History Of Uk Northern Soul Labels

[Pete S]

I was browsing the net just now and came across some articles on Mick Fitzpatrick's old Night Owl site which I gave him about 13 years ago. I think I might have given the same ones to Mike at the same time though I'm not sure if I'd done all of the record reviews etc at that time. Anyway it might be of interest to some so here's a few pages, they were from a book I wrote for Goldmine Soul Supply which never got printed. The numbers after the entries e.g. 5/10 means £5 for an issue £10 for a demo. bear in mind most of this was written in 1996 though. If anyone finds it of interest I'll post some more.

CAMEO PARKWAY

Releasing material from the Philadelphia-based Cameo/Parkway group of labels (which also included the popular collector's label Fairmount), C/P (as it shall be referred to from hereon) hit the big time in the early 60's with million sellers from Chubby Checker, Bobby Rydell and Dee Dee Sharp. Originally appearing in the UK via the London label, CP soon found a home at Columbia before getting it's own logo in 1962 via the Pye group. Unfortunately, this move coincided with a downturn in the company's fortunes, and by the time Beatlemania and the British Invasion had taken over America in late '63/early '64, Chubby and Bobby's days were numbered. The UK arm of Cameo Parkway issued singles up until early 1967 but met with little success chart-wise, though it's credibility is beyond any doubt - you only have to listen to Question Mark & The Mysterians' 96 Tears to confirm that fact. Although the label ran to a couple of hundred releases, most were poor sellers and this is one of the big labels for collectors.

Issues are very striking; red and black with the cameo 'brooch' logo on the left hand side. Certainly one of the most aesthetically pleasing labels you'll come across. Even the company sleeves are smart (and hard to find). Demos are Pye style, white with black lettering. Very late demos are simply issues with a date stamp added (Chris Bartley - Sweetest Thing This Side Of Heaven being an example of this).

CP also used a strange and rather confusing numbering system; most releases seem to utilise their respective American catalogue numbers, yet there are two number 100's and two number 101's - albeit prefixed by a 'C' or 'P'. In this instance, the 'C' may possibly stand for 'Calla', the label on which the two releases in question appeared on in the States.

Highlights From Cameo Parkway

Candy & The Kisses were a New York trio comprising sisters Candy & Suzanne Nelson, plus schoolmate Jeanette Johnson. 'The 81' (336), another in the long, long line of dance craze records, is an exhuberant, effervescent record which, although sounding just a little too close to 'In My Lonely Room' for comfort, stands up just as well today as it did back in 1964.

The Tymes, a 5 piece vocal group from Philadelphia, made it all the way to the top of the US pop charts in June 1963 with So Much In Love. Unfortunately, it was all downhill from that moment on, as each subsequent follow-up failed. The sublime Here She Comes (924) was one such flop, even more so in the UK where it sold only a handful of copies. A lovely, crisp harmony record, this single very rarely turns up and is much prized by collectors. The Tymes themselves underwent a reversal of fortune in 1974 with a series of hits on RCA, including the UK number 1, Ms. Grace.

Doris Troy's I'll Do Anything (C101) must surely be one of the most enduring records ever played on the soul scene. Despite being issued on four different UK labels (Cameo Parkway, Toast, Mojo and Pye) and numerous CD's, there's still a demand for this track and always will be. Doris was born Doris Payne in New York City in 1937 and is a well known composer/vocalist/session singer who also recorded for Atlantic and The Beatles' Apple label.

Chubby Checker's history has been well documented in the past; real name Ernest Evans, former chicken-plucker (so the publicity went), inventor of The Twist (he actually covered a Hank Ballard number) and so on. What's not generally recognized is the fact that Chubby was actually a superb vocalist who cut numerous top quality soul sounds in the mid-60's. At The Discotheque (949) was once, along with Little Hank's Mister Bang Bang Man, the in-demand soul record of the late 60's, whilst Everything's Wrong (959) couples clever lyrics with a heartfelt vocal. But for the real meat, the classic You Just Don't Know (965) stands in a league of it's own. A fantastic Motown-styled uptempo stormer, this one has had them rocking in the aisles for many years now and it's power is overwhelming. A classic among classics, this is one of the best - and rarest - soul sides ever issued in the UK, and amazingly it's even rarer on it's USA release, a very uncommon occurence indeed. Note that all demonstration copies of this track mistitle it as simply 'You Don't Know'.

Surprisingly, Jerry Jackson's incomparable It's Rough Out There (P100) is still a relative unknown in comparison to the records I've mentioned so far in this piece. Surely that can only be attributed to the fact that this is a super-scarce record which simply never turns up. Fitting nicely into the beat ballad scheme of things, this track is in a league of it's own - good lyrics, expert vocals, big, big production - but wait a minute! Take time to check out the flip side, I'm Gonna Paint A Picture, and lo and behold you've got two monster tracks for the price of one, and if anything this side is even better. Sadly, having only ever seen one copy of this record I can't really see this side ever going big - but it's an armchair listeners delight.

C 100 LITTLE JERRY WILLIAMS Baby you're my everything / Just what do you plan to do about it 12/22

C 101 DORIS TROY I'll do anything / But I love him 50/90

P 100 JERRYJACKSON It's rough out there / I'm gonna paint a picture 120/175

P 101 CHRIS BARTLEY Sweetest thing this side of heaven / Love me baby

C 103 SOUL CITY Everybody dance now / Who knows 20/35

P 153 BUNNY SIGLER Let the good times roll / There's no love left

C 230 DEE DEE SHARP The night / Ride 5/8

C 239 DON COVAY The popeye waddle / One little boy had money 10/15

C 260 DEE DEE SHARP Rock me in the cradle of love / You'll never be mine 6/8

C 273 ORLONS Crossfire / It's no big thing 7/10

C 336 CANDY & THE KISSES The 81 / Two happy people 50/90

C 375 DEE DEE SHARP Standing in the need of love / I really love you 35/50

C 382 DEE DEE SHARP It's a funny situation / There ain't nothing I wouldn't do (possibly demo only)75/60

C 413 EVIE SANDS Picture me gone / It makes me laugh 40/50

C 428 ? & the MYSTERIANS 96 tears / Midnight hour 12/20

C 441 ? & the MYSTERIANS I need somebody / 8 teen 10/15

C 467 ? & the MYSTERIANS Can't get enough of you baby / Smokes (unissued?) 12/15

C 750 DON & DEWEY Soul motion / Stretchin' out 10/15

P 871 TYMES So much in love / Roscoe James McClain 4/6

P 874 BILLY ABBOTT Come on and dance with me / Groovy baby 10/15

P 924 TYMES Here she comes / Malibu 50/90

P 933 TYMES Here she comes / Twelfth of never (exisitence unconfirmed)

P 935 PATTI LABELLE & the BLUEBELLS Danny boy / I believe 7/12

P 936 CHUBBY CHECKER The weekend's here / Lovely lovely 8/15

P 949 CHUBBY CHECKER (At the) discotheque / Do the Freddy 20/50

P 959 CHUBBY CHECKER Everything's wrong / Cuma La Be Stay 15/30

P 960 EDDIE HOLMAN A free country / This can't be true 30/30

P 965 CHUBBY CHECKER You just don't know / Two hearts make one love 100/120

P 969 LEN BARRY Hearts are trump / Little white house 8/15

P 989 CHUBBY CHECKER Hey you little boogaloo / Pussy cat 8/15

CBM

Just the one release to mention from this short lived label: Motown Feeling by Maynell Wilson, and with a title like that it's got to be a goodie - hasn't it? Alas, no, it's a scrappy dancer with absolutely no reference to Motown at all, in fact, if I remember correctly the guy actually sings about either Lonely or Lonesome Feeling.

I once had this in my collection and recall that the label was split horizontally, one half blue, the other orange.

A very, very obscure (possibly reggae) label, but of little interest.

CBM 001 MAYNELL WILSON Motown feeling / Mean ole world 5

CRYSTAL

A mid 70's label distributed by President Records which released a mixture of musical styles, including a couple of opportunist soul singles. Diane Jenkins' Towaway Zone was a big Ian Levine rave and was tipped in Black Music magazine - Crystal quickly snapped up the rights and put it out, but found that the rest of the Northern fraternity didn't share the same advanced taste as Levine and this sold quite poorly. This is one of the forerunners of the modern soul sound and should be regarded as a very important record - even if it took the rest of us many years to 'get it'.

Crystal also put out Ede Robin's vocal version to The Sons Of Moses' Soul Symphony, which in turn was an instrumental to Moses & Joshua's Get Out Of My Heart. The Ede Robin song is completely different though and is entitled There Must Be A Love Somewhere. To confuse matters further, London issued Soul Symphony as Soul Over Easy by The Hammond Brothers & Maggie!

Finally, mention must be made of Sea Cruise by Sax Of Soul. Issued due to the popualrity of Ace Cannon's 60's version, this 1975 cover was actually the more popular version in many places!

CR 7020 SAX OF SOUL Sea cruise / Vocal 1/2

7022 COTTAGE This thing called love / Instrumental 1/1

7023 EDE ROBIN There must be a love somewhere / Soul over easy 1/2

7025 DIANE JENKINS Towaway zone / Anniversary 4/5

CUBE

Hardly worth mentioning this label simply for Jimmy Chambers 1973 release which is not going to set the world on fire nowadays. The label was related to Fly (home of T.Rex's first four hits) and had a hit with Jimmy Helms' Gonna Make You An Offer. The label was mustard featuring a logo depicting a Cube. Obviously.

BUG 75 JIMMY CHAMBERS Love don't come easily / Doin' alright 2

COLUMBIA

Although the name had been knocking around for years, the Columbia label that we know and love was set up in the early 50's and became one of the first UK labels to issue 7" singles. Although ostensibly a British label, they did gain the rights to release product from certain American labels too, and consequently some of the rarest 45's ever to be released in the UK appeared on Columbia in the mid-50's from the likes of The Chords and The Crows.

The late 50's and early 60's were barren periods as far as rock history goes, so it comes as no surprise to find that most of Columbia's output at this time came from m.o.r. artists like Cliff Richard, Russ Conway and Acker Bilk. The occasional r & b disc did slip out, for example Gene Chandler's Duke Of Earl (4793) but it wasn't until the advent of the UK r & b/beat scene and the first throes of Beatlemania that things start to get interesting for the Northern Soul collector.

The original Columbia label was mauve with gold lettering. These, and other labels featuring gold lettering are usually known as 'Gold Columbia', 'Gold HMV', etc, as opposed to the silver lettering versions which followed circa 1957/58. 'Gold' issues nearly always have a nominal value, especially those on the London label. Following on from the mauve/silver label came the familiar dark green label with silver lettering which ran from 1958 until 1963 (there are also green and golds from this period). Midway through '63 the label changed to black with silver lettering, a design which lasted for nigh on three decades. Early demos, in line with the other EMI labels, were plain white with black lettering on both sides. Demos from '62 onwards are EMI style red and white, changing to green and white around Christmas 1966.

Columbia is probably the top 'non-soul' label for UK collectors, helped in no small way by the licensing of product from Chicago's Okeh label.

A Brief Summary Of Columbia Covers

4606 Richard Maltby - The Rat Race - The very first version of The Righteous Brothers Band.

7212 Earl Guest - Last night - Cover of The Mar-Keys.

7340 Helen Shapiro - Shop around - Cover of The Miracles.

7403 Susan Holiday - Any day now - Cover of Chuck Jackson.

7451 Kubas - Magic potion - Cover of Lou Johnson.

7471 Graham Bond Organisation - Wade in the water - Same as Ramsey Lewis (not necessarily a cover).

7519 Cindy Cole - A love like yours - Cover of Ike & Tina Turner.

7540 Dany Chandelle - Lying awake -Same as Benice Swanson (on UK Chess).

7560 Persuasions - La la la la la - Cover of The Blendells.

7563 Martin Raynor - Candy to me - Cover of Eddie Holland.

7651 Jean & The Statesides - Mama didn't lie - Cover of Jan Bradley.

7697 Zoot Money - Stubborn kind of fellow - Cover of Marvin Gaye.

7715 Brain Auger - Green onions - Cover of Booker T. & The M.G.'s.

7737 Sounds Incorporated - On the brink - Same as Mike Vickers.

7797 Beryl Marsden - Let's go somewhere - Cover of R.Dean Taylor.

7888 Beryl Marsden - Breakaway - Cover of Irma Thomas.

7980 Three Bells - Cry no more - Cover of Ben E. King.

7988 Koobas - Sweet music - Cover of Chris Cerf.

8001 Karol Keyes - One in a million - Cover of Maxine Brown.

8061 Escorts - From head to toe - Cover of Chris Clark.

8064 C-Jam Blues - Candy - Cover of The Astors.

8065 Twilights - Needle in a haystack - Cover of The Velvelettes.

8099 Sue & Sunny - You can't bypass love - Cover of Willie Kendrick.

8129 Johnny Hawksworth - Wack wack - Cover of Young-Holt Trio.

8206 Mike Stuart Span - Invitation - Cover of A Band Of Angels.

8212 Salena Jones - Respect - Cover of Otis Redding etc.

8531 Graham Bonney - Get ready - Cover of The Temptations.

8532 Bobby Bennett - You're ready now - Cover of Frankie Valli.

8648 Graham Bonney - Sign on the dotted line - Cover of Gene Latter.

8710 Romey Carr - Theses things will keep me loving you - Cover of The Velvelettes.

8719 Delltones - Gimme some lovin' - Cover of Spencer Davis Group.

Okeh Recordings on Columbia

The legendary Chicago soul giant issued their product in the UK via Columbia for around 4 years from 1964 to 1967. The singles will be listed in a moment, but also note that there are four rare albums which if spotted should be snapped up at any price. These are as follows: The Vibrations with New Vibrations (SX 6106, £50), Major Lance with The Rhythm Of Major Lance (SX 1278, £80) (and also a nice EP's); Little Richard's The Explosive Little Richard (SX 6136, £20) and a compilation with the misleading title Chartbusters USA which features great artists like Walter Jackson, Major Lance and The Artistics and must surely be worth around £50.

Okeh 45's on UK Columbia

7099 Major Lance - The monkey time

7168 Major Lance - Hey little girl

7205 Major Lance - Um, um, um, um, um, um

7228 Doctor Feelgood & The Interns - Blang dong

7271 Major Lance - The matador

7365 Major Lance - Rhythm

7460 Screaming Jay Hawkins - The whammy

7463 Major Lance - I'm so lost

7527 Major Lance - Come see

7609 Major Lance - Pride and joy

7620 Walter Jackson - Welcome home

7688 Major Lance - Too hot to hold

7787 Major Lance - Everybody loves a good time

7895 Vibrations - Canadian sunset

7949 Walter Jackson - It's an uphill climb to the bottom

7967 Major Lance - Investigate

7974 Little Richard - Poor dog

8046 Tommy Tate - A lover's reward

8054 Walter Jackson - A corner in the sun

8058 Little Richard - I need love

8116 Little Richard - Get down with it

8122 Major Lance - Ain't no soul

8140 Williams & Watson - A quitter never wins

8154 Walter Jackson - Speak her name

8175 Vibrations - Pick me

8240 Little Richard - A little bit of something

8263 Little Richard - I don't want to discuss it

8318 Vibrations - One mint julep

Highlights From Columbia

It's a big list to choose from, but the ideal Columbia compilation albums would probably utilise tracks such as these:

UK RECORDINGS

7340 Helen Shapiro - He knows how to love me. The perfect example of how prices for Northern Soul records fluctuate. In 1992, this was simply the B side of Helen's competent but rather unexciting version of The Miracles' Shop Around. Some bright spark flipped it over, discovered that He Knows How To Love Me was perfectly akin to some of the 'older' sounding discs currently being spun on the scene, and six months later the track has broken through and become a monster sound. Overnight, the value jumped from a reasonable £8 for a Shop Around issue, to £70 for a He Knows.. demo. Five years on, the demo is still commanding that price and is proving to be even more elusive than Helen's other biggie, Stop And You Will Become Aware.

As for the record, it's a real grower, a midtempo number which sounds a lot like Jackie Trent's cover of The One Who Really Loves You.

7540 Dany Chandelle - Lying Awake. A one off release by a hitherto unknown girl singer. This is a rival version to Benice Swanson's explosive version on UK Chess, and although it doesn't have the same impact as that one, it's still a very good UK girl production and is another hard record to track down.

7563 Martin Raynor & The Secrets - Candy To Me/You're A Wonderful One. Into UK beat covers of Motown standards? Well you'll probably enjoy this coupling then, featuring two numbers made popular by Eddie Holland and Marvin Gaye respectively. The line-up included one Clifford T. Ward, who went on to have a couple of nice pop hits in the early 70's. His fans will pay you a lot of money for this item!

7657 Mike Vickers - On The Brink. A brilliant instrumental originally commissioned as the theme to BBC's Play Of The Week series, though it's cover up title - Boogaloo Investiagtor - should give you some idea of what to expect. It actually sounds as if it should be the theme to some gritty American cop show, when in fact Mike was an erstwhile member of chart-topping beat combo Manfred Mann. Originally credited to The Matt Parsons Orchestra, On The Brink is probably the best British Northern Soul instrumental of them all. P.S. Ignore the inferior version by Sounds Incorporated, it doesn't hold a candle to this.

7868 Barry St. John - Everything I Touch Turns To Tears. By far and away the best treatment of this Udell-Geld number (other versions include efforts by Brian Poole and Cilla Black!), though the heavy handed production by Mickie Most does it's best to distort the sound. A cracking UK stomper with a catchy chorus from a first rate vocalist who went on to become one of the UK's top session singers.

7911 Wayne Gibson - Under My Thumb. Love it or hate it, you can't ignore the fact that this was one of the records which turned a lot of people onto the Northern scene when it charted back in 1974. Originally released in 1966, this is a more or less note for note cover of a great Rolling Stones number. Gibson must have been a bit of a Stones fan as he also covered Jagger-Richards' Yesterday's Papers at the same time.

7988 Koobas - Sweet Music. A great version of a Northern hit by Chris Cerf on Amy which begs the question; which is the original and which is the cover? A very collectable band who also recorded for Pye and appeared in the movie Ferry Across The Mersey.

8136 Emma Rede - I Gotta Be With You. A more recent discovery by yours truly, this is a lovely beat ballad which takes a while to get going but is worth sticking with for the high powered chorus and brilliant vocal gymnastics on the fadeout. An American male vocal version by Malcolm Hayes has also turned up recently. Emma Rede is in fact a pseudonym for girl singer Jackie Lee.

8256 Helen Shapiro - Stop And You Will Become Aware. Almost tailor-made for the Northern scene, this fantastic record first came to light in late 1977 when it was covered as Dana Valery. Helen's vocal is superb and the distinctive flute and frantic string backing really drive this one along. Composed by the eccentric Earl Okin (who also cut the song, at snail's pace, on CBS), this one still sounds as fresh as it did 20 years ago.

8676 Solomon King - This Beautiful Day. One-hit wonder King cut this swinging soul number in 1970 as another follow-up to his chartbusting She Wears My Ring. It flopped, of course, but by the time it had been reissued as 'Levi Jackson' (the name changed to provide some authentic soul credibility) it had built up a cult following and was spun frequently at venues. However, copies of both versions, especially the Solomon King release, are a lot scarcer than they should be. Reactivated in 1978, this one has been in big demand ever since, though it's pseudo-hot gospel overtones tend to stretch the listeners patience. Overrated, but still a goodie.

US RECORDINGS

7271 Major Lance - The Matador. One of Northern Soul's all time heroes, the Major never really made a bad record in the 60's and all of his Columbia releases should be bought without hesitation. The Matador is my personal favourite if only for the mock Spanish horn riffs, but really, with a back catalogue like this guy's you're spoilt for choice; Monkey Time, Investigate, Um Um Um Um Um Um, Ain't No Soul - take your pick.

7879 Poppies - Lullaby Of Love. With a tune built around a 150 year old piece of classical music, this powerhouse pop-stomper is one of several great cuts by a very good girl group and features a Wall Of Sound type production by Billy Sherrill.

7949 Walter Jackson - It's An Uphill Climb To The Bottom. Mere words cannot do justice to this record. On a par with Darrell Banks' immortal Open The Door To Your Heart as far as emotion goes, Walter really pours his heart out and pulls out all the stops to make this almost too much for the listener to bear. One of the ten best records in the whole discography without a doubt.

8039 Nancy Ames - I Don't Want To Talk About It. Another case of a whiter than white middle of the road artist coming up with a fluke Northern smash. A throwaway B side, it was discovered in the early 70's and has been spun on and off ever since, and while US Epic copies are easy to come by, the UK release is a highly prized item. Brilliantly catchy with a memorable singalong chorus, this is a minor classic.

8263 Little Richard - I Don't Want To Discuss It. Long after his star had fallen, Little Richard was still active, and after an unsuccessful spell at Mercury he reinvented himself as a soulman and under the guidance of Larry Williams he cut a series of classic dance numbers for Okeh. This one's the best, a pounding stomper with that catchy "You're My Girl" chorus, and Richard's trademark whoops and wails. All of his Columbia singles should be picked up without hesitation, as should the rare UK Columbia LP, "The Explosive Little Richard". The song itself has been covered by numerous artists including The Instigation and Welsh band Amen Corner.

8369 Sly & The Family Stone - Dance To The Music. This must have been like a bolt from the blue when it first appeared in 1968, with it's bizarre mix of rock, funk and soul stylings complemented by a crashing backbeat and a plethora of instruments fighting for supremecy. The withdrawn Columbia release is rare, and features a slightly different mix to the subsequent issue on CBS's Direction label.

DB 4606 RICHARD MALTBY The Rat Race / Walky talky 8/14

4693 SPINNERS That's what girls are made for / Heebie Jeebies 100/150

4768 DEE CLARK Don't walk away from me/You're telling our secrets 10/15

4793 GENE CHANDLER Duke of earl / Kissin' in the kitchen 15/25

4865 ORLONS The wah-watusi / Holiday hill 12/20

7012 RICHARD WYLIE Brand new man / So much love in my heart 12/20

7049 DINAH WASHINGTON Soulville / Let me be the first to know

7051 RAY BARRETTO El watusi / Ritmo Sambrosa 8/12

7099 MAJOR LANCE The monkey time / Mama didn't know 15/30

7168 MAJOR LANCE Hey little girl / Cryin' in the rain 10/20

7205 MAJOR LANCE Um, um, um, um, um, um / Sweet music 8/20

7212 EARL GUEST Foxy / Begin the beguine 8/15

7228 DOCTOR FEELGOOD & the INTERNS Blang dong / Doctors boogie

7267 MADELINE BELL Don't cross over to my side of the street / You don't love me no more 6/8

7271 MAJOR LANCE The matador / Gonna get married 15/25

7340 HELEN SHAPIRO He knows how to love me / Shop around 50/80

7365 MAJOR LANCE Rhythm / Please don't say know more 12/20

7403 SUSAN HOLLIDAY Any day nowDon't come knocking at my door 7/10

7451 KUBAS Magic potion / I love her 15/25

7460 SCREAMIN' JAY HAWKINS The whammy / Strange

7463 MAJOR LANCE I'm so lost / Sometimes I wonder 10/15

7471 GRAHAM BOND ORGANISATION Wade in the water / Tammy 12/20

7479 EXCITERS I want you to be my boy / Tonight, tonight 10/20

7512 MADELINE BELL Don't cry my heart out / Daytime 6/10

7519 CINDY COLE A love like yours / He's sure the boy I love 6/10

7527 MAJOR LANCE Come see / You belong to me my love 12/20

7537 MARION ANGEL Tomorrow's fool / It's gonna be alright 10/18

7540 DANY CHANDELLE Lying awake / I love you 15/25

7544 EXCITERS Are you satisfied / Just not ready 12/20

7560 PERSUASIONS I'll go crazy / Try me 6/10

7563 MARTIN RAYNOR & the SECRETS Candy to me / You're a wonderful one 12/20

7590 BRIAN AUGER & the TRINITY Fool killer / Let's do it tonight 12/15

7592 JIMMY JONES Walkin' / Pardon me 25/50

7609 MAJOR LANCE Pride and joy / I'm the one who loves you 20/35

7616 SUSAN HOLLIDAY Sometimes / Long haired boy 6/10

7620 WALTER JACKSON Welcome home / Blowing in the wind 12/20

7651 JEAN & the STATESIDES Mama didn't lie / Just let me cry 8/15

7653 JIMMY JAMES & the VAGABONDS Shoo be doo (you're mine) / We'll never stop loving you 12/20

7657 MIKE VICKERS On the brink / The puff adder 25/40

7684 RAY BARRETTO El watusi / Swinging shepherd blues 5/8

7688 MAJOR LANCE Too hot to hold / Dark and lonely 15/25

7694 DEREK MARTIN You better go / You know 20/30

7697 ZOOT MONEYS BIG ROLL BAND Stubborn kind of fellow / Something is worrying me 10/15

7710 DIXIE DRIFTER Soulheaven / Three chairs theme 8/12

7715 BRIAN AUGER & the TRINITY Green onions 66 / Kiko 8/12

7737 SOUNDS INCORPORATED On the brink / I'm comin' thru 8/15

7783 BARRY ST. JOHN Gotta brand new man / Come away Melinda 5/8

7787 MAJOR LANCE Everybody loves a good time / I just can't help it 12/20

7797 BERYL MARSDEN Break-A-Way / Music talk 10/15

7801 MOOD MOSAIC A touch of velvet, a sting of brass / Bond Street PM 6/207809 NANCY AMES Friends and lovers forever / I've got a lot of love 8/12

7822 CHEROKEES Land of 1000 dances / Everybody's needs 5/8

7824 DIANE FERRAZ Me and you / Don't pretend 5/6

7826 GIDIAN There isn't anything / Try me out 15/25

7843 GRAHAM BONNEY Supergirl / Hill of lovin' 4/15

7851 JOHNNY PEARSON ORCHESTRA The Rat Catchers Theme / Weaver's Green Theme 5/10

7859 PERSUASIONS La la la la la / Opportunity 5/7

7868 BARRY ST. JOHN Everything I touch turns to tears / Sounds like my baby 35/50

7869 ROGER YOUNG Sweet sweet morning / Watcha gonna give me 6/8

7879 POPPIES Lullaby of love / I wonder why 10/18

7888 BERYL MARSDEN Let's go somewhere / What's she got 10/15

7895 VIBRATIONS Canadian sunset / Story of a starry night 8/15

7899 KAROL KEYES The good love, the bad love / A fool in love 6/8

7911 WAYNE GIBSON Under my thumb / It always happens (Icey) 15/35

7915 LINDA KAYE I can't stop thinking about you / When we meet again 10/20

7918 JANE HILLERY You've got that hold on me / Take me away 12/20

7949 WALTER JACKSON It's a uphill climb to the bottom / Tear for tear 20/40

7964 RICHARD KENT STYLE No matter what you do / Go go children 25/40

7967 MAJOR LANCE Investigate / Little young lover 25/45

7973 CINDY COLE Just being your baby (turns me on) / Lonely city blue boy 6/10

7974 LITTLE RICHARD Poor dog (who can't wag his own tail) / Well 7/15

7975 ZOOT MONEY'S BIG ROLL BAND Big time operator / Zoot's sermon 10/20

7980 THREE BELLS Cry no more / He doesn't want you 6/8

7988 KOOBAS Sweet music / Face 15/25

7994 PAUL KORDA Just come closer to me / Go on home 15/25

8001 KAROL KEYES One in a million / Don't jump 20/30

8005 GRAHAM BONNEY No one knows / Mixed up baby girl 5/8

8039 NANCY AMES I don't want to talk about it / Cry softly 35/70

8046 TOMMY TATE A lovers reward / Big blue diamonds 20/40

8051 RICHARD KENT STYLE All good things / You can't put me down 20/25

8054 WALTER JACKSON A corner in the sun / Not you 12/16

8058 LITTLE RICHARD I need love / The commandments of love 7/15

8061 ESCORTS From head to toe / Night time 8/15

8064 C-JAM BLUES Candy / Stay at home girl 8/15

8065 TWILIGHTS Needle in a haystack / I don't know where the wind blows 6/8

8091 MIKE PATTO Can't stop talkin' about my baby / Love 30/408099 SUE & SUNNY You can't bypass love / I like your style 5/8

8108 ROY THOMPSON Sookie sookie / Love you say 6/8

8110 SENATE I can't stop / Ain't as sweet as you 5/8

8116 LITTLE RICHARD Get down with it / Rose Mary 8/15

8122 MAJOR LANCE Ain't no soul (left in these ole shoes) / You'll want me back 25/45

8129 JOHNNY HAWKSWORTH TRIO Wack wack / On the tiles 5/6

8136 EMMA REDE I gotta be with you / Just like a man 10/15

8140 WILLIAMS & WATSON A quitter never wins / Mercy, mercy, mercy 20/40

8154 WALTER JACKSON Speak her name / They don't give medals to yesterday's heroes 10/15

8163 BRIAN AUGER Tiger / Oh baby won't you come back home to Croydon etc. 8/12

8175 VIBRATIONS Pick me / You better be aware 8/15

8182 RICHARD KENT STYLE Marching off to war / I'm out 20/25

8186 VALERIE MITCHELL Love can be the sweetest thing / I'm sorry 5/8

8206 MIKE STUART SPAN Invitation / Dear 8/12

8212 SALENA JONES Respect / When I tell you (that I love you) 4/6

8233 DEANO Baby let me be your baby / What's the matter with the matador 4/6

8239 BILL KENWRIGHT & the RUNAWAYS I want to go back there again / I walk through dreams 5/7

8240 LITTLE RICHARD A little bit of something / Money 15/308243 BELLA & ME Whatever happened to the 7 day week / Help me break this habit7/10

8256 HELEN SHAPIRO Stop and you will become aware / She needs company 45/75

8263 LITTLE RICHARD I don't want to discuss it / Hurrysun down 15/35

8270 WARREN DAVIS MONDAY BAND Love is a hurtin' thing / Without fear 8/12

8290 JUDITH DURHAM Again and again / Memories 6/10

8318 VIBRATIONS One mint julep / Talkin' 'bout love 7/14

8341 MARVELS Keep on searching / Heartache 5/7

8369 SLY & the FAMILY STONE Dance to the music / Let me hear it from you (withdrawn) 20/30

8480 SAMI SLOAN Be his girl / Yes I would 5/6

8531 GRAHAM BONNEY Get ready / Fly me high Lorelei 5/7

8532 BOBBY BENNETT You're ready now / Music mother made 20/30

8568 WARM SENSATION I'll be proud of you / The clown 6/8

8618 MOOD MOSAIC A touch of velvet, a sting of brass / Bond Street PM 5/7

8648 GRAHAM BONNEY Sign on the dotted line / Words we said 5/7

8676 SOLOMON KING This beautiful day / Don't you be a sinner 40/50

8697 ART MOVEMENT The sooner I get to you / Morning girl 5/7

8710 ROMEY CARR These things will keep me loving you / Stand up and fight 10/15

8719 DELTONES Gimme some lovin' / Have a little talk with myself 4/6

8799 TREETOPS Without the one you love / So here I go again 6/8

8807 LEVI JACKSON This beautiful day / Don't you be a sinner 35/45

8989 J.P. BODDY Stop me spinning (like a top) / Song without a word 2/3

CHESS

The Chess label finally gained it's own identity in 1964, after previously releasing it's product via London and Pye International. The label was part of the Pye group and it's releases follow the general pattern as far as label details are concerned: white demos with central A and 'advance promotion copy' on the left hand side up until late 66, and then yellow demos utilising the same design as the black label issues but with an A in the centre. Issues have black labels with silver writing, though many early numbers use gold lettering instead of silver, often making details hard to read. Most common amongst this type of design must surely be Fontella Bass's Rescue Me, which broke out of the clubs and into the charts back in 1965. The gold lettering seems to have been phased out around the 8040's.

