Russ Vickers

Good thread & food for thought, but many of tomorrows monster sounds are sitting around in peoples 'tut' boxes for reasonable prices right now at Allnighters & Soul Nights, its about how its always been.......diggin', diggin', diggin & knowledge gained from experience, tenacity & a bit of luck. I honestly believe that you can build a great collection of records for DJing purposes with hard work, as opposed to a large wallet & its far more fun & you gain knowledge, contacts & a bit of a nose for em by doing it this way. Prices are relative, someone back in the early 7ts for example could only dream of buying the top sounds, once they were top sounds...........its more difficult now, but you have to find records in a left field way & be inventive, it also helps if your not chasing Butch's top play, but find your own niche......along the way you might get lucky & find some big oldies too, some you wont like, so you either trade for what you do like or sell & again put the money to towards summat else. There are also forgotten gems out there that are waiting to be re discovered, so CD & MP3 swapping, searching old play lists, listening to old 'live' tapes & chatting to folk at Nighters & record bars will broaden your personal taste as to what you slip under the radar on. Find an unknown or under valued cheapie then buy up a few copies over time & sell em on for a small profit to reinvest. None of this is anything new, it just takes time & patience. Like anything, if you are starting from scratch it will take time & a certain amount of money, but sorry to be boring here, hard work & an ear are more important than just a large wallet. Russ

Just to make this thread even more ridiculous.......sorry to state the obvious but Pete aint exactly sitting on the fence when it comes to Jock either is he . Russ

Really, daaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrlllllllliiinnnngggggggggg !!! it just gets better . Russ

Sorry I lied....I'm still here........its a soul forum FFS, Jocks a nice decent bloke, as I'm sure you are Gene, but...........your part in his exposure OMG , I just laughed that much I think some wee came out, this gets more like 'Carry On Up The Casino' everyday....good comedy just writes itself........ oh dear. Russ

Pick on my mates & I'll stick up for them end of . My dads bigger than yours.......its a soul forum for gods sake !!! Now I'm off to do something interesting like listen to some tunes black, white n brown Russ

Only you Pete could make such a one liner after such a poiniant & well thought out post.........incredible . Sure Gene is a lovely bloke, but he set himself up. You n Jock have a past history so your not very likely to agree with him. Russ

Thank you. Russ

Just sat here thinking to my self why the hell do I continually get myself mixed up in these debates on SS. It doesnt effect me personally because these kind of events wouldnt be where I would personally choose to go, nor are my soul mates involved or particularly interested in the topic in more, it isnt really discussed at all - its just a given. Boots, carvers & EMI Discs have always been played on the scene to some extent & for the vast majority of this time I spose I was blissfully unaware of the fact. But there does seem to be another dimension to all of this these days. Years ago it was accepted that at youth club do's & your little local events bootlegs would be played alongside everything else & no one cared, least of all me. the events & DJ's however were not trying to be anything that they wernt.....everyone wants to be a DJ or promoter now & will almost go to any lengths to achieve this, so to me the playing of bootlegs at these kind of events is not acceptable, as most are passing themselves off as mainstream events where IMO on the whole originals should be played. I'm tired of discussing it, cos to me its obvious & as I said earlier a given, which almost doesnt need to be debated, up until releatively recently because we all knew it was wrong........apparently the goal posts have changed & because I point this obvious fact out I'm demonised & branded a soul snob. My modest collection has taken years & years to amass, I have saved, lied (to the wife), visited the US, nurtured friendships with dealers & record savvy friends, dug long, deep & hard, wheeled, dealed & scoured the earth for soul records & the hours & money I have spent are incalcuble. Occasionally I am lucky enough to share these records through DJing...........& apparently all i needed to do was say sorry its too difficult for one reason or another to play originals, but heres a boot that I could have secured in seconds on any given day of the week forever. Thats why I continue to get involved in these debates. Now it would really make my day, if some one came on here & said OMG I understand now, dont think I'll do that any more, but it aint gonna happen is it. Russ

Strangely, I knew you would post that Pete, I do think however it is a slightly different thing. Best Russ

