Here’s a remarkably well preserved copy of an obscure 78 on the equally obscure Rim label, “Roustabout Blues” b/w Hungry Man Blues. The A-side features vocals by Gene Phillips, while the B-side is a female-voiced response to the A-side by someone named Lee Gilbert. Both are backed with a spare arrangement by the Eddie Beale Trio. My impression is that this came out around 1950, though I can find virtually nothing on the record. The A-side is near-mint; I’m grade the B-side E+ due to a tiny pressing bubble that is audible for three rotations. The audio linked below comes directly from this copy. Note that I recorded this using a cheap portable with a nylon needle; it will likely sound better with better equipment. Listen to “Roustabout Blues” here. Listen to “Hungry Man Blues” here. I use the “floating” method for packaging shellac records, and have never had one broken in transit.
