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John Anderson's Soul Junction Does It Again, Hopkins Bros


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are there really that many reissues of current newies/biggies? I mean if folks are reissueing/pressing each and every newie within 1/2 years after its first spin I sure would agree with Andy D. or Arthur. But folks aren't, from what I understand most of todays "hot" sounds are still exclusive and limited to just a few copies. So what's all the fuss about?

And that's leaving out the fact that being against a reissue where the artists would financially benefit from is pretty selfish IMO.

Hello Benji,

I agree, it's a massive over reaction.

Andy is obviously upset with John Anderson about the Hopkins Bros reissue but I don't accept that there aren't enough decent records for the rare soul scene to work. There are thousands of great records out there, many of which are rare or obscure (if that's so important).

And I agree it's selfish to be against a legitimate reissue.

Best wishes

Paul

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If a CD compilation not the Hopkins Brothers material wasn't possible then due to licensing issues then why not a CD single of these two tracks, or a CD EP type release with purely Hopkins Brothers owned material? This would have gone some way to lessen the impact on the already struggling Rare Soul/All-nigeter (call it what you like) scene! Now every Tom Dick and Harry DJ will feel they have a legitimate right to play this track up and down the country, a track they haven't travelled to support not only the record itself but the hard work the likes of Butch and Andy Dyson put in sourcing records like this. It takes years to break a record, Tommy and the Derby's took over 15 to crack, by and large they take 3 to 5 years then others with no vested interest in the scene come along to line their pockets on the back of others. There are ways to do this to satisfy (if that is the right word) all parties.

We know full well unless the artist owns the track outright, the licensing etc then they will make sweet FA, not even enough to pay the weekly groceries. If they are lucky enough to own the license then they might get a small 4 figure sum which won't last long.

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This has been happening since the dawn of time though, records are discovered, start to go big, then get bootlegged or reissued before their time, I can think of a great example, Peg Leg Moffett "The Shocker" played at Wigan one week by Russ covered as Wilson Pickett, exactly 2 weeks later it was in the shops as an import and was never played again. There's hundreds of examples of great records being killed off by reissues. One the one hand it was good because we could get the records to play at home, on the other hand we knew it would never be played at Wigan (or other current nighter) again and that was pretty sad.

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The top DJ's find & break a record & make it 'indemand'.

The bootleggers/re-issuers press it up to satisfy demand.

The top DJ's drop it like a lead balloon & find & break another record.

Not going into the rights & wrongs of the above statement but that's how it's worked for the last 40ish years isn't it?

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This has been happening since the dawn of time though, records are discovered, start to go big, then get bootlegged or reissued before their time, I can think of a great example, Peg Leg Moffett "The Shocker" played at Wigan one week by Russ covered as Wilson Pickett, exactly 2 weeks later it was in the shops as an import and was never played again. There's hundreds of examples of great records being killed off by reissues. One the one hand it was good because we could get the records to play at home, on the other hand we knew it would never be played at Wigan (or other current nighter) again and that was pretty sad.

Yes but as I said Pete/Mart records back then were plentiful. Today is totally different. Like I said a CD Comp or a CD Single would have been far better, probably cheaper to produce.

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The top DJ's find & break a record & make it 'indemand'.

The bootleggers/re-issuers press it up to satisfy demand.

The top DJ's drop it like a lead balloon & find & break another record.

That's how I understand it used to be back in the 70s. But is it still the same nowadays?

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By the way, I want to point out that I have no involvement with The Hopkins Bros single or with any of the other reissues that have been objected to in this thread ...just in case anyone thought otherwise.

I'd like to see some comments from those who've been called "leaches" etc but maybe it's best if they don't respond.

