Ian Dewhirst

Well, that's the beauty of forums innit Arkwright? I think the record is brilliant period. And I don't find the guy's vocals annoying at all - I think he sings it pretty soulfully for a white guy actually. I think it's a far better production than the Jackson Sisters (their vocals get on my nerves actually - too screechy LOL) and the fact that the song is a masterpiece with great lyrics and a catchy hook that was co-written by the great Bobby Taylor make it a winner for me. Dean Parrish, Len Barry, Bobby Sheen, Doni Burdick, Paul Anka, Lynn Randell, Dean Courtney, April Stevens, Bobby Paris, Mickey Lee Lane, The Casualeers, Johnny Caswell, Jason Knight, Dottie Cambridge, The Mob, Guy Darrell, P.J. Proby, The George Clinton Band, Beverly Ann, Billy Harner, Holly St James, Larry Santos, Billy Joe Royal, Wayne Gibson, Shane Martin, Jeanette Harper, The Human Beinz, Blanche Carter, The Majestics, The Jades, Judy Street, David & The Giants, Frankie Valli, R. Dean Taylor, The M.V.P.'s, Felix Cavaliere, Benny Troy, The Anderson Brothers, Mark Capanni... Not that I prefer white records or anything (I don't generally) but this is just another in a long line of well-produced white records that occasionally fits the bill. Nice to hear Ralph Tee play it on his show yesterday too.... Ian D

Absolutely right Richard. Also it's just occurred to me that financially it probably made more sense to keep the U.S. R'n'B "heritage" industry small and contained since the contracts were so bad! Hence the reason why the Rhythm & Blues Foundation was set up in 1988:- https://www.rhythm-n-blues.org/ From most of the record companies points of view it probably made more sense to ignore the back catalogues because there's always a new bunch of naive performers coming through who would sign anything to have a shot a being a star. Even though back catalogue accounts for well over 50% of the revenues this wasn't something that they particularly wanted to publicise. Even now there is an attitude at some companies that it's almost not worth digging out old tapes because that could open a can of worms! Also another impediment to the re-issuing of old obscure titles, is that many of the contracts that were written in the 60's specifically dealt with physical carriers only. Back then no one realised that the future would hold a digital revolution, so a lot of the repertoire owned by the majors especially would require new contracts for digital and that would probably require a substantial renegotiation of the original terms! Ian D

Actually I can't fault Val. I turned up there in late '76 and he let me stay at his place which was pretty decent of him. I spent a fascinating night listening to his tales about the Doo-Wop collectors market which dwarfed Northern Soul at the time and involved big money, guns and gangsters on occasion. I probably got off lightly 'cos when I entered the shop he was having a massive arguement with a Canadian black guy that was trawling for stuff for the Japanese. Apparently this guy always messed up Val's filing system and haggled to the 9th degree so as entered the shop there was a screaming match going on - "Get the f*ck out of my shop Motherf*cker" etc, etc. Unbelievably the same guy turned up again the next day and ended up actually getting some records off Val even after the arguement. I was leaving for the UK that same day and the Canadian guy asked if I could give him a lift on the way to the airport so I said I'd split the cab fare with him. We got about 20 minutes away from the shop and without any warning the guy just bailed out of the cab @ around 20mph! I looked out the back window of the cab to see an afro-haired black guy in a long leather coat rolling around in the road before he got up and legged it with the 45's still in his hand! Val was right........... Ian D

Couldn't agree more Mel. The song is important to me. I've heard some terrible songs by great Soul singers and some great songs which have been badly performed by great Soul singers. So if all the other ingredients are correct (i.e. song, arrangement, production etc) I can often live with a decent white vocalist. In a perfect world every song would be great with a great Soul vocalist but life doesn't always work like that...... ...and you're right. There's some decent blue-eyed Soul tucked away out there...... Ian D

Reinstated now Drew.... Ian D

Are you ready for that Don Gardner yet? Ian D

Interesting concept. Someone was playing it in the office t'other week and I heard Dan Folger's "The Way Of The Crowd" for the first time and it blew me away.......... Ian D

Well that certainly makes sense doesn't it? That's excellent detective work Sebastian. Also it's quite curious that he went back in the studio after the Jackson Sisters had already charted - they were on the R'n'B charts for 5 weeks from the 29th September '73, so he went back in the studio 11 months after they charted and re-recorded the song. Someone must have believed in it....... Ian D

Ian How about this? Mick

Well here's a l'il something I dug up from '65..... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgnCB7oni8o Ian D src=" ">

