Steve G

Butch has a 7 for sale. Saw it in his box at cleethorpes.

Nice one went down well at Filthy Soul the other week.....Keep up the good work Soul Junction>>>>

The energy those guys like Pickett had was phenomenal.....

Yes a good un Dave.

Voices of east Harlem?, darn I had switched over to the worlds most scariest airports - being a regular air traveller just wanted to spook myself up a bit more back on BBC4 now!!!

1.55 a.m. Me too Dave.

It's repeated overnight, look at yer planner...

So far so good, enjoying it!

So 99 came first by my reckoning. 37005 was one of the Steady "Phase 2" releases which were actually distributed by Scepter. The tie up was Art Trefferson, an ex Scepter employee who teamed up to run the New York arm of Steady Records (the other arm was in Jamaica) - it was a kind of jointly run thing. Lois Lee was married to ex Scepter act Joey Dee, and also was part of Johnny Maestro & crests in 64..... Steve

I am saying there isn't "a scene".....but instead there are loads of different scenes

I thought that was what i was trying to say Pete. When I said there is no scene as such I didn't mean there weren't people into the music, just that it's become totally fragmented.

One things for sure, there is no longer a "scene" as such. Just a loose linkage of broadly black music sub genres and clubs playing assorted music from 1955 to 2013 - everything from oldies, newies, lesser playeds, funk, crossover, mid tempo, old moddun, new moddun, great funk, crap funk.... etc etc....

I think it helped sell a few more copies of B.J.Thomas......

No in The League of Gentlemen a "no tail" was a "human being" (i.e someone without a tail). In the context of finding a wife for "David" (Tubs & Edwards son / monster) it would obviously have been a female, but a "no tail" is not "gender specific"......

I think Bananarama were there by accident rather than design. I do remember one DJ getting in a "lather" about it at the time......"Cor look there's Bananarama Steve!" and making reference to it on his next sales list,

Sorry it's from "The League of Gentlemen".

Chalkster, you'll never convince the "no tails" on this one m8. It does partly come down to money, perhaps more than ego in having something "exclusive". As others have said finding an unknown record in this day and age is bloody hard work, bloody expensive and a massive gamble, not comensurate with the modest DJ fees that most have to endure on the northern / rare scene. It's this point that the "old romantics" who thought it was "all good fun and part of the rough and tumble of the scene in the 70's" (a time when new discoveries were being found every week and records were turned over much faster), lose the argument. Put it in perspective - a new discovery back then was roughly commensurate with a DJ fee for an hours "booking" - some a bit more, some less. And there were always good new discoveries waiting to be had on trips to the USA, Soul Bowl etc. These days a new discovery is a rare event of itself, and is likely to be 10 times a DJ fee for an hours booking, sometimes more, if you consider (unless you get lucky) some genuine new discoveries going for £2k etc. A hell of a lot of money in anyones book. So whether the purists like it or not the DJ is investing a lot of money in something new far more than their colleagues back in the 70s ever were for a single piece of vinyl. So I do understand why that DJ would want some exclusivity in it. And then with the internet opening up access to every mom and pop in the USA, unless it's an acetate, the new discovery may well turn up in some form of "quanity", so suddenly your expensive exclusive "newie" is being hammered by everyone else / mis-credited as their discovery etc. Anyway having said no chance of convincing others, I am not sure why I have written the above .....you either get it or you don't.

Mick Webb aka "Cockney Mick" aka "Dead Eye Dick" was my biggest salesman back then.....he took 50 of each issue, and always flogged em all.....amazing really. Saw him last year with his missus, he's still about, but obviously getting on a bit now....had a nice chat with him at Farnborough when the good burgers of that town booked me to play at their Football Club knees up.

Very good.

Very good.

Yes Mark correct. I went to every one until about 1983/4 and then only periodically for the next couple of years and more of less stopped going due to family commitments, with only occasional visits. I'll try and post up some old Blackbeat reviews at some stage.....I reviewed all of the clubs (Henris, W Hampstead, Last Chance and 100 Club as well as the 6Ts Thames boat trip) at the time.

100%

Hi Mark That all makes sense. Thing is these days when you get a potential c/up you do a bit of quiet digging see if any references to it on the internet, popsike, etc. ask a copuple of collectors etc. Only if you're pretty sure it's a true unknown would it be wise to cover it up. Must admit I've never understood why you'd cover up a proper modern tune, but fully understand why as a DJ you'd "cover up" a 60s-80s rare 7".

Book Just read this yesterday, by Mark Windle on here, a really interesting read about some of the South East US 60s soul & garage acts like Greater Experience, The Appreciations, Anthony & Aqua lads, The Tempests etc etc. Well worth getting for your holiday reading.

Interesting because it also crosses into my book too .....although only in passing, since the Steals were behind one of the last good Wand 45s.....Look forward to reading Dave's full account when the book is published......