The Advocates: privately recorded British blues E.P., mid-1960s. London band.

	£		56
	$		74

The Advocates:

Privately recorded British blues E.P., 1960s

Rapid Recording Service, London

We’re having a bit of a clearout of stuff at home so I’ve put my usual eBay sales of art and ephemera mostly to one side for a few weeks. I’ve got a large personal collection of vinyl, lots of which I don’t play any more, so one of the things I will be selling is records. If you would like to see the others that are currently live on eBay, please click on View Other Items above.

As everyone knows, there was an explosion of interest in the blues among hip young people in London in the mid-1960s. There were dozens of London-based blues bands and a thriving network of pubs and clubs for them to play. Bands like the Rolling Stones, the Yardbirds, the Animals and John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers were part of this scene and some of the greatest rock musicians of the period emerged from it, including Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton.

Of course, there were bands that never quite made it and it is possible that one such band is represented here. As you can see, this four track E.P. by the Advocates was recorded at a small private recording studio in East London, Rapid Recording Service. Looking online, I see that this jobbing studio recorded all sorts of music from solo singers to school choirs. The label here says that the record was cut from the “customer’s own tape”.

Although there is no date on the label, we can be sure that this record was released at the height of the blues boom since it carries a “letter prefix” London phone number. These phone numbers had been largely phased out by 1966. One of the tracks covered by the Advocates on the E.P. is Chuck Berry’s, Go, Go, Go, which was not released in the UK until 1963. It seems likely therefore that the record was made sometime between those two years.

In addition to the Chuck Berry song, the E.P. also has a cover of Jimmy Reed’s blues standard, Shame, Shame, Shame. The other two tracks are a slightly jazzy version of Gerswhin’s Summertime and an R&B style song, Sweet Little Baby, with which I am not familiar and was perhaps written by the band (there are no composer credits to any of the tracks on the label).

The playing surface of the record itself has lots and lots of fine lines and one or two more noticeable scuffs but it does not jump or stick on my turntable. It is pretty crackly though so please be aware of this. Quite apart from the physical condition, we know from the label that the recording process was very basic so the underlying sound quality is not that brilliant to start with. On the other hand, this record is a very interesting artefact of this crucial period in the development of British rock music. The band give a decent performance and the record takes you straight back to the style and sounds of period.

I imagine the band had a very small number of these E.P.s pressed, perhaps just enough for themselves and a few mates – or maybe a slightly larger number so that they could sell them to the punters at gigs. I’ve done a bit or research online and I can’t find any reference to the Advocates anywhere but it may be possible to discover more. It is of course entirely possible that some or all of the members went on to bigger and better things. You may even remember seeing them play. If you know anything about the band, please let me know and I will add the information to the listing.

UK Postage and packing:  £2.20

International postage and packing:  Postage charges to international destinations are given below.

All postage prices quoted (UK and international) are maximum charges.  If postage and packing costs less than these estimates, I will refund the difference after posting (subject to the difference being £1.00 or more. Unless otherwise indicated, the postage prices I give in the listing are for a tracked and signed-for service, as required by eBay. If however, winning buyers would prefer cheaper options, I am always happy to help with that if I can. Please contact me for a quote.

I hope this description has given you enough to go on but should you require any further information, or more images, please do e-mail.  Please also look carefully at the hi-res photos – they are part of the description.  Thanks for your interest in this auction and good luck if you decide to bid.

Please note:  I will not respond to requests to close the auction early regardless of the value of the offer made.  Ending early is contrary to both the principle and spirit of an auction. It is also unfair to other eBayers who may be watching the auction intending to bid at a later time.

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