Frankie Crocker

The Prom gets a glowing five-star write up by Andrew Perry in the Features section of the Daily Telegraph today (17/07/23).

He justified the re-ordering so the concert could end with Tobi Legend BUT they’s really planned it to end with Gloria Jones and Frankie Boy Da Dee Da Doo. Before the concert, I re-read chapter 6, Out On The Floor of ‘Cider With Roadies’ to remind myself of Maconie’s credentials; yes, he hails from west Wigan and was touched by NS subculture. Actually he’s a good-egg all round plus a fervent advocate of Northern Soul at the Beeb. That said, Maconie’s playlist is very limited and largely restricted to the 70’s hay-day eg Dobie Gray, Tony Clarke, Judy Street, MVP’s (shades of This England programme here) etc. Maybe there’ll be another NS Prom and Soul-Source contributors will be invited to expand on the 300 tunes considered...

A few photos...sadly the video clips are too long...

Tonight’s programme.

Absolutely awesome. Thirty one tracks of pretty-near perfection. Kicking off with the MVP’s, a tough number, the BBC Orchestra smashed it. The Trammps went down well with the audience as did the Just Bros, one of two instrumentals played. Frankie Valli and ‘TheNight’ received the most audience participation and by then a lot were dancing in the stalls and boxes. The Albert Hall was virtually full to capacity with a lot of knowledgeable soulies in the house, many spot-on with the syncopated hand-claps and a good few dancing on the main floor. Stuart Maconie did an excellent job introducing each section and was visibly moved by the success of the event. The evening finished on a high note with the Three Before Eight and an encore of Gloria Jones then Frank Wilson, all cleverly done. The singers did a great job overall with every tune recognisable for what it was. All in all, a brilliant experience and congratulations to the BBC for getting it right.

About 20 years ago, I was staying in Berlin for a few days, drinking in the hotel bar night after night as you do, and a really catchy tune kept featuring on the radio. Off we went to a shopping mall to buy a CD featuring Frank Popp’s ‘Hip Teens’. Years later it turns out the 45 goes for good money and has been spun at some venues. The Pepper Pots, a Spanish outfit have some really soulful tunes in their repertoire well worth seeking out. The Ladykillers, a New Zealand quartet, do an excellent take on Paul Mauriat’s ‘Black Is Black’ - a live performance on YouTube is worth a listen if you can get past the chat. There’s possibly more catchy tunes out there, ideal for the house rather than a public venue. They may not be Northern Soul as such but they tick a few boxes being similar in some ways eg tempo, melody, harmony etc Forgive me for not posting any links but I’ve got to go and dress up for the Albert Hall...

Best to check on one of the websites first. These are common enough records that come up for sale regularly. Much depends on whether you are buying or selling as the prices are not necessarily identical. Check on Discogs, Collectors Frenzy or even SoulSource sales section which is sure to feature both titles. Oh, I forgot to mention Popsike, probably the best auction database although it’s far from complete.

I thought Gerri Hall would go for more - this is a rare and brilliant sound. I do wonder if records should be auctioned if they only realise two or three hundred pounds.

I booked up for the Albert Hall months ago. I’ll be going with an open mind and shall report back later. Normally, I ignore classical music and boycott the Proms but I thought it sensible to support the event. Someone has evidently attempted to diversify affairs and tap into the rich vein of Northern Soul - it’ll be interesting to see if the orchestra can match the quality of the original recordings...we’ll see...

Cecil Washington tanked a bit - well below previous earnings. Has a quantity turned up in Detroit?

True, as is the case for anyone writing about anything... John’s recollections are worth reading because they are John’s recollections from back in the day and interpretations of the current scene. I’m happy reading about a diverse array of perceptions on Soul-Source including John’s somewhat hyped-up sales pitches couched in factual historical detail. The amount of text John has written could be bound into a volume worth reading in my humble opinion. I only went to Cleethorpes once and my memories become even more vivid when I read about the records spun there.

Who cares about the prices - they’re nothing compared to the mess the economy is in. Hats off to the Bard of Melton Mowbray - John has become a full-time author, and now focuses on writing record descriptions for the next lavishly illustrated book. Come on John and please tell us when all the record auctions will be compiled into a glossy book - I’ll gladly proof-read it for a free copy...

