Garethx

A GSF topic on SS a couple of years ago, with mention of Connie Laverne. Hope the link works... /index.p...ic=8988&hl=

The DW above is Danny Woods rather than Danny White.

Interesting that Dorothy Morrison should be mentioned in this topic. A phenomenal record that was genuinely scarce for years until tons of copies turned up in California about six years ago. Perhaps the same will happen one day with Jeanie Tracy's Brown Door 45... I live in hope.

Not an average record: a really, really good one in my opinion. Not common either. I bought this relatively cheaply (think it was £25) about fifteen years ago, from one of the major dealers who did not know how to price it simply because he hadn't seen one for many years. I was lucky enough to be the first caller that Monday morning and he told me he was deluged with calls for it all day long. If it's so common why isn't on sales lists every week? Why doesn't it turn up on ebay with tedious frequency? Why isn't anyone selling copies on the forums? Apparently there is an issue with a b-side: never seen one, but would really like to; has anyone out there got a copy? I think it's the last record issued on GSF. Can anyone confirm?

Yes Barry.

Could be wrong, but I think Carroll is a chap.

Am I the only person who doesn't really like this record?

These were fantastic events and ran for about a year, if memory serves me correctly. As others have pointed out the room itself was perfectly suited for a soul club. The London soul scene didn't take itself too seriously in those days and the place had a properly hedonistic atmosphere with great music. The 100 Club had just started to feel like a fully-fledged Northern Soul venue and the Function attempted to keep the particular feel of 60s club soul going in the capital. I was still at school at the time and these were the days before night-buses. How I got home to North London from Lavender Hill I can't quite remember... happy days.

Another giveaway for the Gwen McCrae "re-issue" is the construction of the sleeve, and the quality of board used in the sleeve. The original is of "slick" construction: ie printed paper glued to unprinted heavy board, whereas the bootleg is printed board glued in one piece. Hope this makes sense. Just who is behind these re-issues? My guess is that no proper recompense is being arranged with the true rights holders and the enterprise is a license to print money. Very naughty in the instances where bootlegs are sold at the same price as originals.

I'm a big fan of the lp pictured and have spun Man Can't Serve Two Masters on occasion. It must be played on a good sound system in a club, or much of its majesty is lost.

A great topic, Colin. I've often imagined myself in the studio on the magical day that Gayle Adams wrapped her golden tonsils around Baby I Need Your Loving...

Yes, Karen. I had the pleasure of seeing him play at a small pub in Mornington Crescent some years back. Now who wants to sell me those records?

hvcm.

Anyone got copies of "I Need Someone" and "I'm Your Puppet" on MGM for sale. Ideally M- with clean labels. TIA gareth.

Fantastic.

It's fantastic news that you've tracked down Willie J, Russ. Please tell him he has quite a few fans on this side of the Atlantic. I think he's the single greatest 'unknown' soul singer I can think of, bar none.

I didn't mention the Big Top 45s because I simply don't know, Baz.

Incidentally, I've always strongly believed that this is the same artist as E.G. Taylor & The Sounds of Soul Pick Yourself Up on Val, a Pittsburgh 45 and great cheap deep. Don't Go Away seems to have been recorded at American in Memphis (I don't agree with others who seem to think it was recorded at Fame) but there was recently a post here on the Bobby Womack thread which mentioned that BW alleged that he wrote and produced the Minit 45 as a favour to Taylor who was his erstwhile drug dealer.

The Dynamics on Cotillion, RCA, Columbia and Black Gold are the same outfit. One of the greatest unheralded soul harmony groups in my opinion. The records on Top Ten, Wingate (The Dramatics in this case as someone has pointed out), Brainstorm, Dyna etc. are all by different groups.

Yes, this is a 45, from North Carolina: Metrolina Soul MS 1-001 Big X & The Nighthawks "Do The Click Clack"/ Tyree Davis "I'm Leaving You In Jody's Hands" Very hard to find these days, I would have thought. I personally love this record, although I know some aren't so sure. I would be interested to hear others' opinions if someone would be kind enough to post a soundfile. It's a bit amateurish and derivative, but I like the energy and feel of the song.

Dylan, I could be wrong but I think there's only one Gene Taylor 45 on Minit, so if you see it listed for You Got My Nose Wide Open (which is in itself a pretty good record) buy it.

Thanks for the soundfile. An interesting record: quite similar in style to the Wendell Watts 45s on Ref-O-Ree which Bob Holmes produced, although Truitt is far better vocally than WW.

Could somebody please post a clip of Johnny Truitt's "Just The Other Day" on Abet. I don't think I've ever heard it and would be interested in hearing the side which accounts for the $400 price differential between double sided demo and issue copies of this particular 45. The track on both sides of the demo copies, "Your Love Is Worth The Pain" is a brilliant deep soul ballad. I assume the rare flip is "Northern". TIA gareth.

I hope they have turned up in quantity. The ones which John Anderson and Garry Cape found years ago can't have been the only copies ever pressed, can they? For what it's worth I think this is a fairly good record that's been elevated to mega-status by being scarce. I suspect this may never have been played if it were as common as some other JBH titles, some of which are fantastic, particularly "If We Were Still Together" on Alston. There is an Arnold Albury & The Casuals 45 on the same blue Dade logo (i.e post-Atlantic, pre-TK distribution) which I came across in R&TE in Notting Hill a couple of years ago that I'd never heard of: played it, thought "that's quite nice" but left it there for a quid. Funk acquaintances subsequently told me it's seen as something of a holy grail title. Went back to find no trace of it... wonder who bought it?

Johnny Moore now sold. gareth.