Dave Moore

Damn! I never knew that. I've had it a couple of times too. You know who got it Pete? (The Acetate)

A while ago someone snagged an acetate of Little Anthony singing a song that has the same backing track as Kiki Dee's "On A Magic Carpet Ride". Has anyone any details about the track, who owns it etc? Seems a weird song for LA when he had Randazzo and Pike doing the business so regularly. Any help appreciated.

His stickers appear all over the place eh? I think if West Coast labels sent stuff for National distribution they'd inevitably end up going through Chips/Jamie Guyden/ and the like. Funnily enough Mirwood is the only label I've found with Weldon's stickers on them. Apart from Motown of course.

Don't worry about him Jill...he sounds very observant and completely normal to me.

I've always understood the Jameco 45 to be a genuine 60s isue along with the Carrie and Mary Jane 45s? Anyone got some definitive info?

I managed to find a Minter end of last year and sold my VG+ copy for 650UKP. It's a toughie on the label for sure. Seen a lot more Jimmy Delphs than I have Gambrells. Anyone ever seen a Demo?

You're not alone.....I think it's gubbins too. Not quite as bad as that George Lemons dirge but close.

The Chips stickers were indeed a promotional tool for Chips Distributors. The gold stickers were primarily designed to be stuck on promo items so as to form a 'relationship' between the plugger and the DJ. ie. Whenever the DJ played the record he would relate to the Chips 'plugger' he got it from. Weldon McDougall claims to have 'invented' the gold stickers when he was working at Chips. His name certainly appears on a whole load of records from all over the Eastern States that went through Chips. When Weldon went to work for Motown he continued the practice of 'stickering' on Promos and hence lots of Motown Demos also bear the gold sticker. I have a whole roll of unused Chips stickers as a piece of memorabilia. Sad eh?

Well done Mate on The Miracles. So...if you find a MINTER before me I'd like to snaffle your VG+ one please. There was a complete set sold a couple of years ago, all mint, all sleeved but as I had them all bar the Miracles I never bothered. I think some of them (Supremes, Stevie Wonder etc), are quite common even in good nick. In my experience the sleeves are around but most are ripped or such like unless you get them with the record. Good Hunting Matey, good to 'meet' a fellow Motown Topps collector.

Good luck with The Miracles. It's the one I've been missing for about 8 years now. I've seen a couple but one was stuck on a record box lid (Rod Shards) and the other was ripped. If you do find one in Mint please come back and let us know. At least I'll then know that they're oiut there.

There are indeed some distinct differences in many Motown releases. In my experience it's the demos that have the main differences, in that they have completely different designs on the same record. Example: Just a Little Misunderstanding has three seperate and completely different designs on three demos from three different plants. I also find that the Styrene Monarch pressed demos are the best ones and feature the best label designs. Monarch seemed to use the full script logo for Gordy and the Map design for Motown much more than ARP or Nashville. For some strange reason these West Coast demos do seem to be harder to find than their counterparts.

Stand down all pretenders.......

Nope. At least not as far as I'm aware. The hunt continues.

I love the MASSIVE sound created by the likes of Teddy Randazzo etc. Of course success breeds success and as hits were made, the money for production flowed a little easier I suppose. There were certainly great arrangers/producers who 'specialised" in this sound to great effect. Two of the best productions I've heard are on The Enchanters - I Paid for The Party - Loma I think the technique used by Jerry Ragavoy in employing the vocals and harmonies as an instrument if you will was fantastic. He did the same with Erma Franklin and Lorraine Ellison too. I don't think there are massive orchestras involved but rather it's the echo set up, the constant use of the background Ooooohs and the "chink" of a rhythm guitar that sets his 'beat ballads' apart for me. I think his modus operandi of sometimes "Less = More Sound" was fantastic. Randazzo was THE master. Percussion, strings and a quality vocalist are all he needed to create fantastic songs. His catalogue surely stands up with anyones. Here's a clip of his early days and then another with his finest hour as a songwriter imo. Timpani galore! Swirling strings, Soaring voices, an impassioned lead, change of tempos, a build up to a wonderful creschendo. FANTASTICO! ">

Wasnt JH also a member of Bobby Taylor and The Vancouvers at some early stage? When they were called the "Niggers and a Chink" group?

Possibly, but it was really just that I couldn't believe they were the same group. The Symbol 45s and the J-2 don't sound alike to me at all. J-2! What a plonker! Too much crap wanging round this ole brain mate, can't see the wood for the trees! Thanks Guys, it's appreciated.

Thanks Paul. Looks like they may be one and the same. Well I never!

Cheers Ady, Can't believe I never made that connection. Note to self: Ensure clean specs when looking at 45 labels!

I'm aware of the two different groups: 1. Sue/Symbol and 2. Red Bird/RCA as The Insiders and then Main Ingredient Both these groups hail from NYC as far as I know. Here's the question... Did the Sue/Symbol group record Wrapped Around Your Finger on J-2? I always presumed that the J-2 group were white? I've been told that the Sue/Symbol Poets and the J-2 Poets are the same group? Anyone confirm this for definite? TIA.

No dramas Mate..Cheers anyway. Only two to fill now.....Anyone?

At last......the truth is out there!

Strange indeed! I learned many years ago Mate, to do 'what I do', and let others do 'what they do' and over the years like minded people tend to gravitate to each group as a natural occurrence anyway. As a collector and not a "DJ" I find it quite amusing though that most of what I call the 'Nostalgia DJs', (and I do mean most), would pluck out their Granny's eyeballs for a spot at a mediocre venue full of people who couldn't really give a frog's fart as to who was on the rosta because it's the same 55 records they're gonna hear between 10pm - 1am as they heard the week before! That's why many venue's "DJs" have become a "locally geographic list" as opposed to a "quality of records list". 'You play my working mens club this week and I'll play yours next week'. It's all nice and cosy and everyone thinks they're a 'DJ'. I really ain't got a problem with that at all. They inhabit their world and I inhabit mine. No big deal to me. If people have such a sad life that they find it imperative to stand behind a set of 10 year old Technics with damaged styli and an overweighted tonearm blasting the odd original Top 500 45 amongst a set of bootlegs out of underpowered ProLine speakers.....crack on chaps. ENJOY. The loudest shouters though are usually other 'DJs" who think they are being shortchanged in that THEY should be playing the same 55 records as theirs are OVO! I agree with whoever made the comment (Pete S?), that years ago you knew who the real DJs were and everyone else was just a 'putteronerofrekkids'.

Why do you care enough to join in the debate?! Get back to that disco gubbins, Sir! You obviously have too much time on your hands!

And fair play to you all Sir. I just thought it was refreshing to hear real 'fans' recollections as opposed to just "DJs", "Promoters", etc waffling on about the parts "THEY' play in a 'scene'.

Any chance of a scan. Is it a W/Demo?