Blues, Gospel and R&B 78's Record Collection

Vocalion Records was founded by the Aeolian Piano in 1916 and became one of the major early blues labels, issuing 78s by, among others Robert Johnson. After a series of takeovers, it was ended by Columbia in 1940.
Vocalion 05273 (1939)
Listen Here

Vocalion Records was founded by the Aeolian Piano in 1916 and became one of the major early blues labels, issuing 78s by, among others Robert Johnson. After a series of takeovers, it was ended by Columbia in 1940.
Vocalion 04106 (1938)
Listen Here

Decca Records, today a member of UMG, started in England in 1929 founding an American branch in 1934. It was a major producer of blues records with artists ranging from Peetie Wheatstraw to Sister Rosetta Tharpe.
Decca 7877 (1937)
Listen Here

Imperial Records began in LA in 1947 and continued until 1963 when it was sold to Liberty, phased out in the early '70s, EMI revived it in 2006. Under A&R man Dave Bartholomew, it specialized in New Orleans' R&B.
Imperial 5027 (1947)
Listen Here

Okeh (pronounced okay) began in 1916 in New York. It issued the first blues 78: Crazy Blues by Mamie Smith in 1920 and continued to be a powerhouse in blues 78s until 1932. It has been a subsidiary of Columbia since 1926.
Okeh 8730 (1928) (Gospel)
Listen Here

Columbia Records was formed in 1888 in Washington D.C. and is still, after a series of mergers and takeovers, the latest by Sony, a leading label. It was a prolific producer of blues 78s in the 1920s and '30s.
Columbia 14145 (1926) (Gospel)
Listen Here

Bluebird Records was a budget subsidiary label of RCA Victor. It began in 1932 and, until the end of World War II, issued so many blues records, many produced by Lester Melrose, that it became known as the home of Chicago Blues.
Bluebird B-7278 (1937)(Gospel)
Listen Here

RCA Victor began with the purchase of the Victor Talking Machine Company in 1929 and had the distinctive logo of His Master's Voice". After takeovers first by GE, then by Sony, it survives today as RCA Records.
RCA Victor 22-023 (1949)
Listen Here

Dot Records was begun in 1950 in Gallatin, TN by radio station owner Randy Wood, specializing in Tennessee artists. In 1957, it was purchased by Paramount Pictures and moved to Hollywood, bought by ABC in 1974 and ended in 1978.
Dot 1020 (1950)
Listen Here

Bluebird Records was a budget subsidiary label of RCA Victor. It began in 1932 and,until the end of World War II, issued so many blues records, many produced by Lester Melrose, that it became known as the home of Chicago Blues
Bluebird B6756(1936)
Listen Here

Vocalion Records was founded by the Aeolian Piano in 1916 and became one of the major early blues labels, issuing 78s by, among others Robert Johnson. After a series of takeovers, it was ended by Columbia in 1940.
Vocalion 1507 (1930)
Listen Here

De-luxe Records was founded in 1944 by the Braun brothers in Linden, NJ. In 1947, Syd Nathan of King Records bought a majority interest and moved De Luxe to Cincinnati where it made records until the early 1970's.
DeLuxe 3220 (1949)
Listen Here

King Records was begun in 1943 in Cincinnati by Syd Nathan as a 'Hillbilly' label but became an R&B label and played a major part in the crossover of R&B to white radio stations. It became defunct in 1975.
King 4330 (1949)
Listen Here

Modern Records was begun in LA in 1945 by the Bihari Brothers and soon became a major blues/R&B label with artists like Etta James, Little Richard, Ike & Tina Turner. It went bankrupt in the 1960s and ceased operations.
Modern 20-734 (1950)
Listen Here

Specialty Records was a major LA independent blues/R&B/Gospel label begun in 1945 by Scott Rupe. It had a good reputation for treating its' artists well. It was sold to Fantasy in 1991, it is now with Concord Music Group.
Specialty 356 (1949)
Listen Here

Paramount was formed in 1916-17 as a subsidiary of the Wisconsin Chair Company and ceased production in 1932. Recording mostly in Grafton, Wisconsin, Paramount's artists include Charley Patton, Blind Lemon and Son House.
Paramount 12858 (1929)
Listen Here

Columbia Records was formed in 1888 in Washington D.C. and is still, after a series of mergers and takeovers, the latest by Sony, a leading label. It was a prolific producer of blues 78s in the 1920s and '30s.
Columbia 37586 (1939/1941)
Listen Here

