Rich B

Crikey! What's the album fetch then? Best, RB.

It has always been a great club Katy, I went for the first time in 1971 (not that I actually realised the importance of the club that particular night) but I was talking to a chap the other week who had been going there well back into the '60s. Most prominent between 1973 - 1978 in my opinion. Kev Roberts was a dj there if I remember correctly, a guy called Denny (one of the most underrated dj's ever) Gary Rushbrooke was a mainstay for a long time and very many others. It has always been very atmospheric, and if you get a few people in the place jumps! just make sure you don't park in the river. I hadn't realised it was on tonight, or else I wouldn't have arranged my diary so that it was impossible to go! Have a great time though, RB

He was always a clever lad that Dave Godin! And a vegetarian like me and Adolf... Best all, and thanks for that Alex and Malc, RB

Keep me posted and I'll be there for sure! Haven't had a beer with you guys for a very long time - any idea when? Come to think of it when did I last see you? Rob Wigleys 40th? RB

I know what you mean Benji, I'm a sucker for cover up names. I have to confess I have never heard of Modern Blue Sound, is it on refosoul so I can check it out. Masqueraders is one of my all time favourites - definitely couldn't afford it when I was collecting - and I bet nothing has changed! Best wishes, Richard.

Hi Benji, I didn't think the Masqueraders had been covered, I have only ever known it by its proper name - mind you the way my memory is now could very well be wrong. What is M.B.S. short for? Best wishes, Richard

If the weather wasn't so bad you could Sean! I am very well, skint after the last seperation, but healthy (well fat and lazy to be honest) and happy, so no complaints from me. And when you work for the NHS the credit crunch means nowt! Which I expect isn't alway the case for you entreprenurial types? What about you, all good? Must get myself up to South Yorks for a 'do' sometime. Be good, RB p.s. Give my best to John Benson and the boys.

The originals that were in circulation pror to being pressed had red on the label somewhere. Now I think about it, I might be wrong about the flipside (serves me right for being a smartarse!) I sold up about 9 years ago though, and I know I haven't seen one since. So apologie smay be in order.. I think the bootlegs were grey on white - if memory serves - which clearly it doesn't always! best, RB

I think you're right, even years later it is fun (that sounds really geeky) identifying the cover-ups. For some bizarre reason I used to be quite addicted to knowing the cover up names of stuff. Freddie Jones etc. Wasn't Steve Karmen covered as "Black ship to hell" or somesuch? Best, RB

Monster everywhere at the end of '74. Isn't the flip side an Aarron Neville track? By which I mean of course, AN is probably the 'A' side. Fetched big money before it was bootlegged. Regards, RB

I always loved both the Wigan "Playing sounds like:" ads and the Mecca ones, which as you rightly point out Ian, had a pop at the bootleggers. I seem to remember you had a "personal" ad listing the stuff you could play at one time Ian - or am I imagining it? Was it with Twink? Best, RB

Thinking about it (can't be arsed to dig the actual adverts out I'm afraid) the mail order mail went straight to the warehouse for processing. Very few civillians got through the doors. Best, RB

Hi chaps, I'm not sure exactly when he first got it, but he was selling at the end of '79 early '80. The deal would have included a Professionals which he also rated at £25. If I remember correctly he did sell it Adam. I also photocopied the Frank Wilson he had. It had a coffee stain on one side, but I can't remember which now. I had been selling stuff to Jon for years as he was in my then g/f's little sisters class! well she had more class - but you know what I mean! And, I am only joking Jon, when it came to tunes Jon had taste in spades! Damon Fox was one of his I recall - no one else could believe it was unknown it was that good. Cost him a fiver as I recall. I have never bought off KR though so didn't see it with my own eyes. I wasn't allowed in the shop by that time, as I had found some moral fibre and had been "critical" of his business activities (is that diplomatic enough?). Oddly, I think I was ahead of the curve in collecting originals. I couldn't afford them as big sounds, and no one would sell them a spotty kid anyway. I had tried to buy a Michael & Raymeond for a weeks wages only to be told I couldn't have it (een at the full asking price) because was "nobody"! I recall the average price once booted was £1.50 - £2. I did pay more as time went on, but Denny got them off Jack Bollington, who got them from Colin C, and passed them to me very reasonably priced. Anyway Mr Hampsey, what's this about a DB7? Best, RB

