These Days....?

[Barry]

With the way we have all grown up, 'knowing' dj's who have made us dance - how do 'new' lads (who want to play records) get on, we were all kids at one point?

It's got to be hard, hasn't it?

How many scenes have a following with such knowledge, not many ay? And it appears that dancers are always the fiercest of critics (not always justified).

It strikes me that it is a 'rock and a hard place' thing.

Don't give up lads, we all had to start somewhere and a lot of the owd bastads'll be gone soon.

Only kidding - please discuss.

[Guest Mark Holmes]

Though the rare soul arena in the USA is not as healthy as it could be there are some young folks here with incredible redord collections who are willing and very able to spin some choons and fill dance floors.

From California Tommy Potts 21 years old, Mike Umholtz 26 years old.

The Rare Soul Millionaires from Chicago

The guys in Seattle, Kev Jones & co

These people never went to the "big" venues when the records were being broken but they have a real ear for the music.

Check out the Hitsville Soul Club playlists and the Emerald City Soul Club playlists for a taste of what they play.

As an oldie with a dancers knowledge of the music I think they do an incredible job.

[Barry]

Though the rare soul arena in the USA is not as healthy as it could be there are some young folks here with incredible redord collections who are willing and very able to spin some choons and fill dance floors.

From California Tommy Potts 21 years old, Mike Umholtz 26 years old.

The Rare Soul Millionaires from Chicago

The guys in Seattle, Kev Jones & co

These people never went to the "big" venues when the records were being broken but they have a real ear for the music.

Check out the Hitsville Soul Club playlists and the Emerald City Soul Club playlists for a taste of what they play.

As an oldie with a dancers knowledge of the music I think they do an incredible job.

Thanks for the answer Mark but incredible collections at such a young age these days must be a rarity!?

It's difficult to keep up here and now, I certainly would not be able to buy my own collection a todays rates - so the guys you mention - are they from money or are they working class lads that, truly, have a diamond ear?

[Guest vinylvixen]

Thanks for the answer Mark but incredible collections at such a young age these days must be a rarity!?

It's difficult to keep up here and now, I certainly would not be able to buy my own collection a todays rates - so the guys you mention - are they from money or are they working class lads that, truly, have a diamond ear?

Tommy Potts is son of Pottsy - record dealer and lover of Shrine Records. Tommy dj'd down at 'These Old Shoes' with his own collection at 15. Tommy has always been passionate about the music and has an incredible ear - and the collection that makes men and women go weak at the knees.... Kev of the Emerald Soul Club is a diamond geezer and not that young - he's been promoting for some time and strives to play the music to as many people as he can drag through the door. He casts his promotion net across the pond and has lured over UK djs to play sets for him....Seattle's a long way but maybe I'll get there one day....

I don't envy anyone trying to break onto the scene now - there's more of a 'dj ceiling' now than there ever was when I started. There is an argument for 'dead man's/ woman's shoes' but don't worry - us old 'uns will soon conk out and the young ones can take our place - . There are a couple of young djs in their teens who've had the luxury of having parents who are on the scene and support them in their dj activities - but again this is a rarity....if I was still running a club, I'd book people irrespective of age and gender as long as they did the job on the decks. Jo

[Dave Thorley]

And to the list , the guys in Detroit, Brad and co. Go round Brads flat and he can always pull out a bunch of stuff I've never heard before. They have a great little scene that is growing in state. They also have the envious situation of having many of the artists on the doorstep and take advantage of that.

Peoples Records, Detroit, pop in and see them

[Guest in town Mikey]

Yeah. But these kids need to learn not to hop on stage and take records off while they are playing

Sorry JT

[Guest vinylvixen]

Don't give up lads, we all had to start somewhere and a lot of the owd bastads'll be gone soon.

Only kidding - please discuss.

Barry, I'm sure the 'lasses' are included in your cry to arms, aren't they.... Jo

[Jumpinjoan]

Tommy Potts is son of Pottsy - record dealer and lover of Shrine Records. Tommy dj'd down at 'These Old Shoes' with his own collection at 15. Tommy has always been passionate about the music and has an incredible ear - and the collection that makes men and women go weak at the knees....

This one has always puzzled me.

No disrespect to either Potts... but I have often wondered how someone can acquire that kind of record collection on his own at the young age of 15?

He must have had one hell of a Saturday job!

[Guest Mark Holmes]

I think Tommy is very in tune with the supply and demand, he knows what to look for and how to sell it.

The old fashioned way of "trading up" that so many people have used to get to the records they want is used very effectively by some of these guys. ebay has also created an international oppurtunity as well to move substantial ammounts of vinyl the US eabay site has about 2000 records that turn over weekly ( i know some don't sell but a lot do)

If you know what you are looking for and have access to it then the oppurtunities are endless.

