Record Discovery Stories

[Soulsmith]

Local general 'collectors' record shop took a few staff to states mid 80s.

Trawled through a massive wearhouse full of vinyl, found loads of rare stuff but no northern.

After about 3 days they had covered the whole floor & just had one suit case to look through.

Opened it up & found a note......"Ha, Ha No Northern In Here"

[Guest Baz]

Steve Phillis has a good one about the Cairos, some one playing it covered up and he has it nailed to the back of his door as its cracked in the 80's

sorry its abit short but just waiting for a lift :dance:

[Simsy]

Sorry post removed. Was more of a 'finds' post than discoveries ..

[Simsy]

This awesome beat ballad was discovered at a boot sale in Bishop's Stortford.

[Guest mel brat]

One of (several) that got away...

I was in a well known Birmingham record shop in 1974 when who should walk in but Pep and 'Basil' (Paul Grainger) from the Cats. I'd sorted out a few things to play and left them in a pile on the counter, but before I could get back to sift through them, Pep had played and collared a single on US Epic that I'd found (typical !). It was Shane Martin "I Need You" which shortly went on to become one of the biggest sounds in the country! It was only 50p, and I never did get a copy!

Basil once found an issue copy of Commodores "Human Zoo" in the same shop just as it was breaking massive all over. (He was the only local DJ to have a copy!)

I did get a copy of Barbara Lewis' "I Remember The Feeling" out of there though c.1973/4, and was amazed years later when hardly anybody seemed to have heard it! I'd always assumed it was well known because of the artist and being a UK release!

Many, many 'seventies "finds" cheap of course, as not many people were interested then - including Ronnie Dyson "Lady In Red"/"Cup Runneth Over" @30p from Birmingham Rag Market C.1976 (Sorry!) I already knew the B-Side via Jeanette 'Baby' Washington's version on Sixth Avenue. Some were regarded as "too slow" at the time, ie. Vibrations "Shake It Up" (.50p from a local market stall), Jerry Washington on Glades was also 50p I think, though from a record fair. Ujima "I'm Not Ready" on Epic, Beloyd etc. etc. - most times between 30-80 pence. Many of them only started to get real attention in the mid-late eighties.

I also remember sulking after my mate found a copy of Bill Brandon "Street's Got My Lady" on Piedmont for .30p in Graham Warr's cheap box, along with the then in-demand Chuck Stephens' "Let's Get Nasty"! (3 records for a pound!) Bill Brandon did get a few spins at Blackpool, but is now very hard to find and incredibly under-rated. (He also bought Daybreak new from Graham Warr's shop for .80p, along with many, many other now valuable 70's sides!)

Dave Sinclair from Wolverhampton gave me a copy of the Ultimates on Br-Roma when he emigrated to Australia C.1981. He'd found two copies in a Wolverhampton junk shop! The mind boggles as to how they got there...

Edited June 2, 2007 by mel brat

[Alan Pollard]

'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.

Hi Dave,

I seemed to remember it being covered up as Charles Johnson Room full of tears, so does anyone remember who called it that.

Regards

Alan

[Guest]

I HAD A COPY OF CARL UNDERWOOD - AINT YOU LYING - MERGING - IN 1990. NOW IT WAS NOT MY TUNE AS ROGER BANKS HAS IT COVERED UP AS HERBERT HUNTER BUT I TAPED IT FOR EVERYONE I KNEW IN SOUTH LONDON WITH THE CORRECT CREDITS AND IT DID HELP THE CAUSE FOR THAT PARTICULAR TUNE

[Guest]

This awesome beat ballad was discovered at a boot sale in Bishop's Stortford.

YEAH, I GOT LOADS OF MID-TEMPO FROM WREXHAM MARKET IN THE 8OS

[Guest ScooterNik]

Nothing 'major' or 'new', but when i moved up to Clitheroe (from Wrexham, see above funnily enough!) there was a second hand/antiques shop that was owned by a bloke who collected 60s beat stuff. Shortly before I moved there he'd bought a collection off a local mod just for copies of The Who's 'Ready Steady Who' ep and The High Numbers 'I'm The Face'. Both good rarities of their kind.

Looking through the remainders I came away with a lot of UK releases (mainly Tamla Motown), but also things like Jimmy Delphs, Incredibles, Vibrating Vibrations, Fred Hughes and The MVPs on import - nothing hugely rare or new, but in the end I bought around 200 singles off him. All at 50p each

(OK, there was some crap in there.... anyone want Garland Green 'Standing at the Crossroads'? I hate that....)

Money well spent IMHO?

[Simsy]

This awesome beat ballad was discovered at a boot sale in Bishop's Stortford.

YEAH, I GOT LOADS OF MID-TEMPO FROM WREXHAM MARKET IN THE 8OS

Nowt wrong we mid tempo. Or beat ballads for that matter. Whistling giff threw me a bit..

Artist unknown thing did get some decent reviews, back last September ..

