Sean Hampsey

I much prefer Deep Soul to any other form of music. Fully understand though why others don't or can't connect with it as, equally, I can't connect with a helluva lot of 'Northern' tracks. The Lounge at Soul Essence is my favourite venue, where the music is almost exclusively Deep Soul... but I accept, it's a minority thing. Always has been. Always will be. Sean Hampsey

Thanks mate, much appreciated. Without trying to be too philosophical, I guess it's not what happens in life but how you react to it that determines the outcome. Many years ago I used to be a partner in a firm (Modern Dynamic Training) where we did management training and PMA (Positive Mental Attitude) seminars. I've read hundreds of books on the subject and this was a real test for some of the principles. And so far, its worked, but who knows, by the end of the year I might be a bottle of whiskey a day quivering mess... but, somehow, I doubt it! As for replacing what's gone, it's a funny thing, I was only speaking to Tats Taylor and Cliff Steele a couple of days before this happened and was saying that my wants list is now down to less than a half dozen tracks. I guess this will revitalise my 'chase' instinct... and put the fun back into collecting again, but we'll have to wait and see. Am still wading through the soggy mess that was once my pride and joy, trying to salvage whatever I can, but the sheer quantity is making it impossible to rescue them all and for the past few days I've been literally shovelling them into bin liners and dumping them. As I type, it's stopped raining and the sun's just come out. So there must be something to this 'Positivity' stuff after all! Apologies... that bottle of whiskey is taking effect!

No mate. Will take months. Can't really describe it. Keep finding stuff in a soggy mess. Tough as hell. Occasionaly come up for air and for a quick look on here, just to try and keep me sane (if ever i was). We'll get there. Hope you and the lovely Nicky are well. x

Sure, it's not what it might have been, but at least you and me will enjoy the excerpts from Derek & Clive on there! Sean

I'm sure it'll be good Gareth, but I think it's a going a bit far to say it's outstanding. Not like you to be boastful mate... but if yours is outstanding I'm confident that mine will be f#ckin' Amazing!

Did my original copy weeks ago Graham, but i'll be damned if I know where it is (following the chaos here). Might have to re-record it. Hope ya'll give me little more time to get it sorted. Sean

Richard Caiton cd1 / cd2 I’m gonna love you more Due to it’s rarity this is a virtually unknown 70’s dancer. I picked up my copy from Blacknight records 15years ago and have never seen another copy. Malaco offers around 300 Good un Paul!

Well he might be having a laugh Pete, but it's already got 2 Bidders on it. God knows how many people are watching it, probably hundreds worldwide, and with nearly 9 days left... by the time the hammer comes down it'll probably make a fortune!

You mean you've taken advantage of him... and didn't even ask his name? Shocking!

Help The Aged - Chesterfield - about 2 months ago. Was walking passed and heard "Open The Door To Your Heart" Darrell Banks Booming out of the doorway. Thought... Crikey... and dashed in, hoping and half expecting to see a London Demo on the Turntable, surrounded by a huge box of other rare goodies for 10p each... ... sadly it was on the Radio. The young lass behind the counter said she always tunes in to this particular show that "plays a lot of old soul stuff on a saturday afternoon". Sean

You're right Dave. He is fully equipped. Steve knows that only too well, as I've let him stay down there with him for a couple of hours on more than one occasion... ...and if he thinks buying me a pint or two is gonna silence me he's another thing coming!

Good thought Mark, but now they've seen them they've just told me to dispose of them. They'll all be in the skip before the weekend (well some of them will) They should also pay out a percentage on the devalued 'damaged' stuff (as opposed to destroyed) that I'll be hanging onto. The good thing is that I was carrying a huge premium on contents insurance that should cover most of the true, current, value. The not so good thing is that I did the original valuation when I took out the policy 5 years ago and as you well know, Record values have increased massively since that time, so I'll probably only get 2002 prices. Still, to be fair, a lot of them were purchased at 1973 prices... but the purpose of the Insurance is to give you the current value. Recommend everyone with a half decent collection gets them insured properly. If not, you won't get full value in the event of disaster and you just never know what's around the corner. A pretty scary thought for a lot of people on here. Just found a box of tapes going back to the early 70's, about 2-300 of them. All completely soaked. Anyone know if they'll dry out and be playable again, ever, or are they ruined too? Sean

Thanks guys. Well the Loss Adjuster came, he saw and (I think) he understood the gravity of the situation. He's gone back to base to type up the report and has asked me to complete a form evaluating the potential loss. He wants me to estimate all records completely destroyed and all records devalued. Where to start??? In addition, I've a Gym down there, a Wine Cellar and loads of PC's and IT and Sound equipment... all wrecked. These will also need to go on the valuation. The exercise should take about a week. Along with that I've got to immediately dispose of all the 'written off' stock as he's arranging for a team to come in and gut the place. That'll be when the tears start. On top of this, the Mrs is about to have our Baby any second. Just hope she can hang on until after the weekend... when we can get back to some assemblence of order. Thanks for all your messages of support. It's been a useful exercise and a pretty hard lesson for all of us I guess. A mate suggested moving everything up onto the top floor, but with the changing weather the Roof could blow off this winter! Think I'll be converting one of the Bedrooms, in the middle of the house, which seems the safest option. Anyhow, must press on. Wellies back on and down we go! Look forward to catching up with a few of you tomorrow night at Qube (don't worry Shane and Co, I've still got plenty of biscuit dry goodies in the playbox). You'll be treated to a load of stuff that's never been played out in public before. Amazing what a good collection clear out does for your playlist! Sean

Nice advert for Evian... Natural Spring Water!

