Muddy Waters
ListenGypsy Woman · 1948
Muddy Waters — “Gypsy Woman,” the Aristocrat recording with Sunnyland Slim.
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1948 · The Aristocrat of Records
Gypsy Woman / Little Anna Mae
A telephone call from Sunnyland Slim brought Muddy Waters out of his delivery job and into a Chicago recording studio. The two songs he cut under his own name became this 1948 Aristocrat single. [2]
| Accession | OMMA-0105 |
|---|---|
| Artist | Muddy Water With Sunny Land Slim |
| Release | 1948 · United States |
| Label | The Aristocrat of Records · 1302 |
| Format | 10-inch shellac single · 78 rpm |
| Issue | Original commercial issue |
| Runouts | Not documented |
| Recorded grade | VG− |
Release history and significance
Sunnyland Slim needed a guitarist for his Aristocrat session and called Waters, who was driving a delivery truck for a Venetian-blind company. Waters found an excuse to leave work and went to Universal Recording. After accompanying Slim, he recorded “Gypsy Woman” and “Little Anna Mae,” with the pianist supporting him in turn. [2]
The recordings were made in 1947 and issued the following year, with the artists billed as “Muddy Water With Sunny Land Slim.” The Aristocrat discography dates the release to March 1948. It drew little attention at first; “I Can’t Be Satisfied,” issued later that year, would give Waters his breakthrough. [1] [2]
Waters had already made field recordings for Alan Lomax in Mississippi in 1941 and 1942 before moving to Chicago in 1943. He also appeared without a named vocal credit on “Mean Red Spider,” issued under James “Sweet Lucy” Carter and His Orchestra. Aristocrat 1302 marks his first commercial single with his own name heading the label. [2] [3]
Market context
Discogs records sales between US$119.95 and US$348.84, with a median of US$300, as listed on 13 September 2026. [1]
Physical Description
A 10-inch shellac disc with Aristocrat labels, housed in a generic sleeve. The printed artist credit preserves the period spellings “Muddy Water” and “Sunny Land Slim.” Label matrices are U 7058 and U 7059. [1]
Condition
Graded VG−. The surfaces retain good gloss despite wear, with playback described as good over soft to moderate background noise. The labels show wear, including a small area of paper flaking on the “Gypsy Woman” side.
Provenance
Acquired from Discogs seller blackgem on 27 April 2026.
Sources
- Discogs, Muddy Water With Sunny Land Slim — Gypsy Woman / Little Anna Mae, release 8206423. Aristocrat 1302, label matrices and sales history.
- The Aristocrat Label, illustrated label history and discography. Sunnyland Slim’s call, the Universal Recording session, release chronology and Waters’s earlier field recordings.
- Stefan Wirz, illustrated Muddy Waters discography. Early recordings and the 20th Century release of “Mean Red Spider” under James “Sweet Lucy” Carter.
Catalogue text reviewed 13 September 2026.