The label was dominated by big names like Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry, and whilst no-one can deny their influence upon rock'n'roll/rhythm'n'blues, your UK label collector is far likelier to be interested in discs by artists whose name will register a big nothing when mentioned to aficionados of Chuck and Bo.

For instance, how about Benice Swanson, a 16 year old singer/actress from London who was discovered by none other than Leonard Chess (the labels co-founder) himself on a visit to London. Benice cut a fine single entitled Lying Awake (8008) (also cut by Dany Chandelle on Columbia) which vanished without trace in 1965, and presumably went back to the world of showbiz from whence she came without ever recording again. Shame, because Lying Awake is a fairly authentic soul-sound which most people believed to originate from the USA. Oh, and take no notice of the frequently misspelt christian name of this young lady - it's definitely Benice, not Bernice. As far as I know, this is the only UK produced number ever to have been released on UK Chess.

For such a renowned label, UK Chess's output is more than patchy. R & B lovers will be well at home with many of the releases, but for the more Northern orientated collector there's not a lot to write home about, though the one major rarity on the label does slightly compensate for that. The Tiffanies' It's Got To Be A Great Song comes from the US Chess subsidiary KR Records (presumably owned by Artie Kornfield, a producer/arranger in Chicago) and was issued here in 1967 to minimal sales. The record, a beautiful midtempo girl group dancer, found massive success at Wigan in late 75/early 76 and was consequently bootlegged on KR. US originals are now common, but the UK release is very scarce indeed and rarely sells for less than £40.

Other in-demanders include Johnny Nash - Strange Feeling (8005), one of several current raves by this veteran vocalist; the brilliant instrumental Burning Spear by Soulful Strings (8068), a flute-led instrumental which was very popular at the Birmingham Locarno Sunday alldayers back in 1978/79; the fabulous More Love (That's What We Need) by Gospel Classics (8080), a perceptive comment on the 1968 riots following the death of the Rev. Martin Luther King; and the evergreen The Entertainer by Tony Clarke 8011/8091), which was one of the most popular records ever to be played on the 'discotheque' scene. Both The Entertainer and Burning Spear can be found on a 70's LP entitled The Chess/Janus Mobile Discotheque, one of a series of Polygram soul albums that also included Avco and Philips. Collectors may also like to know that this album also features the heavily in-demand I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself by Cissy Houston.

As for the rest of the UK Chess output, it's nearly all high quality with some stellar names involved: Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Jackie Ross, Ramsey Lewis (several driving piano instrumentals), The Dells, and many others. However, last word to a soul giant in every meaning of the word. Billy Stewart, who died tragically in 1970, issued a superb run of singles on Chess, from the beautiful I Do Love You, the legendary scat vocals on his epic version of the standard Summertime, the sublime original of Sitting In The Park (a hit for Georgie Fame), to the danceability of his crazy version of Secret Love. Nine singles in all, every one deserving of attention.

CRS 8002 RADIANTS Voice your choice / If I only had you 8/15

8003 JACKIE ROSS New lover / Jerk and twine 8/15

8005 JOHNNY NASH Strange feeling / Raining in my heart 15/20

8007 FONTELLA BASS & BOBBY McLURE Don't mess up a good thing / Jerk loose 6/12

8008 BENICE SWANSON Lying awake / Baby I'm yours 25/40

8011 TONY CLARK The entertainer / This heart of mine 10/35

8013 LITTLE MILTON We're gonna make it / I can't hold back the tears 10/25

8015 KNIGHT BROTHERS Temptation about to get me / Sinking low 10/20

8020 RAMSEY LEWIS TRIO The in crowd / Since I fell for you 5/10

8023 FONTELLA BASS Rescue me / Soul of a man 5/35

8024 RAMSEY LEWIS TRIO Hang on sloopy / Movin' easy 4/8

8025 SUGAR PIE DESANTO & ETTA JAMES Do I make myself clear / Somewhere down the line 8/12

8027 FONTELLA BASS Recovery / Leave it in the hands of love 5/15

8028 BILLY STEWART Because I love you / Mountain of love 8/18

8029 RAMSEY LEWIS TRIO A hard days night / 'Tout a doubt 4/8

8031 RAMSEY LEWIS TRIO Hi heel sneakers / Part II 4/8

8032 FONTELLA BASS I can't rest / Recovery 5/12

8033 BOBBY MOORE & the RHYTHM ACES Searching for my love / Hey Mr D.J. 10/20

8034 SUGAR PIE DESANTO Down in the basement / There's gonna be trouble 8/15

8035 KOKO TAYLOR Wang dang doodle / Blues Heaven 10/20

8041 RAMSEY LEWIS TRIO Wade in the water / Ain't that peculiar 8/20

8042 FONTELLA BASS Safe and sound / You'll never know 8/15

8043 VONTASTICS Day tripper / My baby 10/20

8044 RAMSEY LEWIS Uptight / Money in the pocket 5/10

8045 BILLY STEWART Secret love / Look back and smile 5/10

8046 KNIGHT BROTHERS That'll get it / She's A-1 8/15

8047 GENE CHANDLER Such a pretty thing / I've fooled you this time 25/40

8048 BOBBY McCLURE You got me baby / Peak of love 25/40

8050 BILLY STEWART Every day I have the blues / Ol' man river 10/20

8055 RAMSEY LEWIS 1-2-3 / Down by the riverside 4/10

8056 CASH McCALL It's wonderful (to be in love) / Let's try it over 8/15

8058 RAMSEY LEWIS Function at the junction / Hey Mrs Jones 4/10

8059 TIFFANIES It's got to be a great song / He's good for me 35/60

8061 RAMSEY LEWIS Dancing in the street / Girl talk 4/10

8064 RAMSEY LEWIS Soul man / Struttin' lightly 4/10

8068 SOULFUL STRINGS Burning spear / Within you without you 12/20

8071 THE DELLS Wear it on our face / Please don't change me now 8/15

8073 RADIANTS Hold on / I'm glad I'm the loser 8/15

8074 MAURICE & MAC You left the water running / You're the one 8/15

8078 BO DIDDLEY Another sugar daddy / I'm high again 4/8

8080 GOSPEL CLASSICS More love (that's what we need) / You need faith 25/45

8081 MAURICE & MAC Why don't you try me / Lean on me 6/10

8086 TOMMY TUCKER Hi heel sneakers / I don't want cha 6/10

8087 LITTLE MILTON Grits ain't groceries / I can't quit you baby 8/15

8090 FONTELLA BASS Rescue me / I can't rest 5/8

8091 TONY CLARK The entertainer / Ain't love good, ain't love proud 6/10

8092 BILLY STEWART Summertime / I do love you 5/10

8093 SUGAR PIE DESANTO Soulful dress / There's gonna be trouble 5/10

8096 RAMSEY LEWIS Wade in the water / Cry baby cry 5/10

8098 JAMO THOMAS I'll be your fool / Jamo soul 8/12

6145 004 RAMSEY LEWIS Wade in the water / Ain't that peculiar 3

009 FONTELLA BASS Rescue me / Soul of a man 3

010 JOY LOVEJOY In orbit / Uh-hum 5

013 RAMSEY LEWIS The in-crowd / Soul man 3

021 KOLETTES Who's that guy / Just how much 4

022 DELLS Run for cover / Give your baby a standing ovation 6

030 TONY CLARKE Landslide / The entertainer 5

036 AL DOWNING I'll be holding on / Disco version 2

CONCORD

This is another of those strange independent labels on which information has been hard to find. Best known for Mel & Tim's Backfield In Motion, the original label was a distinctive pink with black lettering, very basic (in a reggae label style). It 1970 it underwent the biggest design change ever seen when the plain pink was replaced with a multicoloured design featuring a giant fried egg!

The label probably ran for 3 years and to about 30 releases, but only two are of note; Mel & Tim, which was a very big seller, and an extremely obscure but pretty good version of Jimmy Beaumont's You Got Too Much Going For You by Mike Harper, which is known to a few collectors but very rarely turns up for sale.

CON 004 MEL & TIM Backfield in motion / Do right baby 2/4

026 MIKE HARPER You got too much going for you / This time 12/15

CORAL

Notable for it's Buddy Holly & The Crickets releases and a couple of rare Johnny Burnette singles, Coral was a long running label which was eventually absorbed by Brunswick in 1967. Both labels were amalgamated into a new label, MCA, in 1968. Indeed, most of the labels pitiful soul output was in fact from the American Brunswick label, even though Brunswick had had it's own logo since the early 50's. Jackie Wilson dominated the label and had over 30 singles issued between 1958 and 1967. The very last of these, The Who Who Song, is perhaps Wilson's most enduring Northern sound, but as his output was usually of the highest quality it's hard to pick a clear winner. Wilson's first ever UK release, Reet Petite, topped the charts almost 30 years to the day of it's release following it's highly successful use as backing music for a Levi's commercial.

Both Artistics Coral releases are superb and much sought after, with little to choose between the two. Marvin Smith's Have More Time is another very rare release and still in-demand after nearly 30 years. Gene Chandler's The Girl Don't Care/My Love is a disappointing release from US Brunswick. Finally, avoid Danny Harrison - Speak Of The Devil single like the plague as it's a second rate Roy Orbison soundalike.

Coral issues are a rather drab looking black label with silver lettering. Demos, on the other hand, are a lovely royal blue in the Decca style, with silver lettering. Whereas London and Decca demos are plentiful, Coral (like other Decca distributed labels RCA and Brunswick) are relatively scarce.

Q72 481 JACKIE WILSON I'm so lonely / No pity in the naked city 7/12

482 JACKIE WILSON I believe I'll love on / Lonely teardrops 7/12

486 MARVIN SMITH Have more time / Time stopped 25/50

487 JACKIE WILSON Whispers (getting louder) / The fairest of them all 5/12

488 ARTISTICS Hope we have / I'm gonna miss you 20/40

489 YOUNG HOLT TRIO Wack wack / This little girl of mine 8/15

490 GENE CHANDLER My love / The girl don't care 8/15

492 ARTISTICS Girl I need you / I'm so glad I met you 12/20

493 JACKIE WILSON I'm the one to do it / Higher and Higher 8/25

496 JACKIE WILSON The who who song / Since you showed me how to be happy 8/25

CAMP

A short-lived Polydor subsidiary with quite eclectic releases including a couple of psych monsters and really just the one soul release of note. Willie Amos Hunt's Would You Believe is a very big beat ballad from the US Streamside label. It's good without being brilliant, but it's notable because of the bizarre change in the artists name on the UK release. The US original was credited simply to William Hunt. The label was originally a groovy purple and white design - you don't see these very often - whilst more common releases (mainly by The Magic Lanterns) are mustard coloured and feature an eagle logo. Demo copies of the original label apparently just feature a small A on the label. Rarest release is the psychedelic double sider Cold Turkey/My Love Is Like A Spaceship by Big Boy Pete, who was Pete Miller formerly of Peter Jay & The Jaywalkers and who also cut the rare single Baby I Got News For You as Miller on Oak/Columbia.

602003 WILLIE AMOS HUNT Would you believe it / My baby wants to dance 25/30

602007 MAGIC LANTERNS Baby I gotta go now / Shame shame 3/5

CARNIVAL

Absolutely no information at all on this short lived label that ran circa 1966, apart from the fact that it released material from it's US counterpart of the same name. The two Manhattans singles are both nice soul cuts, That New Girl being especially nice. The label was red and black with the same logo as US Carnival. Another Carnival label exists but it is unrelated to this one as most of it's releases seem to be UK produced ska/rocksteady plus a version of Mickey's Monkey by The Wes Minster Five. Just to keep things neat, though, I've added that one release to the first Carnival label.

CAR 100 MANHATTANS Teach me the philly dog / Baby I need you 7

101 MANHATTANS That new girl / Can I 7

CV 7019 WES MINSTER FIVE Mickey's monkey / Sticks and stones 6

(Third entry is an unrelated label of the same name)

CBS

Giant label based in Soho Square, London, which ran from 1963 up until the late 80's. Many items from the US Columbia label were released over here on CBS, while many UK items from UK CBS were issued on US Columbia! And then there's the UK Columbia label which released product from US Columbia's subsidiary labels such as Epic, who also leased material to UK CBS. Just to confuse things even more, when the company was taken over by Sony Music in the late 80's, the labels name was changed to - yes, you've guessed - Columbia!

Early releases were on a plain orange label with a logo at the top and a prefix AAG. In 1965, a new prefix and a new label design came along. The prefix was the 20 series, basically a four figure number with the prefix 20 added in front. The new label design featured the logo at the top, title at the bottom, and artists name at the left hand side. The 20 prefix system was dropped at some time during 1966 and converted to a simple 4 digit number. The label utilised the same design for nearly 9 years when it switched to a new logo/coloured design label, but this is of little interest to readers of this book.

Demos were white, with an orange A on the label, and often a datestamp. In many cases, the quantity of demos around outstrips that of issues.

Material was licensed from a variety of sources including Columbia, Rojac, Date and Epic, though most of the soul product ended up going to CBS subsidiary label Direction from 1968 onwards.

CBS has been one of the hardest labels to compile. It seems that no-one has ever attempted a complete discography of the label, and many releases were by obscure or unknown artists whose records were under-promoted, or in some cases, withdrawn or pressed as demo-only copies. The list that you are about to read is certainly the most complete CBS Northern Soul listing ever compiled, but there may be more to come from this label in the future.

Because the quantity of releases is so vast, here are a few brief highlights, split into two sections - US recordings and UK recordings.

US RECORDINGS

The Gypsies - Jerk it. Classic dance number from the Old Town label and an in-demander since the days of the Twisted Wheel. The Gypsies later became resident in the UK where they were known as The Flirtations.

Anita Bryant - My Mind's Playing Tricks On Me Again. Many Northern Soul records are recorded by the most unlikely of artists. Country singer Anita Bryant is one of the most bizarre people to be mentioned in connection with soul, but this stunning beat ballad is highly sought after. Produced by Arnold Goland, who's production credentials include Ray Pollard's immortal The Drifter, this is a haunting tune, bathed in echo towards the end, and this is certainly no 'Paper Roses'. Anita's London singles are common, but this, her first for CBS, is proving to be very hard to track down.

Billy Joe Royal - Hearts Desire. Popular Torch spin from a singer/songwriter with strong ties to Joe South and The Tams. It was bootlegged in 1973 on the Out Of The Past label, and also cut by Joe South on Capitol.

Cassius Clay - Stand By Me. Writer Dave Godin once raved about this as being a supremely soulful performance, but the worlds' greatest boxer could sure throw punches better than he could hold notes. It's semi-sung in monotone and quite painful to listen to in places, yet there always seems to have been a demand for this record. It was released twice on CBS.

Spellbinders - Help Me. One of the most respected Northern sounds of all time from a group who I would imagine are white. Several of their tunes have packed dancefloors in the past, but none of them come close to this stupendous midtempo dancer. It was reissued in 1968 on Direction backed with Chain Reaction.

Eydie Gorme - Everybody Go Home. Often described as an 'excellent ender', this tuneless catawailing is one of the all-time bad records. Blame it on the bossanova, I say. Avoid at all costs. Someone must have liked it though, it was issued twice within 2 years.

Andre Brasseur - The Kid. Not a US recording, a Belgian one actually, from the Palette label. This is probably the ultimate in stomping pop instrumentals, with Andre pulling out all the stops on his 'multi-sound organ' to make dance halls country wide vibrate. Originally issued as a B side (to pirate radio tune Holiday), this was reissued due to public demand as an A side in 1970. Issued in the US on Congress and consequently bootlegged on that label in the mid 70's.

Shirley Ellis - Soul Time. A monster sound from Mr. M's room at Wigan which leaves a lot to be desired but is emmanently danceable. Repressed in 1976 after strong demand from the Northern crowd (on blue vinyl, no less).

Curtis Lee & The KCP's - Everybody's Goin' Wild. Curtis cut the original version of Under The Moon Of Love in the early 60's, but this little number bears no resemblence to that pop hit. If ever a record lived up to it's title it's this, a 100mph rave-up with the vocals almost screamed out, and a ridiculously catchy 'Yodelay-ee-oo' chorus just for good measure. The backing track is almost identical to Big Maybelle's Quittin' Time, which comes from the same US source as this one, Rojac Records.

Lynne Randell - Stranger in my arms. A teenage Australian vocalist, Lynne cut this classic in the USA when she was just 17. Lynne was a talented singer who was very big in her own country, and hit the news headlines when she became the girlfriend of Monkees heart-throb Davy Jones. Stranger was cut as the flip side to a cover of The Toy's Ciao Baby and US copies came with a picture sleeve. The record sold very few copies in the UK and is one of the major Northern rarities. It's a super record with a kitchen sink type production and an almost indecipherable chorus which seems to be saying "Strange me, strange me" (although it's obviously meant to be "Stranger, stranger"). It was bootlegged on Out Of The Past in 1973 after gaining heavy airplay at The Torch, and given an official repress on Columbia Special Products in 1977 after becoming even more popular second time around at Wigan Casino via Keith Minshull.

CBS copies from Australia turn up occasionally, as do triangle centre copies on South African CBS, but it's the UK copy that is the real jewel.

Incidentally, a colour promo for Ciao Baby was shot in New York, featuring Ms. Randell whizzing around the Big Apple in her trendy gear. More footage exists of Lynne in the studio performing a very creditable version of Goin' Out Of My Head, although it's not known whether a version of this number was ever released.

Bettye Swann - Make Me Yours. I always felt this lilting midtempo item was somewhat overrated but it's still a big money record on CBS and very hard to find. Even harder to find is the demonstration copy which comes with a special picture sleeve (CBS did this on very rare occasions; the mega-rare Thane Russell & Thee version of Security also came with a limited edition picture sleeve).

Jim Webb - I Need You. Surprisingly few people are aware that there's another version of Shane Martin's classic floating about. This is by the song's composer, the legendary Jim Webb, and is set at a slower pace than Shane's version. It's dominated by an organ sound and features a great 'call and response' fade out. As with Shane Martin's version, this one is also a B side.

Shane Martin - I Need You. A blue-eyed masterpiece. Shane looks like your good old American (or Candian) college boy but he pours his heart out on this downbeat tale of lost love. B side to the suicide-themed You're So Young, it was released on Epic in the UK and must have sold very few copies on UK CBS. This is a very atmospheric record, with fine orchestral accompaniment and soaring backing vocals, and is a classic in every sense of the word. Again, it became a monster sound as a reactivation in 1976 and was reissued on Columbia Special Products in 1977.

Spiral Starecase - More Today Than Yesterday. Another blue-eyed effort which would surely be classed as 'pop' on the other side of the Atlantic, but it's pounding beat made it a winner with the soul folk in the mid-70's. A top 10 smash in the USA in 1969, but another poor seller in the UK. The band cut at least three other good Northern dancers including a version of The Drifters' Baby What I Mean.

UK RECORDINGS

June Harris - Over And Over Again. A breezy pop stomper which sounds a lot like The Uniques - Not Too Long Ago in parts. Very obscure.

Guy Darrell - I've Been Hurt. Totally unfashionable today, this was a very big club record in the early 70's and is actually a better version than Ray Whitley's original. Reissued in 1973, this went Top 10 in the UK due to discotheque demand. Real name John Swail, Darrell had been recording since 1964.

Chapter Five - You Can't Mean It. No introduction needed for this fantastic Brit-soul classic. It began to pick up interest in around 1976 and was played frequently at Wigan Casino until the clubs closure in 1981. The price began to skyrocket in the mid-80's so that now it's perhaps the most in-demand - and perhaps the best - of all UK produced British label releases.

The top side, a cover of Maxine Brown's Anything You Do Is Alright, is also very good, though it pales into insignificance next to You Can't Mean It, a throwaway B side from the pen of keyboardist Dave McGerty. Astonishingly, this track was never bootlegged despite the heavy demand, and was not reissued until a legal repress on Soul Supply/Goldmine came out in 1996. The band were an 8 piece from Barrow In Furness, Cumbria. A totally awesome record, which can only be touched in terms of UK produced soul sounds, by Ray Merrell's Tears Of Joy.

Liz Christian - Suddenly You Find Love. Nice midtempo item with a breathy vocal by a 21 year old former actress from Kensington. Quite popular circa 1978.

Dennis D'Ell - Better Use Your Head. At one time the only place you could hear this disc was in Mr.M's at Wigan where one of the resident jocks used to spin it every week. As an issue, this is one of the rarest UK items as it was at first held back, and then completely withdrawn and left unreleased. Several demo's got out, as did a handful of issues, but my estimation is that fewer than ten issues have ever seen the light of day. As for the actual record, it's a more uptempo version of the Little Anthony classic with a perfect dance beat, though the vocal leaves a little to be desired. D'Ell - real name Dennis Dalziel - was lead singer with Have I The Right hitmakers The Honeycombs.

Applejacks - You've Been Cheating. Brummie band with a female bass player. This was their last single and is a surpisingly powerful version of The Impressions classic with a thunderous drum and keyboards rhythm.

Beatstalkers - Ain't No Soul. Hailing from Glasgow, this band were known as 'The Scottish Beatles'. They released three 45's for Decca and four for CBS, all of which are collectable. Their version of the Major Lance standard is fine if you like your soul sung in a Scottish brogue.

Gene Latter - Funny Face Girl. Surprise Wigan spin from 1978 with appalling lyrics. An unreleased publishers acetate version of this turned up a few years ago credited to The Ambers.

Kenny Bernard - Pity My Feet. This track has had a cult following for many years but as to why is anyone's guess. Kenny Bernard must be the flattest vocalist ever to record in Britain and all of his records, with the exception of Ain't No Soul on Pye, are dreadful. Hear before you buy.

Gene Latter - Ways. A much better outing from Cardiff-born Gene, this is a fine dance number with several breaks which would go down well with a bit of exposure. It was the B side of his last CBS single, after which he moved on to Direction and then Parlophone.

James Royal - Hey Little Boy. Royal cut several singles and an LP for CBS but didn't achieve any major success. This single may be better known via the version by Miss D.D. Phillips on US Evolution (with a title change to Hey Little Girl). Royal also cut the song Something Bad On My Mind, the title track of the Timi Yuro album which features It'll Never Be Over For Me.

Fourmost - Apples Peaches Pumpkin Pie. A hilarious opportunist cover of the Jay & The Techniques classic with some of the real lyrics going astray in translation. Instead of singing "Ready or not, here I come", The 'Most instead give us "Baby you're done, here I come"!

James Royal - I've Lost You. A better than average version of a good Jackie Wilson number by Mr. Royal.

AAG 170 EYDIE GORME Everybody go home / The message 3/5

190 CASSIUS CLAY Stand by me / I am the greatest 10/15

201774 JUNE HARRIS Over and over again / Stand back 6/8

201785 GYPSIES Jerk it / Diamonds, rubies, gold and fame 15/20

202026 ANITA BRYANT My mind's playing tricks on me again / Another year, another love 25/40

202041 CHERYL ST. CLAIR My heart's not in it / We want love 5/8

202055 NICKY HOPKINS Mr. Big / Jenni 8/10

202057 DAVE WALTON Love ain't what it used to be / Tell me a lie 6/10

202082 GUY DARRELL I've been hurt / Blessed 6/10

202087 BILLY JOE ROYAL Hearts desire / Everybody's got to cry 20/30

202088 RIVINGTONS Tend to business / A rose growing the ruins 30/50

202100 JOAN REGAN Don't talk to me about love / I'm no toy 25/45

202190 CASSIUS CLAY Stand by me / I am the greatest 8/12

202349 BRIAN POOLE Everything I touch turns to tears / I need her tonight 5/8

202395 CHAPTER FIVE You can't mean it / Anything that you do is alright 250/375

202453 SPELLBINDERS Help me (get myself back together again) / Danny boy 15/30

202455 LEE TOMLIN Sweet sweet lovin' / Save me 6/10

202468 ARETHA FRANKLIN Cry like a baby / Swannee 6/10

202470 EYDIE GORME Everybody go home / The message 3/5

202483 GENE LATTER Don't go / Something inside of me died 5/7

202508 DAVE WALTON After you there can be nothing / Can I get it from you 4/5

202509 PEACHES & HERB We're in this thing together / Let's fall in love 8/15

202511 BOBBY BENNETT Just say goodbye / She believes in me 3/5

202520 LIZ CHRISTIAN Suddenly (you found love) / Make it work out 25/45

202525 JAMES ROYAL Call my name / When it comes to my baby 7/12

202547 MATTIE MOULTRIE That's how strong my love is / The saddest story ever told 6/10

202548 BILLY JOE ROYAL Yo-yo / We tried 5/10

202557 ANDRE BRASSEUR The kid / Holiday 10/20

202565 CHAMBERS BROTHERS All strung out over you / Falling in love 5/10

202591 JOHNNIE LEE Love no longer sounds / Kiss tomorrow goodbye 5/7

202605 DENNIS D'ELL Better use your head / It breaks my heart in two (Withdrawn) 220/150

202606 SHIRLEY ELLIS Soul time / Waitin' 8/15

202615 APPLEJACKS You've been cheating / Love was in my eyes 10/20

202616 CHANTERS You can't fool me / All day long 5/8

202621 MAUREEN EVANS Somewhere there's love / It takes a little time 5/8

202622 SPELLBINDERS Chain reaction / For you 14/20

202642 GUY DARRELL Didn't I / Crystal ball 4/6

202818 JOHN BATES Where were you last night / If anything goes wrong 5/8

2557 ANDRE BRASSEUR The kid / Holiday 5/8

2640 BUCKINGHAMS Don't you care / Why don't you love me 8/15

2657 JOAN REGAN A love so fine / No one beside you 8/15

2696 CHAPTER FIVE One in a million / Hey hey (Demo only) 100

2699 RONNIE JONES Put your tears away / Little bitty pretty one 10/12

2717 CURTIS LEE & the KCP'S Everybody's goin' wild / Get my bag 15/30

2731 JEANNIE LAMBE Day after day after day / City at night 5/8

2732 BEATSTALKERS Ain't no soul / My one chance to make it 15/25

2735 BIG MAYBELLE I can't wait a

[Podge]

edited ! see next reply !

Edited April 20, 2010 by NickH

[Podge]

Try again, I would be interested Pete, can you post some more up?

Nick

[Pete S]

Try again, I would be interested Pete, can you post some more up?

Nick

Sure, I'll see what else is there.

[Pete S]

BELL

EMI owned label which released a whole host of good soul music from it's US parent label, it's own subsidiaries such as Mala and Amy, and smaller but no less important licensing deals with the likes of Goldwax and Elf.. Bell released some fine soul music, mainly in 1968, from artists such as The O'Jays, Chris Bartley, The Masqueraders, and Solomon Burke. Most commercial success came with The Box Tops and Reparata's oddball This Is The Captain Of Your Ship - the follow up of which was the Northern Soul classic 'Panic', albeit as a B side to the non-hit Saturday Night Didn't Happen. By 1970, although some soul music was still on the menu such as the classic three volumes of Bell's Cellar Of Soul and some success with The Delfonics proto-Philly Sound smashes, Bell was moving into pop with a number one hit for Edison Lighthouse and early successes for Dawn and The Partridge Family. By 1972, glam rock had arrived and it is this period to which the Bell label will always be associated with, notably Gary Glitter and Hello.

One or two soul sides did creep outduring the glam rock years; a reissue of Al Wilson's The Snake made the lower reaches of the charts due to Northern demand, and Bobbi Lynn's Earthquake, previously released on Stateside, also sold well.

Northern Soul releases of note include four good releases by James & Bobby Purify including the ever-popular Shake A Tail Feather and the underrated Wish You Didn't Have To Go, Moses & Joshua's Get Out Of My Heart, a popular Twisted Wheel sound, The O'Jays' I'm So Glad I Found You, Bobbi Lynn's uptempo Earthquake, Bob Kuban & The In-Men's commercial but very good dancer The Cheater, and a very late release from Shirley & The Shirelles, Look What You've Done To My Heart, which was a big 'youth club' record in the early 70's. Top release is the aforementioned Panic by Reparata & The Delrons which, although a record of it's particular time (1973-75) has just about everything you could want in a Northern dancer - except possibly the 'soul' content - but in those days no-one used to worry about the 'Right On' qualities of a record, indeed, if this disc was discovered today it would still be a smash.

The original Bell label carries one of the most attractive designs of all British labels but is very difficult to describe. It has a blue/green background which is covered in tiny silver Bell logos which are almost 3D in appearance, giving the impression of the worlds' first hologram. Superb. Demos are somewhat disappointing, being the standard late 60's green and white EMI style. In 1970 the design changed to a black label with silver lettering, and then in 1971 to the well known silver label with black writing, though black labels were occassionally used throughout the 70's.

BLL 1005 DELFONICS I can't get over losing your love / La la means I love you 3/5

1007 FLASH & the BOARD OF DIRECTORS Busy signal / Love ain't easy 4/6

1008 JAMES & BOBBY PURIFY I was born to lose out / I can remember 4/6

1011 OSCAR TONEY JR. No sad songs / Never get enough of your love 4/6

1014 REPARATA & the DELRONS Panic / Saturday night didn't happen 15/30

1018 MOSES & JOSHUA Get out of my heart / They don't want us together 6/12

1020 O'JAYS I'm so glad I found you / Look over your shoulder 8/15

1023 MASQUERADERS I ain't got to love nobody else / I got it 5/8

1024 JAMES & BOBBY PURIFY Help yourself to all my lovin' / Last piece of love 5/8

1025 BOB BRADY & the CONCHORDS Everybody's goin' to the love-in / It's been a long time 7/12

1027 BOB KUBAN & the IN-MEN The cheater / Try it baby 6/10

1031 CHRIS BARTLEY I found a goodie / Be mine forever 8/15

1043 JAMES & BOBBY PURIFY Untie me / We're finally gonna make it 5/8

1044 SAM HUTCHINS Dang me / I'm tired of pretending 6/8

1047 SOLOMON BURKE Uptight good woman / I can't stop 6/8

1049 SHIRLEY & the SHIRELLES Look what you've done to my heart / A most unusual boy 6/10

1053 TOYS A lovers concerto / Baby toys 5/8

1056 JAMES & BOBBY PURIFY Shake a tail feather / Let love come between us 5/10

1060 LEE DORSEY Ride your pony / Get out of my life woman 5/10

1067 JAMES & BOBBY PURIFY Wish you didn't have to go / Do unto me 5/10

1105 ELLIE GREENWICH Ain't that peculiar / I don't wanna be left outside 5/8

1165 DELFONICS I can't get over losing your love / La la means I love you 3/4

1168 BOBBI LYNN Earthquake / Opportunity Street 5/6

1188 AL GREENE Don't leave me / Back up train 4/5

1436 AL WILSON The snake / Willoughby brook 3/4

1494 FEATHERS Lost summer love / Instrumental 2/3

BUDDAH

A sister label to Kama Sutra which began life around 1967. It's major UK hit was the gospel classic Oh Happy Day by Edwin Hawkins Singers, though it's most popular artist was the pleasant folkie Melanie. Not too many Buddah releases really made it on the Northern scene; Lou Courtney, The MVP's, Curtis Mayfield, The Stairsteps and lesser knowns like Eve Of Eden and Timothy Wilson spring to mind. However, there can surely be no-one reading this book who hasn't either danced to or sang along to Curtis Mayfield's Move On Up at some point. Paul Weller certainly did, as The Jam regularly played the song live.

There's little to interest the Northern collector amongst the early black label releases, with The Stairsteps' Stay Close To Me being about the best release. The Northern Soul scene made a hit out of The Trammps' Hold Back The Night, which was an album track that had found popularity as an instrumental entitled Scrub Board on the flip of Sixty Minute Man. When the vocal was released due to demand, it crashed into the top 10 and also spawned a hit cover version by Graham Parker a couple of years later. The M.V.P.'s had a Northern Soul monster with Turnin' My Heartbeat Up, originally a Blackpool Mecca spin this brilliant 60's sounding 70's release (January 71) was one of Wigan's biggest records of late 1976 thru to mid 1977 when Buddah reissued the track and it made the bottom end of the charts.

