John Bowie - "good Thing" Merben Demo Version

[Pete S]

Just posting this here as refosoul is having some work done to it, will remove when it's back up, I hadn't heard this before so maybe others haven't either, it's a demo version of You're Gonna Miss A Good Thing Baby.

Edited May 27, 2011 by chalky
MP3 removed as per site rules. Wait until refosoul back up and running.

[Premium Stuff]

Yes Pete - radically different - like it as it's rough around the edges

When you say 'demo' do you mean promo or a real demonstration copy not issued to radio stations etc. - in the way most bands and the music business would view 'demo'

Cheers

Richard

[grant]

never heard it before in this format Pete, different but not a patch on the real effort, thanks for posting up

[Pete S]

Yes Pete - radically different - like it as it's rough around the edges

When you say 'demo' do you mean promo or a real demonstration copy not issued to radio stations etc. - in the way most bands and the music business would view 'demo'

Cheers

Richard

I think it's just a studio demo recorded before they decided upon what the finished version should be like. Only posted it cos I'd never heard it before.

[Raresoul45s]

Pete is that a 10" studio acetate and is there anything else on there.

Best Darren

[Simsy]

Just posting this here

Where?

Is this the same as the alt version you posted up a few years (maybe 4 or 5) back?

Burnt that on to cd then, have it somewhere.

[Pete S]

Where?

Is this the same as the alt version you posted up a few years (maybe 4 or 5) back?

Burnt that on to cd then, have it somewhere.

You're not thinking of an alt version of Court Davis I posted are you? Sure I've not had the John Bowie before

[Simsy]

Where?

This post has been edited by chalky: 17 mins ago

Reason for edit: MP3 removed as per site rules. Wait until refosoul back up and running.

Boo, hissss ....

[Simsy]

You're not thinking of an alt version of Court Davis I posted are you? Sure I've not had the John Bowie before

No deffo you, deffo JB - Merben and deffo the alt version - slightly slower ..

[Pete S]

Pete is that a 10" studio acetate and is there anything else on there.

Best Darren

Don't know the source Darren.

There's another John Bowie acetate "Help me pretty baby", very uptempo, not great though.

Also a different demo of the above track, off acetate, much better.

Here's the full blurb...

Rock, Mod & Soul! The Kayden & Merben label existed for a few short years in the Philadelphia area, and released some excellent northern soul, mod instrumentals and 60s garage! The unreleased acetates by John Bowie is worth the price alone, not only this but you get northern soul by Bill Horton, the long version of Vivian Carol's rare Merben 45, mod instrumentals by Jimmy Roma and the Matt Sound, and garage pounders by Bram Rigg Set and the Shags and New Jersey's own J.D. Rogues!

A tiny label, but one with some really great sounds -- a great slice of the late 60s Philly scene, and a pretty darn soulful one at that! The label started as Kayden in Philly, then moved across the river to New Jersey and switched to Merben -- but had a really unified sound throughout their short run, so much so that even the few pop recordings here come across with a pretty soulful feel! Most numbers are upbeat, and move in a Northern-ish soul mode -- and the male singers here are especially great, almost a bit more deep soul than usual for the Philly scene, especially some of the groups. CD features 24 cuts from both labels, including some unreleased material.

Tracks:

1. John Bowie - You're Gonna Miss A Good Thing, Baby

2. John Bowie - At The End Of The Day

3. John Bowie - Help Me Pretty Baby* (Merben Acetate)

4. Bill Horton - I Wanna Know

5. Leverett Sisters - Stop, Think It Over

6. Leverett Sisters - A Place For Me

7. Vivian Carol - Oh Yeah Yeah Yeah*(Long Version)

8. Jimmy Roma - Paint It Black

9. Cody Michaels - Seven Days Fifty Two Weeks

10. Cody Michaels - Open The Door Richard

11. John Bowie - You're Gonna Miss A Good Thing*(Demo Version)

12. John Bowie - Help Me Pretty Baby*(Demo Version)

13. Matt Sound - Ask Any Girl

14. Matt Sound - What Am I Gonna Do*

15. Matt Sound - She Loves Me For Myself*(Vocal Version)

16. Sharon Marshall - Where Did You Leave Your Heart

17. Natural Facts - Shake Me Wake Me*

18. J.D. Rogues - Why Did God Make Girls

19. Bats - How Could You Have Known

20. Bram Rigg Set - I Can Only Give You Everything

21. Bram Rigg Set - Take The Time Be Yourself

22. Shags - Breathe In My Ear

23. Shags - Tell Me

24. Shags - As Long As I Have You *previously unreleased material

[Simsy]

You're not thinking of

Found it!

[Pete S]

Simsy is right, I did have it 5 years ago and posted it up then, I apologise for not being able to remember sh*t any more!

[Chalky]

This post has been edited by chalky: 17 mins ago

Reason for edit: MP3 removed as per site rules. Wait until refosoul back up and running.

Boo, hissss ....

Sorry Ian (and Pete), I like to hear them as much as anyone but rules are rules and you should know that as much as anyone. Sure refosoul won't be long before up and running.

I've actually had this on tape for years, you can see (well hear) why they worked on it and released the take they did.

[Pete S]

Sorry Ian (and Pete), I like to hear them as much as anyone but rules are rules and you should know that as much as anyone. Sure refosoul won't be long before up and running.

