The Matchbox Blues Story: Avon Delta Blues Legacy

Description

In 1967, the fledgling Bristol based Saydisc label released its first country blues record, this was a 7″ “LP” by Anderson Jones Jackson, with No‘l Sheldon on jug. By 1968, it was helping three Ôpop-upÕ independent DIY blues labels to get to market – these were the now highly-collectable Sunflower, Kokomo and Highway 51 labels. These were mere toes in the water and mid-1968 Saydisc created the celebrated Matchbox label to release contemporary British country blues and LPs (transcribed from original 78s) of classic pre-war American country blues. Matchbox also pressed the popular Austrian Roots label for the UK market and later issued contemporary American blues and transcriptions of Library of Congress recordings. Later again came the Bluesmaster Series. Saydisc released well over 100 blues LPs between 1967 and 1987.
By 1968, blues was becoming increasingly popular in the UK, though the focus was mostly on electric blues bands. In July, however, Matchbox released the first LP of home-grown British country blues. The time was right and ‘Blues Like Showers of Rain’ made a big stir. John Peel played it on his Night Ride radio show and invited most of the artists to record BBC sessions. The major labels picked up on the buzz and most of the artists were snapped up. Matchbox carried on the momentum over the next few years but eventually shut in July 1977, whilst Saydisc concentrated on other styles of music. Matchbox returned in 1982 with the extremely well-received ‘Bluesmaster Series’, an ambitious undertaking that resulted in 38 LPs, plus two double-LP sets to support Paul Oliver’s extremely well-received book, ‘Songsters & Saints’.
Amongst other things, ‘Blues from the Avon Delta’ includes:
¥ Information on every Saydisc-related, blues record released (and two that never saw light of day).
¥ Images of all SaydiscÕs blues record sleeves, including those on Sunflower, Kokomo, Highway 51, Roots and Ahura Mazda.
¥ A cameo appearance by The Village Thing label, which represented Ôwhat came after the blues, British styleÕ.
¥ Memorabilia provided specially by the label owners and other archives/collections, much not seen in print since the 1960s and 1970s (if ever).
¥ Active input from those who were there.
¥ A section on SaydiscÕs hook-ups with the ‘Blues World’ magazine and November BooksÕ ‘Blues Paperbacks’ series.

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