Soulstu

To my shame I had that exact record when I was a lad - about 79' - 80 or thereabouts - I didn't know any better in them days, didn't know what a boot was! Can't remember where I got it from - probably Vallances in Mansfield for £1.35 - bought it blind. I hated the bloody thing and gave it away to a pal o mine a bit later. What a waste of the world's scarce resources!! Babe Ruth were on a BBC 4 compilation of Whistle test stuff a bit back - just a poor rock band. Funnily enough Stone The Crows were on the same programme as well, featuring Maggie Bell ('Frankie' of Frankie and Johnny).

The fact he knows what a Japanese wing tipped Fred Perry is proves he's as big a winker as he thinks we are.

Ooh can't get much more polished than the Dan...Pretzel Logic - wonderful!!!... I like both ends of the spectrum - it's the stuff in between I can't stand!

Also this is not a dumb question Elvisluvs, these questions are great for tickling the old musical funny bone and making us all think and re-listen to our music. Hope we get some real insight from the 'big guys' - how about it Lorraine? RobbK?

Hi Pete, you went a bit off topic there for someone on the 'site team' (get you!) - I'm top hole thank you mate! Anyway Elvis, I guess the punchiness of mono 'helps' too, as does the mastering and pressing stage. I notice a lot of re-issued tracks (from the masters) on CD compilations can sound a bit flat. 'You're Ready Now' by Frankie Valli is a good example of that - My Smash original sounds FANTASTIC, but I've got a stereo version on a re-issue CD that sounds so weedy I can't listen to it. So I guess it's a combination of all these factors that, when combined, infuse that little bit of magic into these wonderful records.

Beat me to it Nice!

Hi Elvis, I reckon there are a few reasons they sound like that - There'll be more knowledgable folk along in a while. As aspiring hit makers these singles were recorded to sound good on a small tranny radio - so were mixed quite aggressively. Horns, percussion and vocals were always pushed up high and pretty much almost into the red. However - they're supposed to sound like that - these guys knew what they were doing!!...and don't they sound good through some big speakers in a hot, sweaty club!!!!

Good point Pete, Not so long back if I heard a snatch of northern on a programme or advert I would go a bit goosebumpy - it was always a natural reaction to hearing it away from its natural 'home'. Now... I cringe slightly, expecting the worse, or cynically wonder which marketing chump has stuck a pin in 'music genres to namedrop'. As you say it's a sign of the times - hopefully after all the fuss has died down and everybody's seen the film and it's run its natural course the goosebumps will come back.

James Brown - Live At The Apollo... a major black music release IMO.

This is all excellent stuff Steve! You are providing an essential public service. - Should be on a national network! Sometimes forget how much I love Motown.

Sorry mods - an off topic reply to an off topic question... we missed each other by about 10 years pal, I was at the poly in the early 80's. Best years... still got great memories of Wolves and the West Mids...used to drInk in the Goalpost and the Feathers (across from Molyneux).

On the sound clip and my copy (black MGM issue - not the lovely yellow demo) there's a little wobble about 3/4 of the way through where it sounds like the tape has slowed down a bit,(just after the key change where he sings ..I'm leaving you..) then it quickly rights itself again. Anybody else's do that or am I going mad?..I'm sure my version on a CD comp somewhere does the same. Having said that it doesn't spoil what is probably the best NS cheapie ever.

Thanks so much for that Pete, great to hear the clapping etc Once again you dedicate hours of your time for us lot's enjoyment - it don't go unappreciated!!! Stu (who spent the best 3 years of his life in Wolves!)

Wot a tracklist!!... You're My Mellow does it for me...have you heard the drums??!...

Paul, This is an excellent thread which really gets to the heart of things - it's given all of us real food for thought, many different views and a good snapshot of the scene as it stands at the moment. All I know is this - I've just bought two records tonight. Not 'big lads', not remotely expensive (but superb records) so it's not causing me any pain. But it's made me really happy and I can't wait for them to drop through the letterbox in a few days. I'll play them for a good while (I usually resurrect a few other discs when I'm doing this), file them in my 'current' box, look at 'em, read the labels and whatnot.... then in a week or so I'll check my wants list and look for another. I'm sorry the thrill for owning vinyl has gone Paul, and I hope you get it back mate....don't take for granted the wonderful soul artefacts you own. ps I've never been a DJ, just a northern nut - we're allowed to collect records as well, you know!!

What a review Alan!… 364 posts summed up in three words. Love it.

That's it in a nutshell for me. These beautiful little pieces of vinyl or styrene have been around a very long time and some have gone through hell (and a couple of thousand miles of ocean) to get to us. I feel very lucky to own my records - even the cheapies.. There's a couple of minutes of magic in the grooves of every one and as the icing on the cake they have beautiful labels. Whether we can instantly access the sound files or not is irrelevant - I personally get an enormous amount of pleasure every day simply looking through them reminding myself of what I have. Also each record has a personal story for me - whether I hassled a mate for it as a teenager until he relented or simply bought one online at a good price from a good seller. I don't think I'm a weirdo or a nerd - just grateful for what I have, and when I'm gone the missus gets 'em...and guess what - she loves 'em too!

You lot going to get jiggy while the film's on?... I'm looking forward to it too, but that's a line I'm not prepared to cross!

Tim, I've got loads of classical CDs from Bruton music (inherited when a company I worked for went bust) and it's all proper stuff - Vienna Philharmonic etc.. Trouble is the CDs are divided into about 95 seamless little tracks each, so if you put 'em on shuffle it's like a surreal nightmare!!! Sorry…. gone off topic a bit.

Hey Gilly If you're collecting Soul Fox you can have my Karen Young for nowt - bloody rubbish! And my Hot Shots on Soul Galore!.... ...blows my mind that some of these boots go for more than Darrell Banks on Revilot!!

Bourne spinner's selling it for £70

I guess 'curating' simply means choosing the DJs. As far as I know when festivals are curated e.g. All Tomorrows Parties, the guest curator pretty much chooses or helps choose the line up of bands. So up till now Ady has 'curated' for 34 years or so!

Fair point Mick, just appreciating your frustration about not getting any responses.

Ooh, he's a bit naughtier than I thought, tho!

Leave neg feedback then, Mick. As a buyer myself, I automatically contact the buyer at every stage, for the sake of a few seconds of typing I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't. if people receive records and don't acknowledge that, it's pretty crap... however might be worth leaving it a while before sticking the boot in in case they are on holiday or some such.