Ian Dewhirst

Hey, I'm an optimist Dave. That's what an objective viewpoint can do occasionally LOL.... But where are the holes exactly? With that balance of DJ's, are you saying that there would be no interest? Or is it the location that's wrong (London is TERRIBLE right now for attendances)? Or just crippling inertia generally......? I dunno mate. If you have a perfect venue with a perfect resident DJ roster, then how much can really go wrong? If people don't get what a brilliant night that could be, the f%*k 'em - I wouldn't want 'em there anyway to be honest. Wrong profile. Ian D

But it was fillled on the first night! I was there. And a FANTASTIC venue but badly thought out musically in my opinion. I thought the music policy was completely wrong for that venue at that time. At that point a proper oldies all-nighter would have been just the ticket for the London fashionistas of the time and a fun, buzzy night generally. And certainly that's what the crowd wanted but what the crowd didn't get. So politics and ego messed up a potentially great venue IMO. But they definitely filled that barn on that night, as they did at Kent's 25th Anniversary night @ the Forum last year. So get the event right and the crowds will follow is my mantra. Ian D

OK, difficult one. Give the guy a little room to manouver. The credit-crunch means cash-flow is not what it used to be and if the guy's a dealer he may well have over-extended himself. Tell him you need complete resolution and fix a reasonable timetable. Tell him straight that if he messes up you'll be pissed-off and after that all bets will be off and his reputation will potentially be in tatters forevermore..... That's probably what I do if it's any help. Hope it gets resolved pronto. Ian D

A FANTASTIC post which hits the nail right on the head for me. Nice one Ken. Couldn't agree more mate. Plus I may well have a tremendous London solution which I'm pumped about right now! For the first time in months I'm suddenly feeling very optimistic about things..... And, hey, it makes it a hell of lot easier if I book the jocks LOL...... I have a venue which I believe will be the home of Soul in London. It's perfect. Plus I've kinda already selected my resident roster. A great combination in my head, of the generally accepted Top 2 DJ's rotated bi-weekly for the rarest of the rare and exclusive tunes, an experienced guaranteed pro who's always been credible and who we all love for idiosyncratic reasons also with exclusive tunes, a youngster with edge, good taste and a younger hipper crowd and a 'held in high-regard' collector and occasional DJ who needs to be in the right company to flower and blossom. 2 hours each. Every week. Residents. And no oldies. Unless they've underplayed or ignored and they're creatively programmed into a unique set. It's worth a shot innit? Also time to put a bit of pzazzz and bang back into the scene. At a killer venue. All egos can be left at the door. No time for that these days. Ian D

Very good points Paul, especially the bit about making the cutting edge nights the best kept secret in the world! I would have thought with the cutting edge Top DJ's playing sensible spots, a no-oldies policy and the frisson of knowing that you'd be going to somewhere special where you'd REALLY be hearing the top tunes, that would have to be a winner wouldn't it? The scene needs a rallying point and obviously it needs to be less confusing for the bemused customers out there. Where is that weekly event which has the top guys on? That collective taste and energy that makes a 400 mile round trip attractive if you know the score? That's what fueled the scene in the first place - the anticipation of knowing you'd hear new exclusives and the top records in the world at a guaranteed quality weekly night. That's why ALL the big venues succeeded in the past. They had the right balance and you could trust 'em to deliver the goods, which they did in superb style! Also, in this age of misty-eyed nostalgia, let's not forget that regular gigs weren't always packed to the rafters, even back then. I can remember many a 'quiet' weekend @ Blackpool Mecca and even Wigan/Cleethorpes on the odd occasion. Sometimes that was even an advantage LOL. The fact is we KNEW what to expect in terms of music policy and DJ rosters. If it was Blackpool you knew you'd have Levine and Curtis with a couple of hours each playing the best, rarest and most exclusive records in the world week-in, week-out. Which is why hundreds/thousands of us routinely travelled long distances 'cos you couldn't get it anywhere else! So I guess what I'm saying, is the top DJ's and top promoters should get together and sort it out. Form a collective if you like, 'cos that's pretty much how Cleethorpes started and that was a breath of fresh air in the previously virgin territory of the North East. I'd have thought that there must be enough brains on here to sort that out. Have we sorted out a line-up for an 8 hour session yet? 4 DJ's, 2 staggered hours each, or maybe 2 resident and 2 guests weekly playing to the maximum of their capabilities? Y'know make the f%&kers WORK LOL! Ian D

Purchased this for the grand total of 25p along with The Heartbreakers on Derby, the Ideals on Boogaloo and one other decent record @ good old Berwick St market in the early 70's! I've just never saw it as being that rare........ Ian D

It better be 'cos it was too short to bonk to! Unless you're a 2 minute wonder that is....... Ian D

Did this come direct from Tom or via Chris King out of curiosity? Ian D

Don't say the memory bank is now completely filled? You need a new hard-drive LOL..... Ian D

Minsh was the man! Musta been a buzz breaking those @ the Torch! It's ending shivers down my spine just think of the intros on "Cigarette Ashes" and "Time's A Wasting" and the anticipation of hearing 'em to say nothing about Bob Relf! Ian D

Yep, I concurr with that Eddie. "Cigarette Ashes" was the first mega-sum record and £80 was the rumoured price. Didn't it come out on Jay-Boy a few weeks later? Ian D

Yep TJM - you're right Mel! Ah, regarding Grady Harrell - so that's where he gets that voice then. Now it all makes sense! You're always a font of knowledge mate! I wouldn't mind hearing some other stuff from him 'cos "Wrong Side Of Love" is really doing it for me right now. And Front Row's "Wanting You" is another one of those insanely HAPPY records which I'm going for these days......even though it's an 80's recording it has a real 70's sing-a-long HAPPY vibe to it Onwards and upwards and, as ever, thanks for the comments! I know if a even a couple of tunes a week please you then that's good enough for me LOL...... Ian D

