Blues 266 Items

Cardboard sleeve.

Still shrink wrapped but opened.

close to NM

Digipack.

Two ecellent country-blues rockers from 1942 pressed with 78rpm labels on a solid center for that authentic feel. Nice job!

Pride of St. Louis Pokey LaFarge pays homage to his home city on this first single!

digipack

Digipack.

CD comes in a soft case, instead of the original crystal case. All booklets included.

Includes two bonus tracks.

Vinyl with a couple of light scuffs, close to VG+

Celebrating the 75th anniversary of three top 10 R&B singles - “Hobo Blues”, “Hoogie Boogie” and “Crawlin’ King Snake.” This 4-track EP includes the bonus track, “Hastings Street Boogie,” which is also celebrating its 75th anniversary.

It was sixty years ago, in June 1964, when John Lee Hooker entered the British singles charts for the first time with “Dimples,” peaking at #23. The track had been cut for the Vee-Jay label in America some eight years prior in Chicago. “Boom Boom,” issued in the UK in 1963, had already caught the ears and feet of the nascent mod movement. Both songs became live staples on the British blues scene, with The Animals covering both on their debut UK LP issued later in 1964.

But in 1952, way before the sharp-suited mods were attracted to John Lee Hooker’s equally well-cut look and infectious music, the British Vogue label had issued “Hoogie Boogie,” recorded in 1949, on a 78rpm disc. Blues music was for the aficionado back then, and the four tracks on this EP hark back to those earliest recordings by John Lee Hooker. “Hobo Blues,” “Hoogie Boogie,” and “Crawlin’ King Snake” all went Top 10 in the US R&B chart in 1949.

This is unadorned John Lee Hooker, getting to the heart of his blues and boogie, just guitar, vocal, and tapping foot, 15 years before his music caught the ears of a wider and enthusiastic British audience. Decades may have passed, but the music remains fresh and vital.

This EP is housed in a beautiful period-era sleeve drawn and designed by Niall McCormack.

When internally the plan came up to release a bunch of vinyl singles for Unrock’s 30th anniversary as an entity, Richard just like his brother Alan, the other keyholder of Sun City Girls legacy was among the first to take a deep look into his archives. Out came two shining pearls from different periods of his long career. Taqasim For Omar (acoustic) was recorded in Seattle in 2008. It was recorded before the Sir changed his mind and recorded the track with an all electric band again for his Freak of Araby LP.

Magrebh Blues was recorded in Tangier, 2018 when Bishop recorded Tangier Sessions in Morocco. The track came out too bluesy for what Richard wanted to show with the album, but it is the only track he played on the mysterious guitar which beautifully sounds like a magrebhinian blues. Photography by Hans van der Linden, realisation by Philip Lethen. One-time limited run on black vinyl.

Includes booklets.

Limited edition for Record Store Day 2015!

Limited edition for Record Store Day 2015!

Strut is celebrating the holiday season with an exclusive reissue of The Qualities" 1961 single, "It"s Christmas Time" b/w "Happy New Year To You!" Originally released on Sun Ra"s Saturn label, this mysterious harmony group 45 captures a unique moment in music history.