THE MEDALLIONS Buick 59 DOOTONE 347 The Letter Proto Rock Doo Wop Blues 78

	£		50
	$		66

Recorded in Los Angeles, California, in July 1954, this monumental 10-inch shellac single on Dootone Records (Catalog #347) represents one of the most brilliant, culturally eccentric, and explosive cornerstones of West Coast rhythm & blues history.
Fronted by the legendary Vernon Green, this record stands as an absolute masterclass in raw, vocal group harmony and proto-rock architecture.
The A-side, "Buick 59," is a legendary automotive vocal group classic—a driving, syncopated masterpiece built upon a chugging rhythm and Vernon Green's famously unhinged lead delivery, where he introduces entirely fabricated, surreal words like "pizmotality" and the "puppetutes of love"
The B-side, "The Letter," pivots into a beautifully deep, slow-drag classic R&B group ballad that showcases the ensemble's exceptional vocal blending and emotional presence.
The year 1954 marks a vital transitional epoch in the social fabric of American urban music. As the post-war economic boom reshaped major West Coast industrial centers like Los Angeles, Black car culture and teen consumerism collided forcefully with the music market. "Buick 59" serves as a perfect sonic time capsule of this societal shift, using the imagery of the ultimate American road machine as an explicit metaphor for freedom, modern style, and urban romance.
This record captures that raw, unvarnished West Coast street-corner energy at its absolute peak, speaking directly to the late-night escapism of working-class youth who were actively redrawing the musical map of the 1950s.
This release stems from the historic independent operation run by Dootsie Williams from his base on South Central Avenue in Los Angeles.
Independent labels like Dootone bypassed the conservative major national networks to record raw, street-level Black vocal talent, distributing these early 300-series blues and rhythm releases directly to independent record stores and local jukebox routes.
Adding an extraordinary layer of historic provenance, the A-side label features an original, vintage dealer sticker from the Rhythm Record Shop located at 2615 Welton Street in Denver, Colorado. Welton Street was the commercial and cultural artery of Denver's historic Five Points district—widely celebrated as the "Harlem of the West" during the post-war era.
This sticker serves as a magnificent, physical time capsule, tracing this specific independent 78's journey directly from the South Central Los Angeles pressing plant to the vibrant, neon-lit R&B scene of Denver's premier Black entertainment district before it crossed the Atlantic.
Detailed Condition Report
Grade (VJM System): Excellent (E)
Play Surface: Beautiful, highly attractive preservation copy.
WqThe 1954 Dootone shellac compound retains a strong, deep-black factory gloss across both sides. Under bright inspection lighting, the play surfaces present as remarkably clean, showing only a few faint, superficial paper-sleeve wisps consistent with light, careful handling over the decades. Completely free of deep needle gouges, gray acoustic groove-wear, structural stress fractures, hairline cracks, or perimeter edge chips.
Audio Performance: Both sides track beautifully with a loud, robust, and immensely clear acoustic presence. Vernon Green's commanding, eccentric lead vocals, the rolling vocal basslines, and the sparse studio instrumentation register with fantastic definition and separation. Surface noise is extraordinarily low and completely uniform, providing a clean, uninterrupted listening experience.
Center Labels: Classic 1954 Dootone Records typography layout. The center spindle hole remains perfectly tight with no trailing wear or elongation. The labels are entirely free of modern ink handwriting, surface tearing, or water damage.
Note on Provenance: The upper half of the Side A label bears its authentic, original 1950s dealer sticker from the Rhythm Record Shop, 2615 Welton Street, Denver. The sticker is beautifully preserved with clean typography, adding immense historical value and placement context for serious archivists of mid-century Americana.
Postage & Packaging
Professionally packed by an experienced 78 RPM specialist trader. The disc will be strictly sandwiched between multiple layers of heavy cardboard stiffeners and fully suspended in a rigid box with loose-fill padding to guarantee zero movement during domestic or international transit. Worldwide shipping available via the Global Shipping Programme (GSP).
Carefully packed and promptly dispatched.