Steve G

Very hard to gauge this. More of us seem to have been into it in the 70s - every town boasted it's soulies in bags and leather coats etc. But an awful lot of civilians, passing trade and divs trying something new in the crowd too -same with Wigan 100,000 members - but I bet lots only went the once - sightseers and tourists amongst the scene faithful. Nowdays a lot of people don't go to venues but might buy the odd CD now and again. You find NS in all sorts of places where you wouldn't have found it in the 70s (Homebase, HSBC Bank etc.) We're not really comparing apples with apples. So I don't think there is an answer.

Quite agree Tony.

I'm in the third group - it was so bad it was actually sad. How can we take this looning about / POG falling over doing a backflip etc. seriously? It was like a comedy wind up sketch like Catherine Tate or something but with real people we know.

Nice to see this and for once our friends in the US media not telling us how good Aretha is

There aren't too many out there. Be patient one will come along.

O don't be like that. This was always going to be controversial.

I agree with this. He did contribute in the period 73-77ish when he "lost it". He was influencial at the Casino, "banning" certain records etc. and he did play some good records in the earlier years - we've done all this before. It would be unfair to suggest that he contributed nothing in those years (73-77). The fact that he keeps trying to breath life into the Wigan corpse and going on any media that will have him is what annoys so many people. He was, as others have said, one DJ that never really migrated beyond WC. To him NS is WC. But to the rest of us WC was a place that played NS a long time ago. Happy memories yes, but not the be all and end all of the scene. But now he really should move on - take up golf or something.

Hey Rod some of my best friends are chubby 50 somethings , but they don't wear those god awful sweatbands - which are just gross - and that was the point. Everyone knows that I am politically correct I also suffer from an occasional expanding wasteline meself . Anyway I am still not totally upset about this clowning about pastiche on POG - I see it as kind of an update of something the Goodies might have done 30 years ago. And my parents haven't yet rung up to ask me if I saw it either!

It was so bad that you shouldn't really get upset about it folks. Just the latest Russmatazz. He is out there to milk whatever he can from the memory of Wigan, and we just have to accept that for what it is. The Casino is his life and that's all there is to it. But chubby "50 something" women with flared skirts and wrist bands on (I presume to control the flow of sweat - YUK!) - Sandy with his pink quiff, little old Russ with his Casino badge on his breast pocket........I mean it was so sweet and twee and totally irrelevant to the soul scene that I couldn't really be upset with it. It was like watching a programme about an old lady make straw dollies or something. Oddly though I have seen some people dressed like that out and about

Thats story of Richard's Jades reminds me of the one about Richard's copy of Billy Harner "I got it from heaven" which he dutifully lent to another DJ, and said DJ said "post it to me" . It never turned up and got lost somewhere in the system. You would think that after the Jades incident Richard would know better than to lend anyone his records.

I don't think this was ever a soul pack record for Soul Bowl. Seem to remember them coming in and being £3-£4 or something. It was never here in quantity and as others have said, was played on the scene from the off. Steve

Not correct Beeks. He wasn't that influencial on any of us. Read the thread "How did I get into soul" which pops up on here every so often and search the words "Winstanley" and "Russ" - they don't appear once.

Ellipsis are.......little black dots......

Without checking it was about 1969/70 methinks

Rhonda Davis Can you remember Duke Steve G Cheshunt & Crewkerne

Hmmm that's a lot - I would say probably 1000-1300 as a range for this.

Think I've told this story before but when I took Sam to The Scala nighter at Kings Cross back in the 90s, he was walking up the stairs and let go of his record box. It went tumbling down the stairs for what seemed like an age. Major gasps and "oh no's" from all around - but it turns out everything was all right.

Unbelievable for a not rare record

Simon, I would never come up with such a daft name as Candy Coated People.

Wow you "hounds" have been really clever finding out who this is........but I am afraid to say this record hasn't been such a big secret as some of you like to think. Love the great big piece of detective work on here guys - but Tim Brown actually reviewed it in Manifesto about 3-4 years ago uncovered.....if you'd been dutifully reading his column like good boys and girls......you could have saved yourself a lot of time and efort........anyway keep googling away

I am sure I have another sigle by him on a red label Boba. C 1980. Will check.

Yes and Sean Hampsey I seem to recall. It is rare on an issue.

yes think it's the same guy, but always thought the epsilons on shrine were from washington and keni was originally from there. Before anyone posts the philly group which included McFadden and Whitehead were different.

yeah read above. They distributed the label at the end c. 1968

Same design (with the sloping "P") used on other late releases - Simms, Olympics etc.