How many of us are really "record hounds" any more, in the US there are Thrift Stores (charity shops) in the smallest towns and flea markets every weekend, o you buy the "fillers" trade them up or sell them to get the next batch of better records and go through the whole process again.

This is is a massive country and so many older people hold onto things for nostalgia, well those people are slowly passing away and the kids don't understand or want the "stuff" their parents owned so the cycle goes on. Kids are clearing out basements and garages and attics and getting rid of everything.

There are some desserts (Florida has been raped, pillaged and plundered from all the anglo saxon tourists) however I am sure there are places that still have to be mined, not many people go on their holidays to Central Nebraska for instance.

Just my thoughts.

[Ian Dewhirst]

I think Tommy is very in tune with the supply and demand, he knows what to look for and how to sell it.

The old fashioned way of "trading up" that so many people have used to get to the records they want is used very effectively by some of these guys. ebay has also created an international oppurtunity as well to move substantial ammounts of vinyl the US eabay site has about 2000 records that turn over weekly ( i know some don't sell but a lot do)

If you know what you are looking for and have access to it then the oppurtunities are endless.

How many of us are really "record hounds" any more, in the US there are Thrift Stores (charity shops) in the smallest towns and flea markets every weekend, o you buy the "fillers" trade them up or sell them to get the next batch of better records and go through the whole process again.

This is is a massive country and so many older people hold onto things for nostalgia, well those people are slowly passing away and the kids don't understand or want the "stuff" their parents owned so the cycle goes on. Kids are clearing out basements and garages and attics and getting rid of everything.

There are some desserts (Florida has been raped, pillaged and plundered from all the anglo saxon tourists) however I am sure there are places that still have to be mined, not many people go on their holidays to Central Nebraska for instance.

Just my thoughts.

I had the best hit of my life in a small town outside of Denver, Colorado - a truly unbelievable haul. Dave Raistrick arrived a couple of months later and still found stuff. Also had good hits in Oklahoma, Iowa, L.A. and even Florida back in the 70's and 80's.

I've always wondered about Salt Lake City though. It's too far from anywhere to get there easily and I know it's full of Mormons but I just have a gut feeling LOL........

Any youngsters out there?

Ian D

[Jumpinjoan]

I think Tommy is very in tune with the supply and demand, he knows what to look for and how to sell it.

Absolutely... Tommy has fantastic taste.. as does Mr. Potts snr.

What I was getting at was... at the age of 15... surely there's no way anyone could have been earning the kind of money it would take to buy records of that quality?

I was in no way having a pop at anybody... just an observation.

[Guest Mark Holmes]

Never thought of it as that, what I was trying to say that he has a talent and when did that start?

Now if there was a nipper saying "hey mister, I like that song" at your knee cap and it was an easy record to replace would you say "here ya go son" and feel like you were creating a future soulie.

Course when he was at yer knee every other weekend....................................

Now if I had saved all the money I earned on the paper round instead of spending it on Embassy Gold and Bells whiky miniaatures I may have many more records.

[Rhino]

Thanks for the answer Mark but incredible collections at such a young age these days must be a rarity!?

It's difficult to keep up here and now, I certainly would not be able to buy my own collection a todays rates - so the guys you mention - are they from money or are they working class lads that, truly, have a diamond ear?

ithought you hate the word "DJ" playing records for money was more your thing barry

[Guest vinylvixen]

This one has always puzzled me.

No disrespect to either Potts... but I have often wondered how someone can acquire that kind of record collection on his own at the young age of 15?

He must have had one hell of a Saturday job!

He did - working on the Potts record stall. Snr and Jnr working as a double team were formidable...I know - I was on the stall next to them at Prestatyn Tommy got his own tunes and often beat Ady off with a stick to get them - being taught by a master always give you an edge. Much to his dismay, Ady was often thwarted by his own creation - son of record dealer

I had a pretty good collection by 15 - I'd been accumilating vinyl since I was 9. My 2 brothers were 17 and 19 when I was 9 and I had no trouble 'acquiring' records off their mates - always easy as most of them were off their heads on gear and would do anything to get rid of an irritating 9 year old Plus, I worked as a Saturday girl in a record shop from 13 - and I badgered school mates and asked them to see what vinyl their parents had stashed away. At 15, I got 'Club Ska 67' on Wirl for 50p off one girl and her dad gave me a carrier bag of singles to go with it....Golden Crab, Pama, Doctor Bird - all a bit scuffed but I was made up....a right result. And so on and so on.....Jo

[Jumpinjoan]