Paul

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If a CD compilation not the Hopkins Brothers material wasn't possible then due to licensing issues then why not a CD single of these two tracks, or a CD EP type release with purely Hopkins Brothers owned material? This would have gone some way to lessen the impact on the already struggling Rare Soul/All-nigeter (call it what you like) scene! Now every Tom Dick and Harry DJ will feel they have a legitimate right to play this track up and down the country, a track they haven't travelled to support not only the record itself but the hard work the likes of Butch and Andy Dyson put in sourcing records like this. It takes years to break a record, Tommy and the Derby's took over 15 to crack, by and large they take 3 to 5 years then others with no vested interest in the scene come along to line their pockets on the back of others. There are ways to do this to satisfy (if that is the right word) all parties.

We know full well unless the artist owns the track outright, the licensing etc then they will make sweet FA, not even enough to pay the weekly groceries. If they are lucky enough to own the license then they might get a small 4 figure sum which won't last long.

Not really..."it takes years" for something to come into fashion. This scene of ours changes like everything else. If someone picks up on a track and tries it out and gets nowhere after a few plays, it's dropped as a no-goer. A couple of years down the line,the same thing. In the meantime, dance-floor tastes have changed (as per the new funky edged style of Northern) and all of a sudden said track becomes huge. It's not the DJ who makes the track big, it's the dancers who in turn influence the collectors. The DJ simply has the record and, if he's the first one to play it, belief in the track, but it has to be the right sound for "now".

Steve

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Yes but as I said Pete/Mart records back then were plentiful. Today is totally different. Like I said a CD Comp or a CD Single would have been far better, probably cheaper to produce.

Without going too off topic Chalky one word in your last post stands out & that is records.

There's plenty of music out there but the format is still one of the principal things on the rare Soul scene.

Classic example is the Al Mason I recently sent you. It's rare, it's oh so Soulful but it's not available on 7" vinyl.

Maybe if the DJ's looked outside the box a bit more it would be beneficial for all concerned.

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Some interesting points coming out on this thread. As a collector and soul fan these things can throw up a real dilemma - and it is all too easy for people to dismiss just how hard it is to find new records. I think some people think they are still lying around in junk shops waiting to be discovered.....much much harder than that. This one is from what I've read licensed directly from the Hopkins themselves so they will see some benefit.

Andy mentioned Tommy & Derbys and it's a fair call that reminded me of a conversation driving on a way to a gig with a friend. He was gutted because he'd heard Tommy & Derbys wasn't coming out cos the (UK label) stock was damaged. I went "yippee" and was delighted much to his surprise and shock. But that's cos I had the record on Swing.

And credit to Butch and Andy for breaking and making this. It's the real deal when it comes to rare soul Niter music (unlike Bobby Patterson records covered up - ho ho!!). But I am also sure the Hopkins Brothers will continue to be a big spin at Lifeline (and elsewhere where Butch and Andy (and Mick) DJ) for some time to come.

Edited by Steve G
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So this is a way of sticking two fingers up at those like Arthur who have paid big money for records ??

How about the notion that these rare records were very hard to find ..took say 5 yrs of searching and then were paid for with money that was hard earned ?

Im sure its not about owning them ...the way i read it is ..Andy and Mark etc ..put a lot of hard work in to find rare records ,infact discover a lot of them ,they put a venue on to share them with anyone ,yes anyone ,who appreciates rare soul ...but need about 2-300 in a venue to make it worthwhile putting on ..and things like this actually destroy all that hard work !

The 2-300 people are the crux here ...they are not all desperate to own the 45's ,infact some have no desire of owning records full stop ..but they pay to go to a venue to hear what is on offer!

It's nothing like that at all. Those of us who work for record companies spend years tracking music down, and have discovered loads of unreleased masterpieces that have enriched the soul scene. When we do that we talk to the artists that have also made the records and if they have an in demand record they ask us to release it. Often we are tipped off to these people by the very people who have found the records in the first place, who have searched out the artists to try and get more copies of the records. Once these processes have been put in place its hard to stop them. Its not ideal, but why put out a CD and find yourself bootlegged like Lou Barretto did. I'm afraid it isn't going to happen. The rare soul scene doesn't exist in a vacuum of record discovery but rather a complicated eco-system of people all going about discovering music in different ways, from artists and record company owners. All of these people have their own vested interests and are ultimately going to work towards these.

