Md Records

Ian I think Sam bought it off John Anderson, so possibly only Two. DES PARKER

There's at least Three of these "Test Pressings" I had one, which went to Mick H, then onto James, but I also know that John Anderson had one, as did Adey Potts, though this copy may be one and the same. I also thought that Frank Giaccobe had /has one. Personally, the disc was never "quite there" for me, but I do know MANY that disagree with me, but what's new!! DES PARKER

I got the Woody Carr from "Bop Street" Records (I think that was the name) in Seattle a couple of Years ago along with some other odd local releases, plus some F***ing good Northern at cheap prices, for a change! DES PARKER

Kevin It's how things used to be over here, so enjoy it now, before we all start coming over and telling you "what should and shouldn't be played" and "who should and shouldn't be playing it" What you guys are doing over there has more to do with the true spirit of "Northern Soul" than quite a few of the egocentric and arrogant things that happen here!! Keep doing what you're doing!! DES PARKER P.S. I'm bound to be in Seattle (brilliantly COOL City) within the next couple of Years so keep me posted on what's going on there.

I've D.J.'d once in New York and about 4 times in Pittsburgh with Johnny Beggs , and each time has been F***ing brilliant (thanks Juddy!!), as long as you use a little common sense. i.e. People are there to dance & party, so play stuff that makes you want to get up. Forget hang ups about what is and isn't politically correct to play, and go for the Jugular, playing the type of adrenalin fuelled things that got you into it in the first place. Bear in mind that those little compartments we have devised for sounds like "Wigan Sound", "Torch Sound", "Stafford Sound", "Oldies", "Newies" etc etc are totally irrelavent, so "Soulville Allstars-Nobody To Blame" sits nicely next to "Jades-I'm Where It's At" followed by some rocking bit of "R & B". Luckily I like this sort of stuff anyhow, so I'm like a Pig in Sh**. Records like "Dusty Wilson - Tragedy" however fabulous a piece of soul it is, would go down like a one legged tap dancer. First tune Beggsy ever put on over the pond was "Tempos - Countdown" followed by some obscure thing he's been championing, at a similar pace and it went down brilliantly!!! NO HANG UPS, NO POLITICS, FAST & FURIOUS NORTHERN SOUL - BRILLIANT DES PARKER

Bit of trivia, the backing is by the "Handicappers" who were in fact Handicapped. DES PARKER

There is at least one other release on the Colony 13 label (Not Soul/Not at all good) Had it in my grubby mitts about Two Weeks ago in the U.S. but forgot the artist, it was pretty forgettable. Jeff Smith was involved in many Labels on the Columbus Soul scene :- Owl, Holiday, Col Soul, Col U Soul, Incentive, Prix, Bleu Rose amongst others, in one way or another. The Columbus Soul scene was a pretty compact one, in comparism to other Cities, and Jeff Smith was a bit of a local hero, and sadly lost his fight with Cancer a few Years ago. DES PARKER

Although I try and avoid the quagmire & nonsense of prices set in stone, I do think that these valuations would be considerably less if the discs are "Reissues/2nd Issues" e.g. Jay Traynor on DCP Des Parker

List Updated Des Parker

Updated Des Parker

Have a few of the reissues in stock @ £10 (including P & P) but I'll just check the "bevelled" edges first, just to be doubly sure! Des Parker

All discs are pretty clean with intact labels (unless specified) All prices include postage within the U.K.Records will be sold in the order I recieve P.M.'s Des Parker Billy Butler - Right Track - Soul City (no centre) £5 Jimmy Smith - Cat In A Tree - Verve £6 Peggy Scott - You Can Never Get Something For Nothing - Polydor £5 Isley Brothers - I Turned You On - Major Minor £3 Squibby & Reflections - Loving You Has Made My Life Worthwhile - Direction £4 Freddie Scott - Spanish Harlem - Jay Boy £3 Bob & Earl - Dancing Everywhere - B & C £3 Billy Stewart - Cross My Heart - Chess (no centre) £5 Playthings - Stop What You're Doing - Pye (White Label) £4 Otis Leavill - I Need You - Atlantic (Large Centre) £3 James Carr - Freedom Train - B & C (A Few Light Scuffs) £4 Julie Grant - Then Only Then - Pye (A Few Light Scuffs) £6 Drifters - Up In THe Streets Of Harlem - Atlantic £3 Billie Joe Young - I've Got You On My Mind Again - Surrey (A Few Light Scuffs) £5 Showstoppers - House Party - Beacon (Green) £4 Donnie Elbert - This Old Heart Of Mine - Mojo (Large Centre) £3 Watts 103rd St - Spreadin' Honey - Jay Boy £4 Johnny Nash - You Got Soul - Major Minor £2 Gene Chandler - If You Can't Be True - Stateside (No Centre) £6 Johnny Pearson - Rat Catchers - Columbia SOLD Marv Johnson - You Got What It Takes - U.A. £4 Olympics - Big Boy Pete - Jay Boy £3 Sally Sagoe - Stop - Dart SOLD Percy Sledge - Heart Of A Child - Atlantic £4 Edwin Starr - Headline News/S.O.S. - Polydor (Large Centre) £4 O' Jays - I Dig Your Act - Mojo (Large Centre) £3 Bar Kays - Knucklehead - Atlantic £3 Dee Dee Sharp - Lover Boy - Cameo Parkway £5 Wilson Pickett - Danger Zone - Atlantic £4 Anna King - E.P. - Philips (some light scuffs) £4 Brenton Wood - I Think You Got Your Fools Mixed Up - Liberty £4 Bobby Bland - Gotta Get To Know You - Action (no centre) £4 Andy Williams - House Of Bamboo - London £10 Billy Harner - What About The Music - Kama Sutra £5 Donald Height - We Gotta Make Up - Jay Boy £4 Little Hank - Mr. Bang Bang Man - Monument £12 Impressions - Fool For You - Buddah £3 Fats Domino - It Keeps Rainin' - Liberty (no Centre) £5 Joe Tex - Close The Door - Atlantic £4 Arthur Conley - People Sure Act Funny - Atlantic £3 Jimmy thomas - Just Tryin' To Please You - Joe Boy £4 Alvin Cash - Do It One More Time - President (Demo, slight label tear) £4 Frankie Valli - You Ready Now - Philips (Large Centre) £5 Mel Torme - Power Of Love - CBS (Demo, with slight writing on label) £4 Sons Of Robin Stone - Got To Get You Back - Atlantic £12 Showstoppers - Heartbreaker - Beacon -(very minor tear, but not on "writing") £12 Chairmen Of The Board - Pay To The Piper - Invictus £3 Brenda & Tabulations - Scuse Uz Y'all - London £4 Barbara Hall - You Brought It On Yourself - EMI £12 Duettes - Every Beat Of My Heart - President £4 Thanks For Looking!!!!