He did - working on the Potts record stall. Snr and Jnr working as a double team were formidable...I know - I was on the stall next to them at Prestatyn Tommy got his own tunes and often beat Ady off with a stick to get them - being taught by a master always give you an edge. Much to his dismay, Ady was often thwarted by his own creation - son of record dealer

I had a pretty good collection by 15 - I'd been accumilating vinyl since I was 9. My 2 brothers were 17 and 19 when I was 9 and I had no trouble 'acquiring' records off their mates - always easy as most of them were off their heads on gear and would do anything to get rid of an irritating 9 year old Plus, I worked as a Saturday girl in a record shop from 13 - and I badgered school mates and asked them to see what vinyl their parents had stashed away. At 15, I got 'Club Ska 67' on Wirl for 50p off one girl and her dad gave me a carrier bag of singles to go with it....Golden Crab, Pama, Doctor Bird - all a bit scuffed but I was made up....a right result. And so on and so on.....Jo

Jeez... wished I'd had a job on that market stall... and a dad who was into something other than 'Paddy McGuinty's Goat' and 'Those Crystal Chandaliers'...

God... I bear those scars to this day

[Simsy]

With the way we have all grown up, 'knowing' dj's who have made us dance - how do 'new' lads (who want to play records) get on, we were all kids at one point?

It's got to be hard, hasn't it?

How many scenes have a following with such knowledge, not many ay? And it appears that dancers are always the fiercest of critics (not always justified).

It strikes me that it is a 'rock and a hard place' thing.

Don't give up lads, we all had to start somewhere and a lot of the owd bastads'll be gone soon.

Only kidding - please discuss.

I would be interested to know if there is any variation of quality with new jocks geographically speaking. There's so much going on in the North I don't get to go to. But speaking for the South, London clubs in particular. Guest dj's as they invariably are seem to be generally pretty well kitted out music-wise.

Maybe old school jocks cut the mustard or better and everyone was pretty much happy. But now maybe folk are more critical and a bit more analytical?

[Manfromsoul45s]

He did - working on the Potts record stall. Snr and Jnr working as a double team were formidable...I know - I was on the stall next to them at Prestatyn Tommy got his own tunes and often beat Ady off with a stick to get them - being taught by a master always give you an edge. Much to his dismay, Ady was often thwarted by his own creation - son of record dealer

I had a pretty good collection by 15 - I'd been accumilating vinyl since I was 9. My 2 brothers were 17 and 19 when I was 9 and I had no trouble 'acquiring' records off their mates - always easy as most of them were off their heads on gear and would do anything to get rid of an irritating 9 year old Plus, I worked as a Saturday girl in a record shop from 13 - and I badgered school mates and asked them to see what vinyl their parents had stashed away. At 15, I got 'Club Ska 67' on Wirl for 50p off one girl and her dad gave me a carrier bag of singles to go with it....Golden Crab, Pama, Doctor Bird - all a bit scuffed but I was made up....a right result. And so on and so on.....Jo

yo lot should go on Dragons Den!!!

[Chris Anderton]

I've always wondered about Salt Lake City though. It's too far from anywhere to get there easily and I know it's full of Mormons but I just have a gut feeling LOL........

Any youngsters out there?

................

Yeah...Randys records in Salt lake city..was there a couple of years ago...found some nice stuff, nothing amazing......but still nice soul 45s...

Chris

[Chris Anderton]

Made me laugh when i turned up at Bonnyrigg on Saturday, one guy said "I always imagined you as being much older"!

I said, "When i was DJing at 19 i was the youngest, now i`m 38...I`m still the youngest"!!

Chris

[Guest andyrattigan]

Passion and a good record collection IMO. All depends as well on the crowd you are spinning to. I for one like a very mixed bag and would prefer it all in the same room. A young DJ who played stomping 6ts a sprinkle of R&B, some crossover, a ton of 7t's/8t's Soul and a few recent gems and even god forbid a few Jazz funk numbers would be my ideal DJ. Never get that at a strictly Northern night. Then again I do love a pure 6t's night as well. Can't beat the 100 club for quality 6ts all nighter.

[Barry]

ithought you hate the word "DJ" playing records for money was more your thing barry

Ay oop Rhino - I am always pissed when I post these little mind scratching posts and I hope they stimulate healthy scene based conversation.

Please feel free to ignore the questions I pose and nit-pick at any time mate.

[Guest vinylvixen]

yo lot should go on Dragons Den!!!

I would if I could invent anything decent - maybe a lightweight 7" record box on wheels with a built in extending handle in robust industrial plastic.....do you think Peter Jones is a vinyl fanatic - he might give me the £250,000 I'm after to buy decent records