Steve G

I'd be very surprised. I know that a number of the "Wand pack" are still searching for this, but don't think it's ever been really in demand. Quite nice but not outstanding IMVHO.

And legally reissued on Columbia SP in 1977. Believe the second hand book shop in Cheshunt has one Certainly the guy showed me it a year or two back, though he did think it was "very rare"

Anyone mentioned Sparkz on Bell (not the pop group!), which I think was Patrick Adams? Commanda also did it I seem to recall

Looks legit - but a bit used and abused .

I meant in terms of "IL" productions - always thought JB was one of the better ones. Oh and Frances Nero of course "Footsteps". But hey, lets not turn this into a "Levine Luvvies Love-in" - there's enough of that going on in other threads! In terms of the productions though, always believed that the number of "Dog's dollops" always far outweighed the number of "Dogs bollox" productions.

It is one of the (few) really good things that Ian has done. I rate it up with "Man up in the sky" by Johnny Bristol.

Wasn't it the year that "Casino Classics" started or was that 1978? Who cares anyway?

Good work lads. These rip off merchants need castrating without anaesthetic. Awake 502 is dead right - Arthur hit this one well before Stafford, I think he may well have found it when he went to the USA with Sam in 1980ish - and Arthur covered the group for us in an old Blackbeat as I recall. - Sorry to be the harbinger of such bad news darlings, but Keb only played it much later

I have fond memories of this place too and concur with everything posted in CH's favour. Who can forget a young Neil Page with his record box (50) with flashing disco lights fixed on it - which also made it's debut at CH. It was a very good venue in short, and a very good balance of sounds. Went on my own sometimes, but also remember going once with Dave G and Randy Cozens, in the back of Randy's "Wedge Roofing" escort van. It took ages from Soulgate (there was no M25 back then!)....and that was just to get onto the M1 at St Albans.... What fun it was bouncing around in the back of that van at 70 mph up the M1

Cheers

I am shocked Mr White. It's an absolutely awful record, not even good pop. I'd rather be locked in a cell and blasted with very loud looped repeat plays of Bobby Goldsboro than suffer this "garbagio", and that's saying something. Now there's predicatbility from me for you. You know how much I love these non soul things.

Can't fault Motor City Music - Top Bods. What is this record like? I remember Sam when he was staying over once playing me a very beaten up Tobi Lark record on a yellow label that was quite nice midtempo, and I presume this is what it was?

Also don't forget the banks in the City are paying big bonuses again, and the UK economy remains "buoyant" (probably more so if house prices stall for a while in the SE). As it happens, working near to some of these banking types, I have seen people "blow" more than the Eddie Parker price on a few bottles of "bubbly" with their team in the space of a couple of hours....so everything in perspective....and of course the next day they have nothing except a few million fewer brain cells and a stonking hangover. Now if I was in that enviable position and given a choice I'd go with Eddie Parker every time of course, but my missus would opt for the "shampoo" as she detests Eddie Parker. BTW I am not bidding on EP either, much as I think it's a fantastic record - price is out of my league already. But with a couple of "keen to haves" outbidding each other, and the testoterone rush when the auction starts to close, we can only guess where this will end up.

Weren't they an offspring of Wigan's Ovation? We should have guessed, no chance of it being black AMerican soul then....

Thanks for the update Simon and for putting things back in perspective.

I really meant as in unlikely to be other copies turning up, and therefore unlikely to be played by other DJs

Indeed and understood Trouty. He was hoovering up so many records 97-01 that he was bound to get some good ones no question. You just reminded me, I remember him at Victoria record fair getting 200 records off of soul bowl - filling his record box which arrived empty. And then the "manservant" who was employed to carry his masters box didn't put the lid on properly and all the records he'd just bought fell out over the floor. Ouch. Cue tantrum, beating with "Elephant whip" etc. BTW I did see multiple copies of all these "excloosivs" (Vandals, Valaquons, 7 Wonders etc) when I was doing my bit for "Vulture-ocity" .

The Wand one is serious serious wonga - John reckons he had them, but like everything else they've vanished or disintegrated into dust. Two wand tricks - 1) distribute in one City only to guage reaction before nationwide release, so if the local distributor chucks them out, or doesn't do his job - very rare 2) Press them up, then fall out with the producer / singer / etc so the copies never get out of HQ. Then when the dust has settled summarily chuck them all in the garbage a few months later :angry:

As one of the "Vultures" I can indeed confirm this to be true. Things like Jim Gilstrap flew out of Ealing. I believe even the Motown collection has gone now Of the tunes you cited though they weren't all his, Benny Harper was an old John A thing that a number of us got - Ditto Sandy & Pebbles on Sussex - but hey I'm not here to slag someone off who isn't here to defend himself so at this point, so I'll carry on gnawing at this carcus of an animal I found dead by the side of the road this morning.

Sad replying to your own posts, but in the absence of anyone else, does anyone actually know this?

Alison I may have to disagree with you on this one - Ian has over 100,000 records - three rooms full, and at first glance it looks impressive. How many good ones? I'd say not too many at this point. Benny Harper was one - which several DJs got, and Jim Gilstap is obviously a great track - but both of these have gone to homes. A number of punters have been down to Ealing and picked out the best tunes. But on the negative side with Ian equally we got a load of remakes - Vandals, Valaquons, 7 Wonders of the World type things that were truly poor. Not to mention the truly dreadful 60's like Adam Wade! This is just SO bad. ALmost as bad as "Midnight mail" which is pure crapola. And some of the 70s - Diane Steinberg, Elliot Goldberk on TSOP? - jeepers how deep is the barrel? I wondered why this was on the only 45 on TSOP I hadn't got - having got one, I now realise I was missin....absolutely nothing. Ian is not here to defend himself, and I know he is passionate about the music, but in terms of quality I suspect it just ain't really there no more. Sorry gal!

No not the same group - rather a UK group and a tailor made, which Ian pretended was an obscure "undiscovered" US track.

Jamie I am not a promotor - but agree someone should bring him over. He's a live wire. Funnily enough got the acetate in the early 90's and only guessed it was him. It took a few years to confirm - I think we got in touch via David Cole who interviewed him in In the Basement. Steve

What do people think of her norvern Mercury side?