Garethx

Tim Brown should get his own show on Radio 4.

Buddy Conner's 45 on Early Bird is also excellent. Has anyone got a soundclip of that? He was in the same gospel quartet as Emorise Kelley who went on to record for Peacock. Bet they were good.

£500 is way optimistic for this. Sold one fairly recently for about half that and was lucky (and glad) to get that for it. Fairly scarce, but in no way a £500 tune. As one of the more obscure D-Town releases it has a value (at least to completists) and before the days of ebay it probably was pretty difficult to track down: I recall this appearing on a Pete Lowrie tape some years ago alongside many noted Detroit rarities. The record has a naive charm and I've always quite liked it, but similarly I'd have to agree with anyone who called it lightweight, boring pap. All in my opinion of course. No offense intended to anyone who plays it/is looking for it/is looking to sell it/etc...

xcvm.

You are correct, of course, Sean. Generic straightjackets are the (perhaps necessary) invention of those whose job it is to market the music, be they deejays, record dealers, club promoters or re-issue label co-ordinators.

We've been having the What is Crossover? debate for years on here: this is a reply I posted three and a half years ago to the same question... I don't think "Crossover" as a genre is that helpful a term. Originally it was coined for records which were just good soul that couldn't actually be pigeon-holed as anything else by record dealers. I wouldn't really class Jan Jones, Charles Johnson or Velvet Hammer as Crossover. They all started life as dancefloor records on the old modern northern scene, at venues like Wigan, Bradford and Stafford, where a lot of records which were only a couple of years old (or newer) at the time were played and enjoyed by all. As the 1980s moved on and contemporary production techniques overtook much iindependently produced soul (crashing drum machines, heavily synthesised strings and horns etc.) the modern sound split from the mainstream northern venues. Records like Jan Jones, Alfie Davison etc. continued to be played on the traditional northern scene, while the modern scene kind of dwindled and mutated into something else, that was not necessarily venue or dancefloor based. Around the late 1980s and early 1990s what modern venues there were started programming a lot of older-sounding records: it was a kind of backlash against the vapid sounds of contemporary major label output and the diminishing returns of finding independents with the required sound. The older material sounded somehow fresher, and really served to kickstart a moribund collecting scene. A lot of forgotten Mecca and Cleethorpes obscurites got dusted down, together with more than a pinch of earthier southern soul. Big records of this vintage were labelled Crossover: they appealed to punters from both 'modern' and 'northern' camps. Sounds I remember from this time were things like Willie Tee "First Taste Of Hurt", Cliff Nobles "This Feeling Of Lonlieness" John Edwards "The Look On Your Face", Bobby Reed "The Time Is Right For Love", Maurice Jackson "Lucky Fellow", Margie Joseph "One More Chance", Roz Ryan "You're My Only Temptation", Annette Snell "It's All Over Now", Vic Marcel "You Still Got Me" etc. Most or all of these had a decidedly midtempo bent, but there was room for other types of sound: John Simeone "Who Do You Love", Tyrone St Germain "In A World So Cold", The Ghetto Children on Roulette and so on. In summing up, I guess, the Crossover genre can really be pinned down to those records which sounded technologically older, yet still strongly appealed to modern soul fans, regardless of the records' age. I remember the incredible Stomp nights at Camden Dingwalls put on by Simon Dunmore and Ian Clark. Two of the biggest records there were Bill Wright "A Man In Love" and John & The Weirdest "No Time"; what was their common denominator? Quality, I guess. Sticking my neck out, I'd say most of the current northern or rare soul scene are into Crossover, whether they know it or not. Tunes like The Vanguards "Good Times Bad Times" and The Montclairs "Hey You!" are classic Crossover material. John Pugh played The Vanguards to acclaim on crossover floors over a decade ago, and the first person I ever heard play The Montclairs out was Garry Dennis, many, many moons ago. Records like "Pyramid" always appealed to fans of 60s, 70s, 80s whatever. Great records will always "cross over" in that they will be appreciated by anyone with a sufficiently adventurous palate. I would have hoped by now we could have dispensed with any labels other than an umbrella term like "Rare Soul."

