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in Kenley the previous November, when Sumlin was in the UK with Wolf as part of the Folk/Blues
Tour.

The 99 copies of the single were snapped up pretty quickly, which resulted in some more singles,
on a similar number run basis, by such artistes as Woodrow Adams, George Smith, Snooky Pryor
and Moody Jones (must admit I’d never heard of the first and last names noted, although George
Smith and Snooky Pryor should be well known to most blues lovers). These were not new

recordings, but “lifted” from rare US releases,
although generally arrangements were made by
Blue Horizon to legally lease the recordings.

However, there were other rare US recordings that
were effectively being “bootlegged” around this
time, on labels such as Python and Syndicate
Chapter, by Freddy King, Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy
and Howlin’ Wolf, amongst others. Although

bootlegging is generally seen as a bad thing, in fact
these releases probably spurred the UK record
industry into making many more such recordings

available on a legitimate basis, from which
hopefully the royalties found their way back to the
original artistes.

Although they could probably have sold a good

many more than 99 copies of most of the early Blue
Horizon releases, the numbers were kept at that
level because they understood that purchase tax
would be levied on numbers exceeding 100, and
that it would be payable upon manufacture, rather

than following sales, which would have been
unaffordable for such a small enterprise. What they unwittingly did was to create a series of rare
and highly sought after records in future decades!

The three friends also set up a label (Outa-Site) aimed at the R & B market, with initial releases
by Johnny Guitar Watson and Larry Williams, who had toured the UK together to some acclaim
in 1964, and for whom Vernon had produced a Decca LP that year. Indeed, Vernon was
particularly impressed by Watson, remained in contact with him, and later introduced him to

Dick James, at DJM records, for whom he recorded a string of fine blues/funk albums in the 1970s.

By issue number 23, a double sized edition in January/February 1966, R & B Monthly was taking
up more time than they could commit to it, especially with Neil Slaven also now working at Decca,

and consequently it was announced that it was to cease publication, although a newsletter would
continue to be sent to subscribers, from August 1966, under the title Blue Horizon Records
Newsletter - which in truth was really just a flyer for the record label, costing 5 shillings (25p)
per 5 copies. This newsletter continued until February 1967, when it too ceased.

The record releases kept coming, with J. B. Lenoir, Driftin’ Slim and Houston Boines. The Lenoir
record was recorded in Chicago, in 1960, by blues historian Paul Oliver, and Mike Vernon states