Blind Joe Death

Address on labels: Takoma Records, 7101 New Hampshire Avenue, Takoma Park, Md. Pressed at the RCA plant in Rockaway, NJ (as verified by R stamped in the runouts). The matrix number follows the RCA Victor Custom Record Division format. K = 1959 pressing 8 = source tapes provided by customer O = genre other than classical P = 12" LP at 33 1/3 RPM 4447/4448 = position in sequence of mastered recordings for the year of pressing 100 copies of the record were made, of which approximately 5 were broken in transit. Over the course of 4 years, Fahey sold copies to friends, placed some in Goodwill bins, and sent copies to folklorists and scholars across the country. The record was pressed using money Fahey had made pumping gas at Martin's Esso gas station, and a $300 loan from a local episcopal minister. The cover was produced by a local printer in Takoma Park. Recorded April 1959, John Fahey and Pat Sullivan borrowed the keys for the night to the office of the ministers at St. Michael's and All Angels Church in Adelphi where they recorded the album. Fahey used his steel string Martin New Yorker guitar and Pat's gut string guitar, playing without finger picks. Pat ran the tape recorder.