Frankie Crocker

Clearly a case of mis-representing the facts aka lying by omission. However, if the bidder is aware the record is not an original and has the funds to burn, then he is entitled to spend whatever he wants - somehow, I doubt this is the case so it could be collectors bidding heftily because a previous high bid seemed to 'authenticate' the record's provenance. This sort of salesmanship is unethical and bad for the scene - if the vendor has any scruples, he will withdraw the item and re- list it. Like Premium Stuff, I could reel off a list of fakes bought from a high ranking English dealer but that's for another thread...

Bargain!

Hi Liam. Welcome aboard. Looking at your playlist, you are evidently on the right track already. In addition to the tunes nominated by other SS contributors, I would add:- Astors-Candy-Stax James Brown-Hey America-King Gene Chandler-There Was A Time-Brunswick Dontells-In Your Heart-Vee Jay Shirley Ellis-Soul Time-Columbia Five Stairsteps-Stay Close To Me-Curtom There are so many good records out there, it's hard to know where to start but half the fun is turning up something decent on a major label that has been forgotten or completely overlooked. Good hunting...

RIP Danny. Although I never knew you, Wigan was blessed by your presence. Only made the first, third and fourth Anniversaries so missed your moment of glory. Top dancer, top bloke and sadly missed, but the legend will live on.

Like the footwork, the acrobatic moves were emulated by the chosen few at the early soul clubs - the link can be seen in the old American Bandstand archive clips. For this reason alone, it's okeh to dance this way, to keep the spirit burning. Northern dancing is individual, freestyle dancing within the sixties/seventies dance style so pretty much anything is okeh within this time-frame context. Spinning was a hallmark of an accomplished dancer at Wigan but the acrobatics lingered on, perpetuated by Top of The Pops performances by Wigan's Chosen Few. As already mentioned in this thread, the 1977 'This England' programme featuring Wigan part-timers and beginner-spinners, gave the misleading impression that everyone danced on their hands when they weren't falling over. The Wigan dance competitions encouraged acrobatics up to a point with Sandy Holt winning one year doing his oft repeated routine, finely choreographed to the hand-on- hip, clenched fist and kung-fu kick: eye catching it was, soul it wasn't and the judges gave Sandy's act the big thumbs down a season later. Bottom line, dance to the music, not the mirror in the gym - if you've got it, flaunt it, but not in front of the cameras.

RIP Bobby. The biggest name on Duke, indeed, the Duke of Soul such was his catalogue. Thanks for so many good sounds...

WOW - Carl Carlton - maybe a Cleethorpes or Prestatyn act for the future? Detroit is in a bad way and could well be the first industrial city to fall off the map. However, the music will live on for ever. Berry Gordon did the place no favours decamping to Hollywood - time to return and rejuvenate the soul scene perhaps? The good news is, rare tunes are turning up in quantity eg Gary Dean, Sherri Taylor, Four Tracks etc. Not been for a few years but would recommend staying near Royal Oak. The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn is a must-see with an excellent Motown exhibit. Drivers beware - Hitsville is marked on the wrong place on the map so be prepared to go up and down West Grand Boulevard a few times. Hopefully a weekender promoter can follow up this lead...

Pete - can I make a reservation for your next copy of Maurice Williams? £75 with 50% discount is my kind of price. Seriously, the price for this record now has to fall as the market will be flooded with US flea-market finds priced up with popsike tags and UK 'prized' possessions put on the market to cash in on the silly money.

Barry - great posts. M's was a bit like a Victorian music hall on two floors hemming in a narrowish dance floor. The lower level had booths for small groups, but were often occupied by by sleepers come 6 or 7 o'clock. M's being smaller and lower than the main room had a vibrant atmosphere with low-fi sound system, balcony heaving with onlookers and everyone talking or shouting above the music. In the early days, the dancing was possibly more frenetic and old- school as the sounds catered more for the Torch- Wheel age bracket. Can still remember being at the front mesmerized by a couple of coloured girls dancing to Scratchy, real ass-kicking stuff. Dave Evison would put a record on then hop down onto the floor for two minutes then scramble back onto the stage in time to change the record - that's what I call dead keen. M's was a more intimate venue than the main room and it was common for people to adjourn there for a conversation. The sounds played in the early days reflected the scene in it's infancy, Spencer Davis Group, Julian Covay, Bobby Hebb, Dobie Gray etc but in time, changed to recycle the multitude of oldies the main floor had once spun. I can remember crossing into M's on the balcony, pushing through the swing doors and hearing Anne Sexton for the first time, blew me away. So many good memories I can't think of any warts apart from the sound system breaking down regularly.

