Garethx

Definitely not Sam Dees, whoever he is. Doesn't sound very much like CL Blast or Bill Brandon either, both of whom have very distinctive voices. The alternate vocal is much lighter in tone than either of those two: perhaps it's Frederick Knight or maybe even a white vocalist, bearing in mind that there is a version of Whatever I Am by a white female country/pop singer (whose name escapes me at the moment) produced by Sam Dees himself.

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Is anyone out there familiar with the unreleased Georgie Wilson track "If I Loved You"? I'm pretty certain it's the same guy: a mid sixties recording this time and pretty worthwhile. I really like the Stang track but concur that it's not as good as his Black Circle 45, one of the great cheap discs.

A bargain! I remember Ion offering this for sale at something like that price fifteen years ago: possibly the copy Cliff Steele plays now. A tough record and a very good one.

Louis Williams "You're Still A Part Of Me" Beale Street CD 1001 "Ole' Beale Street Salutes Sam Cooke - released in 1985. In my opinion nowhere near as good as The Minits, but then again I've never been that much of a fan of Louis as a singer. I love Sam Cooke influenced singers, from Johnnie Taylor to Womack etc. but LW is just a little close to being an impersonator. I hope this isn't too harsh a judgement. here's a soundfile courtesy of soulclub.org

A great day out indeed Dave.

My first ever post on soulsource was a want for "Give It Up": years later I'm still waiting!

Polyvelts: I agree that Won't Someone Help Me is an awe-inspiring record. Probably my favourite Gilliam 45 too. It's also available on Cancer as well and still dirt cheap despite being brilliant and not too commonplace.

The Night Train lp raises a question I've never seen adequately answered. The cover artwork features a 45 on Bonatemp called "You Gotta Pay Some Dues": a great fingersnapper which I've never seen in the flesh. Is this a real record? I've asked Aaron Fuchs about it, but he was evasive. Anyone ever seen one? Collecting Willie Tee records can be a minefield as we've seen from this topic!

The blue label copy, i.e the piano version, only came out with Funky Funky Twist on the other side, surely. There are two green issues: the plain green label with the usual version of FTOH, backed with Funky Funky Twist; and the far rarer issue on a slightly lighter green label with two black lines and I'm Having So Much Fun on the flip. I think the valuation of £700 for this particular issue is conservative these days and wouldn't be surprised if a copy were to be auctioned for in excess of £1000.

Baz, if you think "Good Times, Bad Times" is pants then you are genuinely on the wrong scene. It's one of the reasons the whole thing is going in any shape or form. All The Vanguards 45 are worth a listen, including "The Thought...", but "Good Times" is a record in a million in terms of enducing excitement. The Vanguards were a genuinely talented vocal group with strength and depth within their lineup; the quality of their singing puts them up there with The Dells, Dramatics and Temptations for me. While I accept that you may think this particular 45 is overpriced compared to the rest of their output, to cal it "pants" is churlish. I suppose it helps to illuminate where you are on the scene relative to where Mark Dobson is. Yours in soul, gareth.

As an addendum to all this Dan, I too would love this to be by Leonard Jewell Smith and have a real part in the lineage that is Northern Soul. This record has a magic about it that only a few people have been able to recognise. Only a few weeks ago I was party to a record evening (on reflection it was more like an early morning) where this was played and given a merely lukewarm reception. It's far better than that of course and should have its day in the sun. My theory about why it has a listing under the LJ Smith entries on BMI has its foundations in the way that Goldmine compilations are logged with various publishing and mechanical rights processes. A decade or so ago Golmine put this on a box set compilation. From memory it's the big green and black one. It was how I first heard the record (I've never heard it played out in a club subsequently). Golmine tend not to know their arse from their elbow and logged the song as a Leonard Jewell Smith composition. Friends far more versed in the lore of the scene tell me it was never played in the old days anywhere for a concerted period of time: one play at Blackpol Mecca, a couple of plays at local events and then the odd play at Stafford, and that's about it. (we aren't talking about an even moderately big Casino record here). I'm sure there are esteemed members of this board who have been in touch with L.J. Smith over the years who can shed more light on this. I remain convinced that this 45 is not his work. Subsequent listens to the record in question and about twenty Leonard Jewell Smith productions this evening also point me in this direction. Dan. please tell me where else LJS worked with Duke McKenzie, made male duo records or had releases on NYC labels. There is a commonality on pretty much everything he ever did with a small grpup of acolytes. Delanieur Music tends to be the common denominator. He seems to have been a character who was acutely aware of the ins and outs of making a buck as an independent operator in the R&B music scene (hence the endless recycling of various backing tracks and song ideas across lots of particular vehicles). "Just Do The Best You Can" is at least good enough to have been attempted by "Richard Temple", "The Exits", "Chico Lammar" "The Light Drivers" and any of the myriad identities over which LJS productions usually stretched themselves. Your evidence is potentially compelling but ultimately inconclusive. yours in soul, gareth.

I look forward to ther results of your search Dan. regards, gareth.

The record has no connection in terms of names of producers, arrangers, production companies or publishers that Leonard Jewell Smith ever worked with. Also he had a tendency to utilize backing tracks on several of the acts he worked with. There appears to be no other use of this particular backing track that I have ever come across. This 45 is from New York and Smith worked almost exclusively on the west coast. All these factors point me in the direction of this record featuring the talents of another Leonard Smith. Does the BMI listing feature the other writer as listed on the record label? The BMI archives are full of anomalies. I suggest this is another one.

Don't think the Leonard Smith of Duke and Leonard was anything to do with the more illustrious Leonard Jewell Smith. Agreed that it's a great 45 which deserves more plaudits.

A very interesting 45 Bob. Maybe not quite as good as his record on Stage Productions, but still very worthwhile. What do you know of the Robert Kelly 45 on One Way? Was he one of the Kelly Brothers as has been mentioned or a completely unconnected artist? Whatever he has a marvellous voice. soul on!

A few of the original 12" copies jumped, though not all. The safest way of buying the 12" original is to try and get a dj copy: there were several thousand of these pressed and any I've heard seem to play through allright. Hope this helps.

You should obtain some worry beads Pete.

Gospel Truth in the US was the first release. Uk Stax a couple of weeks behind it.

Still probably worth a fiver on either USA Gospel Truth or UK Stax. An absolutely brilliant 45 which, if records were priced on quality alone would be worth thousands.

The flipside is also a superb midtempo group sound in an Impressions vein.

I love the James Walsh lp cover, and consider the seven to be a waste of money: the badly edited instrumental break etc. The good track on the Collins & Collins lp is the stepper You Know How To Make Me Feel Good, which I've always preferred to Top Of The Stairs.

The Alex Brown lp is cheaper than the 45, but I would have to say it is actually far more difficult to locate.

I thought it was Eddie Floyd and Carla Thomas. I have played this out on occasions from the album and it's a magnificent record: rattling percussion and fantastic bass playing give it real push, taken to another level by great singing. There are other great tracks on the album too, from memory the William Bell/Mavis Staples "Leave The Girl Alone" is a wonderful fingersnapper and for me Johnnie Taylor and Carla Thomas' stab at "I've Just Been Feeling Bad" knocks spots off the Eddie Floyd original. The Stax recordings of this period have been taken for granted for too long: even the (relative) dross sounds more than acceptable these days.

The Debra Anderson release of Funny How We Change Places is not Dee Dee Warwick.