I’m trying to get back to converting tapes to MP3s, and while in the past I’ve focused on going through tapes that I recorded off the radio or stuff I dubbed from friends, the latest tape I converted is by a band called The 77s. They’re actually still around, but this tape is their old live album “88″ and it’s out of print – you can find used copies on Amazon and eBay, but since the band isn’t making any money off that stuff, I’m going to go ahead and post an mp3 from the album.

The 77s have been around for decades. They have several great albums, including a great, almost-impossible-to-find live acoustic recording that was released back in, I think, the late 90s (thanks, Napster!). Anyway, they’ve always had a blues influence, but 88 finds them at probably their bluesiest. They’re also known for live jams, and there’s a lot of that on 88 – a few of the songs clock in at more then 10 minutes long. As good as their studio stuff is from this period, 88 still plays as a great record because some bands just nail the live thing, and the 77s is one of those bands.

Now for the mp3: There are songs on 88 that still pop up in the 77s repertoire – notably “Perfect Blues” and “The Lust, The Flesh, The Eyes and The Pride of Life” – but instead I’m offering one of the album’s oddities. “mary-and-the-baby-elvis-live.mp3” is one of the shortest songs on 88, and is also their take on doing a more straight-out traditional blues song. It’s a simple song, really, but it’s still fun and lead singer Mike Roe nails the vocal, so there you go. Enjoy.