Ady Croasdell

I could do with a peek at the sleevenotes or a potted biography. Ta Ady

Despite being busy with an event coming up this Friday, i was intrigued as to what news Andy had for me after he left me a mysterious phone message. On hearing he had accomplished his mission impossible I was thrilled to bits and am looking forward to exchanging words with the redoubtable lady once William Bell has been looked after properly. I think Sharon's 6 Pied Piper recordings are among the greatest bodys of work of our mid sixties soulful dance numbers and I'm not going to accept no for an answer from the minister. Maybe Mary Love and Spencer Wiggins can tell Sharon about the loopholes they used for the occasional foray into the secular world. In no particular order Putting My Heart (Under Lock & Key) which was played at Sylv's funeral because it meant so much to her. I'm Not Afraid - stunning soul that has yet to reach its full potential It's Better I'd Like To Know Don't Wait Too Long -under-rated as not that well known. Could It Be You 6 Tracks she recorded in total, all superb examples of hers and our music.

There's a lot of good gospel in them there Dave Hamilton tapes. There was a site I came across that featured a lot of Dave's gospel 45s but I can't find it now. Has anyone got an address for it or anything similar? Ady

Can you whack it in the post to me Tony? Did you give me the Genuine 45 or just show me the Joannie Summers weird one? Ady

Whoops, I need one of these for a loan now too. CDs and neverending thanks in return. Ady

Thanks John and I understand your preference for his later recordings. Ady

Thanks PD and Benji, I'll pm you. In the meantime if anyone has a Joe Perkins in Blighty, I could still use it. Ady

Can anyone very kindly loan me either of these in VG+/Ex for a Kent project please? A bunch of CDs in return. Ta Ady

Richard, that's nice though not directly useful for this purpose. Any chance of the full scan to use in the booklet in the future please? Cheers Ady

Thanks, that's a Kapp logo unfortunately. Ady

Venetta, Sherlie and Clydie King; that really was a supergroup.

Which was that Robb? Pied Piper; the country sessions, would be weird.

I checked with Lorraine and am trying Jack, nowt so far. Thanks for the suggestions. There was nothing in the There's That Beat article either.

Sherlie Mae Matthews was a member of the Belles and later the Blackberries that backed Steve Marriot and Humble Pie. Apart from being one of LA's top session singers and backing vocals arranger, she was Mirwood's main staff writer who was closely associated with the Mirettes and she moved to Australia to live and work with her good friend Venetta from the group. She wrote songs like Jackie Lee's Oh My Darlin, Olympics Same Old Thing, Jesse Davis Gonna hang On In There, Marva Holidays It's Written All Over My Face. All totally LA based nowt to do with Detroit just a similar name. Ady

Has anyone ever seen any sort of logo for Pied Piper productions? Ady

Don't think so Blake, I'll compare when I get the music. Ta Ady

Thanks Brent, I didn't realise it had been out. Yes it's good but I've only heard it through the cans, getting it next week hopefully.

I just came across the original version of the unissued Barbara McNair Motown track written by Dave Hamilton and Clarence Paul. Has anyone ever heard of Rita before? The name may well have been spelt wrongly on the tape box. Ady

Are you sure about the R&B bit? At his leaving do it was all either Northern or rockabilly, I'd have loved to have heard some black 50s music instead of so much white stuff. Whatever his latest passion is he's into it 100% and whether its for show or not, he often denies liking the current scenes of the old music he played after he's moved on; if you can follow that! Dancing is his main motivating force and it's as true of the rockabilly or disco or Northern whatever his latest passion is.

And let's not forget Horaces! All legally licensed UK originals of US soul sounds, though a couple of decades after their first release apart from the previously unissued ones of course. Those fetch a few bob at the moment.

It was a Rita and Benny Isen owned label, hence R&B. They licensed it directly from Joe Evans and were mainly ska/reggae and definitely aiming it at their clientelle. Ady

He certainly did Dave, but like you i can't remember what the hell they were. i can't even remember how he stopped DJing (presumably) and started again as a newies DJ. No doubt he pestered the hell out of me and had built up a good following so I booked him, I was always sympathetic to the newies theory even though i didn't like it 100% in practice. It's probably one of the reasons I brough in 45 and 30 mins spots so the crowd didn't have to suffer a solid hour of any DJs whose tastes might not have been everyone's cuppa.

Mike Cotton defo copied the Beau Dollar arrangement on Prime (subsid of Fraternity) version, note for note.

Tell 'em they can use our label scan on YouTube!

It was a teaser to help in the financing