Garethx

Mmmm... I think this a tough one for anyone to stick their neck out on. I've been told by someone that it was played at least once in the closing days of Wigan, and stayed extremely rare for many years. When the first few subsequent copies trickled out a couple of years ago I know people paid serious amounts of money for them. A subsequent relative flood of copies has seen the price plummet - from over a grand in £ sterling to a couple of hundred dollars. How many copies of the record there actually are is impossible to say, but I guess supply has really finally outstripped demand in the last couple of months. I think it's fair to say that it was quite a carefully orchestrated plan to supply the record by whoever's done it. Often when this happens those who paid top dollar feel peeved, and there's a proliferation of theories about scams, bootlegging and all sorts of other chicanery. This kind of attitude often manifests itself in people who possess a "must-have" attitude towards collecting, regardless of whether they actually like a particular piece of music for itself. But I don't know about "copies are not what they seem". Are people intimating that they are boots? To me every copy I've ever seen looks kosher. They look like records from Columbus, Ohio from the late 60s / early 70s. It's interesting that a couple of other records on the label like Joe King, Eddie Ray etc. have seen a similar stagnation or plunge in their price. And I think it's fair to say they are all really good records of their kind (official top side of The Royal Esquires is a fantastic group ballad, for example), but dealers seem to be unable to give them away. There are at least thirteen 45s on Prix. I wonder what the other ten or so are like?

The mid-green and yellow copies of The Exits should be worth exactly the same. The lighter green one with the credits in a compressed typeface that Mark Bicknell spoke about is a lot harder to find, but whether it's worth a considerably larger sum of money is open to debate. This record fits into the "what were the earliest sounds you remember" post from earlier today for me... I remember someone (Tony Ellis?) playing "Under The Street Lamp" at the long-lamented Function at The Junction in the early 1980s, being blown away by it, and also being amazed that it was a record you could readily buy for about two or three quid. It still sends a shiver down my spine every time I hear it and must be one of the best soul records ever played on the scene. For me Under The Street Lamp is the epitome of male group harmony soul singing - everything about it is perfect. So, whatever it costs, it's cheap really.

This is wonderful news. Darrell Banks is a legend.

I think it means try putting the stylus on the wax, as opposed to the label, like a few deejays at the 100 Club on Saturday! :]

What's the value of Bobbi Row & The Englishmen "Why D'You Put Me On" on Money? John Manship's site lists it on another label (Safe) for £250.00.

The Rustone label from New Orleans (Willie West & The Jades) is a beautiful looking thing. The multicoloured issue copy of Troy Dodds "Try My Love" on El Camino is also very striking. Driving from San Francisco International airport to downtown you can see the hills as pictured on the label from the motorway and go "Blimey! just like Troy Dodds!" Uplook records (Delegates of Soul, Charles Mintz) always look great. Anyone see that Primes on Lota Soul that sold on ebay recently? Mental. BTW, this went for a relatively small sum of money, about £230, I think. It's rare and brilliant, and puts into perspective the daft prices paid on ebay for pretty common records like Darrow Fletcher's "What Have I Got Now".

I think The Delegates and Charles Mintz are both great records, distinct enough from each other to warrant having both. However, "Lucky Guy" by Charles Mintz knocks the spots off the Delegates of Soul original. The other, cheaper Charles Mintz records are great as well. Someone once told me that the same quantity (300 copies) were pressed of each title on the label. When they're gone, they're gone etc...

Oh dear! I knew it was expensive, but that's outrageous.

Re Walter Wilson: "Love Keeps Me Crying" is, IMHO, only so-so Northern. The other side, "Not Now, But Later" was played by Steve Guarnori as one of the enders of the Saturday allnighter at Soul Essence, Great Yarmouth and is a totally fantastic crossover record. What's the value of this now?

I'm serious as cancer when I say: "rhythm is a dancer"

A great cheap 1970s soul record that I can't stop playing at the moment is George McCrae "It's Been So Long" on TK. Brilliant and anthemic Miami soul with a "home made" sound that sets it apart from commercial 70s soul. Should be about £1 on UK Jay Boy from Record & Tape Exchanges, car boots and so on. In a less obvious way, the Lou Bond lp track "Why Should Our Eyes Always Be Turned Backwards" on Enterprise is a blinding crossover midpacer with a "heal the world" type message. Fans of the John Gary Williams sound would, i'm sure, flip on hearing this. Harder to find, but shouldn't be expensive. For something completely different, Grey & Hanks "You Gotta Put Something In" on the RCA album "You Fooled Me" is a great slice of the fast, funky soul that has made records like Joseph Webster and Jerry Washington hot property on the northern scene again. Problem with this one is it's only fast and funky for about two and a half minutes of its six-minute duration, the last four minutes being meandering noodling. But those first two and a half are really fantastic, with very soulful singing. Ultra cheap too.

