Ian Dewhirst

OK, try this Spacehopper! You want a vintage production, try this! Utterly, utterly brilliant. I've just heard it for the first time and it's blowing my mind:- Brenda Holloway "Home Is Where The Hatred Is" https://www.zshare.net/audio/1988564700753962/ One of Levine's best IMO. Just great..... Ian D

Yep, c'mon roll-up roll-up! Plenty of goodies on here. That Robert Upchurch record is a steal for a start! Plus the more Mark sells the better chance I have of edging up the price on that Antilles rekid.......... Ian D

No cutting corners. I attended the cut which was perfect and the guy couldn't have been more complimentary about the quality of the master. I think the problem is with the galvanics. Phil did a test when he got home and the digital analysis showed severe drop-outs on both sides, which is what I heard when testing this morning. So no doubt about my ears thank God! Will post an update tomorrow. Ian D

Yep, the labels on Joan Moody and Sterling Magee on Sylvia were terrible too. Wouldn't surprise me if Old Town were pressed there as well as they always had dodgy labels too........ Ian D

Well I may well buzz you tomorrow if we don't get some satisafctory answers from the guys we're using! Good job we didn't go ahead on the pressing, that's for sure! Ian D

Cheers Paul. Yep, I've used 'em before and I know the EMI factory well but do they do U.S. 45's, can they work quickly and are they competitive price-wise are the key questions Paul? Ian D

Sean's flood perchance? If you're going to include fire than you have to also include water dontcha? Ian D

Well obviously not as bizarre as yours Steve! Ian D

What??? You're excluding Steve G from being a wierdo? I thought Steve had a serious fetish for rare, rare, rarer-than-rare pieces of 7" vinyl by artists you've hardly heard of, singing songs you've hardly heard of, on labels you've hardly heard of. You call that normal? I mean, what does he do with 'em when he's at home and no one is watching...............? Ian D

It's a knackered stamper by the looks of it! The surface of the TP is covered with mountain ridges throughout the surface when you hold it up to the light. Hmmmpphhhh! Ian D

Fantastic. Human error disasters are always the worst! Almost better than Richard's copy of The Jades which got warped in a chippy! Ian D

Ian D

Yep, all being analysed right now. The art of pressing records properly is being lost it seems. I've heard more duff TP's in the last few years than anytime before. I reckon it's because the equipment's aging badly and with the decline of vinyl, the machines aren't being maintained properly to save costs. Either that, or they have some work experience dimwit mixing the chemicals............. Ho hum. This is the bit that people don't see! That's two visits to Luton in 5 days and we're still not sorted! Good idea this record company lark LOL..... Ian D

Don't worry. I just rejected 'em. Volume dips happening and muffled in places. Investigating now. See? It's not all glam is it? What sounded absolutely exceptional on the lacquer hasn't translated to the 7" vinyl for some reason. It could be the galvanics, faulty metalwork or something else. Mind you, that's the whole point of test-pressings! Good job we do these things...... I will of course, keep a one-off test-pressing, destroy the other 9 and then whack it on E-Bay as the only copy in the world of Gary The Master Blaster's first ever test-pressing and a complete one-off! Ian D

And another set gone! These are picking up speed now. 2 sets gone now and 4 left. I'd better start reading the buggers LOL....... They should be framed IMO! Ian D

Phew. Glad it's not me. I concurr with the above..... By the way, I think I've located that record we were talking about. My mate has a spare copy he thinks! So I'll pm you as soon as I hear back from him, OK? Ian D

Good for you Beeks. This is an 'open mind' record so I'll blast you one over if you think you can use it..............plus I also wanna see it played to different audiences and gauge reaction............. Ian D

Nope. Was released from Chapletown nick @ circa 1.00pm the next day (it was a Sunday) and had to go to Leeds Magistrates court around 6 weeks later. Ian D

Of course. I don't need to make up anything LOL. The bit I left out was that because I was from London and staying in a Leeds hotel, they thought I was Mr Big in some local drugs scam, so they also busted into my house in London @ 6.00am on the Sunday morning and scared the death out of my wife, daughter and the neighbours! When they realised the error of their ways, the Head Constable @ Chapletown Police station actually apologised to me. They then had to compensate me for wrecking my front door! A complete waste of time, effort and taxpayers money. I told them the truth and they didn't believe me either! Ian D

I think that was the whole point on the other OVO, Crap Venues thread Steve. I think it was a discussion as to what consituted OV and I wrote:- "In that case can anyone explain the deal with The Contours "Baby Hit And Run" then? An old recording which had never been heard by anyone and which was a pure 100% Northern monster which was issued in the UK on Motown without ANY OVO or Northern Soul related activity whatsoever! Or is this the exception which proves the rule?" It was weird and it came totally out of the blue. The word spread on the grapevine that there was UK Motown new single release of an unknown Contours track which was pure Northern and brilliant. Rod from Heckmondwike told me about it about a day after he'd heard it in a local record shop, so I rushed down to Jumbos in Leeds and as soon as I got in the shop they played it! Hunter and Trevor @ Jumbos couldn't believe it either. Very odd. Ian D

"Cafe Regio's - Gary The Master Blaster on Soul Intention Records Beeks - an updated almost Northern danceable version of the Isaac Hayes tune ('b' side of "Shaft" in fact) with an early 70's original radio DJ over the top. It's rockin'....... I think it could suit a younger crowd hopefully. You know the youngsters dontcha? Is this the kind of thing that would work with the students? Ian D

Love that Isaac Hayes quote at the bottom of your page! Hope you're gonna play an OV copy of this on yer travels...... https://www.zshare.net/audio/183698315b8bc59d/ Ian D

12 copies of Johnny Moore/Dottie Pearson and 2 copies of the EP now gone. Still some left folks........ Ian D

LOL, no probs, all sorted for the Tiger Lounge on Thursday mate! There will be a large contingent of SS Soul Police with notebooks at the ready scanning your every record tomorrow night and a contingent from DJ History assessing you as a DJ. Will probably not be the time to play Murial Day or f%$k up on cueing if ya see what I mean....... I still think you've shitted out but you can print your playlist from Thursday cantcha....? Ian D