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Al Williams.....i Am Nothing


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Posted

Just wanna know what this monster is going for, either on La Beat or Palmer and which is the hardest

Guest Aaron Darcy
Posted

Just wanna know what this monster is going for, either on La Beat or Palmer and which is the hardest

Not sure of the current price , sold La Beat issue in mint condition to Keb Darge 1999 for £700.

Hardest i would say Palmer Promo

Posted (edited)

If it was a horse race they would be neck and neck, but if one sells for a grand more than the other then would that make it rarer? Debatable really (or more desireable)

Edited by Labeat
Posted (edited)

La-Beat released 2 years before Palmer re-issue according to the Man who knows!! La-Beat issues and Demo's appear to be about in even quantities!! Personally I think La-Beat issue is harder seen loads of Palmer Demo's but still waiting to see the illusive Palmer Issue!! if it exists? :g: Pricewise Palmer demo would have said £2500 tops Until Darren just got £2750 for one La-beat Issue £3k+ and Demo £3.5+ going off todays prices, Probably worth every penny for a great double sider!! IMHO :thumbsup:

Edited by mrtag
  • Helpful 3
Posted (edited)

Never seen an issue if the Palmer reissue ;) Don't know anyone who has? Therefore until one is seen Labeat rarer.  Used to see very few Labeat copies especially the issue, but you did see the Palmer one.  Might be little in it regarding sale according to popsike but it only goes back a few years.

Edited by chalky
  • Helpful 1
Posted (edited)

Popsike only goes back 9 years, 2006.  Looks to be more Palmer demos than Labeat copies on there just glancing through them.

Edited by chalky
  • Helpful 2
Guest UPTITE U250A
Posted

Palmer issue rarer.

 

( tongue in cheek )

 

Tricky

:D

nevertheless...the Palmer demo is on vinyl and although I don't own one,have been told that the sound quality is superior to the LaBeat...anyone able to confirm that?eny difference between the LaBeat issue/demo in sound quality too?Recall for many yrs there was virtually no interest in this record also....

Posted

All hypothetical really concerning both records, that is....

How many of each were pressed

How many of each were destroyed

How many of each in existence.

No-one will ever truely know!

I think this can be said for the vast majority of vinyl records

  • Helpful 1
Posted

I just sold a Palmer demo in unplayed Mint- condition £2750, remember condition is everything when getting top prices.

 

Palmer is better quality, La Beat is slightly rarer and I would add £500 to mint prices and use your own judgment on lesser condition.

 

I sold a La Beat issue a couple years back in VG WOL but played well for £1600. Both are tough though.

 

Cheers Darren

Posted

I was offered a labeat issue a few years ago for £1500. Condition was not up to much but played great. Think ok for Dj,ing is the term used. Like others have said never seen or heard of a Palmer issue.

But what a great tune, probably my all-time favourite

Steve


Posted (edited)

I just sold a Palmer demo in unplayed Mint- condition £2750, remember condition is everything when getting top prices.

 

Palmer is better quality, La Beat is slightly rarer and I would add £500 to mint prices and use your own judgment on lesser condition.

 

I sold a La Beat issue a couple years back in VG WOL but played well for £1600. Both are tough though.

 

Cheers Darren

£1600  :ohmy: You sold it too Cheap!!! :lol:  :lol:  :wicked: It was nice writing :yes:

Edited by mrtag
Posted

Palmer Demo was rarer until an amount turned up a few years ago. I would have the Palmer one given the choice, the sound quality is better. 

i completely agree  phill i had the choice of  either one.the la beat was a very clean copy at 2200 at the time but the palmer  was mint and cheaper after hearing both records i bought the palmer as it sounded much better 

  • Helpful 1
Posted

quick question, which la beats had golden drums not silver? I thought I saw an al williams like this with the golden drums at Albrighton, pretty sure I know who bought it, 600- 750 ish at the time. I was sorely tempted but had just bought the most expensive record Ive ever had, so was a bit scared to commit the funds. Bloomin wish i had now.
One other story, from much further back (70's,guess 75/6?) One dj/record seller turned up a quantity, cant remember now either 6 or 8 copies, all La Beat wdj's, stood in his shop one saturday morning he produced them and said "who wants on of these". Lots of voices spoke up. The price was announced as either £5 or 8 quid. Slowly he served one person then the next. Got to my turn, and he counted how many he had left and said " sorry John, miscounted, gotta keep one for so-and-so, and one for wotsit, so I have sold them all"
Imagine growing up in a small town where all the main collectors other than me had a copy. Gutted.
I dont really like saying who owns what, in case folk bug them, but of those handful of copies I do know one went to another local collector so is still in the area, maybe they are all still local. Like most La Beats think most had some small label marks from water, found in a damp cellar the story went, was that ever confirmed as true?

