Russ Vickers

I reckon when you die & end up in that scorching Nighter down below you'll only be able to DJ through the power of thought & only with records that you once owned in the mortal world & only if they were on OV, So get buying suckers........

Steve - the scene is & has been for many years now international. There are collectors all over the world half our age collecting, listenig & dancing to Rare Soul 45's & they number several hundreds if not thousands, it aint just about us any more, anyone who still believes we are the be all & end all of it are greatly mistaken. No longer is Rare Soul something that happens north of Watford Gap & hasnt been for a decade or more.............where folk buy there records will be up to them, venues or ebay or else where, but buy them they will for many, many years to come........ Best Russ

The price of records in 2011 is as it was in '68, '78, '88, '98, 2008 etc.........its all relevant.....you look at what the big ticket items were then & compare it to what a weekly wage was & you wont find that much difference on most things.........if you want em & cant afford em, you'll have do what we all do.......start diggin' & stop whinging . And the biggest red herring being talked about on SS is how the arse is gonna fall out of the collectors scene with regards to prices, yeah, bollox, been talked about forever & still the demand is there & so it will remain......there are gonna be some awfully red faces about from those that saw there collections as an investment as opposed to a labour of love if they sell up early thinkin they're gonna cash in, cos it aint over until the fat dancer croaks my friends....... Best Russ

I was under the impression that the Moses Dillard stuff was recorded in the Carolinas before she moved to Detroit ?...I cant find any reference any where to her having recorded in Texas, although she must have done (?)....... Thank you for the information........but still a mystery to me ???. I think Cressa Watson & Martha Starr are the same & that the information on the LP is incorrect...........oh bugger, theres still the mention of the release in the discog oh poo !!! Best Russ

Thanks guys for the info.........seems I'm doomed never to have one then . Hi Ian, could you send me a sound file of the funk side pse. Best Russ

Bugger.........been looking for this for about 3 years, kept it close for awhile, but I aint got a chance now Sam is playing it out . Thanks for the information, much appreciated. Best Russ

Unity & the Down Beat - Love Dream: Not sure of label or whether 45 or LP track ????. I would be very interested in any information on this & if anyone has a copy for sale. Pse PM. Thank youuuuuuuuuu Russ

Well I cant play any of them now can I Ray Nice choices buddy. Best Russ

Thank you Ady. Best Russ

Touche'..........I was using other peoples definitions :-) . Best Russ

Thank you to everyone who has posted, really good stuff.......keep em comin'. Best Russ

Records that we now describe as Crossover have always been played on the NS scene. The term Crossover has been used since the mid 8ts at least, but to my knowledge were played alongside everything else, seperate room etc didnt come until later. I'm sure that Chuck C, was played in someones bedroom at some point, therefore giving someone first dibs , but it was played at Soul Essence substantially before taking off 'massively' in NS Rooms, not saying it hadnt been discovered or hadnt had an odd play at Northern do's, but Soul Essence was where it was first aired on a regular basis & it was NOT widely known on the NS scene prior to this............so there . There are lots of records listed here in peoples Top 5's as Crossover which deffo arnt Crossover as far as my definition goes, but I'm enjoying the lists & peoples choices anyway. Now can we get back to the Top 5's pse. Russ

Russ

The term was coined in the mid 8ts from my memory . Russ

'Right I aint been paying attention !!!, I love the 'Sweet Temptation' track that Ady has been playing at the 100 Club for years, I believe the version that Ady plays is the Cressa Watson version ?. However there are versions by both Martha Starr & Ward Burton, I know Ward Burton was released on Panther, but can someone pse post the details off the other releases, although I'm assuming Cressa Watson is unissued ?. I also have Tobi Lark in my head in connection with all of this too, but wondered if it had been covered up as TL at some point ?.' Above is my original post & just to stop things getting confusing & to get back to the original topic here is what has surfaced so far: Martha Starr - Sweet Temptation/ Little Girl Blue - Charay (35). Cressa Watson - Sweet Temptation - ? Previously unreleased (?) until appearing on the LP '20 great unknown soul classics'. Altnough there is a reference to the Cressa Watson version having a release on Charay (?) on the Soul Strutter blog site , however the supplied Charay discography doesnt list it. Soooooooo......... Can anyone pse post a label scan from the Martha Starr release & a sound file please. Could anyone pse post the Cressa Watson version from the LP (Are there any liner notes with the LP that might shed some light ?). Does anyone have any information that would confirm Cressa Watson having been released on Charay & if possible with label scan & sound file to compare whether the same as the LP or Martha Starr versions. And to stop further confusion, my initial thoughts with regard to Martha Starr having been covered up as Tobi Lark were correct. Thank you everyone for your contributions so far Best Russ

Oh yesssssssss ! Russ

Cheers mate - you goin MonuMENTAL On Sea ? Russ

Thx mate. Russ

Hi Dave Thanks for the info......any other thoughts. Hope you are well. Russ

Cheers Kev........ Russ

How could I have overlooked Eddie Billups............wow, one of my all time faves . Best Russ

Thanks Steve, can anyone add to this information ?. Russ

Yes mate, I'm certain as I can be theyre the same, which raises a couple of questions, on the assumption Martha Starr was based in Detroit, what was she doing recording for Charay ?, also & I might be stating something people already know (?), but I'm wondering whether the unissued Cressa Watson cut was uncredited when found & as it was an alternative take (although Martha Starr version may not have been widely known ?) was incorrectly credited to Cressa Watson ???........ Would be very grateful if anyone can shed any light on this ? Best Russ

Martha Starr has the long instrumental break, Cressa Watson doesnt, but other than this its the same vocalist deffinitly.......pse can anyone shed any light on why one version has been credited to Cressa Watson (unissued) & one to Martha Starr, issued on Charay ?. Best Russ