Original releases are black with silver lettering and were manufactured by Polydor, so it would appear that there are no demo copies. This was followed by a very shortlived psychedelic label which is impossible to describe here, consisting of blurred rainbow colours and a black Buddah logo, very trippy. When the label switched to Pye, it became somewhat more conservative and changed to a brown label with black lettering and a cartoonish Buddah logo at the top. Demos have a black A in the centre and the wording Not For Sale plus release date. If it just has the A and no wording, it's not a demo.

2010 26 FIVE STAIRSTEPS Stay close to me / I made a mistake 5

46 MAJOR LANCE Gypsy woman / Stay away from me 4

56 HOLLY MAXWELL Suffer / No one else 4

70 FIVE STAIRSTEPS Little young lover / We must be in love 4

2011 059 FREDDIE WATERS Singing a new song / I love you, I love you, I love you 4

070 FIVE STAIRSTEPS Little young lover / We must be in love 4

080 CURTIS MAYFIELD Move on up / Beautiful brother of mine / Give it up 6

092 STAIRSTEPS Stay close to me / I made a mistake 5

118 NEW MONITORS Fence around your heart / Have you seen her 5

BDS 410 CURTIS MAYFIELD Move on up / Give it up 4/5

415 TRAMMPS Scrub board / Sixty minute man 2/3

418 VAN McCOY Soul improvisations / Part 2 2/3

437 TRAMMPS Hold back the night / Tom's song 2/3

439 ARTHUR ALEXANDER Every day I have to cry / Everybody needs somebody to love 2/3

455 AQUARIAN DREAM Phoenix / Once again 2/3

469 M.V.P's Turnin' my heart beat up / Every man for herself 5/7

488 AQUARIAN DREAM Phoenix / East sixth street 2/3

B & C

B & C was owned by Lee Gopthal, who was then manager/part owner of the mighty reggae label Trojan. B & C also owned the Action label and had a publishing company too (B & C Music). The actual B & C label is something of a half hearted effort which originally specialised in reissues from artists such as Bob & Earl and James Carr. This label was black with silver lettering. It changed to black with a green logo and silver lettering in 1971 and ran for another year when it became Mooncrest Records. The odd B & C release appeared from time to time, indeed I've seen a Winston Groovy (reggae) release dating from as late as 1979.

Nothing to get too hot under the collar about here, though the two releases credited to Arnold Corns are David Bowie under a pseudonym and always fetch a good price.

CB 101 JAMES CARR Freedom train / That's the way love turned out 3/4

102 BOB & EARL Dancin' everywhere / Baby it's over 3/4

105 JACKIE LEE & DELORES HALL Whether it's right or wrong / Baby I'm satisfied 3/4

106 CLYDE McPHATTER Tell me / Denver 3/4

107 AARON NEVILLE Why worry / Tell it like it is 4/5

110 DON FOX Once in a while / You belong to my heart 3/4

119 FORUM The river is wide / I fall in love 4/5

BEACON

Yet another independent label which issued an eclectic mix of sounds and styles between 1968 and 1972. There are four label designs to look out for; firstly, a white label with a red swirl and a torch logo. This may have only been used once, on the first issue of The Showstoppers' Ain't Nothin' But A Houseparty. This then changed to a yellow label with black lettering with a smaller Torch logo on the right hand side. This was quickly followed by a white label with black lettering and a new logo at the top and left side. Finally, a green label replaced the white one, still utilising black lettering but with a single logo at the top. No demos would appear to have been issued. In it's final year(s), the label was distributed via EMI. There were two numbering systems which ran concurrently: BEA prefix and 3 prefix.

The Showstoppers' Houseparty must be one of the best known discotheque tracks of all time, having been reissued countless times and charting at least twice. I remember meeting the 'Stoppers when they played at Wigan Casino. None of them were in the band who recorded Houseparty! I'm sure they remember me, I cracked them up by talking non-stop for about an hour backstage. Happy days, happy pills!

Bobby Wells' Let's Copp A Groove must have had a large following at the time of it's release as it sold very well. It pales in comparison to the same artists' Be's That Way Sometimes though. Highlights from 'white' Beacon are provided by The Chi-Lites and Paula Parfitt. The Chi-Lites disc comes from their pre-Brunswick hits era, dated 1969 but sounding earlier. It's a ferocious stomper of the old school type from the US Darren label and is hard to find on UK. It's flip, Pretty Girl, is a midtempo beauty which someone should give airtime to. Paula Parfitt's single was a one-off by a hitherto unknown artist. Despised by the purists, in it's time it was a massive Northern sound, first spun at Va-Va's in Bolton circa 1973 but really making it's presence felt at Wigan in 1976/77. This is the rarest Beacon single by a long chalk - it just never turns up. Beware of 'no centre' counterfeits though.

The remaining Beacon sounds are UK produced pop-soul dancers. The Zenith Band's instrumental So Far Away was a one-time cover up and Bobby Bridger's You're In Love is a happy-go-lucky dancer which also came out under the name of Erroll Sobers.

3-100 SHOWSTOPPERS Ain't nothing but a houseparty / What can a man do 6

BEA 100 SHOWSTOPPERS Ain't nothing but a houseparty / What can a man do (re-issue) 5

3-101 SONS & LOVERS Feel alright / Help me 4

3-102 BOBBY WELLS Let's copp a groove / Recipe for love 6

3-105 JON & JEANNIE Lovers holiday / Something you got 4

3-106 SHOWSTOPPERS Heartbreaker / Shake your mini 3

BEA 108 RAM JOHN HOLDER I just care to get my baby / Yes I do 3

BEA 110 ROOT & JENNY JACKSON Please come home / Lean on me 3BEA 114 BARRY DAVIS I wish it would rain / Strange days 3

3-119 CHI-LITES Love bandit / Pretty girl 15

3-135 PAULA PARFITT Love is wonderful / I'm gonna give you back your ring 50

BEA 136 ROOT & JENNY JACKSON Let's go somewhere / If I didn't love you 3

BEA 142 JEANNIE DEE Come see about me / Don't go home my darling 4

3-158 ZENITH BAND So far away / So far away (by Root & Jenny Jackson) 4

BEA 159 BOBBY BRIDGER You're in love / Sugar Shaker 5

BEA 159 ERROL SOBERS You're in love / Sugar Shaker 5

BIG T

Another short-lived semi-indie label which was part of the Transatlantic set up, known mostly for it's folk releases. Quite how they came to issue Chuck Wood's Seven Days Too Long is a bit of a mystery, but in doing so they quelled demand for a song which was, and still is, a Northern Soul giant. In 1974 it sold 100,000 copies - though only as a B side (to 'Footsee'!)

The label was orange with black lettering and it's Big T logo taking up a lot of the label space. Demo's are yellow, and look to be very much in the late 60's Pye style.

The label was discontinued in 1970 though the main Transatlantic logo appeared irregularly over the next two decades.

BIG 104 CHUCK WOOD Seven days too long / Soul shingaling 6/18

106 ROYALETTES River of tears / Something wonderful 4/6

107 CHUCK WOOD I've got my lovelight shining / Baby you win 4/6

120 1984 I've got to have your love / Here we are 4/6

BRIT

An Island subsidiary which only ran to four releases. There are no demos. Issues are white with the left side of the label in red with a vertical logo. Just the one item of note here: the first issue of Incense by The Anglos which was a 60's club staple and saw several different issues. Fontana picked up the Brit release as it had better distribution but chart success still eluded it. See under Fontana for more details.

WI 1004 ANGLOS Incense / You're fooling me

BOULEVARD

This was a budget label which released albums of cover versions in the main. Mac Kissoon's Wear It On Our Face is the only known single on the label, and this may have been an in-house pressing as the track was actually released on Youngblood, although Kissoon did have an album released on this label.

(No number) MAC KISSOON Wear it on our face / In a dream (demo only) 8

BRUNSWICK

A sadly disappointing label which released only a minute fraction of it's superb American soul output in the UK. Brenda Lee and Len Barry were the label's biggest sellers, but there are a couple of interesting obscurities to keep the select few happy.

Sam & Bill's I'll Try made a surprise UK appearance on Brunswick, and this is the pick of the label's UK output. A nice Sam & Dave type dancer which is hard to find.

The late Earl Grant made his swansong with a groovy hammond instrumental of Stand By Me, a quite collectable mod sound.

Len Barry had several decent dancers in the style of his mammoth hit 1-2-3, all of which are fairly easy to pick up.

Even Brenda Lee got in on the act, cutting a couple of uptempo dancers, neither of which are worth writing home about.

All in all, a very disappointing label, though it must be noted that several items that you would have expected to find on Brunswick actually came out on UK Coral (see there for more details).

The label was black with silver lettering. Demos are maroon, in the Decca style, though early 60's demos are both white and pink. Expect to find 50's demos on two single sided discs. By the way, early Brunswick singles from the 50's with gold lettering are highly collectable and include some of the rarest 7" ever issued in the UK (e.g. Bobby Charles 'See You Later Alligator').

05 904 RUTH BROWN What happened to you / Yes sir that's my baby 8/12

940 LIZ SHELLEY Make me your baby / You made me hurt 8/12

942 LEN BARRY 1-2-3 / Bullseye 3/15

945 EARL GRANT Stand by me / After hours 10/18949 LEN BARRY Like a baby / Happiness 3/8

953 LIZ SHELLEY I can't find you / No more love 8/12

955 LEN BARRY It's a crying shame / Somewhere 4/8

962 LEN BARRY It's that time of the year / Happy ever after 4/8

966 LEN BARRY I struck it rich / Love is 4/8

967 BRENDA LEE Coming on strong / You keep coming back to me 5/8

973 SAM & BILL I'll try / I feel like cryin' 16/25

976 BRENDA LEE Where's the melody / Born to be by your side 5/8

BR 18 JACKIE WILSON I get the sweetest feeling / Higher and higher 3/5 22 COOPERETTES Shing a ling / Don't trust him 5/6

23 JACKIE WILSON Whispers (getting louder) / Reet Petite 3/5

26 BARBARA ACKLIN Love makes a woman / Am I the same girl 3/5

30 GENE CHANDLER / BARBARA ACKLIN From the teacher to the preacher / Little green apples 3/5

37 FRED HUGHES Baby boy / Purple haze (by Johnny Jones) 4/6

39 GENE CHANDLER There was a time / I'm gonna miss you (by The Artistics) 4/6

41 ALVIN CASH Ali shuffle / Doin' the feeling 1/2

42 ADAMS APPLES Don't take it out on this world/

DECCA

Not the most soulful of labels, Decca, and a label that's generally despised by collectors of American label Northern Soul due to it's out and out 'pop' recordings. Still, where would we be without those pop-stompers which made the scene what it was in the 70's? A time of fun where anything went! A time of Javells, Jason Knight, Footsee, Sea Cruise, the Spark label; in those days, I didn't know the difference between 'real' Northern Soul and the records that used to be played at my youth club - I liked practically all of them and all were great to dance to. A year or so later, when I understood that Morris Chestnut was a hundred percent more right on than, say, Under My Thumb by Wayne Gibson, I still liked all the variations on a theme - if it was fast and you could dance to it, and it was good, well then what's wrong with that? And now, 23 years on, I still have that attitude - only nobody plays those kind of records and more so you don't get the opportunity to dance to them. It's maddening to think that many people won't admit to liking a particular record because it's pop - crikey, how many people can honestly say that they don't like Ray Merrell's Tears Of Joy - or if they don't like it, at least appreciate it for what it is, an absolutely authentic Northern Soul dancer. Which brings me round to the Decca label, and it's multitude of pop/soul dancers. The likes of The Bats, John E.Paul, Frankie & Johnny, Fearns Brass Foundry, Mickey Moonshine et al are not everyone's cup of tea, but in a catalogue of Northern Soul released on British labels, they just have to figure somewhere - besides, blasted out of giant speakers late at night, they sounded great - especially your John E.Pauls and Frankie & Johnnys, which were both played alongside Adams Apples, Yum Yums, Bernie Williams etc with no complaints from the Wigan faithful.

The label itself had been, along with the EMI group, a British institution since the 20's. Always tagged as a 'dinosaur' label, Decca was presumed to be a bandwagon jumping label, singing up beat groups with a vengeance after originally rejecting The Beatles in 1962. Hence many little known artists made one-off singles for Decca and it follows that several of these sold very poorly - Decca's promotion of artists is also said to have been lacklustre, though they certainly sent out demo copies in abundance.

Labels are dark blue with Decca in an arc in silver at the top of the label. In 1967, the logo was placed in a rectangular box at the top of the label. Demos began as one sided blue labels, then follow along similar lines to London, with central silver A labels used in the early 60's, changing to the familiar dark blue with silver outer up until 1968. From 68 onwards demos are on a white and blue label. These continued until the mid 70's, by which time Decca was dying on it's feet. Incidentally, some Decca demos come with demo labels and no artists or titles; the details are usually hand written on in dark biro, but I have seen many with no artist information whatsoever.,

Anyway, here's a rundown of some excellent Decca releases which you may like to check out

12041 Steve Aldo & The Challengers - Can I Get A Witness. A gutsy vocal and big backing for this fine mod version of the Marvin Gaye classic. The Liverpool born artists only other single, a version of The Apollas You're Absolutely Right for Parlophone, was even better than this one.

12067 Adrienne Poster - He Doesn't Love Me. Diminutive actress who appeared in To Sir With Love with Sydney Poitier after changing her surname to Posta. Adrienne cut some smashing records in the early 60's, sadly her version of Margaret Mandolph's classic Something Beautiful isn't one of them, though many collectors have it on their wants lists. My advice is to hear before you buy. However, check out the flip side of her version of The Temptations' The Way You Do The Things You Do for a lovely bouncy dancer entitled He Doesn't Love Me, currently bathing in undeserved obscurity.

12210 Catherine Parr - He's My Guy. This 15 or 16 year old singer was, according to the press release, a distant relation to the ex-wife of Henry VIII of the same name. Well, after hearing this effort most listeners would be screaming "Off with here head"! How this ever got past the audition stage I'll never know as Catherine hits more off key notes than you could shake a stick at, but despite all that, this record absolutely oozes such naieve charm that you can't help but like it. It's a 4/4 beat, 2 chord stomper, with a little girl lost voice at the forefront. hardly essential but interesting, and so quaint!

12349 Tom Jones - Stop Breaking My Heart. Tom gets a lot of unfair stick from Northern fans who, whenever hearing the latest cover-up from some big voiced but obviously white singer tend to label it a "Tom Jones soundalike". This may be true, but that term should not be deemed derogatory as Tom possesses one of the best sets of lungs in the business and is a truly excellent singer. It's just his Las Vegas style material that sucks. Stop Breaking My Heart is an absolutely thunderous uptempo dancer which surprisingly failed to chart on it's original 1966 issue and is quite hard to find (though the track easily can be found on a 1969 reissue). Interestingly, the flip of this record, Never Give Away Love, somehow came to the attention of White Cliffs Records in the USA who cut a version which has been a recent Northern biggie on the collector's circuit. By the way, Tom Jones also has a few decent tracks hidden away on UK LP's of the 60's including a version of Dance Of Love, though his version of Doctor Love, good as it is, is not a version of Bobby Sheen/Whispers.

12373 Truly Smith - My Smile Is Just A Frown Turned Upside Down. Fabulous, smooth version of a wonderful Carolyn Crawford Motown single, price rocketed from £3 to £25 in a matter of weeks following my reviewing it in 1990! Truly's other Decca single of interest, I Wanna Go Back There Again, is a strong version of Chris Clark's US hit which was covered by several UK artists in 1967. It seems she bowed out with a final single for MGM in 1968, This Is The First Time, which has a small following on the collectors scene. A French Decca EP also exists.

22376 Frankie & Johnny - I'll Hold You. Discovered by Mick Smith in 1977 (according to Mick Smith!), this is one of the best ever UK soul productions, due mainly to the superb vocal performances by this male/female duet. Relegated to a B side by the pleasant but unsensational I'm Never Gonna Leave You, the duo also recorded unsuccessfully on Parlophone (I Wanna make You Understand), but this one-off Decca single really is the business. It's a beat ballad of the highest order with Decca stretching the budget to provide a full orchestral backing. What's confusing about this single though is it's catalogue number. 99% of Decca releases have a "12" prefix, whereas this one has a "22" prefix. I'm sure that this signifies that it was an export issue, but I was told by the person I bought my copy from that he bought it when it was released (!) from his local high street record shop. Hmmm.

Anyway, for anyone interested, 'Frankie' was Maggie Bell, a super Scottish vocalist who came to fame with the hard rockin' Stone The Crows in the early 70's. 'Johnny' was Johnny Curtis who cut a terrific beat ballad entitled Our Love's Disintegrating for Parlophone which should be tracked down immediately. Bizarrely, I'll Hold You was also issued in the US on Hickory, though look out for counterfeit white demos which are in abundance.

12378 Stevie Kimble - All The Time In The World. First off, Stevie is a girl, not a guy, ok. This is one of my favourite UK records and one which should have had at least a little attention paid to it because it doesn't deserve it's collectors only status. Uptempo Northern with a very strange echo-laden production, this brassy beater incredibly came out as a B side to a very inferior A, but I'd love to get hold of a copy of this again. Again, a one-off single by an artist who subsequently disappeared.

22534 Bats - Listen To My Heart. An Irish group who recorded for Columbia before arriving at decca and cutting three flop singles. Listen To My Heart is an absolute stormer of a record with a very distinctive piano riff which got a few spins in late-period Mr.M's but remains typically obscure. This really is a pounding dancer which would do untold damage to leather soles everywhere if exposed. Interestingly, this disc also has a '22' prefix - an export to Ireland perhaps! N.B. This got a US release on Parrot, as did several other decca 45's.

12685 John E.Paul - I Wanna Know. A crazy stomper from the halcyon days of 1976, this one absolutely packed the floor for nearly 12 months before a legal repress from decca took the wind out of it's sails. A country and western singer from Liverpool, this was the flip to the dour Prince Of Players - a bigger contrast between two sides of a record could not be found anywhere else. This one leaves me cold now, but just over 20 years ago I - and others - would have paid to get into the Casino just to hear this record!

12923 Billie Davis - Nobody's Home To Go Home. Bizarre, incomplete title - there should be another "To" on the end - but a bittersweet record from someone who's probably lived the lyrics she's singing. Billie had more than her fair share of problems in the 60's, stormy relationships, car accidents, and missing out on the charts by a whisper on several occasions. This is a 1968 B side which is known to but a handful of collectors, and it really is a beautiful beat ballad to midtempo item with some bizarre lyrics ("Yesterday's coffee is losing it's taste now that you've left me" - ?) but it's beautifully sung and there's a smashing string arrangement too. There is some sort of rumour that the Moody Blues may have been involved with this record (or at least with it's A side), and it's easily Ms. Davis' hardest disc to come by.

13555 Mickey Moonshine - Name It You Got It. A surprise Northern 'smash' in 1975, this was practically a new release when first played. It's striking guitar intro had an immediate effect and this was one of those records that people would literally run to the dancefloor to boogie down. Nowadays it would send people scurrying in the opposite direction as this harmless slice of 70's stomp has long since had it's day. Still, it was good while it lasted and on the very rare occasion that it does get a play at oldies nights, it holds its own. The artist was said to be a guy called Chris Rainbow who released several singles in the 70's - this may be true, but Rainbow is not a very good name to begin with is it? Bizarrely, at the peak of it's popularity, Name It You Got It was reissued by the ever-on-the-ball Decca who proceeded to issue the B side, Baby Blue, as a Part1/Part 2 double A side and forgot to press Name It You Got It At All until a 1976 reissue came along to quell the demand.

Anyone confused by Decca (and it's Deram offshoot) reissues need only follow this simple test; look at the catalogue number on the right of the label; above this, in small print, will be the mattrix number. If this is upside down, or 'inverted', as the posh people say, then you've got an original. If it's the right way up, or 'upright', as no-one says, then it's a reissue. There aren't many of these about, in fact the only ones that I know of are as follows:

John E. Paul - I Wanna Know (Decca)

Mickey Moonshine - Name It You've Got It (Decca)

Danny Williams - Whose Little Girl Are You (Deram)

David Bowie - The Laughing Gnome (Deram)

The last one is obviously not a soul record but it's the most common of these represses that people attempt to pass off as originals. Having said that, the instrumental backing track stomps a bit.....!

ORIGINAL VERSIONS OF THOSE DECCA COVERS

11819 - Beryl Marsden = Supremes (When The Lovelight Starts Shining)

11875 - Louise Cordet = Mary Wells (Two Lovers)

11928 - Elkie Brooks = Barbara Lewis (Hello Stranger)

11978 - Lena Martell (& 12119 - Eleanor Toner) = Dusty Springfield (All CriedOut) 12030 - Bobby Patrick Big Six = Major Lance (The Monkey Time)

12041 - Steve Aldo = Marvin Gaye (Can I Get A Witness)

12061 - Elkie Brooks = Temptations (The Way You Do The Things You Do)

12067 - Adrienne Poster = Temptations (The Way You Do The Things..)

12069 - Patrick Kerr - Lou Johnson (Magic Potion)

12140 - Birds = Eddie Holland (Leaving Here)

12145 - Barry St.John = Freddie Scott (Hey Girl)

12171 - Bern Elliott = O'Jays (Lipstick Traces)

12192 - Eleanor Toner = Shirelles (Will You Love Me Tomorrow)

12194 - Golden Apples Of The Sun = Major Lance (The Monkey Time)

12233 - Hi Numbers -= Martha & The Vandellas (Dancing In The Street)*

12329 - Adrienne Poster = Margaret Mandolph (Something Beautiful)

12371 - Cyan Three = Temptations (Since I Lost My Baby)

12373 - Truly Smith = Carolyn Crawford (My Smile Is Just A Frown)

12513 - Dave Berry = Evie Sands (Picture Me Gone)

12522 - Signs = Paul Newman (Ain't You Got A Heart)*

12643 - Billy Forrest = Dreamlovers (You Gave Me Somebody To Love)

12645 - Truly Smith = Chris Clark (I Want To Go Back There Again)

12767 - Al Torino = Spellbinders, Sonny Childe (Inside Outside Upside Down)

12783 - Bobby Hanna = Gladys Knight & The Pips (Everybody Needs Love)

12795 - Tony Newman = Shirley & Lee, Bunny Sigler (Let The Good Times Roll)

12849 - Tam White = Okaysions (Girl Watcher)

13145 - Susan Shiffrin = Edwin Starr (25 Miles)

F 11751 JEAN MARTIN Ain't gonna kiss ya / Three times three is love 5/8

11788 SHIRLEY JACKSON Broken home / No greater love than mine 8/10

11790 DOUG SHELDON Mickey's monkey / Faling in love with love 5/8

11819 BERYL MARSDEN When the lovelight starts shining / Love is going to happen to me8/12

11854 JOHNNY CARR & the CADILLACS Respectable / Remember that night 8/12

11875 LOUISE CORDET Two lovers / Don't make me over 4/5

11928 ELKIE BROOKS Hello stranger / Something's got a hold on me 8/12

11961 LADY LEE I'm into something good / When love comes along 4/6

11978 LENA MARTELL All cried out / I'm a fool to want you 4/5

11983 ELKIE BROOKS Nothing left to do but cry / Strange though it seems 10/15

12030 BOBBY PATRICK BIG SIX The monkey time / Sweet talk me baby 6/8

12041 STEVE ALDO & the CHALLENGERS Can I get a witness / Baby what you want me to do 15/22

12061 ELKIE BROOKS The way you do the things you do / Blue tonight 12/16

12065 JOHNNY HOWARD BAND El pussy cat / A tune called Harry 4/6

12066 RONNIE JONES My love / It's all over 8/12

12067 ADRIENNE POSTER The way you do the things you do / He doesn't love me 8/12

12069 PATRICK KERR Magic potion / It's no trouble to love 8/15

12119 ELEANOR TONER All cried out / A hundred guitars 5/8

12126 GOLDIE & THE GINGERBREADS The skip (inst) / That's why I love you 5/6

12137 HIPSTER IMAGE Can't let her go / Make her mine 30/40

12140 BIRDS Leaving here / Next in line 15/25

12145 BARRY ST. JOHN Hey boy / I've been crying 5/6

12150 STEVE STEPHENSON SHOWBAND He's a stranger / Pencil and paper 5/7

12151 LARRY WILLIAMS Slow down / Sweet little baby 10/15

12171 BERN ELLIOTT Lipstick traces / Voodoo woman 5/7

12192 ELEANOR TONER Will you still love me tomorrow / Between the window and the phone 5/6

12194 GOLDEN APPLES OF THE SUN The monkey time / Chocolate rolls, tea and monopoly (unissued)

12210 CATHERINE PARR He's my guy / You belong to me 12/15

12218 SONNY CHILDE Giving up on love / Mighty nice 12/20

12233 HI NUMBERS Dancing in the street / My heart belongs to you 20/30

12292 TOM JONES Key to my heart / Thunderball 4/6

12295 NEW BREED Friends and lovers forever / Unto us 5/7

12318 ST. LOUIS UNION Respect / Girl 5/7

12329 ADRIENNE POSTER Something beautiful / So glad you're mine 8/12

12337 DAVE BERRY If you wait for love / Hidden 4/5

12349 TOM JONES Stop breaking my heart / Never give away love 7/15

12356 NEWS The entertainer / I count the tears 6/8

12371 CYAN THREE Since I lost my baby / Face of a loser 7/8

12373 TRULY SMITH My smile is just a frown (turned upside down) / Love is me, love is you20/30

22376 FRANKIE & JOHNNY I'll hold you / (I'm) never gonna leave you 100/150

12378 STEVIE KIMBLE All the time in the world / Some things take a little time 15/25

12392 SENSATIONS Look at my baby / What a wonderful feeling 6/8

12435 DAVE BERRY Walk walk talk talk / Mama 3/4

12451 NEIL LANDON I still love you / I'm your puppet 5/6

12463 MARTELLS Time to say goodnight / The cherry song 5/6

12469 GAME Gonna get me someone / Gotta wait 30/40

12501 RAY GATES Have you ever had the blues / It's such a shame 5/8

12513 DAVE BERRY Picture me gone / Ann 6/10

12522 SIGNS Ain't you got a heart / My baby comes to me 8/10

22534 BATS Listen to my heart / Stop, don't do it 8/15

12542 NASHVILLE TEENS Words / That's my woman 5/6

12643 BILLY FORREST You gave me somebody to love / Hallo lover 4/5

12645 TRULY SMITH I wanna go back there again / Window cleaner 5/7

12650 CHANTS Wearing a smile / A lover's story 6/8

12662 BARNEY J. BARNES It must be love / Can't stand the pain 6/8

12685 JOHN E. PAUL I wanna know / Prince of players 15/25

12695 BOBBY HANNA Goin' where the lovin' is / Blame it on me 5/7

12721 FEARNS BRASS FOUNDRY Don't change it / John White 15/25

12755 PETE KELLY'S SOLUTION Midnight confession / If your love don't swing 6/8

12767 AL TORINO Inside, outside, upside down / Can't nobody love you 6/8

12781 EDWIN BEE Callin' for my baby / I've been lovin' you 6/8

12783 BOBBY HANNA Everybody needs love / Written on the wind 6/8

12795 TONY NEWMAN Let the good times roll / Soul thing 8/15

12816 BUGALOO BRASS Grazing in the grass / Once upon a time 6/8

12823 BILLIE DAVIS Suffer / I want you to be my baby 5/6

12833 BOBBY HANNA To wait for love (is to waste your life away) / Is it wrong 4/5

12849 TAM WHITE Girl watcher / Wait till the night 10/15

22888 GLEN SOUTH Too late for tears / Pasadena 5/6

12899 JIMMY JUSTICE There goes my world / Running out of time 6/8

12909 RONNIE ALDRICH Ride my seesaw / Romance on the North Sea 6/8

12923 BILLIE DAVIS Nobody's home to go home to / I can remember 10/15

22937 SATIN BELLS I stand accused / Sweet darlin' 5/7

12967 DAVID ESSEX The day the earth stood still / Is it so strange 15/20

13041 TONY NEWMAN Let the good times roll / Soul thing 6/10

13061 TOM JONES Stop breaking my heart / I (who have nothing) 3/5

13145 SUSAN SHIFFRIN 25 miles / To love 3/5

13555 MICKEY MOONSHINE Name it you got it / Baby blue 6/15

13556 CHOCOLATE BOYS Voltaire pier / El bimbo 5/6

DEEP SOUL

A very short lived label from 1969, helmed by journalist Dave Godin and running in conjunction with his Soul City set up, Deep Soul only stretched to six releases. The label had possibly the most distinctive design of all UK labels - a purple and white affair using a handwritten style of lettering and strange symetrical patterns all over the label, looking a little like the rsults of someone doodling whilst talking on the phone. Sadly, the music wasn't quite as distinctive, though Jean Stanback's If I Ever Needed Love is a powerhouse Sure Shot dancer, and I myself have been lavishing praise upon The Emotions superb, dreamy Somebody New, teen angst at it's very best. All of the Deep Soul releases are hard to come by, and I can't ever remember seeing a demo copy. If any exist, these are probably white label test pressings.

DS 9101 JEAN STANBACK If I ever needed love / I still love you 10

9102 AD LIBS Giving up / Appreciation 7

9103 NICKIE LEE And black is beautiful / Faith within 6

9104 EMOTIONS Somebody new / Bushfire 12

9105 JIMMY & LOUISE TIGG A love that never grows cold / Who can I turn to 6

9106 ROY HAMILTON The dark end of the street / One hundred years 7

DOT

A famous American label which had it's own imprint for 3 or 4 years in the 60's. Nothing to get excited about for soul collectors here, though it's worth picking up Barry Young's Show Me The Way which is a semi-known dancer by a vocalist who sounds like a half-cut Dean Martin. You can also find Not Too Long Ago by Joe Stampley, but be mindful that this is definitely not the same version that came out on Pye as The Uniques featuring Joe Stampley.

The label was originally distributed by Pye and used a five figure numbering system and the typical Pye-style white demos. Issues were black with gold lettering. It then moved to EMI where it used a black label with white lettering and the Dot logo in a box at the top. Demos are green and white.

DS 16756 BARRY YOUNG Show me the way / One has my name 8/15

DOT 106 AMERICAN BREED Ready, willing and able / Take me if you want me 4/6

DOT 146 JOE STAMPLEY Not too long ago / Soul song 3/4

DIRECT

This was a very short lived label owned by Doctor Bird Records, a ska/rocksteady label. There were only four releases, and only one of those is of any interest to us; DS 5002, The Hoop by Errol Dixon is an excellent R & B dancer. Note that the flip, I Don't Want, is not to be confused with Dixon's similarly named I Want.

DS 5002 ERROL DIXON The hoop / I don't want 8

DIRECTION

Direction was CBS's soul label, set up in 1968 and running until around 1973, by which time releases had long since stopped and soul releases switched to the new Epic label. Several Direction singles were still on catalogue in 1975, Brooks & Jerry and The Spellbinders to name but two. Releases were mainly culled from US labels such as Date, Phil L.A. Of Soul, Arctic, Rojac, Epic and Columbia, with the odd rogue UK production such as Gene Latter or Jackie Edwards thrown in for good measure.

The label was yellow with a distinctive 'arrow' logo and black lettering. Demos are very similar but have a small black A on the centre of the label and often, but not always, the release date above the title.

Because CBS's distribution was so good, and perhaps because the labels' lifespan coincided with a boom time for soul (or 'discotheque') music, most of the releases on Direction are relatively easy to find. The main exception is Big Maybelle's 100mph stormer Quittin' Time from US Rojac which has always been an in-demand record. Barbara Mason's Ain't Got Nobody is an excellent midtempo dancer from US Arctic and has gained a few plays recently. The effervescent I Got What It Takes by Brooks & Jerry was a Twisted Wheel classic which still sounds great today, one of those records which always manages to brighten up dark nights. Sly & The Family Stone's breakthrough record Dance To The Music made the charts on Direction, weeks after it had been issued and then withdrawn by Columbia. The Columbia version is a different mix to the better known Direction version.

