Magicians

[caseoftyme]

Pardon my ignorance but I wonder if someone out there could augment my meagre knowledge regarding this "record"

A) Is it a true original, performed and produced during the glory days of soul (6ts v.early7ts) which had lain undiscovered and gathering dust for 30 years or more, waiting for an avid collector to turn it up and share it amongs the masses

or

Is it a recent recording of a "voice / sing over" on top of the original instrumental

If choice A) above is fact, how many copies are there, what do they look like, what are their value(s) on the presumption that only one copy would make it more valuable than DILY(IID)

BTW

I like it as a record, just want some clarity

[John Al]

Legend is that is is an unreleased version which turned up a couple of years ago via master tapes. Therefore there are no copies issued apart from Ady's Kent label of course. So the answer is option A, sort of. Unless anyone knows any different that is....

Soussan did a vocal overdub in 70's under guise of The Del Satins - Baby Your The Fire.

Don't like either that much, prefer the instrumental.

John.

[Ady Croasdell]

Yes it was originally recorded as a vocal by the Magicians and a different vocal by a girl group called the Waves. For some reason the chaps at Villa just used the backing track as a 45 and called it by the Checkerboard Squares and didn't mix any of the vocals on the multi track tape. Full story on Kent CD Northern Soul's Classiest rareties Vol 2

[Guest Stuart T]

Truth is Ady got the Soul Source Voice Choir to sing over the backing track, Ian Levine produced it for him. He has made a fortune giving copies away for nothing. In between making a film about a fake 6Ts night on the moon.

Has allegedly fetched over £100 on ebay.

Think there is also a female cut.

[caseoftyme]

Is it known if the Master Tapes relate to the original instrumental in any way ?

Same studio ?

Same label ?

Same producer ?

Same arranger ?

etc.

etc.

or any other useful info to tie the two together ???

just to satisfy my own curiosity

[caseoftyme]

cheers Ady

Hadn't read your post before my last one

any chance of a listen to the female version

Edited April 26, 2006 by caseoftyme

[Guest TONY ROUNCE]

Yes it was originally recorded as a vocal by the Magicians and a different vocal by a girl group called the Waves. For some reason the chaps at Villa just used the backing track as a 45 and called it by the Checkerboard Squares and didn't mix any of the vocals on the multi track tape. Full story on Kent CD Northern Soul's Classiest rareties Vol 2

...One thing Ady forgot to mention is that the Waves track is actually a different song, sung on this backing track, and that they cut their song first - can't remember what the Waves' title is offhand (3 pints of Young's Special at Lunchtime will do that for you) but prior to both their song and The Magicians' song on the multitrack, you hear the engineer call "(whatever the Waves song is called), Take 3" (or is it 4 - damn your beer, John Young!).

As he says, though, both versions are 100% pukka, and both versions were recorded back in the 60s rather than being any attempt on Kent's part to out Soussan Simon!

TONE

[Ady Croasdell]

[

any chance of a listen to the female version

[caseoftyme]

Yes, get yourself down Crossfire on Saturday or any 100 Club do!

[Makemvinyl]

[

any chance of a listen to the female version Copy please again please and again a pretty please

Yes, get yourself down Crossfire on Saturday or any 100 Club do!

cant make x fire or the 100 c b4 Cleethorpes but I know you will play it at Cleethorpes

a copy pretty please answer by first class post to the usual address

that place north of leicester

Saw Jim E here looked a bit down

Edited April 26, 2006 by MAKEMVINYL

[Guest Paul]

I don't know who The Waves were but the lyrics to "Is It Love Baby" (the unissued female vocal of "Double Cookin'") were written by Marilynn Ranette Stewart - a possible group member.

Paul Mooney

www.millbrand.com

[Simsy]

Truth is Ady got the Soul Source Voice Choir to sing over the backing track, Ian Levine produced it for him. He has made a fortune giving copies away for nothing. In between making a film about a fake 6Ts night on the moon.

[Guest Netspeaky]

Yes it was originally recorded as a vocal by the Magicians and a different vocal by a girl group called the Waves. For some reason the chaps at Villa just used the backing track as a 45 and called it by the Checkerboard Squares and didn't mix any of the vocals on the multi track tape. Full story on Kent CD Northern Soul's Classiest rareties Vol 2

Ady there must have been a group called Cheker Board Squares, I have a Checker Board Squares 45 on S.I.M Records Festivo b/w Desert Land, so I guess that on Villa they were either the house band or a group who happen to be on the label at the time.

[Ady Croasdell]

Ady there must have been a group called Cheker Board Squares, I have a Checker Board Squares 45 on S.I.M Records Festivo b/w Desert Land, so I guess that on Villa they were either the house band or a group who happen to be on the label at the time.

Interesting. Any clues as to West Coast, San Francisco ideally? There could have been other groups with the same name. Who were the writers producers etc?

[Guest Netspeaky]

Interesting. Any clues as to West Coast, San Francisco ideally? There could have been other groups with the same name. Who were the writers producers etc?

Writer on label is Dori I Jones(Both sides) Dor Pub Co BMI (Both sides) Silver label with Blue Text has a piano as logo on right hand side with S.I.M on top with Records immediately below. Sorry would put a scan up but I've just binned it as it had stopped working and haven't replace yet. It sounds late 60's early 70's, both instrumentals, FESTIVO is uptempo and I have considered playing out.

[Ady Croasdell]

Presumably no address. Unfortunately that doesn't throw any light for me. The jury is out.

[Rob Wigley]

Always liked "is it all gone" by the magicians I have a Yellow villa copy, but never heard it played anywhere !? is it from the same sessions ?

[Godzilla]

FESTIVO is uptempo and I have considered playing out.

At a funk night I trust

Appears regularly on ebay fairly cheaply - $10/15 I think.

Godz

[Guest Andy BB]

Different coloured one on soulful detriot site.. And some chat about it.

https://soulfuldetroit.com/archives/3190/2076.html?1044972416

Don't get excited though - they haven't reached a conclusion either.

So that helps then. Sorry

[Jerry Hipkiss]

Always liked "is it all gone" by the magicians I have a Yellow villa copy, but never heard it played anywhere !? is it from the same sessions ?

Yes, it was pretty popular at one time, mid-seventies I think - in fact Soussan somehow (anyone know how?) got hold of the backing track, called it "Love symphony", and stuck it on the back of "Strings a go-go", which from memory was summer '74; at least I know the first time it was on sale as a pressing was at Whitchurch all-dayer.

Hippo.

[Pete S]

First came across Is It All Gone in 76 when I used to by "emidiscs" done by Pep, he put it on a few for some reason but it never took off and nobody seemed to like it much. As for Double Cookin'...sounds great as an instrumental and should be left as one in my opinion, the vocal just doesn't seem right though the Del Satins Soussan thing was not bad.