Recorded in Chicago on 11 March 1936, this pre-war 10-inch shellac 78 RPM single features Georgia White, one of the most commercially successful and vocally commanding urban blues artists of the 1930s, performing "Rattlesnakin' Daddy" (Matrix C 1317) backed with "There Ain't Gonna Be No Doggone Afterwhile" (Matrix C 1244) on Decca 7174. "Rattlesnakin' Daddy" stands as a classic of the "double entendre" dirty blues genre. Backed by her own rolling barrelhouse piano chords, this historic session features sharp acoustic guitar accompaniment from a young Les Paul, playing under his early country-blues recording pseudonym "Rhubarb Red". White's powerhouse delivery combined with Paul's masterful string work creates a premium piece of acoustic blues history.

In 1936, America was deeply entrenched in the Great Depression, and the urban centers of the Midwest were fueled by the social and economic changes of the Great Migration. "Rattlesnakin' Daddy" spoke directly to the underground economies and everyday realities of Chicago's South Side. Metaphorical snake imagery was highly popular in urban blues poetry, allowing artists to subvert radio censorship while performing directly to working-class Black audiences who packed out late-night rent parties and urban juke joints.Launched in the depths of the Depression, Decca Records disrupted the market by selling discs at a cut-rate 35-cent price point. While this aggressive pricing model saved the blues recording industry from collapse, it meant these records were heavily played on brutal, tracking gramophone arms. Finding a 1936 pre-war country-blues Decca 78 that survived ninety years with its factory gloss intact, grading out at a beautiful Excellent Minus (E-), is rare. For a premium copy to turn up in the UK—where US Decca Race issues had no domestic retail distribution—makes this an elite centerpiece for any serious global blues or early guitar-history collection.
The Guitar Legend's Pseudonym: Before inventing his solid-body electric guitar, Les Paul honed his rapid-fire fingerpicking speed in Chicago studios backing race-series blues stars under the rustic alias "Rhubarb Red".
The Censorship Dance: The explicit double-entendre theme of the track allowed it to gain widespread jukebox traction in urban taverns without triggering legal interventions from radio standards groups of the mid-1930s.
The Production Line: This record was tracked during an intensive, multi-day Decca session block designed to maximize the label's low-cost, high-output urban market distribution.
Detailed Condition Report
Grade (VJM System): Excellent/Excellent Minus (E-).
Play Surface: Exceptional, archive-quality survival. The vintage 1930s shellac retains a beautiful, deep factory mirror-gloss. Under bright inspection lighting, only a small handful of faint, purely cosmetic paper-sleeve wisps or light handling marks are visible. Completely free of deep scratches, gray acoustic groove-wear, needle digs, or edge chips.
Audio Performance: Both sides play beautifully loud, crisp, and dynamic. The balance between Georgia White’s commanding vocals, her driving piano chords, and Les Paul's acoustic guitar tracks cleanly with immense presence. Surface noise is incredibly light, steady, and entirely non-intrusive.
Center Labels: Classic 1930s blue-and-gold Decca 7000 series typography. Side A is clean, crisp, and sharp. Side B features minor localized label damage/wear on the left side. The text remains fully legible, but the cosmetic wear is noted transparently for collector accuracy (please see detailed photos). Spindle hole shows minimal, light trailing wear; free of modern ink writing or vintage dealer stickers.
This copy hails directly from the celebrated

Michel Chaigne Collection, heavily revered within international blues discographical circles for its rigorous quality standards and historical depth.
Postage & Packing InformationWe specialize in shipping highly fragile prewar shellac. Because commercial UK couriers explicitly exclude 78 RPM records from damage compensation, we assume full responsibility for structural safety via specialized, over-engineered defensive packaging designed to completely isolate the disc from external pressures, handling drops, and transit shocks:Double-Skin Box: Enclosed within an ultra-rigid, double-walled outer corrugated shipping box.Thick Card Packaging: Strictly sandwiched and locked securely between multiple oversized layers of thick, heavy cardboard stiffeners to guarantee absolutely zero flexing.Bubble Wrap: Generously wrapped in layers of shock-absorbing bubble wrap to insulate it from vibration.Void Fill: The entire internal assembly is locked in place using dense void-fill material to ensure absolutely zero movement within the box during shipping.

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