Rick Cooper

Hi Blackpoolsoul I think John Manship used to post on here, sometimes an old thread pops up with his contribution listed under "Guest". Agree that there are lots of people such as Tim Brown who could contribute but either don't look on here or can't be bothered to post. The Soulful Detroit forum used to have some interesting discussions but I've not looked at it for a while as it went downhill some years ago. Maybe you could ask Tim about the Martha Reeves credited Hit and Run, he might reply. Rick

Nice pic, bet you were over the moon, freedom at last. Looks like a SX150 so wouldn't have been cheap . This is my first scooter also from 1969. Li 150 trying to imitate a SX200. My sister on the back.

The CD lists Hit and Run as a demo version so would this have been done just as a guide for any singer to use when learning the song melody and lyrics. It wouldn't be for release so if Martha Reeves was hanging around could she not have just sung Hit and Run as a favour or some other reason. If it doesn't sound like her that's not surprising, with no producer pushing her for their interpretation of a song. When Goldmine listed Martha Reeves as the vocalist they must have some information to back this up, Tim wouldn't put MR as the singer for no reason. However the information that Tim has could have got mixed up way back when the tape box was labelled. I know we all like a mystery but maybe in this case there isn't one. Rick

Hi Gilly It's on the CD "Thelma's Detroit Collective" Goldmine GSCD 69 as Hit and Run (Demo version) but the sleeve notes give no further info. It sounds like a very basic rhythm track with sparse vocal backing .

On the sleeve notes for "The Groovesville Collection" CD Goldmine GSCD 56 it states- "Another classic is "Hit and Run" by Rose Batiste, put out as Revilot 204, however our research shows Batiste's version as presented here, was never actually released; Instead the wrongly credited version by the Debonaires was coupled with Rose Batiste's "I Miss My Baby" on Revilot 204" I thought this means that all copies of Revilot 204 have the version of Hit and Run recorded by the Debonaires on it due to a mistake made at the time the track was labeled or mastered. Rose Batiste's take is only on the CD. The Gwen Owens version is on GSCD 130 and the Pat Lewis version on GSCD 87. I have seen a listing on the US magazine Record World for some best selling singles on various indie labels from 67 that has "I Miss My Baby" listed as a good regular selling single. I can't find it now. Billboard 24/6/1967 lists Revilot 204 on a list of "Cream of the Blues singles" so the record was rated at the time and could have a couple of pressings but all on the grey label. Rick

Robb The late Terry Francis Thomas was one of the people behind Real Side Records and finding the track on the studio tape. As there was no artist name on the tape box he made up the name ,Gloria Shannon, but only found out about the real Gloria Shannon much later. So there is no connection to any singer (or anyone else) named Gloria Shannon. He never told me any more about who the vocalist could be as no one who they leased the record from could shed any more light on who was the singer. I don't think we'll ever know for sure but feel free to put forward your theories.

Not posted anything here for ages, never seem to have a camera when needed, but this little chap spent over 30 minutes trying to fly through the shed window .

I don't remember the Sunday open days for dealers. If I was working there when Balbier had these he didn't ask me to come in, just as well as I wouldn't have been at my best on a Sunday. I suppose he would have had most of his children helping. The eldest sons , Gregg and Brian, would have been in their late teens and the older girls around ten to thirteen, so could have taken care of purchases and the buffet. Did Ed let you go everywhere in the warehouse? usually access was strictly limited, also what was the name of your shop? He had another special promotion/competition for dealers whilst I was there. Over a few months the dealers who had the biggest increase in their purchases would win an all expenses paid trip to the Munich Beer Festival. I think it was probably the top five, plus a partner or guest, who went. As well as the winners all of the staff went and all of Ed's eight children, so quite a party. I have vague recollections of the trip but as you can imagine this is a bit hazy. Somewhere I have a photo of everyone outside the hotel but I've not been able to find it. As Mark has said Ed Balbier was a very hard working man who made , unknown to him, a contribution to the early days of northern soul. Mainly due to his decision to come to the UK in 1971 and especially locating in central Manchester and not London . Perhaps he had done some research before coming over. Rick

Not a mistake by the musicians but whoever edited or transferred the tape left the count-in and someone, Clarence? coughing on the master tape. Could be mis-labeled tape or the engineer doing the mastering slipped up . Anyway I always quite liked it but can't see a radio station wanting to play it like this.

The other side of the disc, Without Your Love, is on a 2006 Goldmine CD ,Beat Ballad Heaven. Tim Brown's sleeve notes for the track state that the record was withdrawn as the publishing details were left off the stock copy labels. A scan of the label shows the left side of the label blank, without publishers name. Without checking I think OKeh often didn't have publishers name on stock copies so maybe not required except for promo records. He also speculates that Charles Brandy could be Robert Banks, which judging by comparing the vocals sounds possible but without evidence I'd say it is just another unproven theory.

Rob I see you were asked before and this is a very old thread but could you explain exactly why HDH used a 1965 track three times for Just Brothers records. When HDH recorded new tracks wouldn't they have the resources to finish enough new songs for flip sides and not have to use Sliced Tomatoes again. Was it just as a favour to the Hollands' sister and brother-in-law or did Just Brothers use the song in their live shows and it had a local popularity. Rick

t . https://www.americanradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-IDX/IDX/1967/Billboard-1967-07-29-OCR-Page-0018.pdf#search="the shakers" The link above is for the Billboard review for One Wonderful Moment. I found the advert in the 5th August 1967 edition of Billboard but can't work out how to separate it from the rest of magazine.