Rick Sheppard did this on Bang 500 release in the USA 1965 worth about £75.00

The acetate seems to have a different vocalist but it's almost identical in every other way..

That is superb mate, what a great find - but my guess is that it either came out by this group or another one going by the music publishers stamp, why bother stamping it if it wasn't being prepared for airplay/promotion?

If it did turn out to be a demo only I'd ask at least 500 for that.

https://www.soul-source.co.uk/index.p...mp;#entry342212

[Guest]

Nowt wrong we mid tempo. Or beat ballads for that matter. Whistling giff threw me a bit..

Artist unknown thing did get some decent reviews, back last September ..

/quote]

LUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURVE MID TEMPO ...SOULFUL TUNES. Sorry for whistling but I just got back from Ibiza

fantastic record..........................quality!!!

Edited June 3, 2007 by mossy

[Guest]

Edited June 3, 2007 by mossy

[foolish fool]

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?

Sometime around 89, me and Rob wigley were in Inglewood L.A. having spent a fairly uneventfull afternoon on the third floor of this old record store, as i came down the rickety staircase, I noticed the stair treads were actually supported on records.

lifting one of the steps away revealed 96 mint issues of Bobby Sheen !

I seem to remember we paid 50 cents each for them although rob tried to knock the store owner down to 25c. we repaired the stairs with some madonna 45s and left smiling

Happy Days

Tats

[Stevecee]

Fun topic!

Shortly after getting the Soul bug in the mid 70s I was stood waiting for a mate getting some fishing bait from a shop on the Quay in Poole Harbour. As I stood there I noticed a box of 45s so to fill the time I took a look and pulled out a Jason Knight on Uk Pye which was known but a great tune at the time. I then noticed it was 10 for 10 pence or something similar so grabbed a handful, paid and left.

When I got home I had the Visitors on Dakar, Legends on Commwealth Utd and 2 copies of the Differences on Mon'ca. Now this was never a Northern tune back then, but owing to my lack of records I promptly added one to my collection and put the other in a Sales box.

My mates all said it was rubbsih and wasn't Northern Soul, but I liked it and to annoy them wrote Northern Soul on the label and played it at local do's

No idea where that or my spare went but ofc its well regarded now, and if you have a copy with Northern Soul scrawled in young lads handwriting its my fault!

Cheers

Steve

Edited June 4, 2007 by SteveCee

[Jerry Hipkiss]

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'.

great story...c'mon Snooky, come out of lurkerdom and reply!!

[BrianB]

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.

The Steve Tomlinson who worked at Michelin in Burnley? Is so PM me, this is Brian Barker.

If not, apologies Ste and all the best!

[Jerry Hipkiss]

About a month later i'm at the regular sunday night in Cheltenham, out the back of some hotel (Jerry what was the name).

That was Stompers Bar, back of the Plough in the High Street - Paul O'brien and I put it on, but it was a Thursday night Dave, not Sunday. Used to be a good way to warm up for the weekend! Sunday night was Brahms & Lizst pub, where I mixed up new funky stuff with whatever tunes I'd bought at Yate or Wigan the night before!

Jerry.

Edited June 5, 2007 by Jerry Hipkiss

[snooky]

great story...c'mon Snooky, come out of lurkerdom and reply!!

Hi Guys,nice to see you all still remember me!!!!!

Well sorry not been around,as i live in Spain now and only come to UK in the summer to get away from all the Larger Louts.....i have already been in touch with old friends and hope to see you all soon,i am going to Bournemouth do!!!!!30th June..

As to the cover-up i can not remember that far back!!!!!!!!!!!!could have got from Dave Thorley....well he is a mate!!!well was then!!!!!!

I have a few little jems that i kept,especially my blue issue copy of Tobi Legend...not sure what else as in my home in spain in storage,maybe on day i,ll get them out to sell!!!when i,m old and new the money,i can not beleive the prices these days!!!i could have been a rich man by now!!!

Oh well life has been good to me i retired from work at the age of 38 and now 47 and still enjoying life

hope to see you all soon

Cheers Snooky

[Jerry Hipkiss]

Good to see you posting Steve - didn't realise you'd got any tunes left, thought you got rid of them all! Hope to catch up with you for a beer or two while you're over.

Hippo.

[Dave Thorley]

great story...c'mon Snooky, come out of lurkerdom and reply!!

Hi Guys,nice to see you all still remember me!!!!!

Well sorry not been around,as i live in Spain now and only come to UK in the summer to get away from all the Larger Louts.....i have already been in touch with old friends and hope to see you all soon,i am going to Bournemouth do!!!!!30th June..

As to the cover-up i can not remember that far back!!!!!!!!!!!!could have got from Dave Thorley....well he is a mate!!!well was then!!!!!!

I have a few little jems that i kept,especially my blue issue copy of Tobi Legend...not sure what else as in my home in spain in storage,maybe on day i,ll get them out to sell!!!when i,m old and new the money,i can not beleive the prices these days!!!i could have been a rich man by now!!!

