JOHN MAYALL The Blues Alone UK MONO LP 1967 Ace Of Clubs

$

22

PLEASE READ AND CONSIDER THIS IMPORTANT SHIPPING INFORMATION BEFORE YOU READ ABOUT THIS RECORD:
Ebay does not let me specify a greater shipping amount than $4 for US shipping in the listing, but I am in Canada and shipping a record to you in the US costs $12, not $4, so kindly disregard the listed shipping price and follow the shipping charges below. I will send you an invoice with the correct shipping amount shortly after the end of the auction. If you jump the gun and submit a payment with just $4 shipping I will send you a paypal invoice to cover the remaining $8, so it's better to wait for my invoice.
By bidding on my auction you are acknowledging that you have read and understood my shipping terms.

SHIPPING PRICES ARE AS FOLLOWS

Within North America:
1 record: $12, 2 records: $17, 3 records: $22, 4 records: $25, 5, 6 or 7 records: $28

Outside North America:
1 record: $18, 2 records: $30, 3, 4 or 5 records: $50, 6 records: $75

Over a period of several years I am slowly listing a remarkable record collection for auction on ebay. This collection belonged to my friend Brian, one of the most discerning record collectors I have ever known. Brian started buying records in 1966 when he was a teenager. His infatuation for vinyl developed into a career and he eventually ended up working for RCA records and CBS/Sony records as a disc mastering engineer from 1977 to 1989. Brian’s not with us anymore, and I’m making good on my promise to him to sell his records in lovingly-prepared auctions which reflect the love he had for his vast collection. The proceeds go to his family.

Brian’s collection is the kind that rarely comes up for sale. He had great taste in music and collected vinyl seriously for 40 years, taking superb care of his collection. To see all of Brian’s records that I currently have listed, click here.

I grade records conservatively to ensure your satisfaction as the buyer. All LPs will be shipped promptly in reinforced record-mailing boxes. Because of the size of this collection, I will be listing these records in sections, so you might want to bookmark my listings page and keep checking back. Also, if you want to be notified when a new block of records is listed, drop me a line with your email.

This month I'm offering for your consideration Brian's Johan Mayall, Eric Clapton, Cream, Jack Bruce and related LPs.

Artist: John Mayall

Title: The Blues Alone

Country of Issue: UK

Date of Issue: 1967

Catalogue Number: ACL 1243 (Mono)

Matrix side one: ARL-8040-1A

Matrix side two: ARL-8041-1A

Condition of sleeve: NM. It's pretty much spotless. A tiny bit of creasing of the laminate on the front, a faint hint of ringwear on the back.

Hey there, I'm just interrupting in the middle of the crucial record condition descriptions to make sure you saw the important information about shipping that is at the start and end of this listing, and why shipping on this LP is NOT $4. It's incredible how many people fail to read this, or worse: choose to ignore this important information! Thanks!

Condition of record: VG+. Quite a lot of light marks, some mild surface noise but a lovely clear mono mix. This was a promo copy, as per the sticker on the side two label (see photo).

Further Notes:

Recorded at Decca Studios in West Hampstead, London on May 1st, 1967. This UK edition was the only mono version issued anywhere.

Tracklist:

Side one:
"Brand New Start"
"Please Don't Tell"
"Down the Line"
"Sonny Boy Blow"
"Marsha's Mood"
"No More Tears"

Side Two:
"Catch That Train"
"Cancelling Out"
"Harp Man"
"Brown Sugar"
"Broken Wings"
"Don't Kick Me"

Sleeve notes by legendary UK DJ John Peel:

In the summer of 1966 I was working for a radio station in Southern California and, in my capacity as resident Englishman and therefore intimate friend of all groups, I had to contribute a column of light hearted chatter about the British music scene to the station paper. Part of this column was a listing of the current British top ten. As far as the inhabitants of San Bernadino and Riverside counties knew, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers had a string of enormous hits during that summer – a number of them being, in some curious fashion, LP tracks. Chart-rigging was a hideous reality in unsuspecting California.

Shortly after returning to London I met John Mayall and found him to be a very warm-hearted person despite his somewhat forbidding stage presence. He has a huge laugh that springs from some deep recess within him and tumbles into all corners of the room. I was featuring his LP ‘A Hard Road’ (Decca LK 4853) on the air and was amazed that, in addition to writing 8 of the 12 numbers on the record, playing 5 and 9 string guitar, organ, piano, harmonica and singing, he had written the sleeve notes and painted the portrait of the group on the front cover.

