Pete S

On a label like London, I'd have said between 300 and 600 preliminary run for something that wasn't a guaranteed hit. I'll try and find out

You're right, absolutely no way they only pressed one...but maybe this guy took a copy, before they said they had to be destroyed...or something along those lines

Same as most things - some worthless, some worth lots. Most of the Mirwood stuff, £10 to £25 depending on the title, Sheppards much more, Ray Merrell obviously...most of the stuff licensed from the Shout label is hard to sell

This is the problem when you get a super super rare record like that - you so want to keep it, but me, I always sell - always - because at the end of the day, it's just a piece of plastic which could by my family an awful lot of happiness, and I'll just buy a £5 reissue.

This is rarer than Frank Wilson in my opinion. I posted a couple of your pics on Facebook and nobody can believe it. Hardened collectors are sobbing at the sight of it It's the find of a lifetime. I'm not in the slightest bit jealous. Rope anyone???

I should book your holiday now, you'll get 10K for that if you auction it.

That's enough evidence for me. Congratulations Nick. You've found the rarest British soul record of all time.

At one Brighton record fair someone was supposed to have found a Dutch London issue...nobody saw it

Think all will be revealed when a decent photo goes up.

London Demo has the same matrix as the issue.

We don't know because no one has ever seen an issue to compare it - but I would have thought they'd be the same to be honest. It'll have the inverted number above the calatogue number in the run off.

When this got pressed - late 76, was in Pep's shop and he had a small box of 45's for sale, not his, he was selling them for someone, as soon as it was pressed an original was in there for £25, we thought that was a shockingly high price...

That was known and a copy or two copies were around though.

Sorry about being incredulous but when you've been collecting British as long as some of us have, and a record known to previously not exist turns up, people are going to be a little sceptical. This is a record that's been talked about for nearly 50 years and not one single copy has ever been found. If you have found it - massive congratulations, you have the rarest UK record ever made I should think.

Yes I had all those Rob, well I still do in itunes, but the Dynamite series was seriously overrated and the last couple are unlistenable. Their Studio One releases, on the other hand, were brilliant I thought.

I'll believe it when I see it.

Doh!

It's a cracking instrumental though!

I ended up buying one a day after I last posted on this thread (I'd have bought yours Mark but didn't fancy the 160 mile round trip) and while I think it's pretty good, much better than the Sharp one, I am yet to hear any evidence of surround sound whatsoever.

Sorry not soul but of interest to some.. I’m working on a project which is doomed to failure but I was intending to compile every UK Island A & B side, not quite sure why, but when I was collecting the label I managed to get about 60% of it done, I think now I can get maybe 95% done…anyway more on that if I ever do it, it’s just that this got me playing through lots of the releases and I thought the Ska tracks from the era’s peak (1964-65) would make a great compilation…and I was right. This is the cream of Island’s Ska output, earliest tracks are from 1964 and they end around the middle of 1966 when the sound is unquestionably turning into Rocksteady. A lot of the early 1966 music, I like to call this “Rudeboy Ska” as it has a disntinctly different flavor to it than what went just a few months previously — listen to The Wailers, Melodians and Bob Andy tracks and you’ll see what I mean. Anyway, nearly two hours worth of belters here, I’ve dubbed off the original records if no CD version was available so apologies for snap crackle and pop in places. BABA BROOKS — DUCK SOUP JUSTIN HINDS & THE DOMINOES — BOTHER RATION THE SKATALITES — BALL OF FIRE OWEN & LEON SILVERA — WANT ME COCK ERIC MORRIS — PENNY REEL THE SKATALITES — LUCKY SEVEN THE SKATALITES — DOCTOR KILDARE STRANGER COLE — RUN JOE SHENLEY DUFFUS — RUKUMBINE JUSTIN HINDS & THE DOMINOES — THE ARK JACKIE OPEL — OLD ROCKING CHAIR THE ZODIACS — RENEGADE DESMOND DEKKER — THIS WOMAN THE WAILERS — HOOLIGAN JUSTIN HINDS & THE DOMINOES — CARRY GO BRING COME DESMOND BAKER & THE CLARENDONIANS — RUDE BOY GONE JAIL BABA BROOKS — VITAMIN A THE MAYTALS — BROADWAY JUNGLE BABA BROOKS — TEENAGE SKA ALTON & THE FLAMES — DANCE CRASHER KING SPARROW — BEGGARS HAVE NO CHOICE TOMMY McCOOK — ROCKET SHIP LORD TANAMO — COME DOWN DON DRUMMOND — STAMPEDE THE WAILERS — WHAT’S NEW PUSSYCAT THE TECHNIQUES — LITTLE DID YOU KNOW DERRICK HARRIOTT — THE JERK DON DRUMMOND — MAN IN THE STREET THE SKATALITES — I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER THE SKATALITES — BEARDSMAN SKA THE GAYLADS — YOU’LL NEVER LEAVE HIM THE SKATALITES — GUNS OF NAVARONE THE MELODIANS — LAY IT ON THE CLARENDONIANS — RULES OF LIFE KEN BOOTHE — I DON’T WANT TO SEE YOU CRY DERRICK MORGAN — IT’S ALRIGHT THE WAILERS — SINNER MAN DELROY WILSON — DANCING MOOD KEN BOOTHE — TRAIN IS COMING BOB ANDY — I’VE GOT TO GO BACK HOME THE WAILERS — THE TOUGHEST https://www.mixcloud.com/mayfairmenthol/scorching-ska-from-the-island-archives/

As opposed to hyper-inflation caused by ridiculous auction bids?

I first heard this around 1972 but it wasn't this Otis version, it was this one...didn't find out it was a cover until years later (*edit, looking the LP sleeve, it would have been 73/74)

Me and my big mouth, I was going to keep this but I forgot to take it off Discogs and someone bought it for £10!

Carl - not a criticism or anything but when you say a UK Beacon demo of The Chi Lites, could you describe this please as as far as I know, there are no Beacon demos, unless someone's stamped an A on it. Oh and interested buyers should check out the brilliant B side Pretty Girl...midtempo magic

Discounting of three figure records often happens because some of us have to make a living and do not have the stock, like some people, to be able to leave said record on the shelf and bringing it out again in a years time. Here and now, money or no money, I'll take the money please and if that means selling a £100 record for £75 - it's got f*ck all to do with anyone else and people should celebrate getting a bargain, not moan because it might be "devaluing" their precious collection. I mean really. Are peoples mindsets really controlled by a man writing down prices in a "guide"?