Oh well life has been good to me i retired from work at the age of 38 and now 47 and still enjoying life

hope to see you all soon

Cheers Snooky

Don't tell everyone about the Tobi Legend issue, it's mine

[Daz]

IT WAS ABOUT 1998 WHEN A MATE OF MINE FOUND A COPY OF THE DIFFERENCES IN A NORTHERN SOUL REISSUE BOX AT MIDDLESBROUGH RECORD FAIR! I THINK HE PAID £1.00!

NOT A BAD FIND EHH!!

[Manfromsoul45s]

Around stafford time found a sealed album of Mr Ed (the talkin horse) in san antonio. tried to towt it to guy, keb, butch but strangley they were'nt interested...

[Lee Bates]

Sometime in the early 1990s I was reading a soul magazine in the office during my lunch break I read an aticle on Chapter 5, where they came from etc.

Kinda got the cogs turning and whilst mulling it over a cheese and coleslaw sarnie thought I wonder if anybody has perhaps got a copy hidden away in the back of a cupboard or in the loft who may have followed the group locally then but were not knowledgeable about the soul scene specifically.

With it having been a bit of a local hit (as such) I thought why not place an add in the local paper in Carlisle telling a woefull story of how it was my Dads birthday, that he had always liked the song, that he was from the area and that it would be an ideal present - basically a right old porkie ! I asked those who had a copy if they would consider parting company with it.

The response was great!!! I ended up with 5 copies!

[spot]

Guy`s I use to collect a bit in early 70's right through to 1981 when I sold my 50 box to buy my first house when I got married. I didn`t actually discover any sounds but dealt with the usual villians & a guy in Dade County & one in California, can't remember where exact.

Anyway first time I dealt with guy in California he asked could I get him a certain "Frank Ifield" LP, which I got for £1, he then sent me a mixed box with about 120 45's in that he valued at $20.

Couldn't believe my luck as I went through box & found 2 copies "Lyn Vernado - Wash & wear love", 5 copies "Montclairs - Hung up on your love", 4 "Maurice Williams - Being without you", some other bits I can't remember but worth a few quid & finally the second known copy at the time of, "Danny Monday - Baby without you", which I dare not take out & nobody would believe I had it until I took it too Cleethorpes & did swaps with Soul Sam for it. Not a bad days work!!

The guy in Dade use to send us 10 copies at a time for 50 cents each, "Carstairs - It really hurts me" which was massive & also 10 copies at a time for 10 cents each "Elouise Laws - Love Factory".

Can`t afford to collect now as it's just to expensive & I become obsessed. Seems a bit far fetched but can be checked with many, many people.

Spot.

[Guest mel brat]

Couldn't believe my luck as I went through box & found 2 copies "Lyn Vernado - Wash & wear love", 5 copies "Montclairs - Hung up on your love", 4 "Maurice Williams - Being without you"...

Spot.

The word "jammy" springs to mind...

[spot]

The word "jammy" springs to mind...

Yes I can live with "Jammy" Mr Brat but at the time of opening the said box & finding these, the words "Clean & Undies" sprang to mind also but in a nice way of cource.

Spot.

p.s. I'll get use to using these quote & multi quote things one day.

Edited June 18, 2007 by spot

[Guest Phil Richards]

Found in Pep's shop in wolverhampton late 70,s i think

CHARLES JOHNSON / NEVER HAD A LOVE SO GOOD / ALSTON paid £1.50

PRINCE PHILIP MITCHELL / I'M SO HAPPY / ATLANTIC Paid £1.00 played this out at the same time

MARTHA REEVES / NO ONE THERE / UK MOTOWN paid 50p

[Guest carl tebbutt]

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.

Hi, This is the very same Carl Tebbutt here. Still around, still operating on the fringes of the music business and still at the coast

[Raresoul45s]

Doing work experience in a second hand record shop in weston super mare in 84 i managed to find a untold amount of original us imports far to many to list, but some that stand out for obvious reasons are Johnny Honeycutt Triode, 2x johnny Praye yes the extra one has been sold, as well as cody black king blue issue plus many others and yes i did pay for them I think?

Still enjoying the Paris tune Dave even though it was a few bob.

[celthomas]

reggae records found at tesco

it was around 1975, me and my mate paul stuffelder,went to bangor on our usual sat nick/rob

shops,went in to tesco to get some tescobombers,

you would not belive what was right in front of us,a masive basket full of reggae records 700/800

all at 10p each, f*** ME HEAVEN,

all seem to have something to do with pama records

BULLET,CAMEL, ESCORT,UNITY,GAS, and some just plain white label,we spent all our pocket money

but we nicked more than we paid for,i remember the first record i played when i got home(plain white label)it was an instrimental version of wet dream

NOW BEAT THAT

ps

a mr smith came along a few yrs latter and bought the lot from mr stuffelder

AM I STILL DREAMING

KEL THOMAS