Rick Cooper

Rod Thanks for that , so I've not completely lost the plot even if the details are a little hazy now. The letters I got from Bob did go on at length not unlike some all nighter patrons ! Rick

Rob (or should that be Robb) Your mate Rod S told me this but I've obviously got the wrong name so it could be C.... or maybe M..... Rick

Here are some of Bob's lists When I first bought from him he got records from my wants list but later stopped this and issued his sales lists. I think he must have built up quite a big stock and knew what prices to ask. Later on he had to get rid of his bulk titles and issued a sale list. I got some of these from him but I think Neil Rushton bought a lot from him. The "C Hardie" is Celeste Hardie and were 50p each. Rick

Paul Just found this letter from Bob Cattaneo which explains your Carstairs bootleg memory. He seems to think it was OK to sell the Carstairs and Servicemen boots as long as he didn't actually arrange the pressings. The Casanova Two record he claims were not boots were the very thin demos which he possibly could have got done by Early Bird, but who knows. Rick

Sheff' List 60 from May 1973 Single page list from July 73 Rick ps. I kept Soussan's lists but don't have an auction list I did in 75 or 76. I'd be very grateful if anyone that has a copy could get in touch, thanks.

No one was playing crossover etc in 73. I was trying to make the point that if Simon had stuck with northern, would he have been able to pick the winners as new styles of music got played from late 70s to now. I suspect not as he was too far away to pick up on new trends and only liked the sort of records he was sending over to Russ. His hatred of funk has already been shown so I don't think he would have liked new stuff. However we'll never know. Rick

Kev OK , "a few" was a bit vague as I had got a bit bored with Soussan and Wigan's sound by 74/75 and didn't follow his discoveries or know what they were, except "Footsee" which was one of his I believe. I think it's fair to say that Simon only liked one type of record and would not have anything to do with seventies, mid-tempo, RnB, crossover, beat ballads or anything else, and as such should not be considered a progressive influence. Here is another of his lists from 73 which includes his top wants. These are mainly Ian Levine's discoveries which answers Seffsoul's original question as to did Simon discover the stuff he was selling in 73 ie ,no but by 75 he was supplying you and Russ with new stuff and Selecta Disc with boots. Rick

I can't be sure but probably Simon sent Russ records on approval as he needed to get them played so he could hike the price of his remaining copies. He sent me Jerry Williams "If You Ask Me" even though I hadn't ordered it or he had listed it. Most of the titles on this list were discovered by other people as he had only left the UK a few months before. He did discover quite a few records over the next couple of years , Ian D will know which ones. I sent off for his list after he put an add in a mag, not sure which one though, and he sent lists as long as you kept buying. Rick

Ian I've got five lists from April to July 73 but not the one with the Bob Relf " Reaching for the Best" on . He must have found a lot of stuff as soon as he got to West Hollywood as the lists all came within a few months. Maybe he preferred supplying bootlegs to searching dirty warehouses as the lists stopped coming by 74. Rick

Paul Yes, at Global. Bob Cataneo may have been blamed for the Carstairs demo bootleg but I have never heard that and wouldn't suggest he did them. Someone once told me Bob was obsessed with security at his home and had installed heavy doors and multiple locks, anyone confirm this? Rick

Ian Here's that list from July 1973. As well as the "Soulclap" club how many of the titles on the list didn't exist. Rick

Paul No, I was . Posted the story on a previous Carstairs thread some years back. I dealt with Bob and got some great stuff from him including a Carstairs demo just after Ian L started playing it. Still got some of his letters and lists , will dig them out . Accused him of bootlegging Casanova Two and he was very indignant so he may have got it done legit . Rick

Got this Nancy Wilson on a CD but managed to get a UK copy of the single last week for it's starting 99p bid on eBay. What's going on? Don't people want stuff like this or are they too busy paying silly money for boots. Anyway I don't mind but feel sorry for the seller. Now I've got another 20 or so from here to try to get but don't think I'll be lucky again. Rick

A real tear jerker this one , even William Bell, Velvet Hammer and Pharell W wouldn't be so happy hearing it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hk9xnsVygZQ The great Paul Williams gets every last drop of emotion from the words whilst the others provide the perfect backing. Unissued at the time , maybe too intense, for Motown. If it had been issued, the recording may have faded out before it does here but that would have lost the last gasp from Paul. At the time Paul Williams had a very troubled life, marriage break up, failing health, drink , drugs and rows within the group. He took his own life, although some people question this, which adds further depth to the record. Rick

