Rich B

Had a stock black US copy, but that is lovely! i would have definitely paid a bit more for one of those... best, RB

Hi Chaps, so, the important question is, what are the respective copies fetching these days? best, RB

Deep South Dance Band was "Don't it make you feel good" I love that tune! Found it in a box the other day, had forgotten how much I liked it. Thank heavens for dj's like Poke. Best, RB

Johnny Hendley - it was a bit beat up, cost a bit more than I really wanted to pay (£26) - but it worked out all right in the end! Best, RB

If only our MP's followed your lead in the honesty department....I had an issue and later on a demo - what a sucker eh? Thinking of tunes from the dark (pop) side, Keith was a pretty popular tune back in '74 too! Best, RB

So do I! But I just thought of one that practially caused a riot at the time - but you'd never dance to it now - Gary Lewis - My hearts symphony, it might embarass a few folk now, but you couldn't get on the floor at the time....and some of those folk must be on here! Best, RB

Interesting that JM has had multiple copies - didn't it originally come through John in the first place? Initially as an expensive cover up and then for a cople of quid a go? best, RB

No worries Grant, I would have to concede that as a non substance user I always (certainly in my earlier years on the scene) seem to have been in a minority! Never stopped the rozzers searching me as well though.... best, RB

I think it unlikely those particular tunes would get played, but at the last couple of "modern" nights I have ben too (bear in mind I don't get out as much as I should these days) they have played records that were clearly recorded in the sixties, albeit more "crossover" than yer traditional "northern" (we do love these classifications don't we?) but they sounded very nice. My Modern playlist on the ipod is littered with sicties tunes that sound "right" because that's the point isn't it? best, RB ps Should see you Friday @ the modern Room John, all being well!

I definitely never heard Wigan's Chosen Few, but the original Simon Soussan acetate of the "Sounds of Soul" was an absolute monster! I definitely saw people running pell mell downstairs to dance to it. And if anyones got an MP3 of it I would be very appreciative! Tainted love/Night owl/Cochise/Afternoon of the rhino/Condition red/Too late all have to be up there don't they? Best, RB

I always find these threads irresistable! I started going to "northern" clubs in either December '71 or January '72, thereabouts. It wasn't even called "northern soul" then. Archie Bell's "Here I go again" was being played as a track off a new release import album. By the time I was a regular at Wigan (early '74) I was dancing to things like the Salvadors etc which were often only 2 or 3 years old at the time. By the end of '74 things like Carstairs, Lou Edwards, Mel Britt etc were monsters, all, again only a couple of years old. "Modern" has always been played if you take those tunes as a measure. I recall in the late seventies being bemused by people trying to 'stomp' to Todays People - though they clearly thought it was "northern" and were having an excellent time without worrying about when it was made. And as a final point, I was at the first Nottm Palais Revival (oldies) alldayer in the late 80's, and I heard a couple of guys (who would have been the same sort of age I am now) in thier fifties, say "its not been the same since they stopped playing Howling Wolf"! Dave Godin always said if we stop listening to new music we'll become the new "Teddy boys" - and how right he was, look at the trend for people to have made the clothes they wore 'back in the day' - bar towels etc. So, as I, and many others, have said before, its not about the date on the label its what's in the grooves! Best, RB

Crikey! Thanks for all that Malc, I recall it coming up in relation to another post but couldn't quite bring it all to mind at the time! If its all the same to everyone I'm going to remember DG for Lyn Varnado rather than Steve Karmen (even if I am still very fond of it!) As the man himself would say - "Keep the faith!" Best, RB

I con't disagree with any of the titles quoted - and what can you say about James Jamerson that hasn't been said already? I always thought (though it isn't big or clever...) that the Malibus "Gee baby" rumbled along very nicely. Best, RB

Well Grant, It was meant as a joke - especially given its "Black ship to hell" c/u title. I attended the Casino virtually every week in '74 (membership number 1416), and I can't say that I ever heard the vocal played at the time (though given that the vocal was Jimmy Radcliffe I was always surprised at that) I think when the UA special products re issue popped up a few gave it the odd spin. At one point the issue copy I had was believed to be the only one known - which, of course proved to be nonsense! Though it had originated with Colin Curtis - I had always thought Breakaway was originally a Mecca spin. For the record, as those who know me will verify, in all my years on the scene I was never on anything, never something that I needed. Got to work on that S.O.H. Grant! Best, RBx

Evening all. Not particularly wanting to get into the middle of anything, but a soul record is a soul record is a soul record. My personal preference is always a US copy - but when things like Jeff Perry and Larry Saunders got UK release I went and bought them again just to contribute to getting them into the charts - cos then they might get to make another tune instead of going back to being postmen (not that there is anything wrong with being a postie) or whatever and therefore furthering the cause - don't tell me I had it wrong after all? I'll finish with a question if I might - I had a vague feeling that Coffee (of Casanova fame) were some incarnation of the Lovelites - or have I got that wrong? Best, RB ps Wigan did play some crap (as does everywhere at some time) but I just cannot believe they played Rock n roll pt2 - you aren't thinking of Breakaway the Steve Karmen Big Band are you?

When Ian Levine was originally tipping it didn't he give it's label as Jameco? I have had all of them (including the green Carrie issue) and there was nothing about the Jameco copy that made me think it wasn't a genuine late (?) 60's release. Isn't the label design and manufacture similar to the Black Hawk issue of Roy 'C' - "Shotgun wedding"? Best, RB

Poke had a copy back in the 80's - it played fine but there was a crack on the run in. It almost certainly came from Soul Bowl, and JA always used to scratch the adress off, is that the only one then? Best, RB

Sean, Sean, Sean! How many copies of the darned thing do you need! I thought Jimmy Wensciora was obsessive - you've got him beat into the proverbial "cocked hat"! Best, RB

Though I don't own it any more, I did have a demo, it was yellow, and though I can't recall the details it did vary from the common yellow issue. Mine was bought from Rob Marriot for £25 if I recall accurately, that said I was always very enamoured of Jimmy W's copy - Edgar Crook indeed! Best, RB

Couldn't agree more Chalky, love it to bits but it's the sheep mentality that drives the prices up, dare I mention Joi Cardwell at this point? Bless Dave Godin for making sure we all knew about it around 30 years ago though! best, RB

It may well be John, but I haven't got a 45 of it, just the album! Sad really.... Best, RB

Thanks for that John, my memory is getting so defective! I was sure I had a Roulette copy of a tune called "Your love"! Now, finding it, that's going to be another matter! Hope you're well, best, RB

There seem to have been many post along the lines of "Why is the Blue Sharks popular?" Surely people want it/it packs the floor for the same reason all oldies do (and while we are at it people hold some proper shite in high regard on here, while this gets singled out, I don't know) - nostalgia is why people like it. It was huge around the same time as Herbert Hunter etc, not too mention the BellBoys, and let's face it that isn't a patch on Jackie is it? It's just what northern is synonomous with these days isn't it? Best, RB

They really should have used the Corner Boys for the US tv series "The Wire"! Weren't both sides rather good? Neptune did have it's fair share of goodies didn't it? Best, RB

I love the album, "At long last" is one of my favourites, I would certainly play that one out! I was amazed we didn't hear more of "So much for love" back inthe 70's. Best, RB