  • Helpful 1
Posted

There's three times the amount of Palmer demos on popsike compared to Labeat issues.  Just a couple or three Labeat demos.  Probably about the ratio I've always seen it at since the 80's. I know in the early 2000's someone wanted one and could only find a Palmer copy then.

 

As for water damage, that was from Lou Beatty's basement wasn't it John?  John Anderson telling us he left loads floating in water with no labels on, just taking the remaining stock that had labels.

  • Helpful 3
Posted

quick question, which la beats had golden drums not silver? I thought I saw an al williams like this with the golden drums at Albrighton, pretty sure I know who bought it, 600- 750 ish at the time. I was sorely tempted but had just bought the most expensive record Ive ever had, so was a bit scared to commit the funds. Bloomin wish i had now.

One other story, from much further back (70's,guess 75/6?) One dj/record seller turned up a quantity, cant remember now either 6 or 8 copies, all La Beat wdj's, stood in his shop one saturday morning he produced them and said "who wants on of these". Lots of voices spoke up. The price was announced as either £5 or 8 quid. Slowly he served one person then the next. Got to my turn, and he counted how many he had left and said " sorry John, miscounted, gotta keep one for so-and-so, and one for wotsit, so I have sold them all"

Imagine growing up in a small town where all the main collectors other than me had a copy. Gutted.

I dont really like saying who owns what, in case folk bug them, but of those handful of copies I do know one went to another local collector so is still in the area, maybe they are all still local. Like most La Beats think most had some small label marks from water, found in a damp cellar the story went, was that ever confirmed as true?

The La Beat issue copy I had off Soul Bowl for £12 ,was in great condition ,except for a tiny bit of water damage to label on the B side .Sold it for £400 to a well known dealer in 1991 , and only had one more offer for it ....

  • Helpful 2
Posted

When you hear records like this for the first time its such an amasing feeling and you realise how special Northern Soul really is.

Love it!

Clint

 

But what about when you've heard it for the the zillionth time and have been listening to it for 30 or 40 years?  It is no longer special is it?  DJ's pay 2.5k for a record and have to wear it out.  The fact that they buy these trophy records usually makes them lose their imagination which is sad.

 

i'd like to think it was collectors paying some of these prices but somehow I doubt it.

  • Helpful 3
Posted (edited)

But what about when you've heard it for the the zillionth time and have been listening to it for 30 or 40 years?  It is no longer special is it?  DJ's pay 2.5k for a record and have to wear it out.  The fact that they buy these trophy records usually makes them lose their imagination which is sad.

 

i'd like to think it was collectors paying some of these prices but somehow I doubt it.

 

I agree with you.  It's really good but it's not great.  Badly produced because the vocalist isn't loud enough in the mix.  I'm not slagging it off, before anyone starts, just saying there are hundreds and hundreds of better records out there.  It's not even the best on the label...

Edited by Pete S
  • Helpful 2
Posted

I agree with you.  It's really good but it's not great.  Badly produced because the vocalist isn't loud enough in the mix.  I'm not slagging it off, before anyone starts, just saying there are hundreds and hundreds of better records out there.  It's not even the best on the label...

HOW!  :thumbsup:

 

Never liked the Al Williams for some reason.

Posted (edited)

But what about when you've heard it for the the zillionth time and have been listening to it for 30 or 40 years? It is no longer special is it? DJ's pay 2.5k for a record and have to wear it out. The fact that they buy these trophy records usually makes them lose their imagination which is sad.

i'd like to think it was collectors paying some of these prices but somehow I doubt it.

Hey there. I understand where your coming from.

Records grab people for different reasons. Twas just a generalisation as to when you hear records like this for the first time as to why Northern Soul is for you. I'm sure it would be many different records for you. If you have heard it a zillion times jeez I dunno, that sucks for you. But you are right! if I heard any record (good or bad) a zillion times, I would be fed up of it also. Personaly I have not heard it a zillion times so I personaly hope dj's still have the imagination to play it. Sorry !

For the record I don't judge a Soul record by production but then again thats personal taste I suppose.

