Ian Dewhirst

Seconded. Variety is the spice of life anyway. What other scene in the world would even play records from the likes of Wombat to Wally Cox to Wally Coco? Well I've now listened to it a few more times and I still think it's got an infectious thunderous groove and tons of atmosphere. It's just a great ghetto jam in the same tradition as "RnB Time", "Psychedlic Soul", "Do The Pearl Girl", "Ton Of Dynamite" etc, etc. A GREAT Nighter record to whack on when the place is popping surely? Ian D

Finally after 35 years I get to hear the song again and it's every bit as good as I remembered. Years and years of recreational abuse didn't diminish the memory of this one! What a f*ckin' TUNE! Even though the clip is quite muffled you should get the general idea. Proper Northern Soul full of hooks and a pure belter. I'd play it in a second..... Many thanks to Johnny for putting the clip up. Here it is folks.....enjoy! Ralphi D We Let Go Of a Beautiful Thing 20th Century Look at me replying to myself LOL........ Ian D

Brown Turbo Bri? New one on me mate. I had one of the original scarlet ones but brown........? Ian D

It was one of those random 1.00am lists dragged deep from the recesses of my mind Pete. I popped those two in simply because they were nearer Wally Coco in terms of sound. I LOVE Frankie Crocker by the way............ Ian D

Killer Johnny! Many thanks mate. The fact that I remembered the record after some 35 years even though I've never actually owned it in any form speaks volumes. Ever since I remembered it as a result of this thread I haven't been able to stop singing it. It's already an anthem in my head LOL...... Ian D

But where do we draw the line? "Conditon Red" - The Baltimore & Ohio Marching Band "Black Is Back" - Lord Sitar "Thunder" - Lord Thunder "Afternoon Of The Rhino" - The Mike Post Coalition "Broadway Cissy" - Roscoe & Friends "My Heart's Desire" - Gary Lewis & The Playboys "Black Power" - James Coit "Summer In The Parks" - East Coast Connection "Interplay" - Derek & Ray "Ton Of Dynamite" - Frankie 'Loveman' Crocker All monsters in their day ay? What can you do? Ian D

Now tell me that's just your emotional side Bearsy............. Ian D

Yep, true Joan. However I'm trying to get to the nub of what makes one person like a tune and another one hate it. In many ways this is the essence of the scene isn't it? One man/woman's meat is another man/woman's poison etc, etc? There's probably a subject for a decent thread here along the lines of, "records that were huge but which I personally hated". I reckon this Wally Coco record is one that'll go huge with loads of different audiences. I only heard it for the first time a couple of days ago when the guy who designs the Backbeats sleeves (designer extraordinaire Jaffa) put me onto it. It's actually on a CD compilation which I'll be picking up tomorrow. I can imagine this tune reaching a lot of different audiences and that's why I like it. Wally Coco is no Darrell Banks for sure, but for an audience in 2011 I'm pretty sure this would work just about anywhere. Damn. I'm almost tempted to check out a Paul Sadot gig if they'll allow me in......... Ian D

Damn. I spent an hour last week going through your e-bay stock highlighting a load of tasty stuff thinking I may snag a couple of beauties from a naive American dealer! Another myth shattered unfortunately! Brilliant stuff you've got across a number of genres there mate! I almost broke my cardinal rule not to buy any more vinyl on the basis that I don't really need any more records but somehow I over-rode the impulse thankfully. With the kind of stuff you have on there already it's only a matter of time before you'll run into something that no one knows. Very interesting stuff you're digging up and good to know you're on here. Happy New Year! Ian D PS Is there any way you can do me that Ralphie D record on 20th Century cheap? It's right up your street and you've probably got TONS of 'em......

And when you guys finally meet up @ Lifeline in February, the very least you should both do, is observe a mutual 30 seconds of silence in tribute to the much-undersung Wally Coco who finally instigated the meet-up. Little did he know ay........ C'mon Joan. Give Wally a break. He had no idea what he was up against when he recorded that track in a toilet in Carolina. For a $100 recording it's still moving dancefloors some 30 years later so the record obviously has something. There's some records which you may not necessarily like but which you KNOW will pack a floor. Crowd pleasers. There's loads of 'em. For instance I found "Send Him Back" - the Pointer Sisters which I hated from day one. A headache record for me 'cos the vocals are too shrill and annoying. The record gives me migraine to be honest. But still a monster nonetheless. And who was I to argue with the dancefloor? Similar thing with this Wally Coco record. It's a 100% stonking floorfiller without a doubt but I wouldn't cite it as a personal fave by any means. However, with a DJ hat on, surely it must be irresistible if you've got a hot club packed to the brim with hyped-up people who wanna dance @ 4.00am? Rockin' record on that level don'tcha think! Ian D

Can't ANYONE post that Ralphie D "Beautiful Thing" track on Refosoul please? I can't find it on Manship's site so can't even re-hear a snippit but I really wanted to hear the whole record again anyway. The intro alone was enough to blow me away but I've got a hankering to hear the whole record now. I seem to remember it was dead short - around 2 minutes or thereabouts. Maybe someone can confirm? Cheers in advance to anyone who can put me out of my misery LOL..... Ian D

