the Prisonaires RARE PRIVATE ISSUE 1950s Lp Johnny Bragg TN State Penitentiary

The Prisonaires

Extremely rare privately issued Lp.

This Lp was never commercially available, and appears to have been recorded specifically for "the honorable Mr. Garrison Siskin of Chattanooga,Tennessee", who visited the Tennessee State Penitentiary sometime in the late 1950s. In fact, the last two songs on the album are about Mr. Siskin. The group is introduced by Warden Lynn Bomar.
Rockin' Records (record price guide) states that fewer than five copies of this Lp are known to exist.
Don't miss your chance to snag this super-cool item!
You might never see another copy for sale. 

Tracks:
Introduction & When the Saints Go Marchin' In
In The Garden
Bony Maronie
Suppertime
Caldonia
Gentle Hands
Walkin' In the Rain
The Boastin' Texan
A Prisoner's Prayer
Only Believe (interspersed with narrative about how Mr. Siskin is "our kind of man")
Senor Siskin
 
 Personnel (as announced on the record): 
  Johnny Bragg -  Lead Vocals
 Alfred Brooks - 2nd Lead
 Howard Anderson(?) - Baritone
 James Doyle -  Bass
 L.B. McCullough - guitar,
 Henry "Dishrag" Jones - Piano   
 
 

Private issue.   
Label shows GRC-5160-A and GRC-5160-B.
Trail-off vinyl shows "T-1486" and "JAJ"
in addition to the same numbers
shown on labels.
Deep-groove labels on both sides
 

condition (see grading definitions below):
Vinyl glossy vg++.  Plain white jacket with "XXX THE PRISONAIRES XXX" typed (not printed) on small piece of paper and glued to upper spine.  
Piece of paper split.  See photos. 
 
 
 Check my other listings!

Please contact me if you have any questions. Thanks for looking!
 
 

Records are visually graded.

Record grades:

sealed: Original plastic seal still intact, so record is unplayed. Could refer to shrink-wrap on outer jacket, or to inner plastic sleeve some companies sealed.

mint: I do not use this grade. See 'near mint'

near mint: Close to new condition. Vinyl surface is shiny. Disc appears to have been rarely, if ever, played. No scratches or obvious marks.

vg++: (very good plus plus) Played, but well cared for. Vinyl surface is shiny. May show minor evidence of use (for example, a small mark here or there), but nothing that would upset most people who aren't mint fanatics.

vg+:(very good plus - also known as 'excellent') Disc may show a few scuffs or surface scratches, but nothing too serious. Disc may have begun to lose a little of its shine. Still in above-average condition and very enjoyable.

vg:(very good) Played a lot by a non-collector. A lot of surface shine may be gone. Disc may show numerous scuffs or surface scratches, but no deep gouges or cracks. Should play enjoyably with no skips or sticks.

vg- & g+: (very good minus and good plus) These two grades are in-between 'g' and 'vg'.

g: (good) Special note to new collectors: "good" is a LOW grade for a record. It means "good" in the sense that if it were any worse, it would be no good to anyone. A "good" record will show a lot of wear, and probably have no surface shine. It may have numerous surface scratches or scuffs, and have a lot of surface noise. Still, it should play through with no skips or sticks and be reasonably enjoyable. Many older records that look "good" play surprisingly well.

fair: May show excessive wear that will seriously diminish listening enjoyment, or other damage that will be noted in auction listing. Should, however, play through without skipping or sticking unless otherwise noted.

poor: May show excessive wear that will make enjoyable playback impossible, or other serious damage (obvious defects will be noted in auction listing).