Dave Moore

Carl, Fook him off cheeky bugger.

But worth every second of the wait!

Quinvy has one up for sale at 900UKP. Great record. both sides so different, but quality in equal measure.

Ian, As this is not on the new DVD....has it been revamped/remixed from the original SWONS take? If so I also would ask that you post the new video up here, we haven't seen it if it's a new one.

Thanks Mossy I'm obliged. Only the Mauve stocker to go now! Top SS bananas!

That's great 'Slider', much obliged. There's also a purple/mauve stocker that is the same format as their biggie on the label. Anyone got one so we can complete the set!

Hi Bob, I have the white press label scan courtesy od Dave Fleming, is the one you refer to the purple stocker? If so I'd appreciate it.

I'm once again on bended knee, looking for assistance guys. Could anyone furnish me with scans (300dpi) of: The Majestics - Strange World - Linda The Rumblers - Soulful Jerk - King (UK) If so, could they send them to hitsville2648@earthlink.net or PM me? Any help greatly appreciated.

There is footage of them on SWONS yes. With Motown's 50th Birthday TODAY I'm off now to dig a few 45s out that they played on. The Funk Brothers, Earl Van Dyke and The Soul Brothers, The Sound of Young America, It's What's In The Groove That Counts, West Grand Boulevard, The Snakepit, Gaye, Ruffin, Stubbs, Wonder, Reeves, Holloway, Gladys, etc etc etc . The Motor City.......there's NOTHING to compare. I understand what motivated you. Dig out the video of Dave Hamilton if you would, be great to see it.

Was there not an option to bring them on board as 'shareholders' in order to use them on more stuff though? I know it's a while ago and a different time but would you now consider something like that in hindsight? Tell us more about Earl Van Dyke. Although the mainstay of the band there's not a lot known about the man himself. In the interviews I've read he comes across as a something of a placid, gentle soul. A bloke who kinda rolled his eyes a lot at life's little tribulations. His character seems at odds with his aggressive organ playing! I've seen the video of him with you but is there any video of Dave Hamilton's performances?

Ian, When the Motorcity project was undertaken in Detroit did you attempt to get the guys to play the music for the recordings? If Earl Van Dyke, Mike Terry, Joe Hunter, Uriel, Dennis Coffey, Joe Messina, and Robert White were around was there no way to bring them into the company in order to keep costs down. A sort of Motown collective with the musicians owning parts of the final product? Imagine having Mike Tery arrange some of the songs! Maybe they weren't interested I don't know. But with such a wealth of talent still in the city (or able to turn up at least), it would seem feasible at first glance. After all, the artists turned up and worked. There's no doubt that the lack of 'real musicians' is, on the whole, one of the perceived weakness of a lot of your output from that time. I'm aware that I know nothing of the finances of the venture. Secondly...of the artists that were at the Motown Reunion in Detroit was there any standout artist (s) that, when you heard them sing again you thought...."Now that's something special!" The first time I heard Ronnie Walker sing live he blew me away. After all these years...he sounded even BETTER! Unfortunately on his arrival in UK a year or so later, (with Chris Waterman's excellent NCS promotions), his gigs were badly attended which was a complete shame and lots of people missed out on a wonderful singer.

This was a soulpack 45 from Tim's around mid 90s. Bet if you ring Rick he still has a box of 'em. Worth a phone call surely? Anyone got a White Promo?

Ian, Lamont Dozier is the most successful songwriter alive today. (I think he attained that accolade with the number of #1s he has had on the Billboard Charts). Have you ever sat down with him? Maybe when the Motorcity Project in Detroit was in full swing? Now there's a man who could write million sellers on the back of a fag packet! On the recent Motown 50 program Edddie Holland was asked "In quality control sessions could H-D-H still be overuled?" Mr Holland's reply was "Sure, Berry always had the final say" Interviewer "And were you ever overuled?" Eddie "No" Smart cookie that Mr Gordy.

Paul, Are you aware of how you 'sound'? You are the epitome of exactly what you are describing! The only thing missing from the picture is a foaming mouth! If Ian's contribution to this site isn't to your liking then do the right thing and leave it alone for people who aren't obsessed with the 'status' of people, DJs, venues, and the other gubbins that many 'fans' seem to thrive on. There are people who are interested in Ian's involvement with artists, myself included. Can't you just leave us to it? We don't need your 'protection', we don't need your 'version of events', some of also lived the same events as you, you're not the only one with a memory you know. I'd ask James T to do the same. There's nothing to be gained from both your involvement in the thread except dispruption and the whole ethos of the site is "enjoyment". You are ruining the enjoyment of this thread and that is also "BREAKING THE RULES". Be men about it and just walk away. You'd have more people respect you for doing that than all the hystryonics you display whenever Levine's name appears in a thread. I've been called sycophantic and now been called a cronie on here within the last 24 hours. Both by people who don't know me and all because I have an interest in the people who created music. It's not the best way to portray yourselves as "soul fans" is it?" I don't know who has the biggest ego you or Ian.

