Billy Woods For Sale

[snooky]

 

Auction: RSV-565  Ends: 30/05/2014 14:00
Artist:  WOODS, BILLY
Title:  Let Me Make You Happy
Label:  Sussex 213
Condition: VG+
First time ever on our list for this one! The copy is cracked in two places but has only been on eBay once fetching ten times this starting price. You may not get another opportunity to buy it so check the sound bite — it does play!

 

On Anglo American site.... https://www.raresoulvinyl.co.uk/auctions/#565

 

what will this fetch...

 

[Steve Foran]

Noticed that. Interesting as I have a copy as well that is cracked. Had it years. Bought a Sevens copy to try to preserve my proper one. Keen to see the eventual price.

Also JM had a copy which was going to go for auction, not sure when, THAT was cracked as well.

Edited May 1, 2014 by Steve Foran

[Wiganer1]

A TOP OXFORD DJ/FRIEND OF MINE HAS AN ISSUE - WHAT  A BEAUTY

[Cunnie]

Cracked in 2 places & vg+????

So guess if it only had 1 crack it would be mint then...

[John Reed]

Cracked in 2 places & vg+????

So guess if it only had 1 crack it would be mint then...

My thoughts too, after looking at the scan an listening to the clip, though it was very losely graded

Edited May 1, 2014 by John Reed

[Guest gordon russell]

A TOP OXFORD DJ/FRIEND OF MINE HAS AN ISSUE - WHAT  A BEAUTY

they're all issues mark

[Goldsoul]

Auction: RSV-565 Ends: 30/05/2014 14:00

Artist: WOODS, BILLY

Title: Let Me Make You Happy

Label: Sussex 213

Condition: VG+

First time ever on our list for this one! The copy is cracked in two places but has only been on eBay once fetching ten times this starting price. You may not get another opportunity to buy it so check the sound bite — it does play!

On Anglo American site.... https://www.raresoulvinyl.co.uk/auctions/#565

what will this fetch...

Hopefully more than the £800 Tim paid me for it lol. I think this was my copy which I sold to him in 1991. I got it from the same guy who sold me JD Bryant on Shrine in 1981. Two very worthwhile purchases. Good luck to Anglo with the sale.

[Rich B]

they're all issues mark

 

I don't think they are. I seem to recall mine was a demo, and there is one on Popsike at the moment with 'not for sale' on the label which kind of confirms my initial thought.

 

 

Edited to add;

 

Sorry, just checked - though the image is there the auction was some while ago on Popsike.

Edited May 1, 2014 by Rich B

[Steve G]

ISN'T IT PLAYED TO DEATH YET?  

[Swifty]

but the one for auction in the first post has 'Not for sale' on it ?

[Pete S]

ISN'T IT PLAYED TO DEATH YET?

 

It was played to death by the end of 1976...

[Frankie Crocker]

It's a cracker... As Steve G says, surely it has been played to death? Mind you, Stevie G has been known to slip up...  A good record and one any discerning collector would like to own, but 40 years down the road, surely it rests towards the back of the box with Kenny Smith, Black Nasty and Lloyd Michaels. One to pass over if cracked and probably not worth the book price if mint?

[Wiganer1]

AS A REGULAR NITER GOER SINCE 1981..I CAN HONESTLY SAY IVE RARELY HEARD IT OUT...

[Pete S]

It was a huge record 75-76, then of course bootlegged and dropped - never really revived probably because very few originals around.  Wonderful record.  

[Ian Dewhirst]

It still amazes me how rare this is. You'd have thought that being on Sussex it would have been nationally promoted. I wonder where the other 490 copies went.....?

Ian D

[Wiganer1]

too right ian...would love an original copy....one day maybe - gr8 tune ..

[Ian Parker]

 Wonderful record.  

 With Van McCoy at the helm, never in doubt.  That intro, wow!

  Fabulous tune

[boba]

It's a cracker...

 

styrene does crack easily

[Steve L]

AS A REGULAR NITER GOER SINCE 1981..I CAN HONESTLY SAY IVE RARELY HEARD IT OUT...

 

I agree, as a regular critic of the overplayed oldies scene this doesn't come into that category in my experience

[Steve G]

I agree, as a regular critic of the overplayed oldies scene this doesn't come into that category in my experience

 

Maybe I've been listening to 1 or 2 DJs with it too much, but they always seem to play it.....

