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Jerry Cooke - Hurt on the other side Spellbinders - Help me Happy New Year Col

Just interested in your thoughts on "Woman Lover Thief" A pal of mine rates it as a pop record, although a good one. To my ears, it's soul and I like it as much as The Precisions. Can anyone say when it was it first played out? I don't recall hearing it at a venue in my early days on the scene ... Thanks Col

I'm tempted to say Linda Jones, just Can't Live My Life. Trouble is, the record is so perfect in every way, I almost can't take a chance on hearing it (just in case it doesn't give me tingles anymore). I'll add Jackie Wilson's I'm the one to do it as a cert though - oh and Derek Martin You Better Go. Oh.... and Mary Love, Turned my bitter into sweet. Col

Wow! Nice one. I also like the idea of a record fairy dropping these gems into unexpected places.

Thanks for the posting - can't help feeling that in 20 years time there will be some kind of scene based on this music. If I had the money I'd buy up all these groovers now and cash in for my retirement.

Hippo just gave me an idea for this thread. He mentioned in another topic that he found a Joe Hicks original out in Lanzarote and couldn't work out how on earth it got there. Anyone else found any gems in odd and inexplicable locations? Not perhaps the best or most bizarre example, but my story is this; was flicking through the usual dross in an Evesham junk shop back around 1976. In amongst the Slade and Mud, there was one single solitary American import. I didn't know it at the time, but the label and pedigree looked irresistable. Couldn't wait to get it home, and I wasn't disappointed, although the tempo was way too slow for those manic days. And that's how I bought a copy of Landy's Doctor Good Soul on Moonshot for just ten pence. But what on EARTH was it doing there? It was the only soul record in the rack in a sleepy English market town a gazillion miles from Detroit. What's your story? Colin

Jerry - you just gave me a good idea for another thread! How did it get there..... And btw, I'm another fan of the Unifics - both sides have their appeal.

Has this happened to you? I'll bet a pound to a penny it has. You're trawling through a crate of dusty 45's in some long forgotten warehouse, junk shop, mates attic, or whatever. In amongst the dross something leaps out that you've never seen before and it looks for all the world like a potential Northern monster. You relieve the present owner of said item and hurry home, heart pounding... your fingers tremble as you drop the needle on the old dansette, only to discover that "Baby Don't You Weep (inst) by the Now Generation, is a crappy organ m.o.r. thing that makes Mantovani sound like the master of groove and certainly has no connection to our beloved scene. Just wondered if you'd had similar disappointment? I'm guessing we've all been duped by the odd country single that looked promising at first glance?

OUCH! That hit home Simon! Good post.

Always thought mine was a boot - it's multi coloured and I'm almost sure it was a from selectadisc. What's the value? Mind you, I thought my Thelma Lindsay was a boot too, but that turned out to be an orig.

Great idea for a thread. For me it's the love of the music first and foremost, but how many of us have made instant and long lasting friendships thanks to the rare soul scene? That's got to be a major positive. Col

Too many to choose from, but I've always had a soft spot for the Marvellettes Sophisticated Soul. Wish I'd bought more than one copy when Woolworths were knocking them out for about a quid in 1971. They had tons of Motown albums on sale, including about a zillion copies of Chris Clark, some Edwin Starr Soul Master, and more.

An underrated track that was just mentioned is "The Choice". Think it came out on Bell? Working on your case is my fave, as much for the stunning drum sound as the for the glorious harmonies. Col

Thanks getting into the spirit of this. Ok, everyone loves Edwin then?

About a year ago, you might remember a topic I started on here to try and find a Northern soul record that we all loved - or at least a track that none of us hated. The idea was to try and find a tune that defined the Northern scene. It proved fruitless and tortuous. Salvadors, if I recall, came close to being universally loved - and there were a few others - but we couldn't find a single sound that everyone could get behind. Somebody somewhere always ended up hating something! Even Our Love Is In The Pocket had been worn out or played to death for some of us. I thought I'd take a chance on a similar thread, which I'm hoping will be short lived and much more simple: This time the idea is to find the most widely loved soul singer. Yes, we've all got our faves, but the idea of this is not to debate whether Aretha was better than Gladys - there's plenty of that in other threads. I think this should be much more easy; I'll kick it off. We all love Marvin ... right? You might have other heroes. I'm certain I have. But surely, no-one could actually dislike or hate Marvin Gaye? If you want to put your head above the parapet, admit you loathe the man, that's fine, but maybe you can suggest another singer that every single one of us could claim to adore? It might be another daft idea, but I'm just interested to find commonality between our tastes. I suspect this might turn into another who is/was the greatest thread, but if I'm making myself clear, that's not really the idea. Over to you... Col

That was probably the first record I heard at a venue - couldn't believe the tasteful way everyone clapped on the breaks. I instantly fell in love with the scene. Stop Sign - Mel Wynn - good clapper if you could keep up with it! Col

I think I'd have to put him in the jazz box. It's interesting to hear everyone's views on artists like this - the line that defines soul music is vague sometimes.

You for real pete?

This might be slightly off topic, but it can't do any harm to discuss soul in general sometimes. Ok, so I'm busy educating my girlfriend and winning her round to soul music in general - though predicting what she likes is almost impossible. eg Loves Don Varner, hates Eddie Parker. Makes no sense to me. Anyway, back to the thread; Yesterday we're chilling and she says she wants to play me some soul music she likes. She puts on some Randy Crawford - greatest hits, or best of. She wants to know what I think? I tell her that I quite like Randy Crawford, but I don't regard her as a soul singer. She says there's no logic in that. So what do you think? Is or was Randy Crawford a soul singer? Thanks Colin

Action? I never knew that!

Just musing... Whatever happened to John Abbey? Is he still with us? I haven't read B&S since the mid 80's, so I've know idea. Forgive me if this is a dumb question!

Got my first one from Hepworths Tailors - remember them? A kind of electric blue with massive bags and 10 zillion buttons on the flapped back pockets. Can't recall the year, but the big tunes were Shing-a-ling, Grooving at the Go Go, Purple Haze etc, so I guess the Torch was still going. First time I wore it out I was on the end of a kicking from the so called "Worcester Greabos". I think they were amused by the suit and would have let that go, but the platform heel clogs were just too much for them, and I was definitely marked down as a "puffy soul boy" and in need of correction. Hint: if you ever find yourself sartorially challenged and confronted by half a dozen leather jacketed rough types, then a pair of clogs purchased from an ad in Record Mirror are not to be recommended. A speedy exit will almost certainly be required. Clogs are certainly not built for speed.

Va Va Friday night all nighters were the stuff of legend weren't they? I loved them. Perfect way to start the weekend.

Always thought the Kiki Dee version was good and surpised it never got played as far as I know. Wasn't Bob Crew the writer?

Van Dykes. I'll never forget one night dancing near the stage at Wigan perhaps early 74. The Van Dykes hit the decks followed by The Tomangoes and then Morris Chestnut. It was one of those sublime allnighter moments that just seem to stick in your head forever. I nearly danced myself into orbit. Col