RAMBLIN' JACK ELLIOTT DERROLL ADAMS Rare 10" Acetate

	£		347
	$		460

10" acetate. Running for about 23 minutes. Tracks as follows- A Rich and Rambling Boy, Cocaine, Black Girl, Banjo Solo, Chilly Winds, Mule Skinners, 900 Miles, Tom Dooley.

The acetate was recorded on 'The Master Sound System' and manufactured by M. S. S. Recording Co. Ltd of Colnbrook, Bucks, England. There is no date. The track listing is pencilled on each side as illustrated. The acetate came to me in a clear plastic sleeve with no information.

I bought a large record collection from a deceased estate a year or so ago. The gentleman was a great Ramblin' Jack Elliott fan and there were many original records from the fifties onwards.

Amongst the collection were fifteen to twenty acetates, mostly of Hawaiian music. Two however were labelled 'Elliott Adams'.

On playing them it was clear that this was actually Ramblin' Jack Elliott and Derroll Adams. I have listened to these recordings carefully and it seems to me that while they are not the same as, they may well be roughly contemporary with Elliott and Adams 1957 recordings for Topic Records in the UK.  However this is only my opinion and while I have tried to listen and refer to all the Elliott Adams recordings I can I have not listened to everything. If you can give any further information please e-mail me.

Notes on the individual tracks follow. I have cleaned the acetate a number of times and it looks very good. It plays nicely with some unobtrusive surface noise and the odd click. There are no skips or jumps; all in all I'd say it has lasted very well.

Rich and Rambling Boy

Starts with banjo . Sung by Adams and Elliott-Adams taking bass line and Elliott a higher almost falsetto line. This may well be a demo for the recording that appeared on the Topic 'Rambling boys' LP. On this acetate Jack makes two, possibly three false entries and Adams appears to say 'Wifester'(conflating wife and sister) in one of the verses, to his own amusement. The verses of the song are played in a different order to that on the LP and there is an additional verse stating his offence('I robbed a guest I do declare/And I made myself 10,000 there'. As on the 'Rambling boys' version Derroll says 'Play that Guitar Jack' before the instrumental break. The track runs to approximately 3'10"

Cocaine

I have not been able to find another recording of this song by Adams and Elliott in the discographies. Rambling Jack recorded it for his 'Jack Takes The Floor' LP but this is not that recording.

The tracks starts with banjo and guitar. Ramblin' Jack sings the song solo. The song starts with the same verses as the 'Jack takes The Floor' recording but them varies as follows-

Run down to Algeciras/Gonna Catch me a boat/Gonna sail across that Gibraltar moat/Shed a tear every time I think about Tangier'

'Hey baby come here quick/This old hashish is making me sick/Hashish is all I wish'

Black Girl

Again I have not found another recording of this song by Elliott/Adams or Ramblin' Jack solo. Tracks runs for about 2'35".

Guitar and banjo. Sung solo by Ramblin' Jack. The song begins-

'Black girl, black girl, don't you lie to me/Tell me where did you sleep last night'.

It tells the story of a black girl whose heart was won by a railway man, who was then killed(only his head was found).

I should think this is a traditional song but I have not heard it before. Any information?

Banjo Solos

Derroll playing a couple of minutes of fast breaks then slowing at end. Some mumbling at end and Ramblin' Jack saying 'Yeh'!

Chilly Winds

Track lasts 1'20". Derroll sings solo- a couple of verses. Again says 'Play that guitar Jack' as song ends instrumentally.

Mule Skinners

Song lasts 3'40". A version of this song by Adams and Eliot appears on an album 'Folkland Songs' but I ahve been unable to obtain it. Elliott recorded the song solo in 1958 but this is not that recording.

Again there is a work in progress, informal feel about the song-but it is a complete run through. At one point Adams sniggers. Jack contributes some tremendous yodelling.

900 Miles

Derroll Adams sings and plays banjo. Seems to me a solo recording. Lasts 3 minutes 15 seconds.

Tom Dooley

2'15". Derroll and Jack in unison. Derroll the bass line; Jack a more florid high line. Again there is an informal feel and the track ends with a little laughter.

P&P/Shipping

Records are sent out in strong professional packaging with two card liners for extra protection.

P&P is £2.50 to UK, £3.50 to Europe and £5.20 airmail to rest of the world. Surface mail costs are £3 to anywhere in the world(items can take up to 35 days to be delivered).  UK payment through Paypal or by postal order or Cheque. Overseas payment through paypal or in cash(US dollars and Euros are accepted).

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If purchasing more than one LP UK postage is £1.20 for each additional LP(so postage for two LPs would be £3.70), £1.50 to Europe(Shipping for two LPs would be £5), £2 elsewhere(2 LPs to USA, Canada or the far east would be £7.20).