Sean Hampsey

Many thanks for the comments so far.

What I'm intersted to know is not so much 'why' various Soul nights attendances are dwindling - if indeed they are at all - after all, I feel that all venues have a life span or life cycle of sorts, having been involved with various hot promotions over the years... that eventually went cold - but more about whats happening at your local gig, right now (this year) in terms of actual numbers through the door.

So, what I would really like to know is...

what's the average attendance?

whats the music policy?

where is the venue (location)?

Scientific huh?

Many thanks again

Sean

Went to a cracking Soul night in Spondon, Derby, last night run by Colin Brown & Brian Goucher.

It was held at The Crown Inn.... a really 'tight' back room gig with Dancefloor, Stage, good Sound System, well stocked bar, more than ample seating... the works.

A bit like the Canal Tavern at Thorne all those years ago!

The line up included Brian himself and Fish with an absolutely superb guest set from... all the way from Lincoln... Andy "Tats" Taylor.

Sadly, attendance was low, and although a good night was had by all I was wondering if attendances are suffering (or not what they should be) elsewhere.

Do me a favour... What's the attendance at your 'regular' Soul Night these days and what's the music policy?

I'm not thinking about Niters, necessarily, but more about your regular monthly do!

The reason I ask is, every time I go out to a gig I'm asked "When are you guys starting up 'Pitches' again?"

Just thought I'd do a little research.

So what's happening out there?

Many thanks in advance.

Sean Hampsey

Have you got scans of both sides?

Bells Of St Marys had a 40 voice spiritual choir on backing vocals.

Kells release was from 1960.

You're right my old Chalkster.

Here's a scan I just found of the issue of BOSM.

My copy though is a WLP.

Sean

he must now be in his 80s and possibly in a OAP home .....

Won't be long before you'll be bumping into him then Malc.

Seriously though, I worked a lot for Terry too (and a helluva lot for you too Mr Burton) and I always recall the label he had stuck to the decks with the legend:-

"If you've only got time to play 20 records play your best 20"

Course I was stuffed, as I always left my best stuff at home!

(Oops... I don't mean I was literally 'stuffed' ...although, come to think of it... I always seemed to get paid more than the other Jocks)

Sean

Anyone know anything about this 45 on 3 Trey 3006? Value etc, any other Kell releases on the label?

Cheers

Had this record in my sales box for about 20 years. Only person to show interest in it was Soul Sam who promptly returned it on hearing it!

Trey was owned by Lee Hazlewood and Lester Sill. There's another version of the song by Gary Crosby on Gregmark, which I think is the scarcer of the two.

Both are pretty early releases, from 1964.

Value wise. God knows. I had it on for £20.

Nice collectors piece though!

Sean Hampsey

Has this ever been booted as an Atco Demo?

Also has anyone any information. The writer credits are Melvin Davis. It uses the same backing track as The Platters "Going Back To detroit" written by Dixon, Scott, Jennings.

Anyone know the story.

Anyone know an approx value for the pictured demo?

Oops posted the track by accident!

Paul

I dont believe this was ever booted although the scanned label does look rather weak. Is the paper glossy / silky rather than Matte?. Most Atco promos do have a sheen to the paper.

The catalogue number is correct. Also came out originally on Art (002) label and Jam 103 with a different flipside. Also has same backing as the Calvin williams version, also on ATCO.

Sean

I had both records out this afternoon and played em back to back - identical backing and both have quality vocals - if JR Bailey is a better record, its by a hair's width IMO ??. Would you dance harder, wilder or more passionately to JR Bailey than the Universal Joint ??

My only reason for considering selling the Universal Joint is cos having recently picked up the JR Bailey I don't see much point in having both, and I can buy something else with the extra cash for the Universal Joint.....simple as that

Girf

Give you £52 for it then Gareth.

Reserve met?

Serously, I've never seen anyone dance to either version.

Great tune though, but Universal Joint, the much rarer of the two.

Sean

A UK Seller too!

https://cgi.ebay.ca/Northern-Universal-Join...9QQcmdZViewItem

To be fair, the description does describe it as a £350 Tune!

Ah well. Wish I had a fiver for every bargain I've failed or forgotten to bid on!

Cheers

Sean

51 quid

300 to 400 great record !

Last one I saw for sale went for £51 on Ebay.

May this year.

Baz Maleedy bagged it!

Bargain? Sure... but that's what it went for!

Sean

Oi Mr H

I hammered that, but it got lost amongst all your disco

Nah!

It got lost amongst all your 'Pop Stompers' mate!

Sean

Hi all - can anyone give me an idea of value on this rare version of JR Bailey's outing on Calla

Cheers Girth

£51 on Ebay last time I saw it Gareth.

