Sean Hampsey

I've been known to try and slip the odd Soul record into a set, every now and then... ...just to add a bit of variety! Sean

Quick answer........... got to dash... Elvis recorded at Stax 926 East McLemore in both July and December 1973. Sean

Agree Andy, its a superb track from Sam. The entire Boxed Set is awesome and a genuinely Soulful collectors piece. Took me a good while to get mine. Every home should have one, I reckon! Sean

Apparantley not now that its been found to be a reissue Sean

Bloody good too Stevie Baby! Loada footage I'd not seen before. Loved it! Looking forward to seeing you soon buddy! Poser Man

Sky Arts 1 10.00pm... Sunday Cropper on now! ... FFS Wayne Jackson too! Sean

He's always being mischeivous, Steve. Gonna put him over me knee at Yarmouth and smack his cheeky botty! Sean

I'm not saying it wasn't played at Rotherham Steve... I'm saying I believed its first airing was Cleggy. I distinctly remember putting the box together with Crofty and we both agreed it was 'more right' to break it there. I'm pretty positive that I included it in a BlackBeat magazine review in my 'East Coast Connections' articles - that's why its become embroiled in my Psyche as primarily a Cleethorpes record. No matter... it was played at both venues. We all agree. Been thinking more about what was in the box, but first..., The Dramatics "I Can't Stand It" I sold a spare to Bill Ward - after I'd played it and he wanted it. I had it as a 'brand new' release - he didn't .... and it did go into the Joint Box to be played by me and the Croftmeister! Skip Mahoney on Abet 45 - definitely Cleethorpes and then Clifton Hall - I bought it from Mick Godfrey at the Winter Gardens and played it first night (had lots of my stuff from Mick). It was another one that I think I reviewed in BackBeat. Although the 12" had brief Mecca exposure, I'm pretty sure it wasn't played at Clifton Hall by me - or anyone else - before I played Ujima. I'd been spinning Ujima in almost every set since 1977 and it was a big local tune for me at the Windmill etc. long before the Clifton Hall, Cleggy, Bradford period etc. Certainly, I plundered a few 'occasional Mecca' spins. I saw it as a way of saving the world - or at least reuniting the crowd - as Wigan was approaching its demise and the Mecca had long gone. Those hardly played or forgotten tunes needed playing at a Nighter... and lets be honest.... the Pokes, Rushbrookes, Searlings, and Bradys wouldn't have touched a forgotten underplayed Mecca tune...... or a 50p junk shop find with a Barge Pole! Other stuff that ended up in the box..... Norman Connors, I bought from Alex Denham and broke that at Clifton Hall. Went huge - and then everyone (including Richard) started playing it. Any Love - Rufus & Chaka Khan (Obvious pounder on UK MCA) Finished Touch - The Down Sound (Crofty had a box full so we broke it at Cleggy and gave copies away on the first night) Annis - Don't Play Your Games (He conned me into this one . I used it as a trade off for something more soulful ) Ronnie Dyson - Lady In Red (I found this on Lincoln market for 35p. I wanted to play the flip, but Steve wasn't keen. When I flipped it, so did he and we took it to the seaside... the rest is history ) Lorraine Johnson - The More I Get The More I Want (So right for that crowd at that time) Ruby Wilson - The Feeling's Still There (UK Magnet... perfect to follow Lorraine Johnson... and it cost me pennies) Gil Scott Heron - Lady Day & John Coltrane (An Inspired choice by Crofty - way ahead of his time!) Billy Preston & Syreeta - Go For It (Another I'd prefer to forget - but Steve loved his 130BPM stuff) High Fashion - Hold On (Another Mick Godfrey purchase that had had 'club action' but I launched it at Cleggy) Al Hudson - Spread Love (Another Mecca sleeper) Bobby Patterson - I'm In Love With You (Got inspired to pull this from my 'then' complete UK Action collection and hammer it on the back of Pokes Lester Thompkins c/u as I felt they were similar sounding southern midtempo thangs that the scene had previously ignored) Darrell Banks - I'm The One Who Loves You (Nobody bothered with this until I dropped my old Charade copy at Clifton and it went on, and on, and on....) Eddie Billups - Shake Off That Dream (Was given this by a young lady... and thought I'd play it in honour of her) Rhonda Davis - Can You Remember (Bought this for the deep side - blew me away when I found the Ann Sexton soundalike on the flip) Bill Harris - Am I Cold Am I Hot (Had been a Mecca spin I bought and played as a new release, but it found a new and appreciative audience at Cleggy and Clifton). Samona Cooke - Subway (I'd been playing Sheri Richards 'Goin Away' and Kev Briscoe brought this to my attention as being similar sounding so it became another in the box and a Monster... for about a fortnight Got to give a mention to Leon & The Whispers c/u "Gonna Give You More" which we all thought was on LP only - until Darren turned up the 45 years later. Took me ages to find one - and I reckon its harder than anything else we played at that time. I'll add more as they come to me... but I think you and Jock will find that the old Grey Matter hasn't given up yet! From memory, these were a couple of years before Stafford, but as mentioned, I'd like to see some exact dates for CH, Cleethorpes and Bradford as I often read things on here that conflict with my recollections and timescales. Yes... to be continued at Essence, Jock (and hopefully Steve). Sean