Also wasn't Ian Wright playing this long before anyone on the rare soul scene was?

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If a CD compilation not the Hopkins Brothers material wasn't possible then due to licensing issues then why not a CD single of these two tracks, or a CD EP type release with purely Hopkins Brothers owned material?

Chalky

this wouldn't sell, CD singles aren't very popular. What's more it would give the bootleggers a fantastic high quality master to cut there 45 from. And it would be in the shop within days.

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It's nothing like that at all. Those of us who work for record companies spend years tracking music down, and have discovered loads of unreleased masterpieces that have enriched the soul scene. When we do that we talk to the artists that have also made the records and if they have an in demand record they ask us to release it. Often we are tipped off to these people by the very people who have found the records in the first place, who have searched out the artists to try and get more copies of the records. Once these processes have been put in place its hard to stop them. Its not ideal, but why put out a CD and find yourself bootlegged like Lou Barretto did. I'm afraid it isn't going to happen. The rare soul scene doesn't exist in a vacuum of record discovery but rather a complicated eco-system of people all going about discovering music in different ways, from artists and record company owners. All of these people have their own vested interests and are ultimately going to work towards these.

Also wasn't Ian Wright playing this long before anyone on the rare soul scene was?

Dean ,read all the posts first instead of "cherry picking "

Page one 3.18 pm

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Nev

I don't think I'm cherry picking. The point I'm making is that when a record is going this big, the artists will have been alerted by someone tracking them down and asking them if they have a copy of the record. When they are contacted they will soon find their way to reissue companies who by their nature will want to put the track out. Not one if us is set up to just release unreleased tracks. I'm not saying this is right, but it's part of the complex nature of any scene in the age of very easy worldwide communication.

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Nev

I don't think I'm cherry picking. The point I'm making is that when a record is going this big, the artists will have been alerted by someone tracking them down and asking them if they have a copy of the record. When they are contacted they will soon find their way to reissue companies who by their nature will want to put the track out. Not one if us is set up to just release unreleased tracks. I'm not saying this is right, but it's part of the complex nature of any scene in the age of very easy worldwide communication.

Thanks for the insight Dean.. as said before ,it's good to see /hear from someone who is in this line of work ,to get all the perspectives .

I am however still perplexed as to how a record on the rare soul scene can create such hysteria in 2012 ?

Simon Cowell et al are obviously looking in the wrong places when trying to extract money from the world wide music scene :wicked:

That being a tongue in cheek joke ...i actually meant ,this is not popular music and as we've heard ,not much profit ,so i am still a bit baffled by it all ??

My last words :yes:

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This has been happening since the dawn of time though, records are discovered, start to go big, then get bootlegged or reissued before their time, I can think of a great example, Peg Leg Moffett "The Shocker" played at Wigan one week by Russ covered as Wilson Pickett, exactly 2 weeks later it was in the shops as an import and was never played again. There's hundreds of examples of great records being killed off by reissues. One the one hand it was good because we could get the records to play at home, on the other hand we knew it would never be played at Wigan (or other current nighter) again and that was pretty sad.

And BITD we were all youngsters who didnt know any better.Well,most anyway.Conveyor belt of tunes,not alot of thought for tommorow.

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Guest gordon russell

Call me an old romantic,but i prefer to travel to hear rare records.

Hearing them on a re-issue 3 miles from home wouldn't get my juices flowing.Like the quote from Nev btw,about the rare scene knockers hammering these re-issues to death,oh so true.

spot on the oldies crowd call these tune sh*te.........but they'll be played at every two bit soul night/oldies niter asap......Going to a nighter is NOT just about new tunes!!......but you do like em played..........COVER UP EVERY LAST TUNE FROM HERE ON IN REGARDLESS OF VALUE OR RARIETY

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Guest the fifer

Seems a hell of a fuss over a reasonable funk record. If this is really the best the "newies" scene has to offer these days no wonder numbers are so low at the venues.

As ever the biggest w"nkers on the scene are usually found preening themselves behind the decks surrounded by sycophantic, butt kissing yes men.