Atb

Clint

Edited by SLAMMINSOUL
  • Helpful 1
Posted

Revisit the story when Richard played it at Wigan, John Poole ( I think) went up and said something about being another Palmer discovery, Richard would not have it as his was Labeat. Amazing it made it on two great labels!! Imagine!!  

Posted

But what about when you've heard it for the the zillionth time and have been listening to it for 30 or 40 years?  It is no longer special is it?  DJ's pay 2.5k for a record and have to wear it out.  The fact that they buy these trophy records usually makes them lose their imagination which is sad.

 

i'd like to think it was collectors paying some of these prices but somehow I doubt it.

Chalky. Like you I've heard it since its first plays ,heard it countless times , but I don't care how many more times I hear it out. It's just one of those record's that I never tire of hearing.

Steve

  • Helpful 2
Posted (edited)

But what about when you've heard it for the the zillionth time and have been listening to it for 30 or 40 years?  It is no longer special is it?  DJ's pay 2.5k for a record and have to wear it out.  The fact that they buy these trophy records usually makes them lose their imagination which is sad.

 

i'd like to think it was collectors paying some of these prices but somehow I doubt it.

 

Hi Chalkie,

 

I was one of the bidders on this and certainly wasn't looking to dj with it. I had this previously but sold it and regretted it since so wanted to have it again purely because the opportunity was there.

 

don't really DJ but still buy big records as you just don't see them up for sale that commonly. just check out ebay and you'll see that it is full of the same old buy it now crap that nobody wants but most of the bigger items just don't come up for sale that often.

 

In the last few months I have bought things like Cecil Washington and little Tommy at one end of the spectrum and things like Gene Chandler and O Jay's at the other end. then there are things like Jaqueline Jones which was a new discovery to me and I would certainly champion that one if I was dj'ing.

 

I am sure that I am not alone in this and would clarify that the majority of my purchases now are ska and rocksteady as these are more readily available.

 

There are 2 or 3 records that I would certainly buy - Richard Caiton, Imperial C,s , Del Larks but not at the prices being paid at the moment. (exception is RC as this is, and has been my long term want for many years now)

 

 

regards H :hatsoff2:

Edited by soulster22
  • Helpful 1
  • 9 years later...
Posted

One thing I don't think I've seen mentioned in discussions of the desirability/rarity of Palmer vs. La Beat and stock vs. promo is this: All La Beat copies, stock and promo, play with a weird thump/skip/glitch sound a couple of seconds into "I Am Nothing." Palmer copies do not.

At first I thought it was just my La Beat stock copy. Then I listened to one on youtube and thought WAIT, DID THE PERSON WHO MADE THIS VIDEO OWN MY COPY PREVIOUSLY?? Then I poked around and found that, as i said above, all La Beat copies have this audio flaw.

It can be heard at 0:05 in this video. 

 

 

  • Up vote 2
Posted (edited)
2 hours ago, Weingarden said:

One thing I don't think I've seen mentioned in discussions of the desirability/rarity of Palmer vs. La Beat and stock vs. promo is this: All La Beat copies, stock and promo, play with a weird thump/skip/glitch sound a couple of seconds into "I Am Nothing." Palmer copies do not.

At first I thought it was just my La Beat stock copy. Then I listened to one on youtube and thought WAIT, DID THE PERSON WHO MADE THIS VIDEO OWN MY COPY PREVIOUSLY?? Then I poked around and found that, as i said above, all La Beat copies have this audio flaw.

It can be heard at 0:05 in this video. 

 

 

The clunk can be heard on the UK Grapevine release too, as it was mastered from a La Beat copy. I think the clearer Palmer press only turned up over here just after the UK Grapevine was released in 1980.

Edited by Mick Holdsworth
  • Up vote 1
  • Helpful 2

Posted (edited)

I remember it being played to absolute death at Nottingham Palais dayers (travelling from Derby). And if it was a washout later on in the early evening, we'd go back to Derby to the Derbyshire Yeoman pub backroom soul nite (now a MaccyD's)

I loved the choon back then though, but cant even listen to it now. And I mean no offence to anyone who still loves it to this day, its just my choice now not to listen to it.

The version played at the Palais seemed to be quite 'whiny' to me either side of the 'baby, babys'. I dunno if that was a true feature of the 45, or was a warp or off-centre defect of the copy being played (?) I forgave this bitd though.

Edited by Codehound

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