Record Discovery Stories

[Dave Thorley]

Where and who first played any classic record can always be contentious. But their discovery can also have interesting stories. So anyone one out there got any stories to tell of records found or given to a Dj.

I've found a few over the years, so I thought I start it off.

M M and the Peanuts-The Phillie-Money

Found this in a junk shop in Swindon in about 1976. The shop was on a small traffic island near the Tech, always had lots of import 45's which he would sell at 10p each. Covered it up as The Del Larks-The dance, first played it at Yate and within weeks had the dance floor rockin'.

Purple Mndi-Stop hurting me baby-Cat. Found this on the same day and same shop as M M and The Peanuts, but unlike the afore mentioned record always struggled at Yate with this. Wasn't until Stafford that it really took off, where Pat Brady was playing it as well.

Bad Weather Inc-I never, never knew-Bad Weather. On a trip to the states I went to see an old friend, Jeff, who is a big sweet soul collector in New York. Whilst in his basement listening to all the records he said he wouldn't sell me, he pulled out a box of what he called odd ball shit. Most of it was 'exactly what it said on the tin' except for for Bad Weather Inc, even better he had three copies. He sold them to me for $30 each. Took it along to The Ritz three weeks later and on it's first play went down a storm. Sold the other two to Sam and Russ Vickers.

Bobby Sheen-Something new to do-Warner Brothers. One night at Stafford, Pete Wid ran up to the stage as I was djing and thrust this record in my hand and said play it, just play it, trust me. So I put it on the decks played a bit of both sides and cued up 'I may not be what you want'. As the record kicked in Pete looked horrified, no the other side he shouted, so there and then I stopped the record flip to the other side and the rest is history.

Anyone got any stories to tell?

[Guest johnm]

Bobby Sheen-Something new to do-Warner Brothers. One night at Stafford, Pete Wid ran up to the stage as I was djing and thrust this record in my hand and said play it, just play it, trust me. So I put it on the decks played a bit of both sides and cued up 'I may not be what you want'. As the record kicked in Pete looked horrified, no the other side he shouted, so there and then I stopped the record flip to the other side and the rest is history.

Anyone got any stories to tell?

Just a quick question you had a quick listen to both sides and decided on 'I may not'.

Did you think it was the better of the 2?

also haven't heard 'I may not' so can't compare

[Baz Atkinson]

MANY OVER THE YEARS REALLY,REMEMBER FINDING THE BORN FREE HESITATIONS LP IN A JUNKSHOP IN DARLINGTON IN 1982 ,THE WORD WENT OUT ON THAT LOCALLY AND I GOT TO FIND HER AND LETS GROOVE BECAME BIG SPINS IN THE NORTH EAST.FOUND THE SOUL COMMUNICATORS IN A DUSTY RECORD CELLER IN HAMILTON CANADA IN 1990 AND BEFORE LONG THAT WAS GETTING SPINS ALSO.

GOT THE VOLUMES THAT SAME OLD FEELING IN 1989 OFF LOU SILVARNI FOR THE PRICELY SUM OF $1 HE HANDED LOADS OF IMPACTS TO ME AND THAT WAS LODGED RIGHT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PILE,THE RECORD WAS A BIG SHOTS SPIN BUT IT WAS NICE TO GET IT ANYWAY.

REMEMBER BUYING RAY AND DAVE OFF GUY HENNIGAN FOR A TENNER IN 1982 AND HE SAID WATCH THIS ONE GO,NUFF SAID ON THAT TRACK!

GOOD THREAD.

BAZ A.

[Dave Thorley]

Just a quick question you had a quick listen to both sides and decided on 'I may not'.

Did you think it was the better of the 2?

also haven't heard 'I may not' so can't compare

It was all in the heat of the moment, had about 30 sec to make a decision. Might of just heard the first few bars of each side so went with that. 'I may not' goes straight into the beat, but it's along time ago now. Both sides are great tracks and over the years I've played both sides out, but 'Something new' has become the classic side.

[Dave Thorley]

MANY OVER THE YEARS REALLY,REMEMBER FINDING THE BORN FREE HESITATIONS LP IN A JUNKSHOP IN DARLINGTON IN 1982 ,THE WORD WENT OUT ON THAT LOCALLY AND I GOT TO FIND HER AND LETS GROOVE BECAME BIG SPINS IN THE NORTH EAST.FOUND THE SOUL COMMUNICATORS IN A DUSTY RECORD CELLER IN HAMILTON CANADA IN 1990 AND BEFORE LONG THAT WAS GETTING SPINS ALSO.

