My old Victrola record player was junked many years ago. However, one of my favorite 78 rpm records, which I played on the device, has been kept, since it was a thing of beauty as well as a favorite recording of mine.

In order to improve the marketing of recorded music on the old 78 rpm records, pictures were introduced on the “Vogue” label.

Vogue picture records had colorful artwork embedded on both sides of the record. The illustrations on each side of the record were usually related to the title of the song on that side.

The most common Vogue picture records were the 10-inch, 78 rpm records. These picture records were first released in May of 1946. Production ceased less than a year later in April of 1947. The company went out of business after having released about 74 different 10-inch Vogue picture records.

By far the most successful was a re-recording of Clyde McCoy’s “Sugar Blues.” In 1930, McCoy first recorded “Sugar Blues.” The song was played over the radio, and a recording contract with Columbia Records followed. The resulting 78 rpm single ended up selling millions of copies. McCoy’s use of a trumpet mute to produce the ‘’wah-wah’’ sound made him very famous. The re-release of the Clyde McCoy song with the colorful artwork soon became a collector’s item.

Clyde McCoy was a direct descendent of the McCoy’s of Kentucky, known for their long-running feuds with the Hatfield’s. He was a bandleader and trumpet player during the 1930’s and is still remembered for his signature tune, “Sugar Blues.”

For anyone wanting a complete story of the Hatfield-McCoy feud, go to:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatfield-McCoy_feud.

Since blues and jazz were very popular in Louisiana, many records were sold in the state.

My old vintage record of Clyde McCoy’s “Sugar Blues” can no longer be played, due to its poor condition.The song, however, can be downloaded from the internet on MP3 or other modern downloading devices.

It is truly a classic blues recording worth remembering.

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