With this new LP he has carried all of this to its logical conclusion and has produced a record featuring no other musician than himself except for the occasional aid of his drummer Keef Hartley. This then is John Mayall – one of the greatest bluesmen in the world.

BRAND NEW START
John plays harmonica, guitar, piano, drums and also sings. A hymn of earthy praise to his current woman with some of his best recorded harmonica. Strangely remote ‘popping’ guitar adds a touch of deep melancholy.

PLEASE DON’T TELL (vocal, harmonica, guitar, bass)
John has apparently uncovered something new in the popular field of male/female relationships – after exhaustive research – and wants to keep it a secret. In his writing he always adds something fresh and interesting to traditional concepts – whatever that means.

DOWN THE LINE (Vocal, piano, 9-string guitar)
In the clubs the appearance of the Mayallian nine-string is greeted with shouts of approval. On this number the distinctive sliding sounds keep up an almost unbearable tension behind the sparse piano. A searing, incredibly lonely sound.

SONNY BOY BLOW (Vocal, harmonica, jangle piano)
A tribute to the late Sonny Boy Williamson – not a sad, gloomy tribute but a rollicking, cantering thing filled with unrestrained outbursts on the harmonica and some rolling boogie woogie from John’s famous ‘jangle’ piano.

MARSHA’S MOOD (Piano, drums)
A portrait of an attractive and independent girl. I think I know the Marsha of the title and if I’m right then this superb piano solo fits her well.

NO MORE TEARS (Vocal, 9 & 6 string guitars, bass)
A great track featuring John’s obviously underrated guitar. Although his efforts are unlikely to start a mass movement of blues guitarists to the bridges of the Thames this should be a revelation for those who’ve tended to concentrate more on John’s celebrated lead guitarists than on the man himself. I’m glad he recorded this one.

CATCH THAT TRAIN (Harmonica with train)
Blues harmonica players favour trains to a degree where they might be suspected of a locomotive fetish – a rare condition. This must surely be the first time that an actual train has been used as an accompanying instrument. All of this poses an interesting demarcation question – did the N.U.R. receive recording wages? Incidentally I am the train’s agent so don’t get any ideas.

CANCELLING OUT (Vocal, piano, organ)
We all know the ‘Put-together’ girl – probably one of the main causes of international confusion. John sings of his intention to cancel out that kind of chick. He underlines this laudable decision with grumbling bass figures on the piano and fiery organ playing. Is this a protest song?

HARP MAN (Harmonica, celeste, bass)
Music-box type celeste sounds – a very emotional music-box let me hastily add – and wandering harmonica phrases. There is no truth to the rumour that the Bluesbreakers will be using dulcimer, sackbut and psaltery. Let’s face it, guttural cries of ‘Let’s hear your sackbut, son” can only lead to violence.

BROWN SUGAR (Vocal, piano, guitar, organ)
You don’t need me to tell you what this is all about. Just listen to the lyrics. Moore slide guitar playing accentuates a blues that has nothing to do with Tate and Lyle.

BROKEN WINGS (Vocal, organ)
This is the sort of thing that should be heard on the car radio late at night driving alone in the rain. A very gently, caressing and beautiful song. You needed to know this side of Mayall.

DON’T KICK ME (Vocal, organ, piano, guitar, bass)
For the final track on this astounding LP, which shows every facet and talent of the limitless John Mayall, a rumbling plea not to kick him when he’s down. I get the impression you’d be in a rather dramatic situation if you tried it. Thank you John for letting me write these notes for what is an essential record for anyone with any interest in any kind of good music.

JOHN PEEL

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IMPORTANT SHIPPING NOTE (in case you missed it above):
Ebay does not let me specify a greater shipping amount than $4 for US shipping in the listing, but I am in Canada and shipping a record to you in the US costs $12, not $4, so kindly disregard the listed shipping price and follow the shipping charges below. I will send you an invoice with the correct shipping amount shortly after the end of the auction. If you jump the gun and submit a payment with just $4 shipping I will send you a paypal invoice to cover the remaining $8, so it's better to wait for my invoice.
By bidding on my auction you are acknowledging that you have read and understood my shipping terms.

SHIPPING PRICES ARE AS FOLLOWS

Within North America:
1 record: $12, 2 records: $17, 3 records: $22, 4 records: $25, 5, 6 or 7 records: $28

Outside North America:
1 record: $18, 2 records: $30, 3, 4 or 5 records: $50, 6 records: $75