GOT THE VOLUMES THAT SAME OLD FEELING IN 1989 OFF LOU SILVARNI FOR THE PRICELY SUM OF $1 HE HANDED LOADS OF IMPACTS TO ME AND THAT WAS LODGED RIGHT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PILE,THE RECORD WAS A BIG SHOTS SPIN BUT IT WAS NICE TO GET IT ANYWAY.

REMEMBER BUYING RAY AND DAVE OFF GUY HENNIGAN FOR A TENNER IN 1982 AND HE SAID WATCH THIS ONE GO,NUFF SAID ON THAT TRACK!

GOOD THREAD.

BAZ A.

Soul Communicators, used to be a big tune at Yate in 77/78. Ian Clark and I would regularly get copies for $1 each from the beach dealers on the east coast. But in those days you'd struggle to get much more than £15 for it here.

[Baz Atkinson]

Soul Communicators, used to be a big tune at Yate in 77/78. Ian Clark and I would regularly get copies for $1 each from the beach dealers on the east coast. But in those days you'd struggle to get much more than £15 for it here.

THE FLIP IS BRILL DEEP SOUL ALSO

BAZ A.

[Guest moggy]

Cannot remember the exact year

But it was shortly after Wigan had shut

I was at an allnighter in Rotherham

Tim Ashebende was selling some choons this particular evening

Whilst looking through his box

I came across a Tony Middleton record on MGM titled To the end of the earth

Whats this like Tim, I asked,

He sort of hummed and scrinched his face, Its nothing like Paris Blues, big beaty thing, you can have for £6 he said if you dont like it bring it back (good lad like that our Tim)

Anyway, always put it on tapes for mates, and used to spin it at the local soul nights me and few lads were putting on around that time

Dont realy count as my discovery as i never got to do a big venue, but would like to think i went some way to breaking it.

The same with Bernard Dupree on Granger your gonna miss me, never heard it at a venue, but put it on Dave Rimmers SKM 2000 vol 2, maybe not a big spin, but seems collectable now.

[Jerry Hipkiss]

Where and who first played any classic record can always be contentious. But their discovery can also have interesting stories. So anyone one out there got any stories to tell of records found or given to a Dj.

I've found a few over the years, so I thought I start it off.

M M and the Peanuts-The Phillie-Money

Found this in a junk shop in Swindon in about 1976. The shop was on a small traffic island near the Tech, always had lots of import 45's which he would sell at 10p each. Covered it up as The Del Larks-The dance, first played it at Yate and within weeks had the dance floor rockin'.

Great Yate memories! Swindon had a couple of decent second hand shops, back in the seventies I found both the RCA abums with Herb Ward, Willie Kendrick etc., (this was before the reissues), the Stateside LP with Mary Love and Vernon Garrett, and the Lp with Emile Grifith "Goin goin gone" (wish I still had that!) and several decent 45's including (Ahem...) Wayne Gibson on Columbia for pennies - my defence is that I always loved it as a pop tune in the 60's and it was at the time that Wigan were hammering it

[KevH]

Great Yate memories! Swindon had a couple of decent second hand shops, back in the seventies I found both the RCA abums with Herb Ward, Willie Kendrick etc., (this was before the reissues), the Stateside LP with Mary Love and Vernon Garrett, and the Lp with Emile Grifith "Goin goin gone" (wish I still had that!) and several decent 45's including (Ahem...) Wayne Gibson on Columbia for pennies - my defence is that I always loved it as a pop tune in the 60's and it was at the time that Wigan were hammering it

also have memories of the RCA albums.Used to be a little shop in Kirkby in Ashfield(early 70's),that turned up the odd thing now and again.When VAL PALMER "BACK IN MY ARMS AGAIN",was being played ,it turned up on a covers compilation LP from the very same shop,dug out by Tats Taylor.Later VPalmer was pressed up on a black label who's name escapes me.Of course that's not "big" but was for me at the time

[Ste]

Norman Daynes was the shop, had loads of lps & 12s outside.

shops still there but just deals in elctrical stuff & wools/patterns.

got few nice bits from there when they cleared vinyl out.

steve

[Ritchieandrew]

Myself & my then partner in crime Mr Nick Lyde, walked into "Eddies Odds & Ends" second hand shop on Wellington Road in Rhyl North Wales during the summer of 1972, and came out with

• John Drevars Expression - The closer she gets - M.G.M. UK.
  
• Sherry Grooms - Take away the memory - A.B.C. Issue.
  
• Jackie Forrest - Show me how to love - Platinum.
  

All were 25P each, plus he had a Discatron there @ £7.50 which I later bought........Happy Days !

[Peter99]

I've never discovered anything - well music wise anyway, and just buy the odd bits that I like. Used to pick up some stuff from a little shop in Mablethorpe - Carl Tebbutt used to own it in the late seventies - anyone one here know him? So that's my crappy little story.

