Rick Cooper

David Was the tape the mixed version used for the single or the session tapes? Assuming the former but would be nice to know if there could ever be an instrumental. Also do you , or anyone, know if Donni Burdick ever explained how he got the backing tapes to I Have Faith In You and I Miss My Baby (Bari Track)?

Hi Robb Do you remember what the Golden World tracks were on the cassettes. If you're referring to the tapes Rod and Dave had I thought they were only Motown tracks. It would be great to hear unreleased Tamiko Jones, Carl Carlton, Adorables and Parliaments but maybe not so much the Reflections tracks. Goldmine issued CDs of the Groovesville and Solid Hitbound tracks from Don Davis including some Golden World recordings so would these have been only those done by Davis. Any idea about what happened to the Wingate tapes?

I think I've got the Ric-Tic Relics CDs stuck in the loft somewhere, bought them years ago as there was nothing else available then (or now). The sound quality seems to deteriorate on these Soul World and Soul Kitchen discs over the years so would welcome an official release using original master tapes.

As a young teenager when US records started appearing over here, Ric-Tic was the one that really stood out and threw up some great tracks. Stuff by San Remo Strings, Bob Wilson, Al Kent, Edwin Starr, Laura Lee all fuelled a search for ever more obscure tracks, even a ZTSC numbered record had to be bought blind. I believe someone has a Ric-Tic tattoo and my school books had the logo scribbled on them. Some fifty plus years later the records are mostly quite common and cheap yet I don't think the label has ever had a decent CD treatment similar to Shrine, Mirwood, RCA, Okeh etc. Anyone explain why? The popular tracks are scattered amongst various compilations but there must be enough other records to make a decent couple of CDs. When Motown bought the label I'd have thought there would have been quite a lot of recorded tracks ready for issue but then shelved. What happened to the tapes, did Motown get them? Ace/Kent recent All Turned On CD included a couple of Ric-Tic tracks with extended playing times so the tapes must be available. Maybe @Ady Croasdell ,@Gilly or others would be able to come up with some answers. I'd also include Wingate and Golden World for a CD compilation and are there any unreleased tracks?

I asked Ralph at Passion Music if there is a volume 13, he replied that there wasn't but didn't say why. How long will it be before someone claims a friend of their sisters partners cousin had a copy but sold it.

Just checked mine and yes, no number 13. Looked on the Outtasight web site and there's no 13 listed. Maybe Glen at Real Side is superstitious and skipped unlucky 13 .https://www.outtasight.co.uk/#!/Outta-Sight-CDs/c/4408549

Same as SolidSoul I remember Stanky as a Lowton spin then everywhere else soon after. I'd agree that it got a big dance floor reaction but not one I'd want to own or play at home. I first came across it around 72-73. It was talked about as a record to look out for and Cobblestone was trending with The Vonnettes and Sounds of Lane at the time. I think Richard Searling had it in his DJ box, I can vaguely recall seeing his copy in one of his distinctive felt pen calligraphy white card sleeves. I don't remember hearing him , or anyone , play it in a club at the time. I found four or five copies when I worked at Global so put it on the Specials list (or kids list as owner Ed Balbier called it) If I played it I can't remember, never bought a copy and it never took off so I was surprised when it went big . Many years ago Dave K (DtheDrug) sent me scans of some old Global lists and it was listed at £5 on one then reduced to £3 or less on another as it didn't sell at all.

Thanks to Simon T for finding my post from 2015 that I had completely forgotten about so I didn't need to search around the loft to find the March 69 B&S to answer your question.

This is a page from Blues and Soul magazine that reviewed Chuck Cockerham (last three lines on right hand side) I put this on last time John sold a copy (not that long ago) but seeing as he has used the same sales blurb as last time I might as well put this on again. The review was probably done by Trevor Churchill who I think was working at EMI and handling the Amy/Mala/ Bell catalogue. They had launched UK Bell instead of using Stateside for the Bell labels so wanted to raise the profile for the new records. There was no chance that your local record shop could get the US Bell discs, maybe Soul City might have had them. I wonder if EMI would get a copy of every US record they had a deal with. The review seems about right as the record was unlike anything at the time. I think I probably bought some of the re-issues listed on the left side.

Anyone remember this

Paul The stairs to the balcony I used are the ones you've got on the right wall on the fourth photo on your first postings. I remember they were quite narrow so could have been built to get to an office rather than for public use until the balcony was extended. The other stairs for the balcony on the right were always quite congested at the bottom, you'd have to squeeze past people to get anywhere.

Great work Paul, working so small is tricky but you've got the details just right. I don't remember when the balcony was extended but I wasn't paying much attention to the finer points of interior design. I went to most of the nighters but tended to stay in one area just behind the box office and on the floor or sometimes on the main balcony. I thought there was a raised part or balcony to the right of the stage where the DJs and a few VIPs hung out . This may have been used when there was a live act but I'm not sure now. I assume you've seen the very early black and white photos with the couples waltzing on the dance floor and a good view of the balcony. They were put on the Gallery section here but I couldn't find them so looked on Google Images.