I've actually had this on tape for years, you can see (well hear) why they worked on it and released the take they did.

Doesn't bother me mate, I honestly thought that applied to legit released stuff that coluld be downloaded off itunes etc, didn't think it meant unissued stuff

[Chalky]

Doesn't bother me mate, I honestly thought that applied to legit released stuff that coluld be downloaded off itunes etc, didn't think it meant unissued stuff

Site can't be seen to be file sharing Pete. Someone probably owns the rights to even this sort of unreleased material.

Only time mp3 allowed is a clip in sales.

Refosoul is working. You have to do it via refosoul section itself and then embed the clip here. The reply with refosoul has been done away with I think.

[Simsy]

Refosoul is working. You have to do it via refosoul section itself and then embed the clip here. The reply with refosoul has been done away with I think.

https://www.soul-sour...miss-demo-take/

John Bowie - Gonna Miss A Good Thing - Demo Take - Merben

Edited May 27, 2011 by chalky
embedded player

[John A]

Site can't be seen to be file sharing Pete. Someone probably owns the rights to even this sort of unreleased material.

Only time mp3 allowed is a clip in sales.

Refosoul is working. You have to do it via refosoul section itself and then embed the clip here. The reply with refosoul has been done away with I think.

Why is refosoul ok then? I'm probably just being dumb, but its no hardship to use a sound recorder to record anything off refosoul, not that I'd bother to.

[NEV]

Why is refosoul ok then? I'm probably just being dumb, but its no hardship to use a sound recorder to record anything off refosoul, not that I'd bother to.

VERY TRUE JOHN

But would imagine it's a legal thing and as im a brickie and not a lawyer im feckin clueless on that issue

[Chalky]

Why is refosoul ok then? I'm probably just being dumb, but its no hardship to use a sound recorder to record anything off refosoul, not that I'd bother to.

Maybe but this is a topic about John Bowie not the merits of Refosoul, suggest you start a topic in feedback

[Guest martyn]

https://www.soul-sour...miss-demo-take/

John Bowie - Gonna Miss A Good Thing - Demo Take - Merben

Interesting ! I wonder if it would still have been a biggie if that cut had been left at that ?

[Guest FunKPunK]

I like this mix, though I do the backing singers myself lol

[sostenuto]

Butch played this version a few times at the 100 club. Sounded rather good in the niter. He has the 8" acetate, with the flip side being "help me pretty baby" Apparently some 15 years ago, he was at John Bowie's family home, where the acetate probably came from. This isn't the dj copy version (which is exactly the same same version as the issued copy)

[Raresoul45s]

Thanks Pete I wondered if it had Help me pretty baby on there but I couldn't remember the title when I posted earlier. I quite like the take I'm sure they'll be plenty of people who'll take it off you.

Cheers Darren

[Pete S]

Butch played this version a few times at the 100 club. Sounded rather good in the niter. He has the 8" acetate, with the flip side being "help me pretty baby" Apparently some 15 years ago, he was at John Bowie's family home, where the acetate probably came from. This isn't the dj copy version (which is exactly the same same version as the issued copy)

I never said it was the dj copy, I said it was a demo, i.e. a song demo.

[sostenuto]

Many collectors refer to a demo and a dj copy in the same capacity, so when you mentioned demo (instead of song demo) I thought you were talking about a different version of the song on a merben dj copy. At the outset you should have just said that you were reviewing a cd with some un-released tracks on it.

[Pete S]

Many collectors refer to a demo and a dj copy in the same capacity, so when you mentioned demo (instead of song demo) I thought you were talking about a different version of the song on a merben dj copy. At the outset you should have just said that you were reviewing a cd with some un-released tracks on it.

23 posts and you're telling me what I should or shouldn't be doing, nice one. It was pretty obvious from listening that it was a work in progress demo.

Edited May 31, 2011 by Pete S

[Corbett80]

Think Butch must of been playing this at like +8 because whatever he played at the 100 Club sounded very different to this?

[Russ Vickers]

Think Butch must of been playing this at like +8 because whatever he played at the 100 Club sounded very different to this?

I've had this on a carver for years.......I have never played it out, as when I asked Butch he said NO ........this was before he had played it I believe.

Best Russ

[Manfromsoul45s]

Don't know the source Darren.

There's another John Bowie acetate "Help me pretty baby", very uptempo, not great though.

Also a different demo of the above track, off acetate, much better.

Here's the full blurb...

I have a 10 or 12" acetate (can't remember the size) with this on and the "Good Thing" Version, also a track called "Bad Luck" which is ok. The first take on the CD I have which I think is better than the 2nd take. The 2nd take sounds a bit contrived almost like some instrumentation has been added as an after thought...

[Pete S]

Don't know the source Darren.

There's another John Bowie acetate "Help me pretty baby", very uptempo, not great though.

Also a different demo of the above track, off acetate, much better.

Here's the full blurb...

I have a 10 or 12" acetate (can't remember the size) with this on and the "Good Thing" Version, also a track called "Bad Luck" which is ok. The first take on the CD I have which I think is better than the 2nd take. The 2nd take sounds a bit contrived almost like some instrumentation has been added as an after thought...

Think I'll just stick with the original single. Don't really like anything else I've heard.

[Manfromsoul45s]

Came from the Bowie estate and was told that they did all tunes in one take to let someone else in the studio..Different, but as I say the "Pretty Baby" is ok.