Anyway I always love to hear the "stories" associated with the scene.

Good thread Dave - keep posting em up everyone.

[Guest Michael Higgins]

Susan Rewis "They say" (Columbia) from Vinyl Villains just off Leith Walk in Edinburgh, when it was still covered up by Guy H. Most people then knew the correct song title because of the Rodge Martin version (Peter McKernan, take a bow), and two quid seemed worth taking a chance on.

Less excitingly, also got Donald Height "rags" (Avco) and Donnie Elbert "along came pride" (CBS) from the same box.

[Simon M]

I went to Kings Lynn 1985 , and on the kitchin table at Soul bowl ,I found a record and it seems no one knows it even today ..

[Dave Thorley]

Another one....

Djing at Yate 77/78 and played Rhonda Davis-Can you remember-Duke, one night, went down ok, about 30 odd dancing to it. Steve Snook comes up to the stage and asks if he can borrow it, as he is djing at an alldayer somewhere for John Manship next week. So, as he a good mate let him have it.

About a month later i'm at the regular sunday night in Cheltenham, out the back of some hotel (Jerry what was the name). Standing round chating to a few people and several say, 'have you heard steve's great Lynn Vernado cover up' anyway a few minutes later he plays his new cover up. Bugger me if it not my Rhonda Davis. Steve, sees me and says as cool as you like, 'great new discovery for me and Dave Thorley'.

Edited June 1, 2007 by Dave Thorley

[Barry]

Another one....

Djing at Yate 77/78 and played Rhonda Davis-Can you remember-Duke, one night, went down ok, about 30 odd dancing to it. Steve Snook comes up to the stage and asks if he can borrow it, as he is djing at an alldayer somewhere for John Manship next week. So, as he a good mate let him have it.

About a month later i'm at the regular sunday night in Cheltenham, out the back of some hotel (Jerry what was the name). Standing round chating to a few people and several say, 'have you heard steve's great Lynn Vernado cover up' anyway a few minutes later he plays his new cover up. Bugger me if it not my Rhonda Davis. Steve, see me and says as cool as you like, 'great new discovery for me and Dave Thorley'.

[Guest]

Many people may already know this story, but it's my favourite, so here goes.

At Blackpool Mecca in the early 70s Ian Levine became the envy of all his peers with his fantastic record discoveries. Because he came from a wealthy background and his parents had a home in Florida, he made regular trips over there scouring record shops (something almost unheard of at the time). Armed with sackfuls of cash he came back after a few weeks record hunting with armfuls of never-seen-before Okeh, Bell, MGM etc and played them to a gobsmacked Colin Curtis.

When he asked what Colin had been up to, Colin produced The Charades, Key To My Happiness, which was totally unknown. Ian virtually fell on the floor when he heard it, and begged him to sell him a copy (I think he had three). It's still his all-time favourite record.

When the globetrotting Levine asked Colin where he'd found it he was told...........Bradford Market!!!

[Steve G]

There was a boxful of Lew Kirton "Heaven in the afternoon" 12s in a shop in Holborn in the late 70's. They were 50p each and part of the TK overstock wholesale dumping that went on. As I had only just started work I was pretty poor, but quite liked the sound of it so got one and started playing it locally in Kent. Wish I'd got the whole box full now, if only to sell on

Steve

[Dave Thorley]

Another one....

Djing at Yate 77/78 and played Rhonda Davis-Can you remember-Duke, one night, went down ok, about 30 odd dancing to it. Steve Snook comes up to the stage and asks if he can borrow it, as he is djing at an alldayer somewhere for John Manship next week. So, as he a good mate let him have it.

About a month later i'm at the regular sunday night in Cheltenham, out the back of some hotel (Jerry what was the name). Standing round chating to a few people and several say, 'have you heard steve's great Lynn Vernado cover up' anyway a few minutes later he plays his new cover up. Bugger me if it not my Rhonda Davis. Steve, sees me and says as cool as you like, 'great new discovery for me and Dave Thorley'.

Foot note to this story....

About 10 years ago I was at an allnighter near Crewe, Dave Evison is on before me. He anounces his next record as 'one of biggests new discoveries around at the moment', yes you guessed it Rhonda Davis

[Guest in town Mikey]

Another one....

Djing at Yate 77/78 and played Rhonda Davis-Can you remember-Duke, one night, went down ok, about 30 odd dancing to it. Steve Snook comes up to the stage and asks if he can borrow it, as he is djing at an alldayer somewhere for John Manship next week. So, as he a good mate let him have it.

