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Johnny Hammond
Gambler's Life
Johnny Hammond - Gambler's Life - 1974 Jazz - EX - Ultrasonic Clean - Totally EX but has some long hairlines and the sleeve itself has some issues where the back printing is curling? - The record has been cleaned using ultrasonic technology and is in strong EX/EX condition. The cover is crisp, only a VG+ because of age!
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Johnny Hammond
American organist, composer, and artist
Johnny 'Hammond' Smith was born on December 16, 1933, in Louisville, Kentucky, USA, and passed away on June 4, 1997, in Victorville, California, USA, at the age of 63.
Emerging as an organ player in the mid-1950s, Smith adopted the name Johnny 'Hammond' Smith to distinguish himself from guitarist John Smith and the more renowned organist Jimmy Smith. In 1971, he dropped the "Smith" from his name upon signing with the Kudu label.
Smith began his musical journey playing alongside Paul Williams and Chris Columbo before establishing his own group. His bands included notable talents such as singers Etta Jones and Byrdie Green, saxophonists Houston Person and Earl Edwards, guitarists Eddie McFadden, Floyd Smith, James Clark, and vibraphonist Freddie McCoy. His career gained significant momentum while he served as the accompanist for singer Nancy Wilson. Smith's collaboration with Wilson continued as he penned the song "Quiet Fire" for her 1989 album "Nancy Now."
Throughout the 1960s, Smith spent a decade with Prestige Records, resulting in a series of albums. In 1971, he transitioned to the soul and R&B-focused Kudu imprint of the esteemed CTI Records label. His debut album for CTI, "Breakout," was selected to launch Kudu that year and featured Grover Washington Jr. as a sideman before Washington's solo career took off. Following this, Smith released three more albums on Kudu, during which he officially adopted the name "Johnny Hammond."
As his musical style evolved, it became increasingly funky, culminating in two successful albums with the Mizell Brothers: "Gambler's Life" (1974) for the CTI offshoot Salvation Records and "Gears" (1975) for Milestone Records. He began incorporating both electric and acoustic pianos into his music, starting with "Gambler's Life," while still showcasing his signature organ sound. Notably, his track "Shifting Gears" was featured on the breakbeat compilation Ultimate Breaks and Beats and appeared in the soundtrack of the 2006 video game Driver: Parallel Lines.
In addition to his performance career, Smith served as a music instructor at the Cal Poly Pomona music department for several years, starting in January 1987.
Description
Johnny Hammond - Gambler's Life - 1974 Jazz - EX - Ultrasonic Clean - Totally EX but has some long hairlines and the sleeve itself has some issues where the back printing is curling? - The record has been cleaned using ultrasonic technology and is in strong EX/EX condition. The cover is crisp, only a VG+ because of age!
- Record was initially cleaned manually, then ultrasonically cleaned with iSonic Ultrasonic Cleaning prior to grading
- Records are packaged with a poly outer sleeve, the LP is placed in a fresh white inner sleeve directly after cleaning, (we include the accompanying sleeve, we send you both), separate from the cover to protect the seams during shipment, and of course, shipped within thick cardboard insert pads in a thick cardboard record mailer.
- We offer discounted shipping on multiple records: calculated shipping for the first one and $2 for each additional one. International Buyers, please read International Buyers paragraph below.
SRO Records Record Grading Guide:
SEALED/Mint:
Vinyl: Assumed mint, unverified until opened.
Sleeve: Visible through shrink wrap, graded as above.
NM (Near Mint):
Vinyl: Nearly flawless, with possible minor scuffs or hairlines only visible under strong light.
Sleeve: Appears new, as if freshly printed.
EX (Excellent):
Vinyl: Bright, with minor surface wear and hairlines, not affecting play.
Sleeve: May have faint creases or abrasions, but artwork is clean.
VG+ (Very Good Plus):
Vinyl: Obvious wear, scuffs and hairlines, plays with some noise but no major sound issues.
Sleeve: Worn with creases, noticeable wear, acid deterioration, corner dings, chipping, and possible seam wear.
Here's the typical SRO Records line in the sand. Anything below VG+, unless it's rare, unusual or just awesome, we're NOT going to sell online, much less go through the hassle of an ultrasonic cleaning, we're going to put it in one of many $10 Record boxes that we sell at Record Conventions and events. Some will wind up in the $1 Box, just to get it back out into the world for someone to enjoy or make a planter out of.
VG (Very Good):
Vinyl: Dull appearance with many hairlines and scuffs, somehow plays with persistent noise but no skips.
Sleeve: Worn with possible seam splits and moderate ring wear.
G+ (Good Plus):
Vinyl: Numerous marks and scratches, plays with significant noise but music usually overpowers flaws.
Sleeve: Rough appearance with possible seam splits and water damage.
G (Good):
Vinyl: Copious unforgettable marks, probably a skip or jump.
Sleeve: Heavy ring wear and damage, likely large seam splits or water damage.
F (Fair):
Vinyl: It's round with nearly infinite damage, skipper gonna skip
Sleeve: It's basically what's left of the sleeve for the album
International Buyers: We charge $7 for the first record and $2 a record thereafter for Domestic Shipping in the continental United States. This only includes shipping to the International hub here in the United States. Please carefully review the total shipping and VAT charges for your order before committing to a purchase, which will be different from what we are able to view or control on the US eBay site.
SRO Records Office
Record Testing Equipment:
Turntable:
Yamaha Direct Drive YP-D6
Ortofon VMS 20 E Mk II Cartridge
Amplification:
Yamaha Natural Sound Receiver
Speakers:
JBL 4312 Studio
We're Not Happy Until You're Not Happy Dept.
We kid! Since 1983, we simply don't exist without happy customers; we offer hassle-free returns on all vinyl LP record album purchase that are returned in the exact condition they were sent. We cannot accept returns on factory sealed/mint new/unopened lp albums that have been opened. Please send us a message if you have any questions, concerns, or issues with your purchase; please do not open a return or an eBay case without contacting us first, we will make it right!
We are professional, quite reasonable to a fault and are ALWAYS willing to work to resolve any issue with a purchase!
Thank you for buying from SRO Records! You can catch us at the Spring and Fall Austin Record Convention, many Austin popups, so drop by and say hello to Gabi and Jeff!
