Mamie Smith
ListenCrazy Blues · 1920
Mamie Smith and Her Jazz Hounds — “Crazy Blues,” 1920.
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1920 · OKeh
Crazy Blues / It’s Right Here for You
Mamie Smith had already spent years on the stage when “Crazy Blues” made her a recording star. The song grew out of a Harlem theatrical success and a songwriter’s determination to persuade record companies to hear her. [1]
| Accession | OMMA-0050 |
|---|---|
| Artist | Mamie Smith and Her Jazz Hounds |
| Release | 1920 · United States |
| Label | OKeh · 4169 |
| Format | 10-inch shellac disc · 78 rpm |
| Issue | U.S. commercial issue |
| Runouts | Not documented |
| Recorded grade | VG |
Release history and significance
Smith learned Perry Bradford’s “Harlem Blues” for a 1918 stage production. Bradford then sought a recording opportunity for her. A Victor audition went nowhere, but OKeh’s Fred Hager agreed to a session. Her first issued record, “That Thing Called Love” coupled with “You Can’t Keep a Good Man Down,” preceded “Crazy Blues” in 1920. [1]
For the follow-up session that August, the Jazz Hounds replaced the studio orchestra. In Bradford’s recollection, their forceful playing brought objections from the recording engineer, but the musicians resisted softening their approach. Smith’s voice rose through the band. The resulting record appeared that autumn as OKeh 4169. [2]
“Crazy Blues” carries its theatre origins in the music: blues choruses alternate with other verse forms, rather than following one uninterrupted twelve-bar pattern. Its success helped open the recording industry to more Black women singing blues, and made Smith a national attraction. The recording entered the National Recording Registry in 2005. [1]
Market context
Discogs lists a median sale price of US$31.89 for the referenced 1920 OKeh edition, with recorded sales ranging from US$19.99 to US$1,000, as viewed on 13 September 2026. The latest recorded sale was 1 December 2025. [3]
Physical Description
A ten-inch shellac OKeh 4169 disc, coupling “Crazy Blues” with “It’s Right Here for You.” The performing credit is Mamie Smith and Her Jazz Hounds. [3]
Condition
The shellac disc is graded VG.
Provenance
Acquired on 24 October 2025 through eBay from biba9426.
Sources
- Ed Komara, Crazy Blues, National Recording Registry essay. Stage origins, the earlier OKeh single, musical structure and historical significance.
- Allan Sutton, The Facts Concerning Mamie Smith and Crazy Blues, Mainspring Press, 5 August 2026. Primary-document research and Bradford’s account of the Jazz Hounds session.
- Discogs, Mamie Smith and Her Jazz Hounds, release 904766. OKeh 4169 ten-inch reference edition, coupling and sales history.
Catalogue text reviewed 13 September 2026.