About a month later i'm at the regular sunday night in Cheltenham, out the back of some hotel (Jerry what was the name). Standing round chating to a few people and several say, 'have you heard steve's great Lynn Vernado cover up' anyway a few minutes later he plays his new cover up. Bugger me if it not my Rhonda Davis. Steve, sees me and says as cool as you like, 'great new discovery for me and Dave Thorley'.

Was it the Queens Hotel, Dave? Where they had a few alldayers in the mid 80s?

[grant]

Cannot remember the exact year

But it was shortly after Wigan had shut

I was at an allnighter in Rotherham

Tim Ashebende was selling some choons this particular evening

Whilst looking through his box

I came across a Tony Middleton record on MGM titled To the end of the earth

Whats this like Tim, I asked,

He sort of hummed and scrinched his face, Its nothing like Paris Blues, big beaty thing, you can have for £6 he said if you dont like it bring it back (good lad like that our Tim)

Anyway, always put it on tapes for mates, and used to spin it at the local soul nights me and few lads were putting on around that time

Dont realy count as my discovery as i never got to do a big venue, but would like to think i went some way to breaking it.

The same with Bernard Dupree on Granger your gonna miss me, never heard it at a venue, but put it on Dave Rimmers SKM 2000 vol 2, maybe not a big spin, but seems collectable now.

TM was hammeed at Wigan Moggy in the late 70's

[Guest Roccia]

C'mon lads... More please...!!!

The best thread I ever read on this forum...!!!

Edited June 1, 2007 by Roccia

[Guest]

C'mon lads... More please...!!!

The best thread I ever read on this forum...!!!

I found a copy of Frank Wilson Do I Love You on Soul in an Oxfam shop in 1974.

Sold it to Russ Winstanley for £1.25 and the rest is history......

What a sickener......

[Cheapsiderecords]

There used to 3 nights in Cheltenham in pubs during the 70/80's.

One was in a little club called Stompers which was part of the Plough Hotel but I seem to remember that was a Thursday.

Sunday nights were either the Lilleybrook Hotel? in Charlton Kings or Brahms and Lizst in the town centre.

[Guest vinylvixen]

also have memories of the RCA albums.Used to be a little shop in Kirkby in Ashfield(early 70's),that turned up the odd thing now and again.When VAL PALMER "BACK IN MY ARMS AGAIN",was being played ,it turned up on a covers compilation LP from the very same shop,dug out by Tats Taylor.Later VPalmer was pressed up on a black label who's name escapes me.Of course that's not "big" but was for me at the time

Val Palmer's been moonlighting Soul Revolution one day and recording artist the next....lol. Jo

[Guest uroffal]

Think I've told this story on here before, but here goes ...

In the early/mid '80s myself and Mark Taylor (Binsy on here) would travel down to Brighton and visit a few of the record shops. On one occasion we found two Johnny Gilliam records: 'Find Yourself Another' on Bomar and 'Room Full of Tears' on Cancer. Knowing that Guy H was playing Gilliam's 'Baby Take Me Back' on Modern we had the two played and snapped them both up for a couple of quid. Think I had the Bomar one and Mark had the Cancer one (although somewhere along the line Mark ended up with both - possibly when I sold most of my stuff late '80s). Of course 'Room Full of Tears' subsequently went on to be played at Stafford covered and 'Find Yourself ...' has had some exposure since (and still has plenty of mileage left in it), but both were unknown at the time.

[Guest Roccia]

I found a copy of Frank Wilson Do I Love You on Soul in an Oxfam shop in 1974.

Sold it to Russ Winstanley for £1.25 and the rest is history......

What a sickener......

Dave, turn the telly on, maybe you can find something better than this thread...

[Dave Thorley]

Think I've told this story on here before, but here goes ...

In the early/mid '80s myself and Mark Taylor (Binsy on here) would travel down to Brighton and visit a few of the record shops. On one occasion we found two Johnny Gilliam records: 'Find Yourself Another' on Bomar and 'Room Full of Tears' on Cancer. Knowing that Guy H was playing Gilliam's 'Baby Take Me Back' on Modern we had the two played and snapped them both up for a couple of quid. Think I had the Bomar one and Mark had the Cancer one (although somewhere along the line Mark ended up with both - possibly when I sold most of my stuff late '80s). Of course 'Room Full of Tears' subsequently went on to be played at Stafford covered and 'Find Yourself ...' has had some exposure since (and still has plenty of mileage left in it), but both were unknown at the time.

'Room full of tears' was never played covered up at Stafford. Was given to me on loan by Gary 'Slaphead' Colbourne. Somehow I forgot to give him it back and still have it to this day.

Edited June 1, 2007 by Dave Thorley

[Dave Thorley]

There used to 3 nights in Cheltenham in pubs during the 70/80's.

One was in a little club called Stompers which was part of the Plough Hotel but I seem to remember that was a Thursday.