Moist!

How it looked this evening. A right pigsty. Those drawers at the back are still full of 45's and the opposite wall is still full of LP's, all still to be rescued. And, coincidentally, Eddie, on the stool is my framed copy of "Shower The World" which the label designers did when we put the 45 out! How ironic.

Hi Steve, The Loss Adjuster comes tomorrow (if he's not held up because of the disruption). Good job too. As Rob Wigley predicted, it's starting to hum a bit down there, but at least the water level is dropping so I can start and get everything out of the remaining cabinets and off the shelves before it gets moist (...lovely word!). Just been negotiating with the Mrs to take over the Dining Room (kitchen and downstairs loo already commandeered). Got to say, nothing really prepares you for something like this. I mean,it's not the end of the world but it's still tough watching a third of your collection floating up the cellar steps and out of the front door! Just hope the Insurance chap understands what we're dealing with here. I'll keep you posted. And thanks again for all your support. When the place dries out, you're all invited round for a knees up! Sean

Posted twice. Computer's got hiccups!

Thanks all for the messages, texts, phone calls and pm's that have come 'flooding' in. It's been a tough 24 hours but you've helped me a great deal. Just started on the LP's. Bloody things are worse than the 45's. Sleeves just coming apart and collapsing in my hands. Thinking about buying an iPod and going digital! Onward and upward! And sincere thanks again to all. Sean

Thanks for that. When I bought the House I was assured that the Basement was fully 'Tanked'... but i guess it only takes a pin prick when the water table rises to penetrate the floor & walls. The floor is tiled throughout and it's superbly decked out and finished, so you wouldn't have thought in a million years there'd ever be a problem with 'Rising Damp', but this weather has been freekish to say the least. Must crack on. Sean

Managed to get a couple of hours on the settee. Thanks so much for the messages. Here's a couple of snaps of the cellar flooding and the start of the clean up / dry up operation where I took over the kitchen as command HQ (not been in there before ). Getting it in perspective, it's like a bloody war zone around here for a lot of poor buggers. Thousands have no electricity, tap water, drainage etc. Not good. My kids live less than 2 miles from Ulley Dam which is in a serious position. They're safe, but a lot of people's homes wont be and the next 48 hours will be critical for thousands of people in parts of Sheffield and Rotherham. Sean

A week last Friday (remember the day... the rain came) my 'Cellar Of Soul' was flooded with about 6" of water. I was up all night (until 11.00am Sat morning) trying to rescue whatever was on the floor (my play boxes full of 45's, piles af albums, 1,500 CD's) cardboard boxes full of magazines going back to early B&S, Record Lists, my complete works of Richard Allen etc. Man that I am, I never shed a tear, for fear of raising the water level, but it's been a torrid 10 days or so, trying to extract each piece of vinyl from the sleeve, dry each label with soft tissue, hanging LP covers all over the house on makeshift washing lines trying to dry them out. We're talking about 2-3,000 45's and LP's under water! I contacted my Insurance Co (where the records are well covered within the contents insurance) and they advised me to leave well alone (not to rescue anymore) and wait until they could get the Loss Adjuster out to assess the damage and potential loss. A further few thousand 45's and a couple of thousand LP's were left down there (above water level) and eventually the water subsided. They told me they couldn't get out until... this coming Thursday (because of the volume of such tragedies) and despite the fact I told em that this was no ordinary cellar full of crap......... (it was MY cellar full of crap)............ they still couldn't prioritise the visit. Well, if you saw the news or live near me (S. Yorks / N. Derbyshire), you know what happened last night. Sho' nuff it came again... deeper than before (or deep as you like and then some!!!) I've just spent the last 6 hours trying to salvage the balance. Soul Destroying... Well, the guy from the Insurance Co is due on Thursday. Now, I've saved most of my Soul records by spending the week cleaning and drying them (and on the upside, found loads of stuff I didn't know I had ) but I've still several boxes that I've just not been able to get to and a few thousand 60's & 70's Pop records, most on UK demos, that are just sitting in the middle of the floor in 6" of water. Main question is, anyone out there work in Home Insurance can explain (since I've rescued most of my rarer Soul records) would there be any loss attached to these since a few of them have spent a few hours under water and how could this be valued (de-valued)? Secondly, anyone out there work in Home Insurance can explain how I would go about valuing all the stuff that's still down there with all the labels floating about around them... or is the onus on them to do that? Thirdly... any other advice from anyone with similar experience, in particular regarding Records & CD's, very much appreciated. Got an hour to do at Shane's new gig in Sheffield this Friday night. Expect 60 minutes of whatever I've been able to salvage. Oh, and any requests for "Wade in The Water" on the night will be treated with absolute contempt! Mods... anyone... if this is in the wrong place please move it. Many thanks Sean

Agree Bob. Sounds exactly like Syl and how he would have handled it to me. Sean

Hi Adam, John Benson has a rare Jap LP with Syl Johnson on "All I Need Is Someone Like You" (?) with same backing as Nate Evans. Is that the one you mean? Sean

Pretty sure I've got Syl Johnson singing Main Squeeze on a Hi label 45, Bob, but it's a different backing track to Nate Evans on Twinight, from memory. Sean