Driveller

First of all, can I just say a massive thanks for your comments on here and for all the direct emails we've had about this. It has obviously been a bit of an extreme couple of days for us, and all these messages are so gratefully received, so thankyou! Re: CCTV, thankyou so much - we just happen to have a shop directly across the road from us and I have just been across. They do have a camera that faces towards our house (shopkeeper has a flash car and said it's extra security for it!) They use three tapes/ disks not necessarily in rotation, so that means the morning of 14th may or may not have been recorded over. They are also our neighbours, so Nick is allowed to go over this eve and tomorrow to check them , so you never know, we may have the person on camera after all. Will obviously keep you all updated and are certainly going to the police today. Thankyou all again, it means an awful lot to us. Dawn x

What do you do when someone threatens to drag your name through the dirt for something you haven't done? I ask this because I've just had some totally bewildering and extremely vicious hate mail pushed through my door by someone on the Northern Soul scene. About a year ago, I received a phone call from a collector friend called Dave Conway, asking me if I had noticed whether a particular record had been in his trades box when I had visited him about a year before. The record in question was The TNJs on Newark. I thought back and told him that it hadn't been, because if it had been, I surely would have noticed it and made enquiries about what price he wanted for it etc. He then explained that the record had gone missing and that he suspected someone who had seen the records before me of taking it. Shocked, I expressed sympathy and wished him well in finding out what had happened to it, and he said that I had helped him pinpoint a time when it was no longer in his box. We chatted amiably for another 20 or 30 minutes and then finished our conversation. With my work shifts, I don't get out as much as I'd like to, but I bumped into him a few times since at clubs and had a friendly general chat. Then, completely out of the blue, things took an extremely sinister turn yesterday. I got back from dropping the kids off at school, had a bit of breakfast and returned to the front hall and found an envelope on my doormat. Opening it, I found an abusive letter claiming that I had stolen three records including the TNJs on Newark from 'a collector' at about the time I had visited Dave Conway, with a list of 8 specific threats of dire things that were going to happen to me (and Dawn, too!) if I didn't 'return' the records within 7 days. There was a cut-out portion of newspaper with sections mentioning an 'executioner' and 'rectifying mistakes' marked with highlighter pen (bizarrely, from a story about David Beckham?!?) , a copy of a letter which was going to go out to anyone the person could think of, supposedly exposing me as a thief, plus a flyer which was going to be given out at venues, full of venomous libel pointing towards me. Disturbingly, the flyer was not just run off from somebody's home PC, but had clearly been done professionally at a printer's, meaning that the person had obviously been obsessive enough to go somewhere and pay to get it done, unless they were a printer themselves, and were stealing from the firm's time and materials, which would be ironic to say the least. As if all this wasn't weird and creepy enough, THE ENVELOPE HAD NO STAMP! The postman didn't bring it - somebody came to my house themself, crept up my path, physically pushed the envelope through my door and scuttled off like a coward, without having the guts to knock on the door and face me. All the offending material can be viewed at: www,scenesville.info/threateningletter.htm www,scenesville.info/dealerletter.htm www,scenesville.info/defamatoryflyer.htm www,scenesville.info/creepyclipping.htm So what do you do when you get accused of something like this - what would YOU do? My first thought was to contact Dave Conway, and ask him what on Earth was going on, because the TNJs record pointed to him, though he hadn't asked me a word about the other two records when he originally phoned. I tried getting his phone number from a mutual friend who lives close to him, but got no success, only an answerphone. I'm sure I don't need to tell you the letter was completely anonymous, not only no contact number, but no name or address, only some contemptible gibberish about a 'Northern Soul Justice Dept'. Also, no handwriting - this person was taking creepiness to an obsessive level. But should I contact Dave Conway? Was it even him? Or was it someone he said something to, who thinks they're doing him some weird sort of favour? Do we just go to the police and get this harasser off our backs? Obviously, I can't 'return' the records as I never had, touched or even saw them in the first place, so given the fact that it's physically impossible to satisfy this person and their nutcase deadline, in the end I felt it better to just get this info out into the public arena. So is it Dave Conway? During the original phone call there was never a suggestion that Dave Conway suspected me. He didn't hint