Steve G

Romeo & Juliet on Pye - is this worth anything? Found one while I was pottering around the Isle of Wight on Friday, and have a niggling suspicion that it was on someones playlist and worth a few bob? or am I dreaming?

Thanks for the answers, at least if there are three copies I have a chance of completing my Arctic collection after all.

Might have been after Man U v Liverpool Cup final in May 1977. I certainly travelled up on the train from London with both sets of supporters - not a very good idea!

This is the only Arctic 45 not to grace my collection. From memory it's a test pressing type of thingy with a handwritten label, but with an Arctic release number. I last saw it nestling in Uncle Soul Sam's play box a few years ago. Is it a total one off? No one seems to remember it.

Does the Bunky copy actually exist? I know it's a mythical holy grail inclusion from the Richard Searling sets of the mid-late 70's, but has anyone actually seen it or is it an urban myth? To be a total trainspotter about it, it has the same number as the Constellation release and is out of sync with all Bunky release numbers.

Yes in line with most Wand demos from the early 70's. They kind of changed between black/white demos and the "plate of psychodelic sick" multicoloured logo. Later they went to orange. I've got a niggling feeling I have a couple of really white ones though from around 63-4 now that I think of it - 100% white with just a gold star. But no pure white demos from the 70s. Now that I've got me anorak out would place the Moods at 1969-70.

Were you there when the police held up the train and searched everyone getting off at Wigan? That would have been about 78. What a palava.

Yes this is also correct. There were some funny ones in the early 60's which are mainly white but cannot recall seeing a pure white demo - would need to check through my stuff to be 100% sure.

They were legal reissues. Reminds me I went into this record store and this guy says to me "I've got two very rare records for you"...."They're not cheap, but they're right up your street"....He goes and unwraps these boxes and envelopes and wrapping etc to reveal Dana Valery and Bobby Diamond oN CSP. I agree with some of the other comments on here- the Casino certainly rocked to these sounds, and it was the place to be at the time. I too was there on the 5th anniversary night, and seem to remember it being very good indeed.

I interviewed Emmanuel on Soul 24-7 in 2001. He was very wary of Brits and felt that several people had ripped him off of his vinyl etc. Thus a condition of the interview was that I didn't circulate it or profiteer from doing it. I of course held to my word, but still have this interview on minidisc somewhere at home. I chatted with him for about 45 mins and played some of his records. He was enthusiastic, and spoke well of a number of Detroit luminaries and the music scene generally. I think I should try and find that interview, I am sure it would sound good today.

Thanks for reminding us just how awful Russ's spots were Seriously for a moment Pallbearers / Stemmons Express were great sounds, and Linda Elliot wasn't half bad either. Of course the oldies like Edward Hamilton were also good. I am surprised there's no space for Willie Hutch "Love games" which was one of the best records Russ played at Wigan - he always seemed to play it, and it was one of the highlights of his set. You are right there was a lot of pop played at this point in the Casino's career, and yes it was popular and filled the floor with lots of claps etc. We cannot re-write history on this point - as I have said elsewhere that's why a number of us stopped going. Also thought Helen Shapiro "Stop" was a monster at this time, or was that earlier? Didn't think Richard was responsible for Holly St James though? Thought that was one of Russ's, though wonders never cease.

Undoubetdly the major dealers will be up there including Tim Brown who I understand is both a dealer and a collector. Ian has 100,000 + records but they are mainly pop, so you can discount him if you are looking purely at northern soul.

Apart from the Young Ladies on Stang, I also rate Jakki on Vibration as a pretty damn fine number from this set of labels.

John I have heard the same story several times from John - he got them from the engineer just as the label was going bust (one of several times Sussex went that way), and left 150 behind because it was pretty new / unknown and he couldn't carry any more on the bus. We are talking early 70's here. Same theme in the days when you left things behind because everything thought they would turn up again....in this case those further copies never turned up.

Thousands were pressed - probably tens of thousands. Someone once claimed to have left behind a shelf of them, and those disappeared - presumably thrown into the dumpster or re-cycled into shiny new 12" Ottowan records . Same story with Sam Fletcher "I'd think it over", and Charles Johnson "Never had a love so good". These records just seem to disappear off of the planet, but I wouldn't call any of those three really rare. The most mysterious one of all is Billy Woods on Sussex - 50 copies imported as a new release - where the hell are they all? We only ever seem to see the same 5 or 6 DJ buggered / needle hiss copies going round and round. Oops sorry Baz - you got your reply in before me.

I sometimes wish Patrinel Statten would turn up in quantity then we would stop hearing about this totally mediocre offering for a few years.

There probably are a few but remember in the 60's the vinyl of choice was the 45.

Now I've finally convinced Sammy boy of the merits of this record, and he has finally picked up on the B side of this, expect to pay a small kings ransom. The other side is good, but "Come back to me" was always the side for me.

I wasn't actually on at Cleethorpes, as I didn't know about it (DJing) until I got there on Saturday, and on hearing of my plight some kindly folks in the record bar started trying to put together a "set" from peoples sales box for me - an offer I gratiously declined on the grounds of "expense". I hope to be in action soon too - there are some possibilities I am told. No anorak in my wardrobe I am afraid Cat - no time to wear one of those, but I do keep this poor man's Peter Storm thing in the boot of the car just in case I get caught in a downpour

I heard it was more disco / late 70's, and not very good. So I never tried to get one. But that was from the same person who told me years ago that "The artistry of Brenda Holloway" album was "not very good", so maybe it's not too bad after all.

Rod Dearlove played it out first. I purchased it from Rod along with Sam Dees "Funny" a few years back. It was a standard part of Rod's sets in the early / mid 90's. Of course I have dabbled with it myself in more recent times Before Rod had it believe Colin Dilnot was the owner and before that Ian Dewhirst I think - though maybe wrong on that last part.

Forgetting the bleeding obvious - if someone pays X for a record on an online auction it means that someone else was willing to pay x -1 - so for those that knock these prices there are always at least two people in the range of the end price.

Yes it was a couple of years later - had several people ask if it was the same one I had etc....anyway hope all is well Sean. Steve

It does sound slightly speeded up, but not that much. Copies I have done for family and friends were all at +2 pitch, I would have to dig out the test press to listen carefully as I have myself got used to playing it speeded up a bit. There are two versions of "I wonder why" on the test press, one with strings, one without. Did Hayley access this from Sy himself, or from Carmen, and can we expect a Carlietta reissue next?.

It's one side of an LP, the other side has never been found.... Add in Bill Brandon's second Prelude Lp - another "one sider" test press.