Garethx

A brilliant double sider from a great, great singer. I wonder if there is an extended tape version of Our Day somewhere with more of J.P.'s goosebump-inducing vocals. If so I would love to hear it.

Think the full story was that Junior had some kind of blackout while riding his motorcycle and this eventually led to the discovery of the brain tumour.

Her Hi singles are so good yet must have sold miniscule quantities on US release. Took me years to finally see an issue of Look At The Boy.

Anyone?

One on popsike listed as sold in March 2007 for just over $3,500. Bootlegged on a mauve label with reversed white type. Bootleg worth £10-20? Here's an original.

Like A Rolling Stone on Carla is an instrumental. Satiron is the first release of the vocal version.

The sleevenotes from the Color Me Soul album: "A certain portion of South Louisiana and southeast Texas is known to many as "Bayou Land". Many recording artists such as Rod Bernard, B.J. Thomas, Ramona Jones, Jessie Langford, Barbara Lynn, The Sir Douglas Quintet, Roy Head and many many more gained their popularity in the southern part of our country. NOW COMES Talmadge Armstrong, A.C. Gillory and James Kelly Duhon carrying a soulful message through a togetherness called the ASCOTS. You will find the real taste of the bayou with tunes like "A Few Feet From The Gutter" (not actually on the album), "The Graveyard Creep" and other selections that will fit a certain part of your backbone and make you search for a movement that you will surely find in this L.P. Huey P. Meaux, the veteran producer extra-ordinary, has again made another showing of his talents (something that's becoming "old-hat" to himself) as he joined hands with Ken Johnson and the ASCOTS to bring to you many hours of listening (and far-out dancing) enjoyment. Beth Thornton & Jimmy Jones" Ken Johnson is listed as Arranger and Lyric Composer. On Talmadge Armstrong's singles on Spindletop the group is listed as The Escotts. Both this album and the American Playboy single basically never left the Meaux wharehouse at the time of release (77-78). When old Huey was locked up for a long time on various charges the remaining contents of his record empire was divided up between a few big-time US record dealers, Craig Moerer among them, and this was the source of the relatively recent hit of the single and album.

Who knows when Gino actually pressed this up Sean. He was quite an entrepreneurial chap and I can see a scenario where this would have been given to someone on the Northern scene on an acetate to test the water, with the vinyl to follow. I'm sure a few on here like Dave Thorley have been in touch with him a few times over the years. I still can't remember the title of the Rob Thomas acetate 70s thing but it was tremendous. "So In Love" is a good record, but this other track was extremely good indeed.

Yes, Bob, definitely three African-Americans. Their album is pretty good and contains quite a few tracks which are a bit better than Gutter.

He has been...

Lifted from John Pugh's interview with Pat Brady from Soulful Kinda Music: JP: Are there any in particular that you remember how much you paid for them ? At this point I suggest anyone with a weak heart sits down, or turns to the next page PB: It's funny how they stick in your mind I remember paying £30 for Danny Moore 'Somebody New' on Allrite (625), Johnny Rogers 'Make A Change' on Amen (4619) was £25, The Brooks Brothers 'Looking For A Woman' on Tay (501) was £30, Esther Grant cost me £20, Jimmy & Entertainers 'New Girl Across The Street' £20 well spent and the slightly dearer ones, The Hy-tones 'Don't Even Know Her Name' was £50, and Junior McCants cost £40 for a King acetate. JP: It's difficult to compare prices between then and now, but it's fair to say they've all gone up a bit since then ! PB: I know it's a bone of contention but I honestly believe that the first record to sell for a thousand pounds pins was Junior McCants, reputedly there's only the acetate plus another vinyl copy which turned up, Tim Brown would probably be able to set the record straight on that.

Bob: McCants was from Cincinnati itself I think, and a protog of Charles Spurling: I don't know if that ties him into the Harmonics / Gangsters who were from, if memory serves, Akron. Ady Croasdell will know more: he wrote quite extensive sleevenotes on the 45 and the McCants story on Kent's King Northern Soul Vol 1 cd.

I should mention that James Kelly Duhon was a member of The Ascots of Just A Few Feet From The Gutter fame with Talmadge Armstrong and Anthony Guillory. Not to Be confused with the other group of the same name on Mir-A-Don etc.