Barbara & Brenda's Never Love A Robin is another veteran on the soul scene but copies are getting scarcer as the years go by. Ditto The Spellbinders' Help Me, a true Northern classic, and as a bonus it has the almost-as-good Chain Reaction on the flip.

Finally, Flavor's Sally Had A Party is a note-for-note copy of Spencer Davis Group's Gimme Some Lovin' with different lyrics. Excellent stuff.

Nothing on Direction, apart from Big Maybelle, should cost you more than a tenner, and I predict that many of the later releases will one day become collectable as there must be several 'crossover' type sounds tucked away on those obscure B sides.

Incidentally, The Vibrations' Cause You're Mine which was a massive in-demander in the mid-70's and again in the early 80's, was originally available on a Vibrations Greatest Hits album on UK Direction.

58-2712 INEZ & CHARLIE FOXX I ain't goin' for that / Undecided 4/6

3084 GLORIES (I love you but) give me my freedom / Security 4/6

3192 INEZ & CHARLIE FOXX 1234567 count the days / A stranger I don't know 4/6

3267 BROOKS & JERRY I got what it takes / Part II 5/8

3300 GLORIES Sing me a love song / Ooh baby that's love 4/6

3312 BIG MAYBELLE Quittin' time / I can't wait any longer 15/20

3382 BARBARA MASON Oh how it hurts / Ain't got nobody 8/143415 PEACHES & HERB I need your love so desperately / Let it be me 4/6

3511 VIBRATIONS Love in them there hills / Remember the rain 4/6

3518 CLIFF NOBLES & CO. The horse / Love is alright 5/6

3520 BANDWAGON Baby make your own sweet music / On the day we fall in love 4/6

3568 SLY & the FAMILY STONE Dance to the music / Let me hear it from you 3/5

3574 VIVIEN REED I wanna be free / Yours until tomorrow 4/5

3597 FLAVOR Sally had a party / Shop around 7/8

3603 PALMER JONES Great magic of love / Dancing master 4/6

3646 GLORIES My sweet sweet baby / Stand by (I'm coming home) 4/5

3670 BANDWAGON Breaking down the walls of heartache / Dancing master 3/5

3678 BRENDA & the TABULATIONS Baby you're so right for me / To the one I love 4/6

3707 SLY & the FAMILY STONE M'lady / Life 3/6

3721 JAMES BOYS The mule / The horse 3/5

3738 CLIFF NOBLES Judge baby I'm back / Horse fever 3/5

3799 BARBARA & BRENDA Never love a robin / Sally's party 8/10

3816 INEZ & CHARLIE FOXX Baby drop a dime / Come on in 4/6

3854 GLADIATORS Girl don't make me wait / Can't get away from your heart 6/7

3865 CHAMBERS BROTHERS I can't turn you loose / Do your thing 4/6

3970 SPELLBINDERS Chain reaction / Help me 5/7

4059 MASKMAN & the AGENTS One eye open / Y'all 4/5

4097 SCREAMIN' JAY HAWKINS I put a spell on you / Little demon 5/6

4212 UDELL T. ANDERSON Love ain't love / Funky walk 4/5

4308 GLADIATORS I'll always love you / Waitin' on the shores of nowhere 5/6

4430 MONGO SANTAMARIA 25 miles / El tres 5/6

4450 TYMES Find my way / If you love me baby 3/4

4507 GLADIATORS As long as I live / Everything 3/4

4675 STEELERS Get itfrom the bottom / I'm sorry 3/4

4816 MARY WELLS Dig the way I feel / Love shooting bandit 3/4

4969 VILLAGE SOUL CHOIR The cat walk / The country walk 3/4

DERAM

An innovative attempt by Decca to throw of it's dowdy image and move with the times by launching it's own 'progressive' label, Deram got off to a fantastic start with hits for Cat Stevens and Procul Harum, but underfunding and lack of promotion kept it's profile to a minimum. It's roster of artists was probably the most eclectic collection anywhere, and it may have been this diversity that finally sent the label back to whence it came. The label is now much sought after for it's album releases, many of which easily reach three figures due to extremely poor sales on original issue. Surprisingly, inbetween the psychedelia, whimsy, white blues, music hall and Martins Magic Sounds, there are a few decent soul cuts to look out for, of which more in a moment.

Deram issues are white with a brown top which contains a white Deram logo. Demos were surprisingly unlike the rest of the Decca group: instead of utilising the 'slatted' edge effect, they are instead a copy of the issues, but with the brown replaced by a very attractive blue/green colour, along with release date details. These are scarce!

All of Deram's Northern releases were recorded in the UK, even those by American artists. Perversely, records by Yanks such as Clyde McPhatter and The Flirtations were then released on US Deram. McPhatter, approaching the end of an 'interesting' career and shortly before his tragic death, cut a storming dancer in the shape of Baby You Got It, a very underrated record, whilst the Flirtations were very popular in the UK on the chicken in the basket circuit whilst never translating this success into record sales. They released at least four singles and a couple of albums on Deram, best cut being Nothing But A Heartache. Danny Williams' Whose Little Girl Are You made a sudden impact when first spun at Wigan in around May 77, but by July it had been repressed and was dropped from the playlists. Shame, because this was a terrific britsoul dancer and a very catchy tune to boot, albeit if only a B side to a schmaltzy version of Never My Love. Both Eyes Of Blue singles are excellent, Heart Trouble being a fine version of The Parliaments, and the absurdly titled Supermarket Full Of Cans being a Martin-Coulter number. The latter was also released on US Deram. They later cut two sought after albums for Mercury before splitting. The Quick cut three singles for the label including the Mod monster instrumental Berts Apple Crumble which is highly sought after and features some terrific hammond organ work. Both Timebox singles are good, as are there other Deram releases and those for previous label Piccadilly. The Fantastics were, according to legend, previously known as The Velours (whose I'm Gonna Change has been a Northern staple for decades). Finally, just to clear up a long-running misunderstanding, Deram 101, Where The Good Times Are, is absolutely no relation to the record of the same title on US 20th Century by Beverly Wright. The Beverly on the UK version is Beverly Martyn, wife of guitarist John Martyn, with whom she was part of a folky duo.

A few years ago Kent released an album of decca/Deram tracks entitled Rhythm & Blue Eyed Soul, a rather strange concoction of ballads, Northern, pop and soul, including Mickey Moonshine, a couple of Flirtations dancers, Danny Williams, Fearns Brass Foundry's very soulful Don't Change It, John E Paul, The Quik and Timebox among others. At the time of writing, this is one of the few Kent albums still available, but the question must be...why?

N.B. Surely I don't need to point out that the labels' name is a very obvious anagram of 'Dream' do I?

DM 106 EYES OF BLUE Heart trouble / Up and down 15/25

114 EYES OF BLUE Supermarket full of cans / Don't ask me to mend your broken heart10/18

121 QUIK Berfs apple crumble / Love is a beautiful thing 30/40

125 OUTER LIMITS Just one more chance / Help me please 15/20

133 JON GUNN I just made up my mind / Now it's my turn 6/9

149 DANNY WILLAMS Whose little girl are you / Never my love 6/15

165 DOUBLE FEATURE Handbags and gladrags / Just another lonely night 5/7

194 TIMEBOX Beggin' / A woman that's waiting 5/10

195 FLIRTATIONS Someone out there / How can you tell me 5/6

199 DANNY WILLIAMS Everybody needs somebody / They will never understand 5/6

202 CLYDE McPHATTER Only a fool / Thank you love 5/6

216 FLIRTATIONS Nothing but a heartache / Christmas time is here again 8/12

219 TIMEBOX Girl don't make me wait / Gone is the sad man 6/10

223 CLYDE McPHATTER Baby you got it / Baby I could be so good at lovin' you 6/10

252 FLIRTATIONS What's so good about goodbye my love / Once I had a love 5/6

283 FANTASTICS Ask the lonely / Waiting round for heartaches 5/6

319 JOHNNY GOODISON A little understanding / One mistake 5/6

327 BROTHERHOOD OF MAN Reach out your hand / A better tomorrow 5/6

351 FLIRTATIONS Need your loving / I wanna be there 5/6

383 COLIN AREETY One night affair / I don't want to be right 3/4

© Pete Smith 1998

[Ady Croasdell]

Just a footnote you could put in. Carnival was owned by Rita and Benny Isen who owned UK King and Ska Beat among others. They did a legit deal with Joe Evans.

Another curio is that Beacon were going to license Dave Hamilton's 'You're Wasting My Time' by Billy Garner at one stage.

[Pete S]

Just a footnote you could put in. Carnival was owned by Rita and Benny Isen who owned UK King and Ska Beat among others. They did a legit deal with Joe Evans.

Another curio is that Beacon were going to license Dave Hamilton's 'You're Wasting My Time' by Billy Garner at one stage.

Two Carnival labels though Ady, I presume the one that released things like Sugar & Dandy (white label, balloons design) was the Rita & benny label; but the second one, the red and black one featuring The Manhattans - are you saying that one is the same as the first one? Guess you must be!

[Ady Croasdell]

No the Red Carnival was defo the Isens so if the other one is too then they had different designs, numbering and pressing plants by the look of them.

[Jez Jones]

Well what a fcuking interesting read My misses has just checked me pulse to see if I'm still alive--been glued here for half hour or so

Great stuff Pete

[Pete S]

Well what a fcuking interesting read My misses has just checked me pulse to see if I'm still alive--been glued here for half hour or so

Great stuff Pete

Thanks Jez, I used to spend most of my time writing stuff, mainly for my own magazine then when I got fed up of that, for anyone who wanted something writing, I have to be honest, most of the facts and figures in these artickles, I did those from memory, it was knowledge that I had. Fifteen years on, I have forgotten nearly all that stuff and I found it interesting myself, it was like learning new information again - but a sad state really when you realise you've lost your knowledge. I'll post some more up in a bit.

[Pete S]

Originally written in 1997-98

AIRBORNE

I would be lying if I told you that I could tell you many interesting facts about the Airborne label, in fact I know nothing of it whatsoever except that reggae singer Joyce Bond cut a soul cover/answer version to Bud Harper's Mr.Soul for the label circa 67/68. The label ran until 1972/73. Anyone with more details is welcome to write in.

NBP 011 JOYCE BOND Mrs. Soul / It's all right

ALP

Very obscure Polydor distributed label which released records in 1966/67 featuring mainly Scottish acts. The one release of interest to us is The Poor Souls - Please Don't Change Your Mind, a typical beat/pop stomper which is very scarce, though probably of more interest to beat collectors than soul folk.

The label was white with the logo at the top, with the letter A taking the shape of a snow-capped mountain.

595004 POOR SOULS Please don't change your mind / Love me

A & M

Label co-owned by Jerry Moss and hit-making trumpeter Herb Alpert, set up in 1966 and originally issuing material in the UK on the ernational label. A & M got it's own imprint in 1968, though they stayed with Pye for manufacturing and distribution purposes.

Early demos (68-69) are yellow with black writing, similar to late 60's Pye demos. Around 1970 they changed to a very nice white demo with 'Advance Promotion Copy' printed in black at the top of the label. Early issues are olive, with the colour slowly changing to brown over the years. Some 1970-71 issues, however, are on a red label.

Top of the pile here, and a much sought after and loved Northern dancer, is Jeanette White's Music, a long established classic and really the epitome of the Northern uptempo dancer. A really wild record with blazing horns and freaky guitar solos, this is a kind of half-sister to Sly & The Family Stones' Dance To The Music, a rock/soul hybrid which somehow works. Original releases of Music are on the olive label - copies on the late 70's design label were pressed up especially for the Northern scene.

Sonny Charles & The Checkmates sees Phil Spector in the producers chair and utilises his legendary Wall Of Sound for the last time - never again would we hear the multi layered textures of sound grace a record in this way, though he did attempt to revive it with his productions of The Ramones in 1979. The two Ike & Tina Turner releases are highly recommended, Oh Baby being a thumping dancer and Everyday I Have To Cry being another Spector-ised version, this time of the Steve Alaimo standard.

Finally, The Decisions' I Can't Forget About You is a good 70's dancer with a 60's feel to it and is worth checking out.

The A & M label is still in operation today.

AMS 747 CHECKMATES LTD I never should have lied / Love is all I have to give

750 RUBY & THE ROMANTICS Hurting each other / Baby I could be so good at loving you 5/8

752 SONNY CHARLES Black pearl / Lazy Susan 5/8

761 JEANETTE WHITE Music / No Sunshine 25/35

769 CHECKMATES LTD Proud Mary / Spanish Harlem 5/8

780 SONNY CHARLES & CHECKMATES I keep forgetting / Do you love your baby 5/8

783 IKE & TINA TURNER Everyday I have to cry / Make em wait 10/15

835 ROBERT JOHN Raindrops love and sunshine / When the party's over 6/8

843 PRESIDENTS Sweet music / Fiddle de de 5/8

844 DECISIONS I can't forget about you / It's love that really counts in the long run 6/8

856 PRESIDENTS 5-10-15-20-25-30 years of love / Triangle of love 5/8

882 LEE MICHAELS Can I get a witness / You are what you do 4/6

7075 NINO TEMPLE & APRIL STEVENS Put it where you want it / I can't get over you baby 4/6

761 JEANETTE WHITE Music / No Sunshine (1977 re-issue with original cat. no.)

ALADDIN

A very obscure Island associated label which released mainly slow soul from Jackie Edwards and Owen Gray. The label was mainly orange with it's name in black and white at the top of the label. I have no information on demonstration copies. Surprisingly, all three Edwards releases are disappointing. The discography is really too small to attempt a "highlights from" section, so here's the info on the listed items:

Owen Gray was a veteran Jamaican vocalist who was quite adept at a soul style delivery. His version of Marvin Gaye's Can I Get A Witness (607) is decent enough.

Dinah Lee was almost certainly an Australian artist. Of her two releases, the Barbara Lewis cover Pushin' A Good Thing Too Far (608) is just beginning to get noticed.

Finally on Aladdin are US act Prince & Princess who cut the excellent Stick Together on Bell and had some success on the Northern scene in 1977 with that number, and to a lesser extent with Ready Steady Go which somehow found itself a UK release on Aladdin 609.

WI 603 OWEN GRAY It's gonna work out fine / Dolly baby

606 DINAH LEE I'll forgive you then forget you / Nitty gritty

607 OWEN GRAY Can I get a witness / Linda Lu

608 DINAH LEE Pushin' a good thing too far / I can't believe what you say

609 PRINCE & PRINCESS Ready steady go / Take me serious

ATLANTIC

The legend that is Atlantic Records was founded in New York in 1947, and immediately went out on a limb by specialising in discs aimed at the black R & B market as opposed to the white pop market. It hit the R & B charts in a big way in the early 50's with the likes of The Chords, Laverne Baker, Ray Charles, Ruth Brown and The Drifters. Despite many of these artists recordings having their thunder stolen from under them by inferior white cover versions, the label had established a solid foundation, and with the signing of a major white star, Bobby Darin, it went into the 60's with confidence.

Those R & B classics from the 50's and early 60's are removed from the scope of this publication, so the discography here deals with records that could be classed as R & B but still have a discernible 'dance' rhythm. That's why you may find one recording by, say, Solomon Burke, but not another. This is, after all, a Northern Soul discography.

After initially leasing it's product to UK Columbia for a handful of (now very rare) releases, US Atlantic licensed all of it's product thereafter to London-American records, the set-up proving so successful that by 1960, Atlantic had been given it's own specialised logo (London-Atlantic, naturally). In 1964, Atlantic set up it's own individual label, staying with Decca for manufacturing and distribution purposes. This is the classic label for UK collectors. In May '66, the label signed up with Polydor, with whom it stayed until 1972 when it became part of the Kinney (Warner Bros.) set up, hence the 'K' prefix on post-1972 releases.

The 60's Atlantic labels look something like this: up until July 1964, releases were on London-Atlantic, black label with silver top. The 1964-66 releases under it's own logo were on a black label with silver lettering with a logo on the right of the label. 1966-71 labels were red with black lettering and a logo on the left. Originally these had solid or push out centres, but as the decade wore on, in line with most Polydor/Polygram labels, they were pressed as juke box copies i.e. without centres.

London-Atlantic demos follow the pattern of the main London label - see there for exact details. Demos for the black Atlantic label are yellow with black lettering in the Decca style (with slatted edging). Nearly all red label demos carry a simple datestamp; however, one or two of the very early releases have the release date printed in the lower right corner along with a small 'A'- these are very scarce indeed. A few items were custom pressed as demonstration only records (the very rare Led Zepplin singles spring to mind), and this information is printed on the label.

There are a few anomalies which may interest collectors.

AT 4029 Otis Redding - I've Been Loving You Too Long/Wonderful World. This single was not issued, though it's A side was released as AT 4039 with a different flip. It is not known whether demo copies exist.

AT 4065 Ben E.King - Goodnight My Love/Tell Daddy. This is one of the most curious of all British releases. As was par for the course, demo copies were issued of these tracks. However, on a minuscule amount of copies - two at the last count - Tell Daddy is replaced with the uptempo dancer I Can't Break The News To Myself, but with the labels either blank or handwritten. Naturally, this is one of the most sought after of all UK items. The track did appear as a single in other countries, but only on an EP - officially - in the UK. Such is the wonderful world of soul collecting.

AT 4054 Levon & The Hawks - The Stones That I Throw. This disc is unusual in that, according to rumour, every demo copy is one sided and with handwritten credits.

This group went on to become The Band.

584004 Following this release, The Capitols had to endure being called The Three Caps to avoid confusing them with the Irish group The Capitol Showband!

The main source of Atlantic's releases was the parent US company and it's Atco subsidiary, but you can also find releases from the following US labels:

Rosemart, Stax, Dial, Ara, Volt, Carla, Class and Dunwich. The Polydor distributed Atlantic cast it's net even wider and as well as the above gathered material from: Fame, Like, Jotis, Karen, Satellite (pre-Stax), Magic Touch, Cotillion, Dakar, San Francisco, and also issued some UK recordings, mainly by Sharon Tandy and The Fleur De Lys.

Most of the black Atlantic's are well known and you'll come across many classic sounds. However, the Polydor Atlantic's were under-promoted (even though there were several top 40 entries) and many disappeared without trace. Some of the late 60's red Atlantics are now being rediscovered and played as 'crossover' sounds, so there are probably still a few gems lurking around on those red labels. Much of the unsold stock ended up in Tesco bargain bins in the early 70's, selling for 10p each.

To look at all of the quality Atlantic sides would take a whole book (indeed there are already several books dealing with the Atlantic story), so here are 10 of the best from both the black label and the red.

BLACK ATLANTIC ESSENTIALS

4004 Solomon Burke - Everybody Needs Somebody To Love/Looking For My Baby. The A side was already a legend when The Blue Brothers popularised it and turned it into every would-be Commitments' party piece. Unrivalled good time r'n'b. Stompers should check out the overlooked Looking For My Baby on the flip for some dance action.

4017 Travis Wammack - Scratchy. Another of those totally wacko instrumentals that the Northern scene is forever throwing up. This has been popular on and off for 30 years now and no one seems to know why. The title refers to Wammacks's guitar playing style, indeed the whole caboodle consists of him forcing unnatural high pitched squeals from his chosen instrument over a solid bassline. Half way through is a line of spoken gibberish, which is then played backwards and the first half is repeated. All this after an intro which seems to be the sound of a marble rolling around an empty tin bath!

4025 Ben E.King - The Record (Baby I Love You). Great song (also cut by H.B Barnum) concerning two lovers a thousand miles apart. The guy goes into a penny arcade and cuts this record to send to his long lost lover a la Dickie Attenborough's Pinky character in Brighton Rock, only Ben E.'s message is one of love rather than hate.

4036. Wilson Pickett - In The Midnight Hour. Surely the archetypal cool 60's soul sound, and one which spawned hundreds of cover versions and imitations. One that absolutely everyone knows and which made no.12 in the charts in July '65. Wilson never bettered this one.

4037. Astors - Candy. A marvellous oldie from the US Stax label which did nothing on it's original release and was spun from the Twisted Wheel era onwards. A classic vocal group outing with brilliant horn riffs and a kitchen sink production, this is simply superb and one that you just never get tired of hearing. It was reissued due to demand in February '69.

4043. Ben E. King - Cry No More/There's No Place To Hide. Most of Ben's releases from 62 onwards have a good beat ballad feel to them. This is the best. Cry No More is good without being exceptional, but There's No Place To Hide has just about everything that the beat ballad connoisseur could ask for. The only thing that spoils it is the dreadful girl backing which sounds out of tune. Another 90's biggie.

4055. Patty LaBelle & Her Belles - All Or Nothing/You Forgot How To Love. This is yet another 90's rediscovery which, like so many of the records featured in this book, were rediscovered by a handful of collectors and publicised in Beatin' Rhythm magazine before going on to become big collectors records. Top side is a lilting beat ballad, while the pacier You Forgot.. is a fine Come See About Me soundalike which, if there was any justice, would have people dancing in the aisles.

4067. Mary Wells - Can't You See Your Losing Me. Brash, uptown New York soul from one of the greatest female singers of all time. As with her 20th Century material, this knocks the spots of most of her Motown work and only now is Mary's post-Motown work getting the recognition it deserves. Strangely, her best Atco recording, the stupendous Keep Me In Suspense, never found a UK release.

4071. Tami Lynn - I'm Gonna Run Away From You. Wonderful pop soul memory jerker which finally got it's just desserts when it charted on a Mojo reissue in 1971. Tami was rescued from obscurity and her Top Of The Pops performance of this number - sung live - still exists on video (well it does in my house anyway!)

4077. Esther Phillips - Just Say Goodbye. The Stafford era turned the Northern scene upside down by the fact that records that were sometimes barely danceable but supremely soulful replaced the out and out 100mph pop stompers typical of the Wigan era. The beat ballad became en vogue and people began to browse through their record collections and rediscovered literally thousands of quality mid paced sounds. These became known firstly as 'midtempos' and then 'beat ballads'. Esther's Just Say Goodbye was one such find, featuring her unique vocal stylings over a slowish rhythm which just oozes soul. Attaining monster proportions in the late 80's, this is now a firmly established classic and may just be the best of all the black Atlantic sides.

RED ATLANTIC HIGHLIGHTS

004. The Capitols - Cool Jerk/Hello Stranger. Cool Jerk was a well known and established classic, a great uptempo party number. However, as with the above Esther Phillips single, it's the flip side which grabs the attention nowadays, being a sublime cover of the Barbara Lewis classic which has that great Detroit sound stamped all over it and features one of the most heartfelt vocals ever put on record.

009. Vala Reegan & The Valarons - Fireman. A mystery artist and a very unusual choice for release in the UK, this was once so obscure that it was thought only to exist in the imagination of a handful of collectors. Red Atlantic copies are simply impossible to find, indeed this was a popular Emidisc choice in the mid-70's before a handful of US Atco copies started to appear. As for the record, it's a belting Herb Bernstein production out of New York, with a little girl vocal and unusual lyrics. Rumoured to have been issued on a local label before Atco.

028. Rex Garvin & The Mighty Cravers - Sock It To 'Em J.B. A James Bond cash-in, this semi instrumental is a real powerhouse of 60's soul which has been popular on and off since it's release date. If this doesn't make you want to dance, then it's time to dust off your rocking chair.

032. Loretta Williams - Baby Cakes. A tremendous fast stomper recorded for Otis Redding's Jotis set up which did nothing on it's original release but is now quite sought after. Recording quality is pretty poor on the UK release.

035. Joe Tex - You Better Believe It Baby. A reactivated oldie which was massive in 1977, first for Keith Minshull and then for everyone else. At one time the price rocketed to £5, by which time it had been bootlegged. Easily Joe's best dancer and it's stop-start breaks make it tailor made for the Northern scene.

053. Art Freeman - Slipping Around. Another reactivation from 1977, bootleggers also stepped in to knock this one off the playlists but it's the second hardest release on the label after Vala Regan and is a wicked, low down tale of extra marital relations (I think) over a solid backbeat. Art is most probably the same person who recorded another great Northern dancer, You Got Me Uptight on the Jumbo label.

061. Barbara Lewis - I Remember The Feeling. Breezy skipping dancer which hit the big time in the early 80's. Remember the Channel 4 feature on the Morecombe Pier allnighters which used this as it's musical backdrop (no pun intended)?

116. Willie Tee - Walking Up A One Way Street. Some times a record is so good that mere words can't do it justice. This is one such record. Put quite simply, it's two and a half minutes of pure magic pressed onto vinyl. The song itself is superb, the vocal performance could not be improved on, and you can even sing along to it. Willie Tee, take a bow, you are a genius.

118. Soul Brothers Six - I'll Be Loving You. A minimal song over a repetitive guitar riff , obviously derivative of it's A side Some Kinda Wonderful, but this one hooks you and reels you in before you can even think of escaping! Absolute brilliance from 1967, and yet again, an early 90's rediscovery that spread like wildfire.

120. Darrell Banks - Angel Baby/Look Into The Eyes Of A Fool. The tragic figure of Darrell Banks has left a very big mark on soul music history, and even if he'd left us with just Open The Door To Your Heart he would be revered as a god. But he did better than that, recording a handful of singles and a couple of albums, very little, if any of which can be faulted. Angel Baby, previously recorded by Stevie Wonder, is an uptempo dancer of high quality, but the honours here go to Look Into The Eyes Of A Fool, a stunning midtempo gem. Again, as with many UK Atlantic pressings, sound quality is not perfect, but who cares, it's Darrell Banks for God's sake!

AT 4004 SOLOMON BURKE Looking for my baby / Everybody needs somebody to love 10/25