Sean Hampsey

Have you heard "Don't Shut Me Out" on One-Derful? I think it's very nice.

Agree.

Great record!

Sean Hampsey

Love Committee "I made a mistake" (MCA)

Now well known for the LP "Boogie Papers", this record from Feb 80 has the lot. Tied up with the O'Jays (as they are) the Love Committee really get to grips with this one. A rather slick beat with some fine singing from the group.

Started playing this recently again Steve (at home).

Just absolutely F**CKIN' AWESOME!

Dont remember it getting anywhere near enough action when new.

Ripe for revival I reckon!

Keep 'em coming Stevie!

Sean Hampsey

Found myself a free copy of this LP just the other week and hardly even played it through, but when I finally did and got to this track the first thing that went through my mind was... "This is so much 'northern-modern' that it's ridiculous". Swirling strings, strong vocals, skipping beat in a Prince Phillip Mitchell "I'm So Happy" styleee. It certainly has got scene potential. But with that sleeve and being LP-only...

Glad you agree then!

(So much 'northern-modern' that it's ridiculous")

Couldn't have put it better myself.

Its only taken 25 years for someone else to acknowledge the potential of the record.

As for 'LP only' that never stopped Clyde McPhatter "Please Give Me One More Chance" Willie Hutch "Lucky To Be Loved By You" and many others gaining appreciation and recognition.

As for the sleeve.... Hide it under your bed.

Sean Hampsey

12001 moving world/breezes- creative funk

i thinks that just leaves 1 more

12004 Soul Santa - Funk Machine

Sean Hampsey

Rather than when did soul music end, that's fast becoming a boring subject.

Instead, lets have your opions on when soul music was born, what was the first true soul record, when was the term first used. May need the help of any of you true historians for this

Our friend, the late, great Dave Godin, often cited maxine Brown's "All In My Mind" though I've heard others say that Ray Charles "I Got a Woman" from 1954 is the first example of the genuine article.

To me though it was the first Soul record I ever heard... Dobie Gray's "The In Crowd" ...That's when it all started for me!

Great question Dave with some fascinating answers so far!

Cheers

Sean Hampsey

Here is the East Coast Connection article from Issue 4 of NEW Blackbeat - June 1983 - authored by Sean Hampsey

The Number 1 Nighter Cleethorpes Winter Gardens under the guidance of Steve Croft includes a policy of programming easily obtainable under promoted soul music. This had an amazing impact on the scene last year with Cleethorpes monsters gaining strong positions in the Blackbeat 1982 Readers Poll. Annis, Norman Connors, Dramatics, Mandrill, Rufus, and Finished Touch (sic) were played and accepted with great enthusiasm, breaking down the rare soul only barrier and giving the patrons an opportunity to obtain some of the big records without having to shell out a small fortune or wait 6 months until copies are two a penny - know what I mean?

Cleethorpes' policy is firmly based on programming and promoting records regardless of scarcity, not with a view that a rare soul record is naturally bad, but that rarity should not be the primary factor affecting a records acceptance or rejection, and that availability should not be the yardstick by which a sound is standardized or judged. In other words, if it sounds right - that's enough. The following are all doing well or are about to do big things on the scene. Nothing expensive, or hard to find, so go get 'em.

Leon & Whispers Gonna love you more" C/U

Got to be the biggest thing at Cleggy since Norman Connors. A modern soul stomper which has had the rare soul buffs scratching their forelocks for two months now; infact not hard to find but certainly hard to follow. Edit the smooth intro and we're into bags of breaks along the way with rhythm changes by the score. Now exclusively revealed as being by The Whispers; from the Solar LP "It's a love thing"!! Featuring of course Leon Sylvers on Bass, which goes to show the lunacy and unimportance of cover ups! I was offered £20 for mine, did I sell? No way, a real kick in the arse.

LTD "You must have known I needed love" (A&M)

From the 1978 LP "Togetherness" featuring Jeffrey Osbourne in tremendous form on this Grey & Hanks penned killer. The standout tracvk on this LP which spurned funk gems in "Jam" and "Together forever" far more appropriate for our scene than the brilliant "Love magic". In fact this packed the Winter Gardens Floor first time out, and had Neil Page bouncing off of the walls! Well you can imagine!

Cut Glass "Alive with love" (20th Century)

Soulful femme vocals over a bass / synth backing. The A side "Without your love" did club business in 1980, but "Alive" is definitely the Cleethorpes sound in 1983. Long instrumental break in the third quarter with weird space effects and then she cuts loose again "how I wish that my lips could say the things that my heart can feel". 12" or 7" simply wizard!

