Ian Dewhirst

Thanks mate. We'll be working the balls off it over the next few weeks so, touch wood, we'll hopefully get some action. We wouldn't have done it if we didn't think there was a potential audience out there. It's always a 'balls on the table" scenario when you put a record out but I do have a gut feeling about this one. Slightly below the gut in fact! And if you think about it, this scene has always been about small label owners putting their balls on the table and selling 6 copies! In fact, the Northern Soul scene wouldn't exist without a long trail of schmucks like us putting records out which fail miserably at the time. Hopefully we'll sell a few and get on to the next release. How's that for optimism when the world's falling apart and vinyl sales are at their lowest LOL? And, Pete, let me tell ya, the expression "thinking outside the box" is sooooooo last year dear! Ian D

Oi you! Stop taking credit. It was ME who was being accused of being a brain-dead zombie I seem to recall! It's about time the Soul Police had an investigation into their regulators and consultants anyway. I'm sick of these bloody beaurocrats questioning our every statement! Ian D

LOL, couldn't resist. Apologies for my opportunistic ways but I'm just a born bull-shitter LOL! But I am always sniffing out stuff like this and I'm now falling over stuff in the hallway so I've got to get some of this stuff out quick! Wanna do some wholesale mate? Also, I'm damn sure I've some stuff to add to the list but it means trawling through my UK 7"'s to find those oddball releases. But I'm sure there's a few more to add. Plus I'll have a hallway full of Limited-Edition U.S. 7" copies of "Cafe Regio's" - Gary The Masterblaster on Soul Intention Records this time next week and.......... ....................look at that! It's disgusting. I just can't stop plugging can I? Ian D

Mmmm. Now there's an angle...... Hey Pete! Fancy making a Jackson 5 rip-off with yer son mate? We'll make him a star! Ian "Cigar-Smoking Megabucks Svengali" Dewhirst

Wanna bet Pete? Well if the record only had the Northern Scene as a potential market you'd be correct. However, a record like "Cafe Regio's" crosses a few different boundaries and will hopefully find audiences outside of Northern Soul - the European scene, the U.S. scene, the student scene, the 'oddball' records scene and the welter of clubs around the country which have more eclectic playlists - like the Hi-Fi Club in Leeds where I was the other week, where "Cafe Regio's" would blow the place up if they had it. Also a substantial plank of our promotional plan is to target a number of key radio DJ's as this record fits into radio like a dream - in a way it's one of the ultimate feel-good radio records, so I don't think it's inconceivable that we may well get plays from the likes of Stuart Maconie, Mark Lamarr, Pete Mitchell on Radio Two, Craig Charles, Dave Pearce, Don Letts, Huey Morgan on Radio 6, Gary Crowley, Sean Rowley, Robert Elms and even Tony Blackburn on BBC London, Martin Collins and Andy Peebles on Smooth FM and maybe a couple of others here and there! I'm already being phoned up by a few people which is always a good sign. Plus some of the above are our mates so there's every chance we'll get some radio buzz going. Aligned with that will be the fact that we will be targeting numerous key shops directly and that includes many which cater to different audiences on different scenes, plus , once again, we have good contacts in these areas. Plus we have a natural PR story for the various magazines, i.e. heard record via Soul Source, two old soulboys obtain the rights from a controversial ex DJ and record producer and then release the record on 7" vinyl only on a label called Soul Intention - a label dedicated to keeping the vinyl 7" alive and kicking. A sexy little press angle IMO. So the target is 1000 copies mate. I'll rip a new hole in my own ass if we can't achieve that! Ian D

Too late mate. It's there in black and white and now enshrined in history! Soul Police are on their way round as we speak........ Ian D

Test pressings on "Cafe Regio's" today @ 12.30pm! Wil be trying out in a West End venue later tonight! Ian D

I'm disappointed in you Beeks. I would have thought this was a good opportunity to show your taste. How about if I arrange a cease-fire and disallow any barbed comments? Be Bold Beeks! Ian D