4006 DON COVAY Mercy mercy / Can't stay away 6/15

4009 RUFUS THOMAS Jump back / All night worker 6/15

4013 BARBARA LEWIS Pushin' a good thing too far / Come home 8/20

4014 SOLOMON BURKE The price / More rockin' soul 6/15

4017 TRAVIS WAMMACK Scratchy / Firefly 15/30

4018 BEN E. KING River of tears / Seven letters 6/15

4019 DRIFTERS At the club / Answer the phone 6/20

4023 DRIFTERS Come on over to my place / Chains of love 6/15

4024 OTIS REDDING Mr. Pitiful / That's how strong my love is 6/20

4025 BEN E. KING The record (baby I love you) / The way you shake it 6/15

4028 ESTHER PHILLIPS And I love him / Shangri-la 6/12

4031 BARBARA LEWIS Baby I'm yours / I say love 6/15

4033 BOOKER T. & the MG'S Outrage / Bootleg 6/15

4034 DRIFTERS The outside world / Follow me 8/20

4036 WILSON PICKETT In the midnight hour / I'm not tired 4/25

4037 ASTORS Candy / i found out 20/45

4039 OTIS REDDING Respect / I've been loving you to long 5/20

4040 DRIFTERS Far from the maddening crowd / I'll take you where the music's playing5/12

4041 BARBARA LEWIS Make me your baby / Love to be loved 6/15

4042 JIMMY WILLIAMS I'm so lost / Walking on air 8/15

4043 BEN E. KING (There's) no place to hide / Cry no more 12/30

4049 BOCKY & the VISIONS I go crazy / Good good lovin' 7/15

4050 OTIS REDDING My girl / Down in the valley 4/20

4051 MAD LADS Tear maker / Don't have to shop around 10/20

4053 PAUL KELLY Chills and fever / Only your love 15/35

4054 LEVON & the HAWKS The stones that I throw / He don't love you 15/30

4055 PATTI LABELLE You forgot how to love / All or nothing 10/22

4056 DON COVAY See-saw / I never get enough of your love 6/15

4063 BOOKER T. & the MG'S Red beans and rice / Be my lady 6/15

4065 BEN E. KING I can't break the news to myself (demo only) 400

4067 MARY WELLS Can't you see you're losing me / It's magic 10/25

4068 BARBARA LEWIS Don't forget about me / Dear lover 8/15

4070 DEON JACKSON Love makes the world go round / You said you loved me 10/25

4071 TAMI LYNN I'm gonna run away from you / The boy next door 20/50

4075 JACKIE IVORY Hi heel sneakers / Do it to death 6/15

4076 GOOGIE RENE COMBO Smokey Joe's lala / Needing you 8/18

4077 ESTHER PHILLIPS Just say goodbye / I could have told you 25/55

4078 DON COVAY Sookie sookie / Watching the late late show 6/15

4079 MAR KEYS Philly dog / Honey pot 8/15

4080 OTIS REDDING (I can't get no) satisfaction / Any ole way 6/20

4081 JOE TEX If sugar was as sweet as you / The love you save 6/15

584003 SAM & DAVE Hold on I'm coming / I got everything you need 5/10

584004 CAPITOLS Cool jerk / Hello stranger 5/12

584006 WAYNE KEMP Little home wrecker / Watch that first little step 6/10

584008 BEN E. KING Don't drive me away / So much love 6/10

584009 VALA REEGAN & the VALARONS Fireman / Living in the past 120/160

584010 RUSSELL EVANS & the NITEHAWKS The bold / Send me some cornbread 8

584012 DEON JACKSON Love takes a long time growing / Hush little baby 8

584017 JIMMY HUGHES It's a good thing / Neighbour neighbour 8

584027 MIKE WILLIAMS Lonely soldier / If this isn't love 10

584028 REX GARVIN Sock it to'em J.B. / Part II 6

584030 OTIS REDDING I can't turn you loose / Just one more day 5

584031 LITTLE MAC & BOSS SOUNDS In the midnight hour / You can't love me (in the midnight hour) 7

584032 LORETTA WILLIAMS Baby cakes / I'm missing you 20

584035 JOE TEX You better believe it baby / I believe I'm gonna make it 10

584037 BARBARA LEWIS Make me belong to you / Girls need loving care 6

584038 MAD LADS Sugar sugar / Get out of my life woman 5

584039 WILSON PICKETT Land of 1000 dances / You're so fine 5

584041 EDDIE FLOYD Knock on wood / Got to make a comeback 5

584043 THREE CAPS I've got to handle it / Zig zagging 5

584052 HERBIE MANN Philly dog / Sunny (by Dave Pike) 10

584053 ART FREEMAN Slippin' around with you / Can't get you out of my mind 85

584054 MARY WELLS Such a sweet thing / Me and my baby 8

584055 PERCY SLEDGE Heart of a child / My adorable one 10

584056 DEE DEE SHARP Bye bye baby / My best friends man 15

584059 DON COVAY See-saw / Somebody's got to love you 5

584061 BARBARA LEWIS I remember the feeling / Baby what do you want me to do 25

584064 SAM & DAVE You got me hummin' / Sleep good tonight 5

584065 DRIFTERS Baby what I mean / Aretha 6

584066 WILSON PICKETT Mustang Sally / Three time loser 5

584067 RASCALS Too many fish in the sea / No love to give 5

584071 PERCY SLEDGE Oh how happy / It tears me up 5

584072 PATTI LABELLE Take me for a little while / I don't want to go on without you 6

584074 MAR-KEYS Last night / Night before 5

584080 PERCY SLEDGE Baby help me / You've got that something wonderful 6

584082 DON COVAY Shingaling 67 / I was there 5

584083 ARTHUR CONLEY Sweet soul music / Let's go steady 5

584088 BOOKER T. & the MG'S Green onions / Bootleg 5

584091 OTIS REDDING Respect / These arms of mine 5

584092 OTIS REDDING Mr Pitiful / My girl 5

584094 DON COVAY Sookie sookie / Mercy mercy 5

584097 REX GARVIN I gotta go now (up on the floor) / Believe it or not 8

584099 ALBERT KING Crosscut saw / Down don't bother me 6

584101 WILSON PICKETT Nothing you can do / Everybody needs someone to love 6

584102 JOE TEX Show me / A woman sees a hard time 6

584104 MARY WELLS Hey you set my soul on fire / Coming home 5

584106 BEN E. KING Tears, tears, tears / A man without a dream 5

584113 PERCY WIGGINS Book of memories / Can't find nobody to take your place 7

584115 ARETHA FRANKLIN Respect / Save me 5

584116 WILLIE TEE Walking up a one way street / Thank you John 20

584118 SOUL BROTHERS SIX I'll be loving you / Some kind of wonderful 25

584120 DARRELL BANKS Angel baby / Look into the eyes of a fool 20

584135 JIMMY HUGHES Time will bring you back / High heel sneakers 5

584143 ARTHUR CONLEY Love comes and goes / Whole lotta woman 5

584150 WILSON PICKETT In the midnight hour / Danger zone 5

584153 BARBARA LEWIS Hello stranger / Baby I'm yours 5

584155 BOBBY MARCHAN Get down with it / Half a mind 5

584159 DEON JACKSON Ooh baby / All on a sunny day 10

584174 BARBARA LEWIS Sho nuff (it's got to be your love) / Thankful for what I've got 5

584176 CLARENCE CARTER Looking for a fox / I can't see myself (crying about you) 5

584183 WILSON PICKETT She's looking good / We've got to have love 5

584184 BEN E. KING Forgive this fool / Don't take you love from me 10

584185 ARCHIE BELL & THE DRELLS Tighten up / Dog eat dog 6

584206 ARETHA FRANKLIN See-saw / I say a little prayer 5

584217 ARCHIE BELL & THE DRELLS You're such a beautiful child / Can't stop dancing 5

584236 WILSON PICKETT Night owl / Hey Jude 4

584244 BAR-KAYS Soul finger / Knucklehead 4

584245 ASTORS Candy / I found out 8

584251 THREE CAPS Cool jerk / Hello stranger 8

584256 SOUL BROTHERS SIX Some kind of wonderful / Somebody else is lovin' my baby 7

584270 DYNAMICS The love that I need / Ice cream song 7

584277 MAJOR LANCE Follow the leader / Since you've been gone 5

584282 OTIS CLAY Baby Jane / You hurt me for the last time 50

584302 MAJOR LANCE Sweeter as the days go by / Shadows of a memory 5

2091 003 TYRONE DAVIS Turn back the hands of time / I keep coming back 5

104 DON COVAY See-saw / Mercy mercy 4

105 THREE CAPS Hello stranger / Cool Jerk 4

106 ARTHUR CONLEY Sweet soul music / Shake rattle and roll 4

109 EDDIE FLOYD Things get better / Knock on wood 4

133 BARBARA LYNN Take your love and run / Until then I'll suffer 8

136 ENTICERS Calling for your love / Storyteller 7

143 BARBARA LEWIS Some day we're gonna love again / Baby I'm yours 6

156 ARCHIE BELL & THE DRELLS Tighten up / I can't stop dancing / (There's gonna be a) showdown 5

K 10051 OTIS REDDING Respect / These arms of mine 4

/510082 BAR-KAYS Soul finger / Knuckle head 4/5

10104 PERCY SLEDGE Baby help me / When a man loves a woman / Love me like you mean it4/5

10105 REX GARVIN Sock it to 'em J.B. / Part 2 5/610107 DRIFTERS Baby what I mean / Aretha 4/5

10108 ARTHUR CONLEY Sweet soul music / Lets go steady 4/5

10109 BOOKER T & M.G.'s Green onions / Boot leg 4/5

10111 OTIS REDDING Mr Pitiful / My girl 4/5

10117 THREE CAPS Hello stranger / Cool jerk 4/5

10128 BARBARA LEWIS Some day we're gonna love again / Baby I'm yours 4/5

10129 WILSON PICKETT In the midnight hour / Danger zone 4/5

10144 PERCY SLEDGE Standing on the mountain / Rainbow road 4/5

10168 ESTHER PHILLIPS Catch me I'm falling / Release me 7/8

10179 HERBIE MANN Philly dog / Memphis underground / It's a funky thing 5/6

10204 SOUL BROTHERS SIX Some kind of wonderful / Check yourself 5/6

10205 CAPITOLS Ain't that terrible / Zig-zagging 4/5

10207 TYRONE DAVIS Turn back the hands of time / Can I change my mind / One way ticket 4/5

10210 ARCHIE BELL & THE DRELLS Here I go again / World without music 5/6

10211 MAJOR LANCE Follow the leader / Since you've been gone 4/5

10242 JOHNNY COPELAND Sufferin' city / It's my own tears 5/6

10254 MARY WELLS Can't you see your losing me / Dear lover 5/6

10263 ARCHIE BELL & THE DRELLS (There's gonna be a) showdown / Tighten up 4/5

10272 PAUL KELLY Chills and fever / Only your love 5/6

10277 BILLY YOUNG The sloopy / Same thing all over 5/6

10278 JOE TEX Show me / I want to 5/6

10281 CLARENCE CARTER Looking for a fox / It's all in your mind 4/5

10321 WILSON PICKETT In the midnight hour / Land of 1000 dances 4/5

10389 WILSON PICKETT In the midnight hour / Land of 1000 dances / Funky Broadway 4/5

10390 OTIS REDDING I can't turn you loose / Satisfaction / Dock of the bay 4/5

10394 PECRY SLEDGE Baby help me / When a man loves a woman 4/5

10441 SONS OF ROBIN STONE Got to get you back / Love is just around the corner 5/6

10471 SOUL BROTHERS SIX Thank you baby for loving me / Some kind of wonderful 5/6

10481 JACKIE MOORE Both ends against the middle / Will power 5/6

10515 DON CONVAY See-saw / Mercy mercy 4/5

10551 SISTER SLEDGE Love don't go through no changes / Don't you miss him 5/6

10585 MAJOR HARRIS After loving you / Love won't let me wait 5/6

10599 DRIFTERS Baby what I mean / Another night with the boys 4/5

10617 TONY & TYRONE Please operator / Apple of my eye 5/6

10618 BEN E KING Drop my heart off / Happiness is where you find it 4/5

10676 SAM DEES Fragile, handle with care / Save the love at any cost 15/25

10700 DRIFTERS You've gotta pay your dues / Black silk 5/6

10723 SONS OF ROBIN STONE Got to get you back / Love is just around the corner 5/6

10879 DARRELL BANKS Angel baby / Look in th eyes of a fool 5/6

10894 ALFIE KHAN Law of the land / Woman 4/5

ALASKA

A short-lived mid-70's pop label which ran for a couple of years without acheiving any major success. Information is scarce but going by the style of the demo it was probably manufactured by EMI. The label is pale blue featuring a photograph of what appears to be a polar skyline. Demos feature the wording 'Demo record not for sale' on the centre and a small black A in the top right of the label.

John Schroeder's instrumental version of The Velours/Four Seasons I'm Gonna Change is a nonsense cash-in on the then very hip Northern Soul scene of 1975. Velvet Love's Symphony Of Dreams was in fact given a few spins in 1977 by Russ, but was uncovered before it had a chance to make any impact. It stands up quite well today as a nice pop-soul floater.

ALA 1001 JOHN SCHROEDER ORCHESTRA I'm gonna change / First love 1/2

1010 VELVET LOVE Symphony of dreams / Ridin' high 4/5

AUDIO FIDELITY

An obscure label distributed by Transatlantic Records of London. Audio Fidelity may have been a budget label as I've seen several classical and mor albums by unknown artists while browsing the boot sales. The only single of note would appear to be Time Marches On by The Peels. The Peels had a novelty hit with Juanita Banana (which came out on Stateside in the UK), but they do not appear on Time Marches On which is a semi-instrumental with a girl backing group who repeat the title over an incessant beat. As you may have guessed, it bears no resemblence to the Lainie Hill number of the same title. This music was used by one of the pirate radio stations in the mid-60's and is quite collectable.

The issue label is a striking gold colour with black lettering. I've not seen a demo but I am told that they are green with black lettering.

AFTS 527 PEELS Time marches on / Scrooey mooey 15/25

AVCO

70's label best known for releases by it's big stars, The Stylistics, who had a long run of chart success from 1972 onwards. The label seems to have been owned by former artists Hugo & Luigi, and was always a popular discotheque label with releases like L.J. Reynolds, Limmie & Family Cookin' and Van McCoy.

Labels were originally purple with white lettering but these were soon phased out and replaced by the dreaded plastic injection moulded labels, some in blue, some in purple.

Demos probably don't exist though I have had a few issues with stickers saying "ALSATIAN - RELEASE DATE ...........", Alsatian presumably being the pluggers for Phonogram releases at the time.

Not a lot here for us Northernites to get excited about. Donald Height's Rags To Riches To Rags is quite hard to find and probably the best release to look out for. L.J. Reynolds' The Penguin Breakdown is the instrumental version to both his own What's The Matter Baby and also to the now practically forgotten Rock Me Til I Want No More by Phil Lowman on the Palos label which at one time was an absolutely huge Wigan record. R.B. Freeman's I'm Shaft - You Ain't Shaft is an amusing gimmick record, but it was the instrumental flip that got the spins back in '75.

The best thing I can say about Avco in the UK is that they were kind enough not to enforce the so-bad-I-can't-believe-it-was-ever-released Who Can I Turn To/Could It Be Me by Mark Copage, a 5 (yes, 5!) year old non-singer whose only disc was actually played on the scene - both sides of it!

6105 005 DONALD HEIGHT Rags to riches to rags / Dancing to the music of love 7

009 DONNIE ELBERT I can't help myself / Love is here and now you're gone 2

014 L.J. REYNOLDS The penguin breakdown / Oo la we (by The Younghearts) 3

040 R. B. FREEMAN I'm shaft (you ain't shaft) / Instrumental 2

© 1998 Pete Smith

[Pete S]

Originally written 1997-98

EVOLUTION

Another short-lived independent label which ran for a couple of years in the late 60's, with a few records which might be of interest to soul collectors. An early Otis Redding recording, She's Alright/Tuff Enough, was the second single on Evolution. This is an early R & B rocker in typical Otis style. The Fashions' I.O.U came out on Evolution just a year after it's original release on Stateside. It's a pleasant enough girl group dancer. Finally, The Black Abbotts were a four piece comedy/music group from Merseyside who's members included a certain Russ Abbott who went on to fame a decade later as a TV 'comedian'. Their single The Painter was an East Coast spin at one time but is appalling.

The label was dark blue in design with logo at the top and an 'E' symbol on the center, silver lettering. Later releases changed to an unusual mix of light blue and brown background with black lettering.

E 2442 OTIS REDDING She's alright / Tuff enuff 8

/102444 FASHIONS I.0.U. (a lifetime of love) / He gives me love 6/8

3004 BLACK ABBOTTS The painter / Love is alive 8/12

EMBER

The famous composer/arranger John Barry was a producer/a & r man for this independent label which was based at York House, Empire Way, Wembley. It ran from the very early 60's up until the late 70's and utilised at least five different label designs. The first was a striking gold and red affair which lasted until around 1963. Then came the best known Ember label, bottom half yellow, top half red with the label's name inside a large black circle in the top left of the label. Demos of this particular design are unfortunately very basic, just a simple outline A on the top side, with the B side being identical to an issue - bad new for owners of Brothers Grimm - Looky Looky! In 1968 the design changed to an all pale-blue design with the black circle still in place. In-between all of these designs, an Ember International label came along, featuring a mauve and grey design with the logo on the far left. This may well have replaced the first, gold and red design label. The design changed once more in 1971, this time to an all black label with it's name in multicoloured letters. By this time I believe that Ember had become part of Ed Kassner's President label set up.

As far as soul content goes, you have to look very hard to find authentic black American soul. The early years saw releases for The Platters, The Five Royales, and a split single from Jackie Wilson & Clyde McPhatter - all of which are very rare today. Red/yellow label items to look out for are as follows:

211 Values - Return to me - ancient-sounding but pleasant enough doo-wop styled dancer.

219 Jewel Akens - Wee Bit More Of Your Loving - another early, almost rock & roll sounding number in the style of, say H.B. Barnum's It Hurts Too Much To Cry. Notable for only lasting for around 100 seconds.

222 Brothers Grimm - Looky Looky - A late 80's biggie from a band who previously recorded for Decca as Mel & The Brothers Grimm. Indeed, my demo copy had the words "Mel &" written alongside Brothers Grimm, as if to suggest that whoever originally owned the record was either a) a fan who knew the band's real name or b) a disgruntled Mel himself who wanted top billing and had to add it himself! As for the record, it's a plodding, stomping version of a much recorded Ashford - Simpson - Armstead number and is famous - or infamous, as the case may be - for utilising the wailing voice of what sounds like a banshee over the top of the male vocals. The flip side, A Man Needs Love, is also from the prolific pen of the aforementioned Chicago threesome and has picked up a bit of interest in recent years. An unissued, uncredited version of the same song surfaced a publishers demo a few years back and is owned by Ady Croasdel.

229 Fading Colours - Just Like Romeo & Juliet - Worst of the several versions but probably the least known.

231 Ray Singer - What's done has been done - A very obscure record, known to but a handful of collectors. A real curiosity; the verses are performed in a mock-garage style with a very muddy production, but they make way for a very commercialised sing-a-long chorus. Ray Singer hailed from Brighton and was backed on this particular number by Bern Elliott's backing band, The Fenmen. He later became a member of Nirvana's backing group (that's the 60's Nirvana, not the 90's one).

232 Lou Lawton - I Am Searching. This is probably the best Ember release and is still hotly persued by collectors. This excellent dancer originally surfaced on US Capitol, on which label it still fetches around £15. The scarce UK release was part of a short lived licensing deal with Capitol which also saw the release of Glen Campbell's seminal Witchita Lineman, which has nothing to do with soul but is a great record all the same! Lou Lawton also had a UK release on a label closely associated with Ember, Speciality, entitled Wrapped In A Dream, and this uptempo number also has a following amongst collectors. You can find both sides of this Speciality 45 on Embers' 'A Drop Of The Hard Stuff' album.

239 Twiggy - Beautiful Dreams - Recorded at the real peak of her popularity, this, the first of her two Ember singles, was released in January 1967 in a very attractive picture sleeve. And would you believe it, it's actually a very good record, prime cover-up material. It has a stomping beat, several stop/start breaks, and some wonderful oboe playing which adds a hint of mystery to what is a truly sparkling record. The vocal performance is also excellent. This is one occasion where you should ignore the pedigree of the artist and concentrate on the music. An alternative version to this single was issued on an early 70's album entitled 'Twiggy & The Girlfriends', which was issued to cash in on Twiggy's success in the Ken Russell movie 'The Boyfriend'. This features the four tracks released on Ember in '67, plus a plethora of ragtime instrumentals to pad things out. The version of Beautiful Dreams included on this compilation features a noise which sounds remarkably like a theramin (a rare Russian electronic instrument) overdubbing the existing track. It's very strange.

241 Casinos - That's The Way - A release which only really came to light in the late 80's, this midtempo number recorded for US Airtown is quite scarce on Ember.

245 Bobby Johnson & The Atoms - Tramp - Not a lot known about this artist who was, I presume, an American residing in the UK. This is a good version of the Otis/Carla number but is notable for including the most audible recording fault of all time. After 10 seconds of the intro, someone turns the volume up a couple of notches! How quality control didn't spot this, I'll never know - maybe they didn't have time for a retake.

311 Fork In The Road - I Can't Turn Around - A real mystery record which for a long time was thought to only exist in the minds of befuddled UK collectors. At the time of writing, under 10 copies have now surfaced, utilising the black 70's design label. However, one collector has a copy on the pale blue label with hand written details. I would presume that the record was manufactured for release and then withdrawn and presumably scrapped. This must be where the black issues come from because, as always, a handful always escape - look at John's Children's 'Midsummer Nights Scene' single for instance - release scrapped, so the band gave them away at their club. Result? The rarest ever UK 45 valued at £2500.

312 Mr. Flood's Party - Compared To What - A popular Torch spin which was forgotten and then revived at Wigan and reissued on another President subsidiary, Bulldog, in 1975. This is a funky, organ and brass led dancer with very 'right-on' lyrics, and was at one point covered by Ray Charles. The Bulldog release, incidentally, is an alternate take.

EMBS 198 LYNN HOLLAND And the angels sing / I can't read your writing (for my tears) 4/5

211 VALUES Return to me / That's the way 15/20

219 JEWEL AKENS A wee bit more of your lovin' / Dancin' Jenny 4/6

222 BROTHERS GRIMM Looky looky / A man needs love 40/50

222 MEL & BROTHERS GRIMM Looky looky / A man needs love (Unissued)

229 FADING COLOURS (Just like) Romeo & Juliet / Billy Christian 6/8

231 RAY SINGER What's done has been done / Won't it be fine 8/10

232 LOU LAWTON I am searching / (Doin') the philly dog 20/25

235 CHECKMATES LTD Do the walk / Glad for you 8/10

239 TWIGGY Beautiful dreams / I need you hand in mine (picture sleeve) 10/15

240 SONNY CHARLES & CHECKMATES Mastered the art of love / Please don't take my world away 15/20

241 CASINOS That's the way / Too good to be true 25/35

245 BOBBY JOHNSON & the ATOMS Tramp / Do it again a little bit slower 8/10

290 TONY & TYRONE Everyday fun / Whip your lovin' on me 5/8

311 FORK IN THE ROAD I can't turn around / Skeleton in my closet 150/150

312 MR. FLOOD'S PARTY Compared to what / Unbreakable toy 10/15

321 ALBINO GORILLA Shake me wake me / Going to a gogo 4/5

FAB

A reggae label dealing mostly with Prince Buster releases which ran from around 1967 into the 70's. Again, only one release of note here, and once again it's the ubiquitous Errol Dixon who gives us two raucous r & b dancers, Need Somebody To Love Me/I Want, a coupling originally released on Rainbow 104. This has a prefix 'EP' and a mauve label, whereas the majority of other Fab releases have a 'FAB' prefix and are pale blue (though a rogue P.J. Proby release not only has a gold label but also a picture sleeve).

EP 1 ERROL DIXON Need someone to love me / I want 7

FONTANA

Fontana is another excellent and interesting label for UK collectors, featuring some very rare and also high quality soul cuts. The label was part of the Philips group and ran from around 1958 until 1970/71, when it became part of the Phonogram group. The handful of early Motown releases, issued between December 1961 and March 1962, are amongst the most collectable 45's ever issued in the UK, the product of a very short licensing deal with Motown before they switched to Oriole.

Demos where all-white until 1962 when they stopped altogether. Following that, all Fontana demos consist of a yellow stamp saying 'Sample not for resale' on one side only. These are not aesthetically pleasing! Demos reappeared in 1968 when they were white with black lettering and a black logo at the top, and the customary red A.

Issues are blue with silver top and silver lettering.

Highlights From Fontana

Screaming Jay Hawkins legendary I Put A Spell On You saw it's first release on UK Fontana, but on 78rpm only.

Karol Keyes is quite well known for her version of One In A Million on Columbia, but her Fontana release, a cover of Mary Wells' You Beat Me To The Punch (517) is a lesser known which stands up well.

Earl Preston (406) is a Merseybeat cover of Bobby Parker, whilst Wayne Fontana (497) and The Boomerangs (507) cover Major Lance and The Contours respectively.

The rarest, and many would say best, Northern Soul release on the label is Sandy Wynns' magnificent A Touch Of Venus (550) which always fetches a 3 figure sum nowadays.

Fontana issued quite a few US Vee Jay recordings including class items from Betty Everett, Jerry Butler, The Ad Libs, Fred Hughes and The Dontells.

Incense by The Anglos (589) was originally issued on the tiny Island offshoot Brit Records and was subsequently reissued on pink Island in 1968 after a scheduled issue on Sue in 1967 was cancelled. The group consists of Stevie Winwood on vocals plus session musicians.

Alex Harvey was a Scottish screamer with a great live act, his 'soul' band cut a fair cover of Edwin Starr's Agent 00 Soul (610) which is very collectable.

All of the Spencer Davis Group singles are good dancers from the mid-60's club scene, mostly writen by Jackie Edwards apart from Trampoline (739) which is an organ dominated Mod instrumental.

Jimmy Cliff's version of Bobby Bland's Call On Me (641) is disappointing, while The Merseybeats' version of Tony Colton's I Stand Accused is an uptempo pop stomper. Elvis Costello made an almost note for note copy of this version for his Get Happy LP. The Merseybeats thought that they were getting the Jerry Butler song of the same title to record!

Kiki Dee signed to Fontana when she was around 15 years old. Look out for her version of Tami Lynn's I'm Gonna Run Away From You (669) and the still very in-demand On A Magic Carpet Ride (983) which was originally played at Yate covered up as Chris Clark - Touch The Sky. Kiki also did a version of Paul Anka's When We Get There on a Fontana LP.

Mirwood Records licensed a few items to Fontana including the original release of Jackie Lee's The Duck (646) and a couple of smashing cuts from The Olympics (678/778).

By 1967/68 most of Fontana's releases were UK produced, examples being Dudley's own Jenny Wren's rare one-off Chasing My Dream All Over Town (672), Birmingham based Sight & Sound with a dreadful cover of Our Love Is In The Pocket (927), and Harlem Jonns Reshuffle's version of Adams Apples' You Are The One I Love (970).

Lastly, in the 'they coulda been contenders' bracket comes a single from Manchesters' Playboys (presumably named to avoid confusion with other Playboys of the Gary Lewis and O'Hara's variety), whose I Feel So Good (745) is a wonderful Brit-Northern stomper of the old school. Although only having the one release in the UK, these Playboys secured an EP in France on the Barclay label featuring 4 tracks and a nice picture sleeve. Anybody got a copy?

270 109 VOLUMES I love you/Dreams 25/35

H 299 H.B. BARNUM Lost love / Hallelujah 10/15

355 MARVELETTES Please Mr. Postman / So long baby 20/90

384 MIRACLES What's so good about goodbye / I've been good to you 45/100

386 MARVELETTES Twistin' postman / I want a guy 35/80

387 EDDIE HOLLAND Jamie / Take a chance on me 160/300

TF 443 KIKI DEE That's right, walk on by / Miracles 8

465 JACKIE EDWARDS Little princess / Sea cruise 8

507 BOOMERANGS Don't let her be your baby / Rockin' Robin 15

517 KAROL KEYES You beat me to the punchNo one can take your place 10

520 BETTY EVERETT Getting mighty crowded / Chained to a memory 6

522 DON COLE & ALLEYNE Gotta find my baby

/ Something's got a hold of me 6542 ALAN HAVEN Image / Romance on the North Sea 5

550 SANDY WYNNS The touch of venus / A lover's quarrel 150

561 ANGLOS Incense / You're fooling me (unissued)

566 DONTELLS In your heart (you know I'm right) / Nothing but nothing 25

571 SPENCER DAVIS GROUP This hammer / Strong love 7583 FRED HUGHES Oo wee baby I love you / Love me baby 15

584 AD LIBS Neighbour neighbour / Lovely ladies 25

588 JERRY BUTLER I can't stand to see you cry / Nobody needs your love 10

589 ANGLOS Incense / You're fooling me 12

691 MILLIE My street / Mixed up, fickle, moody, self-centered spoiled kinda boy 5

600 JOHNNY CARR Give him a little time / Do you love that girl 10

606 VINCE EVERETT Til I lost you / Bless you 5

610 ALEX HARVEY Agent 00 soul / Go away baby 25

632 SPENCER DAVIS GROUP Keep on running / High time baby 5

641 JIMMY CLIFF Call on me / Pride and passion 8

646 JACKIE LEE The duck / Let your conscience be your guide 10

667 BOBBIE GRAHAM Grotty drums / Skin deep 15

668 BLUESOLOGY Mr. Frantic / Time's getting tougher than tough 200

669 KIKI DEE Why don't I run away from you / Small town 8

672 JENNY WREN Chasing my dream all over town / A thought of you 40

678 OLYMPICS We go together (pretty baby) / Secret agents 15

679 SPENCER DAVIS GROUP Somebody help me / Stevie's blues 5

684 WAYNE FONTANA Come on home / My eyes break out in tears 4

693 GOLDIE I do / Think about the good times 6

716 CHANTS Come back and get this loving baby / Love light 5

739 SPENCER DAVIS GROUP Trampoline / When I come home 6

745 MANCHESTER'S PLAYBOYS I feel so good / I close my eyes 35

762 SPENCER DAVIS GROUP Gimme some lovin' / Blues in F 5

769 ED E. LYNCH Hurt on love / Little child 6

770 WAYNE FONTANA Something keeps calling me back / Pamela Pamela 5

778 OLYMPICS Baby do the philly dog / Western movies 15

779 CALIFORNIA IN CROWD Happiness in my heart / Questions and answers 22

795 LOWEL FULSON Tramp / Pico 20

823 JOHNNY CARR You've got me baby / Things get better 15

835 ALAN HAVEN Image / Romance on the North Sea 5

879 LOVELACE WATKINS You can't stop love / I apologise baby 8

885 NITE PEOPLE In the springtime / Summertime blues 5

915 VINCE EVERETT Every now and then / Barbarella 10

927 SIGHT & SOUND Our love (is in the pocket) / Ebenezer 12

951 BUDDY GUY Mary had a little lamb / Sweet little angel 10

967 ROBERTA REX I can feel it / Joey 6

970 HARLEM JONNS RESHUFFLE You are the one I love / Good lovin' 9

974 JOHN O'HARA Show me / I started a joke 5

983 KIKI DEE On a magic carpet ride / Now the flowers cry 40

1004 HARLEM JONNS RESHUFFLE Let love come between us / Everything under the sun 6

1031 MORRIS VAUGHAN My love keeps growing / Make it look good 10/15

1051 RUBYJAMES Getting mighty crowded / Don't play that song 8/10

267428 ALAN HAVEN Image / Romance on the north sea 5

6007 040 BRIAN BENNETT Chase side shoot up / Pegasus 4

G.S.F.

Cult 70's New York label which somehow found itself with a UK imprint via EMI in 1973. The label's big Northern sounds were all discovered at the same time in late 74/early 75; The Skullsnaps (two incredibly hard funk-Northern dancers, I'm Your Pimp and My Hang Up Is You), The Anderson Brothers floater I Can See Him Loving You, a record way ahead of it's time; and the dreadful Blanche Carter - Halos Are For Angels which was very big for around a month in 1976 before a bootleg pressing put paid to it's dancefloor exposure. Only one of the above was issued in the UK - The Skullsnaps' My Hang Up Is You - and apart from that, the only release worth picking up is Lloyd Price's double sider Love Music (same number as Sergio Mendes) b/w Just For Baby.

Other artists on UK included Eddie Holman and Connie Francis!

The label was fawn with black lettering, with the logo at the top in purple and orange over black. Demos are identical except for the legend 'Demo record not for sale' on the cntre along with the release date.

GSF 5 LLOYD PRICE Love music / Just for baby 5/6

7 SKULLSNAPS My hang up is you / It's a new day 15/20

12 JOE QUATERMAN & FREE SOUL Thanks Dad

/ Part I 3/4

GO

A short-lived subsidiary of CBS Records which ran thru 1966/1967 then disappeared. Most collectable release is easily Tic Toc/Gypsy by The Scots Of St.James, a very rare psych disc from the band who went on to become Hopscotch. Carl Douglas recorded two singles for the label, both dancers. Amazingly, a couple of these tracks appeared on US Okeh! Apart from a decent Sugar Simone single, that's about it apart from Samantha Juste's If Trees Could Talk, which, although very twee, is a jaunty little pop stomper which had a bit of turntable action in the 70's. Samantha was the resident disc spinner on TV's Top Of The Pops and was engaged to The Monkees Mickey Dolenz at the time of the records' release.

Issues are mint green on a white background with a white logo at the top. Demos are white with green A and black lettering. Not too many demos of this label about though.

AJ 11401 CARL DOUGLAS Crazy feeling / Keep it to myself 8/12

11402 SAMANTHA JUSTE If trees could talk / No one needs my love today 8/12

11408 CARL DOUGLAS Something for nothing / Let the birds sing 10/15

11409 SUGAR SIMONE It's alright / Take it easy 6/8

[Podge]

Amazing stuff Pete, shame the book never came out, so much info here that will be lost if you do not do something about it

How about stuffing it into the articles forum ?

Even better print it out and I'll buy a copy of the complete thing, totally invaluable info as far as I am concerned.

Nick

[Wiggyflat]

Amazing stuff Pete, shame the book never came out, so much info here that will be lost if you do not do something about it

How about stuffing it into the articles forum ?

Even better print it out and I'll buy a copy of the complete thing, totally invaluable info as far as I am concerned.

Nick

Bloody hell Pete....this is great.This is the sort of stuff record collector should be printing instead of dumbing down.I could add to this on glancing.I was a regular buyer of your mag Pete....pre internet I think.Still got them all as well.You should really think about contacting Record Collector or some northern mags and getting this out.

[Jerry Hipkiss]

B*****r you Smith, I'm supposed to be working! - great stuff, seem to remember reading it on Micks site but so much info to re-digest. Keep it up!!

[Mike]

Pete

main labels are still up here

can remember at the time when you passed em on I only used the main label listings cause was mindful that you said they were for a book

and so didnt think was a good idea to use them all

they went up in full elsewhere later on

links to articles tagged to you

[Guest Dante]

Thanks Jez, I used to spend most of my time writing stuff, mainly for my own magazine then when I got fed up of that, for anyone who wanted something writing, I have to be honest, most of the facts and figures in these artickles, I did those from memory, it was knowledge that I had. Fifteen years on, I have forgotten nearly all that stuff and I found it interesting myself, it was like learning new information again - but a sad state really when you realise you've lost your knowledge. I'll post some more up in a bit.

I'm nineteen and happens to me all the time, don't worry.

Great read, Pete, thanks...

[45cellar]

Originally written in 1997-98

AVCO

70's label best known for releases by it's big stars, The Stylistics, who had a long run of chart success from 1972 onwards. The label seems to have been owned by former artists Hugo & Luigi, and was always a popular discotheque label with releases like L.J. Reynolds, Limmie & Family Cookin' and Van McCoy.

Labels were originally purple with white lettering but these were soon phased out and replaced by the dreaded plastic injection moulded labels, some in blue, some in purple.

Demos probably don't exist though I have had a few issues with stickers saying "ALSATIAN - RELEASE DATE ...........", Alsatian presumably being the pluggers for Phonogram releases at the time.

Not a lot here for us Northernites to get excited about. Donald Height's Rags To Riches To Rags is quite hard to find and probably the best release to look out for. L.J. Reynolds' The Penguin Breakdown is the instrumental version to both his own What's The Matter Baby and also to the now practically forgotten Rock Me Til I Want No More by Phil Lowman on the Palos label which at one time was an absolutely huge Wigan record. R.B. Freeman's I'm Shaft - You Ain't Shaft is an amusing gimmick record, but it was the instrumental flip that got the spins back in '75.

The best thing I can say about Avco in the UK is that they were kind enough not to enforce the so-bad-I-can't-believe-it-was-ever-released Who Can I Turn To/Could It Be Me by Mark Copage, a 5 (yes, 5!) year old non-singer whose only disc was actually played on the scene - both sides of it!

6105 005 DONALD HEIGHT Rags to riches to rags / Dancing to the music of love 7

009 DONNIE ELBERT I can't help myself / Love is here and now you're gone 2

014 L.J. REYNOLDS The penguin breakdown / Oo la we (by The Younghearts) 3

040 R. B. FREEMAN I'm shaft (you ain't shaft) / Instrumental 2

© 1998 Pete Smith

Hi Pete

Donnie Elbert must have been released at the transision

between the AVCO-EMBASSY Logo & the Later AVCO Logo in UK

As I have a copy on AVCO-EMBASSY

Not suggesting Valuable or anything, Just a Label Variation.

