer low end. Great session. Some crackle in the background, and a couple of low pops. Grades as very good.  

Ain't got no rabbit dog.

Nice little jump blues number. I heard two consecutive pops mid way through. Grades very good minus.

Bad whiskey

Sweet bottleneck playing here. A bit like Son House. Fine and loud and clear recording. A little fuzzy in a couple of super short instances. One pop did I hear. Grades very good minus.

Black gal.

Clyde Causey gets brought in to provide harmonica duties on this foot stomper. He has a very unique playing style I think. Light crackle, one quick pop mid way. I feel that this LP would love a deeper clean than I have time to give it. Grades as very good minus.

My baby put me down.

I was getting so into this track I forgot to write about it. No issues really. A nice close mic recording with Henry Thomas providing harmonica, creating some tasty interplay with Smoky. Grades Very good.

Goin' back home.

Last track.Lovely warm sounding recording.  Ok, there is a 0.5 second scuffy sound in the second vocal line, it goes as quick as it comes. This is an upbeat track with just Smoky and his guitar; a perfect combo. No problematic issues, very light to moderate crackle persists throughout, but nothing I would cry about. Grades very good minus.

Overview. A very pleasing side with high sound quality, and very little lessening in the over all audios quality. Crackle is present, a couple of low pops, and that quick scuff sound near the end is all to mention. A very listenable side that has stood up well. Grades as very good minus.

VISUAL GRADES

SIDE ONE

Perfectly flat vinyl with no warps or waves. Decent gloss, and plenty of unmarked surface area. Quite dusty both sides. It looks well cared for though does show signs of use, cleaning and the odd minor accident. I can't see any really hard scratches, nor do I see any long marks. Most are short and evenly dotted about. There is a cluster of short scratches on and between tracks 2 and three. These have been there since I have owned this and look like cuing marks. There are a few moderate weight marks about 1 inch in length, and some 1cm in length and probably ones inbetween those. Grades as very good minus to play it safe. 

SIDE TWO

A nice looking side; good gloss; dusty. Fewer marks than side one, and looks cared for. Some moderate thin scratches; one covers tracks three to five, and there are a couple more that also breach more than one track. These look like stylus slips, or perhaps fingernail marks.There are a couple of tiny 4mm scratches, which may have been the cause of the two pops I heard. This does not look abused or overplayed in any way. Grades as very good.

FINAL THOUGHTS

This is a little gem of an album. I think in fact it is the only one he got released. Respected in the delta blues canon by players and blues buffs, but little known by the masses. Play back was really enjoyable, a real hunk of wax that will transport you to times that were simpler in many ways, but harder for others too. Smoky is an authentic bluesman not a showboater in any way. We are lucky to have this recording. 

Looks wise, the cover has stood the test of time well and has no serious issues. The sound quality is very high for an album that is just about 60 years old. There was no significant lose of quality or signs of overplaying. It needs a good clean for sure, and that may alleviate some of the background crackle I heard. 

Both side look cared for, but do have marks. It is in no way trashed though, far from it. Lots of life left in it for certain. 

So not a factory fresh final upgrade; I doubt that there are any. What this is a a very decent playing copy of this hard to find album. A really nice addition to any blues collection. Good luck with your bids.

I still have many LP's and singles to list form The Beatles, Led Zeppelin,Pink Floyd,The Rolling Stones, Grateful Dead, Frank Zappa. A bit of old blues, some jazz, rock and film soundtracks. I list in no particular order, just as I unpack them. If you would like to find out first and get updated then please go ahead and follow me or save me as a seller. eBay will send you notifications when I put up a new listing.

GRADE DEFINITIONS, POSTAL AND PAYMENT INFO BELOW.

GRADING YOUR VINYL

I use the classic U.K Rare Record Guide grading system. Detailed below are their guidelines.

MINT

The LP or single is in brand new condition with no surface marks or deterioration in sound quality. The cover and any extra items are in perfect condition.

EXCELLENT 

The LP or single shows some signs of having been played, but there is very little lessening in sound quality. The cover and packaging might have slight wear and/or creasing.

VERY GOOD

The LP or single has obviously been played many times, but displays no major deterioration in sound quality, despite noticeable surface marks and an occasional light scratch. Normal wear and tear on the cover and contents without any major defects.

GOOD

The record has been played so much that the sound quality has noticeably deteriorated, perhaps with some distortion and mild scratches. The cover and contents suffer from folding, scuffing edges, spine splits, discoloring etc.

POSTAGE

All records come with a protective poly sleeve, and new white inner. Records are shipped outside of the sleeve within reinforced cardboard packaging to ensure safety during transit.

I post to most locations worldwide. Please check before bidding if I can send it to you. Prices in GBP

U.K - 1-3 single LPs 4.00 Royal Mail Second Class Signed for

U.K - 1-3 single LPs OVER 40 GDP 8.00 Royal Mail Special Delivery to enable insurance cover.

Europe -12.95 Royal Mail International Signed for. For each additional LP or 12" add 2.20

USA - Australia, Japan -18.95 International Signed for. For each additional LP or 12" add 3.80

Overseas orders valued over 80 will be insured for an additional 3.90

PAYMENTS

Paypal

Is accepted from all buyers. Payment must be made no later than three days after the sale closes. If payment has not been made within this time I reserve the right to re-list the item.

Cheque or Postal order

UK buyers are also welcome to pay by cheque or postal order. Payment should be received no later than five days after the sale closes. Please allow one week for cheques to clear once being received.

I hope I have covered everything you need to know. Message me if you have any questions. I am happy to help. 

Thanks for stopping by!