Ian Dewhirst

The No.1 album in the U.K. and biggest-selling album in the country. Shows you what a national TV spend and the delights of Levanna can do for the general public. Lw Posn Posn DUS Title 2 1 4982 MOVE ON UP - VERY BEST OF NORTHERN SOUL As of today Northern Soul is the most popular music in the UK. Ian D

It's Gracenote then. They have fields which you're forced to fill-in or they adapt from the massively complicated spreadsheets which we have to fill-in for every release. Either way the system has grabbed that from the 'version' column by the looks of it..... Ian D

Looks like a legitimate custom-repress to me. If it was a bootleg they'd more than likely do a straight copy of the original label whereas the far superior sound quality, superior mastering and extra information on the second label indicate that this was indeed a legitimate re-press. This is one of those rare cases where I'd go for a re-press rather than an original. I had one of the first originals and the horrible quality always put me off playing it back then. Different kettle of fish on the re-press. Helluva record but ONLY on the re-press! It's what's in the grooves that counts! Ian D

That's the Amazon listing process for ya........ Ian D

"I Belong To You" always felt like a tailor-made to me. "Like A Rolling Stone" is pretty great though. Wish I'd known it when the cheapies were available......... Ian D

It's a helluva lot better than the other side which is one of the worst vocals I've ever heard! Ian D

Milton Wright? Ian D

Unacceptable on this forum. Member should go to the back of the class immediately. Thank you for your co-operation. Ian D

Funny you should mention this. We have a couple of fanatical Jam fans in the office and when I was playing the World Column from Disc 6 of "The Odyssey: A Northern Soul Time-Capsule" they both came over and asked what it was! Nothing is sacred anymore..... Ian D

Yep and now a 'vibe' is copyrightable. A joke.... Ian D

Not this one by any chance Chalky......? Ian D

Not Pharrell's week is it? https://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/arts-entertainment/original-hat-bellend-to-sue-pharrell-2015031296170 Ian D

Yep. I've taken two calls already. F*ckin' ridiculous....... Ian D

My point entirely. There's enough examples on this thread alone to keep the lawyers busy for the next year. I would almost defy anyone to make a record that doesn't infringe on a previous recording. It's almost impossible. Ian D

Uh oh. As if by magic........ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/after-blurred-lines-victory-gaye-family-takes-another-listen-to-happy/ Ian D

OK, but put yourself in the shoes of an artist who is about to release a new song. Are you SURE that you haven't somehow copied ANY element or feel of ANY record ever released previously? And would you even know anyway? Supposing you subliminally heard a tune when you were in your mother's womb and somehow repeated an ELEMENT of that tune some 25 years later. Dead meat. There is NOTHING that anyone could release in the future that wouldn't attract a lawsuit if it was a hit, As a genuine musician would you really want to assume that risk? Ian D

Now that's the way to sell a piece of plastic! He's in the wrong business....... Ian D

You have a very good point and obviously it's difficult to argue, that yes, of course, Williams and Thicke were appropriating the overall vibe of "Got To Give It Up". Had I been in their shoes, I'd have been upfront with the Gaye estate and offered 'em 25% of a guaranteed bonanza and I'm pretty sure that everyone would have been just fine. But Pharrell and Robin didn't do that. They recorded and released the track under what they believed was the U.S. copyright law at the time. and they just got called on it. And, unbelievably LOST! Personally I don't think they infringed Marvin's copyright and neither would any other musician who knows what is at stake here. I can only re-iterate the article that someone posted to me earlier and which Steve G kindly posted above. If you haven't already read it, then I strongly suggest you do if you care about artistic expression and freedom. The precedent that this ruling sets, will effectively put all future recordings in breach of previous copyrights one way or another. It's all up for grabs now and that will stifle creativity. https://joebennett.net/2014/02/01/did-robin-thicke-steal-a-song-from-marvin-gaye/ I'm not arguing that Pharrell and Robin didn't appropriate the whole vibe and feel of "Got To Give It Up" which they obviously did but I am arguing that "Blurred Lines" is NOT the same song by any means, especially the ones listed in the link above. We could do a whole thread on Northern Soul songs which have appropriated previously released songs. How many law suits could Holland-Dozier-Holland bring for "I Can't Help Myself"? The list is endless. This will go to appeal and the appeal will be upheld I believe. If, by some quirk of fate, this current decision is upheld, then it will bring 50 years of law suits and do nothing but make the lawyers rich. You read it here first. Ian D

Legally and musically a wasn't a direct copy though Gareth (I had musicians go through them both note for note). It was a 'pastiche' for want of a better word which, up to yesterday, wasn't illegal. Now it is (at least until the appeal) and every music lawyer in the world is rubbing his/her hands with glee. Plus they didn't sue Bunny Sigler 38 years ago did they? Ian D

A ridiculous decision in my view. The floodgates for a gazillion other 'pastiches' are probably being planned now. How many people have used the Four Tops "I Can't Help Myself" as a template over the last 50 years? Ian D

Jack Splash version. Best song of the last 5 years for me...... Ian D

Not soul, but we had a similar situation to the Five Keys when I worked @ Decca in the 70s. This is the 'clean' sleeve which now has an increased crop. The original had the edge of Sir George's right hand looking suspiciously like a large dick. The expression on his face didn't help either.......... Ian D

I Dig Your Act - The O'Jays Fell in love with it all over again whilst compiling 'The Odyssey: A Northern Soul Time-Capsule'.... Ian D

Certainly was for me! Made my Tuesday nights @ Burnley Cricket Club all the more worthwhile. Brad fed me the first copies of the Pointer Sisters and Gerri Grainger among many others...... Ian D

I know TONS of people who buy these as new releases but who aren't particularly on the scene as we know it. It's not that surprising when you consider that bootlegs of "Tainted Love" were capable of selling 20K units in the 70s in much the same way. Some of these tunes crossed over to a wider audience via local DJs that needed some Northern Soul in their boxes to cope with requests on their local pub nights. These days there are loads of eclectic DJs with wide tastes who like to program some Northern Soul in their sets. These are some of the guys that were coming round to my place in the 90s and 00s buying up all my spares and Northern compilation albums because they also only played vinyl. The core Northern Soul scene is but one of many component scenes which co-exist out there. In the 90s it was hard to go to a gig anywhere that wasn't playing "Purple Haze" or "If It's All The Same To You"! Ian D