RARE ROCKABILLY Jamie Coe Cleopatra / But Yesterday Bigtop 1962 45 Record G+

$

206

Original Bigtop 45-3107 by Jamie Coe, pairing the punchy, dramatic “Cleopatra” with “But Yesterday.”

A-Side: Cleopatra

B-Side: But Yesterday

Original release: April 1962

The A-side, “Cleopatra,” was written by Jamie Coe, Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman—a serious songwriting pedigree. Pomus and Shuman were one of the great Brill Building-era teams, responsible for numerous foundational rock & roll and pop compositions.

Billboard reviewed the record in April 1962 and described Cleopatra as a strong rhythmic number with good lyrics and commercial potential, while Cash Box characterized it as a vigorous rock-oriented performance inspired by the contemporary Cleopatra film publicity.

🔍 Catalog & Matrix Information

Label: Bigtop Records

Catalog Number: 45-3107

Visible in the dead wax on the photographed copy:

“Cleopatra” side: BG-1275 appears etched in the runoff.

The opposite side shows an etched Bigtop matrix number as well, but the photograph is not clear enough for me to guarantee every digit, so I would not overstate it in the listing.

🎸 Why Collectors Care

Jamie Coe is a cult figure among collectors of rockabilly, teen rock, early-’60s rock & roll and obscure U.S. independent-label 45s.

The original Bigtop issue has demonstrated meaningful collector demand. A specialist soul/45 sales list offered an EX DJ copy at $175, later reduced to $130 and then $115—strong evidence that this is not merely a common novelty record.

This copy is not high-grade, but it is unmistakably an original U.S. Bigtop pressing, and its battle-scarred appearance fits the story of a record that was actually discovered, played and preserved during the era when obscure rock & roll singles were disappearing into jukeboxes, DJ rooms and record piles.

🏆 Detroit Crate-Digger Provenance

This copy shows extensive label wear, tape reinforcement and handwritten annotations, all consistent with the preservation techniques seen throughout this private collection.

It comes from the private collection of a legendary Detroit crate-digger and one-time DJ, who frequently reinforced vulnerable labels, annotated records, and preserved obscure releases that later became collector material.

Rather than hiding those marks, I would frame them as part of the artifact’s life: this was a working record in a serious collection, not something recently pulled from untouched warehouse stock.

A genuine “piece of rock history from an epic collection of rare 45’s, filled with dj copies and promos of early northern soul, doo-woo, rockabilly, detroit garage and psyche rock.”

Condition — G+ Vinyl / Poor Labels

Vinyl: Good/VG visually. Numerous scratches, scuffs and groove marks are visible across both sides, including several heavier marks. I would not grade higher without a play test.

Labels: Poor. Heavy paper loss, abrasion, discoloration, writing and tape reinforcement are present on both sides. Large portions remain readable, including the artist, title and catalog information, but these labels have clearly lived a life.

The record itself appears intact with no obvious major crack or missing edge section visible in the photos.