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Authenticity of First Release Blue Note ..Pre 1960

I'm just curious as to what year Blue Note started printing the letter R under the letter E in Note on their labels.

I am aware of first release mono and stereo not having the letter R, all later releases including re-issues were marked this way I believe.

Pre. 1960 Blue Note, is there any other indicators other then markings in the wax and no R on the label?

Finally, What does the R actually stand for?


stiltskin
jaybo
4,478 posts
 
good luck...collecting blue note is a 'life's work' for some. my friend mr blue note(who is digging into these questions), has every blue note mini-lp cd made with maybe a dozen missing. hundereds of lp's as well, but ironically nothing pre 1960.
stiltskin OP
499 posts
 
Jaybo thanks for your effort.

I'm not going to start collecting any sizable collection of original Blue Note records.
I'll buy select titles from Music Matters and Analogue Productions to replace past re-issues.

However my all time favorite artist and their music I'll buy the original pressing, just a few titles.

Its great owning an original first pressing or even a early repressing from that long ago especially when the record and cover including the original promo sleeve are all in great shape.
Recorded quality on other original pressings of that era that I have on other labels some are astonishing especially mono....Early 1950s into the better part of the 1960s was The Golden Era of Jazz as you probably know.

Since my initial question above I have found a few articles on Blue Note that are of interest, time lining from the early to late 1950s, still wading through it....

stiltskin OP
499 posts
 
For anyone interested authenticity of a "first release" Blue Note pre 1960.

The earliest and rarest Blue Notes will have the 767 Lexington address on the back cover including the label in script.

These were heavy thick vinyl much like the 180 gram of today.
Hand etched into the wax is an "ear" including RVD, Rudy Van Gelder.
And no "R" on the label.

The mono record I have is of Art Blakey, Clifford Brown, Lou Donaldson, Horace Silver and Curly Russell.

A Night in Birdland is an 1956 early first pressing and a rare copy with the New York Lexington Ave address.

The music is great, Im a big fan of Art Blakey and the recording is superb.

The ellusion of the band being in my room is captured very well.
Very natural sounding like so many other recordings of that era.
An incredible find, very happy to own a least one original Lexington Ave first pressing.

A 2nd Blue Note original first pressing with the 47 West 63rd New York address is Art Blakey, Lee Morgan , Benny Golson, Bobby Timmins and Jymie Merritt..."Monin".

With no R under the E in Blue Note.

The circled R on the label indicates a later repressing,

The reference of the ear in the wax ,the smaller the "ear" indicates closest to the original pressing batch.

A significance in sonics is experienced with well recorded music with original first pressings, the closer to the very first pressing batch, usually the better.

Fabulous music and an incredible recording.

This Lp is also confirmed as a early first release with no "R" on the label and a little ear in the wax....

More to discover