 

It still amazes me how rare this is. You'd have thought that being on Sussex it would have been nationally promoted. I wonder where the other 490 copies went.....?

Ian D

 

there is a story there - Mr Anderson will tell you if you ask, how the label didn't put it out at all, and the copies came from an engineer. John remembers the engineer hadn't been paid and got these Billy Woods records that he sold to John who remembers travelling down to Philly on the bus with the copies he'd just bought in his holdall.....that's where most of the copies that have surfaced came from.

[Guest Dave Turner]

Horses for courses, opinions and all that but I've never liked the record.

 

Much prefer both the uptempo and deep sides on his two Verve 45s 

[Ian Dewhirst]

Maybe I've been listening to 1 or 2 DJs with it too much, but they always seem to play it.....

 

 

there is a story there - Mr Anderson will tell you if you ask, how the label didn't put it out at all, and the copies came from an engineer. John remembers the engineer hadn't been paid and got these Billy Woods records that he sold to John who remembers travelling down to Philly on the bus with the copies he'd just bought in his holdall.....that's where most of the copies that have surfaced came from.

 

Yep, I heard that story and it makes sense because hardly any other copies have shown up from anywhere else since. Even Clarence Avant who ran Sussex couldn't remember the record.......

 

Ian D 

[Quinvy]

Never did anything for me other than it's a very nice record, but would never get me dancing. Nice to listen to though.

[Ted Massey]

one of my big mistakes had a really nice copy in the 80's a certain Mr Wrigley has it now or had it

[Premium Stuff]

but the one for auction in the first post has 'Not for sale' on it ?

 

Don't they all have that on "Not For Sale" - the original copies?

[Steve G]

It's got a certain charm to it for sure, but a Van McCoy "rushed" B side......there's not even a full set of lyrics....la la la la la.....da da da n da da etc....

[Swifty]

Don't they all have that on "Not For Sale" - the original copies?

I presume they do , it was just that somebody had put they were all Issues

[Steve G]

Was bootlegged as a WD, presumably by Soussan or someone.

[Mike Lofthouse]

It's got a certain charm to it for sure, but a Van McCoy "rushed" B side......there's not even a full set of lyrics....la la la la la.....da da da n da da etc....

I do agree with you Steve - it's not a work of genius - but to put it in context - just think if it turned up now in these limited quantities, it wouldn't be considered so shabby. And don't forget when it was played circa '75 it was alongside the likes of Mel Britt, Anderson Brothers, Josie Jo Armstead, Bobby Hutton, Candi Staton etc etc- oh for another year like that eh?

 

It also puzzles me how it is considered overplayed - it is surely one of the rarest of the rare and if you don't go to a night were the 'so called' dreaded 500 are played on pressings and re-issues - where are you going to hear it ? - surely not at the OVO and/or 'cutting edge' venues?   The last time I remember hearing it Searling played over ten years ago at the Orwell.

Edited May 2, 2014 by Mike Lofthouse

[Steve Foran]

I recall looking at Van McCoys discography years back. There were pics of all his tunes, this was listed but no picture.

[Amsterdam Russ]

Rare or not, it sounds to me like something I might have heard on Top of the Pops in the early-mid 70s when I was a kid.

[Frankie Crocker]

I do agree with you Steve - it's not a work of genius - but to put it in context - just think if it turned up now in these limited quantities, it wouldn't be considered so shabby. And don't forget when it was played circa '75 it was alongside the likes of Mel Britt, Anderson Brothers, Josie Jo Armstead, Bobby Hutton, Candi Staton etc etc- oh for another year like that eh?

 

It also puzzles me how it is considered overplayed - it is surely one of the rarest of the rare and if you don't go to a night were the 'so called' dreaded 500 are played on pressings and re-issues - where are you going to hear it ? - surely not at the OVO and/or 'cutting edge' venues?   The last time I remember hearing it Searling played over ten years ago at the Orwell.

Not so much overplayed but played-out, had its day, overtaken by better sounds. Some lucky fella, not sure who, won a copy at auction that had been listed as a bootleg but was snaffled under the radar as it was the multicoloured issue. Still hanging onto the white boot in vain and pretty sure I will never find an original - for sure a good sound, and big at Wigan, but who needs cracked records?

[Premium Stuff]

The white boot was one of the first 70s type records I played as a youngster.

