Modernsoulsucks

Although Im not a fan of the genre in question I can sympathise with what you're saying. I'd suggest you stick with the places you do like and visit some of the venues recommended outside your usual travelling area. I think avoid those places where you feel the modern room is just tagged onto a Northern do as I guess the promoter will be more interested in the main room and the number of punters through the door. Stick a modern room on and maybe get a few more in. ROD

Mel, I don't think the programme is about the Northern scene except a passing reference so bit unrealistic to expect in-depth interviews with past or current movers and shakers. I do agree however most things on TV in the past have seemed superficial but then you'd need a 25 part series to cover it all. I don't know about anyone else but I'd never heard of James Maycock and looking on the net he appears to have written about James Brown, not exactly a firm favourite Northernwise. I will take bets that James gets more mentions than Eddie Parker!! Im sure it will have loads of interesting coverage of the 60's mod scene. In London of course. But without those old mods and their Tamla Motown etc we probably wouldn't be here to post on this site. ROD

It went off in Wigan record bar once that I saw with this huge rugby-player non-soulie type throwing chairs etc Luckily I managed to get his name and adddress, wrote him a very stiff letter, and I never saw him again!! Mel, it's probably down to the fact that you instigated it!!

I remember both Jimmy James and Johnny Johnson [got played more I think] at the Torch but I wasn't keen. Only my opinion but compared to say the popular 45s like Eddie Parker or Rose Battiste they sounded very flat and sing-a-long in a club. "Sometimes Djs can be criricised (I think) by being too hung up on playing the latest few 'big' tunes of the day. Result? The same handful of records are played at lots of venues, and very similar sets played by DJ X DJ Y and DJZ. etc etc." Back in early 70's I think, and maybe others who were there could confirm, all the DJs played basically the same big 45s but the high turnover stopped it from becoming stale. At one time as soon as a 45 was pressed it was pretty worthless. It was maybe Ian at the Mecca and later Richard at the Casino that started the exclusive to one spot idea. That's just my take on it and it was 30 years ago so memory can play tricks. ROD

Joe, I think if Brad is on Ebay, and I've seen his ads, I doubt there's much chance of picking up a bargain cheap at his shop. I'd suggest that if you're going over to Detroit the idea would be to find the places where Brad gets his stuff, other than with people just walking into his shop with 45s to offload. No reason not to call in but I'd guess he'd run his stuff through Ebay first. ROD

Im a bit hazy about this but was there another faster disco version of "Heaven in the afternoon" that was an LP track by someone or other. A disco style group. Maybe some of the modern guys may know it if I didn't imagine it. ROD

What is on other side. Im wondering if it's a Beach Music label. The Pad is a club in Myrtle Beach that is the equivalent of our Wigan Casino. ROD

Pete, this has been covered before Im sure. I have a blue "Bell Sound" that I got back in early 80's off my mate in North Carolina. He'd had it since 70's before he was even aware of Northern Soul. I did mention elsewhere that vinyl/stamps were the same as J.J.Barnes "So far away" on Mickays which I don't think has been booted. Im also pretty sure I have another Detroit 45 in my box that's Bell Sound stamped but can't be bothered going through them all to find it. I thought the Bell Sounds were Detroit pressings and the Rosettes were West Coast and aren't they on styrene. ROD

What Simon?. It's a blatant attempt to sell the 45 on my mate's behalf and you're lost for words at my temerity. In my defence he is getting marrried soon so will need the money. You know how women like to be kept in a style that, when you married them,you had no idea they were accustomed to!! ROD

Pottsy, you silver-tongued flatterer you. Im married!! I'll give it a go later when I have time. It was so cold on that reviewing stand sitting there for around 90 minutes that I expected a march past by the Queen's Own Polar Bears. ROD

A mate of mine has just turned a copy up in USA. Knowing him it will be Mint. What's going rate for this nowadays and if anyone's interested they could PM me with an offer and I can put him or her in touch with seller who takes Paypal. Thanks ROD

