Frankie Crocker

No. Several Soul Sourcers have struggled to describe the microscopic configuration whilst the other is very prominent in the run-out. They are totally different WME inscriptions.

That’s what I’ve been mulling over - two pressings at roughly the same time or one shortly after the other. The Archer pressing plant was small and probably working to full capacity in 1968. Motown regularly sent master tapes to Nashville for lacquer cutting, master disc production and record pressing - I suspect the Eddie Parker master tape went to Nashville as part of a larger job lot. We don’t know how many master discs were derived from Mack Evans’ lacquer but at least one went back up to Archer in Detroit and others were used in Nashville to press a pretty large quantity for national distribution. If anyone has copies of Love You Baby with radio station date stamps on, that would be very useful in pinning down the production dates. To return to the original question, I’m also wondering if it was one of the Nashville master discs that was used to press the uneven Archer stamped bootleg QED?

Spot on Chalky. Jack Ashford was the main driver behind the enterprise. He had huge confidence in Eddie Parker so it would have been him that placed the orders for the Archer and Nashville pressings - plus of course it was his label and production. Maybe you could check in with Jack again sometime and ask what quantities were pressed up and when. Sure, it would be great if the factory job sheets were still in existence and someone had access to them as this would enlighten us considerably - any record sleuths in Detroit and Nashville who could shed some light on this?

There’s still much to be written on the subject and I’m working on it. There are several Eddie Parker threads on Soul Source, all of which are worth a read. To pique your interest, there seems to be two variants of the WME etching; one is minuscule and barely decipherable to the naked eye, the other quite large and easily read. Jack Ashford has no recollection of the circumstances surrounding the Archer press but we do know that that Lorraine Chandler verified the non-Archer stamped records as bona-fide second issues. Readers may be intrigued to know that the master tape went from Detroit to Nashville for Mack Evans to cut the lacquer to make the master disk - this went to the Archer plant to produce white demos and issues over-stamped with the even Archer mark BUT issues were pressed in larger numbers in Nashville… Mack Evans has passed on so it is not possible to ascertain the date of his handiwork but it was put to use in both Detroit and Nashville late 1968/early 1969. Mack Evans was a master at his trade so the WME pressing is of a superb quality- I have not had an Archer stamped copy in my hands or on the deck to make a full comparison yet but intend to in the years ahead.

A quantity turned up about a year ago. Finder sold a few at intervals then passed a quantity to carolinasoul. These have been dripped out at 2-3 month intervals. No telling how many were in the original hoard or how many have gone as Second Chance offers. Potential buyers should now be aware of what’s been happening and can bide their time - the best copies went early on and more recent copies have been less than mint. You could say the same about the Saints on Wig Wam. One on Manship’s auction at present but other copies have been offered recently. Definitely no longer the rarity it was in the 90’s when Butch was spinning the only copy around. Ward Burton on Panther also comes to mind. Goes to show there are still small stashes of rare records in the USA, but if anybody wants one, they may have to pay over the odds and see the price drop months down the road.

Even stamped Archer demo or issue would be perfect but not the uneven Archer stamped bootleg. The WME stamped records are legitimate second issues. The WME was scribed by Warren McCleallan Evans who cut the lacquer in a Nashville studio. Manship Price Guide #7 rates Archer and WME stamped records with three figure values but these are well out of date by now. True Archer stamped records are rare whilst WME records are more plentiful suggesting they were the bulk order produced in Nashville. As of yet, exact dates of the Archer pressed records in Detroit are not known - neither are the exact dates of the Nashville WME discs. It is universally assumed that the Archer pressed records came first for the local Detroit market with the Nashville records coming later for a more national distribution. Given the shortage of first edition Archer records, DJ’s would be advised to spin the WME variant as it was made in the USA early on in 1969.

Trying to keep an open mind, this thread has got me really confused. I always thought Modern Soul emanated from the 1980’s and amounted to rare disco inspired tunes with a high soul quotient and danceable quality. Some of the tunes mentioned above were termed ‘Newies’ back in the 70’s, recently produced records that followed on nicely from the classic years 1966-69; nowadays, they are lumped under the broad heading of ‘Crossover’, still largely made up of traditional instruments but with a bit of electronic music creeping in. I recall going to a 100 Club Modern Allnighter 25-30 years ago. The sounds were totally unfamiliar and not enjoyable so I left after a few hours of suffering. There were no tunes like the Montclairs, Lou Pride, Carstairs etc. Ady C seemed to stage only one of these damp squib affairs and apologetically said the event was put on as followers had no other venues to go to. So perhaps someone could define Modern Soul for us. Is it mainly electronic dance music from the 80’s onwards or what? Does it overlap with House Music? Apologies for sounding such a klutz on the topic but I need enlightening.

Spot on. Vintage years for the nostalgic. Rare 60’s and 70’s tunes, latest discoveries, one-offs, rarest of the rare. Dance floor code followed by all. Folks from all over the country. Sales boxes on the tables full of records you want nowadays. Dress code was smart, presentable, casual, informal and still is. Packed dance floor, good dancers, both ladies and gents. A few new onlookers but barely noticeable. Back then, an underground scene, members only, most folk still on the young side. The 100 Club will long be remembered in the same way as The Wheel, Torch, Wigan, Blackpool etc…you can’t beat a good dose of nostalgia looking back on the scene.

