Ian Dewhirst

Phew! I just thought they were selling a lot less rekids! They're probably watching me through my computer as I type th...............

That sounds possible. I remember taking out an Xmas ad one year thanking everyone who I'd been involved with that year and like many others whenever we ran a Leeds Central or Huddersfield Taurus ad we always included the sounds we had at the time. Just looking through the B&S ads in those days was fun - they always contained brilliant tracks, cover-ups and unknowns and I think they genuinley spurred interest in the scene........I'm surprised it isn't done more these days........ Ian D

Yep, killer instrumental! I remember it from Mecca and Wigan and you're right - sounds fantastic LOUD! Ian D

How very dare you, you despicable criminal! Ian D

Most people were too young to know any better back then. I can remember lots of otherwise respectable people (including myself I'm ashamed to admit) haulassing over to Nottingham to pick up the new Selectadisc arrivals if there was a particularly strong bunch of titles coming out. Sometimes you'd get 5 or 6 in-demanders in the same week and it'd be worth picking up a few of each to sell locally. I remember the demand for "Afternoon Of The Rhino" being almost off the scale when it was booted........ I think the education really started with the Blackpool Mecca ads in Blues & Soul where they frequently had a pop at bootlegs and the individual behind them! Ian D

That makes sense. It also explains how Selectadisc also seemed to have a fair wack of original stuff and what was then run of the mill bulk items. Simon must have sold 'em several bulk loads of general stuff at the same time as he was booting various titles which I guess makes sense. Also there wasn't the same degree of passion about collecting originals which had just been booted back then. I bought a Eula Cooper original for £2 just after it had been booted and I still had to think about it LOL..... Ian D

Bang on Paul. A perfect analysis! I've heard so many complaints about their change in policy putting sellers off that I've lost count. And you're dead right about 'em losing the 'incidental listers' - that was what made E-Bay fun in the old days but now it seems full of a lot of mediocre records from power-sellers that are too pricy! Ian D

Hi Girth, Yep, I've noticed that a lot of the Soul stuff doesn't move so fast on Discogs but the Disco/Jazz-Funk/Dance/House gear moves at a fair old clip. E-Bay seems horribly clunky compared to Discogs and I just get the feeling that now that there's some serious competition people are less-inclined to put up with E-Bay's practises. I just put up a few hundred albums on Discogs and predictably it's the more recent stuff which seems to sell. However, when you can list several hundred items in a day without fees it makes it worthwhile having 'em up there as there's always a good drip-feed of sales. I reckon E-Bay obviously has the edge on the higher-ticket items but Discogs is just so easy to use. Hopefully the Soul stuff will increase over time as more people load discover Discogs and more people load earlier items into the database....... And as we speak I just sold a Carl Cox album and an early Grace Jones LOL....... Ian D

This is the original copy i.e. Simon Soussan - Les McCutcheon - Kev Roberts - Johnathan Woodliffe - Kev Roberts - Tim Brown and eventually Kenny Burrell. In fact, for the purposes of the auction it might be an idea to do a 'family tree' (Pete Frame does them for Pop/Rock acts with changing personnel) tracing the ownership of the 2 known copies with an enigmatic '?' for the third copy? Ian D

Nah, I know all the ramps but I sometimes lack the patience to go through 'em all........ Ian D

Wednesday evening's EXACTLY the time to look through 'em! Bugger all else happening this end...... I've never done an analysis but I reckon there's 75% less items than there was this time last year. Maybe not so much on the Northern front but in most other areas. Also I get the impression that most dance people and loads of buyers and sellers have now moved to Discogs. It could be the fact that on E-Bay you have to pay the fees whether you sell or not whereas it's easier to list on Discogs (circa 30 seconds as opposed to 6 minutes on E-Bay) and you only pay when you actually sell an item on Discogs. Anybody agree? And yep. It's difficult to get excited about the O'Jay's "I'll Never Forget You" for £125.00 when I used to swim in 'em LOL...... Ian D

I had a look @ E-Bay tonight for the first time in a few months and was surprised at the relatively small amount of records that are on there now as opposed to, say, 12 months ago. Also I didn't see much action on there in terms of bids - I presume this is because everyone snipes at the last minute. I checked a few genres, did a few different searches and noticed the same throughout - it looks like a ghost town compared to a few years ago. So is E-Bay diminisihing at a massive rate or is just my imagination? Looks like it's dropped off a cliff to me........ Ian D

Yep, I always pester for stuff I want. Usually women it has to be said but the Four Perfections would have put me on overdrive! Ian D