I can't find it now but I've seen a full page advert for One Wonderful Moment in Billboard magazine online archives promoting it as a new release. I don't think it had a photo of the group, maybe some clever person could find it and post it .

I was told a story by the late Terry (Francis) Thomas about Scott's on Swingers. Anyone who knew him will know that Terry would always try to speak to the artist at a show and get something signed, usually a sleeve or a photocopy of the single. When Edwin Starr was touring in the late 70s following his disco hits ,Contact and Happy Radio Terry took along his Scott's on Swingers and showed it to Edwin. He was amazed to see the record and demanded to know how and where he had got the single as no one was supposed to be able to buy or sell the disc. It was the first copy Edwin had seen since it was made and he wanted Terry to sell it to him, no chance. My recollection of the record is that it started as a rumour amongst collectors around 73 or 74. I originally thought it was the product of an over stimulated imagination or another wind up like the infamous 6x6 vocal and The Spy vocal, courtesy of Dave McCadden . Fairly soon after that it turned up and I got a copy from somewhere as someone must have located a decent quantity, I'd think around 50 -75 . They were double sided and all unplayed. I don't know who found them, John Anderson or Martin Koppel would be the most likely but I have a feeling it might have been Neil Rushton. Neil was getting some very nice rare stuff , he had quite a few Bari Track around this time . Maybe @Neil Rushton could confirm or deny this. As it wasn't a "must have" for DJs the price wasn't a lot and I don't think it went up in value for decades. I sold one in 76 and don't remember a big price i.e. over £10. Rick

Stephen, I wasn't commenting on the records but on the fact that northern soul is now used on the TV , radio and other media so much that it's use on Cold Feet is just another regrettable appropriation of our music by the mass media. I wish they'd leave it alone. Rick

or maybe this one? or going back to the sixties Anna King did Mama's Got A Bag Of Her Own as a female take on JB, on YT

Yes, saw that as well but judging by the lack of response on here I guess we all are so used to hearing such records on the media that it's not as special anymore. Was going to mention The Great Pottery Throw Down on C4 had Tainted Love, Cool Jerk and I've Only Got Myself To Blame within half an hour, but so what.

Marginal , or someone else, must have redone the above CD with two extra tracks, You Got The Power and Someday The Sun Will Shine. On the Solid Smoke LP the last paragraph of Ollie McLaughlin's sleeve notes he says that they recorded several songs that were never released . Four are on the album but it is not clear if they are the only ones or "several" means more than the four. Ollie may not have rated Someday The Sun Will Shine or he may not have had the tapes for some reason. I think we can be fairly certain the CD version was not done from any proper tapes. Sorry the photos not too clear.

Hi Chalky I had a feeling that I had heard something about the Atlantic tape vaults so had a quick search which revealed that a fire had destroyed the tape vaults housing the original studio tapes . More details here under the heading- Long Beach Warehouse Fire. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_Records The Deon Jackson studio tapes could still exist if Carla/Karen kept the original tapes and only sent Atlantic the mixed tape. Same goes for other labels that Atlantic distributed but ,as you say, it would be great if the big labels opened their vaults for CD compilation before it's too late. Rick

Hi Siz- Hope you're keeping well after all these years. Thanks for posting, interesting to see the prices other types of music are fetching. I'm surprised to see Jazz and Classical albums are going for four figures, knew they were going for hundreds but not thousands. Do you know what was so special about the Led Zeppelin album that made it go for $2597 instead of $2.59. Rick

Try this one, hopefully this should make you very happy James Barnett- Take a Good Look

Up In The Streets Of Harlem - One of their best sixties sides and a Bert Berns composition and production so got to be good.

For his 60s MGM tracks try the CD "Warm Soul" on Poker DECKCD104, includes The Panic Is On and You Can Count On Me. RCA and his final AGP tracks are on the CD "Tore Up" from Shout ,number SHOUT 44. includes the northern tracks and some superb deep soul recordings, an essential CD as it would be hard to get all the singles . Both these were on Cherry Red distributed labels but are deleted now so you may have to search around a bit. Rick

Not strictly a Manchester club , being a few miles away, but it(Druffies) was mentioned on this thread so this may bring back memories for anyone who was there on the night. I don't know why the DS thought it worthwhile raiding a small mid week club, probably an easy target. I don't remember who the main DJs were but seem to think Martyn Ellis did it quite a lot. Frank Elson visited a few times and wrote reports in his Blues and Soul column. The records played were very good for a small club. The main thing I remember is trying to persuade Steve Vickers to do a deal on the records he was selling, usually unsuccessfully .

Soul City's "Who Knows" is a revelation as going by Everybody Dance Now I'd never have thought the group could sound so different and produce a stunning version of the song. Barbara Lynn never made a bad record so no surprise there. The Helena Ferguson track is the flip of My Terms so also a good double -sider. Got the CD a few days ago and just as good as the other four. How about volume 6 ?