Arlene Bailey- Conversation in the Street. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6_TFKCxsFQ Takes a few plays to appreciate but worth the effort. Arranged by Horace Ott so got to be good. Ruby and the Romantics already had 2 great tracks mentioned so here's a third Only Heaven Knows on ABC They also did a version of Hurting Each Other on A&M but not as good as the Ruth Lewis on RCA already posted. Rick

I really liked the R Kelly track but would have been gutted not to have any Tyrone Davis on a Chicago soul show. Rick

For prime time, national radio it was excellent. Major Lance, Billy Stewart, Dee Clark, Maurice and Mac and loads of others on radio, what's not to like? A bit of a grumble when he played R Kelly- If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time, but then all forgiven when he followed this with Tyrone Davis-Turn Back the Hands of Time. Tony got across his love for the music and put a few facts in, OK no mention of song writers, producers and musicians but the lunch time audience wouldn't have been interested . Just hope Philly isn't all Gamble/Huff and Detroit not just Motown. Tony said he was sorry not to be able to play Lenny Gamble but Lenny was not a native of Chicago. Rick

Just noticed these programs on Radio Two. Soul Cities with Tony Blackburn- TB celebrates three key American cities known for their soul. Monday 22nd, 12- 2pm Chicago Tuesday 23rd, Philadelphia Friday 26th, Detroit At two hours each should be able to go beyond the obvious, but we'll see. Rick

Ian Fantastic selection.Almost all of the tracks I've got on other CDs but worth getting for 100% quality with no fillers. Good to see some Cameo Parkway tracks getting legal CD issue, how about some more. Of course anything with track 25 CD 2 has to be an essential purchase. Rick

I asked US Atlantic if they could press a thousand copies when I worked at Global Records in the 70s. I got a reply from them saying that they had lost the rights to it when the Pointers signed to Blue Thumb. Also I think the sleeve notes on the Kent CD with Send Him Back on mentions that they had to dub from a single as the tapes were not available. This could explain why UK Atlantic didn't put it out. However they seemed to have changed their story on this when Selectdisc wanted it re-pressed , I wonder why? Rick

Chalky, I'm with Solidsoul on this. Issuing a record is made up of a number of different stages, manufacturing, trade ads,press release, radio promo copies and sending stock to distributors. The Carstairs went through enough of these to be more issued than unissued. I understood it didn't get to the shops as Chess was sold to GRT just after the promos had been sent out, so the record was cancelled and stock destroyed. When the pink copies were done I don't think Red Coach would have considered it to be the delayed first issue, more like a special pressing. Rick

Here is an old thread about re issues that includes a bit about The Carstairs As to the time between Ian Levine first playing it and the pink copies I'd put it at about 8 to 10 months. I got a white promo copy from Bob Cateano around 3 or 4 months after Ian played it and remember it being about 6 months before it was done on the pink label. I mentioned to Ian that I had my copy coming from the US and he was very keen to buy it if it was a stock copy, it wasn't but it had 25c (cents) written on the label. Somewhere I've got loads of Black Echoes and one day might dig them out and go through the ads. Personally I'd call the pink label a re-issue not the first issue, although technically it was. A first issue would be when the record came out and the following period when the record label still had hopes for it. In the US this could be months and could include issue on a second label for national distribution. A re-issue is done for some reason after the record appears to be finished. The pink Carstairs is definitely not a bootleg as it was 100% legit. I wonder if somewhere in the US an ex employee of Red Coach or the pressing company has a pink Chess distributed copy that escaped the crusher, the same as the London stock copy of D Banks. Now wouldn't that cause a fuss. Rick

Stu The Atlantic Oldies were one of the best US re-issue labels that I ordered for wholesaling to UK shops when I worked for Global Records and then Robinson's Records in Manchester. They would issue a big US hit two or three years after it charted, pairing two hits on one disc.They were kept on catalogue quite a long time but some got deleted or just didn't get pressed up when stocks ran out. I don't think you'll ever find copies with deletion drill holes. As Atlantic had the foresight to sign up prog rock, heavy metal, hippies and such like after soul declined in 68 they managed to stay in business. If they hadn't they probably would have gone the way of Chess, Stax etc. They also, famously, had a great way of making sure they retained the rights to any distributed labels so they could exploit hit records for ever. Probably the best sellers for Global were the Led Zeppelin singles which the UK company couldn't issue. I prefer the red label and at least you get the B side. The oldies series seemed to last a long time as I saw a silver label version in HMVs in the early noughties, and maybe still going? Rick

On Mastermind BBC 2 tonight (Friday 7th Nov) specialist subjects include Tamla Motown and Dusty Springfield. Could be interesting Rick

To go back to the start of this thread, saw a kingfisher today. No camera but no chance of a photo even if I had, just a neon blur skimming the surface of a tiny stream. Here are a few not very exciting pics from summer.