Doesn't surprise me Ady. As a fledgling on the northern scene I went in to buy the newly bootlegged Sweets "Satisfy me baby" and straight out of the rack in the shop, from the middle of a bunch of boots came a mint original. The guy (Nick something or other) said "It looks like your lucky day" and sold it to me for the same price as the boot would have been! That certainly satisfied me...but apparently it wasn't unusual that SS sent original mixed in with the pressings. Mel, the guy who ran the warehouse was a rock and roll collector, but "discovered" many fine northern sounds while searching for his own stuff. That warehouse had all sorts in it! As for the Frank Beverly on Sassy story, I had one of those 800, I also had a Mel Britt demo off Rob smith who let me have it for £2.50 because he had bought them wholesale. What a world it was. I had to turn down Jonathans Rouser copy of Frank B for £25 because I couldn't pay him there and then, and even though he didn't mind waiting a week, the wife wouldn't let me owe him money, Aaaargh! RB

Warehouse where all the good stuff was, was definitely on Canal st though. Can anyone remember the huge amount of detroit class that came out of there in the later 70's (when the shop had moved to Bridlesmith gate)? Ric Tic, Golden World, Groovesville etc and in great quantity. If we had known then etc etc RB

Good news on both counts then Dean. Pass my regards on to any Marriott you happen across. A proper "soul" family! RB

I have to say that I was surprised by how good the Presentations is, but not surprised at all how bad (by bad I of course mean "pop") Kelly StClair is! If that doesn't make the argument for taking more modern releases seriously I don't know what does. Pleased to have found a Presentations in one of the junk boxes - presumably not sold when the rest of the collection went because I didn't think it worth bothering with. Which is good I guess. Great to know Larry is on the forum though. Regards, RB

The people who decided "Hawaii 5 -0", "My heart symphony" etc etc etc were soul then? RB

I could have picked up on dozens of things but I just wondered, who decides what's disco? I remember standing at an oldies do about 20 years ago (might have been more) earwigging two old fellas (well okay, about my current age) complaining that they had had to stop attending venues when they stopped playing Howling Wolf and started playing that "pop sheeet". That would make anything played from about 1969 on pop sheeet! Any thoughts on the meaning of tolerance? Regards, RB

Not claiming to be an expert chaps, just trying to help. I too have had a "Help wanted" that was blue/black. It just didn't feel right though. All of the tracks like Kenny Gamble, Mike & Ike are blue/blue as well as all the Barbara Masons/Della Humphreys et al I have - always nice to hear of other people with "unusual" copies though. And of course there are always those West Coast Parkways to look to for guidance. Regards, RB

In all the time I was collecting northern, I never saw a blue/black that wasn't a re-issue. Same goes for styrene. I had most of the stuff worth having on Arctic and the rule of thumb I used was that the in demand stuff should be just like the "crap" that no one in thier right mind would have booted. I did come across dj copies that were sus, but most seemed real. For a long time the word on the Volcano's "The laws of love" was that the emo's that turned up couldn't be real, because the original said "The rules of love". I had both and other than the obvious misspelling and wear and tear they were identical. Regards, RB

I seem to recall in that heady Wigan period (by which I mean '74), it was a highly rated and considered more soulful version for those who weren't too keen on Wayne Gibson - I only personally met anyone who played the Stones ONLY because they hadn't got a copy of WG. I was about 17 then, so my recollection may well be defective on that point, as many pop records were regularly programmed, and it wasn't considered unusual. Come to think of it they still are! I am also fairly certain that April Silva was mentioned in the "Playing sounds like;" ads for the Casino at that time. Thanks for the namecheck Rob! RB

It is great, and doesn't it have a nice instrumental of your love is fading on the flip? Didn't Jonathan pay about £250 for it? If anyone has it mp3'd and it doesn't break any rules I would really appreciate copies of both sides. Follishly when the collection got sold I didn't record either. Doh! Cheers all, RB

It is great, and doesn't it have a nice instrumental of your love is fading on the flip? Didn't Jonathan pay about £250 for it? If anyone has it mp3'd and it doesn't break any rules I would really appreciate copies of both sides. Follishly when the collection got sold I didn't record either. Doh! Cheers all, RB

A Masters "I need your love" on Crimson for a white dj of Rose battiste "Hit & Run" + an un defaced Malibus plus £25. Masters cost me 10p from my cousin! And, a Bobby Hutton LP ABC dj for a short bottle of Bells whisky. KenDarge was the lucky recipient of the Masters, Steve Phyllis had played it to him covered up apparently. I did once get an issue of the Gypsies "It's a womans world" for £1.38 as it was all I had on me! Last story; Keb & Guy got themselves into a bidding war for a copy of "Tenderiser" Wilbur Reynolds (£1.50 from Soul Bowl) I went straight to Manship and bought a Billy Woods with the proceeds. It wouldn't happen now would it? RB