Derek

Edited by the fifer
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There's no easy answers here. I totally empathise with Andy, Arthur, Butch and Steve. It must be infuriating when you've either discovered or revived a rare tune and when it finally reaches a level of acceptance then suddenly a legitimate reissue, or worse still, a boot appears. I've been there myself and there's a level of sadness in knowing that the lustre has disappeared for that particular tune and you won't be able to play it anymore 'cos every other Tom, Dick and Harry will be playing it. So I sympathise to a certain degree.

However, I remember when I started putting out the Mastercuts albums in the 90's (albeit covering different scenes to Northern and Modern), I'd occasionally get a snidy comment from one or two record dealers when I dropped by record fairs and they'd be accusing me of killing the value of the originals. In actual fact the value of the originals increased because more people got to hear the tunes because of the albums and subsequently wanted to own the originals. Plus the added advantage that the repertoire owners, artists and songwriters all got paid properly and saw their songs reach a much wider audience (back in the good old days when you could sell 50K of an album).

The real bile should be directed at the bootleggers as they're the one's who are just out to make a quick buck. I don't put John Anderson in that catergory at all. He's probably done more to increase the awareness of hordes of lesser-known artists and many people are thankful that he did. Leo's Sunship is still being licensed out regularly to this day and that's a record that would probably have just become a big money collectors item and maybe never found the audience that it subsequently did if it hadn't been for John.

It still doesn't seem as bad as it was in the 70's though where some weeks half a dozen fresh bootlegs would appear. I remember Colin Curtis flogging his originals off for a couple of quid each every time they were booted and saying 'they're no use to me now'. And they weren't.

On the other hand there's been some fantastic 7"ers released in the last few years that would never have seen the light of day at all if people hadn't have taken the time and effort to get them out there.

As I said, there's no easy answers here, except avoid the bootleggers at all costs 'cos they don't benefit anybody.

Ian D :D

Edited by Ian Dewhirst
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Seems a hell of a fuss over a reasonable funk record. If this is really the best the "newies" scene has to offer these days no wonder numbers are so low at the venues.

As ever the biggest w"nkers on the scene are usually found preening themselves behind the decks surrounded by sycophantic, butt kissing yes men.

Derek

I know I said it was my last ...but ...

Funniest post of the yr so far ...wtf my sides are splitting ...tee hee hee ,ha ha ha ..:)

P.s

Compared to what ?

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Guest the fifer

I know I said it was my last ...but ...

Funniest post of the yr so far ...wtf my sides are splitting ...tee hee hee ,ha ha ha .. :)

P.s

Compared to what ?

I wondered which of the drones would bite it had to be you didn't it :sleep3:

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This is a great community and we're all friends here but it has to be said - yet again - that some people take themselves far too seriously and would like to think that the soul scene would die without their input.

Well the truth is that it will outlive all of us.

Because we're so passionate about it (and some people are so competitive about it) we sometimes forget that we're just fooling around with music which was created by someone else - and long ago.

I've always said that the exclusive aspect of it is fascinating. I admire the enthusiasm and I respect lots of rare soul DJs, collectors and dealers but we need to remind ourselves that we aren't creative and we aren't innovative.

And, let's be honest, we're certainly not very "upfront" when we're playing music which is forty years old. We're living in the past with a soundtrack which doesn't belong to us. We borrowed the music and some of the culture.

I accept that there will always be a degrees of rivalry or competition between some DJs and venues (nothing wrong with that) but it often boils down to ego and oneupmanship. Some people may be impressed, others aren't.

I'm 54 now, I've been obsessed with soul and black music for more than forty years and I've always followed my own heart. The pleasure I've had from it is immense (impossible to value) and I'm also lucky enough to work in the music business so it puts food on my table. But I'll never take it for granted and I'll never fool myself into thinking that I've made any significant contribution.

The significant contributions were all made long ago by people in Detroit, Memphis, Chicago, Muscle Shoals, Philadelphia, New York, Los Angeles...

