Ian Dewhirst

OK, all copies that have now been paid for have now been mailed. Still waiting on a couple of payments for reserved copies though so get your skates on! Ian D

Yep, it'll be an event for sure Stevie. I think it'll be the first time that all the original DJ's have been together on the same bill since the heyday of the Ritz in the mid 70's. Will the decks still be as bad? Will that bouncy, springy dancefloor still pound to the stomping of 2000 feet some 35 years later? What kind of set will Levine play? Will there be a spate of elderly discombobulated but happy people staggering around Manchester city centre in the early hours of 01/08/11? Questions, questions....... Wouldn't miss this for the world! Ian D

Mmmm. Somehow the thought of 1000 wrinkled old arses being exposed in 2011 doesn't have the same romantic imagery of the very same 1000 arses that were exposed in 1976. Some things are better left unsaid Dave........... Mind you, I bet there's absolutely nobody who will be there on the day who will object to getting their arse out if given the slightest encouragement........ To be honest that's one of things which worries me about this gig............ Ian D

Yeah, I think so too mate. Sounds like an anthemic crowd-pleasing top-of-the-night record to me which will work for wide audiences, many of which may have never heard it before. Damn. I'd better keep one for myself LOL......... Ian D

That's the spirit lad! Let's try all that pain again some 35 years later and see if we can still bear up! Somehow I think the Manchester hotels will be booming on this particular Sunday night. Mmmm. Note to self: Keep Monday off! Ian D

Wow. Plenty of fans of this tune which is great 'cos it's a crowd-pleasing killer at the right venues. If everyone follows through on their orders, then we're literally down to the last half-dozen copies which will go to dealers who want 'em. So last chance saloon for anyone who wants to snag one now at this price. I just KNOW I'll be kicking myself in 3 months time when everyone is screaming for a copy LOL. Saw it happen with Gayle Adams "Baby I Need Your Loving" and "Party Time Man" - The Futures and this feels kinda similar........ Wish I had a quid for everytime I've said this over the years! Ian D

Wow. Jesus Christ. What a line-up! How the hell did they manage to re-assemble the original jocks again? Must've cost 'em a fortune just to get 'em all out of retirement......... Gonna be brilliant Neil. If Paul and I can have our customary arguement with Levine then that'll just be cream on the top LOL..... Have they updated the decks in the last 35 years...........? Ian D

Damn. Trust me to forget about that! One of the best blue-eyed Northern Soul records ever! Ian D

Yep, sold about 8 or 9 and down to the last few now, so pretty popular by the looks of it. I don't think it's that easy to find........ Ian D

Yep, basically great pop writers perhaps best known on the Northern scene for the poppy but storming "Willpower Weak, Temptation Strong" - Bullet (or Silver Bullet in the UK). They had some commercial success with Gloria Gaynor's "All I Need Is Sweet Lovin'" and co-wrote and produced J.J. Jackson's "Let Me Try Again" on US Magnaglide and UK London. I'm pretty sure they were New York based and came through towards the end of the Brill building era. Ian D

A few copies sold in the last 3 hours. Will check the previous thread from last year and contact anyone else who wanted one then OK? Best, Ian D

Yep, you know how these things are. I thought it had fallen through and then the guy rolled up unnanounced with 'em today. Hope you're well and business is booming! Ian D

No More Games - Larry Wedgeworth & Clique Groovehall Records 1980 Yep, finally managed to get a handful of copies of this Modern anthem from one of the original producers. For those who don't know the story behind it, this record was originally produced in anticipation of the Boston Celtics basketball team winning a key match. However, the records got pressed in Chile and took an age to reach the U.S. by which time the Boston Celtics had been bounced out of the final, so basically the records got there too late to be sold! The majority of 'em were dumped and the producers ended up with a box or two each at the time. However, that was 30 odd years ago so probably most of the others have been dumped too. Until I bumped into one of the producers before Xmas and he said he may have a few copies knocking around at his parents place in the U.S...... Well, true to his word, he turned up today with a handful of copies, so I'll do 'em @ £50 a pop inc P&P if anyone would like a copy. Please PM me and I'll do 'em a first come first served basis. Best, Ian D

Great post Jules! A close mate of mine is now a manager and he says virtually the same thing. It all seems a long time ago when we used to get 2 posts a day! Ian D

LOL, yep. NOTHING will repair styrene once it's on it's way out. Horrible stuff, way too brittle, snaps too easily and the sound quality is almost always inferior after a few plays. Playing out Northern decks in the 70's was also a disaster - sometimes I'd go into a gig with a sharp sounding styrene pressing and Ieave the gig a few hours later with a ruined record (both Morris Chestnut and Tobi Legend spring to mind). It got to the point where it would seriously put me off if a record was styrene. If I had an original Mel Britt these days, the last thing I would do is ever play it out! Ian D

You beat me to it! Stirling work and the labels look brill mate. Can't wait to get one in my own clutches LOL...... Ian D

Those two are going back to the early Wheel era. Two good slices of vintage U.S. and U.K. uptempo RnB. Nice to know that they're still filling floors. Ian D

If you like a bit of everything from Soulful House, Soulful 80's, Northern, Modern and Crossover and just great Soul Music full stop you could a lot worse than check out the Original Mastercuts show on www.starpointradio.com LIVE every Sunday afternoon between 2.00-4.00. Duties are shared between myself and Alan Champ and all my shows are posted here:- There the last few years worth of shows and you can still get the last 6 shows by clicking on the latest links! Happy Listening! Ian D

Yep. Ian D

Maybe in a roundabout way but certainly at a much higher level than PC Plod. I'm sure Gerry Marshall had the council covered and was obviously an influential guy with probably the biggest venue in Wigan, so I'm sure Gerry would have had his supporters on the local council squared away. However, Wigan Casino was FANTASTIC for Wigan as history has now proved. It's a credit that it was allowed to happen and develop the way it did so the powers of the era should be appreciated in my view. They were responsible for allowing a genuine regional youth culture to flourish and they allowed the scene to breathe at a very important time in the evolotion of it's developement. Wigan Casino was simply another cast-iron example of the North protecting it's own culture and for that reason alone they should be applauded. Gerry was right. Ian D

Actually I just remembered that I bought my copy when Levine sold up his first collection circa '79. Pat Brady was with me and he got "Strange Change" - Herb Ward at the same time. Ian D

Bad news for those who prefer physical formats though. You're now hard-pressed to even find a new record store in the U.S. these days. Ian D

I don't think I ever actually heard it played out but I can remember both Alfreda Brockington and "Chained & Bound" being listed in some Blues & Soul ads for Northern clubs at the time circa '73-'75 and it was on a few lists. It used to be in a few collectors boxes back then but never really went beyond that. Ian D

Actually Jamie/Guyden is still going and now owned by the son of the founder, Frank Lipsius. I recently bumped into him and his wife in London and he's a lovely guy. All those Phil LA represses are legit by the way - he still does 7" singles - he gave me a copy of The Springers and an archive listing that's got tons of stuff I didn't know in there. It makes me think that there's still some killers to be found in that catalogue but we'll probably have to dig 'em up first! That Alfreda Brockington has been around as long as I can remember but it never broke big as far as I know. Great record! Ian D

Copy that Paul. This would have been a double-sided monster if anyone had found it back then I'm sure! Ian D