Thanks for the link Peter. Nice page layout, shame about the prices. Why buy in pounds when you can pay in dollars and cut out the middle man? At least this is not an assembly of recent auction wins priced up to cash in on current demand. UK dealers should be undercutting JM#6 by at least 20% to be competitive otherwise the discerning shopper will just buy elsewhere...

Looking forward to the book. Sounds potentially excellent. Should build on the superb books by Mick Ritson & Stuart Russell, Tim Brown et al... The movie sounds a winner also.

Not really a £400 sound but apparently in demand and required by eager- to-please DJs. A copy went through a JM auction a couple of months ago realising c£200 but falling short of the sales blurb hype, perhaps based on a US auction copy that went for $565.55 on 24/3/13. Another thread on SS covered this episode. I bid $ 555.55 for this beautiful mint copy as I had a vg+ copy to upgrade and move on - as this cost next to nothing, I was happy to bid high, a 'collateral bid' as it were. Not for the first time in recent months, I was beaten to a pristine record, and it appears that someone is out there hoovering up the mintiest records, money no object... Having been beaten to a decent copy of MW only a week or so before this, my bid was higher than it should have been due to wounded pride, an 'ego bid' as it were. Bidding is motivated by a number of factors and a final sale price may simply reflect pay-day frivolity at the end of the month, finally completing a label run, chasing an all- time favourite sound or simply getting two good sides for the price of one. At the end of the day, it's our appreciation of good but rare records that determines price fluctuations. Keep On.

Perhaps it's time to for all sellers and buyers to draw up a bi-lateral agreement that all records are worth $3 for the purpose of postage, and any other sums involved such as a 'Finders' Fees', do not enter postal charge calculations. Packets can be insured for high values on the grounds they contain items of nostalgic worth or irreplaceable family heirlooms of low intrinsic value. No collector begrudges the hardworking dealer their just reward, so I say, establish the 'Finders' Fee' as the payment for enterprise but keep the figure off the packet for mutual benefit!!!

First the 'Tittyshaker' and now the 'Knee Trembler' to quote John's description. Perhaps we are watching history in the making with a real possibility of Frank Wilson being knocked off his perch. Chalky nails the summary of this record earlier in the strand - as pretty close to Northern perfection as you will ever find, a record that eclipses the mega-rarities that accompany it when spun in the sets of the world's top Northern DJ eg Walter and the Admerations, Ray Agee, Martha Jean Love, Joseph Webster, Saints etc. As Tony says above, why criticise a record like this when afterall, it epitomises what the music is all about. Here is a record beyond comparison, Northern perfection, a pinnacle of collecting that most of us can only dream of... Was this an Allentown find? Has anyone out there got the full story? Will John burn up his 20% flying to Japan to ensure complete customer satisfaction by offering a 'Hand Job' as it were? Is the reclusive Mr Flynn cunningly stockpiling rare records with a view to promoting the Tokyo Casino as the first truly global all- niter? As the tension builds, snipes are set, crate- diggers in the States search frantically for a 25 count box (minus three or four records), the Manship switchboard melts down and has to outsource the auction to a Call Centre in Swansea. The Mello Souls story has certainly livened up proceedings and could well prove to be the 'kick up the backside' the scene needs to return to up-tempo, vintage 66-69 Northern with a sprinkling of unknown sounds.

Awesome tune - as good as it gets. Thanks to Mark for all the spins at The 100 Club down the years.