that he thought it was me, and (without naming them) he mentioned someone else who he suspected. Not having a guilty conscience, it never crossed my mind he could be thinking of me, and any time I saw him afterwards he treated me in a perfectly friendly manner. He's never phoned me since and never e-mailed me or written to me, then out of the blue this parcel of malicious accusations, threats and personal abuse lands on my doormat, two whole years after I visited him. Has anyone else heard of this 'Justice Dept'? It sounds like something from an obsessive with a mental health problem, which doesn't tally with my image of Dave Conway. I have never stolen a record from anyone and I'm not about to start now. People who steal records are complete cunts, but so are people who accuse others of it when they have no shred of evidence to support their claims and threaten to mount extensive and detailed campaigns to ruin the name of an entirely innocent person. What would be the point of stealing those records anyway? You couldn't DJ with them, you couldn't sell them, and you could only keep them at home, in which case why not just have a tape? If Dave Conway wants to see playlists of mine since 2005, he's more than welcome to them, and I can supply him with a list of every collector I've traded with since then as well, so he can go to them direct and ask them if they've ever been offered these records by me. Moreover, if anyone has been offered these items any time in the last couple of years, please put the details up here so that Dave can trace the genuine whereabouts of these records. As the threatening letter states, stealing records is not worth doing both in financial and reputation terms - but I don't need telling that - I don't steal records full stop. I never have done and I have never been tempted to. So has this sort of thing gone out to a number of people in the hopes of flushing the real culprit out? Or does someone just have a vendetta against me? Or is it just someone mischievous? Or insane? Who is responsible for this malicious letter? I'm not even sure if it is Dave Conway, as I have always found him entirely friendly and have never been accused by him about this. And why on Earth would he wait 2 years and then suddenly decide it was me anyway? His wife was there when I was, as well as Dave. And even had she not been, I wouldn't steal anyone's records if I was left alone for a week with a thousand Shrine records. Is it the person originally suspected by Dave of doing this and trying to look like they take a hard line on this to look innocent? Who knows? Why on Earth is the finger pointing at me now, when originally it wasn't? And why the time delay, when really, police or civil action should have been involved if there was any firm reason to suspect me? Judgements will be made both for and against. Dawn and I have decided to put this info out ourselves, as we're not prepared to just 'wait and see' - what on earth else could we do? How else can I prove innocence more than what I am doing now? Anyone who knows us will know we are just an ordinary family and we certainly do not have tens of thousands of pounds to take anyone through the courts for slander, so this is all we can do. What could you do if you were in the same situation? I acknowledge that with someone doing this sort of thing to us, some mud will stick, despite being entirely innocent of it. Some people will not know me and will be thick enough to believe the 'no smoke without fire' thing, some people will know me and will maybe want to believe it just because they don't like me or whatever, but I do believe that anyone who knows me well enough would know that I have nothing to do with this ridiculous situation. But really, all we can do is try to do what we have done already - whatever is said about me I should have a right to reply to. Individuals will make their own minds up, and really that's up to them - but we will not be bullied and harassed into suffering for something we do not have any responsibility for. If on this sham evidence people want to stop dealing with me - having me at their clubs etc, that's their decision to make, but not one iota of actual evidence will exist against me, as I have nothing whatsoever to do with this. I would not dream of causing trouble in any one else's club, or for other people generally, so if you think I'm a record thief, just put your name up here on the thread and say so and I won't turn up at your club, send record lists to you, ask to buy or trade records with you, contribute to your magazine etc. I am sending this email and attached evidence to as many people, dealers, promoters, magazine editors and web sites as possible myself. I will also email Dave Conway himself with this, if someone will please let me know his email address. At present, I want to assume that he is another innocent bystander in this situation, as he has NEVER once accused me of this. Working shifts and bringing up a family Dawn and I don't have a lot of free time to go out much, generally, but we will continue to get out every now and then to things we can. We will not be unjustly intimidated off a scene we have loved for so long. Many thanks, All the Best, Nick Brown

