Steve G

Yes and my theory (guesswork ) is that "Armed and Extremely dangerous" hit the charts and Pye thought "Oh we've got one by 1st Choice via our tie up with Scepter / Wand let's put it out"...makes some sense I think. Manship has a demo listed

Arrrggghhh!! No, That was Alan Felder and Stan Watson, some 6-8 months later, and btw although licensed through Scepter it came out on Wand. These guys were freelancing producers who were just getting songs done and then seeing who'd put them out, although Stan also had his label. Any more guesswork or is that it for today?

Sorry Ian this is not correct. The group (First Choice) came in via Georgie Woods. "This is the house" was their first record, and Norman Harris and Stan Watson worked on it. It was a Norman and Stan production and they would have leased it to Scepter as a one record deal. Stan then "weedled" the group away to his Philly Groove label and then they had their hits. Wand / Scepter stuff was licensed through Pye at the time (1972) not Bell.

Number allocated by Pye - 25613

Yes it was Ian and it may have even got a Pye number too (sorry my books are not with me but I have a niggling thought it did). Pete Widd was the first one I know to get onto it, and that maybe the copy Mick has. I'll ask him if I see him at Cleethorpes.

Ian Dewhirst on here is involved with it I believe. He'll be able to help I am sure.

It is "This is the house" but I was always led to believe that it was a Pye test pressing.

Is First Choice a test pressing? I won a few crates of old James Hamilton's 45s in an auction some years ago after he died, there is some weird 70s/80s stuff in there you don't see at all. I'll find some time to sort through em. Basically nearly everyone sent him their records.

Thanks Pete, I know they pressed them up, just don't think they sent them out much, which prob. explains rarity.

Sorry Wayne, but I found Mike from St Albans to be a 'flake'. He always said he had records, and whilst he clearly had some, he didn't have half the things he said he did. At one of Des T's record fairs early 2000s round the back of Kilburn (maybe when you saw him?) it got so bad, we started making up titles like the rare Ann Sexton record on Selma that kind of thing and he was saying yes he had them, or knew them. In the end he let a number of people down with all this BS. I know this because I was still in St Albans then and I started to get calls from people asking if I had heard from him cos they'd sent money, and in one case could I pop round his gaff and get their money back etc. As for Sag warfare apart from a review in an old Soul Essence programme probably for the slower side, I think Butch was the first person to play "Don't be so jive" out, I then heard Marco play it second.

It's a hard record all right. Don't think Scepter issued it properly. For me Mark one of the low points of WC Anyways good luck in the hunt.

hi Russ, Sounds like you had a blast at Caliente.... Whispers for me (BS was traditionally viewed as more dance floor friendly), unless I am talking British in which case a nice red and white demo of Bobby Sheen trumps all. Whispers not expensive, but most of their stuff on Dore was pretty good.

Flanny is that number the only thing in the runout?

Nice one Dave./...

Thanks for the perspective on Japanese collecting today, and yes I'd agree with your last point re the DJ culture as well.

no worries Nev .....in time honoured tradition the "A side" wasn't quite 'right' back then

Nev what are you talking about 1978? 1997 you prune

I don't think it's much - AND hopelessly overpriced.........ooops there I go!

Yes I thought that Geoff, but if everything else is any measure, we'll be able to tell the difference quite easily

.....and requested.

Mike from St Albans? He wouldn't have known it Wayne, no way. Think you may be getting confused with another title - Sag war fare was an unknown at the time (97 ish).

Yes it was a general discussion about the changed dynamics of collecting records.....which is multi facetted or scatter gun

I am not convinced that the Japanese market is that big anymore - but a dealer will be able to confirm or otherwise? They used to buy a lot of sweet / deep and at one time Soul Bowl produced a special Japanese list Of course we've all seen the youtubes of northern being played there Keb / Butch etc, but would be interested to know how big is the collecting thing these days. On the general thread prices will always go up for things that are in demand - examples like Flairs, Stratolinas on Federal etc. People hear them and want them. I see that as a different phenomenon to someone bidding £500 (and someone else bidding £495) for a UK Solomon Burke record. And then someone else offering a copy on here for £450 or whatever. The joys of electronic bidding though are responsible - it's as simple as someone wants a record they bid over the top to ensure they get it no fuss. Someone else does the same - hey presto suddenly the record has gone for an OTT price. It has always gone on, and the amount of auctions I lost in the days when we wrote with our sealed bids, it's just you never saw what the winner paid in the old days - you just got told "better luck next time".

I am sure there was only the one Wayne. I'd have questioned him about it if there were two copies in the same box. John got it from the States not a rock dealer at Victoria.

No Wayne sorry, it was in a "special" Soul Bowl box. In all honesty I actually bought it for the slower side.