Mike Lofthouse

The LP version is 5:07 too Mike

and an absolute bargain!! Mike

Colin Curtis - when it came out! Mike

PM'ed you Jan

Col If you cherry pick the 'Soulful Thangs' vol 1 to 6 you make up a fairly decent compilation for a tenner! mike

They are back to back on a RCA single. I am a big fan of both singers but unfortunately the record promises more than it delivers. A bit like the Sam Dees and Bettye Swann offering on Big Tree. Good but not outstanding. I have it at home so if no one else has a mp3 handy I'll try and do you a copy Mike

Have a full set of 'Black Music' before it became 'Black Music & Jazz Review' plus a fair number of those. Excellent magazine that I kept buying long after 'Blues & Soul'. Levine's column was great - at one time switched from purely Northern to 'collectable' soul and would feature labels like 'Cle An Thair' - his knowledge was immense and sounds he listed each month as 'breaking' at the Mecca are staggering when you read back now. Would anyone be interested in me scanning and posting these? There was always rivalry with B&S with Godin eventually returning to them. The coverage was across the board Black Music with less of a 'fanzine' slant. And Tony Cummings could ceratinly wind up the Norther crowd!! Once won a competition in 'Black Music & Jazz Review' for a gigantic poster of Weather Reports' Mr Gone album cover Mike

Whenever these discussions on DJ's take place I'm always amazed by how little is said about Ian Levine - when NS was at its peak in the early seventies (when it was fresh and vibrant) - Mecca, Wigan, Cleethorpes etc - he didn't just lead, he was a country mile ahead of the rest including Searling and co at Wigan. The sounds he broke (as well as Anderson sourcing them, he found many himself) nigh on defined the sound and to this day are the cornerstone of the scene. Never mind what he went on to , I don't think there is anyone to touch him. I hear so much about late period Searling at Wigan but were the sounds really better than those championed by Levine? and Soul Sam? - he has longevity and enthusiasm for sure but that's all. Mike

I agree it is a rare soul scene and you pay to listen to rare records and I don't think boots or pressings should be played .....but I don't pay to listen to rare records that the DJs have paid a lot of money for. Anybody can pay a lot of money for something (provided they have a lot of money) .....indeed I hate DJs who just pay a lot of money for records I prefer my DJs to have a love of Soul music who play a set of original quality Soul that might well contain records that they have paid a lot of money for alongside records they had the foresight to get before they became expensive and also those records that remain cheap but are quality IMHO Mike

Plus his 'I Wouldn't Be A Poor Boy' - Atlantic ATS 542 - brilliant Deep soul and also his great version of 'Dark End Of The Street' on SA Stateside. Thanks to Denny - who I think is on here - he found quite a lot of stuff over there - that he kindly passed on. And of course there is the 'Silver topped' London Darrell Banks - Open the Door...etc' Mike

Great CD Steve really takes off from the Doris Badie for me - including the The Phantom (also included on Alan Pollard's) - great stuff. Is 'Kind Of Latyn Rhythm' the new direction of the Orwell ? is that a new release album? Lofty

Got John Mitchells's today, to date I have received the following - Colin Dilnot Ray Mahoney John Lloyd Biggray Ruperts Bully Angie John Reed Jerry Welsh Mal C Sean Doyle Gary Evans Mark Anderson Pat Biggerstaff Mark George Chris Anderton John Mitchell Fraser Dunn Steve Plumb Ady Pountain Lete me know if I have I missed anyone. I Expected one or two stragglers but ten or so ? Which bit of ................. 'If your CD player has broken, your wife is about to leave you,you are gonna get flooded (sorry Sean!), you have a terminal disease or for whatever reason you think you may not be able to record a quality CD of soul music in the next 6 weeks , copy it 30 times and put it in the post....PLEASE DONT INCLUDE YOURSELF IN THE SWAP!!!' ....................... didn't you understand ? You (or your PA) could of copied one CD every two days and still made the deadline!!!! Still some great stuff on those received - many thanks to you all - some great listening and of course a nice list of 'wants'!! Best Wishes Mike

I didn't realise that it was remake, had them since new and the version of 'Try To ...' that came out on Contempo - they pretty much sound identical to me Mike

Indeed, making it one the greatest double siders ever IMHO; along with Bill Brandon's 'Streets'/'Tag Tag' - proof (if it was ever needed) that supremely Soulful music was being made well into the 70's. Mike

But what do we know? - We have heard one side of the story - it was made into a film so it's the gospel truth then? You also make the mistake of judging him by our cocooned cushy values- this is man who witnessed lynchings - one obituary said of his own father. What I do know - for a fact - is he played a major part in creating the music I have spent my whole life listening to; he brought Howlin' Wolf and Bobby Bland their first exposure and made some fantastic music with his own revue. R.I.P Mike

Got one in the post today - no indication who it is from - A Canterbury postmark - Mark Anderson ? is that you? Mike

Got it today Mal - thanks, Mike

Now that we have got the November CD swap out the way should we have one for December? Mike

Nearly two weeks since I sent mine out so hopefully everyone will have it now inc Angie in the US - let me know if not, I 've received ten to date from the following - Colin Dilnot Ray Mahoney John Lloyd Biggray Ruperts Bully Angie John Reed Jerry Welsh Sean Doyle Some great stuff on all of them - keep 'em coming Mike

Angie - in the post Tuesday and I received your's yesterday - nice cover thanks Mike

Got Colin's, Bully's, Ruperts and Ray's - great stuff!. Just completed burning mine -will get them in the post next day or two Mike

You slipped up there Tony - A singer called Jackie Wilson stepped in - he was fantastic, had a few solo records tool... Mike

I always thought Johnny Moore had more validity than most, as he was a member of the 'real' original Drifters before the Five Crowns (i think) and Ben E King were shipped in. However, personally I refused to go and see them once Clyde McPhatter left Mike

Priceless!!!!! Mike

I have the same problem too John - my preference would be to take them as they come without posting the lists up in advance - the criteria is what you are playing at home, so if there are duplicates so be it - might hard for the 30th contributer otherwise Mike