Sunday nights were either the Lilleybrook Hotel? in Charlton Kings or Brahms and Lizst in the town centre.

Must have been a thursday then, cuz it was Stompers

[Guest uroffal]

'Room full of tears' was never played covered up at Stafford. Was given to me on load by Gary 'Slaphead' Colbourne. Somehow I forgot to give him it back and still have it to this day.

Always thought it was played covered for some reason, but then I'd stopped going by the time this was played, so am only aware of being played there at all from people mentioning it.

Was it you that played it first Dave?

[Koolkat]

I was walking thru a local small town near Blackburn called Great Harwood to catch a bus home to Blackburn from my then girlfriends in 1975. Saw a small junk shop with records in a box in the window. Junk shops where like a magnet to me in those days. Went in started rooting thru the discs. There was about 100ish. Saw a disc I thought I had seen in some magazine or list or somewhere.There were actually 3 of them all next to each other. You just knew they were mint ,never seen the light of day,paper all moulded around them. Bought them all at 10p apiece. On the bus all the way home thinking to myself have I really seen/heard of these? Got home played them. Got to admit I was into stompers at that time, Velvet Satins and the like. Thought the tune was a crock. Went to a local club the Friday night after, Spinning Jenny in Accrington. A mate of mine who went onto greater things went ga-ga when I told him. So I sold him and another 2 mates the copies. The disc in question was Walk With A winner, Gene mcDanials. The mate was Guy Hennigan. He was just destined to be a top DJ. Needless to say I love it to bits now. If you are out there Guy,its Ste Tomlinson (Tommy) from Blackburn . Keep On.

[Dave Thorley]

Always thought it was played covered for some reason, but then I'd stopped going by the time this was played, so am only aware of being played there at all from people mentioning it.

Was it you that played it first Dave?

Yes, that was the great thing about Stafford you would get offered 2 or 3 things a night to play, but not all were as good as that. Apart from Bobby Sheen from Wid, Neil from Stoke gave me Larry Davis-I've been hurt some many times before-Kent to play. Stuart Cosgrove, gave me Glenda McLeod-No stranger to love-HGEI on the same night. Happy days!!!!!!

[Mal C]

posted in error.

Edited June 1, 2007 by Mal.C.

[Ezzie Brown]

Great Yate memories! Swindon had a couple of decent second hand shops, back in the seventies I found both the RCA abums with Herb Ward, Willie Kendrick etc., (this was before the reissues), the Stateside LP with Mary Love and Vernon Garrett, and the Lp with Emile Grifith "Goin goin gone" (wish I still had that!) and several decent 45's including (Ahem...) Wayne Gibson on Columbia for pennies - my defence is that I always loved it as a pop tune in the 60's and it was at the time that Wigan were hammering it

thats no defence hippo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[Ralf Mehnert]

It must have been in 1994. I was living in Aachen near the belgium border at the time. After a heavy weekend I needed an extra free day from work so I walked to my doctor.

He was one of those hippy-veterans, a nice chap and he looked more like being into Kraut Rock then Black Music. I was wearing a Northern Soul T-Shirt that day and he asked me if it`s about Soul from Detroit and Chicago. So we had a little conversation and he told me that he was into Sweet and Deep Soul.

A few days after my visit we met at my flat. He had brought a big cardboard box full of 7" records on the carrier of his bicycle and we swopped a few. He gave me Tommy Tate - I`m Taking On Pain and Helen Troy - I Think I Love You and a few more for 5 cheap Sweet Soul records from my collection. At this time I didn`t know that Helen Troy was getting a few spins in the U.K. as a cover up. I put it on a tape for our Nuremberg Weekender and a few month later I heard from a mate from Munich that a well known U.K. fanzine editor was really pissed about that...because he played it as his cover up. Sorry Mr.Pearson.

But the best was buying Ella Woods - I Need Your Love for 5 quid from Pat Bradys bargain list in approx 1989.

[Modernsoulsucks]

Dave, I think you'll find that Rhonda Davis was played first at the Pendulem in Manchester early 70's.

A common 45 at the time.

ROD

[Dave Thorley]

Dave, I think you'll find that Rhonda Davis was played first at the Pendulem in Manchester early 70's.

A common 45 at the time.

ROD

Could well have been Rod, but as I was still at school then I wouldn't have heard it, and as I said at the beginning of the tread who play what first was not the intention. It was just interesting/funny stories about finding records. When it was played at Yate it was clearly not know to the crowd there.

