Bobby Bland- never released or just very hard to find

[Kev Wood]

Not sure if this has been answered on here in the past (I’ve looked) but does anybody know if Bobby Bland - Ain't It A Good Thing / Queen For A Day; Duke 369 was ever released? If so, has anybody got a copy? There is a picture of an orange stock copy on Discogs but it has never come up for sale there and there isn’t any info about whether there was ever a pink promo version. A few Bobby Bland completists suggest that it is still eluding them and I’m guessing it isn’t out there at all. I’ve checked in ‘Duke / Peacock Records: An Illustrated History’ by Gart & Ames but that doesn’t have any hard and fast answer. Thanks for any help with this. 

[Tlscapital]

The picture on Datcogs looks totally convincing to me. It's not a "montage" I mean. 45cat.com have one member confirming to have his copy 'IN HAND' while typing. Maybe see for that with him there.

[Kev Wood]

8 minutes ago, Tlscapital said:

The picture on Datcogs looks totally convincing to me. It's not a "montage" I mean. 45cat.com have one member confirming to have his copy 'IN HAND' while typing. Maybe see for that with him there.

Thanks Tiscapital. I did see that entry on 45cat.com but, in the absence of any other claims about copies, I thought it was a bit fishy.  If it is out there, I'm guessing somebody on here will have one.

[Alan T]

@Mike Lofthouse is your man for Bobby Bland releases.

Last time i asked about his Bobby Bland collection he just needed one or two to complete the full set. There was one he wasn't sure came out even though it is listed, it could be the one you're asking about.

[Dobber]

Sorry to give slightly off topic,but what was released first Bobby blands shoes or Bobby hebbs sunny? 
 

remarkable similarities in song,title,and both bobbys!

[Robbk]

5 hours ago, Kev Wood said:

Not sure if this has been answered on here in the past (I’ve looked) but does anybody know if Bobby Bland - Ain't It A Good Thing / Queen For A Day; Duke 369 was ever released? If so, has anybody got a copy? There is a picture of an orange stock copy on Discogs but it has never come up for sale there and there isn’t any info about whether there was ever a pink promo version. A few Bobby Bland completists suggest that it is still eluding them and I’m guessing it isn’t out there at all. I’ve checked in ‘Duke / Peacock Records: An Illustrated History’ by Gart & Ames but that doesn’t have any hard and fast answer. Thanks for any help with this. 

I've been collecting Bobby Bland records since his Modern 45s in 1953.  I've never seen it.  Up to its release I had all the Duke 45s. I got all the rest up to about #450.  I never heard of any collectors having it.  Maybe a set of test runs for a pressing run were made, but I doubt that the record was commercially issued.

 

[Kev Wood]

12 minutes ago, Robbk said:

I've been collecting Bobby Bland records since his Modern 45s in 1953.  I've never seen it.  Up to its release I had all the Duke 45s. I got all the rest up to about #450.  I never heard of any collectors having it.  Maybe a set of test runs for a pressing run were made, but I doubt that the record was commercially issued.

 

Thanks. This is a really helpful contribution. I’m assuming if it had been released there would probably be some trade press adverts and reviews. 

[Tlscapital]

6 hours ago, Kev Wood said:

Thanks. This is a really helpful contribution. I’m assuming if it had been released there would probably be some trade press adverts and reviews. 

No if the record was pressed but then something came up and they decide not to go along with it further, then no copies would be sent out to radios and musical press for promotion. There are few and about records from semi and major labels that went through such faith.

7 hours ago, Dobber said:

Sorry to give slightly off topic,but what was released first Bobby blands shoes or Bobby hebbs sunny? 
 

remarkable similarities in song,title,and both bobbys!

Bobby Bland November 1967 and Bobby Hebb May 1966 (corrected thanks to the Yank !).

Edited January 25 by Tlscapital

[The Yank]

1 hour ago, Tlscapital said:

No if the record was pressed but then something came up and they decide not to go along with it further, then no copies would be sent out to radios and musical press for promotion. There are few and about records from semi and major labels that went through such faith.

Bobby Bland November 1967 and Bobby Hebb May 1968.

     I believe you meant May of 1966 for Bobby Hebb's "Sunny" (#13) -

Edited January 25 by The Yank

[Dobber]

8 hours ago, Tlscapital said:

No if the record was pressed but then something came up and they decide not to go along with it further, then no copies would be sent out to radios and musical press for promotion. There are few and about records from semi and major labels that went through such faith.

Bobby Bland November 1967 and Bobby Hebb May 1966 (corrected thanks to the Yank !).

Sounds like the producers of Bobby blands shoes thought they would borrow from Bobby hebbs sunny then

[Kev Wood]

Particular thanks to Robbk and Tiscapital Definitely looks like this release of Duke 369 never happened. If someone on Soul Source knows anything different, please let us know. 

[Buster Jones]

The 45 does exist. A Japanese collector has one and he sent mp3s to a friend of mine who then sent me them. The tracks are not on any of his albums.

[Johndelve]

6 minutes ago, Buster Jones said:

The 45 does exist. A Japanese collector has one and he sent mp3s to a friend of mine who then sent me them. The tracks are not on any of his albums.

Well they are, both on "Call on me /That's the Way Love is "...

[Kev Wood]

10 minutes ago, Buster Jones said:

The 45 does exist. A Japanese collector has one and he sent mp3s to a friend of mine who then sent me them. The tracks are not on any of his albums.

Both tracks are also on compilation albums. 

[Buster Jones]

I was referring to his original Duke albums, happy to stand corrected.

[Kev Wood]

16 hours ago, Buster Jones said:

I was referring to his original Duke albums, happy to stand corrected.

No problem Buster- the appearance on the compilation / greatest hits sets just adds to the confusion. The Duke book by Gart and Ames also lists a separate recording number for each track- but that doesn’t necessarily mean they made it out onto a released single. 

Edited February 3 by Kev Wood
spelling

[Sebastian]

Here are the label images from Discogs for reference.

 

[Kev Wood]

OK- I've seen these labels on Discogs before (they are not in the Gart and Ames book which I recall as picturing the labels of all of the other released records on Duke). I remain sceptical about whether it was released. Has any user of this site actually owned or seen this record?

[Robbk]

2 hours ago, Sebastian said:

Here are the label images from Discogs for reference.

 

Maybe those were just Duke's file copies, and the project was stopped before they made a commercial-sized pressing run?  I doubt that enough copies got to record shops to have any sales.  And I remember that WVON and KGFJ played EVERY Bobby Bland issue during the mid 1960s.  They didn't play that one.  If they had, I'd have gotten one at Dolphin's of Hollywood (where I worked).  We didn't get that one.  So, it must not have been marketed.  We'd have gotten it from our distributor.  I'd have it in my collection now, if our distributor would have carried it.

[Kev Wood]

Thanks Robbk. No evidence that I know about of the existence of a pink promo either.

[Ian Seaman]

It’s one I’m missing from my BB Duke collection ! Never seen one