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I hope they are both the same, I bought the Dawn one last week.

Errr..... I think what I said was: "I hope these things sound better when played out at a venue, where there is some atmosphere and they are played in a good set by a good DJ. But as standalone tunes to these no nothing ears they just don't cut it IMHO." So I wasn't really commenting on "how any record might go down or not in a club atmosphere" - at least I don't think I was - I was hoping they sound better in a club. I said listening to them on here they sounded pretty weak. Maybe you should read it back again and see (or even read it all the way through?). This seems to be one of those topics where people think if they shout loud enough about something everyone will go along with them. One of your comments alongside one of these records was something along the lines of "if you can't dance to this you must be dead". I'm not dead but I would find it difficult to dance to some of these tunes, I'd have to find something else to do. When I used to go out, I would use the time when records I didn't like were being played (or someone was doing a crap set) to go and look at the records being sold. But in the UK most people price their records ridiculously high. I gave up smoking some years ago so the only thing I could do was stand around and moan about crap records and sets so I stopped going out as I wasn't enjoying myself (with odd exceptions of course). I, like a lot of people, am quite happy to make up my own mind about what I like and I'm also quite happy to listen to things I haven't heard before. I haven't thought a single record on this thread is worth going out and buying unless I knew its sale price and got one cheap to sell on. I personally feel that the search for new records is something which, by its nature, can only bring diminishing returns. Good on people for doing it but the good new records each year can probably be counted on the fingers of one hand (less if you live in Lincolnshire). IMHO the funky soul records on this thread are a good example of these diminishing returns. If you still think that the Northern Soul Scene is a "progressive underground soul scene" you are sadly deluded. It is a business these days designed to extract money from over 50's with reasonable disposable income. I'm sure here are some good clubs about but I can't be bothered finding out anymore. I just buy a few records now and again and come on here every fortnight or so. I get what little adrenalin fix I need these days on Sundays racing my dinghy and the current windy weather is a blast. Cheers Paul

This looks like the best one to reply to ............ I don't go out anymore, haven't been to anything soul related for about 3 years. I've been right through this thread with open ears and so far haven't heard a single tune that makes me want to go and look for a copy. A couple have been OK but most have been horrible IMHO. As an aside, someone was going on in Trades about getting a SAG Warfare for around 3K - I'm sure its rare but IMHO it should be in the "books high ... but actually poor" thread. I hope these things sound better when played out at a venue, where there is some atmosphere and they are played in a good set by a good DJ. But as standalone tunes to these no nothing ears they just don't cut it IMHO. Cheers Paul Sent from my ZX Spectrum

On the rare occasions I've DJ'd I've either found it a massive buzz or it has left me feeling like I wish I hadn't bothered. The occasional time has made me swear I'll never do it again. I think we had a thread ages ago about the things people say to DJs, some things are funny (at the time or afterwards) but some people are downright abusive. Even when you have the floor rammed and people applauding there is often still someone who wants to say something horrible either whilst you're on the decks or after you've finished your set. Something for any wannabee DJ's to consider.

If I remember correctly, when "Soul In The City" started up in London they used to have something along the lines of "all records played are original vinyl - it may not be important to you but it is to us" Always thought that was a nice way of putting it.

I can understand why promoters/residents etc pick guests who guest elsewhere as they usually pick them because they think they are right for their venue and they know that said DJ's will do a good job as they have a proven track record. Same thing goes for picking people who run or are resident at other (nearby?) venues - they normally know what sort of thing they are going to play and how well they DJ. When I helped run a club in London, early on we had a couple of awkward experiences by letting people DJ who asked us - they turned out to be not very good, so we stopped doing it. Not a pleasant thing to do to have to tell someone that you can't give them a set because you make it a rule to only book people with a proven track record and records. How to get DJ sets when you are not known is always a quandary. Who is going to ask someone to guest when they haven't got much experience? Starting up a night neatly solves the problem - you get to play your records every month. The only other option is for people to book their mates but IMHO that doesn't add much to a night unless said mate has an under the radar incredible collection and knows how to play records in some sort of order that doesn't have people getting up and sitting down again all the way through their set. Easy to see why most guests are well known and why people also book residents from other nearby clubs. A known quantity is normally much better than taking a chance on someone. If you want to do the latter though - gizza set?

I think if I saw someone in the street dressed like that I'd presume they were going to a fancy dress party. Still, every generation looks back to those before it; in the 70's there was a fad for dressing like people in the 40's and 50's, people would watch old films to see what was being worn then copy it, Glenn Miller got into the charts. Never gets mentioned now. These days when people talk about 70's fashions in the mainstream media they always roll out flares (loon pants anyone?) and afghan coats as that is what the middle class kids who went to University wore. I wouldn't have been seen dead in an Afghan coat FFS. Difference is now there are internet forums where the older generation can laugh and poke fun at youngsters who try and dress like they did 40 years ago, whereas in the 70's it was just your dad who told you that you looked ridiculous and talked all the way through top of the pops, etc. Funny old world. P.S. best of luck with "moderating" the site owner - made I laugh

The people that buy them probably don't know or care what an original costs so it doesn't really matter. Personally I can't stand these things.

I think the difference here is that Andy thought he was playing OVO but wasn't, that is a million miles from the club being one where boots are acceptable. He would hardly put a playlist up on here with labels etc if he was knowingly playing bootlegs. He's already said quite publicly that he is embarrassed about the whole thing but you keep at it like a dog with a bone - is this a personal thing or summat? What is it you want?

There's actually some truth in that, I like records with DJ marks and/or a bit of wear as these days the boots are getting too good. Anything that is really clean with a pristine label makes me all suspicious.