The Gloreco copies appear to be from one main source, namely Brad. Anyone out there who can put a figure to the quantity that have turned up? Any info would be appreciated as I intend to upgrade my VG copy at some stage but need to know when to join the bidding wars... Thanks

Surely the music will continue to evolve but dependent upon DJ innovation. There are still oldies out there waiting to be discovered and broken. Forgotten oldies could be revived. Northern Pop could feature at Friday after-work venues to bring in the younger brigade. The scene has to stay full-on Northern to retain it's appeal and followers, but a little bit of RnB or Crossover is uplifting when played at the right time and it pulls folk onto the dance floor. Some B sides that are too slow could be pitched up to near mid-tempo for that slow- shuffle between faster tracks. Untried Beat and Blue Eyed Soul may revive the Wheel feeling. Even some of the US Garage 45's could pass muster. The possibilities are endless but hard- core Northern is here for good and will always be the bedrock of the scene. KTF

Well worth a read. Tim's musings are always insightful. Agree that #6 needs refining - put me down for a Northern volume with label photographs next time round...

Hey Dude. Good luck with the sales. A huge thank you for the heads up on the Pepper Pots - got two CD's off Amazon as a result of your info. Cheers

Agreed fellows, a superb set of sounds. For those of us off the scene in the 1980's, they helped stoke up interest and laid the foundations for an incredible run of CD's. After the 16 double albums came the pale green 'The Soul Of.....Detroit' double album also available on CD, the first CD I ever bought. I never play the LP's now but couldn't part with them - still enjoy the sleeve notes though. I think we all owe Kev Roberts and connections a big thank you for helping the scene along in between the decline of the major national All Nighters and the proliferation of local Soul Nights that exist today.

Hope you are able to locate a copy. It is a truly fascinating record. Ownership of it helps to appreciate flawed talent and develop a healthier respect for the artists of the sixties who struggled to cut a track in the face of numerous constraints. My hands tremble when I put it on the turntable and the listening experience is as good as it gets on the rare occasion when played. My copy came in what can best be described as a 'companified' sleeve that has been customised by a home made John Bull type rubber stamp giving company details including a Detroit phone number - the record within the sleeve takes on holy relic status and would possibly defy the descriptive skills of John Manship if he had the record and 'birth sleeve' up for auction. In the meantime, play the CD or be lucky enough to catch it whilst out on the floor...

Pete. You've got all the best books on your list. There are a few others worth checking out: Keeping The Faith - photography by John Barrett, a collection of black and white photos. Groovesville USA by Keith Rylatt, the definitive Detroit book. The Rare Soul Bible by Dave Rimmer, a reference work. Manchester England by Dave Haslam, the history of the city's music with some Northern references. Young Hearts Run Free by Dave Haslam, a story of the 1970's with some Northern references. On The Right Track by Rob McKeever, Ginger's story. Stuart Maconie's Cider With Roadies has a brilliant Chapter 6, "Out On The Floor" - this is worth the price of the book alone but it is a great book anyway. Hope this helps.

Craig. Deeply saddened that this should have happened. Is there any further news on the situation? Lots of good advice on here already to check local bins, skips, alleys and gardens etc. If this proves negative, the thief is more likely to be a vinyl fiend than a town-chancer. Post the details on flyers at local events to keep the records' details in peoples' minds. The genuine soul community will be watching auctions and sales lists and will let you know if anything turns up. Does anyone out there photograph their records? I have got an invisible ink pen that shows up under UV light but have not got round to using this yet - any thoughts out there? Finally, I keep a list of records and their distinguishing marks which gives a little peace of mind should some go AWOL.

Russ. Always good to hear from you true Keep The Faither... I would add Russ Vickers to the list on the basis of a good 100 Club set. Gaz Kellet awesome taste and the tunes to set the floor alight. Dave Flynn has some great records. Likewise Tony Smith #1. Ion broke some good tunes too. Russ Winstaney was always top dog for me until he caught Mecca Fever and lost his way so he would be my choice for a free Bank Holiday Redemption Nighter at Wembley Stadium (free CD for the first 100,000 entrants).

Great tune. Also available on a CD single. Would spearhead a compilation of Northern Pop tunes including Tom Jones-If He Should Ever Leave You, Ace of Base-Always Have Always Will, Vanessa Paradis-be My Baby...etcetc