primitive TITANTIC blues 1927 Paramount test W&V Smith

$

590

I'm sorry but I do not ship out of the U.S. However, overseas bidders can participate if they have a U.S. address to which I can ship. You need to email me before bidding. Thanks!

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PLEASE READ CONDITION DESCRIPTION CAREFULLY

  EVERYBODY HELP THE BOYS COME HOME (4686)   and   WHEN THAT GREAT SHIP WENT DOWN (4685)   by William and Versey Smith       [Chicago]: Paramount hybrid (?) test pressing 12505, recorded August, 1927. Per Dixon & Godrich page 598 (1963 edition), no takes are shown on the matrix numbers so presumably only 1 take was done of each side.   I know of no other way to describe this particular disc except as a "hybrid" test pressing. WHEN THAT GREAT SHIP WENT DOWN (an amazing primitive blues about the Titantic and a performance you can find and hear in several places on YouTube) has the typical handwritten label while EVERYBODY HELP THE BOYS COME HOME has a standard issue black and gold printed label.   Paramount test pressing which was a recent antique shop find in Birmingham, Alabama. Because of the city in which these test pressings were found, I wonder if there could be some connection between these and the long deceased Birmingham piano dealer HARRY CHARLES who did promo and scouting work for Paramount in the 1920s. I will be listing these test pressings (as well as released, "regular issue" Paramount, Gennett, Vocalion & other 1920s race & hillbilly records) during the next couple of weeks.   Both sides rubbed but showing perhaps 50% gloss. The labels show little wear. There is the usual New York Recording Laboratories high-pitch surface "hiss" but that is at a pretty low and even level here. Both sides play fairly strongly (especially the male voice and the guitar; the female and tambourine "obbligatto" is somewhat less strong, as if she were behind him at a single mike when these sides were recorded). The YouTube versions will give you some idea although they were taken off a major label reissue and presumably have had considererable electronic "cleaning up."   NOW THE PROBLEMS . . . . . . . . . . there is a hairline crack which extends from the rim all the way across the grooves to the label on EVERYBODY and not quite all the way across on SHIP. The extent of the crack is less noticeable on SHIP and you can just barely hear the "click" as the needle passes. It's a bit more noticeable on EVERYBODY but still not egregiously so. Except for the fact that it is just there, I don't think of the crack as a major problem.   That being said, there is a needle drop dig on SHIP, about 3/8 inch from the end of the music and, alas, it catches MY needle and causes the groove to repeat. I don't think my tone arm tracking is adjustable but I tried adding a slight weight to the tone arm and it still caught at the dig. SORRY ABOUT THAT. I probably would not even list a record with that defect if it wasn't truly great.   EVERYBODY HELP THE BOYS COME HOME plays all the way thru and is VG+   SHIP, because of the dig which catches the needle is only G (using Spin Connection's grading system) though it certainly plays better than that until you reach near the end of the record.   As the saying goes, it is what it is.   Amazing performers tho.   +++   I grade 78s visually and then aurally, playing them on a decent portable 3 speed mono record player with fairly light weight tone arm, single speaker and with a .3 millimeter 78rpm sapphire stylus. I generally keep the continuous tone control (controls bass to treble with a single knob) tuned about 3/4 of the way away from maximum treble.   I have been packing and shipping valuable 78s since 1962. More expensive 78s will always be double boxed and I try to ship via priority (upgrading to priority at my own expense if the bidding goes way above my minimum) even though ebay makes it impossible to break even on shipping charges when doing so.   That being said, let me go ahead and say that although I realize there is a huge market for blues 78s overseas, I DO NOT SHIP OUT OF THE U.S. under any circumstances (except American military post office boxes) because of severe and expensive (for me) overseas mailing problems from doing so in the past. I just will not do it even though that might mean getting lesser prices for the neat blues & jazz discs I'll be listing during the next week or two (including a decent # of Paramount Test Pressings - mostly in the mid-12000s).   However, if you live outside of the US and can pay via paypal AND have a friend, business associate or re-mail service in the U S to whom these discs could be sent, I will arrange with eBay for you to bid if you will write me ahead of time with the U S recipient's name and address. I need the name and address on file before changing the ebay filters.   ++++++++++++++   (the fine print ... [sigh] ... but please read :-)

WE REGRET WE DON'T SHIP OUT OF USA; SORRY, BUT NO EXCEPTIONS.

SHIPPING is $4.00 via carefully packed, bubblewrap protected media mail. (NOTE THAT MEDIA MAIL CAN BE VERY SLOW - much slower than eBay's thoughtlessly stated 2 to 9 days shipping time - so check the Birmingham postmark upon receipt and you will see that the package was mailed in a timely manner according to stated terms of sale). AT CUSTOMER'S REQUEST AND FOR AN EXTRA CHARGE, shipping may be upgraded to fast boxed priority mail. 

Postal insurance (highly recommended for 78rpm records) is available at my exact cost if wanted by the purchasor.

PAYPAL IS THE MUCH PREFERRED METHOD OF PAYMENT. However, I CAN accept other modes of paying upon local pickup (MON-FRI). Please email me in advance to arrange such payment requests/local pickup or if you have questions. Thanks!

Now that I'm finally offering paypal, please pay promptly:  Winner's payment should reach me within 7 days; eBay wants to be notified of slow- or non-payers soon thereafter so NON-PAYING BIDDER ALERTS ARE FILED ON THE 8th day following the auction IF I'VE HAD NO CONTACT FROM YOU SINCE AUCTION'S END. That gives you just 7 more days to pay without a NPB strike. Delayed? Then email me - I'll try to work with you when necessary but please don't expect me to do so in a vacuum. 

PLACING A BID IS THE ETHICAL EQUIVALENT OF ACCEPTING THESE TERMS. PLEASE DON'T ASK TO ALTER THEM AFTERWARDS. In return, as our feedback clearly shows, we'll get your item(s) to you, as described, in a safe, timely manner. Thanks!

LIMITED LOCAL PICKUP OFFERED: Local pickup (you'll need    C A $ H    in exact change please - there's usually no money on hand with which to make change) available ONLY at my office in the Lakeview area of southside B'ham during office hours Mon-Thursday + Friday mornings. I'm sorry but there is NO WAY to arrange late evening or night time pickups, saturday or sunday pickups, meetings anywhere else, and/or pickups at my home. I need at least one and usually two business days' notice beforehand. Address and other instructions/directions given after you've won an item and contacted me via email. Thanks!