Just had a reply from Fred and he says it has the matrix stamp and the numbers in both sides so it looks good. Interesting. I'll maybe do a scan etc when it turns up. Beginning to wish I'd bought an issue though Cheers Paul

Thanks Robb, Haven't had a reply but I think I'll pay for it and see when it turns up, it is described as an original so I should be OK.

Sorry, perhaps I should have said 5 inch cube ....... but I thought square box implied that Pedant

You win!

Soul City & Cam Cameron seem a tad pricey. Is that what they go for? Sold my Soul City for about 150 I think and it took a while, there did seem to be quite a few about at the time. Still got the Cam Cameron though and happily it cost me less than $30. Thank you John Weston for letting me rummage through your play box at my house when I lived in London all those years ago.

Records in envelopes, records in pizza boxes, 45 in an LP mailer with no stiffeners, records wrapped in bubble wrap, records with newspaper round them and no sleeve - had all of these; most damaged but some not. The weirdest was a 45 that arrived in a 5 inch square box - do the math (as our American colleagues say).

Sorted

I've bought off him before and he has always been great. I've asked him, just waiting for a reply.

Thanks, must remind myself to stop being lazy with my snipes I've asked for the details of what is in the run in grooves and will report back. Cheers Paul

Just "won" this on ebay and then noticed the label doesn't have the little faces on it. I don't think its a boot as the guy is pretty straight up but I wondered if anyone else had seen this label before? Harvey - Any Way Cheers Paul

Jive Five - Then Came Heartbreak

I wasn't carping on about rare/expensive records - where collecting is concerned rare and expensive tend to go together. I spend more than some but not as much as a lot of others! What I was carping on about was the admiration of people simply because they had spent a lot of money on a record or records. If somebody spends 2k+ on a record it seems to me that there is a section that thinks that the record must be good because of that and that the person is to be admired, neither of which is necessarily true. Taken to its extreme this tends towards the playing of expensive records (some of which might not be very good) just for the sake of it. I think this happens and it is what has split the scene. People who want to hear the same stuff all the time (as they are entitled to) have gone one way and people who want to listen to incredibly rare records (as they too are entitled to) have gone the other way. I think that's left a void in the middle and it is OVO that has suffered. One side of the scene doesn't care what the format is anymore as they just want to hear the tunes, the other side only wants to hear the unobtainable (to most). That leaves people like me who still buy records but don't want a part of either side of the scene. I've got my fingers crossed that OVO will bite the dust and there will be a stampede to offload records, hopefully I can pick some up cheap. In the meantime I'm indulging my current interest of records from the 60's with a space theme - it could be the next big thing!

I've always thought this was a dull repetitive record which is further spoilt by an awful twangy guitar bit. Also brings out the worst in me from the point of view that it was sought after before the find when it went for 2K = everyone wants it; then dropped to £100 = nobody wants it, now going back up = sought after again. I appreciate that some people like it, and good on them for getting a copy if that's what they want. But surely you either like the record or you don't regardless of price?

I like playlists because I don't go out anymore. I still buy the odd record though and quite often its because I've seen a record listed on someone's playlist that I don't know amongst others that I do. I go off to try and find it on the net and listen to it, if I like it then I either find out it is impossible to turn up or too damned expensive for my budget or I set up a search on eBay and eventually buy a copy. Somebody is probably going to tell me that is a terrible thing to do, but it isn't really.

I don't often venture on here anymore but I've just read all 9 pages of this thread and I wonder if anyone can tell me why? I thought I'd join in with some of my own ramblings which have very little theme or context, at least they can't be considered off topic. It has always seemed odd to me that sounds must always fit into a category; oldies, newies, modern etc. I never understood the difference between an oldie and a newie anyway. When people tried to explain they would tell me summat like "oldies were played first then newies but everyone likes oldies but some newies are really good and then become oldies" FFS! Someone said somewhere in the thread that they were only playing northern, not r&B or latin. Dust My Broom anyone? Is that Northern or R&B? Is it an oldie? If so is it an oldie R&B? The only decent explanation of northern I have ever heard is music that has been played and accepted on the Northern scene. So that is anything really. Is there a Northern Soul scene anymore? This thread would suggest there isn't; it seems that there are loads of people who want the scene to fit within their own definition of the northern scene and everyone else is wrong. It just looks like everyone is wrong. Punters? I've never liked that term, it suggests that there is a majority of people who don't really matter as they just turn up and pay. Is there anyone on this forum who would describe themselves as a punter? I think it is the use of terms like "punter" that sum up what has happened to the scene. People put nights on to attract these "punters" whoever they are and it is volume that is required in order to make a night a success. Presumably "success" means getting "punters" to hand over sufficient money for the promoter to at least break even but hopefully make a load of mooola. Music, format, whatever isn't top of the priority list here, it is getting "punters" in. This is why Russ Casino etc keep getting bookings. I don't want to be considered a punter so I haven't been out (to anything remotely northern soulish) in ages. My last rant is about the reverence that some people seem to have for people who have spent a load of money on a record or records. There seems to be a trend of it being seen as admirable to have spent thousands on a record (often regardless of its quality), so people with plenty of money do just that in order to be admired. What a record costs doesn't matter, it is the quality that counts, unfortunately some quality records are expensive. I'd want to hear an interesting set of records that make me want to dance, I don't care what they cost. I admire people for finding and playing good records not for having the money to buy expensive ones. Does anyone actually go out to hear a set of records just because they know they are expensive? Finally, thank you for not closing a thread before I've had chance to post.