Congratulations on posting one of the most condescending opinions ever seen on Soul-Source, a forum ostensibly for those wishing to share their appreciation of soul music and the soul scene down the decades. The main cause of rising record prices is wannabe-deejays hell-bent on filling their hot-boxes with sounds that have become increasingly scarce. As an old soul-boy, I have insufficient income to buy records but the joy of reading about the soul scene in the 70’s makes up for this

Great to see a young crowd out enjoying themselves. Good music and some dancers who know their stuff. The clip answers one of the questions currently posed on Soul-Source - this is the future, a dedicated promoter, appreciative audience, suitable venue and plenty to drink. No pensioners in evidence, so young deejays and dancers can relax without concerns for dress-code, dance-floor code, OVO etc. The music will endure for ever at places like this. Grass-roots venues catering for mainly locals will draw others in from afar given a chance to succeed. Well done Peckham for flying the flag…

There were other records that brought the tempo down roundabout the same time - Kenny Smith, Bobby Hutton, Dena Barnes but to name a few. Ann Sexton before this phase. The Carstairs are often quoted to be the definitive game-changer but there was a whole raft of newies being plugged at the same time such as Lloyd Michaels, Spooky & Sue, Southside Movement etc. James Fountain was one of many groundbreaking sounds at a time of diversifying influences before disco and funk really took a hold.

Spotted your record for sale on eBay - much interest in it so you should do well. Great track and wanted by many in the UK and Europe. Well done on this rare find.

Cheers. It’s no trouble at all. Like many Soul-Sourcers, I look forward to 6.00 pm on Wednesdays. Oddly enough, I have only ever won one of John Manship’s auction records but have done a few deals with him down the decades. He runs a fully transparent auction and deserves much credit for this.

A few odd results here. Saxie Russell well down on previous value. Sunny & The Sunliners well up and about time too for this good sound. Too many set-sale items to list here… Hy-Tones value a PB for this item but well worth the outlay. Chubby Checker down a bit. Maybe folks are tiring of shelling out big bucks for sounds that are widely available ?

Hope this helps…

Machine Gun album was released 1974. The Zoo was one of the tracks, massive at Wigan’s 1st annivesary.

I’m surprised to learn there’s a cluster of bars playing Northern Soul in Turkey - perhaps this is what the future looks like. The cat’s been out of the bag a while now with NS events in Spain, Italy, Germany, France, Sweden to name but a few European countries - clearly the spread of NS continues and given that it is ultra-catchy dance music, it will always have its supporters. Given the finite supply of original vinyl, CD’s and new issues, it’s hardly surprising the music is being streamed via the internet or played on DIY CD’s etc. The future looks rather watered down with the further proliferation of small venues in bars, pubs, clubs etc with the occasional larger event catering for more committed enthusiasts. To some extent, this validates the high quality of the sounds we hold dear and have enjoyed for decades. With the decline of the contemporary music business, NS can be taken advantage of to fill the void. Look out for pop-up eateries and bars playing piped NS music coming to a place near you…

Some BIG numbers there… Bob And Fred WOW…Gerri Granger HUGE…plus a few set-sales records as usual.

Comedy Gold. Actually two of a kind as I’ve got one… Probably another 50 out there too.

Thanks for posting. Hard to believe the figure for Rita and The Tiaras, good record though it is. Thought the Wooden Nickels might fetch more. John should be pleased overall with this evening’s takings.

Never seen a black Ron Holden but Jerry Fuller’s ‘Double Life’ appeared in a black issue format as evidenced on Popsike. Both Ron’s and Jerry’s offerings were storming biggies back in the day, booted due to popularity and still fondly remembered in some quarters.

This is the harder to come by issue. Value probably above £150 nowadays. The song is also on Royal-Tone and more commonly available at about £100 - £125; on this release it is titled Baby I Dig You and is on a gold label and on a red label. I can’t add anything else more factual other than to say it is a great tune, seriously overlooked probably undervalued and my advice to anyone would be to grab the yellow Ambassador issue if you have the chance.

Jades went for £4,828 as mentioned above. Bidding went beyond 6.00 pm. as is often the case on juicy items. If the winner pays immediately, the record is removed from the listing so nothing to worry about. Jades is one of the rarest New Orleans records so highly collectable if you’re a New Orleans completist. 5K is steep for this 45 but it rarely comes to market. The Para-Monts shot up in value too.

Inclined to agree. The pink issue is very hard to come by. Manship says the white demo is very scarce but Popsike shows the frequency of it marginally more numerous than the pink issue. I vaguely recall the red edition being on styrene and a pressed unofficially but don’t quote me on that. Both the white demos and pink issues of Buster and Eddie are very scarce and rarely come up for sale - more importantly, it is a top tune.

Hi Joel. Excuse the delay. Hope you’re well.