The dance side on the other Junior McCants single, The Boy Needs A Girl, is a tremendous mover. I've often wondered how that would be rated if the rarity of the two records were transposed. I love Junior McCants' voice, as I am a sucker for male singers with high, but raw voices like Carl Hall.

Backstabbers is a great record, though a tad overplayed...

The death from a brain tumour of Junior McCants just as the record was about to be released. Withdrawn and replaced in the King catalogue with a Billy Ward & The Dominoes re-issue. Could be wrong here, but I think Pat played this covered up on an original acetate which came from John Anderson. This white deejay is extremely scarce: no more than three copies, maybe. For what it's worth the two ballad sides of McCants' singles are extraordinary soul records.

Hate to disagree with you Tony, but I think Jimmy Beaumont is a very poor substitute for J.P. Robinson. Like drinking coffee made from acorns.

Was around for a long time as a 'tape-swappers' sound. A few people on the Northern scene were in touch with Gino over the years and he tended to pass on copies of his newer releases to those who were after his Northern classics from the sixties. This is one such release and a few dealers had quite a few copies. It was generally pretty expensive (seem to remember prices around £100 in the late 80s) and never really had the club spins to back up such a price. Shouldn't be that hard to pick up a copy now. I think Manship is auctioning an acetate of it at the moment. Can someone remind me what was the title of another Gino 70s release (or it may have been an unreleased acetate) which Rob Thomas used to play a few years ago? That really was an excellent record.

While it's a tough record it shouldn't be too expensive. Top whack £75.00? The Willie Tee/Margie Joseph collaborations on Volt are all fantastic pieces of soul music.

Quite a tough record on issue copy these days. You normally see white deejay copies with the other side "What You Gonna Do" repeated on both. A brilliant record. Good luck in your search.

Beeks, see my comments above. I think the rare soul scene is a pretty tough place to pitch up and declare "I AM A DJ" without having years of hard experience in buying and collecting the tools of the trade, because here the music matters. I'm not talking about the local, nostalgia-based event, but the standard-setting coal face where it's always mattered; the upfront allnighter. It's a meritocracy: if you're good enough you'll get bookings and if you do the business you'll keep getting booked. You seem to want to present a picture of some 'star-chamber' of ancient, balding men whose agenda is to preserve their power at any cost and exclude younger people from having a place at the top table.

That is a potentially interesting point. The best weapon the scene will always have at its disposal in gathering new devotees will be the quality of the music, from whatever era. Simple fact is that I don't think anyone is playing sets comprised of completely brand new discoveries any more. Many currently big records are revivals of underplayed sides from the past, or records that might have gained a degree of notoriety on other scenes. A depth and a breadth of knowledge is vital in keeping ahead of the pack. That knowledge is hard earned and could never be bought with money. I envy anyone joining the scene now. Imagine having forty years of incredible music to discover as a listener. Wanting to collect some of it would be a joy. Wanting to deejay with it after just joining the scene is fraught with pitfalls, if you ask me: should anyone be spending huge swathes of cash on current newies until they've got their hands on a Mel Britt, an Eddie Parker, a Salvadors or a Mikki Farrow? It is this factor which means that it's going to be increasingly difficult for younger deejays to break into the whole thing. It's not that there is a conspiracy against them or that it is a closed shop, it's just that to jump into the race after it's been running for forty years would be financially impossible. I think aspects of this scene are actually very welcoming to new blood. Ask Matt Bolton. If they come in with the right attitude there is definitely a place for younger people.

I think it should sell pretty quickly at £300 Gareth.

Hi Joan I take your point, but maybe it's a case of geography rather than frequency of booking. Before Lifeline relocated to Wolverhampton AD was seldom seen south of Manchester. Agreed he is getting more diverse bookings now, and so he should. But you've got to agree that Kitch is under-utilised full stop?

This whole topic is a bit of a red herring. I think the original poster was making a point about their own preferences with regards to 'oldies' on the one hand and 'rare newies' on the other. Simple fact is that the best deejays can play to any crowd in any kind of venue and still entertain, but crucially, can do it on their own terms. If they wanted to I'm sure any of the pre-eminent nighter deejays could play the very best set of Northern Oldies that anyone at (insert the name of your local workie) had ever heard. These guys tend to have collections that embrace all of Northern Soul history and would have all the classics of the past as a matter of course. Making the transition the other way round, from local soul evening oldies deejay to upfront 'nighter jock is not such an easy journey.