Sounds like a number of jazz singers that were updating their recordings around 64-67. Some possibles are Della Reese, Ethel Ennis and Margie Day, but I've never heard them do this track. Margie Day does a pretty good Nancy Wilson impersonation on this track, Ain't It the Truth (also done by Roy Hamilton)

From the lack of reply posts it looks like photos are rarer than the records. Like Frankie C above I wish I could go back in time with a digital camera and photo all the boxes of records and inside every shop and warehouse from the 70s. At the time the idea of taking photos of records was something that I never even considered. Just getting them was enough and who would have thought fifty years later any one would want to see them. The only photos I took from back then were street scenes and tourist attractions . However I took a photo of the outside of Global Records in Philadelphia, which if I'd taken a photo inside, would have shown boxes and boxes of some decent titles. At least a thousand copies of Precisions- If This Is Love and lots of Swan and Arctic stuff. For Rock and Roll fans there were loads of Sun titles and Country and Western fans would have been in heaven.

I did a search for Youngblood Smith on Record World's archive site but there is no mention of the record at all. Usually there is some mention of most singles so it's strange that the record never got any reviews or DJ pick. As a comparison I looked for some other Verve releases around 1966. The High Keys , Shalimars and Howard Guyton all got one mention each, which still isn't much for a major label. Could be Verve just issued singles in the hope that some might take off without spending much on promotion.

Paul Bostock's market stalls in Bradford and Leeds famously had huge quantities of Verve and MGM titles around 72. The Verve ones I remember were Ambers, Superiors, Shalimars, Triumphs, Clara Ward, Terri Byant and lots of Howard Tate and Garnnet Mimms. Paul soon caught on that he could charge more than the usual 25p and he advertised in Black Echoes the most popular titles. I bought a Robert Banks (on a promo) from Bradford but it was from the 25p mixed stock. Other people must have got copies but there was never a big enough quantity for Paul to hike the price. Agree that it was only a big record for a few months but I always liked it, especially getting one for 25p. I remember Swish almost falling down the stairs at Leeds Central when I played it there, it was his favourite record at that time. I've never seen a stock copy of Youngblood Smith and I don't think Bradford market ever had any on promo or stock copy. The first time I came across it was as the bootleg. I think Simon Soussan pressed it up much too soon as it wasn't a well known record. Maybe one of the Clitheroe and Colne Chinstrokers Club might have a stock copy tucked away .

Well spotted and thanks for checking. However, I think Kev would be the first to admit that the info available to him over twenty years ago was a lot more limited than today. Also he wasn't writing a price guide book so he wouldn't need to research the price for every record . As there are no issues listed on popsike and no one on here has seen a copy I'm still doubtful that the stock ever reached distributors or shops. Maybe Robert Banks thought he would concentrate on his producing and writing so Verve pulled the single and binned all the stock copies after the promos had been sent out.

That's a no then. A search of Record World from 1967 has three mentions of Robert Banks. A brief mention of the single ("Smile" listed as the reviewed side) from 12th Sept 67, the LP listed on a Verve advert from 12th Feb and a photo with Curtis Blandon signing to Tower. Assume Record World would have had a promo copy. I can't find any chart placing or radio plays, maybe others ( @The Yank or @Blackpoolsoul) might have better ways of searching archives or perhaps @Robbk might remember seeing the record. Could be the record never made the shops. https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Archive-Record-World-IDX/IDX/60s/67/RW-1967-08-12-OCR-Page-0066.pdf#search="robert banks"

Anyone seen or got a stock copy of Robert Banks- Mighty Good Way on Verve. I never saw any from all the Verve titles on Bradford market and Popsike only has promos.

I've got a Kelly Brothers CD - Sanctified Southern Soul on US Excello which has the same tracks and pic sleeve as the Kent release. The liner notes on the Excello disc are by Robert Pruter but I'm not sure if the Kent CD uses the same notes. Anyway, the detailed info mentions R Crume (songwriter and producer on the Pat Bryan disc) it says- "Robert Kelly played guitar and two other gospel musicians worked with the group , two members of the notable Crume family, brothers Dillard and Rufus. The Crume brothers shared in many of the song credits on Simms" The notes end by saying that Excello dropped the group in 1970 and they returned to Chicago. They performed their hits but were getting asked to do gospel material again. Offe Reese ( who was part of the Kelly Brothers) had a record label in Chicago that recorded both gospel and R&B. It doesn't say the Kellys recorded either together or solo. As of 1996 the Kelly Brothers all live in Chicago and occasionally get together to perform . There's no mention of Kelly and the Soul Explosions but that doesn't mean there was no connection, maybe a little more research could prove fruitful. Over to you.

As Simon Sousson was on the West coast he might not have been involved with arranging the deal with Popcorn Wylie. There were a few people in Philadelphia that could have arrange it or Selectadisc could have negotiated with Popcorn direct. Maybe @Gilly would know.

Has anyone got or seen a stock issue of The Guys From Uncle- The Spy on Swan? Nothing on the usual sites.

Never seen the white demo for sale, it's only the blue label issue that I meant as under a fiver.

Definitely not the rarest WD but one I've always liked and somehow kept after selling most other records. Soul Bowl had a huge quantity of the Sue group of labels around 1974/5 which after John had taken all the NS, Belgian and Japan titles sold the rest to Global Records. I had to go through these to see if there was anything suitable for the Surinam scene in The Netherlands. Out of the thousands and thousands of records there were no white demos (or coloured demos) on any title. This seemed strange as Sue was a well established company who must have needed to supply radio and TV stations , maybe they pressed only what they thought was needed. White demos seem to be done for most titles but I wonder if there are any that people haven't come across. A Global list from 1986 so they still had stocks of some titles

The blue label issues turned up in large quantities not long after the initial plays but I don't remember seeing any white demos at the time . Still not seen any more and discogs doesn't seem to list any. A record that used to fetch a good price,( or even better swops), but now under a fiver.