1927 Paramount disc MEMPHIS TENNESSEE EARTHQUAKE blues

$

520

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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MEMPHIS EARTHQUAKE (4643-2)   and   WATER BOUND BLUES (4646-1)   by Alice Pearson, vocal with piano accompaniment by F. (Freddie) Coates     [Chicago, Illinois]: Paramount 12507 with regular issue Black & Gold Paramount labels, ca. July 1927   Historically important blues (possibly a first hand account?) on earthquake and floods in the Memphis Tennessee & Mississippi River Valley areas. This disc was recorded in July 1927 and the Memphis earthquake about which she sings happened in May 1927 (see even sings about waking up to it at "about 2am..."):   Another earthquake in the Mississippi Valley region caused damage in Tennessee and Arkansas on May 7, 1927. It was strongest at Jonesboro, Arkansas, where some chimneys fell (VII). However, the felt area indicated that the epicenter was farther to the east, in Tennessee. Damage there was limited to the shattering of window panes and breaking of dishes in the Memphis area. Many people were awakened by the early morning (2:28 AM) rapid rocking motion; in addition, surface and subterranean sounds were heard. The shock was also felt in parts of Alabama, Illinois, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Missouri, an area of about 337,000 square kilometers - from an online weather site.    Pearson is a true classic female blues singer with a deep and powerful voice. She was no sweet "songstress" along the lines of Lucille Hegamin.   Recent find in a Birmingham antique shop - see my "Paramount Test Pressing" auction for more details.   Dixon & Godrich BLUES & GOSPEL RECORDS 1902 -1942, 1963 edition. (2nd edition? blue boards, 765 pages), page 511. The two compilers apparently did not know of a copy of this record as they had to guess about the matrix numbers on these 2 sides. They were on the right track about WATER BOUND (matrix 4646) but wrong about MEMPHIS EARTHQUAKE (matrix 4643).   Both sides just barely rubbed showing about 75-80% gloss. There is a tiny, tiny needle drop dig on MEMPHIS, about 1/2 of the way into the record, which causes a minor "click" for just one groove. There are some minor scratches on WATER BOUND.   Both labels are very bright and clean and show little use or wear. These sides have been played, of course, but whoever originally owned this disc was very careful in putting it on the Victrola!   Both sides play very strongly - the recording of the piano accompaniment (especially bluesy on WATERBOUND) is about the best I've ever heard on Paramount - you can even clearly hear the occasional grace note.   E- for both.    ++   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.   ++++++++++++++   (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. 

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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!