Brilliant Articles, Many Thanks for Posting

009 DONNIE ELBERT I can't help myself / Love is here and now you're gone 2

[Steve L]

Very interesting Pete, keep it up please

[Pete S]

Bloody hell Pete....this is great.This is the sort of stuff record collector should be printing instead of dumbing down.I could add to this on glancing.I was a regular buyer of your mag Pete....pre internet I think.Still got them all as well.You should really think about contacting Record Collector or some northern mags and getting this out.

The problem is that the rest of it is lost - not lost actually, I threw it all away when we moved house, it was on those little floppy discs we used to have on our pc's and I had no way of reading it anyway. I'd be happy to put all this stuff up somewhere like a wikipedia thing and people could add whatever they wante to it. Like I say, it was a long time ago, the mid 90's, there were still tons of records to be discovered and who'd have thought things like "The Hoop" would go from £8 to £80 in that time.

If you've got all the magazines I did you're one of very few who have, I haven't got them myself.

Also, thinking about it, before the kids came along I had loads of time to do this sort of stuff, I just found a back up disc I made in about 2003 and it has an imaginary 10 cd box set of red and white Island 45's (I say imaginary, no doubt I compiled them) and I'd actually done sleeve notes for the first couple of cd's as if it was an official release...really good sleeve notes too, I must have nicked them from somewhere

[Pete S]

Pete

main labels are still up here

can remember at the time when you passed em on I only used the main label listings cause was mindful that you said they were for a book

and so didnt think was a good idea to use them all

they went up in full elsewhere later on

links to articles tagged to you

https://www.soul-source.co.uk/index.php?/page/articles.html?soul=1893

Thats a shame Mike, everything from the letter S has been destroyed/lost after all these years.

I didn't realise you had all my old stuff still, blimey that was a long long time ago..

[Pete S]

Amazing stuff Pete, shame the book never came out, so much info here that will be lost if you do not do something about it

How about stuffing it into the articles forum ?

Even better print it out and I'll buy a copy of the complete thing, totally invaluable info as far as I am concerned.

Nick

Nick, I'll post up the remaining bits I've got, you can print em out for yourself and do what you like with it, you're very welcome.

[Pete S]

Bloody hell Pete....this is great.This is the sort of stuff record collector should be printing instead of dumbing down.I could add to this on glancing.I was a regular buyer of your mag Pete....pre internet I think.Still got them all as well.You should really think about contacting Record Collector or some northern mags and getting this out.

You seen this?

https://roundblackrecords.piczo.com/soulmags%282%29?cr=2&linkvar=000044

[Pete S]

Here's the remainder of what I've got..

HICKORY

Nashville-based label which gained it's own outlet in the UK courtesy of Pye Records.

It ran from 1964 to 1966. Various issues exist. Most common is a white label with black lettering and a white and grey logo, but there are also black and pink, and black blue and silver issues around. Demos are the white Pye style. The most sought after disc by a long chalk is the perennial classic Queen Of Fools by Barbara Mills, which should need no introduction to readers. Her other single, Try, has been unjustly overlooked as it's a quite sublime midtempo offering, often ignored due to it's uptempo flip side Let's Make A Memory. Queen Of Fools is a much repressed single and I wish I had a pound for the amount of times I've been offered a reissue as an original (ditto the Frankie & Johnny pressing on US Hickory).

Apart from Barbara, there's only really The Newbeats who give us anything to search for on Hickory. After a couple of hit singles, their falsetto styling paled and they released several non-hits which were picked up by the Northern scene. Crying My Heart out is the best-known, and this achieved monster status at Wigan in 1977. The Newbeats lead singer Larry Henley released a little known solo single entitled Sticking Up For My Baby, and this is currently quite in-demand on UK Hickory. It's a pretty good midtempo dancer with a stomping chorus and some neat sax work.

45 1272 LARRY HENLEY Stickin' up for my baby / My reason for living 8/12

1323 BARBARA MILLS Queen of fools / Make it last (take your time) 80/90

1328 SUE THOMPSON It's break-up time / Afraid 4/7

1332 NEWBEATS Run baby run / Mean woolly willies 8/15

1366 NEWBEATS Too sweet to be forgotten / Shake hands 6/8

1387 NEWBEATS Crying my heart out / Short on love 10/18

1392 BARBARA MILLS Try / Let's make a memory 7/12

1395 B.J. THOMAS Never tell / Billy and Sue 5/6

HMV

HMV began way back at the start of the century, but as no soul music was being produced then we'll quickly jump to 1953/54 when the label started issuing 7" singles in the UK. HMV became a legend with collectors due to it being the first label to issue Elvis Presley recordings in the UK, all of which, needless to say, are big money items nowadays, especially those with gold lettering on the label.

The original label was mauve with gold lettering, then mauve with silver lettering, moving on to blue and silver in the late 50's before finally changing to the well known black label with silver lettering (featuring the 'nipper' dog logo) in 1963. Some releases appear on both blue and black labels (e.g. Danny Williams - Moon River).

HMV also incorporated United Artists records for a short while before the latter was given it's own UK imprint, consequently certain early 60's releases are on a split HMV/UA blue and silver label (including the classic Phil Upchurch Combo - You Can't Sit Down 45). Demos were originally plain white with black lettering on both sides before switching to the normal EMI red and white style in 1961. Demos do not utilise the dog logo. Green and whites followed in 1967, but confusion reigns here when you think that HMV 1566 Ray Charles - I Don't No Doctor is a December 1966 release using a green and white demo, whereas Kenny Lynch - It's Too Late, issued well into 1967, has a red and white demo (in fact, I've even seen a copy without the red A!).

Naturally the HMV label is dominated by the mighty Impressions who issued 16 singles in the 60's, all of which are of a very high standard. From the same source comes Maxine Brown's Am I Falling In Love, a rare 1963 cut which has become popular over the last few years, and two stunning singles from The Sapphires, both smashing uptempo 60's dancers and both very, very rare on UK HMV. Gotta Have Your Love seems to have been around forever and still receives a lot of oldies spins at venues, whereas Evil One, it's lesser known counterpart, may be just a little too fast for todays dancers.

Other artists to look out for are the late Sam Cooke who had five singles issued in the 50's on HMV including the classic (What a) Wonderful World; Bobby Day, whose Little Bitty Pretty One got it's first UK issue on HMV, many years before becoming popular on it's Sue reissue; and of course there's Ray Charles who has a list of releases a mile long, though Northern Soul aficionados only get excited by the thought of mint copies of I Don't No Doctor and the massively underrated I Chose To Sing The Blues.

Fats Domino had several singles released on HMV in the early 60's, with 1964's If You Don't Know What Love Is becoming a popular Northern spin in the mid-90's, even though it's more rock & roll than soul. The Marvellos cut several quality dancers for ABC Paramount in the States but HMV only licensed the almost doo-wop sounding I Do for UK release. The there was Ray Whitley who wrote and recorded the original version of I've Been Hurt as well as several items alongside or for Billy Joe Royal and Joe South.

HMV wasn't exactly awash with new home-grown talent, though they did release the odd decent item by a UK based band or artist. Several of Kenny Lynch's singles have found favour among the soul fraternity, including current flavour of the month Movin' Away, which is, to be honest, a pretty awful pop song, though his version of My Own Two Feet is a stormer. Lynch was/is better known as a tv personality/all round entertainer/golf player. Other UK recordings of note: Elkie Brooks' He's Gotta Love Me has had a few feet a-shuffling over the years, West Five turned in an adequate reading of Just Like Romeo & Juliet, and I've been spared the probable torture of hearing dear old Beryl Read performing Deon Jackson's Love Makes The World Go Round!

With honourable mentions for The Dixie Cups almost perfect What Kind Of Fool Do You Think I Am and the always popular Dust My Broom by Ike & Tina Turner, HMV is a pretty worthwhile label for UK collectors to invest in. Incidentally, HMV stopped releasing American soul music in late '67 when EMI decided to put out all their soul output via the Stateside label.

POP 899 PHIL UPCHURCH COMBO You can't sit down / Part II 10/15

947 HANK LEVINE Image / Part II 6/12

961 IMPRESSIONS Gypsy woman / As long as you love me 25/40

1017 RAY CHARLES Hide nor hair / At the club 8/10

1067 TEDDY RANDAZZO Dance the locomotion / Cottonfields 5/681091 FREDA PAYNE He who laughs fast / Slightly out of tune 5/8

1102 MAXINE BROWN Am I falling in love / Promise me anything 30/50

1215 MADELEINE BELL Because you didn't care / I long for your love 8/10

1129 IMPRESSIONS I'm the one who loves you / I need your love 10/20

1226 IMPRESSIONS It's alright / You'll want me back 8/15

1254 TAMS What kind of fool / Laugh it off 8/12

1262 IMPRESSIONS Talking 'bout my babyNever too much love 10/20

1283 GLENDA COLLINS Baby it hurts / Nice wasn't it 20/30

1295 IMPRESSIONS I'm so proud / I made a mistake 8/15

1298 TAMS You lied to your daddy / It's alright, you're just in love 6/10

1303 FATS DOMINO If you don't know what love is / Something you got baby 12/20

1317 IMPRESSIONS Keep on pushing / I love you 8/15

1331 TAMS Hey girl don't bother me / Take away 30/45

1338 JOHN LEYTON I want a love I can see / Don't let her go away 5/8

1343 IMPRESSIONS You must believe me / See the real me 8/15

1367 KENNY LYNCH My own two feet / So much to love you for 10/20

1371 JUDI JOHNSON My baby's face / Make the most of it 8/14

1372 DANNY WILLIAMS Forget her, forget her / Lollipops and roses 5/8

1390 HANK LEVINE ORCHESTRA Image / Part II 5/8

1399 JUDI JOHNSON & the PERFECTIONS A way out / How many times 6/8

1408 IMPRESSIONS People get ready / I've been trying 10/18

1410 DANNY WILLIAMS Go away / Masquerade 5/6

1428 WEST FIVE (Just like) Romeo & Juliet / Someone ain't right 12/18

1429 IMPRESSIONS Woman got soul / Get up and move 8/15

1431 ELKIE BROOKS He's gotta love me / When you appear 15/22

1432 SOUPY SALES The mouse / Pachalafaka 4/5

1433 MARVELOWS l do / My heart 10/20

1435 TOM & JERRYO Boogaloo / Boomerang 10/22

1441 SAPPHIRES Gotta have your love / Gee baby I'm sorry 80/100

1446 IMPRESSIONS Meeting over yonder / I found that I lost 6/12

1461 SAPPHIRES Evil one / How could I say goodbye 80/100

1464 TAMS Concrete jungle / Till the end of time 6/8

1472 IMPRESSIONS I need you / Never could be you 8/15

1473 RAY WHITLEY I've been hurt / There is one boy 40/60

1489 BERYL REID Love makes the world go round / When the circus comes to town 5/6

1492 IMPRESSIONS Amen / Long long winter 6/10

1498 IMPRESSIONS You've been cheating / Just one kiss from you 10/30

1504 DELLA REESE Her little heart went to loveland / Home 6/8

1516 IMPRESSIONS Since I lost the one I love / Falling in love with you 8/10

1524 DIXIE CUPS What kind of fool / Danny Boy 7/12

1526 IMPRESSIONS Too slow / No one else 8/10

1531 STEVE ALAIMO So much love / Truer than true 6/10

1537 RAY CHARLES The train / Let's go get stoned 5/7

1544 IKE & TINA TURNER Beauty is just skin deep / Anything you wasn't born with 10/15

1545 IMPRESSIONS Can't satisfy / This must be the end 10/30

1548 THE HIGH &THE MIGHTY Help me escape from Cuba / Tryin' to stop cryin' 20/30

1551 RAY CHARLES I chose to sing the blues / Hopelessly 8/15

1560 DANNY WILLIAMS I'm so lost / Rain (falling from the skies) 4/6

1566 RAY CHARLES I don't need no doctor / Please say you're fooling 25/50

1577 KENNY LYNCH It's too late / I just wanna love you 8/15

1579 JIMMY REED Two ways to skin a cat / Got nowhere to go 6/10

1581 IMPRESSIONS You always hurt me / Little girl 8/10

1583 IKE & TINA TURNER Dust my broom / I'm hooked 18/35

1585 MARSHALL SCOTT ETC. Goin' where the lovin' is / Come to me 4/6

1591 RAELETTES One room paradise / One hurt deserves another 5/8

1594 B.B. KING Think it over / I don't want you cuttin' off your hair 5/7

1604 KENNY LYNCH Movin' away / Could I count on you 20/40

1607 RAY CHARLES Something's got to change / In the heat of the night 5/6

IMMEDIATE

'Proud to be a part of the industry in human happiness' was the slogan of this classic mid-60's label, the epitome of the Swinging London era and much beloved of Mods everywhere. Immediate was owned by Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham and a large percentage of releases have either a Stones or a Small Faces connection, be it via songwriting, producing or arranging. The label's output varied immensely, from r & b to pop, blues to soul, psychedlia to freakbeat and everything inbetween. The label was manufactured and distributed by Polydor records, and in line with that label, issued very few demos. The label was grey, though some releases were white, and later releases were pink , all with black lettering. demos were white with a red A, though many demos from 1967 onwards were simply date stamped above the title.

Soul collectors will be familiar with most of P.P. Arnold's releases, the former Ikette having settled in London and issued six decent singles on the label. The big one is Everything's Gonna Be Alright, her first for the label, an immensely popular sound which is very scarce on it's UK issue. The exotically-monickered Golden Apples Of The Sun cut an excellent and quite scarce version of Major Lance's The Monkey Time which was originally scheduled to appear on Decca but had it's release cancelled. The band were managed by fashion photographer David Bailey. The wonderful Barbara Lynn somehow managed a release on the label, the dancing You Can't Buy My Love which vanished without trace, and Scottish beat group The Poets cut an almost freakbeat version of Marvin Gaye's Baby Don't You Do It, producer of which was credited as being one Paul Raven, who is far better known as Gary Glitter!

Look out for the McCoys criminally underrated version of the standard Fever - it utilises an identical backing track to their smash hit Hang On Sloopy (with one minor chord change) and it really stomps, a truly stupendous version of a great song.

IM 007 STRANGELOVES Cara-Lin / Roll on Mississippi 6/8

008 VAN LENTON You don't care / Gotta get away 8/12

009 FACTOTUMS In my lonely room / Run in the green and tangerine flaked forest8/12

010 GOLDEN APPLES OF THE SUN The monkey time / Chocolate rolls, tea and monopoly 10/15

011 BARBARA LYNN You can't buy my love / That's what a friend will do 10/18

021 MCCOYS Fever / Sorrow 5/8

023 CHRIS FARLOWE Don't just look at me / Think 6/15

024 POETS Baby don't you do it / I'll come home 20/30

026 GOLDIE Headlines / Goin' back 8/10

029 MCCOYS Up and down / If you tell a lie 5/7

038 CHRIS FARLOWE Headlines / Ride on baby 5/7

040 P.P. ARNOLD Everything's gonna be alright / Life is but nothing 50/80

041 CHRIS FARLOWE My way of giving / You're so good to me 4/6

055 P.P. ARNOLD If you see what I mean / The time has come 4/6

061 P.P. ARNOLD (If you think you're) groovy / Though it hurts me badly 4/6

ISLAND

Think of the Island label and what immediately springs to mind? Probably reggae, maybe folk from the late 60's or perhaps early 70's progressive rock; usually not soul music. However, on close inspection Island's 60's catalogue contains several releases which will be of great interest to the UK label collector.

The label was set up by Englishman Chris Blackwell in Jamaica in 1959 or thereabouts and issued West Indian recordings in the popular New Orleans influenced R&B style of the time. Some of these recordings appeared in the UK on another independent label, Starlite, which also released pop and rock'n'roll and is in itself a collectable label. In the 50's and early 60's, Jamaican music was greatly influenced by American rhythm and blues, and productions from this period are basically Jamaican copies of the American style. Much of this happened because the US originals were imported in very small quantities and would then be "covered up" in order to stop rival sound system operators getting hold of an exclusive sound. Sound familiar?

Island first appeared in the UK in 1962, utilising a white label with logo at the top. By 1964, this had changed to the more familiar white label with the red band running across the centre (exactly the same style as Island offshoot Sue). Late 1967 saw the introduction of a new numbering series (6000) and a new label design - a striking pink label with the word Island at the top and a weird target-type symbol on the left. This changed to the well-known "palm tree" design in 1970, by which time the soul content of the label was nil and the reggae content minimal.

The discography featured here includes practically all non-Ska/Rocksteady/Reggae singles, though not all will be soul - I've never heard Sam Houston or Tony Washington's releases, but you never know!

Highlights From Island

One current in-demander from Island is the superb Wide Awake In A Dream by The Blues Busters (219), though the credit on the UK release is simply to group member Phillip James.

Jackie Edwards' immortal I Feel So Bad (3006) has been played on the soul scene almost since the day of it's original release and now commands a very high price. An alternative version of I Feel So Bad appears on a very scarce French EP, where the original backing track has been overdubbed with a new vocal version containing a duet between Jackie and an uncredited girl singer (said by some to be Joyce Bond).

The V.I.P.'s were a beat group from Carlisle who recorded three very rare singles in the 60's, one for RCA and two for Island (and also one for CBS as The Vipps). The second Island single, Straight Down To The Bottom (6005), is a superb Northern dancer and quite soulful to boot. The band went on to become Spooky Tooth.

Wynder K.Frog was a group rather than a person and was fronted by keyboardist Mick Weaver who had previously been with The Fairies. Their version of Spencer Davis Group's I'm A Man (6014) was supposedly recorded live at Brigitte Bardot's birthday party in Paris! Apart from their well known Northern 'hit' Green Door (6006), the band also did a fine instrumental version of none other than I Feel So Bad on the LP Sunshine Superfrog.

Jimmy Cliff''s Waterfall (6039) was written by the band Nirvana (no, not that Nirvana, this was a 60's hippy band), was very big as a revived oldie in 1977, and consequently pressed.

Tim Tam & The Turn-Ons' Wait A Minute (6007) comes from, of all sources, the much respected Detroit label Palmer and was originally played in 1978 as a joke! It went on to become one of the years' biggest spins. The flip side is a pretty neat Mod instrumental.

Julian Covey was actually Phil Kinorra from Nottingham. Backing group The Machine featured sometime members of Johnny Kidd & The Pirates, Blossom Toes and Shotgun Express. A Little Bit Hurt (6009) is a long standing classic which still gets played at oldies nights.

Owen Gray was a veteran Jamaican singer who cut a cover of The Anglos' Incense (6000) for Island. The Anglos themselves were a studio project fronted by Stevie Winwood. Island was the home of the third release of their version of Incense (6061), it having previously seen the light of day on the tiny Island offshoot Brit from where it was picked up by Fontana. A projected reissue on Sue never materialised even though a catalogue number was allocated.

Finally, an honourable mention goes to Robert Parker's classic Let's Go Baby (Where The Action Is)(286) which simply makes you want to dance - and that's what it's all about.

WI 189 RUDY SEEDORF One million stars 7

214 BLUES BUSTERS How sweet it is / I had a dream 10

219 PHILLIP JAMES Wide awake in a dream / Unknown (Maytals track) 25

270 JACKIE EDWARDS Come on home / Sometimes 8

271 PATSY COLE Disappointed bride / Honeymoon night (by Earl Bostic) 7

273 ROY C Shotgun wedding / High school dropout 4

273 ROY C I'm gonna make it / Shotgun wedding 4

274 JACKIE EDWARDS L-o-v-e / What's your name 6

286 ROBERT PARKER Barefootin' / Let's go baby (where the action is) 8

287 JACKIE EDWARDS Oh Mary / Think twice 8

WIP 3006 JACKIE EDWARDS I feel so bad / I don't want to be made a fool of 75

3008 ROBERT PARKER Happy feet / The scratch 6

3019 JOYCE BOND Tell me what it's all about / Tell me right now 5

6000 OWEN GRAY Incense / Help me 6

6004 JIMMY CLIFF Give and take

/ Aim and ambition 5

6005 VIP'S Straight down to the bottom/In a dream 30

6006 WYNDER K. FROG Green door / Dancing frog 12

6007 TIM TAM & the TURN-ONS Wait a minute / Opelia 15

6008 JACKIE EDWARDS Come back girl / Tell him you lied 6

6009 JULIAN COVEY & the MACHINE A little bit hurt / Sweet bacon 12

6014 WYNDER K. FROG I'm a man / Shook shimmy and shake 8

6039 JIMMY CLIFF Waterfall / The reward 10

6053 BOB & EARL Harlem shuffle / I'll keep running back 4

6061 ANGLOS Incense / You're fooling me 5

6280 BARBARA PENNINGTON Running in another direction / Running away 2/3

6285 JACKIE EDWARDS I feel so bad / Come on home 6/7

6442 JULIAN COVEY & the MACHINE A little bit hurt / Sweet bacon 4/5

USA 006 BOBBY McCLURE You bring out the love in me / Daybreak (by Survival kit) 10/12

USA 008 FANTASTIC JOHNNY C Don't depend on me / Waiting for the rain (by Philly Sound) 8/10

JAYBOY

A very underrated label which did a sterling job in making some of the late 60's/early 70's biggest sounds available at high street prices. The label was owned by President Records, run by David Kassner and began issuing records in 1968 with Doris Willingham's (aka Doris Duke) You Can't Do That. The first 20 or so releases were a strange mixture of beat, soul and pop, little of which are worth mentioning. An early Record Collector issue reports that the MC5's seminal Kick Out The Jams was issued on Jayboy, but I haven't been able to find any evidence to substantiate this claim, especially as it was released as a single on Elektra. So really we have to jump to 1970 and Ray Merrell's fantastic Tears Of Joy, which is easily the rarest release on the label and is probably worth as much as every one of the other 114 or so releases put together. And this from an Irish country and western singer too! That this single is in such short supply has led to claims that it was withdrawn, but there seems no reason for this - it probably just sold zilch. The next couple of years saw Jayboy plundering the Mirwood back catalogue and releasing practically everything of note from that L.A. source. The quality of most of these releases is of a very high standard but items such as Jimmy Conwell's awesome instrumental Cigarette Ashes, it's vocal version That Beatin' Rhythm by Richard Temple and singles from Jackie Lee, Bob & Earl Band and The Sheppards are all so well known that to go into a breakdown of each release is almost on a par with reviewing every Tamla Motown release.

Chris Savory recalls an interesting anecdote in Record Collector 33 concerning a visit paid to David Kassner by himself and Clive Richardson, who had taken a liking to a single on US Veejay by Little Wayne Anthony. The duo played Kassner the record, left it with him, and a matter of weeks later a Jayboy demo of the self same record duly dropped through their letterboxes! Nice to see a record executive with an open enough mind to take into consideration exactly what the soul buff on the street wanted to be issued in the UK. The fact that the record sold nothing on it's UK release is a moot point.

Most of the Jayboy soul singles are worth around a fiver, with some of the demos fetching a tenner. The exception, as mentioned previously, is the Ray Merrell record which is now a hundred pound plus item. I remember when I finally got a copy of that particular record, someone had desperately tried to erase the pencil-written price on the label of 20p!

BOY 1 DORIS WILLINGHAM You can't do that / Lost again 8/10

22 RAY MERRELL Tears of joy / Searchin' 130/150

24 INVITATIONS How'd we ever get this way / Picking up 4/5

25 BOB & EARL Harlem shuffle / Send for me I'll be there 3/4

26 JACKIE LEE Do the temptation walk / The shotgun and the duck 4/5

28 JACKIE LEE Would you believe / You're everything 4/5

29 HIDEAWAYS Hideout / Jolly Joe 3/4

30 SHEPPARDS Stubborn heart / How do you like it 15/25

31 RICHARD TEMPLE That beatin' rhythm / Could it be 5/8

32 DONALD HEIGHT Talk of the grapevine / There'll be no tomorrow 4/5

33 JERRYO Karate boogaloo / The pearl 4/5

36 ERMA FRANKLIN The right to cry / I'm just not ready for love 2/3

37 PHILLIP MITCHELL Gonna build California all over the world / World needs more people 5/6

38 EXCITERS Soul motion / You know it ain't right 2/3

40 LIBERTY BELLES Shingaling time / Just try me 2/3

42 DREAMS (They call me) Jessie James / The charge 2/3

44 BLUES BUSTERS Inspired to love you / I can't stop 5/6

48 GEORGE TORRENCE & NATURALS So long goodbye / Lickin' stick 4/5

51 DONALD HEIGHT 365 days / I'm willing to wait 4/5

52 JACKIE LEE & DOLORES HALL Whether it's right or wrong / Baby I'm satisfied 3/4

54 GEORGE FREEMAN Why are you doing this to me / I'm like a fish 4/5

56 OLYMPICS Baby do the philly dog / Secret agents 4/5

57 PHILUP MITCHELL Free for all (winner takes all) / Flower child 4/7

58 ERNIE & ED Indication / Beautiful world 5/6

59 FREDDIE SCOTT Are you lonely for me baby / The love of my woman 4/5

61 FURYS What is soul / I lost my baby 3/4

62 JERRYO Dance whatcha wanna / Afro twist time 2/3

63 LOU & LAURA POOLE Only you and I know / Look at me 5/6

64 JIMMY CONWELL Cigarette ashes / Second hand happiness 5/7

65 MIRETTES He's alright with me / Now that I found you baby 4/5

66 JACKIE LEE Oh my darlin' / Don't be ashamed 5/6

67 JIMMY THOMAS Where there's a will / Just trying to please you 4/5

68 FURYS I'm satisfied with you / Just a little mixed up 4/5

69 FI-DELS Try a little harder / You never do right 5/10

71 WATTS 103rd ST. BAND Spreadin' honey / Charley 4/5

72 BOB & EARL I can't get away / I'll keep running back 4/5

73 BOB & EARL BAND My little girl / His and hers shuffle 4/5

74 OLYMPICS The same old thing / I'll do a little bit more 4/5

75 BOBBY WOMACK What is this / I wonder 4/5

78 CLAY HAMMOND Dance little girl / Twin brother 4/5

109 FOXY Get off your aah and dance / Part 2 1/2

111 MIAMI Kill that roach / Mr Notorious 1/2

KAMA SUTRA

This intriguingly monickered label saw it's first releases come out in the UK on ernational before establishing its own imprint, primarily as an outlet for releases by the labels' biggest stars, The Lovin' Spoonful. Kama Sutra only has a handful of releases to interest the soul collector, but one of those is surely one of the most collectable records ever released - or unreleased - in the UK.

Kama Sutra 208 is Six O'Clock by The Lovin' Spoonful, the tune of which may be familiar to older readers as it was released as 'Supertime' by The Golden World Strings on a fake Stephanye label in the very early 70's. It turned out to be an obscure LP track by Total Eclipse. The Spoonful's vocal is okay but hardly essential. Now, the only other release of note on this label is Billy Harner- What About The Music, a 1970 release which fetches up to a tenner on British. However, by one of those strange quirks of fate, a handful of advance copies were pressed up with an extra 1:30 second instrumental version of What About The Music hidden away unannounced. This instrumental - which is excellent, by the way - was itself bootlegged in very poor quality as a one sided disc in 1977. It can now be found in perfect quality on one of the Deep Beats Northern Soul compilations CD. I only know the whereabouts of one copy of this record for definite - though somebody always knows someone who's got one - and because of this, I would rate this is the hardest UK Northern Soul 45 of all time to find, and in real terms it should be worth double the price of a Darrell Banks London demo due to it's supreme rarity. I also know (and this is the God's honest truth) a guy who told me that he'd sent copies back to the manufacturers because of this strange fault/extra track. I was told this back in '77, the guy was the manager of a record shop in the village where I used to live so there's no need to doubt him. Sigh. One more thing: you can only tell whether you've got the 'special' version by playing the thing - labels are identical to issues!

KAS 208 LOVIN' SPOONFUL Six o'clock / The finale 4/6

2013029 BILLY HARNER What about the music / Please spare me this time 6/8

2013029 BILLY HARNER BAND What about the music / Instrumental version / Please spare me this time

(Instrumental only on a handful of mispressed demos) 300

KING

Another weird and wonderful UK label, King issued basically anything they could get their hands on between 1966 and 1968. The label was run and owned by Rita & Benny King and based in Stamford Hill in London. They had previously run the R & B label and were responsible for ska/rocksteady labels such as R & B, Caltone, Giant and Jolly. All of these labels are collectable today. King itself went from the ridiculous (Irish singalongs from Larry Cunningham - the most common King singles by a mile) to the sublime (the wonderful Mary Love). Elsewhere you'll find the rare surf-meets-Northern instrumental Soulful Jerk by The Rumblers, very rare and very expensive too; June Adams' gospell-ish River Keep Moving, a relatively recent discovery which is very, very good; and the best ever Cliff Richard impersonation from The Rocomars who give us All In Black Woman - why this has been listed in previous discographies is beyond me, but I will include it here to save people writing in and telling me I've forgotten it!

The label comes in a variety of colours: black and silver, blue and silver, or sea-green and silver, all utilising a 'crown' logo at the top of the label. Later labels are sky blue with a pattern running around the centre. No demos seem to exist, though Mick Smith obtained a white test pressing with hand written labels directly from the labels' owners a few years back.

KC 1002 BETTY EVERETT Your loving arms / Happy I long to be 5

1007 DYNAMICS So in love with me / Say you will 5

1009 SONNY HINES Nothing like your love / Anytime, anyday, anywhere 5

1018 CHANTAYS I'll be back someday / Beyond 5

1021 RUMBLERS Soulful jerk / Hey did a da da 35

1024 MARY LOVE You turned my bitter into sweet / I'm in your hands 60

1031 ROCOMARS All in black woman / Give me time 5

1035 VOGUES Magic town / Humpty dumpty 5

1038 JUNE ADAMS River keep movin' / Heavenly father 15

1041 SAM & DAVE You ain't no big time baby / No more pain 8

1044 GUESS WHO Hey girl / It's my pride 6

© 1998 Pete Smith

[Pete S]

LIBERTY

No introduction needed for this EMI distributed label, set up in the UK in 1962, before which it's releases had come out mainly on London. The Liberty numbering sequence is very confusing and does not run in numerical order. '55' prefixed singles are from the parent US Liberty label; '66' prefixed singles are nearly all from US Minit; '12' prefixes are from a variety of sources including Minit and Soul City; whilst the odd disc that appears with a '10' prefix may well be a British recording. Certainly the ultra rare 1964 Stylos single, Head Over Heels, was the first ever UK production released on UK Liberty. The band were from Manchester and disappeared after this one-off beat single. It's probably safe to assume that many of P.J. Proby's singles were also recorded in the UK. Sadly, the labels cannon is pretty low on highlights, though when it's good, it's very good!

Homer Banks - Three super singles in a row from US Minit, including the much imitated A Lot Of Love. These three records almost single-handedly sum up the UK rare soul scene of 1967-69.

Al Wilson - Al's two singles for Liberty are both sought after, though whereas one has long had it's day, the other is just beginning to get the recognition from collectors. The Snake was one of the biggest records ever on the Northern scene, though exactly why this is has always escaped me. Now I Know What Love Is was given a lot of exposure on the Kent LP Midnight Movers and consequently 'took off' in collecting circles.

Timi Yuro - It'll Never Be Over For Me was recorded in the UK in 1969 and not issued in the USA on a 7", consequently the demand for this on UK Liberty has been astronomical until a reissue a few years back quelled the demand. A beautiful midtempo dancer of the highest quality from a superb vocalist, this has probably been the biggest sound of the last 10 years. All of Timi's releases are top quality, though you may do well to avoid some of her 'country' recordings for Mercury (having said that, her Can't Stop Running Away on Mercury is a must).

The Fifth Dimension featured vocalists Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr and hit gold with some sappy late 60's numbers such as Aquarius and Up Up And Away. However, their Train Start Moving comes from another universe when compared to those titles, it's a 200 mph unstoppable monster of a dancer and it truly is incredible. Betcha can't stop yourself tapping your feet to this one.