You've hit the nail squarely on the head, play boots close down, this is the reason why we have so many crap events that add nothing to the scene, but massage the egos of the promoters & wannabe DJ's who book each other & support each others events, yes they should have been shut down & this would actually help the scene massively. Anyhoo, most will bugger off soon anyway like they did before..... Best Russ

MMM? So you can't be a DJ if you don't have original records then?? Didn't know that! Sorry for my ignorance. I think thats a little porkie isnt it, on the REAL NS scene its everything & the punters care too....... I'm personally sick to death of constantly trying to justify why boots shouldnt be played & being held up as some kinda anti christ, when we all know most of these folk are just tring to justify why they should DJ. I dont want to get personal with any one, its just my opinion after all, although I cant think of anyone I know that agrees with it.....however do you think Richard Searling, Pat Brady, Soul Sam etc from back in the day would think it was ok & would they have played an entire set of boots at Wigan etc..........do you think Butch, Andy Dyson etc play boots & think it would be alright for others to do so.........I'm not speaking on other peoples behalf BTW, but I would be shocked to the core if they were to advocate this shoddy practice..........its entirely about them selves DJing, nothing to do with soul music or anything else. Steve sure your a very nice bloke & a very competant DJ but stop kidding ya self mate, if you dont have the originals dont play em.....you wanna DJ, DJ in a regular pub or club where people dont care about such things, you can play ya Kylie or whatever off what ever, it doesnt matter, on our scene it does & nothing will EVER change that EVER, people can come on SS & tell there little stories & quote there little anecdotes about how the dances dont care, blah, blah, blah..............well guess what...........its still wrong to only play bootlegs & reissues in ya set full stop. The Javells was of its time, dont have any problems personally about records like these that were played back in the 7ts. But NS has evolved & there is no need to play these things now when there are so many better tunes to choose from IMHO. Best Russ

No worries mate. Russ

Thats been taken out of context Pete, the criteria that was being set to describe a 'Soul Snob' in that particular post maybe different to this. I was referring directly to the playing of bootlegs & the fact that I disagree with this entitles others to call me a 'Soul Snob' apparently - if this is the definition then I'm a 'Soul Snob'. Best Russ

I agree with the guy about the ML. Unless you have the OV dont play it. I find that many of the folk using the term 'Soul Snob' are those justifying why they play boots or who had left the scene & came back & dont understand how the NS had evolved & refuse to move on. If being a 'Soul Snob' means real vinyl & enjoying how the NS has developed......then I'll be one of them . Russ

Anyone pse. Russ

Sag War Fare - Dont Be So Jive/Girl You Better Change Current price pse. Best Russ

..........NNNNNNNNiiiiiiicccccccceeee. Russ

I just love both sides of Sag War Fare........dont spose I will ever have an opportunity to own my own copy, but just as happy to dance me ass off to it when I'm out n about....however any one wishing to move on a copy to a good home . T'oher side of Sir Joe is hoofin' as well. Thank you for the kind comments Best Russ

Cheers Tony.....missin me Nighters here in Baghdad & these would ram the floor at the places I wish I could attend.....never mind I'll be back with a vengeance shortly for a few short weeks. Take care Russ

Not sure that would fill the floor at some of the places I frequent any more.....maybe 35 years ago.....however: Its Beautiful - Ruby Andrews Shake Sheri - Hopkins Brothers Parliaments - Rainy Day Sag War Fare - Dont Be So Jive/Girl You Better Change Sir Joe - Nobody Beats My Love Eddie Daniels - Is He Better Than Me Just a few of the top of my head....... Best Russ

Over the odds ........see over priced oldies thread !!!.........250 UKP or there abouts methinks. Russ

I'll have one of those J&W for £50 too mate....... Russ

Thats the funniest thing I have read on here for a while PMSL Russ

Dave Withers, Arthur Fenn, Ian Wright...who knows........??? Russ

What a good reply Steve, how refreshing not to get the barrage of abuse just you happen to have your own opinion, I'd like to get ya a beer in well before 20 yrs, say hello if ya see me out n about . Russ