[Guest Soul Sid]

Hi All, I bought a copy of The Delegates of Soul in 89/90 at one of the Twisted Wheel bank holiday all-nighters for £8.00, id heard it off a tape from dave Withers.After the Wheel I went to an all-dayer in Crewe run by a mate of mine and asked him to play this 45.You should have seen peoples faces(whats this crap they all thought) now it commands £200-300 and everyone wants a copy.Funny old scene. Sid

[Guest markus gora]

Where and who first played any classic record can always be contentious. But their discovery can also have interesting stories. So anyone one out there got any stories to tell of records found or given to a Dj.

I've found a few over the years, so I thought I start it off.

M M and the Peanuts-The Phillie-Money

Found this in a junk shop in Swindon in about 1976. The shop was on a small traffic island near the Tech, always had lots of import 45's which he would sell at 10p each. Covered it up as The Del Larks-The dance, first played it at Yate and within weeks had the dance floor rockin'.

Purple Mndi-Stop hurting me baby-Cat. Found this on the same day and same shop as M M and The Peanuts, but unlike the afore mentioned record always struggled at Yate with this. Wasn't until Stafford that it really took off, where Pat Brady was playing it as well.

Bad Weather Inc-I never, never knew-Bad Weather. On a trip to the states I went to see an old friend, Jeff, who is a big sweet soul collector in New York. Whilst in his basement listening to all the records he said he wouldn't sell me, he pulled out a box of what he called odd ball shit. Most of it was 'exactly what it said on the tin' except for for Bad Weather Inc, even better he had three copies. He sold them to me for $30 each. Took it along to The Ritz three weeks later and on it's first play went down a storm. Sold the other two to Sam and Russ Vickers.

Bobby Sheen-Something new to do-Warner Brothers. One night at Stafford, Pete Wid ran up to the stage as I was djing and thrust this record in my hand and said play it, just play it, trust me. So I put it on the decks played a bit of both sides and cued up 'I may not be what you want'. As the record kicked in Pete looked horrified, no the other side he shouted, so there and then I stopped the record flip to the other side and the rest is history.

Anyone got any stories to tell?

DISCOVERIES...i remember visiting a record fair in germany (must be around 1991 or 1992) in germany...near to my home town wilhelmshaven,and i didn't really had knowledge about soul or northern soul,i had just switched from early reggae & ska to soul music....anyway: at this record fair was a rock'n'roll guy who sold all his unloved 45's...each for 1 DEUTSCHMARK...as i went looking thru his boxes some nice stuff was found: some stax,some motown,ric tic...BUT THEN A GREEN LABEL came to my eyes...OOH! what'S THAT? looks great!!! i checked the credits...hmmmm?,detroit...that's fine!the label? BRUTE? never heard of that!....i bought the record,it was baby,baby-by the tokays on brute....

[Guest]

I've got a few

Just after i moved to London i was living in Colliers Wood one saturday i went down to the boot sale at Merton Abbey Mills there were 2 guys flogging cds - they had some albums a load of Uk issue 60s soul - Impressions stuff like that all a couple of quid each grabbed the lot when i was paying i asked if they had any 45s. The guy produced a little 50 box - opened it 3 copies of Lew Kirkton "Heaven" 75p each and a load of buddah stuff - obviously i grabbed then too. I asked the guy if he could get any more - surprisingly he said he could - i had a good year with these guys would get 40-50 45s a week always 75p each - lovely stuff.

A very bizarre one happened when i went home to visit my parents a couple of years later. Went to a boot sale with my dad - hardly anyone there couldn't see a record anywhere. My dad spotted a mate and we went over to chat - as dad chatted to the guy i noticed a lone lp leaning against the back wheel - picked it up a nice clean original copy of THE TWISTING KINGS LP on MOTOWN bought it for a modest 25p.

Also had a real good hit from Beanos in Croydon a few years back over a period of time must have had at least 1000 mainly 70's 45s from there at 50p a pop - they've never quite forgiven me in there! - Sandra Wright - Midnight Affair and loads of others.

Derek

[Jim G]

My Mam and Dads records in 1974, flicked through loads of the usual and found a Dusty Springfield record 'Go Ahead On' on UK Phillips, played it and thought hey it could be a 'sound' (remember when we all looked for 'sounds'!), anyway, played it the youthie and it was minor hit. It was probably too slow for '74, but I still like it today!. I now know it got played at other venues.

[soullad]

Great thread.............

must tell you about a CLASSIC boot find. A friend and i were returning early one morning after a Keele Allnighter, on the A50 towards the M1, when we spot the signs for a car boot. Jokingly we talked about finding rare Britsh 45's, and more in dreamland than reality agreed to halve any profits from any finds, its funny what a lack of sleep n stuff does to your brain. So first stall we get to, we start to flick thru the records and i see the distinctive orange / green / white RCA label - and its only a mint copy / sleeve etc of Sue Lynne's Don't Pity Me. My mate gave the geezer 50p and told him to keep the change !

