Godzilla

Fair enough I wasn't commenting on the quality. I still think it's the organist. If you chose to to imagine it's the studio's dog I won't stand in your way...

The backing on the Dusty version is directed by Arthur Greenslade, who was British, although he did do some work in the US.

I sometimes wonder if when people say "someone once told me... they actually mean "this is what I think" but are attempting to give some provenance to their theory. Not that I'm suggesting that this is the case here, of course. Anyway, I believe I can hear someone playing a little glissando on the organ around that time. More likely that having a dog in the studio don't you think...?

Prices in GBP: Paypal only please (gift if possible - my rep on here is sound). Discount for multiple orders - and you could always make me a (close) offer... Shipping is £2:50 signed for UK - overseas at cost. I may insist on insurance depending where you live. Feel free to ask questions, request clips. Scans are in a black sleeve - any dust in pics is on the outside of the sleeve - not the records! PM or email to: mistergodzilla@yahoo.com Thanks! Master Four - Love From The Far East - Tayster EX 55 SOLD Gems - I'll Be there - Riverside (issue) Ex 50 8th Avenue Band - The Whole Thing - Columbia (promo) M 20 Two Fellows - Stop (Don't Give Up Your Loving) Mutt M 55 Ketty Lester - Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid - RCA Ex 50 Sam Ambrose and Friend - They'll Be Coming - Crazy Horse Ex- 35 Please note: I'll need payment before noon Monday 23rd June as I'll be away for a week from Tuesday. Cheers

I remember him playing it the night you sold it to him. Don't think we realised at the time quite how rare it was!

I wouldn't dismiss it being Mike Curb though. Behind all that choral stuff he did with Congregation there are some really nicely orchestrated pieces of music with beats. Some of his stuff reminds me of Charles Stepney. Given that he also made garage, surf and psychedelic sounding records as well, it's certainly not beyond him to have produced that track.

I've got cash in the old paypal account and also have some decent Northern oldies that I'd trade for the Garden of Eden 45. Hit me up with a PM please. Cheers

He's a friend of a friend. I correspond with him a bit and he's really funny and insightful. A true one off musically as well - have a listen to his twisted cabaret type stuff if you get the chance. He really doesn't like the arrangement on 'Animals..' by the way. It was supposed to more baroque sounding and he was dismayed when he heard how it turned out. Eventually he re-recorded it as he meant it to sound and he gave our mutual pal a copy of the album with it on, but a year later the bastard still hasn't given it to me. I'm with you on the 60s version however.

Top bloke though!

I guess I should reply given that I was involved in the debate and although I respect your opinion that it was 'rightfully aborted,' I don't necessarily agree: I do understand why there's an objection to people making subjective comments about price etc, but I can't see how it's wrong to ask someone to correct an error. It's the same as when someone accidentally credits the wrong label or attributes a New Orleans recording to Chicago - we all make mistakes and I'd certainly want to get right. I have no axe to grid with the seller and I accept that there's demand for the reissue that probably justifies the asking price. As for the record in question, here's my take. I still have my 100% original blue text issue. I remember when the 2nd press became available and was advertised with all the other boots/re-pressings in Black Echos magazine a year or so later, which suggests that even if it was done by the label owners, it had been commissioned from the UK. Nobody had ever seen the black lettered one before this time and as far as I'm aware they tend not to turn up in Texas either. In addition to the text colour there's a different address on the original label (3602 Dowling rather than 2309 Holman) and the writer credit is A Collins, as opposed to A Vallier. Alton Vallier was the producer, so maybe he was approached and still had the master plates? I don't know but it's clearly not a contemporaneous issue. And that's a fact. Thanks.

I'm aware of no evidence to support this being a 60s press to be honest. I remember the black lettering copies appearing some after after the originals. I think it's a fair assumption that they were pressed to meet UK demand.

That Rufus Wood isn't the original issue I'm afraid.

Just seen this and I'm genuinely, deeply shocked and saddened. We went to Chicago last year and Bob provided tons of interesting and useful information beforehand to ensure we made the most of our trip. When we got there he arranged to meet up, picked us up from the hotel and drove us around loads of the bits of Chicago that tourists wouldn't usually hit. He was an absolute mine of information about the city, which he loved and had immense pride in. He was also a really warm and funny guy. I'm about to tell Mrs G who will be equally saddened by this awful news. RIP Bob - they don't make many like you.

Here you go: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBC_Studios

Do you know, I've been thinking about posting a similar topic for a while about the 'Northern Effect'. It struck me that there are hundreds (thousands more likely) of soul, funk, jazz, Latin gospel etc records that have been sought by collectors for years - I'm not talking about new discoveries here, clearly, just established records. When they start to get plays on the Northern scene the price generally rockets out of all proportion - you also see it happen with relatively new records like the Smoove and Turrell, Lefties Soul Connection 45s that have shot up in price in recent years. Meanwhile funk records that have a sort of classic status and some demand but aren't of interest to Northern collectors (such as Pull My Coat, Black Belt Jones for example) seem to find a value and more or less settle there. Same with those other genres. I was wondering if the unrealistic price hikes were related to the fact that that the Northern Soul scene was one of the first in the UK where it was commonplace to throw enormous amounts of money at 45s to secure them (and the fact that the majority of collectors these days are mature and financially secure). Average funk collectors, from my experience, aren't necessarily younger, or shorter of cash on the whole, but they tend not have come from that same big spending culture. Same thing you were saying from a slightly different perspective maybe? I still don't think that sellers describing their records as "funk/soul, funky soul" and so on are necessarily au fait with the ebbs and flows of Northern Soul fashion however.

Well! As far as it goes for offering the most minimal of apologies after using a really bad example to prove your point that's a cracker, Paul heheh. Seriously though, the funk/soul description has been used for years. Maybe people are just noticing it now because so called 'funk edged soul' is the flavour of the month? As an example of this, here's a Lee Moses track from Popsike in 2003 that's (accurately) described as "funk soul".

Doesn't sound like jazz funk to me Bob. Just heavily syncopated rhythm and blues ie funk. Mik Parry was right when he said it sounds like a New Orleans record. Probably why this Kansas recording got reissued on a Louisiana label: it feels like an Eddie Bo tune. Here he is by the way.

...but has misunderstood the topic under discussion...

In a final twist of fate, some pals of my who play in a band doing southern soul /funk type tunes are doing a few gigs with augmented by a sax player and they've decided to cover The Hen in their set. Strange world of dirty, funk edged, fonky Northern Soul eh?

The point you're missing , Mik, is that all listings on ebay are supposed to confirm to to what people into Northern Soul feel is their definition of the genre. And on this site, after god knows how many years we still can't agree whether the definition of soul music should include 50s R&B, white singers, instrumentals, disco records, soulful house, jazz, Latin, records made specifically for the scene or comedy 45s. (ok I made the last one up but you get the point).

Reissue from the 80s or European issue most likely.

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I don't think anyone is suggesting that The Hen should be played at Northern nights in fairness Mal. And the point I was trying to make is that some people just like funk records and aren't on a crusade to get them played at Northern nights. I think you're missing the point, however, if you're claiming that people who have been buying funk 45s for many years have only done so in order to be considered 'trendy' by folks confined to the NS scene

I still like it. Moreover, it seems crazy to me that because some funkier records are now in favour on the Northern scene, a tune like the Louis Chachere record should stop being described as a funk record and shoe-horned into a made up genre that separates it from the twisted Northern Soul definition of funk. Aaaarrrrgggh!