Ian Dewhirst

There's some great stuff coming up on this album which I'll post up when I get the details through..... In the meantime coming up on Saturday I highly recommend any mix freaks out there to tune into JJ and Coopsy's Six Million Steps show:- Two hours of Tom Moulton's Philly classics remixed all in the mix on the 6MS Sessions this Saturday LIVE at 11am on www.stompradio.com. Ian D

It was nuts. I tried to sell 'em Shalamar so I saw it first hand. If I'd have ever worked there I'd be dead without a shadow of a doubt LOL.... Neil Bogart was a born promotion man though. Got his start @ Cameo and then Buddah ..... Ian D

Me too. Casablanca predominently released many of the huge U.S. Gay hits - Village People, Donna Summer, Patrick Juvet, Dennis Parker, Love & Kisses etc, etc which is why I suspect it kept coming up in the programme........ Strange combination for a label really - Pumping High Energy Gay Disco and Slinky, Dirty, Nasty P-Funk. Musta been fun in those offices when Parliament/Cameo brushed past Patrick Juvet and Dennis Parker in the corridor LOL..... Ian D

LOL, I should dig that Larry Sherman footage out for the Trax 30th..... Actually I want to add a bit more but I'm on an I-phone and I can't see the bloody keypad...... Ian D

I'm not really sure if it can be successfully condensed to one hour anyway. But it's quite a hard process to get a documentary made for TV these days plus the budgets aren't great and licensing the music is always a major headache, so there's lot of obstacles in the way of anyone who tries to be definitive. Plus what size of audience would the documentary command (because it's ALWAYS about audiences whichever channel sponsors it)? I've recently watched the definitive docementary about the birth of House music in the UK. I want to release the soundtrack and the DVD and see if I can get it on TV and selected film screenings too. But the music clearance budget is just nuts so the project is currently stalled. So it's not that easy even with a completed great documentary. We're probably lucky we even got this. I don't know if other countries have as much choice or diversity as we do over here. It could be worse believe me! Ian D

Absolutely. He was also the inventor of using two record decks instead of one, thus inadvertently starting the mixing phenomenon in the early 60's. Ian D

Jesus. You guys are actually serious about all this............ Ian D

Oh, I almost forgot, for those who like the kind of Disco largely featured in the show, we have 4 new Disco Discharge albums out in March, April and May to compliment the 12 which are already out there...... https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Dpopular&field-keywords=disco+discharge# Not a bad week for Disco LOL..... Ian D