We sold it later that night to Ciro, at his do in Kettering - what a weekend !

The mate i was with posts on here so i hope this reminds him of good times.

[Sean Hampsey]

Interesting comment from Rod on the Rhonda Davis, Dave.

1974/75 I bought the Duke 45 / Purple Promo for a couple of bob and at first only played the Deep side "Long Walk On a Short Pier".

Some time later (several months) I played the flip and was wowed by the Ann Sexton soundalike "Can You Remember" which I consequently 'covered it' as and it became a pretty big spin for me locally (76). It was 3-4 years later that I uncovered it and first played it at Rotherham Clifton Hall and then later at Cleethorpes where it became a Monster!

Interesting though how (after all these years) I thought I'd discovered it too Dave!

Deluded? Quite possibly.

Just hadn't realised it was known in the North West prior to that time and nobody ever told me otherwise.

A couple I must take credit (or blame) for:

1977 I'm living with a girl in Lincoln. I spent a lot of time in Lincoln's only decent record shop (Tony's) on a Saturday afternoon and on the pretty good outdoor market stall where on this particular occasion I picked up a Ronnie Dyson 45 "Cup Runneth Over" on US Columbia for 35p.

A couple of years later, me and Steve Croft were ploughing through our records looking for our 'next big thing'. I pulled out the Ronnie Dyson and played the side I bought it for but Crofty just pulled a face.

OK I says, let's try the flip.

Lady In Red.

It was one of those moments.

That's it. Tonights BIG record.

Took it along to Cleggy that night. I played it twice in my spot and then Steve played it twice in his (our usual 'make it massive in one night' ploy).

Sure enough, it became huge.

Short lived... but huge.

Can't stand to listen to it nowadays though!

Mid 70's I've an ambition to own every Soul record on British. Had a virtually complete ACTION series, only missing a couple of 'so so' tracks and the Bobby Patterson 45 "Married Lady" which at that time I'd never heard.

In 1975 my sister moved down to Wembley, so, naturally, while I'm visiing her I hit a few shops in London.

Came across a box of really nice English stuff (literally ) which included the Bobby Patterson 45, on ACTION, I so badly needed. Had to wait until I got it home to hear the side I'd purchased it for and then was blown away by the flipside "I'm In Love With You" which (unlike the Ronnie Dyson) I think has featured in just about every spot I've done since that day!

Summer of 1974 and I've just bagged the Saturday night session at my local club 'The Charade' in Rotherham. Northern Soul is the order of the day, but I'd just picked up a copy of Darrell Banks "Just Because Your Love Is Gone" on a UK Stax 45 at my local junk shop in Dinnington, Nr Sheffield and was determined to give it a spin.

Just before I packed up my box I flipped it and was immediately struck by the other side "I'm The One Who Loves You" so that side got the spin on the night. I played it out locally almost every set for years and it was 1978/79 before Tim Ashibende offered me a US copy for sale at Clifton Hall... for a couple of quid. That night my UK Stax Darrell Banks got it's first allnighter airing.

If it's good enough for Tim I thought!

Like the Bobby Patterson... I play it almost every set to this day! (Boring Bast##d).

Late 70's I drove a rather gorgeous young female back to her home after I'd been DJ'ing at a Soul Night near Doncaster.

One thing lead to another... as you might expect... and pretty soon... I've got my hands in her Record Box.

In there was a copy of Eddie Billups "Shake Off That Dream" which I'd never heard before.

She let me have it... as payment for the lift home ... but that's another story.

Another Clifton Classic was born... and yes... I believe it was played at the Mecca, at some miniscule point some years earlier, but I don't believe for a second it would have gone on to be the huge sound it became had I not been so chivalrous!

None of the above are (or even were) particularly rare records. That's why I loved playing them so much... because back in those days, at Northern Nighters, nobody else would.

Great thread Dave.

Got tons of similar stories but I'm knackered so calling it a night for now!

Sean

BTW: I think my 'Ann Sexton' cover up name, for Rhonda Davis, is far better than Lyn Vernado

Edited June 2, 2007 by Sean Hampsey

[Guest Johnny Mack]

Was living in Leicester in 1975 on a year out from Uni and vividly remember a pretty messed up night when we went down to a soul night in Hinckley.

After the night finished, myself and Gavin (Click's mate) went down to an all nighter in Peterborough - Gavin was driving and I was trying to navigate - I can still remember the rolling fog through the fens making everything difficult. Fortunately, we were able to navigate about 10,000 feet above the fog and arrived safe and sound in Peterborough........... without a doubt we were part of the space programme that night !

Usually had a box of records in tow during those days and that night was no exception.