Cheers mate! Yep it came out OK. I was very happy with it. Ian D

Six words: Celi Bee & The Buzzy Bunch. How would you like it if you were, say, the bass player with the Buzzy Bunch and people kept truncating your one second of fame.????? Chris Hamilton was early Mecca not Disco era..... Ian D

Oh I see Paul. Yep Graham Slater has a lot to answer for LOL. He fanned the flames at a very impressionable point in my life and it's been downhill ever since! Ian D

Stranger things have happened Sean - Benny Troy frightened the hell out of me when I stumbled into him in the dead of night @ Prestatyn last year @ 4.00 am...... .....and I wouldn't want to meet Bobby Paris on a dark night anywhere LOL....... https://www.youtube.c...h?v=xhLBgCY-IO4 Ian D

I think it is. He now runs a restaurant in L.A. He must be bemused by the interest which is coming from different areas of the UK........ https://brownswood.5.forumer.com/index.php?showtopic=28796 Ian D

Well, blow me down LOL. You learn something new every day. Prefer the Stylistics obviously and Connie Stevens has zero soul but I do actually like some of this stuff like the Mark Capanni, Len Barry, Johnny Caswell, Anderson Brothers etc 'cos at least they had the right production values. Even though I obviously prefer Soulful vocals I'm not completely adverse to hearing a white voice every now and then as long as the production works. But, yes, I kinda concurr that if, say, Cleveland Horne did the vocals on the same backing track as Mark Capanni that would be a record made in heaven........ Ian D

Yep Paul, the magic suitcase with 400 odd records in for £25 including a nice Art Freeman on red Atlantic! Thanks for the loan Dad! Ian D

Ian D

Yep, you're right Bechio. I've often wondered how come all these ridiculously fast records were made in the first place and what audience they were intended for. On the show last Sunday I played 5 fast-ish ones in a row - The Isley Brothers "Tell Me It's Just A Rumour", Maurice Williams "Being Without You", The Sunlovers "You'll Never Make The Grade", Bobby Treetop "Wait Till I Get To Know You" and The Idle Few "People That's Why" and it made me wonder were the kids really dancing that fast in Detroit, New Orleans, San Francisco, Chicago and New York? If so, were they dancing in the Northern Soul style? When you think how fast some of the Mirwood stuff was, were they really doing the Temptation Walk and dancing to The Olympic's "The Same Old Thing" in Los Angeles in the mid 60's? Were they honestly dancing to records like Williams and Watson "Too Late", Sandi Sheldon's "You're Gonna Make Me Love You" and Major Lance's "You Don't Want Me No More" in Chicago? Basically was America dancing in a Northern Soul style in the U.S. when the records first came out? Was anyone doing back-flips over there? Aeroplane spins? Handsprings? I'm genuinely interested.......... I guess the question is: did America invent Northern Soul dancing styles? Ian D

What that Carstairs breakage was accidental LOL.....? Ian D

OK, to each their own Pete but please, please if you get hold of a copy I implore you not to snap it in two, cover it in superglue, feed it to any passing vultures or any of those other tortures you put any records made in '73/'74 through mate........ Ian D

Oh you can't call it Lounge/Disco Wallpaper....that's just unfair..... ....or can you.......? You know what Chorley? If this is Lounge Disco Wallpaper then gimme more of it! The production is basically phenomenal, the arrangements are phenomenal, the song is brilliant, the lyrics are wonderful and it 's co-written by Bobby Taylor...... Plus it's better than Wombat innit? Ian D

Even less than that Bob. In the mid 70's a dime to a quarter a record was the norm (I think new 45's were maybe a buck apiece then). Also I would argue that good U.S. 45's have always commanded a healthy premium in the UK since the late 60's. When I started buying Northern Soul around '71/'72 a Duke Browner, Bobby Treetop or Johnny Moore would set you back around £4.00 (or $8) which was around one sixth of my weekly wage at the time. A decent U.S. original 45 that wasn't easily available was running @ circa 800% more than the price of buying a Top 20 single, so there's always been a healthy premium on U.S. Soul 45's over here. Since then it's inflated beyond belief as you say......

That's pretty much the point I was making George, but don't worry mate - we're here to collate and collect your culture so you don't have to! Ian D

Actually I thought this subject might raise the ire of some of our American brethren but there really weren't too many serious Soul collectors around the U.S. in the 60's/70's to my knowledge. I met lots of collectors in L.A., Frisco, New York, Pittsburgh and Philly in the mid 70's but they weren't particularly into Soul although they were often sat on unbelievable stuff which they weren't too bothered about at the time. No offence meant Boba - it's always dangerous to generalise I know........ Ian D