"Between 1937 and 1948 McTell made a living playing for tips in various cities across the Eastern seaboard rather than recording. In 1949 McTell went to Atlantic Records' studios in New York City, where Atlantic founder and blues enthusiast Ahmet Ertegun recognized him from records in his own collection. Atlantic released a single pairing two songs McTell recorded years earlier, "Kill It, Kid" and "Broke Down Engine Blues", under the name "Barrelhouse Sammy". Billboard's January, 1950 Rhythm and Blues Record Review column gave the disc a good review. The reviewer considered "Kill It, Kid", "an engaging, raggy blues...with vitality and humor and a jivey guitar accompaniment." "Broke Down Engine Blues" was considered "more conventional", possibly because the updated version is slower, more confident, and more haunting than the original version recorded over twenty years before."

Sorry. Atlantic Records.