been collecting sleeves & picture sleeves, whilst buying this & that, for quite a few Years, probably the oddest one I have is a "Gold Soul" sleeve which had a "George Lemmons" in it, sold the disc off, but kept the sleeve. Will take it out & about with me this weekend, so if anyone can scan it up for me, you can have a butchers (I'm a complete technophobe,and can just about manage typing this out & posting it up on my Daughter's computer thingy), unless anyone's got one, and can save me a job. DES PARKER

What did surprise me is that Kenny Smith recieved payment off Simon Soussan for licensing "Lord What's Happening" for those 70's GAR reissues. DES PARKER

Strange label, putting out some bizarre (and that's being very diplomatic) Instrumental versions, to some very sought after rare soul records. I'd always thought of these as having poor sound quality, but a few years ago picked up a handful of unplayed "Jades - Come On & Live" and was pleasantly surprised by how good they sounded. Does anyone feel that this label will ever be collected/collectable, or is it now. DES PARKER

The Irony is that there is possibly less copies of the Reissue around than there is of the original! Des Parker

Give me a call (07816 511488), I might be able to help (legally). Des Parker

I met a guy a few Years ago, who was one of the Supervisors at the RCA pressing plant in Indiana during the 1960's. As you'd imagine all promo's were freebies, sent out (and then forgotten about) to Radio Stations, D.J.'s and the like, whereas Issues were sent out on sale or return. once returned to the plant, the centre was punched out and the vinyl then recycled to make more records. I'd hazard a guess that many of the other Major's employed the same system. Des Parker

Adey Pierce got hold of some Guy with something to do with "Saintmo" and bought all his stock, when he got round there the Guy was just putting the finishing Artistic touches to the Peak release with a Marker pen (as above). Adey only managed to get a few that hadn't been "Customised"

Paul P.M.'d You Des

What I have in my posession is a pretty battered single sided "Dick Clark" Acetate of the track which I bought off one of my American contacts whilst in the U.S. about 5 or 6 Years ago, who didn't even know the tune (allegedly) but knew it sounded kinda Northern. Luckily I didn't pay a fantastic amount of dosh for it (about $200) as I am as sceptical about these things as the next Man. Everyone who's seen it is as curious as I am, as it looks, smells & sounds the business, but there's always an element of doubt about these potential metal "monstrosities" I wouldn't even think about selling the thing, and as a bizarre twist of fate, was offered the rights to the tune a few Months ago, but am equally curious about the ownership rights to that prized item. I have ABSOLUTELY NO plans to even think about putting the tune out, but I bet that it is released in one format or another, within a few Years, mark my words!! DES PARKER

maybe, and this is playing a little bit of a Devil's advocate here, putting out Records for the "Rare" Soul scene, that by it's very nature, in a lot of cases, only wants to buy "Rare" Soul Records is perhaps not a great market, unless you make the discs very limited, so people will put them in their D.J. boxes & collections (like the highly sought after "Anniversary" 45's) However, is there a Market for some of the classic Northern Soul tracks to be packaged in a sort of "Director's cut/Northern Soul Masters/The ....Session" type of package with Picture Sleeve of Artist, with detailed sleeve notes, superb and unsurpassable sound quality (as you'd expect from a "Kent" item) and possible inclusion of "Count Ins" "Alternative Takes" "Extended Version" on the flip. As well as being a definitive collectors item, there are also the sales possibilities for the emerging Soul Scenes in other parts of the World, where the concept of spending the equivalent of One Month's salary on 1 used 45rpm Record seems a little daunting. Des Parker

I'm also torn as to which of my Children to leave my "Stardust" collection to. Des Parker

Excuse me for being naive, I assume these were all legally obtained tracks,or are they "bootlegs" as a few have suggested. Des Parker

Des' top tip number 1 - A favourite Album of mine that shouldn't set you back a fortune "Magnificent Men - World Of Soul" some great Album only stuff on there, well worth looking out for, and not PLAYED TO DEATH (sorry if I infringed any CAPITAL LETTER ruling) DES PARKER