Re the Willie Hutch issue. I have a copy and when I got it back in the 80's I sold another copy to Paul Johnson from Bolton for £40. So that's 2. If anyone noticed my efforts to download Tamiko Jones were fruitless,although I did manage to scan it into "Photo and Imaging gallery" ,whatever that is. Mark,next time I come up maybe you can show me what to do. Didn't post info on Willie Hutch yesterday cos I went to my stepson's passing out parade at RAF Halton. Station commander was changing at the same time so we got to see a fly past by a spitfire not far above our heads. As I sat in the reviewing stands and heard the roar of the plane coming out of the sun I couldn't help thinking that if it turned out to be a Messerschmitt we were all fcuked!! ROD

Trying to get picture of Tamiko Jones now. ROD

Miff,what's on other side of "Higher and Higher" DJ. There was an old thread about this too and whether "Im the one to do it" came out on other side of any promo variation. ROD

Well Roger, there goes my theory that maybe there was a small run where GW didn't put out dj copies. I have a YDJ of Cooperettes. I think it's pretty common. ROD

Well that's #'s 25 and 27. Is there a demo of 26 "Eenie meenie..." Debonaires I wonder. Roger, with a rough calculation in my head I've worked out you have 15,000 45s but only 12 different songs cos you've got them on every conceivable variation!!! You were doing really well and then you put up that "Shing-a-ling" on regular. Every collector knows that the yellow demos are much better looking. I have Artistics "Hope we have" on yellow demo which took me ages to find as in my experience most of the "Im gonna miss you" demos have Barbara Acklin on other side. Tony P. has sent me instructions how to upload pictures onto site. Unfortunately he omitted the bit about getting pics onto computer in the first place. Im awaiting further instructions. Fence has partly blown down. Can anyone give me an inkling of what a "hammer" is, although the term "nails" does ring a bell. I think I took that "new man" stuff too seriously and need now to get out of touch with my feminine side so I can talk "cylinder head gaskets" with the best of them. Right now the scatter cushions need plumping so Im off. ROD

Re Adorables. I was just going to ask that. Think I've only seen yellow copies. Mine is yellow with "demonstration copy" sticker so Im thinking NOT or really rare. ROD

Tony, I've got the yellow issue of Tamiko Jones but unless someone tells me how to upload it on here Im afraid Im fcuked. It would have to be very simple instructions understandable by a moron or a Southerner!! ROD

I bought the unissued Bobby Reed on UK Shrine. Are they not legit then. I thought Brownie had got a deal with Eddie Singleton. ROD

Hi Miff, I looked at Gemm and found one Mintish copy for $20 but I'd have to register and for this 45 didn't seem worth it. Gotta be loads over here. I must get onto Gemm at some stage but I spend enough time on Ebay. The link was not "Romeo and Juliet" but thanks anyway. Hi Roccia, if you enjoyed that story and really need to make me a gift then put a couple of lira in some Children's charity. ROD

I won a Donnie Wells WDJ for around £12 and funnily enough the other Tony Smith won the Moments on Deep. Neither of us got our 45s cos the seller said he was selling them for someone else and we'd not paid enough for them so he couldn't get them offa the guy to send to us. I got a Paypal refund. I didn't take it any further though I was miffed I heard later from my mate in US that the seller and the guy with the actual records had come to blows over it at a record convention!! Im surprised at this Tony Smith though. Definitely NOT on. Are you sure it's him. ROD

No you won't. If I don't pick one up I'll be in touch but that was very kind of you to offer. ROD

I think "Pyramid" woulda worked just fine cos its got that blend of 60's/70's that appeals to both sets of fans like those early James Fountain type Mecca 45s. Only IMO of course. What wouldn't work is a lot of those R&B type things. Betty O'brien [so camp!!] and that 45 on Seneca by the girl that I can't bring to mind to name but two ROD

Roccia, that is English humour but Im not very good at it!! He was at Anzio and he did get shot in the leg. He ended the war as a guard for Italian POWs and told me he had some kinda scam going on with them selling blackmarket tyres. He was very pleased with himself at the Italian he picked up whilst he was there but most of it seemed to be along the lines of "Where are the women" "Where is the wine" On the odd occasion when I've been with him and we bumped into any Italian in the UK he'd love to use his phrases he'd picked up. It must have been very odd for them to be engaged in conversation by my dad cos Im sure they must have realised by then that the Germans had been defeated!! He really liked Italy and the people and went back a couple of times to visit the war graves and probably to make sure that there were no "bambinos" knocking about who looked like him!! ROD

There goes that job interview, Jamie!! ROD