In truth... It was both of us Jock. Aside from our own boxes, we had a joint 50 playbox (probably the first 'hot box' ) that Mandrill and the dozens of others we broke at the time (Ronnie Dyson, Norman Connors, Annis, Skip Mahoney, Chaka Khan, Dramatics, Gene Page, Ujima etc) were all in. First, I'd play the top new tunes from 'the box' and then later Steve would play the same tunes from 'the box' and vice versa. That's how we broke so many records in quick succession and they'd become huge overnight. It's first airing was almost certainly by me (and Steve) at Cleethorpes - but as Jock says - it would also have been played at Clifton, Bradford, Warrington and everywhere else we were involved in around that time.... its just that, in the depths of what memory I have left, I'm pretty sure that its baptism was at Cleggy.... though it could have been either... because it was definitely both! Sean

mmmm... and it was an 80p genuine anti-rarity when I first played it! Guess now its fetching a couple of bob, it'll start picking up a few plays.

Certainly don't think I understand (or appreciate) what its become (or what some would like it to become) Steve. Lunatics, with fragile egos and an agenda of totally misplaced pettiness, all bidding for the keys to the asylum... ...and sadly - Soul music suffers. How does it benefit a Soul artist if, after years of neglect, his or her record finally gets a legitimate UK release... and the so called 'Soul DJ's' in this country aren't allowed to play it - to promote it? Its infantile nonsense and I'll always be amongst the first to speak out against such childishness as its purely driven by egotism and self promotion. Soul music DJ'ing seems to have become more of a Collectors showcase than a means of promoting the very music... that we are all supposed to love. Fukc 'em all - the ego monsters - I don't ever want to understand such a loada baloney. Hope you're well mate! Sean

Both Georgia labels, Simon. First I've ever heard of it being on there. Afraid both have eluded me for the past 25+ years! So... who has the Rocmar copy? Sean

Really Simon? When, Where and on What?

Yes it was, Rod. Quite an early one too. Like you, I wouldn't object to hearing it out on any label. But its obvious that some would. Great tune either way (IMO). Sean

AWESOME! Summed up in one! Sean

No mate. But if I had, I probably wouldn't play it. I don't play recent re-issues as a general rule... but that's more because I've always got loads of other stuff that needs an airing. Just think that those who do want to use 'em should be allowed to - and not treated as some kind of pariah, by those who can afford the collectors piece. Sean

What was Simon? The Wand Ivorys is Legit, of course, and that makes it acceptable. As I understand it, the Bobby Thurston 45 is also legit - as is the Don Gardner reissue mentioned earlier. Someone said they'd object to such legal reissues being played out - and I say the scene was built on them, therefore the whole approach is erroneous and has become no more than a latter day tool of 'dick waving' and self promotion, over the promotion of the music itself. Tragic.

You're right Steve. Several years in fact. To be fair... he'd been away for a while so wasn't to know that... but it illustrates that BGL was no way considered a 'big' record when new. Sean

Of course its different from a reissue which comes out much later, but a second issue on a National label is a reissue (not the 'original'), Steve, no matter how you couch it. But, as I said, I don't give a fig either way. I'll leave the label bragging to those who feel the need. Sean

Reissue, Steve, (and certainlty not the original label) regardless of how cherished. Don't let Flanny see you playing it! It was an extreme example, of course, to show how fukced up the 'first issue' policy is. Lets face it, were it not for Reissues the NS scene would never have taken off in a big way in the 70's. Me and thousands of others would never have heard the Tams "Hey Girl Don't Bother Me" or Tami Lynn "I'm Gonna Run Away From You" and Donnie Elbert "Little Piece Of Leather" etc. were it not for DJ's playing them - and promoting Soul Music - everywhere we went at the time (don't think for a second they were all playing orig HMV's, UK Black Atlantics or UK Sue copies of the latter. I guess it all hinges on how the DJ sees his role. Apart from the entertainment factor, is he a promotor of Soul Music or just somebody who sees it as an opportunity to show off his collection of Rare 45's. I happen to have a fabulous collection - amassed over some 40 years - but I've never allowed that to interfere with what I consider to be my role as a promoter of Soul Music. Frankly, I'd play soul music off a toaster... if I could get a decent sound out of it. Sean

No contest for Paul was it? Sure knew how to move them hips did Paul. Yep, cracking nights, the Harlem Shuffles. The late Dave Godin judged the Dancing contest. RIP. Happy days, all of em, at Clifton. Well remembered, Tony. Hope you're well mate. Sean

Its the best example ever... and you know it! That's why you were forced to resort to complete jibberish as a reply! Sean

Don't think so. There's simply no argument! Sean