High Fashion "Hold On" (Capitol)

Now then, from the "Feeling lucky lately" gang, this throbbing Kashif number is a real clincher for me and was accepted by the dancers immediately (Eric). Stronger vocals than other HF tracks, over a heavy backbeat which never lets up. Purchased from Mick Godfrey and a damn good quid's worth.

Eloise Laws "1,000 Laughs" (ABC)

Bought from Mary Chapman with the slogan "Dedicated to all those who used to be on the northern soul scene", and flip of "Number One" from 1978, and an under-rated track from the "If you don't watch out" lady. Skips along at a fair pace and injected with a generous dose of good old soul, peel an onion and shed a tear to this.

Gil Scott Heron with Pretty Purdie & Playboys "Lady day and John Coltrane" (Flying Dutchman / Philips)

Reactivated to coincide with the chappies controversial UK tour, this is an oddity which Steve Croft and Darren are hammering. Takes a few plays to grab you but it's certainly doing the biz at Cleggy so far, just thought I'd let you know!

Stargard "I'll always love you" (MCA)

This is going to be huge. No ifs, no buts, from 1978 the "Which way is up" LP, a SOUL singalong track of superior quality featuring Rochelle Runnels, Debra Anderson and Janice Williams, who deliver the vocals with the power of a neutron bomb, imagine Shirley Brown and Aretha rolled into one, you got the picture. Don't be put off by their image, this is devastating. Phew!

Ruby Wilson "The feeling's still there" (Malaco / UK Magnet)

Top side is the Randy Goodrum song "Bluer than blue", an improvement on the Frankie Gearing version on Beale St which leans heavily to C&W; Ruby's version is heavy soul, however "The feeling" follows the Lorraine Johnson pattern in that it is fast and aggressive with lots of ginger beer and at ten bob (50p) a shot not to be missed (don't tell Record Collector £30 is slightly too much to pay for this!)...Sean Hampsey

Other interesting snippets from this issue Randy Cozens Star Pick was Big Maybelles "Oh Lord what are you doing to me"; Clarkey looked at Kent Harris and Ty Karim, Dave Thorley wrote an article on Clifford Curry, Trev Swaine gave us Bill Brandon and Sam Dees discographies, Jan Barker in "The Deeper side" was raving over Eddie Parker's "If you must go", there was some controversy over some comments made by Soul Sam on Funk, a lengthy letter from Tony Rounce, and amongst Sam's reviews....Mind & Matter, Michael A Smith, Image, and Cecil Lyde. He concludes with a review of the then new "Love Town" by Booker Newbury III...

Steve

Incredible stuff Steve!

Can't believe you actually took the time to RETYPE it all over again 23 years later!

As I hoped, nothing too embarrassing there after all this time.

Particularly saddened though that the Stargard "I'll Always Love You" never really took off... a record that could still have its day on the Northern scene (if some DJ's were open minded enough to play something so 'new' ) ... especially after the "This is going to be huge.... No ifs, no buts" statement... (I've since become more cautious with my Top Tips).

Eloise Laws "1,000 Laughs" also never really happened for me despite the heavy plugging way back when... Who knows then...perhaps the next "Kiss Your Love Goodbye"?

The others though were all pretty monstrous tunes, at Cleethorpes, within weeks of the articles appearance.

Many thanks for the memories and for putting in the effort Steve.

You are Really Something!

Sean Hampsey

Sean I shall have a look for you, but now you mention it I do seem to recall you reviewing it. At some stage I intend to reproduce some of those early day articles on here, as I know most people don't have access to the earliest Blackbeats anymore, and they are fascinating to look back on nearly 25 years later. Just a matter of time.

Thanks Steve,

A Gentleman and a True Scholar!

Sean

I know there's an Italian language version too, but in the back of my mind there are two different English versions.If so can someone tell me the difference and which labels ect? Something tells me the backing track was around too without the vocals?

The Stateside, Pye, and 3 before 8 'EP' versions are all the same mix.

It was always the DJM issue that was 'dodgy' as I recall.

Sean

Bit of info wanted... were Jay Player 'Love Is The Answer' on Bevnik Cut Glass 'Alive With Love' on Earhole, Geraldine Hunt 'Look All Around', Carol Jiani 'Ask Me' and Mikki Farrow 'Itching For Love' on Emerald ever played on the Modern scene?

I hold my hands up!

It was me that first played Cut Glass "Alive With Love" on 20th Century 45 at Cleethorpes. I know that a few other jocks got copies later and it became a pretty big record at the Winter Gardens for a short while.

I seem to remember I reviewed it in Steve's BlackBeat Magazine in my 'East Coast Connection' columns. It would be good to see what other goodies were reviewed as my other big Cleethorpes (Modern Soul) tunes of the time, but I dont think I have copies.