Also, does this qualify? Johnny Moore - "Can't Live Without Your Love"/"Hello Baby" - Dottie Pearson Bee Cool White-Label Promo This was a promo-only tie-in between Manifesto and Grapevine, but I don't know if it had been issued before........ Co-incidentally I have a few for sale on the sales thread @ a fiver a pop........ Ian D

Hi John, All dates from the original UK Motown listing in Sharon Davies' Motown book which is accurate. 7" Single TMG 886 The Contours "Baby Hit & Run"/"Can You Jerk Like Me" February 1974 MFP LP MFP 50054 The Contours "Baby Hit & Run" May 1974 Best, Ian D

As a matter of fact it was LOL! Later on, in the early hours of the morning I ventured up to Cliff's in Chapletown because my mate wanted to score some weed. We got busted in a general anti-drugs operation and the cops ended up going through my room @ The Griffin and MISSING £5K I'd put under the mattress from some earlier record sales to Pat Brady. Great friggin' weekend though. When I went to court in Leeds several months later to answer for the miniscule wrap of speed they located in my left sock, the prosecution read my statement to the court and the following part was read out: "Mr Dewhirst stated that he INJECTS the amphetamine into his nostrils" and the entire court gasped and looked at me weirdly. I put my hand up and asked the judge if I could speak and he said, "Go ahead Mr Dewhirst" I said, "Your honour, I can't imagine even in my wildest dreams that I'd ever resort to having to INJECT anything into my nostrils. I believe the correct wording should be "Mr Dewhirst stated that he INGESTS the amphetamine into his nostrils". Cue riotous laughter from everyone in the court. The judge had a sense of humour and gave me a conditional discharge and told me to keep my nose clean! Good solid justice. I even had a drink with 'em afterwards! Ian D

C'mon Beeks, don't shit out on us now in our time of need LOL. I'd be genuinely interested in a list, just to see your perspective on things. Don't worry about posting - just about everything's available at a price or will turn up sooner or later - just check the Sales threads on SS for a start - hundreds of killers and all pretty cheap I think. Now is not the time to be shy! Ian D

I've just reduced the prices and added FREE P&P on these early Manifesto issues - all mint and all in the first 20! They won't be around long so grab 'em while ya can! Issue 1: Sept '94 - Stafford, Dave Thorley, The Ritz, Pep On The Catacombs Issue 3: Spring '95 - Edwin Starr, Dave Evison, Va-Va's Issue 4: Summer '95 - Wigan Casino, The Kev Roberts Story Issue 5: Autumn '95 - Lou Johnson, Issue 7: Spring '96 - Chris King, Blackpool Mecca Issue 8: Summer '96 - The Isley Brothers, Bob Hinsley Issue 10: Winter '96 - Esther Phillips, Ginger Taylor Issue 11: Spring '97 - Baby Washington, Ady Croasdell Issue 13: August '97 - Chuck Jackson, Richard Searling Issue 15: Jan '98 - Brenda Holloway, Kim Weston Issue 16; March '98 - Ronnie McNeir, Chris Burton Issue 17: May '98 - Al Wilson, Ian Levine Issue 18: August '98 - Terry Callier, Togetherness Weekender Issue 19: October '98 - Ian Levine Issue 20: January '99 - Pat Lewis, Sam Dees, The Flirtations Just sold another set, so get in there! Ian D

10 copies of Johnny Moore/Dottie Pearson sold in the last few hours! A few more left than that's it! Grab 'em while ya can........ Johnny Moore - "Can't Live Without Your Love"/Dottie Pearson - "Hello Baby" Bee Cool White-Label Promo A beautiful item! I'm just too good to everyone......... Best, Ian D

Sorted Derek! Many thanks, Ian D

I like to try and dig out stuff that's interesting. And not just for the Northern scene either - I found an incredibly rare UK 12" by the Antilles for 50p yesterday! It's the bug. I can't get rid of it LOL....... Ian D

