Frankie Crocker

Nice read. Thanks for posting. Wish I'd hung on to the sales lists from decades ago but they piled up to ridiculous quantities. Agree with you on the RCA label, particularly white demo copies that were generally pretty common and overpriced, and in the main, still are.

It's getting to be like the Olympics - there, you have so many cheating on drugs, it would make sense to have another Olympics for those who don't want to cheat. Roll on the day when there are two soul markets, one for the cheats and a proper one for OVO buyers. Why do we have to put up with these fakes polluting the sales pages?

Interesting that £50 is the going rate for the first few copies onto the market. Sure, it is highly collectable and demand will outstrip supply by a long way. For those attending, it's cost a lot to travel and get in, so nothing wrong in partially recouping the outlay. Not all soulies collect records so I think it's fine to sell an unwanted giveaway and blow the cash on whatever you want.

Scary stuff. Won't be long before they're sold as the real thing or outnumber the originals coming to market. Not so bad if it's plainly a reissue but there should be something on the label to identify it as a later edition such as the date or a symbol.

Hi Phil. Compared to what? Where does it sit in the Hall of Fame? Ahead of the Professionals? Way behind the Mello Souls? On a par with Ruby? I like the record but don't own a copy. I reckon it's Championship material rather than Premiership but that's subjective of course. I reckon folk like the records more if they actually own them so I am on a hiding to nothing until I stumble across a cheap original, then I can try to like it more, even though I have heard it dozens and dozens of times.

Gone with the wind is my cash... Sure, the auction market is getting more and more competitive, but this decent enough record is not in the premier league of must-have-at-all-costs sounds. Still, if you have the money, you might as well blow it (no pun intended) on something you like.

Sad, but true... I wonder how many Bay City Rollers fans made the transformation? Ultimately though, it doesn't really matter how you stumbled across the music, but the very fact you did is the main thing.

Manship's #6 has it down at 125 units ie pounds. Earlier editions used US Dollars, the best currency for us collectors to play with. Would never part with my copy at any price.

Eagerly awaiting the next Price Guide, but the way values are sky-rocketing in many cases means the figures will be questionable and soon out of date. As long as both buyers and sellers acknowledge that Price Guide valuations are merely just a pointer rather than an absolute set-in-stone figure, there are no real problems. John goes to great lengths to justify his methodology at the start of the Price Guides emphasising the prices are for mint condition records, something often overlooked in transactions around the globe. I would like to see the values expressed in U.S. Dollars at the usual $1.50 to the £1.00 exchange rate rather than British Pounds a Sterling with a 20% VAT factored in.

A very rare record and in perfect condition. I could never grasp why the record was so undervalued in his Price Guides. Two great sides also. Cast in styrene, there can't be too many pristine copies in existence.

Depends if you like karaoke. I suppose if you were a six year old and woke up on Christmas day with a Junior DJ deck-kit in your pillow case, this tune might make gran smile after a few sherries...

For sure, there are plenty of excellent British made decks. Since going down the separates hi-if route, I've had two Garrard decks and they were fine. The current Thorens is a brilliant piece of equipment and I chose it because the cartridge and stylus unit was detachable. Not only is it easy to set up, but most importantly, the stylus can be cleaned and checked as so much grunge comes off records that have been cleaned. I keep track of every record played so the stylus can be replaced ahead of the recommended number of hours played. I would prefer to stick with Thorens in the future if I have to upgrade as the other features are brilliant ie automatic cut out, independent suspension, low maintenance, easy to operate and superb sound reproduction.

Frying Tonight... With a photocopied label, this could sell for double, indicating the lengths desperate sellers and gullible buyers will go to.

Yep, lots of sense here. My turntable is a Thorens, once a German company but now Swiss owned. That said, there are lots of new turntables popping up, one of the hi-fi mags this week featuring four in the £200-300 range. With Technics making a comeback, the future of vinyl seems assured.

Take 6 is on vinyl whereas Gold Token is on styrene if I'm not mistaken. B sides of both records are good tracks. Gold Token label is snazzier and it's harder to come by. Best to own both and DJ with the Take 6 version which must be worth £400 as it seldom turns up in great shape and Feminine Ingenuity is a top class sound. Found two copies on Take 6 in Boston and part-exchanged one for 'the last copy' of Danny Moore dohhhhh....

Many congratulations to you Mike and the whole team. Soul Source leads the field in offering the best information around on the subject. Also great to pick up on the wisdom of so many members, have a few laughs and access so much good vinyl for sale.

Hi Dave. Looking forward to the book. It's at the top of my Christmas List right now as I've given up asking for records...

Hi Damian. The book you might find useful is called The Blackwell Guide To Soul Recordings edited by Robert Pruter first published in 1994. The book takes a regional look at the USA looking at genres, labels artists and recommended LP's and CD's. Another reference book is called The Music Book Guide To Soul published by Backbeat books as one of the AMG series ie All Media Guide. Then there are the regional books on Chicago (Robert Pruter), Philadelphia (John A Jackson), Detroit (Keith Rylatt) and others amongst those mentioned above on New Orleans, Texas, Memphis, Motown etc. Hope this helps.

A really valid point. Most USA dealers and store owners do not have a decent deck to sample records. Styrene records suffer terribly when played on an old deck without a variable tracking weight installed. The big problem though is any records played on typical 60's portables would have suffered from stylus wear and tear plus stacking of the records on the spindle. Even some M- unplayed 45's were pressed on poor quality vinyl so there is no guarantee you will be buying a perfect recording. And just to trap the unwary, some of the discs we chase exist in small numbers because the press run was trashed when it was found to be off-centre, mislabelled, wrong B side etc. It's a minefield but there are plenty of unharmed records out there and enough dealers providing sound-bites to help buyers make their choice.

I think it's OK to express cause for concern, but overall, the scene is going through a new lease of life, a resurrection as it were. Record collecting continues to thrive in its various guises but sadly prices have spiralled beyond the pockets of many. The proliferation of venues reflects keen entrepreneurship saving many from travelling huge distances but small-scale events run by local DJ's inevitably need to cater for all sorts of music lovers if they are to survive, and maybe morph into the next 'big venue'. There are enough good tunes out there for some great discoveries and bringing back forgotten oldies so don't give up hope yet.

For sure, side by side they are different. Hold the boot on it's own and it has a really genuine feel to it.

Another travesty. After reading this thread on Soul Source, I too spotted the repress for sale a week or two ago and thought there's another record that can't be taken at face value.

Two top class tracks on the record. One of the best double headers around. The bootleg looks just as original as the real thing so no wonder it sells form silly money.

Seconded...great tune, floor-filler, a little piece of history...

I need to get out more often as I have never seen a Rita Lee. I used to have a Men From Macon 'Salvation' on Le Cam, pink-on-white label but sold this in the late 70's: I see John has this marked at a tenner in Price Guide #6. So, which is THE version then as I don't recall seeing a Men From Macon's 'Salvation' on yellow Charay either?