 

Played it quite a bit then - to the point I got sick of it really early on - have never intentionally listened to it for at least two decades.

 

Cheers

 

Richard

[Agentsmith]

i echo pete's sentiments about this record, huge in it's day and from a  midlander's point of view, vigorously championed by PEP, a dj who amongst all his varied attributes, had a discerning ear for soulful tunes. yes, it appeared amongst a plethora of fine tunes, all surfacing, fortunately for us, at the same time/same era. indescribably rare, it dosn't deserve to be mocked as are the afflicted, the fact that so few of the big guns do not possess this record or simply haven't thought of the possiblities of a revival, is the only reason that it is not massive all over again. i would, however, hasten to add that the undeniable audible clicks from the auction item, really do not enthrall..i'm pretty much sure that even the undoubted wizardry of technician, OZZ, couldn't mask the obvious...say, at the king's..probably the only nice thing it could possibly be is to look at, to admire...for several hundred pounds?......

[Shawky]

I still think it's a great record, as you would expect from Van 

McCoy. It's very rare and it was played when many great tunes were on the scene. To me it beats some of that 100mph and pop dross which was around.

[Chalky]

Maybe I've been listening to 1 or 2 DJs with it too much, but they always seem to play it.....

 

 

there is a story there - Mr Anderson will tell you if you ask, how the label didn't put it out at all, and the copies came from an engineer. John remembers the engineer hadn't been paid and got these Billy Woods records that he sold to John who remembers travelling down to Philly on the bus with the copies he'd just bought in his holdall.....that's where most of the copies that have surfaced came from.

 

Didn't JA leave some behind took as many as he could get on one finger or hold in one hand or something along those lines, was a while since he told the story and we'd had a few as well.

[KevH]

one of my big mistakes had a really nice copy in the 80's a certain Mr Wrigley has it now or had it

 

Not Mr.Wrigley,the chewing gum magnet.? Or is it Rob Wigley.?   

[Steve G]

Didn't JA leave some behind took as many as he could get on one finger or hold in one hand or something along those lines, was a while since he told the story and we'd had a few as well.

 

Yes Chalky…..the engineer had a box full….but at the time it was next to a new release (except it wasn't) and there was no demand…..

[Guest]

 

 

there is a story there - Mr Anderson will tell you if you ask, how the label didn't put it out at all, and the copies came from an engineer. John remembers the engineer hadn't been paid and got these Billy Woods records that he sold to John who remembers travelling down to Philly on the bus with the copies he'd just bought in his holdall.....that's where most of the copies that have surfaced came from.

I heard that story too.  But also that he didn't take all the copies that were there!

Edited May 2, 2014 by Guest

[Davetay]

one of my big mistakes had a really nice copy in the 80's a certain Mr Wrigley has it now or had it

The one Rob has, was one of mine in the 70s.

[Davetay]

Don't they all have that on "Not For Sale" - the original copies?

Both copies that I had "Not For Sale" on them, always thought they where multi-coloured demos.

[Arthur Fenn]

Taste has changed a lot as we know, had 3 of these at various times since I guess 77, no wish ( unless cheap ) to own it again, the sound isn't "right" for today, just an opinion of course 

[Ian Dewhirst]

Taste has changed a lot as we know, had 3 of these at various times since I guess 77, no wish ( unless cheap ) to own it again, the sound isn't "right" for today, just an opinion of course 

 

Blimey. Where does it go wrong Arthur?

 

Ian D

[Arthur Fenn]

Ladadadadadar Ian, not saying it's a bad record mate, just things move on 

[Dobber]

cracked or not...in vogue or not...flippin great tune...so no one bother bidding cos im having it!

[Ted Massey]

Taste has changed a lot as we know, had 3 of these at various times since I guess 77, no wish ( unless cheap ) to own it again, the sound isn't "right" for today, just an opinion of course

[Ted Massey]

I'm with u on that Arthur

[Russ Vickers]

Dont like it, never have..was always puzzled as to why others thought so much of it....

 

Russ

[Pete S]

Dont like it, never have..was always puzzled as to why others thought so much of it....

 

Russ

 

It's a very uplifting lyric, happy song, sounded great loud as well.  Like a lot of records, I think playing it via a loud sound system helps, if you hear it one of my Wigan tapes, the clapping on the intro is magic.

[snooky]

WHAT DID IT GO FOR?????MISSED THE FINAL PRICE