I agree too. There's a little too much focus on the Gay angle because I think most of the books concentrate on New York because that was the most well documented area with plenty of media around. Let's not forget the French word 'Discotheque' was penned in the mid 60's:- dis·co·theque also dis·co·th¨que (dsk-tk, dsk-tk) n. A nightclub that features dancing to recorded or sometimes live music and often has showy decor and elaborate lighting. [French, record library, discoth¨que, from Italian discoteca, record library : disco, disk, record (from Latin discus, quoit; see discus) + biblioteca, library (from Latin bibliothca; see bibliotheca).] I can remember going to School Discos in 1968 LOL. Also I'm pretty sure that Gamble & Huff and the rest of the Philly contingent weren't writing exclusively for gays by any means..... ......shameless plug time, since Gamble & Huff and Moulton featured in the programme! Out on the 26th of this month and pretty much the best example of Soulful Disco you'll ever find:- Philadelphia International Classics: The Tom Moulton Remixes - Track Listing (All songs in chronological order from when they originally charted on the Billboard RnB Single or Album Chart) CD 1 1. Back Stabbers 9.36 - The O'Jays Original U.S. Single Chart Debut 08/07/72 2. (Win, Place Or Show) She's A Winner 7.28 - The Intruders Original U.S. Single Chart Debut 19/08/72 3. Slow Motion 7.47 - Johnny Williams Original U.S. Single Chart Debut 09/09/72 4. Love Train 6.14 - The O'Jays Original U.S. Single Chart Debut 20/01/73 5. I'll Always Love My Mama 9.41 - The Intruders Original U.S. Single Chart Debut 12/05/73 6. The Love I Lost 12.28 - Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes Original U.S. Single Chart Debut 22/09/73 7. Dirty Ol' Man 8.17 - The Three Degrees Original U.S. Single Chart Debut 06/10/73 Total Playing Time: 61.31 CD 2 1. The Whole Town's Talking 8.39 - Billy Paul Original U.S. Album Chart Debut 24/11/73 2. Love Epidemic 7.32 - The Trammps Original U.S. Single Chart Debut 29/12/73 3. T.S.O.P The Sound Of Philadelphia 5.42 - MFSB Featuring The Three Degrees Original U.S. Single Chart Debut 02/03/74 4. Year Of Decision 6.44 - Three Degrees Original U.S. Single Chart Debut 09/03/74 5. Where Do We Go From Here 5.30 - The Trammps Original U.S. Single Chart Debut 18/05/74 6. Love Is The Message 11.30 - MFSB Original U.S. Single Chart Debut 13/07/74 7. The Devil Made Me Do It 10.35 - Robert Upchurch Original U.S. Single Release (Didn't Chart) 8. When Will I See You Again 5.52 - Three Degrees Original U.S. Single Chart Debut 28/09/74 Total Playing Time: 62.04 CD 3 1. Trusting Heart 5.58 - The Trammps Original U.S. Single Chart Debut 23/11/74 2. Bad Luck 8.00 - Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes Original U.S. Album Chart Debut 01/03/75 3. Trammps Disco Theme/Zing Went The Strings Of My Heart 6.41 - The Trammps Original U.S. Album Chart Debut 10/05/75 4. Do It Any Way You Wanna 5.30 - People's Choice Original U.S. Single Chart Debut 19/07/75 5. I Love Music 9.43 - The O'Jays Original U.S. Single Chart Debut 01/11/75 6. Don't Leave Me This Way 11.03 - Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes Original U.S. Album Chart Debut 06/12/75 7. Let's Groove 10.20 - Archie Bell & The Drells Original U.S. Album Chart Debut 27/12/75 8. You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine 9.57 - Lou Rawls Original U.S. Single Chart Debut 15/05/76 Total Playing Time: 67.12 CD 4 1. Where Will You Go When The Party's Over 9.05 - Archie Bell & The Drells Original U.S. Album Chart Debut 22/01/77 2. Jam Jam Jam (All Night Long) 7.42 - People's Choice Original U.S. Album Chart Debut 26/06/76 3. I Don't Love You Anymore 8.41 - Teddy Pendergrass Original U.S. Album Chart Debut 19/03/77 4. See You When I Git There 9.36 - Lou Rawls Original U.S. Album Chart Debut 16/04/77 5. This Time Baby 9.50 - The O'Jays Original U.S. Album Chart Debut 29/04/78 6. Party Time Man 9.09 - The Futures Original U.S. Single Chart Debut 13/01/79 7. My Love Don't Come Easy 10.46 - Jean Carn Original U.S. Single Chart Debut 22/12/79 8. Nights Over Egypt 9.12 - The Jones Girls Original U.S. Single Chart Debut 13/02/82 Total Playing Time: 67.12 Amazon Link:- https://www.amazon.co.uk/Philadelphia-International-Classics-Moulton-Remixes/dp/B006W33UC4/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1326472760&sr=1-1 Ian D

OK, I've just about recovered from 6 weeks of licensing hell in trying to get the Tom Moulton project out and suddenly it's my birthday again. Somehow I've made it to another year and the big day happens to coincide with this week's show, so I guess I'll be celebrating in the studio with the usual Original Mastercuts Sunday afternoon crowd! It's a bit thin on the new release front for me at the moment but there's plenty of decent re-edits around plus plenty of old favourites, some classic and lesser played Northern, some beautiful 70's goodies and a mesmerizing last half-hour, so hope you tune in and if you're up for some banter then join me in the Starpoint chatroom on the Starpoint homepage with the regular crew. Six Million Steps Presents The Original Mastercuts Show LIVE with Ian Dewhirst between 2.00-4.00pm on Sunday 4th March 2012 on everyone's favourite Soul station www.starpointradio.com. Featuring...... The Nick Straker Band * War * The Trammps * Crown Heights Affair * Yasuko Agawa * Two Tons Of Fun * The Undisputed Truth * The Ideals * The Detroit Executives * The Dynamics * Turn Of The Century * Jodi Mathis * Otis Williams * Bill Brandon * The Johnny Otis Show feat Barbara Morrison * Bessie Banks * George Benson * Jermaine Jackson * Collins & Collins * Bobby Caldwell * Spank * Dionne Warwick & The Detroit Spinners Also, for anyone who's around Leeds this coming Friday myself and Paul Schofield will be looking at another ROCKIN' night @ Distrikt in Leeds, so please come down and join us if you're in town! See you @ 2.00-4.00pm! Ian D

Mmm. Never really connected the two. Both records on Capitol and only a few years apart............. Ian D

