LITTLE JUNIOR'S BLUE FLAMES-BLUES 78 *SUN Label #187

$

93

From 1953... what a mega rare blues 78 from LITTLE JUNIOR PARKER. On the SUN record label. The record # is: 187. The song "Fussin' And Fightin' Blues" is on side b. and on side a. is: "Feelin' Good". This is one hard record to find in good condition! Most were just played to death. This record is in E- to E condition... (play graded)! The record plays through nicely with no serious or disturbing background noise... it just smokes! A little light ticking here and there but nothing to be concerned about. Powerful vocals from this blues cat! The labels are in E condition, with no writing or unusual heavy wear... they look nice! Just a bit of common ring wear and a few flakes on the a.) side. What a blues treasure these records are. I have just made a major purchase of ultra rare rock, jazz & blues albums! They were from Radio Station Promotion Manager Lester "Len" Miller and are from his personal collection.

Junior Parker, also known as Little Junior Parker or "Mr Blues" (May 27, 1932–November 18, 1971) was a successful and influential Memphis blues singer and musician. He is best remembered for his unique voice which has been described as "honeyed," and "velvet-smooth". He was posthumously inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2001.

Junior Parker was born in either Clarksdale, Mississippi or West Memphis, Arkansas as Herman Parker, Jr. He sang in gospel groups as a child, and played on the various blues circuits beginning in his teenage years. His biggest influence as a harmonica player was Sonny Boy Williamson, with whom he worked before moving on to work for Howlin' Wolf in 1949. Around 1950 he was a member of Memphis's ad hoc group, the Beale Streeters, with Bobby 'Blue' Bland and B.B. King.

In 1951 he formed his own band, the Blue Flames, with guitarist Auburn 'Pat' Hare. Parker was discovered in 1952 by Ike Turner, who signed him to Modern Records. He put out one single on this record label, "You're My Angel." This brought him to the attention of Sam Phillips, and he and his band signed onto Sun Records in 1953. There they produced three successful songs: "Feelin' Good" (which reached # 5 on the Billboard R&B charts), "Love My Baby," and "Mystery Train" ,with Floyd Murphy (Matt "Guitar" Murphy's brother) on guitar, later covered by Elvis Presley. For Presley's version of "Mystery Train", Scotty Moore borrowed the guitar riff from Parker's "Love My Baby".

Later in 1953, Parker toured with Bobby Bland and Johnny Ace, and also joined Duke Records. Parker and Bland headed the highly successful Blues Consolidated Revue, which became a staple part of the southern blues circuit. He continued to have a string of hits on the R&B chart, including the smooth "Next Time You See Me" (1957); re-makes of Roosevelt Sykes' songs, "Sweet Home Chicago" (1958) and "Driving Wheel" (1961); Guitar Slim's "The Things That I Used to Do" (1963); Don Robey's "Mother-in-Law Blues" (1956); and his own "Stand by Me." (1961)

His success was limited after he left the Duke label in 1966. He recorded for various labels, including Mercury, Blue Rock, Minit, and Capitol. Parker died on November 18, 1971, aged 39, in Blue Island, IL [14] during surgery for a brain tumor.

GRADING: STANDARD 78 RPM GRADING IS USED.

N- NEW MINUS: Full Original Luster. Appears Unplayed With No Signs Of Use. Highest Grade Used. Possible Slight Sleeve Or Storage Marks.

E+ EXCELLENT PLUS: Full Luster, Very Few Careful Plays. Slightest Indication Of Use Or Handling. Condition Is Just Slightly Below New Minus.

E EXCELLENT: Almost Full Luster. Mild Signs Of Careful Play But No Serious Scratches Or Scuffs. Highly Desirable Condition.

E- EXCELLENT MINUS: Some Luster Remains. Surface Shows Some Light Groove Wear, Light Scuffs And/Or Light Scratches. Still Pretty Clean. Acceptable To Most Collectors.

V+ VERY GOOD PLUS: Groove Wear, Scuffs And Scratches Are More Pronounced. Moderate Gray. Still A Decent Used Record With Moderate Surface Noise.

V VERY GOOD: Grooves Are Mostly Or Fully Gray Showing Deeper Wear. Obvious Surface Noise. Getting Rough Looking And Playing. An “Average Used 78” Is In The V To V+ Range.

V- VERY GOOD MINUS: Further Deterioration. Fully Gray With Deeper Groove Wear Causing Heavier Surface Noise.

G GOOD: Very Rough. Heavy Use. Deeply Gray. Surface Noise About Equals Music Level.

F FAIR: Really Beat. May Skip. Surface Noise Probably Exceeds Music Level.

P POOR: Barely Playable To Unplayable. Mostly Useful For The Label Or As A Filler Until A Better Copy Comes Along. Depending On The Rarity Of The Record, This Can Be An Acceptable Grade To A Serious Collector.

WHAT A GREAT RECORD FROM THE JUNIOR PARKER! BELIEVE ME... YOU WILL WANT THIS FOR YOUR COLLECTION!

It's time to for this old collector to empty the vaults if you will!! I Am Selling Most Of My Sealed and Autographed Albums. Most Are From My Very Own Personal Collection Which I Have Saved and Stored Very Carefully For A Long Time. So Check Back Often As I Will Be Selling Most Of My 70's & 80"s Autographs In The Coming Months. It's All Going!