Tommy Sands attempted to revive a flagging career by cutting a dance craze number entitled The Statue - well, the first 10 seconds are excellent, but it's all downhill after that. Surprisingly, this was big for a few weeks during 1977 before a very dodgy pressing hit it for six - thank God for bootleggers.

Gene McDaniels cut singles a plenty for Liberty including the classic Walk With A Winner on which he gives a truly bad vocal performance that no-one seems to have noticed due to it's crashing beat ballad backing. While this track is easily Gene's best known Northern sound, his excellent version of Jimmy Radcliffe's There Goes The Forgotten Man remains practically unknown on British. Strange.

The O'Jays need no introduction so I'll just say that their Lipstick Traces is another seminal 60's soul cut - what a shame they didn't release I'll Never Forget You on UK eh? Then there's Irma Thomas, who's probably never cut a bad record but neither did she have the success she deserved in the 60's, usually beaten to the punch by an opportunist cover version. Irma's biggest UK in-demander is What Are You Trying To Do, another record which shot up in price after it's inclusion on a Kent LP.

Finally, among the waifs and strays we have the lovely Jackie DeShannon - Find Me Love, a one time biggie which was so popular it was pressed (you can now buy an original for the same price as a pressing), still hard-ish on UK though; Walk by The Fenways which is a headbanging 4/4 garage record; Moment Of Softness by US T-Bones (so called to differentiate them from the UK's Gary Farr & The T-Bones), which is a simple but quite effective instrumental dominated by chimes; and the obscure Michael Clark Tams soundalike None Of These Girls. Did somebody mention Gary Lewis & The Playboys? Let's get out of here!

LIB 10115 WILSON PICKETT It's too late / I'm gonna love you 8/12

10173 STYLOS Head over heels / By bye baby bye bye 50/65

10206 P.J. PROBY I don't want to hear it anymore / Let the water run down 4/6

12018 T-BONE WALKER Party girl / Here in the dark 12/15

12028 HOMER BANKS A lot of love / Fighting to win 12/2012040 JIMMY HOLIDAY Baby I love you / You won't get away 7/14

12042 JOHNNY SAYLES Anything for you / Deep down in your heart 5/8

12047 HOMER BANKS 60 minutes of your love / Do you know what 12/20

12048 JIMMY HOLIDAY Give me your love / The turning point 6/10

12051 FIFTH DIMENSION Too poor to die / Go where you wanna go 6/10

12053 JIMMY HOLIDAY I'm gonna move to the city / Everybody needs help 6/10

12055 FATS DOMINO It keeps raining / Blue monday 6/10

12058 JIMMY HOLIDAY & CLYDIE KNG Ready, willing and able / We got a good thing goin' 15/30

12060 HOMER BANKS Hooked by love / Lady of stone 12/20

15044 AL WILSON Now I know what love is / Do what you gotta do 15

15121 AL WILSON The snake / Who could be loving you 15

15177 CLASSICS IV 24 hours of loneliness / Stormy 4

15182 TIMI YURO It'll never be over for me / As long as there is you 100

15190 DORSEY BURNETTE The greatest love / Thin little plain little simple little girl 5

15221 VENTURES Hawaii 5-0 / Higher than thou 5

15243 FIFTH DIMENSION Working on a groovy thing / Sunshine of your love 4

15334 DEE CLARK 24 hours of loneliness / Where did all the good times go 4

15356 FIFTH DIMENSION Train keep on movin' / I'll be loving you forever 15

15392 HOMER BANKS 60 minutes of your love / I know you know I know you know 555469 TIMI YURO What's a matter baby / Thirteenth hour 10/18

55480 GENE MCDANIELS The point of no return / Warmer than a whisper 8/12

55510 GENE MCDANIELS Somebody's waiting / Spanish lace 6/10

55519 TIMI YURO Ain't gonna cry no more / Love of a boy 15/22

55553 RIVINGTONS I'm losing my grip / The birds the word 15/20

55597 GENE McDANIELS Its a lonely town / False friends 8/12

55752 GENE McDANIELS (There goes the) forgotten man / ????????? 10/15

55805 GENE McDANIELS Walk with a winner / A miracle 50/90

55842 TOMMY SANDS The statue / Lolita 20/30

55867 U.S. T-BONES Moment of softness / Sippin' and chippin' 6/9

55893 MICHAEL CLARK None of these girls / Work out 5/8

55898 GARY LEWIS & the PLAYBOYS My heart's symphony / Tina 5/10

55923 GENE MCDANIELS Make me a present of you / In times like these 5/8

55936 P.J. PROBY Niki hoeky / Good things are coming my way 5/12

55953 MARK JAMES I can't let you go / Bimbo knows 5/10

65974 P.J. PROBY You can't come home again / Work with me Annie 5/12

66009 MAJORS Ooh wee baby / I'll be there 15/22

66013 IRMA THOMAS Breakaway / Wish someone would care 10/20

66041 IRMA THOMAS Time is on my side / Anyone who knows what love is 10/20

66082 FENWAYS Walk / Whip and jerk 8/12

66102 O'JAYS Lipstick traces (on a cigarette) / Think it over 20/35

66137 IRMA THOMAS What are you trying to do / Take a look 20/40

66197 O'JAYS Friday night / Stand in for love 15/25

66224 JACKIE DESHANNON Find me love / Come on down (from the top of that hill) 8/15

LONDON-AMERICAN

This giant label is perhaps the most important collector's label of all time, spanning 3 decades and churning out rarity after rarity, with some of the most valuable items from the rock and roll era going way into four figures. London deserves a book to itself (an excellent complete discography was published by Record Information Services in the 80's and should still be available) so here is just a basic bit of information on the rather confusing prefixing system that the label used. All London singles have the prefix HL. This is then followed by the number, or in many cases, an extra letter before the number e.g. HLK, HLU etc. This third letter is a code for exporting. HL refers to 'Home London', whilst the third letter, let's just say for instance 'A' (making the prefix HLA) means that the record could be exported to all countries except the USA, Canada and South America.

London were an early convert to the 7" 45 rpm format and many of their early releases are highly prized. All releases on London featuring gold lettering on a black background should be snapped up immediately, even if it's by the likes of Pat Boone.

HLU 8853 was probably the first 'silver top' release, in April 1959. This sees the top half of the label change from plain black to silver, with the London logo at the top. The last triangular centre release was released in February 1960 (HLU 9050). The silver top label ran until 1967 when, alongside it's parent company Decca, it reverted to a plain label with a boxed logo at the top. This has thrown up a few anomalies: Charlie Rich's Love Is After Me is common as a black label, but rare as a silver top, even though it was never officially deleted in silver top format.

In the 50's, demos were always on two one sided discs, and so consequently over the years many of the pairings have been split up. If you truly want to own a demo of Barrett Strong's Money, then you'd need to track down two demos instead of one.

This process must have been phased out in 1960 as The Miracles' Shop Around is a double sided demo. All of the single sided demos are orange and feature a matrix number rather than a catalogue number. The catalogue number is often hand written on the label. 60's London demos came in a bewildering variety of styles. Very early 60's demos are usually orange with the 'Decca' style outer ring but no indication as to which is the A side. 1961-63 saw yellow, white and orange demos, notable for a large thin A which touches the sides of the label. Often the only information on the label of this type of demo is artist/title/number. Next demo was usually yellow or orange and featured a similar layout to the silver top issue and utilised the Decca style outer ring and featured a small A in the top left corner. This design seems to have been used until late 1969, when it was replaced with a maroon label demo with a box logo.

Interesting London facts!

8856 (Marv Johnson) and 8998 (Paul Gayten) were the first Motown records ever released in the UK. Although the label of the Johnson release credits the source as being United Artists, they licensed the record from Berry Gordy after it had become a local hit. Both of these singles had triangular centres and were also released as 78's.

Initial copies of Del Shannon's Runaway (9317) inadvertantly featured 9356 The Snake by Maximillian on the B side. The latter is a popular mod sound.

9291 Al Tousan was, as one might have guessed, Allen Toussaint, though some copies carry the mis-spelling Al Poussan.

Lou Johnson's London singles list the US label as being both Big Top and Big Hill, depending which single you come across. The UK release of the classic Unsatisfied runs about 5 seconds longer than the US original!

9393 (Bobby Parker), 9410 (Chris Kenner), 9451 (Ike & Tina Turner), 9513 (Barbara George) were all reissued on the Sue label.

9908 Round Robin was a protoge of Chubby Checker and was responsible for a short lived dance craze around the Philadelphia area called The Slauson.

10037 The American Poets had to undergo the name extension to avoid confusion with Scottish beatmeiseters The Poets (see also 'Manchesters' Playboys).

10070 Darrell Banks's magnificent double-sider appeared as a London demo before being swiftly withdrawn and reissued on Stateside three weeks later. The London demo gives the incomplete title to the B side (Our Love instead of Our Love (Is In The Pocket)), while the Stateside red and white demo gets the title of the top side wrong (Open The Door Of Your Heart instead of To). No silver top copies of Open The Door To Your Heart are known to exist - although someone knows someone who's cousin's sisters next door neighbour once saw a copy! If a silver top copy were to be found it would surely realise £1000+.

10090 Little Hank's Mister Bang Bang Man was one of the late 60's most in-demand items, having been withdrawn after being on sale for a few weeks. Issues would appear to be scarcer than demos, quantity wise. It was eventually reissued on Monument in 1970 to meet with 'discotheque' demand.

The 70's releases by Chubby Checker, Bunny Sigler, Bobby Paris, Yvonne Baker etc were credited to ABKCO Records. These are in fact all Cameo/Parkway recordings, the masters of which are owned by and leased from Alan B. Klein Co.

A handful of American labels had their first UK releases here on exclusively designed labels which incorporated their logo: London Atlantic, London Monument and London Dot being the best known.

8856 MARVJOHNSON Come to me / Whisper 50/70

8998 PAUL GAYTEN The hunch / Hot cross buns 50/70

9088 BARRETT STRONG Money (that's what I want) / Oh I apologise 50/80

9112 BO DIDDLEY Road runner / My story 25/40

9176 LITTLE WALTER My babe / Blue midnight 20/30

9209 SHIRLEY & LEE Let the good times roll / Keep loving me

9226 IKE & TINA TURNER A fool in love / Thse way you love me

9265 MARV JOHNSON Happy days / Baby baby

9266 ROSIE & ORIGINALS Give me love / Angel baby

9276 MIRACLES Shop around / Who's lovin' you 40/70

9319 GENE McDANIELS A hundred pounds of clay / Take a chance on love 8/12

9358 BEN E. KING Stand by me / On the horizon 5/10

9366 MIRACLES Ain't it baby / The only one I love 40/70

9392 BOBBY PARKER Watch your step / Steal your heart away 20/25

9399 MAR-KEYS Last night / Night before 10/15

9410 CHRIS KENNER I like it like that / Part 2 8/12

9448 GENE McDANIELS Tower of strength / The secret 7/10

9449 MAR-KEYS Morning after / Diana 6/10

9451 IKE & TINA TURNER It's gonna work out fine / Won't you forgive me 6/10

9463 JUSTIN JONES Dance by yourself / Love 20/30

9481 SHOWMEN It will stand / Country fool 30/40

9496 ROBERT KNIGHT Free me / The other half of man 10/15

9510 MAR-KEYS Foxy / One degree North 8/12

9523 ARTHUR ALEXANDER You better move on / A shot of rhythm and blues 15/30

9544 BEN E. KING Hermit of misty mountain / Don't play that song 9565 FALCONS I found a love / Swim

9570 BENNY SPELLMAN Fortune teller / Lipstick traces 30/60

9571 SHOWMEN The wrong girl / I love you can't you see 75/100

9586 BEN E. KING Too bad / My heart cries for you 10/15

9595 BOOKER T. & the MG'S Green onions / Behave yourself 5/15

9631 BEN E. KING Walking in the footsteps of a fool / I'm standing by 8/15

9643 MEL TORME Coming home baby / Right now 8/20

9680 JIMMY HUGHES My lovin' time / I'm qualified 12/20

9681 SHEPHERD SISTERS Don't mention my name / What makes little girls cry 8/15

9689 JERRY JACKSON Gypsy eyes / Turn back 15/20

9699 DRIFTERS On Broadway / Let the music play 6/12

9720 BARBARA LEWIS Hello stranger / Think a little sugar 10/20

9730 JAMES BROWN Prisoner of love / Choo choo

9733 VOLUMES Sandra / Teenage paradise

9743 RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS Little latin lupe lu / I'm so lonely 12/20

9749 DORIS TROY Just one look / Bossa nova blues 10/18

9750 DRIFTERS Rat race / If you don't come back 6/12

9757 GARNELL COOPER Green monkey / Long distance 12/20

9763 SOLOMON BURKE Stupidity / Can't nobody love you 12/20

9765 DARLENE LOVE Wait til my Bobby gets home / Take it from me 15/20

9768 HIGH KEYES Que sera sera / Daddy ooh long legs 8/15

9778 BEN E KING The beginning of time / I (who have nothing)

9779 BARBARA LEWIS Straighten up your heart / If you love her

9805 LOU JOHNSON Magic potion / Reach out for me 20/35

9809 DYNAMICS Misery / I'm the man 20/30

9814 RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS My babe / Fe fi fidily I oh

9820 CHARMETTES Please don't kiss me again / What is a tear 15/20

9832 BARBARA LEWIS Snap your fingers / Puppy love

9837 CRYSTALS Uptown / Little boy (withdrawn)

9875 VIBRATIONS My girl Sloopy / Daddy woo woo

9881 RUBY & THE ROMANTICS Much better off than I've ever been / Our everlasting love 10/15

9886 DRIFTERS One way love / Didn't it 6/10

9897 DON & DEWEY Get your hat / Annie Lee

9908 ROUND ROBIN Kick that little foot Sally Ann / Slauson party 20/35

9917 LOU JOHNSON Wouldn't that be something / Always something there to remind me 15/30

9918 BARBARA LYNN Oh baby ( we got a good thing goin') / Unfair

9925 BILL BLACKS COMBO Little queenie / Boo-ray 15/30

9926 WILLIE MITCHELL Secret home / 20-75 7/12

9932 TOMMY TUCKER Oh what a feeling / Wine bottles 20/40

9935 RUBY & the ROMANTICS I cry alone / When you're young and in love

9953 DOBIE GRAY The 'in' crowd / Be a man 8/20

9959 CAROLYN CARTER I'm thru / It hurts 15/20

9970 SOUL SISTERS Good time tonight / Foolish dreamer 20/35

9974 TINA BRITT The real thing / Teardrops fell 20/35

9976 RONETTES You baby / Is this what I get for loving you

9977 BARBARA MASON Keep him / Yes I'm ready 12/20

9981 LENNY WELCH Darling take me back / Time after time 8/12

9983 BURT BACHARACH / TONY MIDDLETON My little red book / What's new pussycat 15/25

9987 BABY WASHINGTON Only those in love / The ballad of Bobby Dawn

9990 JAMES BROWN Papa's got a brand new bag / Part II 6/20

9994 LOU JOHNSON Unsatisfied / A time to love, a time to cry 30/60

9998 BONNIE & the TREASURES Home of the brave / Our song 15/20

9999 AL DE LORY Traffic jam / Yesterday

10003 CASTAWAYS Liar, liar / Sam 12/15

10004 WILLIE MITCHELL That driving beat / Everything's gonna be alright 6/15

10009 INEZ & CHARLIE FOXX Hummingbird / If I need anyone

10010 LENNY WELCH Run to my lovin' arms / Coronet blue 8/15

10014 VOGUES Five o'clock world / Nothing to offer you 6/10

10020 STRANGELOVES Night time / Rhythm of love 10/15

10024 DARROW FLETCHER The pain gets a little deeper / My judgement day 40/60

10037 AMERICAN POETS She blew a good thing / Out to lunch 35/70

10038 EXCITERS Weddings make me cry / You better come home 15/25

10039 WILLIE MITCHELL Bad eye / Sugar T10057 JOE SIMON Long hot summer / A teenager's prayer 10/20

10059 JIMMY BEAUMONT You've got too much going for you / I never loved her anyway 30/75

10062 DONALD HEIGHT Talk of the grapevine / There'll be no tomorrow 35/50

10069 INTRUDERS Up and down the ladder / United 20/30

10070 DARRELL BANKS Open the door to your heart / Our love (Demo only) 250

10078 MARGARET WHITING Nothing lasts forever / Wheel of hurt 4/6

10081 IKETTES Whatcha gonna do / Down down

10083 IKE & TINA TURNER A love like yours / Hold on baby

10085 WILLIE MITCHELL Mercy / Sticks and stones

10090 LITTLE HANK Mr. Bang Bang Man / Don't you know (Withdrawn) 30/50

10094 BARBARA LYNN You left the water running / Until I'm free

10102 KNICKERBOCKERS Please don't love him / Can you help me

10103 FREDDIE SCOTT Are you lonely for me baby / Where were you

10104 CHARLIE RICH Love is after me / Pass me by 15/20

10107 TOMMY G & the CHARMS I know what I want / I want you so bad

10114 MARGARET WHITING Just like a man / The world inside your arms 4/6

10116 DONALD HEIGHT 365 days / I'm willing to wait 25/35

10120 FORUM The river is wide / I fall in love 6/9

10121 EARL HARRISON Humphrey stomp / Can you forgive me 30/50

10123 FREDDIE SCOTT Cry to me / No one could ever love you

10129 EDDIE FLOYD You set my soul on fire / Will I be the one

10139 FREDDIE SCOTT Am I grooving you / Never you mind

10146 WILSON PICKETT Billy the kid / I don't want no part time love

10155 IKE & TINA TURNER I'll never need more than this / Save the last dance for me 4/6

10162 JERRYO Karate boogaloo / The pearl 5/15

10164 HELENA FERGUSON My terms / Where is the party 25/40

10169 FANTASTIC JOHNNY C Boogaloo down Broadway / Look what love can make you do 5/10

10174 BRENDA & the TABULATIONS Hey boy / When you're gone 6/12

10180 HESITATIONS Push a little harder / Born free

10181 GEORGE TORRENCE & NATURALS So Iong goodbye / Lickin' stick 5/10

10186 WILLIE MITCHELL Soul serenade / Buster Browne

10212 FANTASTIC JOHNNY C Hitch it to the horse / Cool Broadway

10215 WILLIE MITCHELL Prayer meeting / Rum Daddy

10217 IKE & TINA TURNER We need an understanding / It sho' ain't me 4/6

10220 ERMA FRANKLIN The right to cry / Don't catch the dog's bone 4/6

10224 WILLIE MITCHELL Up hard / Beale Street mood

10227 MARGARET WHITING Can't get you out of my mind / Maybe just once more

10230 UNIFICS Court of love / Which one should I choose

10233 JACKIE LEE The duck / Dancing in the street 4/6

10235 ROYAL GUARDSMEN So right ( to be in love) / Baby lets wait

10246 WILLIE MITCHELL Everything's gonna be alright / Mercy 4/6

10250 INEZ & CHARLIE FOXX Mockingbird / Hummingbird 4/6

10258 BILLY ADAMS Why don't you believe me / I need your love 4/6

10262 RAY BARRETTO Acid / Mercy mercy baby 4/6

10267 IKE & TINA TURNER I'll never need more than this / A love like yours 4/6

10268 DOBIE GRAY The in crowd / Be a man 4/6

10269 LOU JOHNSON Always something there to remind me / Message to Martha 4/6

10274 BOBBY BENNETT Baby try me / Big New York 4/6

10280 MARTHA VELEZ Tell mama / Swamp man 4/6

10282 WILLIE MITCHELL Young people / Kitten corner 4/6

10293 INTRIGUES In a moment / Scotchman rock 8/12

10352 DONNIE ELBERT Where did our love go / That's if you love me 3/5

10354 PONDEROSA TWINS + ONE Hey girl / You send me 4/6

10370 DONNIE ELBERT A little piece of leather / If I can't have you 3/5

10418 BOBO MR SOUL HItch-hiking to heartbreak / She's my woman

10464 HAMMOND BROTHERS & MAGGIE Soul over easy / Garbage man 3/4

10469 LARRY SAUNDERS On the real side / Let me be the special one 8/12

10479 MILT MATTHEWS All these changes / When kids rule the world 5/8

10480 McCOYS Fever / Hang on sloopy 3/5

10483 BILL BLACK'S COMBO Little Queenie / Boo ray 4/6

10489 ACE CANNON Sea cruise / Peace in the valley 4/6

10491 BARBARA MILLS Queen of fools / (Make it last) take your time 4/6

10507 JACK ASHFORD Do the choo choo / Version 2 4/5

10514 JEAN PLUM Look at the boy / Back at you 4/5

10515 CHUBBY CHECKER At the discotheque / Slow twistin' 4/6

10518 BUNNY SIGLER Girl don't make me wait / Let the good times roll 4/6

10545 WILLIE MITCHELL The champion / Part 2 5/6

10553 BOBBY PARIS Night owl / You didn't say a word (by Yvonne Baker) 5/6

10557 CHUBBY CHECKER You just don't know / Two hearts make one love 5/6

10579 RAY CHARLES Compared to what / Now that we've found each other 3/5

MERCURY

During the 60's Mercury was a massive operation, running not only it's main label but also subsidiarising Philips, Blue Rock, Smash etc. There are literally hundreds of Northern discs on those labels, but as usual that's not quite the case with it's UK outlet. The early years, and by this I mean the years that this book covers, 1960 onwards, are dominated by The Platters, Sarah Vaughan and Brook Benton, but none of those great artists recordings fit into the general scheme of things here. In fact, the first UK Mercury recordings of note in the discography are all by UK artists. British artists feature throughout the Mercury listings, though in truth none of these are anything to write home about with the exception of Lesley Dawson's Run For Shelter which is a fairly memorable girl vocal effort, and the brilliant relatively recent discovery from Bruce Scott entitled I Made An Angel Cry. Absent from all other discographies, this has to be one of the very best UK label discoveries in years and it's dramatic stop/start rhythm would/will make it a dance floor packer - once someone manages to get hold of a copy to play!

Even the American recordings are a bit of a motley crew here; for every Timi Yuro, Dee Dee Warwick, Jerry Butler and Prophets, you get a Leslie Gore or Keith. Anyway, here's a quick guide to UK Mercury, in no particular order of merit:

804 Ethna Campbell - a competent cover of Mary Wells' What's Easy For Two.

805 Dave Ventura - The Hurt Stays In The Heart. Hideous beat ballad of no interest whatsoever. Once tipped in Shades Of Soul. Ouch!

859 Timi Yuro - Can't Stop Running Away. Brilliant Teddy Randazzo production also cut in almost identical form by The Royalettes on an MGM LP.

860/867/890/909/974 Dee Dee Warwick - all top quality soul numbers with Worth Every Tear I Cry currently the en vogue sound with collectors. 974 is the original version of Margo & The Marvettes on Pye.

871 Stevie Lewis - Take Me For A Little While. One of a seemingly endless supply of versions of this song, this is a fairly routine girl version which must have sold a few copies going by the number there are knocking around.

872/889/984 Leslie Gore - Spent the rest of the 60's trying to match It's My Party and in doing so cut a few uptempo pop dancers, the best of which is the lesser known I'm Falling Down.

911 Favourite Sons - That Driving Beat. The price of this record - a solid cover of Willie Mitchell's r'n'b standard - has risen very dramatically since it's B side was included on a psychedelic compilation a few years back. £10 to £75 in one jump!

The group were British and hailed from Hatfield. This was their only record release.

923 Robbie Royal - Only Me. Thump-thump stomper of the pop variety which had it's moments in Manchester during '78. Now banished from DJ decks forever.

943 Karen Young - Are You Kidding. This isn't particularly good but I mention it because it was also cut by Vicki Baines as the flip of the mighty Country Girl on US Parkway.

964 Jerry Butler - Some Kinda Magic. Great version of a midtempo number also recorded by Bobby Hebb.

965 Lesley Dawson - Run For Shelter. Frothy girly dancer from an artist who also recorded for CBS.

969 Paul Newman - Ain't You Got A Heart. probably not the famous American actor, this oft-recorded number was spun by, I think, Messrs. Rhodes and Winstanley in the late 70's.

973 Les McCann - Bucket O' Grease. The title may have put a few people off but this is a fast, frantic, brassy instrumental which should really be spun. It's terrific.

1001 Margie Hendrix - On The Right Track/Restless. Only mentioned here due to the fact that these tracks where so popular at one time that they were bootlegged on the infamous Soul Sounds label back in 69/70. I haven't heard either for many, many years. On The Right Track is a very fast dancer if my memory serves me well.

1031 Dave Antony - Hide And Seek. This is, believe it or not, a cover version of Eddie Regan's Playin' Hide And Seek, released here as a flip side by a none too clever vocalist.

1097 Prophets - I Got The Fever. Now we're talking, can anyone honestly say they've never danced to this at some time in the distant past? It's catchy, it's uptempo, I've heard it a million times but it still hits the spot. See also Creation on Stateside for the same record. Very desirable as a demo, this one.

1122 Jerry Butler - Moody Woman. For some reason, this went massive as a revived oldie in 1977 and prices went as high as....£5! Lovely record.

6052301 Millionaires - Never For Me. A perfect soul dancer from a very accomplished group. You can dance to it, you can sing along with it, and in the opinion of this writer it's the best record released on UK Mercury - only on black label, mind!

6052634 Don Covay - It's Better To Have. I remember buying this one when it charted in 73/74 and was as surprised as anyone when I heard it spun at Northern venues in the 77/78 period. I still don't class this as 'Northern Soul' per se, but there's no denying it's a good record, whatever it's gender or genre.

The label was black with silver lettering throughout it's lifespan, with a small change in logo being the only alteration circa 1964. Demos were plain white in the early 60's when the label was distributed by EMI, but once distribution went to Philips there were no demos, just issues with either a demonstration sticker on the label or a yellow stamp on one side saying 'sample copy not for sale'. White demos returned in 1968 and probably stopped in 1972. Many Mercury singles post 1967 were made without centres.

AMT 1071 SARAH VAUGHAN Smooth operator / Passing strangers (with Billy Eckstine) 5/10

1139 PHIL PHILLIPS No one else but you / I love to love you

1195 QUINCY JONES Soul bossa nova / On the street where you live 10/20

1202 XAVIER CUGAT Watermelon man / Swinging shepherd blues

???? SCOTT GARRETT I'm gonna give you all my love / ???????? 4/6

MF 802 VELVETTES He's the one I want / That little boy of mine (picture sleeve)

804 ETHNA CAMPBELL What's easy for two / Again 8

805 DAVE VENTURA The hurt stays in the heart / Is a red bird red 4

851 CHRISTINE HOLMES You'd better believe it / Many things from your window

857 BRUCE SCOTT I made an angel cry / Don't say goodbye to me 25

859 TIMI YURO Can't stop running away / Get out of my life 25

860 DEE DEE WARWICK Do it with all your heart / Happiness 15

867 DEE DEE WARWICK We're doing fine / You don't know 10

871 STEVIE LEWIS Take me for a little while / My whole world seems to be tumbling 6

872 LESLEY GORE My town, my guy and me / Girl in love 6

874 LEMME B. GOOD I can't stop myself / Mother may I

885 AL KOOPER You're the loving end / Parchman farm

887 CHRISTINE HOLMES Goin' where the lovin' is / Where there's smoke 4

889 LESLEY GORE I won't love you anymore / No matter what you do 5

890 DEE DEE WARWICK Gotta get a hold of myself / Another lonely star 8

909 DEE DEE WARWICK Worth every tear I cry / A lover's chant 25

911 FAVOURITE SONS That driving beat / Walkin' walkin' walkin' 30

912 ERNESTINE ANDERSON You can't buy love / Jerk and twine 12

923 ROBBIE ROYAL Only me / I don't need you 10

932 JERRY BUTLER Lonliness / Love (how sweet it is)

937 DEE DEE WARWICK I want to be with you / Alfie

940 KEITH Ain't gonna lie / It started all over again

943 KAREN YOUNG Are you kidding / I'm yours, you're mine 6

946 LESLEY DAWSON Just say goodbye / Just a passing phase 4

952 PRINCE HAROLD Baby you've got me / Forget about me 9

958 CHUCK BERRY Club nitty gritty / Laugh and cry

964 JERRY BUTLER Some kinda magic / I dig you baby 7

965 LESLEY DAWSON Run for shelter / I'll climb on a rainbow 15

969 PAUL NEWMAN Ain't you got a heart / ?????????? 20

973 LES McCANN Bucket o' grease / All 7

974 DEE DEE WARWICK When love slips awayHouse of gold 7

976 MARGIE HENDRIX I call you lover (but you ain't nothin' but a fool) / The question 5

979 SHANGRI-LAS Footsteps on the roof / Take your time 4

984 LESLEY GORE I'm falling down / Summer and Sandy 7

989 KEITH Daylight savin' time / Happy walking around 5

1000 MAUDS Hold on / Forever gone 4

1001 MARGIE HENDRIX On the right track / Restless 12

1005 JERRY BUTLER Cause I love you / Mr. dream merchant 5

1017 LESLEY GORE It's a happening world / Magic colours 4

1026 MOB I wish you'd leave me alone / Disappear 4

1031 DAVE ANTONY Hide and seek / Race with the wind 6

1034 JAY & the TECHNIQUES Help yourself to all my loving / Baby make your own sweet music 4

1056 JUNIOR WELLS Girl you lit my fire / It's a man down there 4

1061 DEE DEE WARWICK Monday Monday / I'll be better off 15

1062 MAUDS Soul drippin' / Forever gone 4

1077 MOVING FINGER Higher and higher / Shake and fingerpop 8

1093 SHIRELLES There's a storm going on in my heart / Call me 5

1097 PROPHETS I got the fever / Soul control 15/25

1109 CHARLIE RICH Mohair Sam / I washed my hands in muddy water 5/8

1122 JERRY BUTLER Moody woman / Go away, find yourself 6/12

1127 MOMS MABLEY Sunny / Abraham, Martin and John 5/8

1133 BENNY & TINA This love is real / Over my dead body 4/6

6008 003 RAY GODFREY Candy clown / I want to be your only love 2

6052 027 NEWBY & JOHNSON Sweet happiness / I want to give you everything 6

033 GENE CHANDLER Groovy situation / Not the marrying kind 4

073 LORRAINE ELLISON Call me anytime you need some lovin' / Please don't teach me 5

098 GENE CHANDLER You're a lady / Stone cold feeling (withdrawn)

110 JIMMY CASTOR Hey Leroy your mama's calling / Hamhocks Espanol 2

119 JERRY BUTLER Moody woman / A brand new me 3

301 MILLIONAIRES Never for me / If I had you babe (black label) 10

634 DON COVAY It's better to have (and don't need) / Leave him part 2 3

6167 064 KEITH Daylight saving time / Happy walking around 2

196 RALPH CARTER When you're young and in love / version 2 1

379 RALPH CARTER Love is like an itching in my heart / Baby it's true 1

127360 JAY & THE TECHNIQUES Help yourself to all of lovin' / Baby make your own sweet music 3

MGM

The MGM label started up in the UK in the mid-50's and quickly hit the big time with a succession of massive hits by Connie Francis. Material was released from the main US MGM label and subsidiaries such as Verve, and was initially distributed by EMI until it went over to Polydor in 1967. The label was the familiar yellow label with black lettering and the lion's head MGM trademark as a logo. In 1969 this changed to a split blue and gold label in the Ying/Yang style. Demo's are slightly more complicated. The EMI demos are pretty straightforward; pre-1962, both sides are white; after 1962 they become red and whites; in late 1966, a few demos slipped out as green and whites, at the same time as all EMI labels changed to green and white; then almost immediately the label moved to Polydor and started to put out stunning looking purple demos with silver A's. These demos also utilised the cartoon lion holding a record a la US MGM demos. Confusingly, I've also spotted a couple of these Polydor MGM demos as purple and white stuck on paper labels!

Most of the MGM releases are pop, with token attempts to cash in on the then soul craze by signing the likes of Kim Weston, but there are some excellent titles to collect, and a handful of very, very rare items.

