Records that are literally too good to play

[Dayo]

Back in the day, no-one thought it strange to travel a hundred miles plus just to hear or dance to a record that you couldn't hear anywhere else.  Things have changed so much.  Recordings that only the seriously comfortable can afford are just a few clicks away on YouTube etc.  So, we all have instant access to almost all the great records ever made - rare as hen's teeth, or common as muck.  But for me that access changes things.  It's too easy.  Which brings me to the real point of this thread: 

Are there any records that are so wonderful that you simply don't want to hear, in case they start to pale?

As a really prosaic example, I adore the Spinners, It's A Shame.  It's a top ten track, but whenever I hear those jangly guitars of the intro, then I turn the radio down or leave the room. Ironic, but I love the record so much that I can only hear it on very rare occasions.  I'd hate to think that I'd get tired of it, or, horror of horrors, that I enjoy it less than I did the last time.  That example is a hard one to avoid.  Jesse Fisher's YNLAB is another one, same goes for the Linda Jones ballad That's When I'll Top Loving You.  It's literally too good to play.  My Heart Needs A Break is another sound I'll only play once or twice a year - just in case.

So what are the records you love so much that you can't actually hear them? Do you have to ration your all-time favourites?

Edited January 19, 2016 by Dayo

[Bbrich]

Absolutely and i thought I was the only one who rationed their own records.  I will only rarely play tsu toronadoes - what good am i and masters of soul - do you really love me.  There are quite a lot of records that I wont play at home because I only want to hear them if I am on the decks or the dancefloor - because I want them to remain special and any other situation is a wasted play for me! (if the wife plays a cd with such a track on it I turn it off!)

[Len]

Well done for being so disciplined Dayo  That all makes complete sense, alas if something is great, we all want to hear it again and again - we 'just can't get enough' Hence some really great records do get hammered to death - It's a crying shame really.

This beauty has 'been around the block', and it was just recently a friend of mine asked me to play it out once again - So I dug it out when I got home ready for next time, but thought...."Hey, I'll quickly whack it on before I stick it in my play box"........ BANG! Frigin hell - tune! (Once again) 

The good news is, the great tunes come round again if given a little rest - 'Out of retirement' I call it 

So a better link to your question would be - Maybe I should now tuck this record away again before it's too late (Again again) 

All the best,

Len 

'Cookie Scott - I Don't Care'

 

 

[Tlscapital]

I'm not based in the UK (am in Belgium), so I din't attend the nighter scene there in the UK so much. And so didn't really understand back then what an "overplayed" tune was until I did attend some nights in the UK in the late 90's & early 2000's. Man that was indeed tiring to hear the same and the same and the same tune on the same nights.

In them days there was no "€uro" northern or soul hybrid scene as such. The riche$ young deeJay-ettes came into to market at some times just after that I believe. After that €urope did suffer the same fate. Suddenly I realized that the "sheep" syndrome worked the same with the DJ's over here. They were maybe other "hits" but the reaction amongst those in love with the music (versus in fashion with the music) was spontaneous in the most classic way; Oh no ! Not that one again... 

I totally follow you with the Spinners 'it's a shame'. It either works in a very creative DJ set or facilitate the exit way when played in the dullest DJ set. This is one reason I'm totally anti-reissues in the 45 format. Since you can't openly put down them DJ's playing out those (you are called a "purist or elitist" if you do) overflowing the record stalls and e-stores, all the DJ's playing those play the same and by doing so manage to kill "real tunes" to bring them to the plain "boring" status.

To be on the safe side, I love my deep soul more and more. There I'm sure not to be fed-up with almost any tunes for few more decades to come. On the northern, cross-over and modern sides there's not much that can't be overexposed I believe. Especially with the commercialism of the northern soul scene all over again.

[Len]

3 minutes ago, tlscapital said:

I totally follow you with the Spinners 'it's a shame'. It either works in a very creative DJ set or facilitate the exit way when played in the dullest DJ set. 

Interesting point - This tune works for Adam (Buchanan) every time he decides to play it (Going back many years)

Yes a tune can sound (come across) so different to another time.

