Got to agree, record prices have become RIDICULOUS, but to be fair, no ones forcing people to stump up their money, if someone's prepared to pay over the odds for a record its their choice, in this day and age, its easy to look up what prices records are going for, if people get carried away on auction sites or whatever, more fool them... As for Epitome Of Sound, how long ago was it that said record shop had loads of copies in?? 10/15/20 years ago? He ain't still got em now, as with time, things get harder to find, even the so called "easy" tunes in decent condition, are becoming tricky, most these tunes we are collecting are what? 50/55 years old now?? ANTIQUES technically!! As for Soul nights and venues playing same old "safe" top 500 Soul tunes- TOTALLY agree, there are some good (albeit) few and far between rare and underplayed nights out there, one superb one that springs to mind, the FANTASTIC BIDDS POW WOW/ LIFELINE nights are spot on!! 120 odd miles away for me, but worth it! But if it says Motown and Soul night, or "across the board" music policy (oh dear!) - I tend to stay away- you know your gonna get a Radio 2 Northern Soul night... May as well stop in and listen to the radio! Lol... Theres 10s of 1000s of Soul tunes out there, and to hear the same ones week in week out - NO EXCUSE! it's lazy!! The other bug bare, hearing the same tune played twice in a night!! WHY?? If its been played already, dig a bit deeper in your box, and find another quality tune!! Simples!! KTF!! JP