Chris L

Without a doubt Velvet Satins - Nothing compares to you...................................mind you Spinnin' top by the Orlons can only be danced to by the Rocketeer........

My Enrish not zo gut, must you explayne me................

When you say "God" so as in "Godzilla" ??

This came out in the US sometime in 1998, sort of soft bootleg, pressed in Belgium by Marginal Records, they use a law that says that after so many years the music is in the public domain so no royalties, same as the Chain Reaction album. Chris L

Does anyone really care ? Is he/she still alive ? Do they still have their own teeth ?

Touchée............................

I once borrowed this copy of Help Me from a girlfriend I was dating in about 1968/9. I was about 16 years old at the time, to my great shame I have never returned it. (I did try and track her down her name was Janet Kemp from Guildford - she was older than me gues she's about 58/59 now) anyway..............................I kept and played it always wondering who the Spellbinders were. After getting back into the scene in 1998 come early 2002 I had found them. Lovely people. This is a rare Canadian copy, I have the album also on Canadian (also US demo, US mono & stereo too - became quite an obsession) I was delighted when the album got released in the UK, albeit on a CD.

This from the reunion in New Jersey in 2003. From left to right, Dee Grant, Bobby Shivers, Jimmy Wright & Eller Weas Little aka Elouise Pennington who was once married to Harry Starr !!

Yes, you're right, great for playing in car where the playing of vinyl could be a bit tricky. This is Bobby Shivers singing an encore of "Help Me" in New Jersey in 2006, he's quite the showman. The "lost" Spellbinder McArthur Mumford, he got lip cancer quite some while ago and had to stop singing, his appearance in New Jersey got me a bit weepy, he was just a smashing bloke. This from their 2nd tour of the UK in 1967, people forget they had 2 "hits" in the UK with "Help Me" and "Chain Reaction" only 4 of them here, Dee Grant & McArthur not making the trip both being replaced by Danny Austin from the Ad Libs (they are all big mates with each other). I'll be back................ Chris L

They never ever DID A DUFFER? I knew them all, I got them all back togethser in 2003, all the orignals (in fact there never were any replacements) got to meet McCarthur Mumford too, plus all their families. Try and track down A. Their album B. An article I wrote for Mike Ritson's Magazine Manifesto, their whole story is in it. Only Eller Weas Little and Bobby Shivers still alive but when they performed in New Jersey 3 years ago they blew everyone away. I'll post some stuff on them tomorrow off the Germany now back in the morning............... Here's a little taster, an unpublished pic of the Spellbinders in their heyday. Chris L

Classic Urban Harmony, some soul/doo wop fans, collectors & writers based in the New Jersey area have made this fitting tribute to Chris Bartley, a wonderful piece of work. https://www.classicur...y%20Tribute.htm Do read it. Chris Lalor

That's OK I used to be in the Territorial Army I'll be camoulflaged as a chip buttie and a pint of Watneys Red Barrel that'll fool 'em..................

Pretty much how it was in the South in the 70s, the London black community was either into ska/bluebeat/reggae or funk when I were a lad. They never really connected with Motown type soul. That doesn't mean that it's a completely "white" scene after all 99% of the artists, musicians, labels are performend etc by black people, albeit Yanks

What a bizare posting, just what does all this mean ?? We should all now go to Kobe, Tokyo or Frankfurt for our soul nights ? Perhaps the most inappropriate comment is that old cop-out above, 99.9999999% of returning soulies are just glad the scene is alive and well, they do however reserve the right to criticise stuff that gets played if they feel it's a load of old tat, as a lot of that real rare stuff is.

I failed becuse he wouldn't take Euros, bet you wished you had now.......................

Oh BTW I'm not an ex-pat, I have lived longer in Belgium that I ever did in the UK, I have Irish-British citizenship, I'm totally integrated into the Flemish culture speaking, reading & writing it, I pay my 50%+ taxes to the Belgian government, own a house, etc I also speak French & German. Most of the arrogant daft dopey stuff that gets posted on internet sites tend to come from the Johnny come lately NS "fans" chin stroking, gotta be rare, only 3 know copies brigade. I once got a CD from one to, in his own words "educate me" (sgns of a communist re-education camp maybe ?) when I played it it was more akin to cha-cha, rock & roll & deep south blues. No sorry I'd rather listen to The Fascinations, Formations, Dobie Grey and the Impressions all day & night that that "real rare" garbage. You pays your money and yous takes your choice. Right, best get back to my Eurobaguette met kaas...................

Many times, he is one of the worlds most lovely people, I usually leave the room after about 15/20 minutes cos the stuff that gets played maybe real rare like, but a load of ald tat to my ears.......... Chris L

Well in my experience you're right AND wrong. Italy - when I've been it's been all 60s R & B, Arthur Fenn type stuff, real rare mostly crap sounds with the odd oldie chucked in for the UK beerbellies. Of course being Italain everything is a fashion parade, why not. Serious nah... Germany - Spot on (have you been peeking ?) France-Scandinavia-Japan appear to be on the mark. USA - well now that's real intersting, in Chicago there were those US DJs all around late teens early 20s with a collection to make your eyers water. They draw 500+ crowds, they don't call them NS events but the music they play sure is NS alright. Australia - the scene is flips flops, sandy beach dance floors and Denny Johnson generally farting about UK - There are no people like UK NS people, boy do they take their scene seriously!! If they took their economy as serious the UK would be another Switzerland (without the yoddeling & lederhousen). With the million or so people who have passed through the scene over the last 40 years it's not really surprising. What about the Irish ?????? Chris L writing to you from sunny Belgium (no NS scene but a thriving Popcorn revival one - as nutty as any NS scene but with chips, mayonaise & cold beer )

Chris did release an album on Vando and there was that 70s SS International release where it was purported he'd done a couple of tracks. Chris L

Ian Levine has his address & tel nr, I'm sure he'd be delighted to pass it on to you

The pride of place is this baby, getting him and Sandi Sheldon together to sign it for me was a real knockout. An orginal publicity poster from October 1967. It takes pride of place in my collection. Top people these soul singers. Eller Weas is crushed, too sad to talk, guess they'll all feel better after the funeral, you know how tight that lot all are, the New Jersey sixties soul set. Chris L ps I see it's 23° today in Mo-Hacker

His last performance in New Jersey 3 years ago (he's the one in the middle). Died of kidney failure aged 62, far too young.

His contract when he appeared on the Clay Cole Diskotek Program in 1967.