I happened upon this Leadbelly record five years ago in an opportunity shop inside an old wooden church at Lakes Entrance in country Victoria. Over the years I’ve noticed op-shops increasingly offer diminishing returns (and I’ve learned that Australians bought a lot of Jim Nabors records in years gone by!) but I still can’t help flicking through the dusty selections whenever I pass an op-shop. Every now and then you happen upon a nugget like this beauty. I can remember being amused it was called Leadbelly’s ‘Sinful Songs’ and I had discovered it inside an old church. I wasn’t familiar with the album but knew at least half the songs. Like most 90s teens I had discovered Leadbelly via Kurt Cobain singing Where Did You Sleep Last Night – and I was excited to see that track was on this album. I’ve always loved everything about this record. I love the artwork and the orange and blue colours – and I love that it’s called ‘Leadbelly’s Sinful Songs’ – that’s just so cool! I always find myself studying the album cover when listening to it. The record was pressed in 1954 so is the oldest in my collection. It’s also a 10” record which only adds to its aura of specialness.
