CRIPPLE CLARENCE LOFTON Brown Skin Girls Test Pressing Lester Melrose Blues 78
£
750
$
994
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Description
This item represents a historical discovery of the highest magnitude—an authentic, single-sided pre-war shellac test pressing sourced directly from the private estate archive of Michel Chaigne.
Detailed archival manuscript notations on the sleeve outline an elite lineage connecting back to the Melrose-Avakian Series via Bob Altshuler [image_krlkJQ.png]. The initials "L.M." written at the top of the label explicitly indicate that this disc was originally part of the personal archival stock of Lester Melrose, the legendary chief architect of pre-war Chicago blues.
As written on the sleeve border, this is documented as the only known copy of this alternate take anywhere in the world.
Recorded in Chicago, Illinois on July 18, 1935, for the American Record Corporation (ARC), this 10-inch master test captures the wild, untamed genius of Cripple Clarence Lofton performing completely solo at the piano.
Side A: Brown Skin Girls (Matrix C 1074-B) – While Take-A was used for the standard commercial release on Vocalion 02951, this disc is the unissued alternative Take-B
.The Alternative Identity: The label bears a typed, red-bordered corrective sticker reading "I Love All My Women", which was the alternative working title assigned to this unique studio take. Primary Console Engravings & Outer-Rim AnalysisThis disc features exceptional, ironclad confirmation of its history hand-etched directly into the outer lead-in edge by ARC studio engineers at the recording console.
This marking reads:C 1074 - B: The "C" prefix establishes the Chicago tracking location, "1074" marks the primary matrix block, and the final "-B" explicitly documents this disc as the unissued Take B, providing absolute verification of its alternate status. The mid-1935 ARC sessions managed by Lester Melrose represent the absolute crucible of urban barrelhouse piano music. Cripple Clarence Lofton was a foundational pillar of the "Chicago House Rent Party" circuit. His frantic, driving rhythmic style directly soundtracked the social survival of thousands of Black families migrating from the rural South into the tenements of Chicago's South Side.Lofton was notoriously difficult to capture in a commercial studio setting. He frequently stomped his feet, sang away from the microphone, and altered his timing based on pure emotion. This unissued alternative master test provides a raw look into the session, preserving an unpolished, rhythmically ferocious version of "Brown Skin Girls" before Melrose selected a safer take for the public.
The George Avakian Connection: The lineage notation references the legendary Columbia Records producer and jazz scholar George Avakian, who worked alongside Bob Altshuler to preserve foundational pre-war masters during the mid-20th century
.The Core Pattern: This performance laid down the structural template for what later became the boogie-woogie craze of the late 1930s, heavily influencing artists like Pinetop Smith, Albert Ammons, and Pete Johnson.
Detailed Condition Report
Grade (VJM System): E- (Excellent Minus)
.Play Surface: Exceptional structural survival for an active 1935 commercial test plate. The shellac retains an excellent level of original gloss under bright light inspection.
The sleeve correctly notes some tiny, non-sounding light needle surface scratches and minor factory lamination lines common to transient pre-test compounds.
It is completely free of deep cracks, edge chips, groove-jumping digs, or tracking wear.
Audio Performance: Plays with immense acoustic power, crisp treble separation, and a driving lower-register piano presence. The historic audio tracks clearly through light surface noise, which is entirely consistent with pre-war test pressings.
Center Labels: Off-white factory blank matrix label with clear hand-written title ("Brown Skin Girls"), artist attribution ("Cripple Clarence Lofton"), and producer initials ("L.M.) . Features the original vintage red-bordered typewriter title correction slip affixed firmly over the center . The center spindle hole shows minor wear but remains tight.
Postage & Packaging Info
Professionally packed by an experienced 78 RPM specialist trader.
The fragile shellac disc is enclosed within an archival interior sleeve alongside its historic handwritten dossier jacket .
The entire package is strictly sandwiched between multiple layers of thick card stiffeners, wrapped entirely in heavy-duty bubble wrap, and suspended securely inside a rigid, oversized doubleskin box filled with void-fill padding to guarantee zero movement during domestic or international transit.
Worldwide shipping is available.
Carefully packed and promptly dispatched
Store Notice
, Please add our store to your saved sellers list, as we are continuously making further selections from the Michel Chaigne archive available over the coming weeks.
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