Missing Link

Great tracks - take me back 30 years. All of them in my collection. Shame the scene was divided so much by them at the time.

Just noticed that it is in the Entertainment section of BBCi with the correct info.

Interestingly they couldn't even get the price right £25,472 instead of £25,742! Typical Sun.

Looking at your screen shot the reason you are getting the new site is because the URL is https://raresoulman.co.uk If you want the old (current) site try https://www.raresoulman.co.uk

55 in three weeks time.

One of the few regrets I have in my life is that I only managed to get to the Mecca a couple of times and those were in the later years due to living at the other end of the country, at the time, with no transport. I always followed what sounds were being played and was never disappointed by the sheer quality of them. Great days.

I recorded it last night and have just watched it this morning. She really is the Queen of Gospel. If you get the chance check out the 'Jazz on a Summer's Day' film (see my avatar) recorded at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1958. As well as being a brilliant film, Mahalia Jackson performs 3 songs including an extraordinary version of the 'Lord's Prayer' which has to be heard to be believed.

Yes, they were released because they were on Pye licensed labels from the States typically Calla, Wand, Roulette, 20th Century, etc. but they were not made for the Northern scene because America didn't know it existed then. Dave McAleer was the guy who was responsible for releasing the records and Ian Levine was responsible for compiling the excellent "Solid Soul Sensation' compilation LP. Frankie & the Classicals hd previously been issued on Phillips in the UK as was Chuck Jackson's 'Any Day Now' (B-side of These Chains of Love) which was issued on Stateside. So yes, they were issued because of demand but they were not made specifically for the Northern scene, which is my interpretation of 'tailor made', but for Black America. Ian Levine's Evelyn Thomas, Barbara Pennington and L.J. Johnson were the first real tracks that were specifically made for the Northern scene. Others such as Wigan's Ovation were just inferior copies of existing songs and Simon Soussan's instrumentals were again inferior remakes.

Only a couple of the later ones - Sounds of Lancashire and the Jezebelles. You certainly couldn't include Jerry Williams, the Casualeers, Frankie & the Classicals, Chuck Jackson, etc. etc. as 'tailor mades'.

Yes, the one you're thinking of is 'Motown Memories 16 Non-Stop Tamla Hits' which was the first of the Disco Classics series, according to the blurb on the back of vol.3. I have the Memories album and vols 3 & 4 and I think there was also a volume 5.

As far as I can remember it was the second tune by Mistura featuring Lloyd Michaels to be played on the scene. 'Life Is A Song Worth Singing' was released earlier and got a few plays but was never as popular.

Pretty sure I remember the 'echo clapping' at Yate to 'Double Cooking' by the Checkerboard Squares (AKA 'Strings a Go-Go' by Bob Wilson).

Shades of Green was definitely the club in Camberley during the '70s. Think Terry Davis, Tony Ellis and Ian Clarke were DJs there.

It was penned by John Stanberry Jr. not Sam Dees and came out on Stanlos, presumably his own label.

It's on 'The Stafford Story' on Goldmine - not sure whether it's still available though.

Almost anything by Gil Scott Heron. 'The Bottle' and 'Home is Where The Hatred Is' are obvious but how about 'The Revolution Will Not Be Televised' 'Whitey's On The Moon', 'Not Needed', 'The Klan', '(You Can't Depend On) The Train From Washington', 'Waiting For The Axe To Fall', etc., etc.

Jools Holland has done several albums with other artists ranging from Ruby Turner to Marc Almond - some very good, some not so. His latest album is called 'The Best of Friends' and has a track with Ruby Turner called 'To Love A Child' - I suspect this might be what you heard. I can't confirm this as I've only heard his first two collaboration albums.

When I used to go to 'Nighters back in the 70s illegal copies were always called pressings - bootlegs were never mentioned. According to Wikipedia there are several different types of illegal record issues: Bootlegs: Bootlegging is trafficking in recordings that the record companies have not commercially released , typically live concerts or studio out-takes or acetates. Piracy: Piracy is the illegal copying/sale of recordings that are (or have been) available commercially or are planned/scheduled for commercial release. Counterfeits: Counterfeits attempt to mimic the look of officially released product; pirate releases do not necessarily do so, possibly substituting cover art or creating new compilations of a group's released songs. A counterfeit is always a pirate but a pirate is not necessarily a counterfeit. Therefore most of the 'bootlegs' on the Northern scene are actually pirates or counterfeits. 'Pressings' are most likely legal second issues made with the permission of the copyright owner.

NEMS 007 released in 1977.

Yes, there's copies on Amazon for the princely sum of £4.98: https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_m_h__0...;sprefix=standi

It's repeated on Friday too as an extended programme on BBC2. Interesting to hear that there's going to be a Motown 50th anniversary special early next year.

Cheapest way to get the track is on the 'Capitol Soul Casino' LP which came out in the UK in the mid 1970s which also has a host of Capitol 'biggies of the time' including Nancy Wilson, Jay D. Martin, Al DeLory, Bobby Paris, Patrice Holloway, Thelma Houston, Sam Williams, etc.

Think there was a soul super group - weren't they called the Funk Brothers?!!!!

Yes, that is what I meant. Tamla Motown is an example of a label that put the original date of recording on the label rather than the date of issue - I am presuming that Capitol did the same. Also I think that it is not actually a reissue (this is where we go into semantics) but the first UK issue, though I may be wrong about that.