A consideration to factor in would be which take the tracks were, something of course that will remain unknown unless studio paperwork turns up. Sure, there was always pressure to get the tune in the can on the first take, but this could cause nervousness in a very young singer. If the group had rehearsed the track and performed it several times in public, the singer would deliver a less novicey vocal. Heaven Is In Your Arms sure sounds like a youngster rather than an adult - there could only have been a tiny number of budding child-stars guesting in Chicago recording studios in the 1960’s. I think Chalky’s mention of using computer software to analyse the voices would be worth trying out.

Awesome tunes. Great dance music. Up-tempo. Era of the instrumental. Banging tunes 50 years ago...Zola, The Kid, Sea Cruise, The Trip etc. I’ve heard that some of the punters back then were off their trees... Fife Piper was rare in the beginning but sounds tame now; remember the sounds were pioneers of a sort.

Tommy Navarro was a daft price - one for sale every week on eBay. Esther Phillips issue is roundabout £150 so the demo was not too exorbitant. For a number of records, the price was right so maybe collectors are not going OTT as has been the case in recent years.

FWIW the Admiration’s singer on Paree sounds very like Little Michael Jackson.... On listening to both sides of the Peaches 45, echoes of the same singer sound through. It does sound like the same lead singer on both records...doing my head in but I think you lot are on to something here!

Mood Mosaic by a mile. It was the ‘ender’ at Plas Coch Saturday night discos in the late ‘70’s. The Anglesey Soul Crew would fill the floor clamouring for more whilst the Holyhead boozers were staggering off to make sure they had a seat on the free coach. I honestly can’t remember hearing it played out at a major venue back in the day...can’t remember the last time I played the Casino Classic LP’s either - probably not this century, but they’re there just in case I need to. Great tune by the way.

The museum in Wigan has updated the Casino display recently.

A few photos taken in Wigan recently. The shopping centre built on the Casino site and the display by the Casino Cafe.

Not too many bargains this evening or jaw-dropping prices. Dave Charles has gone up a fair bit but understandably so. Some of the prices are matching eBay values eg Earl Jackson, Van Dykes, Exits. Anything that sells for £200 or less is clearly a set-sale item so it continues to baffle that such a quality auction is marred by sub-standard filler - guessing that John does not have enough major rarities for weekly auctions these days perhaps?

Bobby Paris £122- madness. David and the Giants £165 - insanity. Overall, a quiet night for John.

Having made over 70 record buying trips to The States over the last 30 plus years, I can confidently state there’s very little to be discovered in the wild. This is reflected on eBay and Discogs. The USA collectors and crate diggers are wise nowadays and have price-guides to help them snaffle records once ignored; they then use databases such as Popsike and Collector’s Frenzy to value 45’s at ridiculous levels. The desirable records are now in the hands of US collectors who part with them on rare occasions, in the hands of the artists, in lock-ups off-limits to casual visitors and on show at major record conventions but at colossal prices. There are more decent records in nice condition for sale in the UK compared to the USA - unfortunately the sellers want unrealistic sums for them so they often go usold.

Saw the show yesterday and I would recommend it. The production was slick, the singing very good, dancing well choreographed, music pretty decent coming from the House Band, all in all, well worth seeing. We had booked tickets for the Grand Circle as soon as they were on sale but were re-seated in a loggia box with an excellent view. Clearly the theatre is not full to capacity as theGrand Circle is not in use, but the vast majority of seats were occupied. The audience were 98% white, mainly middle-aged to old and mainly female. There were hardly any young people present suggesting a lack of interest in Motown music as far as 20-30 year olds are concerned. For Temps fans, this would be of interest as their history was well covered and spliced in with other Motown acts. As a piece of theatre in the West End, it would be a pleasant way to spend an evening in London.

...eBay paying funds...can’t see them being too generous as they go via Luxembourg and other ‘offshore’ territories... The only saving grace is there’s very little left in the USA and much of that’s in rough condition. Maybe we should have made more of the opportunity decades ago when tge moans about eBay were milder by comparison.

eBay is now adding VAT to invoices. Whether they pay this all to the UK Government is open to question. This obviously deters UK buyers, especially on big ticket items. Not sure if high value items are charged again at Customs? Having a low value on the ticket makes sense for many reasons but some USA dealers will not go down that route because of the legal implications. One other problem has worsened on eBay due to their changes - a lot more dealers will not send to the UK and their settings do not accept UK bids: this is a major nuisance if records are to be sent to a contact in the USA.