Hi Arthur, Yep, I can still remember my heart virtually stopping when you unveiled the record. I don't think I'd ever seen such a beautiful sight in my life LOL. I didn't realise (or I forgot) you got it off Disco Bob. And it's true, it really couldn't have gone to a better home back then. What a record mate. A million thanks some 33 years later! Could have done with you on here sooner mate. There's a "Greatest Record Finds Of All Time" thread over on the All About The Soul section and you'd be a natural for that. I'd still love to hear about that Monarch hit 'cos it still bugs me how I never found it! Anyway great to hear from you. Let me know next time your playing down South or whether you're going to Prestatyn again. I'm still laughing at when I went up to the DJ that was playing Ernest Mosely at gig in London and said to the guy "I used to have that" and you said "I know. You sold it to me you plonker"..... Anyway welcome aboard mate. You're in good company! Ian D

I reckon it was worth that to Kenny at the time Pete. It became the most-talked about record on both the Northern and collectors scene and Kenny's had 12 years of DJ bookings and publicity out of it. Fact is, it was worth it to Kenny at the time he bought it and over the course of the last 12 years has more than likely paid for itself at minimum and made a profit most likely. Put youself in the position that you were offered a Frank Wilson to sell. Wouldn't it be in your interest to publicise it as a one-off event and glean all the attendant benefits from it? Also the reasons why someone buys something at a huge price are not always clear-cut. Why can Damien Hirst sell a diamond-encrusted skull for £100,000,000? Because he'll sell it to a buyer who can use the purchase of the art to offset his tax burdon. Etc, etc. In fact Damien Hirst could be a possible bidder! It's right up his street LOL........ Ian D

Would you believe I saw a copy of this in a shop in a junk pile t'other week for £3.00 and left it....doh...... Ian D

Good point! Cheap at whatever the price! Ian D

The wife won't let you Phil! Ian D

......and can you see those little pink pigs flying around in the ether LOL....... Stop dreaming Nik and get me a Soulful House CD full of killer gems! Ian D

LOL, you know me too well Sean! However, it always helps a born bullshitter if there's actually a REAL story! Ian D

To say nothing about Berry Gordy's personal archive which is currently in temperature-controlled storage in L.A...........! Ian D

If it carries on like this, there'll certainly be a documentary on the auction of the record as, in record collecting terms, it's without a doubt the biggest story of the year, if not the millenium. I think the only things which have come close over the last few years have been the Quarrymen acetate (with 3 of the Beatles) and the Velvet Underground album acetate (with different mixes). However, I think Frank Wilson has much more of a story and probably has a wider appeal since it's effectively been in the public domain for 30 odd years and has even been beamed into everyone's living room via the Kentucky Fried Chicken adverts from a few years back. Plus the tale of the record kinda has everything - skullduggery, bootlegging, thievery, a selection of the world's most rabid collectors, that 15K price tag and the record itself which is 100% prime Northern Soul on the ultimate label. What's not to like? Killer viewing as you say Andy! This one will run and run........ Ian D

I think there's a confidentiality clause involved and the identity of the seller is being protected for security reasons. I can understand it. I've heard many tales of rare doo-wop collectors being threatened at gunpoint for rare items and this would be a record that someone would target to nick if the sellers identity was in the public domain....... Ian D

I wish he would LOL! Fact is it happened waaay back in '75 I think but I do know those two records changed hands but there may have been cash involved as well possibly......? However, in the interests of fair play, it's only fair to point out that Arthur extracted his revenge 100 times over when he managed to unearth an incredible hit @ Monarch Pressing plant in L.A. in the late 70's! I'm still smarting from that 'cos I'd been there at least 20 times in '76 and never ever saw any room with the records he brought back (although that's where I found the Si Hightower T.P.)..... It's all swings and roundabouts Maria but there's a few folk on here who would love to hear about some of Arthur's finds over the years! Please give him my regards and hopefully I'll see him @ Prestatyn..... Ian D

You may not be far off the mark there Jules. There's still a few 'ifs', 'buts' and 'maybes' but if this is a pristine previously unknown 3rd copy which is mint with no warp and a clean label and the auction gets the amount of publicity it should warrant, then it will certainly be the most expensive Soul record ever auctioned. I think the general history of the record, it's undoubted popularity since the 1970's, the fact that it's always been the holy grail of most collectors and that it's the rarest of the rare Motown release on the year of Motown's 50th anniversary will all help. My guess is that there will be several top-end bidders and the price will soar and the winner will either be a well-healed Motown completist or a Soul loving Pop star with money aplenty! It'll almost certainly eclipse my copy of the Rodeo Rustlers - Crying In My Beer Over You on Buckin Bronco! Ian D