Sean Hampsey

Definately Darren. Never could stand Marvin G singing standards! But Marvin Junior... that's another story! Sean

It's been cropping up a lot lately. Looks good and sounds good... but only works on Explorer, Not on Mozilla - Firefox, Safari etc. Sean Hampsey

Oh yes! Just beat me to it! Awesome atmospheric number with a great uptempo flip in "You Can't Love Them All" A similar (but earlier) track to "Up In The Streets" is "I'll Take You Home" from 1963. Favourite ballad though is "I Don't Want To Go On Without You" (Flip of "Boardwalk) with Charlie Thomas on lead. Superb! Sean Hampsey

Normally goes for about £20.00. Bargain too! Did you mean 'Snowy's Record shop in Rotherham? Since moved to Doncaster. Cheers Sean Hampsey

Apart from "Don't Let Me Lose This Dream" try: "Cry Like A Baby" Columbia "I Can't See Myself Leaving You" Atlantic "When I Think about You" Atlantic "I Needed You Baby" Atlantic (Almighty Fire LP) "Integrity" Arista All top drawer dancers! Sean Hampsey

Whereas I much prefer the Dells! Sean Hampsey

Superb Simon.... as ever! Time for bed... with smile well and truly on! Sean

Gawd, what a question! For me, Gene has always been up there with Willie Tee as the guy with the slickest repertoire ever to grace our dancefloors. But.. it's got to be......... the immortal.... Nothing Can Stop Me Though I adore pretty much everything by him (even the later 20th Century material). N. Soul wise....... I Can Take Care........After the Laughter..... I Won't Need You....... all irresistible Off the dancefloor.... got to be 'To Be A Lover' 'I Fooled You This Time' and 'To Choose' for me. Just love him. Sean Hampsey

Agree on all points Tony. Gwen's version is a far better Soul record... but since theVK version is much rarer, something else takes over in the mind of the 'collector'. It's a form of 'Sex Appeal' that anyone other than a rare soul 'collector' or 'DJ' wouldn't recognise! It's also one of the problems in the UK Soul scene, these days, and an endemic part of the Northern scene. I remember hearing the Bay Bros "What Does It Take" played out some years ago, and just thinking....But Why? I mean... if you want to play a 'version' the Buddy Miles 45 is far superior (though none can touch Junior) Same thing happened when I first heard the Spyders "I Can Take Care Of Myself" and the Bellboys "I Don't Wanna Lose You". And much as I LOVE Otis Clay.. I used to cringe at his take on "Turn Back The Hands Of Time, equally so with Mack Simmons "Turning Point" whilst Tyrone (at No 1 in the US R&B charts) would never have got a look in over here! It's the 'Sex Appeal' that does it. Provides variety I guess, but yes, those with 'ears' can tell which version is 'best' just by listening... rather than referring to the price guides. Sean Hampsey

It came out twice on Sound Stage 7 in the USA with different flipsides, one being "Misty Blue" and the other (the original) a superb midtempo tune called "When" (issued in the UK on Monument in 1970). The "When" side always went down well at my local in the early 70's and (I think) was a 100 Club spin in the early 80's. Worth seeking out for this particular flip as it's a great record! Sean Hampsey

Gary sold up about 8 years ago due to illness. Most of his stock went to Anglo American. He was / is a great guy and from being a young lad was always really into the music. His Black Knight record list is sorely missed. Worked for John Anderson for a while, hence his association with Poke (another great lad!). I was one of the privileged who had access to his old warehouse, in darkest Neepsend. Often every bit as rewarding as some of my trips to the US of A... and at certain hours of the day just as risky! Sean Hampsey

This was Rob Wigley & Andy "TATS" Taylor. I'd been in Honolulu in September 1988 and came across an amazing shop called "Jellys Records" in a shady part of town. The shop closed at 8.00pm but not before I bought a stack of decent Northern 45's for a dollar apiece. As I was at the counter counting out the 50 Bucks the guy told me that the next day they were having a 'Sidewalk Sale' the next morning (before the Sun came round the front of the shop) and they were putting all the stuff from the basement on the Shop front for 10 for a dollar... (thats 10 cents each!!). I was there for 7.30am and went through around 10,000 boxed 45's before noon, netting over 200 records for just over $20.00 (about £12!!!!). In there were a handful of Joannie Sommers "Dont Pity Me" two of which I sold to Rob Wigley at Thorne and a few months after he bugged me to tell him more about Jellys. Needless to say, Rob & Tats decided to hit it a few months later but (as I 'd cleaned it out) they came up with very little. Might be worth a revisit though, 18 years later, just in case they've an overstocked basement ...and need to have another Sidewalk Sale! Need to get Rob on here and he'll verify the Tony & Tyrone thread mentioned earlier... and I'll let him tell you about the time in Washington when we were almost run out of town by a gang who wanted to know why we were on 'There Mutha Fcuk'n Street!' Were it not for the fact that the shop owner was, well lets say, well connected, we were pretty much dead meat. Sean Hampsey

Sarah Vaughan "I Need You More Than Ever Now" is my fave Mainstream 45. Simply Gorgeous! Sean Hampsey

I was with you that night Steve. I remember Al Kent telling us that Norma Toney (the writer "N. Toney" on tons of great records) was his wife. Blew me away! Sean Hampsey

Yes. Collectors of Carolina Based Tex Mex Geriatric Midget Music are big fans of his stuff! Sean

Hi Tony, I've got the "Baby Al" 45 as a Silver Fox W/D ("Grab Your Partner"). "Little Al" or "Baby Al" was Al McLaurin who, given his name, sounds more like a Scot than a Spaniard.... but the record was actually a minor hit in.... Spain... of all places... much like the Rocky Roberts I mentioned earlier. Sean Hampsey

Yes, it's good stuff alright. Think, Rocky Roberts & The Airedales on a midtempo fingersnapper! Or a cool sounding Sunny & The Sunliners. Great version of "Diamonds Are Forever" Priceless. Sean

No idea Simon. It does turn up though from time to time, so shouldn't be too many! Have you heard stuff by Casino Royale on Key-Loc? Very similar sounding. Cheers Sean

"Laugh Now Boy" by Little Al & The Maxidynes on Shell Possibly. Sounds quite Tex Mex to me! Sean Hampsey

I was given the same present by Dave... and my copy, after all these years, I'm pleased to say, is still MINT, complete with the original Blue Paper sleeve. As a matter of interest, the A side came out on CD earlier this year (or back end of last!). As for the broken record... my copy of the Natural Four "I Thought You Were Mine" on ABC issue arrived from the states in two pieces over 25 years ago. I taped up the flip with Black Insulating tape and have played it out ever since! Who says you can't mend a broken heart? Sean Hampsey

Susan Barrett, Surely!? Sean Hampsey

Agree with Binsy (yet again) on this. 'Silly Silly Fool' & 'Lost' are Philly Magic! Also, have always had a real soft spot for her Phillips 45's "Your Hurting Kinda Love" and "Some Of Your Loving" Sean Hampsey

Not Just related... in the case of Kenneth & Keni... they're one and the same! Get's the prize for the closest relative so far I'd say! Sean

Let me see what I can do. Home all weekend so I'll look to dig it out. Chase me if I don't get back to you by Monday. Cheers Sean Hampsey

You never been into Steve's Pound box? Its a legend. Full of better records than the Coulter thing! (IMO) ...but I bet he'd be far too shy and retiring to admit it! Sean Hampsey