Yes. I was at the evening do... congratulations and thanks to Michelle and Jack. A good time was had by all.

Re: The Compacts "That's How My World Began" / "Why Can't It Be" This was the last record that Ollie McLaughlin released on the revived Karen/Carla group of labels in 1975, and would appear to be pretty rare. I know Peter Lowrie listed one for sale about ten years ago for (I think) £400. They were a family group (four brothers and a sister I believe) and as I said, the record is a really good double sider, THMWB being a fluid ballad featuring torrid vocal interplay, very much in the Dells/Dramatics mode (the lead tenor voice really is that strong). WCIB is the more obviously danceable side, and, though I can't say I've ever heard it out, I think it would really be admired if spun at an "across the board" do. A relatively easy way of getting or hearing these sides is via one of the Solid Smoke "Detroit Gold" lps released in the US in the early/mid 1980s. This label was part of Rhino Records, I think, and may have been subsequently released on CD. If not, you still see the vinyl occasionally - it also includes the Belita Woods Moira singles "My Magic Corner" and "That's When I'll Stop Loving You", and is really worth picking up.

Should read "midtempo". Sorry I can't type :[

This exists all right, and is an amazing mistempo double sider, comparable with the best group soul of the era, right up there with The Dells and Dramatics.

Jodie I sold one of these to Rob Messer about eighteen months ago. Don't know if it went straight into his own collection, or if he's sold it etc. but you could try him. I'm sure he would be open to offers...

Can I have your Bobby Wilburn on Gamble issue (April 1971)? Even failed disco shite deserves a home of some sort :]

Is anyone as staggered as I am to see the escalation in price of The Montclairs' "Hung Up On Your Love" in recent months? Over $150 on ebay for a red issue, over £125 for the (not as rare) demo on Manship's auction. Also heard this at least five times in various rooms at Cleethorpes. I'm not complaining as such, as I think it's an absolutely brilliant record, but is this another case of "monkey see, monkey do" attitude prevalent among the dee-jaying fraternity? Might I suggest a revival of "Unwanted Love", the perfect synthesis of "Hung Up" and "Hey You! Don't Fight It", which failed to attract even one offer on ebay the other week. Also, can anyone confirm that it is Bobby Patterson who sings lead on "I Need You More Than Ever"?

I may be going a bit off-topic here, but I can't agree that any money spent on Stella is a good idea. It's gotta be the worst lager in the world. The Belgians must be laughing at us. Do you think it's brewed and distributed by the same Popcorn dealers who take thousands of orders for non-existent records and then scarper with the cash?

Re Flores is on vinyl. Don't think I've ever seen one on styrene. I sold one to Adey Potts last year for about half of what people are quoting it at now. Oh well... we live, but some of us never learn.

Trevskiman: I have a copy of the above for sale or trade. garethx.

I think the title was something like "Wizard's Sleeve" but I could be mistaken...

On the subject of instrumentals, has anyone got any info on the incredible one played by Mick Smith at Cleethorpes.

Yes Christian, "Pretty Girl Next Door". Sorry. Phil, I stand by what I said about Jackie Day, simply an awful, awful record. Its' only saving grace being that it's marginally better than Terri Goodnight's "They Didn't Know", also on Phlectron, also rare and also overplayed and over-rated. I wouldn't actually buy Soul Inc. at any price, as I like to stick fairly close to the real soul template, but that doesn't stop it being good. The point I was trying to make is that just because a tune has even a half decent soul singer (i.e. Jackie Day) that doesn't in itself qualify it as a soul record. For me the musical and lyrical content must be of some significance as well. When "My Naughty Boy" emerged it was very much seen as the holy grail in its day. At the time one of the Stafford Mafia said to me: "You won't believe it when you hear it" and in many ways I still can't!

Now you're talking about holy grails!