Modularman

New Book available to order now which may be of interest to some on here. Photos mainly from Manchester venues including The Twisted Wheel. Has been around 10 years in the making so can't wait for my copy to arrive! https://easyontheeyeshop.co.uk/product/boom-boom-boom-boom-the-blues-photos-of-brian-smith-1962-1966/ Back in the late fifties and into the sixties, Manchester was a happening centre of popular music, rivalling Liverpool and London. Local lad Brian Smith saw it happen. In the mid-1950s a friend’s older brother took them to shows at Manchester Free Trade Hall where Brian was introduced to skiffle, early rock and roll and the blues boom. A keen amateur photographer, Brian got his first proper camera in 1961 and began combining what were now his two passions. He soon became known to door staff as ‘the fan with the camera’. He strived to get a decent frame or two, had them printed up locally, then went along the next time to have the photograph signed. Along with his friends they got to know theatre managers and staff, who were happy to let them backstage to meet musicians and chat, with Brian invariably photographing the scene. Spurred on by the excitement of mixing with famous musicians, they founded the Northern Society Of Popular Music, printing up letterheads and business cards to help them gain access to the venues and dressing rooms. Towards the end of the fifties promoters and artists began adding ‘guest stars’ to their bills, and many blues artists first appeared here in that role. Brian took a keen interest in the emerging blues scene after seeing Muddy Waters on a bill with Chris Barber in 1958. Over the next decade Brian saw and photographed most of the big American blues musician who played in Manchester. There is an acknowledged irony that black blues artists began to enjoy a cult following in Britain and Europe while they were still largely unknown or acknowledged back home. Through the distribution of records in specialist shops and the concert performances, the scene burgeoned in Britain in the early half of the sixties, until British bands, hugely influenced by the music, assimilated (sometimes acknowledged, sometimes not) much of the music and spirit, and took it back to America to massive acclaim. To be there witnessing the scene at first hand is enviable enough, but to be there with a camera recording it is something blues fans worldwide can be grateful for today. Brian began frequenting venues such as the famous Twisted Wheel Club as soon as he was old enough. After the start of Roger Eagle’s legendary r’n’b allnighters at the Twisted Wheel in 1963 (which later led to the birth of Northern Soul) the groundbreaking music magazine R & B Scene launched the following year. Put together locally by Twisted Wheel regulars, Brian became their main photographic contributor for the next fifteen months until the magazine folded. Money was always tight and Brian could only afford a couple of rolls of film at any one time. Once the magazine folded, Brian’s photography began to take more of a back seat. It wasn’t until the 1980s and a revival of interest in blues music that Brian’s images began to be sought out by CD compilers. Since then his pictures have appeared in magazines, books and exhibitions, yet until now nobody has attempted to present a published collection of his work. In doing so, and taking the book title from the John Lee Hooker classic, Easy On The Eye have had unique access to Brian’s extensive archives, working directly with surviving negatives and prints which have been newly scanned for the book. The photographs are annotated and fully captioned. The selected material shows the blues artists who most interested the young photographer, as well as the British bands who often idolised them as well. Brian produced images with a real presence and quality, and managed to capture a unique and relatively short lived scene in fascinating detail. Not only on-stage, but back in the dressing rooms, he photographed these giants of the blues relaxing with a beer and a pack of cards, or posing for souvenir pictures with British fans, male and female, a remarkable cultural melting pot considering that many of the musicians themselves could not even travel next to whites in some States back home at that time. It shows how music could and can cross any boundaries. FEATURING : Johnny Guitar Watson, Big Joe Turner, Chuck Berry, Screaming Jay Hawkins, Little Richard, Bo Diddley, Jimmy Reed, Hubert Sumlin, Howlin Wolf, Buddy Guy, John Lee Hooker, The Rolling Stones, Carl Perkins AND MANY MORE.

According to Manships bootleg guide the gold label is the first press

According to his latest instagram post all orders will be cleared in the next 7 days

Spelt wrong on all of them

Is that one really black vinyl, didn’t know one existed like that? You have to hold it up to a bright light bulb for it to appear translucent brown otherwise it just looks like standard black vinyl

It really is bright yellow and all the fonts are also wrong

Have PM'd you

I think they take them down temporarily while the current auction is ending

When is this out and who is reissuing it?

John has updated his Instagram and says they have had around 3000 orders, some of them are for about 100 records a hit, so you can appreciate how long it is taking to process them

Anyone seen this? Sounds a bit northern by numbers to my ears but would be interested to hear what people think and if it would get plays? Is he known to anyone on the scene? Seems like a good guy and well intentioned in terms of working with his community. Link; Peterborough singer Malcolm releases Northern Soul single

My order received today in full. I wasn't expecting them to be actioned on until 6th January, so not too bad imo. I think starting the sale on boxing day was maybe unwise what with people's expectations in this day and age of 'instant delivery'. Might have been an idea to state that orders wouldn't be processed until w/c 6th January?

Placed my order on boxing day, has been marked as completed today

Would @funkyfeet recall the track?

You're right, they've also removed the date stamp

No, they are all spelt incorrectly

The label used on that video looks like the most recent bootleg with the date stamp removed. The text is much smaller than the original/brown vinyl counterfeit. Weird (est)! That's not to say the audio is from the label shown. I can't play mine to compare as The Enemy has covered my decks in sewing stuff while we're decorating Don't have deep enough pockets to own an original so no idea what intro that plays...

So is the brown vinyl counterfeit copy from the 70's? I have both. The lookey-likey counterfeit, brown vinyl, identical labels to the original. The date stamped copy is black vinyl.

Think that came out early 2000's and is easily to tell from the original, the other boot from the 90's is a lookey-likey copy and the only way to tell is to hold up to a bright light and the vinyl is translucent dark brown

I understood the dark brown one was a 70's boot circa 1979?

You don't have to sign up. It's a public post. I'm not on Facebook but can view Facebook posts

It's also on their Instagram, a few people have asked what the song is but havent had a reply https://www.instagram.com/reel/C_kxrJyscIt/?igsh=MXQ5cTBnMWNwa2ZsMg==

Della Reese has a pretty good punt at the song

Geater Davis - I Don't Worry (About Jody) Sam & Dave - Jody Ryder Got Killed Jimmy Coe & His Gay Cats Of Rhythm - Run Jody Run Johnny Mitchell - Jody Grande Tyree Davis - I'm Leaving You In Jodys Hands

Duralcha - Jody Is Gone James Reese & The Progressions - Jodys Freeze Darker Shades Ltd - Trackin' Down Jody Reggie Soul - I Got Jody Bobby Newsome - Jody Come Back And Get Your Shoes Jean Knight - Don't Talk About Jody Sonny Green - Jody's On The Run Bobby Patterson - Right On, Jody Vernon Garrett - Jody Can Ease The Pain Charles Wright - Run Jody Run Big John Hamilton - I Finally Caught Up With Jody Joe Williams Jr - Don't Let Me Catcha Jody