LOL, the only way to fix a clean crack on a styrene record is tape across the B side! They'll still play OK but just not as attractive obviously. I still sold the cracked Joe Mathews for £200 though! I've never seen it turn up that often, so probably still a bargain..... Ian D

That's just for the pressing of the physical record and that's coming in @ just under £2 a copy. It's the other stuff that adds up. I spent around 12 hours in the car last Friday and £40 in Petrol just getting things from one place to another and attending the mastering session etc, etc. So that was a whole day out and if you calculate my time @ say, £10.00 per hour = £120.00 plus around £60.00 in expenses that's £180.00. Multiply that by a few days and it soon adds up! Not that I'm charging that of course, but every day I take out, is a day I'm not actually earning anything. I won't be opening the champagne anytime soon mate. And there'll be a fair percentage of nail-biting to get to break-even I bet. Ian D

There is a game plan for this Pete, but it's essentially a punt which may, or may not work. I happen to think the record's fantastic - a real unique recording which will hopefully captivate a few different audiences. It's also got a great story behind it, in that it's one of the few records that have come about really by accident - you don't get many of those these days. The ace up the sleeve (if there is one), is the fact that so many people have contacted me about it - I'm talking people on here, people who listen to my show and texted/e-mailed after I played it (unusual in itself), numerous other radio DJ's who want to play it (it's a natural radio record if ever there was one), a couple of music biz veterans who want to be involved etc, etc and I can only hope these areas will mushroom once the record becomes available. Fingers crossed............ Ian D

Yep, pretty much. Same as Frank Wilson "Do I Love You" and in fact most records Pete! Of course, on top of that is the meetings, phone calls, lawyers, advance, mastering, label repro, labels, MCPS, paper bags, courier costs, transport, warehouse, distribution, sales, marketing, postage, packaging, promotion, other overhead costs and of course the large amount of time involved in getting all the above done. A normal company would need to sell a few thousand copies to recoup on the above, whereas we're only doing 1000 copies. Of those, 100-150 will be used for marketing/press/promo purposes and hopefully 300-350 will most likely go directly to exporters. So if we do the remaining 500 copies in the UK we may just make a few quid. But not much for the amount of work involved. The limited-edition record biz isn't going to make anyone rich Pete. This is a small-scale operation by a small scale company. Most people think we're nuts for even doing this as most independent record companies are long gone these days! It's not as rosy and you may think. We may get lucky and get some radio plays here and there and that will be the difference between profit and loss by the time we've finished. Bizarre but true. Ian D

Found a few of these 2 excellent limited-edition 7" singles whilst scouring Mike Ritson's warehouse last week! Co-incidentaly some of these tracks have also recently appeared in some SS threads just recently so timing is good. Excellent value and an SS exclusive. Johnny Moore - "Can't Live Without Your Love"/"Hello Baby" - Dottie Pearson Bee Cool White-Label Promo The In Crowd - "Cool 4 E.P." - Various Artists Bee Cool Limited Edition Pic Sleeve 4 track E.P. (Containing Watts 103rd St Rhythm Band "Spreading Honey"/Jackey Beavers "I Need My Baby"/Pat Lewis "No One To Love"/Rose Batiste "I Miss My Baby") £5.00 each inc P&P or both for £8.00 inc P&P! Beat that for value. Please PM me if interested! Ian D

Yep. That's the term I believed I used at the time, just after she said, "........but it's only a bit of plastic"! Ian D

Yep, my wife accidentally stepped on an original Joe Mathews "Ain't Nothing You Can Do" on Kool Kat in the late 80's and snapped it. Ouch! I had a car smash on the way back from Cleethorpes and bust the Oscar Perry record on Mercury but luckily that was the only casualty! Ian D

No, but you can run 'em off for me can'tcha? Ian D

Rule No.1 : ALWAYS keep at least one copy of everything you've released, if only for your own archive! Ian D