Soulstu

Picked this up on here for £2.50, plus the Platters Washed Ashore, Plus the Dells Wear It... all same price, all M-, all criminally cheap proper northern - tell you what, you could build up a fantastic collection just from the records mentioned on this thread.

There you go Martyn, an electronic pint of Old Peculier, smooth, nutty and satisfying!

That's The One, Martyn!!! Excellent. See what I mean about the chorus? Thanks a lot everybody - this is why I love Soul Source!

No - I was using Comin' Home baby to describe the chorus! And it's not Sonny Moore (tho I'd like to hear that out). I recorded a bit on my phone - will try and post, but it's well distorted.

That's the crux of it - I've not heard Voodoo Mademoiselle out yet (at the nights I go to) and surely that record would be a shoe in - a major recent discovery/release that absolutely oozes northern. I'd sprint across the car park, boot the door open and slide straight on to the floor if I heard that as I arrived. It's not the fact that it's a £10 'cheapie' as loads of not-rare records are played out where I go. I think it's some of the 'oldies' punters who just won't respond.

It was played out last night - probably a very well known one that somehow or another i've missed.... and it's a belter. All I can give you guys is a description: Pretty uptempo, male vocal, slight RnB flavour, horns etc (maybe a touch of harmonica in it?) but very northern. Chorus tune is a bit like the 'Every night and day, I'm gonna stay' bit in Comin' Home Baby but over the top he sings, 'my baby is gone, my baby is gone'.. I think. I didn't ask the DJ for fear of being laughed out of the venue!... you live and learn. There's a virtual pint (ePint?) in it for the person who can help me out! Stu

Baffles me sometimes how dancers behave. I get very excited when I hear a 'newie' that I'm not familiar with - if it's got that northern groove and tempo why would you sit down? I tend to get up to a lot of stuff that I'm unfamiliar with - It's all part of the buzz for me... then I'll find out what it is, tell others and look out for it next time. A lot of dancers just sit down if it's not something they've heard a million times before - surely it would have been unfamiliar to them at one point. I guess it's tough for a DJ to risk emptying the floor all the time but Christ we're always just scratching the surface. I rifle through my cheapies and there's SOOOO many that I've never heard out - it's a crime. Please keep doing what you do Ady, there's enough of us listening out for it!

Daft question chaps… Why are they see thru? - is the vinyl poorer quality, thinner, thus affecting the value?…or does it make 'em desirable? You never know with collectors! Most coloured vinyl pressings seem to be see thru.

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!