Are you getting out enough Bob? Ian D

OK gotcha. Let's have a Scottish Philly-Fest I say! Ian D

Yep. The Soul content was negligable. It was OK for me from a commercial viewpoint 'cos I've got another 4 Disco Discharge albums coming out (no pun intended) so it certainly hit that audience head on (once again no pun intended). However, at least Kenny Gamble and Earl Young were featured early on, which were the best bits of the show for me..... Ian D

Just an update to the tons of enquiries I've been fielding about this album since it was posted up in early January. Despite thinking that everything was OK due to all the meetings we had in mid 2011 with various parties, it still transpired that there were some incredibly torturous licensing issues to deal with on this project which have taken the best part of the last 8 weeks to square away! I'm happy to say that everything has now been finalised to everyone's satisfaction, all the parts have gone to manufacture and this incredible project will now be released on:- 26th MARCH 2012 This is the biggest ever pre-sell for any Harmless album since I've been here, so the demand has been absolutely huge. I'm just so fantastically relieved that we've managed to overcome the obstacles and get the bugger out! Best, Ian D

Also, Val being Val, who was no slouch when it came to spotting vinyl junkies, would have sussed English hounds like me and Kev a mile off, so it would be almost disrespectful to get the sleeves rolled up and start digging where John Anderson had already dug LOL. This was the guy who told me all the stories about the SERIOUS Doo-Wop collectors for records that were worth thousands of dollars when the Northern scene was still in it's infancy. I couldn't see any bargains being there so I just kicked back and listened to Val's stories which were good enough for me. Bear in mind that both Kev and I had been spoiled by finding unbelievable finds of records @ 10 cents apiece elsewhere so Val Shively's store was never going to be a goldmine for us (no pun intended). The real gold was in that Baltimore cellar that Kev found and some of those garages in L.A. that I went through...... Ian D

I didn't even bother looking through the shelves. Back then we were looking for 100% driving Northern Soul and I believed that Val's stock had been comprehensively picked through already by several knowledgeable people so I knew that Philadelphia had been combed for several years by then, so since I was just passing through I didn't bother digging the shelves 'cos the hit rate for what we were looking for at the time would have been nil. I'd have had a better hit rate at a thrift shop down the road to be honest. Naturally there would have been TONS of current rarities in there but none of 'em would have made sense back in '76 believe me. Plus, naturally, we thought we knew it all back then.......... Ian D

I was there in 1976 and he'd already been cleared out by John Anderson unfortunately. Nevertheless, I had a great couple of days in Philly and Val was gracious enough to put me up for a night. Didn't get any serious records from Val, but the trip was worthwhile because of the fabulous stories which Val related about nutcase record collectors. Also I witnessed Val kicking out someone from his store which is a whole other story in itself. Priceless. Ian D

Also the smart money will always take age into consideration. I can party with the best of 'em as I've consistently proved over the last 40 odd years. If I'm particularly energised and of a certain frame of mind I'll happily party all night and into the next day no problem. But at 57 years old these days, I'm more likely to knock off at 3.00-5.00am because I'm not 18 anymore, so these mini-nighters tick my boxes. I start slowing down @ 4.00am anyway as miuch as I hate to admit it... Ian D

"Sweetest Thing" is a great track. Very nice on a 45. I've only ever had it on a 12"........... Ian D

It's pretty rare but also I wouldn't imagine there's much demand either. I managed to find a pretty worn copy in the mid 70's which has since fled the nest but must admit I've not seen another one since on my travels....... Mind you, that was a new release in the 70's. There should be TONS of 'em LOL...... Ian D

Yep, there was a nice clip on "Something For The Weekend" yesterday showing a short interview with Kenny Gamble. Additionally, Alan Jones (who writes the sleevenotes for the Disco Discharge series) is also featured heavily. Should be worth watching! Ian D

I think Brian was being 'creative' 'cos at that time there were tons of Persians and Debbie Taylors on GWP knocking around. It never took off. Some did though like Sterling Magee, Tobi Legend etc....... Ian D

The money talk was relating to the complete value of Colin's old Mecca records between '72-'76 at todays prices had he been able to retain them for 35 years. I could list all the rare as hen's teeth originals Colin had including the Inspirations, Don Gardner, Joe Mathews, Eula Cooper, Bernie Williams, Del-Larks, The Crow plus the other few hundred knowns, semi-knowns and still virtually unknowns which still command ridiculous prices but I fear it'll go over your head.......plus the last couple of Mecca slots I've seen Colin do have been 90-120 minutes apiece......... Ian D

Yep, that's right. Serves 'em right for flogging off £250K worth of originals when they could have sat on 'em for 35 years to play a couple of gigs a year in 2011. Bloody amateurs........ Ian D