Garethx

Both sides of the Exits had been played at various venues throughout the seventies and eighties I would guess, Mikey, although Another Sundown In Watts certainly became popular in the immediate post-Stafford period.

Seeing Greg Tormo lurking reminds me we musn't forget Two Plus Two on Velgo. Also has no-one mentioned the monstrous Vangards Good Times, Bad Times yet? Maybe the biggest non-covered-up nighter sound of the last decade. Also musn't forget Kenni Lewis The Marrying Kind.

Jimmie Reed Jr. may have got the odd spin far earlier than Stafford: it was quite a known collectors record. A few more to add: The Andantes That's A Funny Way Geater Davis My Love Is So Strong For You Lee McKinney I'll Keep Holding On The Ascots Just A Few Feet From The Gutter The Harmonics Can I Be Your Man James Lately Love, Friends and Money Darrell Banks The Harder You Love Melvin Brown Love Stormy Weather The Fantastcis Where There's A Will Theres A Way Wilson Love Funny Money

The Robert Parker record has undoubtedly always been a big favourite of Jamaican music fans over the years but I think that's more to do with overall feel than with it having a reggae or ska influenced beat (I suppose that's a whole chicken and egg debate as many of the Jamaican musicians were trying to make New Orleans R&B and it tipped over into what became mento and ska). There are literally dozens of mid-tempo New Orleans discs with the same feel: a couple of brilliant ones that instantly spring to mind are Allen Toussaint's Poor Boy Got To Move on Alon and Willie Tee's My Heart Remembers (Nola and, if you're lucky, Cinderella). Regarding the Cody Black 45, there's a definite syncopation which is different to mainstream American R&B of the time which marks it out as being slightly different to the norm. If anything this is even more pronounced on the other side, Keep On Keeping On, which I've always preferred to "Slowly Molding" and which definitely deserves spins in some kind of club environment, even if you can't dance to it in a typical 'Northern' fashion.

To be honest Beeks I think those two stand pretty much alone in sounding like that rhythmically. There's a thread on here dating back to the start of the Soul Of Jamaica sub-forum about the influence of West Indian music on American R&B (as opposed to the other way round). I've always regarded Wilson Picket's Let Me be Your Boy (Correctone, Cub, Verve, UK MGM) as being ska-influenced, but I think we came to the conclusion that this was a merengue (Afro-Cuban) beat as opposed to a ska one.

Or not perhaps...

Nik On re-reading the thread I admit I've been harsh. Good luck in finding a Powerhouse copy of William Powell. yours in soul, gareth

We are privileged to have witnessed the birth of a new musical genre this evening: Records That Have The Appearance And Sound Of Northern Soul or RTHTAASONS in acronym. My head hurts...

That's all well and good Pete, but what about those of us sneering from the record bar?

I can send you an MP3 of William Powell if you want. Plug in your i-pod and 'deejay' anywhere you want with it to your hearts content: why bother even going through the rigmarole of getting a carver done? Or alternatively try to build an interesting and entertaining set out of real records you have got or can afford.

Playing a boot of this would be taking the piss out those who actually own originals. For what it's worth I think this is an awful record, but I respect the right of those who own it, whether by good fortune or by the sweat of their brow, to be concerned about anyone deejaying with a counterfeit. If it's to play in the privacy of your own home, fair enough; but at an event with paying customers: that's simply cheating.

Here's a scan Tony. Vinyl is essentially very, very clean with nothing to interfere with listening pleasure whatsoever. I offer the scan because there is a smidgeon of sticker adhesive residue on the Baby's Gone Away side. I'm sure this could be removed if it bothers you. I have an issue which I'd prefer to keep, but you're more than welcome to have this one for the going rate. Any impartial input on that going rate would be appreciated as I have no clue as to a current value. best, gareth

I think I have a spare VG++ vinyl demo knocking around Tony.

I was unfamiliar with the Standards of Living 45 until the auction and was pretty impressed with the snippets I heard: competent low-budget disco-funk. Does anyone have a full soundclip they can post up in Refosoul?

Also everyone who's ever been in the O'Jays has been an African American.

I'd be amazed if this were the same William Powell who was in The O'Jays.

I think most people will appreciate the sentiments expressed by the director in his post above. I believe it was the right thing to do and has addressed many of the reservations people might have harboured about this project. The comment regarding the soul scene tending to bicker amongst itself reminds me of moves to stop professional ice-hockey players fighting on the ice. One renowned brawler commented that "they could take our sticks away and give us feather-dusters and we'd still find a reason to fight." I think it's a bit like that on the soul scene too: it seems to attract a lot of abrasive contrarians who could quite easily start an argument (I'm not really talking about full-scale violence here) in a proverbial phonebooth with very little provocation or justification; The scene has long provided a convenient backdrop (no pun intended) for sniping and one-upmanship. I hope this is reflected in the script as a lot of the fun to be had over the years arose from this very point.

981 Eddie "Forehand" Buster But I Do I'm So Lonely & 998 Jay Dee Bryant Let Me Fix It For You You Don't Know Are very decent deep soul ballads if you're that way inclined. Also, if no-one's mentioned it before 999 Mary Love The Hurt Is Just Beginning If You Change Your Mind Is a tremendous crossover record.

I'm pretty sure that this is the same singer who went on to be in Facts of Life on Kayvette in the 1970s.

Little Willie Faulk is a pretty rare record. I've only ever seen one for public sale and would estimate that there are less than ten copies in collections worldwide. Re Flores is far more common in comparison but still so in-demand that buying one will prove to be very expensive.

Maybe the greatest of all mixed-gender vocal groups. So many brilliant, brilliant records but if I had to single one out it would be the great Stax double sider "Move Over" c/w "Give 'Em Love", both sides of which never fail to amaze with their sheer power and pure soul.

RIP Jerry Wexler: a hugely influential figure in our music. He had a good innings though.

A great record. Kiddie soul at its best. Definitely worth four figures as it rarely turns up for sale in comparison with other records with similar pricetags.

I'm really shocked by the price of the Betty Wright Italian 45. I gave away a copy of this once and would have said that anyone would struggle to get over £25.00 for it. A great version of the song it may be, but when you consider that's it's freely available on both US and European versions of the (fantastic) album for peanuts this seems like stark, staring madness: I mean over 300 quid for the convenience of playing the track on a seven inch format! Come on!

It's an answer record to the one under discussion: I'm Not Alive c/w I Can't Actually Sing Very Well. It's on the Paxo label.