Anyone help?

Steve?

Sean Hampsey

1. Luther Ingram - Trying To Find My Love
   
2. Bobby McClure - Was It Something I said
   
3. Robert Moore - Tears Of The World
   
4. Barbara Mason - Half A Love
   
5. Veda Brown - Shouting Out Love
   

Sean Hampsey

Pete-S said:

ust a clip of the quite evocative intro to this long lost film shot for the BBC. It's never been repeated or released on video or dvd and it had a superb Motown soundtrack.

Awesome Pete.

Still got the Vid from when it came out but had forgotten how good that intro was.

Spine tingling stuff!

Sean Hampsey

Can't remember Poke's real name?

Poke is Blair Haydn

Bub was just Bub (RIP)

Tony Blackburn was Lenny Gamble

Kenny Everett was Maurice Cole

Tats is Andrew 'Floyd' Taylor

But I dont know who was first.

Bet it was Maurice Cole!

Sean

I'm off to Jersey in a couple of weeks and was wondering if there were any record shops or Soul nights there?

John,

Video & Tape Exchange in St Hellier (just off the precinct) has turned up some real goodies for me on my last 3 visits inc Volumes on Impact for a quid! (No Vat - Owzat!) and loads of nice LP's (Bobby King / Zingara) for under a fiver!

I'm not going down there this year so fill your boots!

Sean

As Dave Thorley and Robin Salter have already stated, Sam and Arthur Fenn started the " Modern Soul" scene. They said there were no good sixties sounds to be found (a statement withdrawn later obviously) and programmed seventies and new releases which caught on with an initially small number of people. They broke from the Northern Scene and had their own venues, quite a few around South Yorkshire, and the Highwaymans Halt (?) at Snaith, with their own playlists and a lot of cover ups. The music was tremendous, and I was lucky enough to get many of the records from John Anderson and played them at Clifton Hall, as did others.

Sean Hampsey in particular, while playing the above tunes, reactivated many forgotten Mecca plays at many venues, making " modern soul" (as then) more popular to the mainstream all nighters country wide. This was 81/82 I reckon. It was definitely modern soul then, and the term had nothing to do with the mid seventies playlists of Curtis and Levine, which as billywhizz said, were "newies"

Just the way I remember it Steve.

Lets face it, Post Wigan, there was only Clifton Hall.

At that particular venue (late 70's / early 80's) we inevitably played scores of 60's 'Northern' tracks but that 'wind of change' referred to earlier was blowing right through this part of the world.

With Sam & Arthur virtual 'outcasts' on the Northern Scene (because of their promotion of 70's & 80's 'newies') they broke away, sticking two proverbial fingers up at the traditional Northern scene and everything it stood for.

A couple of the Clifton Hall DJ's (you & me included) supported the programming of new material and saw fit to include in the playlists some of the tracks that they were plugging (I bought many a good 80's tune from Sam & Arthur at the time and helped plug them to the 'traditional' nighter audience). Clifton was the ideal music environment for me. A no boundaries policy - just good soul music to dance to, from all eras.

We all got our records from different sources which lead to huge variety in the playlist.

Poke and yourself were well supplied by John Anderson. Pat Brady turned up some superb items (old & new) Richard Searling delivered several exciting new LP tracks (mixed in with his 60's rarities)... and alongside these I managed to programme records from far and wide and from my own personal collection that had been gathering dust since I'd bought them as new releases (the sounds that Malc Burton referred to earlier) and those other underexposed (unplayed) 70's and 80's things such as "Getting Together" Brothers Guiding Light "I'm Not Ready" Ujima "Shake Off That Dream" Eddie Billups "I'm In Love With You" Bobby Patterson "I'm The One Who Loves You" Darrell Banks 'Ami I Cold Am I Hot' Bill Harris "We Did It" Syl Johnson "He's Always Somewhere Around" Donny Gerrard "Take It To The Limit" Norman Connors "Heaven In The Afternoon" Lew Kirton etc. none of which had received any kind of significant 'Northern Soul' exposure up to that point.

The 'Modern Soul' 'Breakaway' crowd at the time objected to the exclusion of Sam & Arthur from the key venues, but these two renegades and their followers sought sanctuary on their own soil and it wasn't too long before the uptake was substantial enough to exert enough pressure for the top venue promoters to take notice and include them on the Rosta - the first being the new 'After Dark' Allnighters at the Cleethorpes Winter Gardens (all in one room) followed by Bradford QH (in two rooms) and then Stafford.

The rest is history... but that's how, when and where it started.

And I'm blessed to have been there.

Sean Hampsey