And although the UK rare soul scene has always been exciting and sometimes quite influential, it's worth remembering that it's quite small in the grander scheme of things (especially these days).

These things explain why I'm sometimes uncomfortable with some of the extreme aspects of the "rare soul scene". It's nothing personal but I'm not impressed if someone pays big money for a record or if one DJ "discovers" a rare record before someone else. But if it happens to be a good record, I'll be interested in who made it and who wrote the song.

And, just to be clear, if I happen to own or control any songs or masters which happen to be associated with the rare soul scene, I won't allow any DJ or collector to dictate if and when I can issue them or license them to other companies. And I certainly won't let anyone call me a "leach" so I hope that's understood.

Having got all that off my chest, let's get back to reality and enjoy the music and the spirit of friendship that exists in this community.

Best wishes,

Paul

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Hands up ,you got me hook line and sinker :)

That'll teach me to reply when I'm in the pub eh Derek .lol

derek has his opinion nev and to a point i`m inclined to agree...HB is yet another decent tighten up soundalike..but i for one wouldnt trade the hytones and imperial c`s for it just to keep up with the joneses

Edited by dave pinch
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derek has his opinion nev and to a point i`m inclined to agree...HB is yet another decent tighten up soundalike..but i for one wouldnt trade the hytones and imperial c`s for it just to keep up with the joneses

But thats not the point though is it Dave, the Imperial C's and Hytones just two oldies and The Hopkins Brothers is today, regardless of its quality it packs the dance floor just as much as the two records you mention.

Gareth sums it up perfectly, if Butch and Andy and the likes of them call it a day then these records wouldn't have come to the stage they are at now and the Hopkins Brothers wouldn't have known a thing about what is happening to their record. I know Ian Wright played this just before Butch but he is basically on a different scene and doubt it would have got the attention it is getting now. Some of those releasing material like this are living off the back of the Rare Soul/all-nighter scene.

Many of the comments form some area form someone who has no understanding or knowledge of todays all-nighter scene and the difficulties in breaking new records.

I also though Derek's second sentence to be out of order as well.

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RE: Hopkins Brothers , why was it not coverd up on the Northern scene . ? Just for my curiosity really :g:

Only a handfull of funk scene people knew it at the time

Not strictly true, some on the scene did know it....but by the time it started getting attention Ian Wright had played it uncovered so what is the point covering it up.

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Well the NS scene does coverup tiltes even though they are played uncoverd elsewhere ( on other scenes) D Watson and the Al Dos Band are fairly recent examples

but having said that I am no expert as to when to coverup a record or not :thumbsup:

ps . Sam Fletcher is an old example

Edited by Simon M
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This is a great community and we're all friends here but it has to be said - yet again - that some people take themselves far too seriously and would like to think that the soul scene would die without their input.

Well the truth is that it will outlive all of us.

Because we're so passionate about it (and some people are so competitive about it) we sometimes forget that we're just fooling around with music which was created by someone else - and long ago.

I've always said that the exclusive aspect of it is fascinating. I admire the enthusiasm and I respect lots of rare soul DJs, collectors and dealers but we need to remind ourselves that we aren't creative and we aren't innovative.

And, let's be honest, we're certainly not very "upfront" when we're playing music which is forty years old. We're living in the past with a soundtrack which doesn't belong to us. We borrowed the music and some of the culture.

I accept that there will always be a degrees of rivalry or competition between some DJs and venues (nothing wrong with that) but it often boils down to ego and oneupmanship. Some people may be impressed, others aren't.

I'm 54 now, I've been obsessed with soul and black music for more than forty years and I've always followed my own heart. The pleasure I've had from it is immense (impossible to value) and I'm also lucky enough to work in the music business so it puts food on my table. But I'll never take it for granted and I'll never fool myself into thinking that I've made any significant contribution.

The significant contributions were all made long ago by people in Detroit, Memphis, Chicago, Muscle Shoals, Philadelphia, New York, Los Angeles...

And although the UK rare soul scene has always been exciting and sometimes quite influential, it's worth remembering that it's quite small in the grander scheme of things (especially these days).

