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Rockin’ Jerry Lee

Rockin’ Jerry Lee

Rockin' Jerry Lee, Jerry Lee Lewis 45 rpm record

I don’t know where I picked up this little gem. It seems I have had it a very long time. It is a 45 rpm record of Rockin’ Jerry Lee by Jerry Lee Lewis.

Interestingly, if you look closely at the label you will see that it is a promo copy that was distributed to radio stations in 1980. By best guess is that this was rescued from the trash. Record companies used to send promotional copies of their latest releases to radio stations. Sometimes the records, usually 45 rpm singles, had the same song on both sides. Sometimes one side would be in mono, the other side would be in stereo.

“Back in the day” not all radio stations broadcast in stereo, that was especially true with AM stations. The choice of which side to play was left up to the stations. I do not remember enough of the technical details, but I recall that in some way it did make a difference.

What used to happen is that after several years of receiving free records, the radio stations would have to get rid of the excess discs. Very often they would end up in the trash. The records were clearly labeled that they could not be re-sold. If you were lucky, you might be near a trash barrel loaded with records!