Mmm, I don't think it would have sounded out of place in the mid 70's when stuff like Black Nasty, Today's People, King Errison, James Bynum, Frankie Crocker, Skull Snaps and stuff like that was played........... Ian D

Wow. Serious shows. If there were guys like this throughout the U.S. I bet a ton of stuff would turn up! Ian D

Absolutely killer riff and beat on it. Does anyone know what year it was issued? Ian D

Only just heard this but what a belter! Noticed one on Manship's auction too. How long has this been known and what's the story? This would have worked like a dream in the Mecca/Cleethorpes era........ Ian D

Yep, just testing! Ian D

Wow. Pretty good but I'm a sucker for those early Ronnie Dyson Philly recordings. Also "These Eyes" was pretty Soulful for a 'Rock' group, so the song has a decent pedigree. Also I notice this track is in the Invitations Soulful Kinda Music discography, so if these guys weren't the real Invitations then who were they? Ian D

Great list Hunnymon and well done with the technology! But you might need to bounce out "Together We Can Make Such Sweet Music" - Detroit Spinners 'cos that was a Detroit recording when they were still on Motown. In fact, Motown reissued it off the back of their early Philly successes. Ian D

Weird. Never seen this before and I'm wondering if it's the same Invitations. Does anyone know it? https://www.discogs.com/Invitations-A-Wednesday-In-Your-Garden-Franks-Folly-Caroginas-Noice/release/1930455 Ian D

Oh and I forgot about these two beauties from Expansion:- Spirit Of Philadelphia Vol 1 Spirit Of Philadelphia Vol 2 Ian D

I don't think Capitol made styrene copies did they? If they did I've never seen one......... Ian D

Very timely as 2011 is the 40th anniversary of Philly International Records. One of the most successful Black music labels of all time and still independently owned by it's original founders, Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff - one of the greatest song-writing teams of all time and right up there with Holland-Dozier-Holland and Smokey Robinson in my view. So here's a couple of starters which will set you back less than a fiver each (including postage):- Philly Disco 70's Dance Floor Anthems From The City Of Brotherly Love Backbeats BACKB003 1 Archie Bell & The Drells - Let's Groove 2 Dee Dee Sharp Gamble - Breaking & Entering 3 Teddy Pendergrass - Only You 4 Jean Carn - If You Wanna Go Back 5 Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes - Don't Leave Me This Way 6 The O'Jays - I Love Music 7 M.F.S.B. - Summertime & I'm Feeling Mellow 8 Teddy Pendergrass - You Can't Hide From Yourself 9 People's Choice - Jam Jam Jam (All Night Long) 10 Jean Carn - Was That All It Was 11 Billy Paul - Bring The Family Back 12 McFadden & Whitehead - Ain't No Stopping Us Now Amazon "Philly Freedom" 70's Dance Floor Anthems From The City Of Brotherly Love BACKB015 1 First Choice - Armed & Extremely Dangerous 2 The Delfonics - I Told You So 3 The Trammps - Where Do We Go From Here 4 Archie Bell & The Drells - I Could Dance All Night 5 Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes - Wake Up Everybody 6 The O'Jays - This Time Baby 7 Lou Rawls - You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine 8 Dee Dee Sharp Gamble - Nobody Could Ever Take Your Place 9 Bunny Sigler - Can't Believe That You Love Me 10 Billy Paul - I Trust You 11 The Trammps - Trusting Heart 12 Archie Bell & The Drells - Where Will You Go When The Party's Over 13 First Choice - Smarty Pants 14 Teddy Pendergrass - The More I Get The More I Want 15 The Futures - Party Time Man 16 Frantique - Strut Your Funky Stuff 17 Lou Rawls - See You When I Git There 18 The Philadelphia Int All-Stars - Let's Clean Up The Ghetto 19 The Jones Girls - You're Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else Amazon Also well worth getting if you can find 'em :- Creme De La Creme - Philly Soul Classics & Rarities Vols 1 & 2 https://www.discogs.c...release/1583238 https://www.discogs.c...release/1598371 You're in for a major treat. The Philly Stuff comes from a great heritage and does major justice to the 70's. Can't go wrong with it to be honest. Happy New Year Geoff! In fact I'll send you some goodies! Ian D

Depends whether you mean Jayboy or Joeboy, Jayboy being the original UK label which released many of the original Mirwood/Shout and Bronco releases among others or Joeboy which was a later pastiche of Jayboy which reissued lots of in-demand Northern items. Ian D

What were they thinking of???? I don't think I ever played the other side but I bet it's not a patch on the 'B' side. Fabulous record, brilliant song and sublime vocals. Absolute classic. How come all the original copies came from Nottingham? Does anyone know the story? Ian D

Wow. Completely forgot he passed away on Christmas Day. A legend with one of the greatest back catalogues of all time. R.I.P. James. Ian D