How about: Brooks O'Dell - You Better Make Up Your Mind - Bell Tommy Yates - Darling, Something's Gotta Give - Verve Carrie Grant and The Grandeurs - Take All of My Life - New Art All The Best, Dawn Brown

Anyone able to post up production/writing/arranging etc credits for the four Magnetics tracks on Sable? Basically, any names that appear on the labels is what I'm after. Many thanks in advance, Nick

100% with you on this, Pete, the bloke was always a tw*t and was a front runner for the worst grading out of anyone who advertised in the mag. I stopped dealing with him pretty quickly and always wondered how he managed to keep shifting enough records to keep paying for those massive ads he took out. Couldn't have been repeat business. All the best, Nick

Oops - touched the wrong bit and the whole thing went off premature-like (oo-er, madam!) rest goes: SPYDER TURNER - Can't Make It Any More - MGM TOMMY YATES - Something's Gotta Give - VERVE DEE CLARK - She's My Baby - CONSTELLATION Mention the Dee Clark and most times people think of "That's My Girl" - diff record, just same kind of title. "She's My Baby" is spectacularly good, not as easy to find as you'd think, and cheap as chips. Highly recommended. All the best, Nick

BROADWAYS - You Just Don't Know - MGM LEE LAMONT - I'll Take Love - BACKBEAT SPYDER TURNER

This bloke kicked me out of the shop for asking if I could put Scenesville flyers on the counter - moody git stared at me and said if I didn't buy anything he wouldn't let me, so I told him to stick it and went off to Reckless instead. Nick

Nick Brown - Northern/Rare Soul sales Feb 06 Email driveller@supanet.com to reserve. Any questions ring 07952 868 944, leave a message on the voicemail and I'll call you back. Pay by UK cheque, IMO or Paypal (no fees added) All VG++ or better unless stated SAMMY AMBROSE - This Diamond Ring - MUSICOR VG+ lbl wear £80 CAROL & GERRI - How Can I Ever Find The Way/Heartache - MGM dj £300 KENNY CARTER - I've got To Find Her - RCA VICTOR wd £70 C-QUENTS - It's You And Me - ESSICA £40 CAROLYN CRAWFORD - When Someone's Good To You - MOTOWN slt lbl wear £50 DANIELS - Big City - LANTAM £20 DON & JUAN - All That's Missing Is You - MALA dj £300 Ignore the reissue on Terrific, this is the real deal original - very rare. EARLES INC - Just An Illusion - ZUDAN slt ringwear £80 Taking off big time - catch this one before it rockets LILLY FIELDS - How You Give Me Love - SPECTRUM wd £75 DARROW FLETCHER - I Like The Way I Feel - REVUE dj £80 JERRY GANEY - You Don't Love Me - MGM dj ... £85 BILLY HAMBRIC - Talk To Me Baby - FURY £25 HOLIDAYS - The Love We Share - ROB RON strong vg+ £200 Superb modern rarity ... GERALDINE HUNT - Two Can Live Cheaper Than One - BOMBAY VG+ dh £200 TY HUNTER - Lonely Baby - CHECK MATE £30 HYTONES - Bigger And Better - A-BET strong VG+ £500 Monster in-demander - just a shade short of VG++ plays great! ISLEY BROTHERS - Why When Love Is Gone - TAMLA dh £25 JOHNNY SAYLES - Can't Get Enough Of Your Love - ST LAWRENCE 1% lbl dmg £75 No address. minute bit from edge of lbl torn during orig manufacture. ... MARY LOVE - You Turned My Bitter Into Sweet - MODERN £50 MERGING TRAFFIC - Ain't No Need (In Me Fooling Myself) - MY v. slt ringwear £350 Ultra-rare Alabama dancer MIGHTY MARVELOWS - I'm So Confused - ABC wd £25 CHARLES PERRY - How Can I - MAGNUM £40 ROYAL JESTERS - That Girl - OPTIMUM £30 SATIN - Give All Your Love To Me - GOOD £300 Modern monster - superb dancer SENSATIONS - It's Good Enough For Me - JUNIOR wd £100 SPECIALS - Everybody Say Yea - SATCH £150 LEE WASHINGTON - The UT - FAT FISH £40 LARRY WILLIAMS/JOHNNY WATSON - A Quitter Never Wins - OKEH £40

A few contenders: The mindblowing kettle drum blitz at the start of Shirley Edwards "Dream My Heart" Ace military band-style drum rolls through two sides on LeBam that use similar backing tracks - the Singers' "Just A Little But Further" and King Solomon's "Something's Wrong With Me" The killer drumwork on all the stuff put out on Rojac - Gareth Sweeney once suggested a name for the bloke but I've lost it in my brain somewhere - perhaps he can give us a reminder if he's around somewhere. But the one that always has me scrambling for the air drumsticks has to be the middle bit of Little Johnny Hamilton's "Oh how I Love You" - like Animal from the Muppets going all out to win a drumskin busting competition, this reaches such intense heights of concentrated ferocity that there's a moment when you can almost see the doubtful looks flicking between the other musicians, none actually daring to voice the thought they're all sharing - "how did I agree to be locked in a studio for three hours with this maniac?" . Unmissable. Nick

