Seano

Like many, I reply that I'm into Soul, adding Northern Soul in particular, but as Tezza just mentioned, it tends to get followed by "such as who? Who's your favourite artist/group?" That's the hard bit, when you're excited by so many different great singers and groups. Most of the time I can't remember half the names even though I might jump up to dance on the first few seconds of hearing a track. I tend to plump for Bobby Womack but know it doesn't in any way really give a sense of the range of Soul I collect, listen and dance to.

There's stuff on this in the past threads somewhere, but I don't honestly know how to find a link to that. It's a 2 or 3 of years since I've been, but I've posted photos over time and a Brooklyn guy, Tim, commented in February, regarding A-1 Records being open: It still is as of Feb 4 '13, as are Academy's three stores. Here's Tim's link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/13873181@N06/ Academy Records Brooklyn store is in Wiilamsburg, well worth a shot, lots of cheap 7" and plenty of albums. Their other store at the top end of East Village over towards Avenue A is smaller but also worth dropping in on, and not far from A-1. I put them on a Google maps while ago, so a fair few of these have closed (sadly including Big City, good place for Soul): https://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msid=203611530700193463245.000482b970fd77323e5a8&msa=0

In case you haven't seen the paper in the shops today, article on Bobby Womack featured on front cover of magazine with today's Independent on Sunday (21st April). https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/soul-survivor-how-bobby-womack-overcame-heart-failure-drug-addiction-and-even-apparent-alzheimers-8580638.html

Just heard about this play that's on at Trafalgar Studios in London (Whitehall). https://www.timeout.com/london/theatre/third-finger-left-hand Imogen Stubbs was being interviewed this morning on Saturday Live on Radio 4, talking about it. Looking it up online I think it started out at Edinburgh, and the run in London is just 4th until 27th April. Dermot Canavan is the writer, and it has been drawn from his own experience. Anybody been? The review sounds good, though I suspect the trigger for my interest, Northern Soul, will be a bit of a frustration if the title's anything to go by.

Interesting site here and this is their link to postings about people's record rooms: https://www.icrates.org/category/dj-rooms/

I'd have only gone for Frank Wilson, but there's more on here: https://www.howstuffworks.com/most-valuable-records.htm#page=10

Turned out that the Hank Williams was 'Basic' at £20, Sex Pistols 'Better' at £200 and Jimi Hendrix LP 'Best' at £500 based on being a mono copy and with inserts all in good condition. Chap says "one of the most valuable records ever made was 'God Save the Queen' by the Sex Pistols on A&M, adds "there have been instances of that record selling for over £12,000". I think we could all name one to top that.

Hank Williams EP, Jimi Hendrix LP, and demo on EMI of Anarchy in the UK by the Sex Pistols. Value range they've mentioned is £20 - £500. Not quite Gwen Owens really is it?

Apparently in Antiques Roadshow on BBC1 now they're going to do a bit about vinyl. They ask punters to guess "Good, better, best" to put items in order of value.

Mine is fairly clear at the moment, but at various times is the dumping ground for all of our clutter.

Several mentions for 'Hold on Help is on the Way' - flip it over for the sublime 'Bet you're surprised', another instrumental. 'Little Bit of Soul' and the flip 'The Cat Walk' by Gerry & Paul and the Soul Emissaries on Fatback. 'Right On' by Al De Lory and Mandango on Capitol. And check out the messy and unashamed R&B meets Jazz style of 'Soul On' by Leon Haywood on Imperial. The combination of organ and piano is brilliant! The other side is a (mainly) instrumental take on '1-2-3'.

Found this on their site; listing of all releases: https://www.recordstoreday.co.uk/media/18075/RSD%20Product%20Listing%20.pdf

I had similar luck in East Village New York on my first trip in 2002. Great little shop called Wowsville that was on 2nd Avenue up at roughly 10th Street (not too sure now). Almost the first record I came across, $1.

Yep, had that one on as I typed.

They arrived yesterday, and I managed to listen to a couple, but they've been a blessing this evening, as it's been a bad day and there's some fantastic music in there to help you cope with the emotions but also to take you out of yourself for a moment too.

Great story relating to a wonderful record. Brilliant that artists get to understand their impact on the world through moments like this.

Brilliant series Ian, I keep buying and can't believe you keep getting more out! I'll go and get my order in now. Good to see 'This Time Around' featured in there.

Glad I missed it and my commiserations to everyone who watched it!

Twilight Zone is a fine track, one I first heard at Stafford. Great suggestions across all of the replies though. The only track I can think to add (and you'd have to be thinking Ray Pollard 'Drifter' or the like) would be The Emotions 'So I can love you'. I've only got it on the excellent 2007 2 CD and DVD Stax 50th Anniversary Celebration combo. The DVD is well worth watching and the two CDs are a good listen.

The Val Shively article picks up on the impact of the internet making maintaining a shop uneconomic, and it echoes what's hitting our high streets with out of town shopping centres killing local smaller scale shops. For those of us who used to enjoy casually going to the record shops back in the 70's, not even stopping to think about whether they would exist in the future, the chance to still find shops selling soul on vinyl has been prolonging the pleasure, but for most of us requires a fair old journey - they're not on your doorstep, and probably not in your town or even county. But as the record shops slowly close up, that pleasure of thumbing through a stack of records gets tied down to record fairs, car boots and junk shops, and soul nights. You can buy on the internet, but just as iTunes doesn't give you that same physicality that a 7" platter can, neither does clicking on a website come close to walking into a record shop and glancing around to spot the box labelled "Soul".