Yep, agreed Bob, ................but if you don't ask you don't get.

I've contacted Mr Gooding and put a few other feelers out. Let's see what falls out of it. Now wouldn't that be something.......Charades blasting "Key to My Happiness" live on stage!!

Dean told us that his friend Cuba Gooding Sr was a member of a group that he helped get signed to MGM. When I mentioned The Charades he recognised the name. It seems to all fit with Cuba then joining The Main Ingredient and the Charades songbook being used. Maybe Tony has more info?

Hi Bob/Ian, Was Cuba Gooding a member of the Charades on MGM? I have something niggling in the back of my mind that he may hold the answer.

There is definitely a Dean Courtney connection to The Charades although whether they are all the same group/line up I don't know. I'd have to sift some notes but I seem to remember he was friendly with one of the members (I also remember being surprised at the members name and that that particular member went on to become a member of a well know group later in the 70s), and was instrumental in their signing to MGM when he and Jimmy Wisner were at the label. Maybe Dave Ferguson can remember the details. Chalky.....did Kell Osborne not mention the group in any way when you interviewed him? I know Kell was also around when Dean and The Primes were intertwined.

Back to the questions Ian... Tell us about Sylvia Moy. I think if people look at the credits on many of the classic Motown outings they'll be quite surprised at her input. I've never met the lady but she is in my Top Ten 'To Dos'. It's obvious she is a skilled craftsman. If nothing else she was partly responsible for Stevie's 'Uptight', the intro to which stands shoulder to shoulder with any Beethoven/Mozart, Lennon/McCartney, Goffin/King penned song I'd wager. Have you any anecdotes about her?

For me it's the one rekkid that defined an era. The mid 70s was a great time for me and this 45 sort of encapsulates everything we got up to then as a gang of close mates. Not just the Casino, but travelling around the country with a tape deck, cars with bald tyres and no insurance, (or lights in one instance!), sat in the back of an illegally hired transit van en route to Bedford, the coach trips to Yate, visiting just about every second hand record shop in the NW, buying records that were heard for the first time in your home town, jumping in taxis for badly planned cross Pennine trips to Wakefield Unity. It'll always be a special record to me. I don't wanna hear it every time i go out and could probably do without listening to it for a few more years but I'll never deny the way it became the backdrop to lots of happy soul shennanigans with a bunch of like minded friends. Happy Days! Hopefully more to come! So I voted A/1

Not enough I can assure you? As a very poor musician myself and someone who tried to write music I was, (and still am), interested in the way some music fans take up the quill and try to recreate the sound they are drawn to. Carl Dixon is someone I admire who also decided he wanted to create the music as well as appreciate it. Simple really. Both he and Ian took different paths on their quest but both undertook it 100% and with gusto that I can't help but commend. Of course if you're more interested in the 'oldest pair of dancin' shoes' or the millionth thread about 'DJs' you could always simply inhabit those posts and ignore my sycophantic script eh. Sycophantic? And you from Lincolnshire too? Cracking word and I congratulate you on it's usage. However misplaced it may be.

Ian, Here's question for you.. The jump from DJ to Record Producer? I believe most 'music scene DJs' (of any description) are simply selectors and 'putteronners' of records. IE. A pop radio DJ needs to have MC skills, verbal skills and a host of other skills not necessarily a requirement in a small compartmentalised specialist 'scene'. So... what made you decide to manufacture a product based on soul music. Once you made the decision how did you learn the skills? Do you write music and lyrics? If so did you learn to write music after you decided to produce? Do you play any instruments? How did you learn about chord structure, bridging, pitch, tone, and the other associated subjects? Lot of questions there I know but they're all really tied together.

The fact that things like TEF are accepted nowadays is one of the reasons I am careful about where I go. Although, to be honest it was played in an RnB room which is about as alien to me as C/W anyway so I'm in no way criticising the record or that particular genre of music per se, I don't posses the knowledge for that. My 'problem', if it could be described as that, is when this style of record ends up on the Technics at a Soul event in a soul room. I'd much rather hear something that makes me think .."Haven't heard that in years" than listen to a C/W influenced dreary plodder that makes me think..."Eh, WTF?" The observation that it filled a dancefloor is quite right. Many people enjoy it. That's great. But they're RnB fans. Maybe a true RnB fan would be better qualified to comment on it's merits (or lack of them) , as an RnB record. Me? I just wanna stay on the soul track when I venture out. Things like The Five Royals set my teeth on edge every time I hear them at a soul do. They also pack the dancefloors so maybe it says more about the dancers than the record? To me it's about the strings of Revilot, the tinkling keyboard of the Harthon set up, the impassioned vocal of a Roy Hamilton, the synchopated, almost telepathic duo of drum and bass as Jamerson and Benjamin practiced. The likes of Len Jewel, Don Davis, Fred Smith, James Carmichael, LeBaron Taylor, HDH, G&H, etc are the authentic exponents not some old geezer who our mothers used to twirl to just after the war. TEF? Thanks but no. He was probably a real nice guy but.........not for me I'm afraid. All a personal choice I suppose.