Steve G

W.T.F.I.T.A.A ?

Right that's enough. Caution for you, for the charge of editing your post after I replied to it. Be advised that NS records DID exist in 1966, they just weren't called NS. Now move along, or we'll have no option but to arrest you

Not even close, most of us were in short trousers then, now move along before you are arrested for causing a breach of the peace.

James you seem to know an awful lot about Ian's former girlfriends?

NS records weren't being bootlegged in 1966, so you have no charge to answer Madam

Are you Ian Levine in disguise? Actually in all seriousness I do not believe the origins of the soul police have anything to do with playing original vinyl versus pressings at clubs. Certainly not round these parts (Beds, Herts) where NO DJ would play anything other than original vinyl - the matter doesn't even come into the equation. The origins of the soul police from what I remember where more about taste of music as in "Don't play Dean Barlow, you'll be in trouble with the soul police" or "I'd take that copy of Mickey Moonshine off the decks mate, or the soul police will have a word" etc. References to vinyl and the soul police I think came much later, and the use of the term in that context came from those who were DJing without original vinyl as a kind of put down to those that had the vinyl.

Now that Jim Gilstrap is a fabulous tune. H B Barnum job when he was in his Osmonds period, so flush wish some money I'd wager.

Yeah had the same story broadly confirmed by several Motown artists I interviewed Ady. Once I'd heard it once, I asked others so what really happened to Tammi Terrell?. Normally they said "Can you turn the tape recorder off and I'll tell you about it, but you mustn't print it". It's in none of the Motown books and all I ever read on it was poor Tammi had a brain tumour and died in Marvin's arms etc etc. Not true if these stories about David's role are accurate, and they crop up too frequently not to hold any water. Also heard some nice little corkers about BG, Little Willie John, Diana R etc....but couldn't possibly repeat those either.

I know them - a couple are old funk records, and the rest of them will be too slow for your liking Ian. They're not your type of northern - Leonard Adair and Soul Injection I'd say are more crossover.

Oh come off it Chris. If you think 1973 was so much better that's fine, I am just sorry for you that there is no TARDIS which can take you back there. Most of the punters on todays scene dancing to Margeret Little weren't around in 1973. Sure there's a few of them, but not the majority I'd wager, so less of the DJs re-educating and saying the punters will settle for anything. Plenty of shite played in 73 too from what I can see.

That's exactly what I heard from a different source. And I bet 90% of people didn't know that story.

Hey I am being honest with my opinion Steve. I don't like it much. It is allowed you know.

I am afraid I've always thought it borrows too heavily from "Downtown" - but don't tell Ian or I'll be in trouble.

Whenever it's been in the media focus though it's always had the Hand Baggers. Back at Wigan - loads of passing trade that jumped on the bandwagon. Thing is now northern soul means many different things to different people and the whole thing has become very fragmented.- upfront 60s / 70s newies, oldies, R&B / R&R, Top 500, some of the funkier things, and Ian says his productions are northern soul too....So much so that I now think the term Northern soul is largely meaningless as too many different types of music have been hitched to it's name. So I wonder whether we should just ditch the tag completely. Ian I saw you slagging off SAm for clearing the floor at the Ritz earlier in this thread. I see nothing wrong with Sam clearing the floor, as long as he is able to get it back afterwards. I have long maintained that as a DJ unless you clear the floor at least once or twice you're being too twee with your selections....I also remember Searling clearing the Casino floor (virtually unheard of and quite unnerving at the time) when he played Judy Freeman "Hold On". Now you wouldn't deny that as being a great piece of northern deserving of plays would you? And it cleared the floor when he played it. My question is why single out Sam for this criticism?

I am going to "out Levine" Levine now but this post is PURE B*LLOCKS Simon. All of the recent series have made GREAT TV.

...Well except there have always been strong rumours circulating about him beating up on Tammi Terrell repeatedly before the night she collapsed with her brain tumour......I know it doesn't sound nice, but soul music ain't all about nice people always - and various artists I've spoken to have all said that David was a bad guy - even though he had a great voice.

Everyone who goes out in Herts and Beds for a start mate.

I'd agree with that - balanced and articulate. I was quite surprised that Terry had it in him!

...g'wan then.....while Ian is away remixing Sharon Jones & Dap Kings ....be quick tho' he'll be back shortly.

Agree a top tune. It has had plays every so often over the years.

But you are missing the point Ian. Northern Soul is a far broader church than you think.....You've missed many years of it's development when you weren't around and it's not all "wistful chord changes and uplifting full arrangements". That's a part of it, but not all of it. Next you'll be telling me that Jimmy Radcliffe or Joe Hicks (two ends of the spectrum) isn't northern soul.

At the time it was being hyped as "25 copies found in Danny leake's basement" and you know it was - one thing you cannot re-write / remix is history. Now you say it's 100 copies and a "first issue" Fair enough I know it's a first issue - Mark Houghton found one in Record & Tape Exchange for £1....but it was pressed up at Damon Hayes Middlesex in 2001 or whenever and not in 1974 as people were led to believe. If you had said you had this great unissued record (which it was) and sold those 100 copies at 10 or 15 or even 20 each you would have got much more credibility from this whole episode rather than trying to make out it was something it wasn't. Presumably another 'dupe' for those oh so foolish collectors, except a few genuine guys got caught up in this one. The saga didn't do you any favours at all Ian, but at least you are now being open about it. Too reactionary - Moi? I'll get me anorak! just because I don't like some of your recordings does not make me any more closed minded than you are to aspects of the northern scene or soul music that you don't happen to like. Like you I don't like the R&R stuff or the dirges or the R&B, but there's an awful lot of other good stuff out there still today man.

Hi Ian D, I've sped red through much of it now - phoar. I don't say we don't get along, as I don't really know him that well - though have obviously met him on a number of occasions and been round his house etc....two issues of contention which I don't agree with him on, and which I outlined on P6 all those days ago. "NS" type 2007/8 productions and the David Rhodes (I know it was a 70s recording cos Sam had an acetate on Pye or some such late 70s)....We come to these things with a different perspective, I will always be a soul fan first, a collector a close second, and northern scene celebrity last. Ian is now dissing the collecting side of it, and that's HIS choice. But let's not forget when Ian came back onto the scene late 90s he was collecting just about every piece of vinyl he could.....then a few years later he stopped. That's fine, but I got lost when he decided what he could do was somehow better than what the collective talent of black america in the 60s and 70s had to offer.

Hey Chrissie, if we can have endless pages of SSLAAS and people pouring each other G&T's each night and Bearsy-bating surely we can have more pages of discussion on all things Ian Levine. At least there is some interesting stuff going around between all the barbs....