Davenpete

I've got that somewhere. Dx

Talking of strange places to buy records - over the years I've bought lots of 45s at all night discos in backstreet working mens clubs and third rate nightclubs in places like Barnsley and Bolton. Dx

The Beverley Road shops were still there in the early 80s (next door to Issy Lipman's Tailor's - father of Maureen) when I was at Art College in Anlaby Road had a lot of Invictus as I remember, there was a good one opposite the Art College that sold Voices from the Shadows, Spring Bank had a couple that had a fair bit in too, plus Sid Scarborough's, but that was mainly boots - there was a lot of stuff in Hull, the cut out store in the market yielded a fair bit too even though it was gone through regularly (specially as Paul Maden had a stall in the covered market 50 yards away back then). There was a shop round the corner from Scarborough that had six white demos of Bricks Broken Bottle and Sticks for £6 each - hated it so didn't buy one. Dx

Found a spanking mint issue of The Valentines at Merton Abbey Mills market - it was the only US record there. Also found a sealed original copy of an Irma Thomas album on IR in a charity shop in Kirkby Stephen - again the only US record in there. Dx

My understanding of the cutout system was that, unlike in the UK where the records were effectively loaned to the shop that was selling them (who then paid for those they sold and returned the rest), that the shops in the US actually bought them prior to sale - and were then paid for any unsold copies they returned. Any records that were returned were drilled or in the case of sleeves clipped so that when they were sent out for sale as cheaper bargain bin cutouts that they couldn't be fraudulently returned to the manufacturer as 'new' to collect the full refund. I'm sure most people heard the BS story that used to go around that they were stung using the holes for use as ship's ballast! Dx

It'll be Rubin on a bloody cat food advert next... Oh wait a minute. Dx

A whole nest of the xxxxxxxx... This sums up the whole Div subculture, they've even got special div flags so you can spot them more easily.

Les Cokell went to Go Now by Bessie Banks. We also put his British copy of The Drifter in the coffin with him as he'd said a number of times he wanted. Dx

According to the boss a div is someone who has to rely on the little extra from the divvy (the Coop Dividend) to get by. We were appalled to see hoards (including some theoretically highly respected people) wondering about in trilbies and those off the peg parkas you get with patches already sewn on when you buy them last time we made it out to a weekender... Fucking kiss me quick plastic dickheads, they'll be the death of the scene far more than loss of numbers or old age - it'll just get turned into a grey motown-pop soul cod-mod characature. Dx

Yes I just came to the computer to correct that - Morrison's not Asda. Wasn't Steve Whittle a maintenance engineer at Heinz? Re-the diversity of people on the scene - I went to a few nighters with a professional Thatcher from Littlehampton (near Southampton) way. Dx

And it was much appreciated. D&P

Er he was the Lighting and Music buyer for Asda for about 25 years. Prior to that A&R for RCA UK. I knew someone at nighters who was taught by MB - there used to be button badges saying 'I've been educated by Soul Sam'. Dx

FFS - as nasty as it gets.

Looks like another re-writing of history to avoid acknowledging the UK (northern) soul scene proper. ...I thought you only got 'white sheet kids' in the southern states of america - very big on setting fire to crosses on people's lawns I believe. Dx

Give me Mel and Tim any day. Dx

Wonderful stuff - really miss hearing these sorts of spins. Stone Crush - OT Sykes Shadow of a Memory - Minnie and the Minuettes Forgotten how good the Escorts is - got a copy kicking around somewhere.

The two guys bottom right have to be Cheech and Chong and Grace Jones is at the very top. Dx

Bombers were wonderful things - enabled us to dance to this Benny Hill paced comedy northern and love it. Dx

Would've said Potion of Love has a much better intro myself. Dx

This is it - 'I just wanna be there' is album only. Dx

Remember Paul Philips telling me years ago that, whenever they had a poll in Echoes, not only were by far the highest votes for 'what would you like to see MORE of in Echoes' for Northern, but also for the 'what would you like to see LESS of in Echoes'... Funny, we don't spend our time trying to stick it to poxy reggae fans. These lot are just arseholes though - have you seen the Oi band (more hair than brains) doing Fuck Northern Soul on Youtube - these are the sort of bonehead nazi c*nts that turned me off scooters and rallies (bearing in mind I was secretary of the biggest club in the country, by a factor 2, for a good many years). Used to have loads of this type where I come from - funny they're all into Northern now that psychobilly has dissappeared up its own arse. Dx

I was gong to ask the same question. Dx

Not heard it before (know the other one) - great record - reminds me of The Word Game by Benny Spellmann (but not as good). Dx

My once mint copy of Luther Ingram is cracked where Les Cokell stood on it when I lent it to him. My George Smith is also cracked due to cold shock after taking it out of a very hot Shotts and placing it on a -5ºC Crewe minibus dash board. Remember following Saus and his boot popping open and albums fluttering out all over the M6. Dx

GOTTA be Richard Temple...