All the best,

Len 

[Guest chorleybloke]

Good thread - I'm exactly the same.  In fact I go out of my way to avoid hundreds of favourites in case they become (to my ears) "Frank-Wilsonised"....so when I do give them a good blast they still sound as fresh as ever.

Cheers...........Pete

[manus]

 

Agree if only certain DJs could adopt the less is more ethos it would be a breath of fresh air.

[Steve L]

34 minutes ago, manus said:

 

Agree if only certain DJs could adopt the less is more ethos it would be a breath of fresh air.

Was just gonna post the same thing - "DJ's" please take note!!!!!!

[Steve L]

Personally I'm trying to limit my exposure to Eddie Parker - I'm gone which is on the verge of becoming overplayed for me and I'd hate to get fed up of it

[Pete S]

30 minutes ago, Steve L said:

Personally I'm trying to limit my exposure to Eddie Parker - I'm gone which is on the verge of becoming overplayed for me and I'd hate to get fed up of it

I've gone the opposite way with that - I've known it for 40 years but only in the last 4 or 5 I have become to appreciate it properly - it's been on my last 3 or 4 Northern podcasts in a row and I can't wait to slot it in to be honest.  I love my records and I play them a lot, I've been playing 300 of the same records for decades and never get tired of them.

[Dobber]

abstaining certaintly helps with any record,i make a point of no northern in the car,and lay off yutube for a week,then when (the bag is full) and its to much to bare,have a big shoot out! haha

[Quinvy]

I've always done the same. It's not only records either. Bloody Sky have ruined all the classic TV shows by showing them more or less on a loop. Nothing is sacred any more sadly.

[Geeselad]

I really follow you on this feel the same about loads of tunes,

 

spinners- i'll be around,

bobby reed- I'll find a way

are two that spring instantly to mind, Del larks is another, I believe it got really hammered at Wigan, justifiable, but a shame it ruined it for many.

[Chas]

Richard Searling's Mayfield singers"the weather's always the same" never saw much action, a one copy only acetate but he was reluctant to play it for the above reason.Must be the epitome of a Chicago dancer, nice unreleased Donny Hathaway version too.

[Davenpete]

On 20 January 2016 at 06:57, chas said:

Richard Searling's Mayfield singers"the weather's always the same" never saw much action, a one copy only acetate but he was reluctant to play it for the above reason.Must be the epitome of a Chicago dancer, nice unreleased Donny Hathaway version too.

Never actually heard it at a nighter - had it on a tape Mickey Cruise gave me many years ago (had a lot of very very rare obscure things on it, at least at the time, like the MBs - who always sounded like they actually WERE the Merseybeats to me! and the Mello Souls long before it was being played) and loved it instantly - had no idea what it was for a LONG time - I notice its very hard to find boots of it now (all simply having the vocal of Dont Start None instead) - the lyrics are just brilliant whilst the backing is out of this world - overall immeasurably better than Bobby Callendar etc.

There are certainly quite a few records that I absolutely worship but never dance to simply because I wanted to listen as closely as possible to them - things like The Sonatas Going Down The Road, The Mello Souls We Can Make It, John Edwards The Look On Your Face, Linda Clifford You Are You Are, The Masqueraders How (and a number I use to just sit back quietly and enjoy watching my friends loving on the floor) loads more besides (now THAT would be a weird set!) - all stuff with brilliant lyrics, plus a lot of things I love but can't catch the beat on like the Admirations (just CANNOT dance to it).

I also have stuff that I love that I almost never play at home and guess I ration myself to like Herbert Hunter. Johhny Gilliam is another one - I could only listen to it a couple of times a year coz it just poleaxed me - specially in my black dog times years ago when it used to knock me suicidal - sold my second one last year but I've no doubt I'll buy it again.

Dx

Edited January 21, 2016 by DaveNPete

[Chas]

Hey up you two,I think Richard must've had a couple cut for Tim Brown and Andy Dyson, both played it at the Wilton and it jumped in the same spot as his acetate! There's a fabulous mid tempo version which is slightly different but we'll worth a look by Emmett Garner jnr "check out what you've got".Eileen says hi...see you soon.