Keb's dancing was incredible - I remember seeing him dance to "Job Opening" once and he was like a fireworks display on ankles - your eyes simply couldn't keep up with all the moves. It wasn't just the acrobatics he was good at either - all that martial arts practise had given him amazing balance and precision, so every little move was spot on - an absolute joy to watch. I say 'was' only because with all his Funk stuff keeping him busy I haven't seen him dance for years - I imagine he could still do it today, but I never see him on the dancefloor - shame. All the best, Nick

I once spoke to a bunch of Oasis/Primal Scream boys at the !00 Club, and Noel Gallagher clearly had an extensive background in Soul/Mod/Scooter-related stuff, though Andrew Innes of the Scream seemed to be the one most into Northern proper. I did them some tapes of Northern stuff and they expressed interest in having me play some Northern sets at their aftershows, etc, but nothing came of it. I did get rung up about it at work by Noel's girlfriend, Meg Matthews who was still doing promotion at Creation at the time, and was a bit of a celeb for being Noel's missus, but the blasted woman rang when I was at my desk, so I missed out on the tannoy blasting out "Nick Brown, Meg Matthews on line one" all over the office - the looks on everyone's faces would have been fun, for about three seconds. Anyway, I think all that Britpop lot were into Northern and related stuff to some extent, though I suspect that it was a bit more of an accessory for Blur, who never seemed to 'get' it, if you know what I mean. As for Soft Cell, I thought it was Dave Ball who was the more active Soulie, though I'm willing to be corrected. I'll get me coat. Nick

Neck and neck between Dottie And Millie and "Deep Dark Secret", I'd say... I remember when you used to have to beat copies of Dottie & Millie off with a shitty stick. Mind you, you still have to now, onlyyou're beating them off at £200 a time . All the best, Nick

********* For what it's worth, I've always preferred "Keep Away" to "I Saw You There". In fact to me it's a huge bonus that you can buy it in a form that doesn't necessitate shelling out the extra for the fast side! Incidentally, I've always thought the writer must have been really pissed off with his missus or something when he wrote it, because both sides are absolutely steaming rants about girls stitching you up. As a bit of background info, Ion used to play this regularly in the mid-80s. All the best, Nick

I think it was originally played at the 100 Club. ********** Not sure where it was originally played, but if it helps to place it in time, I remember it appearing as a kind of 'hot feature' record on Pete Crampton's selling-up list in 1985. Pete was closely involved with the 'Stafford Mafia' at the time, so we may be looking there for its early plays. Anyone confirm? All the best, Nick

Didn't see tonight's closing prices - what did Tobi Legend go for in the end? Nick

Did anybody see Chuck at the Great Yarmouth weekender many moons ago,early 90`s.He played all the biggies,awesome!!! Have got to agree there - he was spectacular - I managed to be the one to grab his cummerband when he threw it into the crowd - god knows how I managed that at my height; I lent it to a friend for some posh ball, and was quite upset when she brought it back washed!!! Am sure we have some photos from that night and will nag Nick to scan some in for others to see. All The Best, Dawn Brown

Sorry about the previous post, I can't even post an email... Carol & Gerri - On you heartaches look good/ How can I ever find the way Billy Miranda - ...Good Thing Going/ Teardrops BTW If anyone happens to have a spare Billy Miranda please let me know! All The Best, Dawn Brown (hijacking Nick's email)

A quick note for all those planning to come down to Scenesville by car. The best place to park is on the roads immediately to the East of Edgeware Road (ie going in towards Central London). Try especially Seymour Place and Upper Berkeley Street, both just across the road from the venue. There should be tons of parking available on these roads or just off them. Roads to the West of Carisbrooke Hall have a lot of residents-only parking restrictions and you may waste time trying to find a space. The roads to the East are governed by single yellow lines which go out of force at 1:30 pm on a Saturday - though a few go out of force at 8:30pm so check signs on individual roads if parking up before 8:30. To see what I'm on about check out the multimap link at https://www.scenesville.info/directions.htm or go straight to https://www.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?lat...le=10000&icon=x Remember also, THERE IS NO CONGESTION CHARGE ON SATURDAYS. See you there! All the best, Nick

Gabrielle was the first track that sprung to mind when I saw this thread - brilliant record. Always reminds me of Lorraine Chandler's "Tell Me You're Mine". Lyrics aside, The Edwin Collins was a corker, and worked wonders at turning the Britpop generation onto our sound. Current top contender for me is a really good track out at the moment by Estelle called "Go, Gone" which has a very authentic 60s Southern Soul stomper feel to it - you have to hear it on the radio, though, because the video is a bit distracting and you don't quite get the full effect. Still, if you need to catch it it's on reasonably heavy rotation on MTV etc. Check it out. All the best, Nick