Andrew "Smokey" Hogg was an influential post-war Texas blues guitarist and vocalist, known for his raw country-blues style layered over an urban rhythm. Recorded in Los Angeles on September 23, 1952, this original Modern Records (884) 10-inch single features a powerful double-sided performance:
"Baby Don't You Tear My Clothes": A lively, rhythmic blues rendition packed with driving vocal personality and syncopated acoustic picking.
"Highway 51": A prominent traveling blues song driven by steady, chugging guitar work that mirrors the motion of a locomotive.

Year Recorded: 1952 (Released October 1952).

The year 1952 caught the United States during the heights of the Korean War and a major post-WWII economic expansion. For millions of Black Americans navigating the ongoing realities of the Second Great Migration, independent West Coast record companies like Modern Records offered a direct voice. This single mirrors that exact urban-rural synthesis. It documents the transition of loose, improvised Southern country folk traditions into a commercialized, city-driven market designed specifically to satisfy jukebox demands in shifting industrial neighborhoods.

While most 1950s singles were stamped on brittle shellac, independent West Coast labels like Modern pioneered pressing select 78 RPM batches on flexible vinyl compound. These vinyl variants are much tougher to locate today and offer vastly superior audio fidelity compared to their shellac counterparts.

This crisp 1952 session features a stellar West Coast assembly backing Hogg, including the driving rhythm work of bass player Bill Davis and drummer Al Wichard.

Condition Report (VJM 78rpm Grading System)
Overall Visual Grade: Excellent Plus (E+).
Media Surfaces: Superb preservation. Because this is the scarce vinyl composition variant, the playing surfaces carry a deep, beautiful mirror gloss that avoids the organic dullness common to old shellac. The disc is entirely free of feelable scratches, deep needle track lines, structural hairline fractures, or edge chipping.
Audio Playback: Outstanding clear projection. The vinyl construction provides an incredibly quiet noise floor, allowing the guitar tracks and vocals to dominate with intense clarity
.Labels: Very Good Plus (VG+). The distinctive Modern Records graphics are bright and highly legible. There is some slight label damage present on Side A (Baby Don't You Tear My Clothes), resulting in minor paper loss or scuffing, but all text remains readable.
Side B remains pristine. Minimal spindle wear around the center hole.
Sleeve: VG+
Original authentic Modern Records company generic sleeve is intact, showing sharp corners, crisp edges, and immaculate structural preservation.

Postage, Packaging & Delivery Information

Packaging Method: While vinyl is less fragile than shellac, early 10-inch pressings still demand specialized defensive shielding. The disc will be placed in its original company housing, securely sandwiched between oversized thick card stiffeners, and wrapped in multiple layers of heavy-gauge bubble wrap.Handling: The entire flat pack is safely suspended within a rigid, heavy-duty doubleskin box to completely eliminate interior transit movement and fill any remaining internal void.
Carefully packed and promptly dispatched.