Groovettes on Anglo American and record buying in general

[Ssmall]

Let me start by saying that I don't consider myself a collector per se. I have alway enjoyed dancing as much as spending time in the record bar at niters. I have, over the years, bought things that I like but generally not big ticket items. I have never amassed any more than a few hundred singles. Like most people on here I have owned, and still do own, some nice pieces (probably more by luck than judgement). 

When I saw the Groovettes listed recently on Anglo American with a very low reserve (£200) I must admit I was tempted. Obviously, I didn't think for a moment that it would go so cheaply, and bid accordingly. In fact my bid of £2100 was winning until the last minute. I must admit I was quite relieved when someone outbid me. Don't get me wrong, I love this record and it's firmly in my all-time top 10. Out of interest I did a search on Popsike and was surprised to see there were 25 entries for it. It wasn't the amount of money that bothered me, at my time of life with no kids and a pretty modest lifestyle I've got more than I know what to do with. I just couldn't justify to myself spending that amount on a record, no matter how much I love it, that doesn't appear to be as rare as I always assumed. On side note, I was having a look around the site and came across a copy of Dobie Gray 'What A Way To Go' on a Canadian issue for about a tenth of the price. This has been on my 'real world' wants list for quite a while so any disappointment I felt for losing out on the Groovettes was well and truly mitigated.

This has got me thinking about record buying in general. I suppose it is an example of the free market in it's purest form. The only restriction on price is what someone is prepared to pay. This situation has been exacerbated by the increased use of the auction process nowadays. I can only remember taking part in one auction during the 1980's, for a Ray Pollard on John Manship's list which I didn't actually win but ended up with the record anyway. Whilst I'm not saying you can regulate the market in any way I, and a lot of other people, rely on a kind of self regulation. There have always been people who I believed were so desperate to own a record that they weren't bothered about driving up prices and spoiling it for the rest of us, a point of view which I can see has a fundamental weakness.  

The dealers whose lists I prefer at the moment are people like Darren Brown, Joe Dunlop etc. They very rarely auction anything and their prices are usually pitched somewhere between what I would prefer to pay and what could be realised in an auction. I am sure they don't do this out of any sense of altruism but it strikes me as a fairer policy. I don't mean this as a direct criticism of any other dealers, who when all is said and done are just trying to make a living. 

 

[Harrythedog]

Didnt understand why such a low reserve was put on the Groovettes. I got mine at The Wilton nighter years ago and it cost me a grand from my good mate John Phillips. I knew that i had paid over the odds, but it was a mint minus copy with no damage to the label, and one of my favourite oldies. Have seen this on auction sites a number of times and it has failed to make a lot more than i paid years ago, but the winning bid on Tim,s auction really did shock me. Brilliant record but not a really rare one in my opinion. Crazy 

[Ssmall]

I know that Darren Brown has had 2 copies in the last couple of years, an Ex that went for £2000 and a VG that was £1200. Don't think you did too badly!!! 

[Roburt]

This track was masterminded by (Eu)Gene Dozier aka Billy Jackson.

Gene had started off in Philly -- there he worked on quite a few sessions and wrote songs with Norman Johnson. A joint effort of theirs became (when separately finished) "Swoop Down On You" and "It Will Be Done". Gene thought the grass would be greener elsewhere & so after introducing himself to Mickey Stevenson backstage @ the Uptown Theatre, headed off to Detroit. There he took on the name of Billy Jackson (who he knew was a 'known name' from Philly at Motown). He worked on sessions for songs such as "Uptight" and wrote some songs himself (the Marvelettes having one of these released on a later LP). But G & Huff came to town & revealed his deception. So he left Motown & went across town to work with  Golden World / Solid Hit (for Pat Lewis, Theresa Lindsey tracks, etc).

But Gene soon decided to move on again, this time to LA. There he hooked up with a new musical partner (Santifer) & cut the Blossoms "Let Your Love Shine on Me" (October 66 release). He & his partner then met the girls in the Groovettes  & took a fancy to them (they were very attractive young ladies). So they cut them on one of Gene's songs "Think It Over Baby" (written back in Detroit under his assumed name Billy Jackson). This was put out on Reness.

I met & spent a couple of days with Gene in Vegas in the mid 90's and got the above info direct from him.

[Greety]

Great info as usual Roburt. You are a very interesting guy.

[Dobber]

58 minutes ago, Roburt said:

This track was masterminded by (Eu)Gene Dozier aka Billy Jackson.

Gene had started off in Philly -- there he worked on quite a few sessions and wrote songs with Norman Johnson. A joint effort of theirs became (when separately finished) "Swoop Down On You" and "It Will Be Done". Gene thought the grass would be greener elsewhere & so after introducing himself to Mickey Stevenson backstage @ the Uptown Theatre, headed off to Detroit. There he took on the name of Billy Jackson (who he knew was a 'known name' from Philly at Motown). He worked on sessions for songs such as "Uptight" and wrote some songs himself (the Marvelettes having one of these released on a later LP). But G & Huff came to town & revealed his deception. So he left Motown & went across town to work with  Golden World / Solid Hit (for Pat Lewis, Theresa Lindsey tracks, etc).

But Gene soon decided to move on again, this time to LA. There he hooked up with a new musical partner (Santifer) & cut the Blossoms "Let Your Love Shine on Me" (October 66 release). He & his partner then met the girls in the Groovettes  & took a fancy to them (they were very attractive young ladies). So they cut them on one of Gene's songs "Think It Over Baby" (written back in Detroit under his assumed name Billy Jackson). This was put out on Reness.

I met & spent a couple of days with Gene in Vegas in the mid 90's and got the above info direct from him.

Great info

I love this tune,however, the guitar bum note at 1:18 is possibly why they didn’t spend any time on promoting it? That’s not a criticism,as I like imperfections in recordings,but the powers that be may have thought it’s too late in the day to re record the song after it was pressed? And just simply put little effort into it?