Highlights From MGM

The two Wanderers singles (1102/1169) both feature Ray Pollard but are of nominal interest only as they are firmly in the 'pop' mould.

Jackie Burns & The Bells single I Do The Best I Can (1226) is a stunning more recent discovery which was originally covered up as Jackie & The Gilettes. In the USA this disc was credited to Jackie Burns & The Bo-Bells, but had the artist credit changed on it's UK release, presumably to avoid confusion with a UK group, The Bow Bells.

Elmer Bernstein's version of The Rat Race (1238) is an early version of the Righteous Brothers Band Torch monster and is the theme from a 1960 Tony Curtis movie.

The Panic Is On (1251) must surely be the late Roy Hamilton's finest recording - it's certainly his rarest in the UK. This superlative beat ballad has headed many collectors' wants lists for nearly a decade.

All of The Royalettes singles are worth picking up, especially their version of Never Again (1292), popular in the UK recently via Little Anthony & The Imperials. The wonderful production talents of Teddy Randazzo can be found on most of The Royalettes recordings.

Wilson Pickett's Let Me Be Your Boy (1286) was an early recording for Correc-Tone which got itself a release in 1965 to cash in on Pickett's Atlantic success. Somewhat surprisingly, this record went very big in the mid-80's and heralded a wave of early 60's black pop records which now seem to have been accepted as part of the scene in the same way that the beat ballads have. Wilson, you've got a lot to answer for! The label mis-spells the source as Correo-tone.

Spyder Turner's You're Good Enough For Me (1332) is a good uptempo dancer with an amazing version of Stand By Me on the flip in which Spyder impersonated the styles of various soul singers of the day (Billy Stewart, Smokey Robinson, Chuck Jackson etc).

Kim Weston's I Got What You Need must be the most common import record of all time. They used to give these away at prizes at our local fair in the early 70's! However, on it's UK issue (1338) it's slightly more desirable, as is the moody That's Groovy (1357) which has picked up a few plays recently.

The April Stevens track Wanting You (1366) is a long time collectable but is pure pop. It was re-pressed due to a Wigan Casino reactivation in 1977 on MGM 2006586.

John Drevar's Expression were a 6-piece Motown influenced band from Southampton. The Closer She Gets (1367) was composed by the ubiquitous Teddy Randazzo and is good, solid Brit-Northern. Don't confuse this version with the poor remake issued on Destiny in 1979, which wasn't even by John Drevar!

Along with the Roy Hamilton track mentioned a while ago, The Formations' At The Top Of The Stairs (1399) is possibly the finest release on MGM. A classic single which MGM picked up from the Bank label, it sold little on it's original release but made the lower reaches of the charts via a 1971 reissue on Mojo.

Fathers Angels were a real group, but they only performed on the A side of their only single, Don't Knock It (1459). The B side, a throwaway instrumental intitled Bok To Bach, was performed by a group of session musicians at the disposal of producer Jerry Ross. In typical Northern Soul scene style, it consequently went on to become one of the biggest instrumental sounds of all time, while the vocal A side has been long forgotten. A Simon Soussan produced vocal version of Bok To Back, entitled Dance Of Love and credited to Suzy Parker appeared on the Port label in 1977, having been originally spun from Emidisc in 1975.

Finally, I'm So Glad You're My Baby by Johnny Nash (1480) was a cash-in re-release which did little chartwise. It is, however, a lovely midtempo dancer and comes highly recommended.

The American MGM label has been a constant source of brilliant Northern Soul for many years. A CD compilation of some of the best of these tracks is available on the Goldmine/Soul Supply label entitled Big City Soul Volume 3 (GSCD 47).

MGM RAY FLEMING I'm glad I have you / ?????????

MGM 1102 WANDERERS I could make you mine / I need you more

MGM 1169 WANDERERS As time goes by / There is no greater love

MGM 1183 FRANK CHERVAL How come / Tag along

MGM 1226 JACKIE BURNS & the BELLS I do the best I can / He's my guy 40/70

MGM 1238 ELMER BERNSTEIN The Rat Race / Saints and sinners 12/18

MGM 1251 ROY HAMILTON The panic is on / There she is 130/200

MGM 1265 CONNIE FRANCIS (I don't want to be) no better off / Forget Domani 10/14

MGM 1268 ROY HAMILTON A thousand tears ago / Sweet violets 6/10

MGM 1270 GINNY ARNELL Just like a boy / Portrait of a fool 6/9

MGM 1272 ROYALETTES Poor boy / Watch what happens 6/12

MGM 1279 ROYALETTES Out of sight, out of mind / It's gonna take a miracle 5/8

MGM 1286 WILSON PICKETT Let me be your boy / My heart belongs to you 25/60

MGM 1292 ROYALETTES Never again / I want to meet him 10/20

MGM 1302 ROYALETTES Only when you're lonely / You bring me down 8/15

MGM 1308 LOU CHRISTIE Rhapsody in the rain / Trapeze

MGM 1313 ROBIE PORTER Either way I lose / Let it be me

MGM 1321 SANDY POSEY Caution to the wind / Born a woman 7/12

MGM 1324 ROYALETTES It's a big mistake / I want to meet him 4/6

MGM 1328 STEREOS Sweet water / The big knock 8/10

MGM 1332 SPYDER TURNER You're good enough for me / Stand by me 16/25

MGM 1338 KIM WESTON I got what you need / Someone like you 8/12

MGM 1357 KIM WESTON That's groovy / Land of tomorrow 7/10

MGM 1366 APRIL STEVENS Wanting you / Falling in love again 50/75

MGM 1367 JOHN DREVAR'S Expression The closer she gets / When I come home 50/60

MGM 1378 CALVIN ARNOLD Snatchin' back / Funky way 5/8

MGM 1382 KIM WESTON You're just the kinda guy / Nobody 6/10

MGM 1389 JESS & JAMES Move / What was I born for 5/10

MGM 1398 LUCAS & MIKE COTTON SOUND Soul serenade / We got a good thing going baby 10/20

MGM 1399 FORMATIONS At the top of the stairs / Magic melody 70/90

MGM 1420 JESS & JAMES Something for nothing / I let the day go by 5/8

MGM 1425 MAGISTRATES Here comes the judge / Girl 5/8

MGM 1431 TRULY SMITH This is the first time / Taking time off 8/15

MGM 1434 FANTASTICS Baby make your own sweet music / Who could be lovin' you 4/6

MGM 1435 BLOSSOMS You got me hummin' / Tweedle dee 4/6

MGM 1436 SHOWSTOPPERS How easy your heart forgets me / Eeny meenie 5/8

MGM 1437 MAGISTRATES After the fox / Tear down the walls 5/8

MGM 1438 CHERRY PEOPLE And suddenly / Imagination 15/25

MGM 1447 LARRY WILLIAMS Shake your body girl / Love (I can't seem to find it) 6/10

MGM 1449 CALVIN ARNOLD Mini skirt / Mama in law 5/8

MGM 1454 JESS & JAMES Thank you showbiz / Motherless child 4/6

MGM 1455 MARIE FRANKLIN You ain't changed / Don't cha bet no money 5/8

MGM 1459 FATHERS ANGELS Bok to Bach / Don't knock it 80/90

MGM 1479 BILL DEAL & the RHONDELLS I've been hurt / I've got my needs 5/8

MGM 1480 JOHNNY NASH I'm so glad your my baby / Stormy 10/18

MGM 1482 BETTY MADIGAN I'm gonna make you love me / Goodnight 4/6

MGM 1488 BILL DEAL & the RHONDELLS What kind of fool do you think I am / Are you ready for this 4/6

MGM 2006 419 GLORIA GAYNOR Honey bee / Come tonight 4

MGM 2006 422 BILL DEAL & RHONDELLS I've been hurt / I've got my needs 4

MGM 2006 586 APRIL STEVENS Wanting you / Falling in love again 5

MGM 2006 603 VELOURS I'm gonna change / Don't pity me 5

ORIOLE

Oriole had been issuing records since the early 50's but it's the labels releases from 1962/63 that soul collectors are most interested. During this short period, Oriole became the outlet for Motown product in the UK, issuing 19 highly collectable singles and a handful of very rare albums from the likes of The Contours, Miracles and Mary Wells. You may quite easily come across copies of Fingertips or Do You Love Me as these were both good sellers - but the rest? Well, the Valadiers and Mike & The Modifiers singles are both valued at around £400 these days, and even very familiar items such as Marvin Gaye's Stubborn Kind Of Fellow won't leave you with much or any change from £50. Although promoted weekly on Radio Luxemburg, some of Oriole's Motown releases were very poor sellers, though it does look as if Berry Gordy threw in a couple of clinkers to make up the contract (after all, who in the UK had even heard of the above two bands?)

The Oriole label design is quite neat. Originally it was a striking blue label with silver logo and lettering, but this changed to the familiar black label with a large yellow square in the centre containing the label name in the early 60's. Demos are very scarce and are often sold as issues as the only difference is a tiny silver A in the centre - so if you're centre's been pushed out, you'll never know if you had a demo or not! Somewhere in the cobwebs of my mind I recall seeing a red and white demo on Oriole but this must have been very late in the labels' life.

The Oriole label also issued a couple of interesting non-Motown singles, including a stomping instrumental version of The Four Seasons' Sherry by Hugo Montenegro which was so popular in the early 70's that it was bootlegged on Out Of The Past, and a great single by Erroll Dixon entitled Rocks In My Pillow which is a kind of soul/ska hybrid. As with CBS, the label which swallowed up Oriole in 1964, most of it's releases were underpromoted so there's a good chance that other items may well turn up in the future, especially from beat bands covering soul numbers. Oh, and if you ever come across a number called Little Brown Jug by Ritchie Blackmore on Oriole, you can start planning your holiday abroad now!

CB 1762 MARY WELLS You beat me to the punch / Old love 25/35

1763 CONTOURS Do you love me / Move Mr. man 15/25

1764 MARVELETTES Beechwood 4-5789 / Someday someway 50/60

1749 JACKIE TRENT The one who really loves you/Your conscience or your heart 15/20

1775 MIKE & the MODIFIERS I found myself a brand new baby / It's too bad 300/400

1792 HUGO MONTENEGRO Sherry / Get off the moon 15/20

1795 MIRACLES You really got a hold on me / Happy landing 30/40

1796 MARY WELLS Two lovers / Operator 20/30

1799 CONTOURS Shake sherry / You better get in line 15/25

1803 MARVIN GAYE Stubborn kind of fellow / It hurt me too 40/50

1808 EDDIE HOLLAND If its love (ifs alright) / It's not too late 200/300

1809 VALADIERS I found a girl / You'll be sorry someday 300/400

1814 MARTHA & the VANDELLAS I'll have to let him go / Baby won't come back 50/60

1817 MARVELETTES Locking up my heart / Forever 150/200

1819 MARTHA & the VANDELLAS Come and get these memories / Jealous lover 50/60

1829 MARY WELLS Laughing boy / Two wrongs don't make a right 25/35

1831 CONTOURS Don't let her be your baby / It must be love 20/30

1846 MARVIN GAYE Pride and joy / One of these days 40/50

1847 MARY WELLS Your old standby / What love has joined together 20/30

1853 LITTLE STEVIE WONDER Fingertips part I / Part II 12/25

1863 MIRACLES Mickey's monkey / Whatever makes you happy 30/40

1914 ERROL DIXON Rocks in my pillow / Give me more time 20/25

© 1998 Pete Smith

[Pete S]

PRESIDENT

A lesser known but very long-lasting record label, President began in 1967 and was still issueing records in the late 80’s in one form or another. Although not exclusively a soul label, President was pretty on the ball when it came to discotheque demand and you’ll find many classics here. The label was owned by Ed Kassner and was the parent label to Jayboy, issuing material from, by the looks of things, mainly West Coast labels, although there was a good supply of records leased from Chicago labels such as Mar-V-Lus. In line with many of the labels looked at in this book most of the releases can be picked up for a few pounds whereas one particular record is very hard to locate. More on that later. The label was yellow with a large logo at the top, with black lettering. Demos use the same label but with a large red A. Another President affiliated label, Joy, issued many of the singles listed here on their Keep The Faith series of albums in the early 70’s. Here are some discs to look out for:

109 Johnny Wyatt - This Thing Called Love. Fabulous dancer from L.A. which was a monster in the early 70’s.

118 Jimmy Robins - I Can’t Please You. A real mystery record. This is nigh on impossible to find on UK President, whereas almost every other release is very common. In the mid-80’s, President still had several copies in their warehouse and were offering them at £1.50 each. What happened next isn’t known, but the record suddenly became popular and all but disappeared. Copies have been seen on sale at over £100, but this is a ridculous price. As for the record, it’s a stunning, gritty Chicago dancer and comes highly recommended by just about everyone.

136 Young Folk - Lonely Girl. This discography contains many records with prices running into

three figures which, in all honesty, are awful - just very rare. At the other end of the spectrum there

are many records which are relatively cheap and easy to find but which are absolutely brilliant. This

is one of them. Immaculate girl vocal from the One-Der-Ful label out of Chicago (where it was also released with the artist given as Miss Madeline), this must surely be the best cheapie of the lot.

139 Barry White - All In The Run Of A Day. Barry’s first UK release and a fairly hard to find beat ballad which is growing in popularity.

317 Darlettes - Lost. A sublime Van McCoy production which, while not being out and out Northern Soul, still possesses enough of the right ingredients to make it a popular choice for beat ballad fans.

PT WITCHES & the WARLOCK Behind locked doors / 5/6

108 VIOLA WILLS I got love / Lost without the love of my guy 5/6

109 JOHNNY WYATT This thing called love / To whom it may concern 6/10

110 PAT HERVEY &THE TIARAS Can’t get you out of my mind / Givin’ in 5/6

115 ALVIN CASH No deposits, no returns / The philly freeze 5/6

118 JIMMY ROBINS I can't please you / I made it over 60/75

119 ALVIN CASH Alvin's boogaloo / Let’s do some good timing 4/5

120 FELICE TAYLOR It may be winter outside / Winter again 4/5

123 CASINOS I still love you / Then you can tell me goodbye 5/6

124 TWO OF CLUBS Walk tall like a man / So blue is fall 5/6

129 ALVIN CASH Doin' the Ali shuffle / Feel so good 3/4

136 YOUNG FOLK Lonely girl / Joey 6/8

139 BARRY WHITE All in the run of a day / Don’t take your love from me 10/12

142 LONNIE MACK Snow on the mountain / Save your money 5/6

147 ALVIN CASH The charge / Different strokes for different folks 4/5

148 OTIS CLAY Show place / That’s how it is 6/8

150 VIOLA WILLS Together forever / Don’t kiss me hello 5/6

154 VIOLA WILLS Anytime / You’re out of my mind 5/6

155 FELICE TAYLOR I feel love comin' on / Comin’ on again 4/5

171 WILLIE PARKER I live the life I love / You got your finger in my eye 3/4

193 FELICE TAYLOR I can feel your love (coming down on me) / Captured by your love 4/5

215 BETTY EVERETT Getting mighty crowded / It’s in his kiss 3/4

221 WATSON T. BROWNE Crying all night / I close my eyes 4/5

232 TERRY LINDSEY It's over / One day up one day down 5/6

234 GENE CHANDLER Stand by me / Duke of earl 2/3

253 BETTY EVERETT You’re no good / Hands off 3/4

263 BILLY PRESTON Billy’s bag / Goldfinger 3/4

311 BELLES Don't pretend / Words can’t explain 5/7

317 DARLETTES Lost / Sweet kind of loneliness 6/8

322 WILSON PICKETT I can’t stop / Down to my last heartbreak 4/5

351 ALVIN CASH Twine time / Twine awhile 4/5

372 BETTY EVERETT Trouble over the weekend / The shoe don’t fit 5/6

373 DONTELLS In your heart (you know I’m right) / Nothing but nothing 5/6

382 DU-ETTES Every beat of my heart / Sugar daddy 5/6

398 DU-ETTES Please forgive me / Lonely days 4/5

399 SHARPEES Tired of being lonely / Just to please you 5/6

PLANET

This short-lived mid-60’s label was owned by noted American producer Shel Talmy, best known for his work with The Kinks and The Who. It was manufactured and distributed by records and is certainly one of the most attractive looking UK labels. It features a logo at the top being chased by shooting stars with a spinning globe in the centre of the record with an orbiting satellite nearby.

Most releases were white with black print, though some are black with silver never seen or heard of a demo - any pre-release copies are probably date stamped. Most of Planet’s releases were by UK beat groups, most notably The Creation who nearly charted with their classic Painter Man. John Lee’s Groundhogs cut a storming version of Bobby Freeman’s I’ll Never Fall In Love Again and this was played briefly during the mid-70’s. The single was co-produced by Bill Wyman of The Rolling Stones. The ‘John Lee’s’ element of the band’s name came about while the group played back up band to bluesman John Lee Hooker in 1964/65, and went on to become hard/blues rockers The Groundhogs who released many albums for Liberty and United Artists. Another nice release on Planet was a cover of The Carrolls’ Surrender by Perpetual Langley, a Belfast group featuring Mary Langley. This is a fairly hard to find outing. That leaves us with the baffling UK Planet release of The Orlons’ Spinning Top, which came out in 1966. As to why Planet should have leased this track (from US Calla) is unknown, but it’s poor sales assured it of instant collectability. This is Northern Soul of the old school, 100 mph and almost impossible to dance to, but a fine record all the same.

PLF 104 JOHN LEE'S GROUNDHOGS I'll never fall in love again / Over you baby 40

115 PERPETUAL LANGLEY Surrender / Two by two 12

117 ORLONS Spinning top / Anyone who had a heart 35

PYE INTERNATIONAL

One of the great collector’s labels, Pye International first appeared as far back as 1958 with the release of Come On Let’s Go by Ritchie Valens (beaten to the charts by a Tommy Steele cover version). A total of 4 singles were released in 1958, 42 in 1959, just 19 in 1960 but 51 in 1961, including the labels’ first UK chart-topper, Blue Moon by The Marcels. Up to this point, International had licensed material from such diverse sources as Del-Fi, Vogue (France), Palette (Belgium), Colpix, Laurie, Metronome (Denmark), Triple-X, and even issued a handful of UK recorded product for reasons unknown. In April 1961, the first release from the giant Chicago-based Chess group appeared in the form of Clarence ‘Frogman’ Henry’s smash I Don’t Know Why But I Do, a record which reached number 3 in the charts and began a long string of successes on International for the

Chess set-up. The label lost some of it’s most succesful licensing deals in the following two years. Colpix left the label in June ‘63 to set up it’s own imprint through Pye, as did Red Bird in July ‘64 and eventually Chess in January ‘65. Some of the label licensing deals gained in the mid-60’s included Scepter, Wand, Dot, Autumn, Moonglow, A & M, Charger, Bounty, King and Buddah. The original Pye International label was a very dark blue with gold lettering (often difficult to read). This format was used up until May 1962 (7N 25137). Next came the famous red and yellow label, red top with yellow logo, yellow bottom with black lettering, which was used up until January 1965, the last release being Chuck Jackson’s mighty Hand It Over (25287). Thirdly, a dark red label with black lettering was used until December ‘67 (25441) when red was replaced with pale blue. This label was eventually phased out over a period of months in 1972. Demonstration copies were white with black lettering, small A in the centre and ‘Advance Promotion Copy’ on the left hand side. 1967 demos are yellow with black top, followed by all yellow with small black A in the centre. 70’s demos revert back to the ‘67 style yellow and black design. As Pye International released over 800 singles in the UK, a complete discography would be futile as 75% of releases are of little interest to Northern Soul collectors.

Problems arise when you have to define the genre; and should important rhythm and blues records be omitted? Due to these factors, and that of space, the listing here features discs which I feel will be of interest to Northern collectors, including many examples of uptempo R & B.

7N 25107 VIBRATIONS The watusi / Wallflower 8/10

25126 JAMES RAY If you've gotta make a fool of somebody / It’s been a drag 5/10

25159 DAVE ‘BABY’ CORTEZ Rinky dink / Getting tight 7/10

25164 BILLY STEWART Fat boy / Reap what you sow 8/12

25174 STEVE ALAIMO Every day I have to cry / Little girl (please take a chance on me) 15/30

25182 JAN BRADLEY Mama didn't lie / Lovers like me 8/12

25191 SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON Help me / Bye bye bird 8/15

25205 ETTA JAMES Pushover / I can’t hold it in anymore 8/12

25212 MEL CARTER When a boy falls in love / So wonderful 5/8

25231 KINGSMEN Louie, louie / Haunted castle 6/20

25238 TOMMY TUCKER Hi heel sneakers / I don’t want cha 8/20

25239 TIMMY SHAW Gonna send you back to Georgia / I’m a lonely guy 8/12

25241 DIONNE WARWICK Walk on by / Any old time of day 4/6

25245 DIXIE CUPS Chapel of love / Ain’t that nice 4/6

25246 TOMMY TUCKER Long tall shorty / Mo’ shorty 8/12

25247 CHUCK JACKSON Beg me / For all time 8/15

25248 ALVIN ROBINSON Somethin' you got / Searching 8/15

25249 SUGAR PIE DESANTO Soulful dress / Use what you got 8/20

25250 JOHNNY NASH Love ain't nothin' / Talk to me 15/25

25251 TONY CLARK Ain't love good, ain't love proud / Coming back strong 10/20

25259 JACKIE ROSS Selfish one / Everything but love 30/50

25260 BOBBY FREEMAN C'mon swim / Part II 10/20

25263 LITTLE WALTER My babe / You’d better watch yourself 8/15

25265 DIONNE WARWICK Reach out for me / How many days of sadness 5/8

25267 SUGAR PIE DESANTO I don't wanna fuss / I love you so much 7/12

25272 MAXINE BROWN Oh no not my baby / You upset my soul 8/15

25276 CHUCK JACKSON Any day now / The prophet 8/20

25278 KOLETTES Who's that guy / Just how much (can my heart take) 8/20

25280 BOBBY FREEMAN S-w-i-m / That little old heartbreaker me 10/20

25281 NELLA DODDS Come see about me / You don’t love me anymore 8/15

25284 LARKS The jerk / Forget me 12/25

25287 CHUCK JACKSON Hand it over / Since I don’t have you 25/50

25291 NELLA DODDS Finders keepers losers weepers / A girl’s life 10/20

25297 RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS Bring your love to me / Try and find another man 6/10

25299 MAXINE BROWN It's gonna be alright / You do something to me 8/12

25301 CHUCK JACKSON I need you / Chuck’s soul brothers twist 6/15

25303 UNIQUES feat. JOE STAMPLEY Not too long ago / Fast way of living 40/60

25304 RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS Night owl / Something’s got a hold on me 6/10

25307 DOBIE GRAY See you at the gogo / Walk with love 10/18

25308 CHUCK JACKSON & MAXINE BROWN Baby take me / Something you got 6/10

25317 MAXINE BROWN One step at a time / Anything for a laugh 8/12

26321 CHUCK JACKSON If I didn't love you / Just a little bit of your soul 6/12

25336 MOJO MEN Dance with me / The loneliest boy in town 10/15

25340 ROY HEAD Treat me right / Just a little bit 8/15

25343 PACKERS Hole in the wall / Go ‘head on 8/15

25347 BOBBY FREEMAN The duck / Cross my heart 8/15

25350 JAMES BROWN I feel good (I got you) / I just can’t help it 6/20

25355 SAM & BILL Treat me right / Fly me to the moon 6/10

25365 BOBBY COLEMAN Pleasure girl / (Baby) you don’t have to tell me 40/60

25379 JAMES BROWN Money won't change you / Part II 8/20

25384 CHUCK JACKSON These chains of love / I keep forgetting 20/40

25385 ROSCOE ROBINSON That's enough / One more time 15/40

25386 SHIRELLES Shades of blue / When the boys talk about the girls 6/8

25389 DYNATONES The fife piper / And I always will 40/60

25392 RONNIE MILSAP Ain't no soul / Another branch from the old tree 15/40

25404 TRAITS Harlem shuffle / Strange lips (start old memories) 8/12

25410 MAXINE BROWN I've got a lot of love left in me / Hold on I’m coming (with Chuck Jackson)6/8

25413 DYKE & the BLAZERS Funky broadway / Part II 8/10

25420 TOUSSAINT MCCALL Nothing takes the place of you / Shimmy 8/10

25427 PETE TERRACE At the party / No no no 8/10

25434 MAXINE BROWN Gotta find a way / Since I found you 8/12

25439 CHUCK JACKSON Candy / Shgame on me 8/12

25440 PETE TERRACE Shotgun boogaloo / I’m gonna make it 8/12

25453 JOHN FRED & his PLAYBOY BAND Hey hey Bunny / No letter today 4/6

25463 OTIS REDDING She’s all right / Gama lama 8/15

25471 CAMEL DRIVERS Sunday morning 6 o'clock 7/10

25480 KASENETZ KATZ Latin shake / We can work it out 5/6

25492 JESSE LEE FERGUSON New shoes / Puttin’ it on, puttin’ it off 5/6

25493 WINSTONS Colour him father / Amen brother 12/20

25537 CISSY HOUSTON I just don't know what to do with myself / This empty place 15/30

25546 INEZ FOXX You shouldn't have set my soul on fire / Live for today 5/6

25550 JOE WILSON Sweetness / When a man cries 5/6

25559 PLATTERS Sweet sweet lovin' / Going back to Detroit 5/6

25561 INEZ & CHARLIE FOXX Tightrope / Baby take it all 5/6

25564 GENE PITNEY Run, run roadrunner / Rainmaker 6/8

25569 PLATTERS Washed ashore / With this ring 4/5

25613 FIRST CHOICE This is the house where love died / One step away (Unissued) 150

25614 JIMMY RADCLIFFE Long after tonight is all over / What I want I can never have 4/5

25677 LIQUID SMOKE Dance, dance, dance / Where is our love 1/2

25698 MAGIC NIGHT If you and I had never met / Instrumental 3/4

25704 TYRONE ASHLEY Feet start moving / Movin’ on 1/2

25705 MAJOR LANCE Nothing can stop me / Follow the leader 2/3

25719 D.C. LARUE Ca-the-dralls / Ca-the-dralls (long version) 2/3

25731 GENTLEMEN & their LADY Like her / Like her (long version) 4/5

25736 JOBELL & ORCHESTRA Never gonna let you go / version 2 2/3

25751 DORIS TROY I’ll do anything / Heartaches 5

[Guest meddlinwivmodern]

Thanks Pete, ever thought about putting the old magazines on to cd ? I am sure a lot of people would by them, I for one would as I no longer have any copies of the mag.

Mammoth task I know but waht a piece of Northern Soul history would that be, anyone else agree ?

Nick

pm'd you about something else.

[Pete S]

Thanks Pete, ever thought about putting the old magazines on to cd ? I am sure a lot of people would by them, I for one would as I no longer have any copies of the mag.

Mammoth task I know but waht a piece of Northern Soul history would that be, anyone else agree ?

Nick

pm'd you about something else.

Trouble is, if I did that, I'd sell a few then within a week someone else would be selling them on ebay. I'd rather give them away than that happen.

[Guest Dante]

Why not actually get the whole book back on track?

If Ginger Taylor has a biography, I don't see why you can't have this published...

[Guest RobCroskell]

great article Pete,

I've just recently rekindled my interest in uk originals from the 60's after picking up Tom Jones - stop breaking my hear and Helen Shapiro - Look over your shoulder for 25p each !!

[Guest RobCroskell]

Also Pete I have half a dozen of the beatin rhythm mags, if you ever need to borrow em, if you haven't got em anymore, give me a shout

[Pete S]

Also Pete I have half a dozen of the beatin rhythm mags, if you ever need to borrow em, if you haven't got em anymore, give me a shout

I'm definitely missing a few of them Rob, I'll try and find them out see what's missing - thank you!

[Ged Parker]

Pete,

Great source of info here thanks for sharing.

With the advent of Print on Demand (which has improved in quality immensley) surely some publisher would add this to their list of material. No real investment for them once its digitised and its only printed to order. So no stock issues for book stores.

I'd buy it - Perhaps some scans would really add value too.

[Pete S]

Pete,

Great source of info here thanks for sharing.

With the advent of Print on Demand (which has improved in quality immensley) surely some publisher would add this to their list of material. No real investment for them once its digitised and its only printed to order. So no stock issues for book stores.

I'd buy it - Perhaps some scans would really add value too.

Be lovely if it could be done in the style of It's The Beat wouldn't it....lifelong dream...never gonna happen though, am useless at graphics, as you probably noticed from past posts, I still haven't learned how to cut out a circle in photoshop

[Ged Parker]

Be lovely if it could be done in the style of It's The Beat wouldn't it....lifelong dream...never gonna happen though, am useless at graphics, as you probably noticed from past posts, I still haven't learned how to cut out a circle in photoshop

There must be someone on here that's got the skills? I used to use Paint Shop Pro and MS Publisher for the my contributions to "In the Neighbourhood" and that was simple enough. I know there's much more sophisticated programmes now and someone here must be able to help.

Come on soul-sourcers. If we're anything like a community at all we should be able to provide scans pictures and some IT skills to make this happen surely?

Hasn't John Manship set up a publishing vehicle for his own books? John?

[Pete S]

There must be someone on here that's got the skills? I used to use Paint Shop Pro and MS Publisher for the my contributions to "In the Neighbourhood" and that was simple enough. I know there's much more sophisticated programmes now and someone here must be able to help.

Come on soul-sourcers. If we're anything like a community at all we should be able to provide scans pictures and some IT skills to make this happen surely?

Hasn't John Manship set up a publishing vehicle for his own books? John?

Yeah but he's done a British book, albeit a price guide.

[NUFCSOUL]

Pete

Thanks for posting again - last PC I bought I must have ballsed up on saving stuff and only have parts of this info that I copied and pasted from yonks ago. Nowadays of course they transfer all your files and folders onto your new PC for you in the shop when you buy a new one - now who would have thought of that to save hours and hours of saving to disk at home. Easier these days with the capacity of memory sticks of course so I can cut and paste this lot and add to it when you do!!!

A thought though - If you ever get the whole lot complete and in order then please post a file if going into hard copy production seems daunting and expensive or....just ask for a couple of quid in your paypal account and only send to those that pay!

You could spice it up with some extra stuff/info that I'm sure you have or can write and that makes the buyer get a better package of info than that you have already given away for free here.

Might sound mercenary but you do spend ages on this type of stuff and I'm sure no-one buying it would resell the file and just use for their own education

This is the sort of info I want and not just people moaning about what Northern tracks they don't like!!. Fk me what a waste of 2 seconds of your life - just my opinion of course!!!

Cheers

Tony

ps - The Manship British book is very good but your artist info as well as label info is a better way to go and a biog of every artist would be a winner although no doubt keeping you out of mischief for years the time it would take

[MotownDave]

pete is the reviews and biog bit that make this stand out the lists are good but nothing else does the other stuff the way you do .it makes it emencly readably i think you should consider doing something with it .tbh i dont think you even need to put prices in there are far to many price guides just do it as a guide to whats avalable

atb dave t

[Pete S]

Tony, Dave; if I did this sort of thing now, no way would it be a price guide, I've no interest in doing that. If I did anything it would be to do it like the above with a brief biog of the artist and a bit about the record, where it was played etc. I can still do that sort of thing. But wouldn't it be boring, just wads of text? And also, once it's done, it only needs one person to buy a copy then they can let everyone else have it for nothing.

[MotownDave]

Pete the way you write is entertaining it lifts it from the mundain,Plus scans of the rare or desirable lable singles give good interest.Maybe the way to go would be to have it printed as opposed to disc based to stop the kind of piracy you quite rightly worry about,But im sure there would be enough people who would buy it in any format ..God i should know i've 3 or 4 copies of rocord collector price guides kicking about somewhere.And you have a way with words ,I still have the grapevine atricle you did for record collector mag and its still a good read.Whatever you deside keep us all in the loop .

atb Dave T