Garethx

Ady: I'm pretty sure you would have played both Johnny Maestro and The Platters when guesting as Stafford itself, but no doubt that both went on to be monsters in the post-Stafford period. I'm sure someone will also say that Demanding Man was spun somewhere earlier than when it took off for Kitch in the early 90s. I've also got a sneaking suspicion that Kurt Harris was known far earlier in the scene's history than when it started to go big at the 100 Club.

Dave Withers.

The midtempo side is fantastic. Not too sure about the topside, either in vocal or instrumental format. As Steve says (and he should know) one of the very rarest on the label.

I think like a great many of the records under discussion here it might have got the odd play at Wigan, the Mecca or St. Ives etc. but someone didn't really get behind it 'til the post-Stafford era. Records were definitely coming to have a longer shelf-life around this time if they were good. The quick turnover of sounds at Stafford was replaced by certain records being featured heavily for months or even years in certain playlists. I can think of a period of time lasting about ten years where it seemed impossible to go out and not hear, for example, The Trannells played by a couple of deejays. That's not a criticism, by the way, just the reality that if something was good and genuinely rare it was worth persevering with, and that while great records were and are still being unearthed, it was an illustration of the law of diminishing returns. The dedicated record-hunters were and are becoming a smaller group: maybe you can count them in the tens these days when in the past (say at Wigan) there were literally dozens of people who could point the top deejays in the direction of fantastic unknown tunes.

A very good list that sums up a part of the particular time under discussion really well. For a few years Rob Marriott really was cooking with gas. I think a number of his plays have yet to reach their full potential to this day.

The Compton address and telephone number on a number of the releases is rumoured to have been that of Mr Dees, Sean.

Hi Ady Did the guy have any other titles on Goodie Train, like the Frank Hutson 45, or records on the sister label, Las Vegas (Fantastic Mainstream etc.)? Also, can anyone definitively tell the story of Sam Dees' involvement in this label? best, gareth

JV used to be a member on here. Does he post any more? My recollection of the story may be incorrect Chalky, but John Anderson definitely handled the disc more than once.

Go On And Laugh definitely predates Stafford. John Anderson sold it to John Vincent, who sold it back to Anderson, who sold it to Richard Searling, who sold it back to John Anderson who sold it to the Dobsonian Institute.

Funnily enough I can tie in the John Edwards version of The Look On Your Face to a cinema visit in the 80s. I bought mint Bell issues of both John Edwards and Bobby Reed from Ian Clark's sales box in Rocks Off, Hanway Street on a Friday afternoon and then went to see the first day screening of Heathers at The Screen On Baker Street that evening. Bobby Reed was £30 and John Edwards £20. I had heard the topside of Bobby Reed in a club (honestly can't remember where), but was only convinced to buy it when I played the flip, If I Don't Love You in the shop. The John Edwards was a blind buy, but I loved his Aware album so took a punt. I can clearly recall looking at the records in the cinema and not being able to wait to get home to play them. Happy days.

I'm sure someone will have a more complete recollection of the chronology of The Prophets, but the version on the Horace's Capitol Soul anthology predates the discovery of the released version, which only existed as hearsay at the time. It was this version, or a very similar cut which Butch had played for some eighteen months or so before the release of the album. The actual 45 was rumoured to exist but an actual playable copy didn't emerge until some years later. The released version, while good, doesn't have the same magic as the 'tape version'. I call it a tape version because I don't know whether this would have existed on a contemporary (i.e. 1960s) acetate or whether it came from Eddie Singleton's actual masters. Perhaps Ady can tell us the full story.

Reding through all the posts the three which stand out as cast-iron, would have been absolute nailed-on-monsters at any of the great venues of the past are: Jesse James Love Is Alright Carla Thomas I'll Never Stop Loving You The Prophets If I Had One Gold Piece (unissued version)

Has anyone mentioned Tolbert yet?

Pat certainly had it at Stafford and played Life Of Tears. Came from Levine's collection, I am led to believe.

Little Dooley was played at The Mecca and other venues.

Very Northern in a classic way. Wouldn't have sounded out of place at the great venues of the past.

A rundown of Rock City classics wouldn't go amiss. Remember Bill "Space Lady" causing quite a stir for a few weeks.

Fluorescent Smogg must count as post-Stafford in terms of weight of plays. Lots of great records mentioned so far.

The Chesterfields.

Musn't forget Eddie Holland's beautiful Daydreamer acetate, courtesy of Ady Croasdell. A record I remember from a similar timeframe is Butch playing The Prophets One Gold Piece. Both these records and scores more would have been monsters anywhere at any time.

Sam definitely played the Patterson Twins at Stafford (maybe from the LP), although it would have gone on to greater popularity a bit later down the line.

A one-time Ian Levine Mecca spin, I believe.

Frederick Hymes III Time Ain't Gonna Do Me No Favor has probably been as big as anything in terms of popularity and record sales in the post Stafford era.

In the post-Ray Agee rhythm 'n' soul mould: Benny C. Oliver Make It Now Tony Matthews My Wish Hayes Cotton Black Wings Pretty sure all were played at Stafford but became bigger records later. Also Milton James on Dor, which I remember being covered up as Milton Haney on John Manship sales tapes in the late 1980s.

Doc Peabody on Both Sides is a brilliant current spin that hardly registered in the past although it may have been in the odd collection.