I played Joey Gillmore's "Girl, You're best Friend Done Took Your Place" on Saadia at Soul Or Nothing in Manchester last year. It completely cleared the floor but loads of people came up to ask what it was. As you say, Sean, a stunner. Is there a TK connection with Saadia other than them both being Florida labels? Also, I don't know what TK stands for. Has it been covered in the interview with Henry Stone above?

You are completely correct, I just had a mental image of the label and the Anthony Newley credit. The Newley thing is the standard, Feeling Good. Most of the album comprises covers of pop songs. Does anyone know who recorded Teardrops and Heartaches first? The Roark credit is the publisher: it was written by Evon Rosalie Long.

The New Direction's Teardrops & Heartaches is a beautiful record: an Anthony Newley song if I remember rightly. There is a wonderful unreleased version of this by Carl Hall which Richard Searling used to feature on his radio show from time to time.

Oh yeah, almost forgot two great tracks from Miami (the group): the all time classic "Party Freaks" and the almost equally wonderful "Funk It Up", both on Drive and both funk classics with tons of Soul.

A great thread. There is so much great black music from Florida and Henry Stone has been responsible for releasing a vast slice of it. I can echo the sentiments of others on many of the sides mentioned so far and highlight a few personal favourites as well. The Clarence Reid original of "Come On With It" (Alston) is a big repeat play of mine at the moment, along with Lynn Williams suicide-soul anthem "Don't Be Surprised" (Suncut). No-one seems to have mentioned Jerry Washington on Glades yet: a tremendously individual piece of soul music which I'm pleased the rare soul scene has taken to its heart. I love all the Willie & Anthony sides on Blue Candle (although these would appear to be technically from Georgia), but must reserve special mention for three artists who are soul legends and epitomise the Florida sound: Betty Wright, Gwen McCrae and Benny Latimore. The three records which I find myself currently going back to from the trio are Betty's "Think I Better Think About It", a marvellously wistful outing from the Explosion album; Gwen McCrae's monumental "I Found A Love" from the Melody of Life set, and last but by no means least Latimore's mind-blowing early Dade outing "I'm A Believer" / "Have A Little Faith", two beautiful Jackie Avery songs which sum up everything that is great about the southern soul of the classic era.

Thanks for posting this Pete, great stuff. Can anyone put up the real Hermon Hitson version of Love Slipped Through My Fingers as issued on the HH compilation last year? A bit lo-fi and slightly shambolic but extremely powerful nonetheless.

Are you saying that the Nate Adams acetate you have is an instrumental of "Yes You Did" James? Is there a Nate Adams vocal of this lurking somewhere? Producer Johnny Brantley had a mini-career in wiping vocals from many of his mid-60s soul productions and marketing them as bogus Jimi Hendrix unreleased tracks, whether they actually featured Hendrix or not. The Nate Adams is listed below in an entry from the Early Hendrix website dealing with the fake Hendrix / Brantley masters: Nate Adams recorded in New Jersey on the 20th of October 1967. The full session included (with Atlantic master number listed first): 13341 Yes You Did 13342 I'm Gonna Be Good* 13343 Why Is It Taking So Long* 13344 A Fool For You 13345 Sophisticated Alabama Soup Bone * These tracks released as Atlantic 45-2466 Also, there is the old chestnut of the Nate Adams vocal to "Love Slipped Through My Fingers" (to my ears the very best version): existing on an Atlantic acetate, played by Searling at the Casino covered as Hermon Hitson. I've heard a deejay from Louth play this out on occasion and wonder if there are multiple copies of this acetate or whether it is a one-off. I know Colin Dilnot has done a good deal of research into the very tangled web that is the career of Johnny Brantley and his apparently bewildering interactions with The Ohio Players, Lee Moses, Sam Williams, Hermon Hitson, Nate Adams, Gloria "Towanda" Barnes, Jimmy Norman etc. Perhaps he can shed some light on all of this.