Decca Records, today a member of UMG, started in England in 1929 founding an American branch in 1934. It was a major producer of blues records with artists ranging from Peetie Wheatstraw to Sister Rosetta Tharpe.
Decca 24785 (1949)
Listen Here

John Lee Hooker was born in Vance, MS probably on August 22, 1917. He moved to Detroit in the 1940s. His first 78: Boogie Chillen' hit #1 on the R&B charts. A blues icon, he recorded and performed until his death in 2001.
Vee-Jay 331 (1959)
Listen Here

John Lee Hooker was born in Vance, MS probably on August 22, 1917. He moved to Detroit in the 1940s. His first 78: Boogie Chillen' hit #1 on the R&B charts. A blues icon, he recorded and performed until his death in 2001.
Vee-Jay 319 (1959)
Listen Here

John Lee Hooker was born in Vance, MS probably on August 22, 1917. He moved to Detroit in the 1940s. His first 78: Boogie Chillen’ hit #1 on the R&B charts. A blues icon, he recorded and performed until his death in 2001.
Modern 958 (1954)
Listen Here

John Lee Hooker was born in Vance, MS probably on August 22, 1917. He moved to Detroit in the 1940s. His first 78: Boogie Chillen’ hit #1 on the R&B charts. A blues icon, he recorded and performed until his death in 2001.
Vee-Jay 764 (1955)
Listen Here

John Lee Hooker was born in Vance, MS probably on August 22, 1917. He moved to Detroit in the 1940s. His first 78: Boogie Chillen’ hit #1 on the R&B charts. A blues icon, he recorded and performed until his death in 2001.
Vee-Jay 188 (1956)
Listen Here

John Lee Hooker was born in Vance, MS probably on August 22, 1917. He moved to Detroit in the 1940s. His first 78: Boogie Chillen’ hit #1 on the R&B charts. A blues icon, he recorded and performed until his death in 2001.
Modern 835 (1951)
Listen Here

John Lee Hooker was born in Vance, MS probably on August 22, 1917. He moved to Detroit in the 1940s. His first 78: Boogie Chillen’ hit #1 on the R&B charts. A blues icon, he recorded and performed until his death in 2001.
Vee-Jay 205 (1956)
Listen Here

Sensation Records was begun in Detroit in 1947 by Bernie Besman, who first recorded John Lee Hooker. It was named after the Sensation Lounge and operated until 1952, when a bad business deal was made with Syd Nathan.
Sensation 33 (1950)
Listen Here

John Lee Hooker was born in Vance, MS probably on August 22, 1917. He moved to Detroit in the 1940s. His first 78: Boogie Chillen’ hit #1 on the R&B charts. A blues icon, he recorded and performed until his death in 2001.
Modern 847 (1951)
Listen Here

Recorded under one of Mr. Hooker’s many pseudonyms as Johnny Williams. Gotham was a New York R&B/Gospel label from 1946 until it was moved to Philadelphia in 1956 and became defunct.
Gotham 506 (1950)
Listen Here

Columbia Records was formed in 1888 in Washington D.C. and is still, after a series of mergers and takeovers, the latest by Sony, a leading label. It was a prolific producer of blues 78s in the 1920s and '30s.
Columbia 37573 (1947)
Listen Here

Columbia Records was formed in 1888 in Washington D.C. and is still, after a series of mergers and takeovers, the latest by Sony, a leading label. It was a prolific producer of blues 78s in the 1920s and '30s.
Columbia 37573 (1947)
Listen Here

Columbia Records was formed in 1888 in Washington D.C. and is still, after a series of mergers and takeovers, the latest by Sony, a leading label. It was a prolific producer of blues 78s in the 1920s and '30s.
Columbia 37573 (1947)
Listen Here

Columbia Records was formed in 1888 in Washington D.C. and is still, after a series of mergers and takeovers, the latest by Sony, a leading label. It was a prolific producer of blues 78s in the 1920s and '30s.
Columbia 37573 (1947)
Listen Here

Howlin' Wolf (Chester Arthur Burnett) was born in West Point, MS on June 10, 1910. Brought up in Delta, he was a primeval force in the blues, moving to Chicago in 1951, his Chess recordings are blues classics.
Chess 1726 (1958)
Listen Here