Sean Hampsey

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

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

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

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

£51 on Ebay last time I saw it Gareth. Sean Hampsey

Agree. Great record! Sean Hampsey

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

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

12004 Soul Santa - Funk Machine Sean Hampsey

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

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

Thanks Steve, A Gentleman and a True Scholar! Sean

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

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

Luther Ingram - Trying To Find My Love Bobby McClure - Was It Something I said Robert Moore - Tears Of The World Barbara Mason - Half A Love Veda Brown - Shouting Out Love Had 'em a while but just loving 'em all over again on my Car Cd player. Sean Hampsey

Awesome Pete. Still got the Vid from when it came out but had forgotten how good that intro was. Spine tingling stuff! Sean Hampsey

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

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

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

Hey, its the thought that counts! I meant "What A Lovely Way" which is the flipside to "You Left The Fire Burning"... on Brunswick 55480 from 1972....which suggests, as everybody knows, that I'm a Johnny F***ing Know All Soulboy. Lovely record... IMO. Sean

Errrrrr...... but that wasn't the one I meant! Sean

Top Girl Soul Girl! TVM Sean

Long before he got involved with the 'Mirwood' recordings, Simon was the mastermind behind SCORES of early boots which came into the UK in the early 70's and were shipped out through SELECTADISC in Nottingham. I've still got several of his early lists with some mouthwatering stuff on there. He had strong connections Stateside and was able to locate originals and pirate quantities in 'counterfeit style' - to replicate the original labels. Of course, prior to Simon, Boots were output on anything but 'repro' labels on the UK Soul scene, but at least with 'Soul Sounds / BJD / Green Light etc people at least knew what they were buying. 30+ years on, many an eBayer has made a killing from a Simon lookalike repro! Sean

Big fan of all of the above. Always loved Jackie. Worth a mention though, as a 'Bubbling Crossover' track, is the blinding "What A Lovely Way" from 1972....... and (although not a 'Northern' track) on a Jackie Wilson thread I've just got to plug "Just As Soon As The Feeling Is Over" as its one of the top 10 records ever made by any artist... ever! (even wups Margie Joseph & the Sam Dees 'original' (previously unreleased) version. Simply outstanding! Sean Hampsey