These things explain why I'm sometimes uncomfortable with some of the extreme aspects of the "rare soul scene". It's nothing personal but I'm not impressed if someone pays big money for a record or if one DJ "discovers" a rare record before someone else. But if it happens to be a good record, I'll be interested in who made it and who wrote the song.

And, just to be clear, if I happen to own or control any songs or masters which happen to be associated with the rare soul scene, I won't allow any DJ or collector to dictate if and when I can issue them or license them to other companies. And I certainly won't let anyone call me a "leach" so I hope that's understood.

Having got all that off my chest, let's get back to reality and enjoy the music and the spirit of friendship that exists in this community.

Best wishes,

Paul

Surely the "upfront" tag relates to re-discovering 40 year old sounds,and playing them to a new appreciative audience? Better than righting them off as too old for today?

If i want to listen to today's music,there's plenty out there.

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Well the NS scene does coverup tiltes even though they are played uncoverd elsewhere ( on other scenes) D Watson and the Al Dos Band are fairly recent examples

but having said that I am no expert as to when to coverup a record or not :thumbsup:

All depends on what circles you move in.

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But thats not the point though is it Dave, the Imperial C's and Hytones just two oldies and The Hopkins Brothers is today, regardless of its quality it packs the dance floor just as much as the two records you mention.

Gareth sums it up perfectly, if Butch and Andy and the likes of them call it a day then these records wouldn't have come to the stage they are at now and the Hopkins Brothers wouldn't have known a thing about what is happening to their record. I know Ian Wright played this just before Butch but he is basically on a different scene and doubt it would have got the attention it is getting now. Some of those releasing material like this are living off the back of the Rare Soul/all-nighter scene.

Many of the comments form some area form someone who has no understanding or knowledge of todays all-nighter scene and the difficulties in breaking new records.

I also though Derek's second sentence to be out of order as well.

hey i appreciate what your saying and gareth is 100% correct and i for one wont be lining john andersons pocket. someone on this thread i`m sure did say about the quality being harder to come by than it used to be as well as the turnover of records. its not gonna get any easier. andy`s podcast is one of the best out there. but the hopkins brothers doesnt stand out.....imperial c`s and hytones just two oldies eh lol even tho weve known them for what seems forever theres still loads that dont know em to this day....put the hytones on the last H & G cd and some were scratching there heads.......i agree dereks second post came across as a bit leery......uneccessary.........now john harris that does float my boat

dave

Edited by dave pinch
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derek has his opinion nev and to a point i`m inclined to agree...HB is yet another decent tighten up soundalike..but i for one wouldnt trade the hytones and imperial c`s for it just to keep up with the joneses

Derek's first point could be deemed valid as to why all the fuss ,but not really, because if he was taking notice of the actual point aired by Andy ,he would have realised the Hopkins bros release was /is basically the staw that broke the camels back !

The second part was a disgraceful insult and has nothing to do with anything on this thread ,but yeah ,he's entitled to his opinion .

However I also can't really understand your point about trading two of your trophy records for a Hopkins brothers ?

It's easy to say so it's not the greatest record ever discovered and give a full page of records that are better ,but that list doesn't and wouldn't exist because it's a personal preference and we all like different things .

My own personal thought is that ,the hytones I think your referring to ,is pants compared to Hopkins bros :)

Sorry if I'm "droning " on .lol

Let's keep the discussion about putting out rare in demand records ,that are current biggies ,onto re-issue and get some valid points for and against ?

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Guest gordon russell

All depends on what circles you move in.

don,t know about you,but l seem to be going round and round in circles with this one lol tezza

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i dont have any trophy records nev.i`ll leave that up to you....and dont pick a fight with me my names dave not derek

Dave ...don't take that the wrong way ..."trophy" being a word used by many as a way to describe those of us who choose to collect big ticket rare records.

Wether it sits easy or not with you or me... it goes with the territory and it does'nt bother me one bit ..they are my trophy's :thumbup:

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