Pep

Jamo Thomas... sounds better than ever. So atmospheric.

Nice to see Peoples Choice in the thread.

Nolan Chance and Billy Woods in the same list. Cool.

Master 4 - haven't heard that since the Cats, and Lynn Vernado... such class.

Nice to see Billy Keene in there... superb.

Judy Freeman and Terrible Tom in the same breath... and outsiders say all Northern Soul sounds the same!

Herb Johnson... love it!

Wally Cox... makes me cry. So uplifting, emotional and soulful!

The Van Dykes... unsurpassed!

The Ethics... stunning!

Kris Peterson... just superb!

How much is San.Fran TKOs on Golden State?

NB: I just added this comment/image for interest (I wouldn't have if it hadn't already been sold). There are a lot of sub-£ records worth hundreds now. I'd say most of the good collectables are worth 5x - 20x what they were just 8/9 years ago, many are worth several hundred times what they were in the 80s. Pep.

Just searching through a few old boxes from the old shop store room, to try and see what people are playing/buying these days. It's got 15p (yes 15 pence) priced on it in my handwriting. How times have changed. It sounds great now. Don't know how/why I priced it so cheap back then. Mint issue on Monarch styrene, plus slightly different wording under title.

Remember having this in the late 70s off our friend Simon (Soussan). It got a few plays and was sought after, but everybody was dubious it was one of his advance copies of a future pressing... which wasn't the case as it turned out. It probably had the wrong sound for its time. I'm sure t would have fared better had it turned up around/after the Stafford era. I don't remember there being any others at the time, although a couple turned up later.

I think some are missing the point here. This is all about seeing a living god(dess), breathing the same air. Paying homage to unsurpassed and timeless music. Music that will live forever, music that defined a generation. Music that our soul scene brought into the UK public's consciousness -when it had the power to do so. Music we should all be proud of. Music we should honour and pay tribute to, despite having now crossed over into popular culture. I always regretted not seeing Marvin Gaye. There won't be many opportunities to be in the company of such gods and goddesses again. There aren't many on this Earth. Even fewer like Martha and the Vandellas (the best of the early Motown girl groups) who will be remembered and listened to hundreds of years from now.

"Call me tomorrow"... one of my H's favourites. I don't think I can bring myself to play it again. R.I.P.

Yes, glad you clarified that. My original assumptions and gut feeling were, it seems, correct, but my laziness in failing to research it in detail led me to just believe the accuracy of the article as written. I have always classed it as what would now be called a 'crossover' record... it certainly sounds like one. An interesting aside about a great singer - songwriter. Anything that keeps him and his music topical is fine with me. May he be remembered forever. For sure his music will keep us soulies dancing for many, many years to come. Pep

A sad and major loss to the soul world. Knowing his music well from the early/mid seventies (when things were a tad more frantic!) I never then expected to hear any of it on the soul scene. However the scene being what it is, picked up on the quality of them and promoted them. Deservedly. I never investigated the record number or release date of this ("Look At Me Now") and always assumed it was much later. It certainly sounds quite modern and ahead of its time for a 1962/3 recording. R.I.P. Terry.

Pertinent, unfortunately for me this week. I'll be playing a couple of Helen's favourites from the nineties on Thursday: the deep and emotional "Room Full Of Tears" by Johnny Gilliam (coincidentally on Cancer, which took her) then the uplifting anthem "I'll never stop loving you" by Carla Thomas Both were special to Helen and myself, with perfect, emotive lyrics. We never broached the subject. We never talked about the possibility of her dying. It was much too painful and I was hopeful and positive until the very end. I can't imagine the fear she experienced. I wasn't about to make it worse. I think and pray she would have chosen the same herself. XXX Ian

Thanks everyone for taking the time to read my tribute and responding so affectionately. I look forward to catching up with a lot of you on Thursday at St.Mary's in the afternoon or/and the Connaught in the evening. Love and apprection. XXX Ian (Pep)

Thanks everyone for all the wonderful support. Hope to catch most of you this Thursday at St.Mary's Church or in the evening at the Connaught, Wolves. XXX Ian (Pep)

Thanks Paul, The Connaught is well priced (and you don't have to worry about driving after the gig). Also, if you want somewhere between Stourbridge and Wolverhampton think about the KIngfisher, Wall Heath. Cheap if you book a day or two in advance through Late Rooms or similar... looks nice too. XXX Pep

Yes Dave, I agree it was strange and I did query it, but they were pretty adamant at the time. I could understand/accept it being required for the equipment. No mention was made of PAT testing, but I guess this is probably in the PLI smallprint. I suppose technically an individual DJ could do something to cause injury or damage (... I remember throwing a record into the audience at the Locarno, and saying "I wasn't playing that crap again - so don't ask me"). I'm sure insurance companies could come up with a huge, pedantic list of possible public liability claim scenarios. I doubt it reduces Hotel insurance premiums one iota, so is yet another means of extracting more insurance client premiums. Yet another bi-product of 'health and safety gone mad', in turn itself a result of 'litigation culture' - one of our less useful American imports. Regards, Pep.

Thanks Mike, for your empathy, having been through much the same situation yourself recently. I'm sure we'll cross paths on the scene in the not too distant future. Your time taken in leaving those thoughts is greatly appreciated. XXX Pep