Had a little instrumental number by Al DeLory on Capitol I'd covered up. I traded it on to Frank (Ian Dewhirst) that night - I had it covered as "Spinning Around" and I think Frank renamed it as Jerking at the Go-Go or something daft like that - anyway, I remember getting Velvet Satins and a couple of other big sounds of the day for it.

Same night, I sold Ginger an issue copy of Adams Apples "Dont Take it out on this World" - frankly, and to this day, I rate their other release as a better record !

Take care,

John

[Guest Johnny Mack]

Was living in Leicester in 1975 on a year out from Uni and vividly remember a pretty messed up night when we went down to a soul night in Hinckley.

After the night finished, myself and Gavin (Click's mate) went down to an all nighter in Peterborough - Gavin was driving and I was trying to navigate - I can still remember the rolling fog through the fens making everything difficult. Fortunately, we were able to navigate about 10,000 feet above the fog and arrived safe and sound in Peterborough........... without a doubt we were part of the space programme that night !

Usually had a box of records in tow during those days and that night was no exception.

Had a little instrumental number by Al DeLory on Capitol I'd covered up. I traded it on to Frank (Ian Dewhirst) that night - I had it covered as "Spinning Around" and I think Frank renamed it as Jerking at the Go-Go or something daft like that - anyway, I remember getting Velvet Satins and a couple of other big sounds of the day for it.

Same night, I sold Ginger an issue copy of Adams Apples "Dont Take it out on this World" - frankly, and to this day, I rate their other release as a better record !

Take care,

John

[NUFCSOUL]

What

[Blake H]

I use to go to a record shop in Chertsy called Mr Waxy, who was quite well known and I'm sure many others had good hits here, just going out with a few bits and remembered a title I'd been put on to, "Oh do you have James Walsh Gypsy band" 2 minutes later he returns with 2 UK copies, one demo (£2.50) and one issue (£1.50). Also went to a shop in Swanley in Kent and the owner went out for a while leaving a youth in charge, found a cheap album and went to pay for it and noticed a box of 45s on the counter which I looked through, Found a Alexander Patton UK red and white demo and a Bobby Sheen UK red and white demo, "how much are these" as they had no prices on, " I dont know how about £1 each". Thank you very much. I think the owner had been pricing up the stuff in the box, I sprinted back to the station and got out of there with visions of the youth getting merry hell on the owners return.

Saturday afternoon junking...happy days

Blake

[NUFCSOUL]

Relatively new to the site (what's with all the politics/sniping? lifes hard enough)but great thread!

Anyway not a rarity or high value story but a nice little discovery. Musically I've had many twists and turns but back in 75 and having been educated via Duncan Macs Sunday Soul nights at the Mayfair amongst others I was on a Post Office Telephones course in Manchester (now BT) - Whitworth St rings a bell. Anyway I hadn't found any records all week and on the last day lunch break I found this basement place. Been walking past the place all week! Rammed with hundreds of import LP's in no real order. Well, I'm nearly giving up when I flick to The Birth Of Rock on Scepter, Chuck Jackson, Any Day Now plus others(Rock?? well The Kingsmen were on it as well). Great, that will do! Then all in a line - Ruffin Brothers - I Am My Brothers Keeper on Soul, Archie Bell & the Drells - Tighten Up on Atlantic(Green/Blue/White), Edwin Starr - Soul Master on Gordy and The Very Best of Little Anthony and The Imperials on United Artists. On my meagre earnings at the time they must have been for nowt as I took them all. Today they are still filed together and stone mint with their little 'Specially Imported' stickers still stuck on!

As I said not a fortune but just think of walking into such a place today and finding those stone mint with original inner bags - I'm sure you would take the lot!

Cheers, KTF and 60's will prevail!

Tony

[Mark B]

Foot note to this story....

About 10 years ago I was at an allnighter near Crewe, Dave Evison is on before me. He anounces his next record as 'one of biggests new discoveries around at the moment', yes you guessed it Rhonda Davis

rhonda davis was one of those always known about but never did anything along wth the likes of minnie jonesand the one on reynolds whose name escapes me all mecca late night spins from colin, i was suprised when rhonda became massive, been in my record box and probably hundreds of others for many years.

mark

sorry dave saw your comments already posted it

Edited June 2, 2007 by mark.b

[Mark B]

my best finds were kenny smith issue at hte time was thought to be demo only this was at the tape and idsc exchange in stretford precinct promptly took it to Rod and Daves stall who sold it for me £15

mark

i beleive i may have been the first to play daddy maxfield ive always been in love with you UA cant say i did not know it les hare played it for me and i got one from 21st century records (USA) for the sum of $2.30 the rest is history

mark