Not really on the topic of rare Philly singles, but more an aside on the WDs that you mention, Jock: last year there was a relative flood of these on the market that I was told was Kenny Gamble's own residual stock: some tens of thousands of remaindered Philly singles mostly on WDJ copy that were turning up all over the place as the collection was broken up. Mister CD in London's Berwick Street had a huge number and were selling them at something like a pound a piece if you bought ten or more. I bought a few dozen things that I had previously only had on albums or UK singles. They've still seemingly got tons of them, although I suspect that many of the cream titles have been combed out.

It's Brenda George: quite a tough single to find, but shouldn't be mega expensive. Very good record, IMHO. The track that I keep going back to from old Kent lps that is unreleased and I've never heard out is Mr Lee & The Cherokees "My Best Friends Girl" from the Sure Shots album: a beautiful downbeat harmony record that I'm sure would sound wonderful on a big sound system. I've said on here before that I think the Kent label was probably as influential as any single deejay from the time of its inception in the eighties in terms of bringing new converts into the fold: particularly people from Europe and the States. Many friends from around the world have tons of Kent lps and cite them as an inspiring influence in their love of rare soul at a time when getting on a cheap flight to go to a nighter in the UK was not really an option, particularly for teenagers. Making tracks like Torture or The Magic Touch available to the paying public at the time they were big sounds probably went a big way towards nurturing and sustaining interest in Northern Soul in the days after mainstream media interest had moved on.

Cheers Pete This footage sends shivers down my spine. Why was this record never the massive hit it deserved to be?

Funnily enough I don't think Pyramid would be greeted with much enthusiasm if it were given its first outing today. Stafford seemed to create the perfect conditions for experimentation with the more left-field tracks. On a more general level, and I've said it on here before, punters today are probably far more conservative in their tastes than at any time in the scene's history. A whole host of great records which are accepted classics would probably not receive nationwide plaudits if aired as newies today: The Crow is a good example, as are things like Kenny Smith on GAR or James Fountain on Peachtree. Who today would have the guts to give Room Full Of Tears its debut at peak time at the country's biggest nighter?

Ellipsis would have worked at The Mecca, Cleethorpes Pier or the Ritz very nicely. In fact if more copies had been about as a new release it would probably have snuck onto the playlists of many nighters around then. I have always had a sneaking admiration for Like The Lord Said... I don't know why but it's always seemed to have the kind of esoteric excitement about it that just seems to shout "rare soul monster" despite the fact that is has very little to do with soul music in any encyclopaedic sense. In conclusion both these records would have had a chance at pretty much any time if they had been in the right deejays' hands as both have "x factor".

All the 20th Century session tracks which appeared on the lp are slightly different mixes or versions to the 45s. The version of If You Want A Love Affair being the most markedly different mix.

Try also to hear Tony Owens great original, also on Souliin.

Not a country singer as such. The George Clinton Band lp was conceived as a kind of soft rock/blue eyed soul effort in the manner of Hall & Oates, Seals & Croft etc. which was popular at the time. I posted a picture of him on the thread about three months ago. Should be still up there.

The best by him surely is the other side of the Sounds of Memphis 45, "She's Not Momma's Little Girl Anymore", despite the creepy lyrics a fine production. Does anyone have any biographical info on him: was he a pop singer? was he black or white? is he still around?

Prann, Public, Doro etc. are the Memphis GJ: ie the same guy as on Fame and virtually a living legend. The artist also known as George Jackson who recorded on Mercury is the same guy as on Double R and Cameo: as far as I know these are the only 45s recorded by the 'other' GJ.

The George Jackson on Double R and Mercury is not the same person as the more acclaimed GJ on Fame, Hi, Verve, MGM, Chess etc. who's more recent material has been released by Grapevine. I've no idea whether the other, Mercury, George Jackson is black or white.

cvmc.