Welcome to the weird and wonderful world of record covers from the golden age of LPs


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Hall through the night

IMG_0160Juanita Hall “The Original Bloody Mary” Sings the Blues  Society Records (U.K.)  (1964 )  12-track mono LP recorded in 1958 with a star backing group consisting of Claude Hopkins, Coleman Hawkins, Buster Bailey, Doc Cheatham & George Duvivier.

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (23 votes, average: 4.70 out of 5)
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The Butcher Cover

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Grade “A” Dance Music with a Swing Beat   Jump blues from Joe Thomas b/w Al Sears  Audio Lab Records (1960)  Featuring “Raw Meat” (which is very rare indeed).

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (17 votes, average: 3.53 out of 5)
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It’s good to be green

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Les Mutants  Vogue Records (France)   1963 instrumental “Original Climb USA”  Hear it HERE.

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (17 votes, average: 4.06 out of 5)
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Mob deep

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The Ballad of Al Capone and Mr. Blue by Richard Maltby and Sea of Love by Marty Wiled and Uomo Solo by Arturo Testa.  An EP on Philips Records (Spain).  Cool cover illustration!

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (16 votes, average: 4.00 out of 5)
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Hoochie coochie man

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Long John Baldry & His Hoochie Coochie Men  (1968) Reissue of Long John’s Blues (Originally on United Artists in 1964) on UnArt Records (UK) . Rod Stewart on Vocals. Check out the Elton John connection below.

Long John Baldry (vocals), Rod Stewart (vocals, harmonica), Jeff Bradford (guitar), Cliff Barton (bass), Ian Armit (piano), Johnny Parker (piano), Al Gay (saxophone), Art Themen (saxophone), Johnny Spooner (drums), Pete Willis (guitar), Tom Connor (bass), Barry Martin (saxophone), Eddie Taylor (drums), Pete Blannin (bass), Pete Peterson (saxophone), Rudy Jones (saxophone), Bill Eyden (drums), Ernie O’Malley (drums)Tracklist

A1 Got My Mojo Working
A2 Gee Baby Ain’t I Good To You
A3 Roll ‘Em Pete
A4 I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man
A5 Everyday (I Have The Blues)
B1 Dimples
B2 Five Long Years
B3 My Babe
B4 Times Are Getting Tougher Than Tough
B5 Rock The Joint

Baldry grew to 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m), resulting in the nickname “Long John”.  In the early 1960s, he sang with Alexis Korner’s Blues Incorporated, with whom he recorded the first British blues album in 1962, R&B from the Marquee. At stages, Mick Jagger, Jack Bruce and Charlie Watts were members of this band while Keith Richards and Brian Jones played on stage, although none played on the R&B at the Marquee album.  When The Rolling Stones made their debut at the Marquee Club in July 1962, Baldry put together a group to support them. Later, Baldry was the announcer introducing the Stones on their US-only live album, Got Live If You Want It!, in 1966.

Baldry became friendly with Paul McCartney after a show at the Cavern Club in Liverpool in the early 1960s, leading to an invitation to sing on one of The Beatles 1964 TV specials, Around The Beatles. In the special, Baldry performs “Got My Mojo Workin'” and a medley of songs with members of The Vernons Girls trio; in the latter, the Beatles are shown singing along in the audience.

In 1963, Baldry joined the Cyril Davies R&B All Stars with Nicky Hopkins playing piano. He took over in 1964 after the death of Cyril Davies, and the group became Long John Baldry and his Hoochie Coochie Men featuring Rod Stewart on vocals and Geoff Bradford on guitar. Stewart was recruited when Baldry heard him busking a Muddy Waters song at Twickenham Station after Stewart had been to a Baldry gig at Eel Pie Island.  Long John Baldry became a regular fixture on Sunday nights at Eel Pie Island from then onwards, fronting a series of bands.

In 1965, the Hoochie Coochie Men became Steampacket with Baldry and Stewart as male vocalists, Julie Driscoll as the female vocalist and Brian Auger on Hammond organ. After Steampacket broke up in 1966, Baldry formed Bluesology featuring Reg Dwight on keyboards and Elton Dean, later of Soft Machine, as well as Caleb Quaye on guitar. Dwight, when he began to record as a solo artist, adopted the name Elton John, his first name from Elton Dean and his surname from John Baldry. 

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (22 votes, average: 3.77 out of 5)
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Good rockin’ daddy

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Woody Herman  “The Herd Rides Again”  (1958)  Originally on Everest Records in the U.S., this is a glossy UK reissue from the World Record Club.  A reunion of Woody’s first “herd”.

Bass – Chubby Jackson
Clarinet, Saxophone, Vocals – Woody Herman
Drums – Don Lamond
Engineer – Dave Shirk
Guitar – Billy Bauer
Piano – Nat Pierce
Saxophone – Al Cohn, Danny Bank, Paul Quinichette, Sam Donahue, Sam Marowitz
Trombone – Billy Byers, Bob Brookmeyer, Frank Rehak
Trumpet – Al Stewart (3), Bernie Glow, Burt Collins, Ernie Royal, Joe Ferrante, Irwin “Marky” Markowitz*, Nick Travis

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (15 votes, average: 3.27 out of 5)
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Whiskey bent and heel bound

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Flensburger Trinklieder Fontana (Germany) .

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (18 votes, average: 3.56 out of 5)
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Martian hop

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Mickey Pa Manen.  A nifty 6″ record of Mickey and Donald in outer space!  Looks like a fifties release.  (Danish)

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (16 votes, average: 3.56 out of 5)
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Love on the rocks

IMG_0112Ralph Marterie and his Orchestra “Tequila”  Mercury Records (1958)

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (15 votes, average: 3.13 out of 5)
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Full on!

IMG_0113Nice little Italian picture sleeve by Nino Casiroli from FULL Records.

1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (27 votes, average: 4.41 out of 5)
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