Great song, period Mandy! When these UK acts get the pastiches right they can come very close to a good record. There's a few that hit the mark for me..... However none better than this one IMO (although I'll get killed for saying it LOL).... Ian D

They have a Northern Soul precedent in that they did a Duffy 11 years ago with the brilliant "Black Eyed Boy" which was a Top 5 record in the UK in Summer '97 and would have been a monster if the Supremes had done it in their heyday! And, yes, they nick from a few sources which is why their records always sound so naggingly familiar, especially "Say What You Want" which strays very closely to Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing" in my view. Ian D

Hi All, Al and I were back behind the console this week and what fun ensued........ Well, considering we had some visitors to the studio and some last-minute technical buffoonery going on, the show turned out surprisingly well LOL. The emphasis this week is pretty much on great Soul from all eras and I think we managed to get some! Some really superlative tunes this week so check 'em if you can - we don't think you'll be disappointed. Also we got some nice mentions in for the recent do's @ Gisburn, Wakey and Sir Percy's map-reading skills LOL! Just hit the live link below (or paste it direct into your browser bar) and you're in! Try it, it gets strangely addictive after a while............... Six Million Steps Presents The Original Mastercuts Show with Ian Dewhirst & Alan Champ - Sunday 22nd June 2008 on www.starpointradio.com To download the show simply hit the link below! Or for this and all archived shows please pay a visit to www.sixmillionsteps.com where you can the last 4 weeks worth of all Six Million Steps produced shows. That's 16 hours of free music over the last 4 weeks alone! Plus, loads of new fully downloadable KILLER mixes in a variety of styles. So let's go with this week's show:- 1st Hour Opening Mix: T.J. - Am I Dreaming, The Ritchie Family - Frenisi - Close Mix Bill Harris - Uptown Saturday Night J.J. Barnes - I've Seen The Light Brenda Jones - My Heart's Not In It Scandal - Love Either Grows Or Goes One Way feat Al Hudson - Who's Foolin' Who, Skool Boyz - Feel Like I'm In Love, Henry Thomas - My Dreams Are Clouded Grady Harrell - Wrong Side Of Love Larry Wedgeworth & Clique - No More Games 2nd Hour Veda - What's It All About The Dynamics - You Can Make It If You Try Solid Solution - Think About It Girl Front Row - Wanting You Billy Paul - The Whole Town's Talking The O'Jays - Time To Get Down The Fantastic Johnny C - Waitin' For The Rain' (Tom Moulton Mix) Sharon McMahan - Get Out Of My Life Booker T - I Want You Collins & Collins - You Know How To Make Me Feel So Good Ullanda McCullough - Bad Company Gloria Scott - What Am I Gonna Do The Temptations - Aiming At Your Heart J.P. Rodgers Jr - All My Lovin' Marlilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr - Shine On Silver Moon (7" version) Download direct - https://www.sixmillionsteps.com/6MS-...2-Starpoint.mp3 Don't forget to send in any requests or dedications and we'll be pleased to honour 'em if we can! Best, Ian D

Bump! Going live in 90 minutes! www.starpointradio.com. Some beauties this week for lovers of SOUL! Ian D

Huh, thanks for putting 'hangover music' on before my show guys LOL! I'll be kicking off with some sinus-deblockers then! Hope some of you listeners stick around for this week's Original Mastercuts show as well, as I've got some good underplayed gear on this week, so it should fit nicely with Celtic Twist this week touch wood. Can't go wrong for Soul on Sunday's on Starpoint really - www.starpointradio.com. All the Sunday shows are great and the day finishes with Mark Bicknell between 10.00-12.00 which is as good a way to close off a weekend as I can think of! Best to all, Ian D

Yep, will try and get my head around it Rachel. I've been putting off learning Refosoul 'cos these things tend to frustrate me sometimes but I guess it's about time I got down to it (sigh)......sorry for being a bad lad! Does this mean you're not gonna spank me then LOL? Ian D

Yep, that's for me I think Chalky. I'm not doing anything next weekend so sounds like the place to be. Is it in Berkshire? And are there any local places to crash and get a hearty breakfast the next day LOL? I might try and get Mike Ritson along as he needs cheering up! Fingers crossed....... Ian D

Not if people get their heads together and start thinking objectively Des. Running such an event would probably require the resources of a collective of promoters, who would know how to run the event properly. These promoters should talk to each other, scout out potential venues and local authority co-operation and think about doing something that will be a catalyst for the scene instead of splitting their own audiences and fragmenting the scene, as is happening at the moment from what I read on here. Plus it would be a much-needed shot in the arm of a scene which appears to be getting slighly jaded in some quarters LOL... Yep, a BUZZY new all-nighter with all the best jocks would be a good thing right now I think...... Ian D

I wouldn't mind getting one-up actually LOL. I might give my mate Kevin a ring and see if he can't sort out The Rocket in London again but do it properly this time! Although I think a Midlands venue would probably be better from a practical point of view - Birmingham, Leicester, Nottingham, Derby areas would be more accessible for many people. Y'know, an exciting All-Nighter with a roster of all the top jocks on regular basis would get people off their arses I'm sure. But it'd have to be a big Ballroomy type place as that seems to be the best environment for Northern...... ...and have a number of cheap hotels nearby for those of us who like a more leisurely approach to such things LOL.... Ian D

The answer will be when someone sets up more of a regular weekly or monthly large capacity 'event' all-nighter again with the top DJ's and serious up-and comers on. You really have to have a solid base to work from as The Wheel, The Torch, The Catacombs, The Mecca, Wigan, Cleethorpes, Stafford proved in their respective eras. When you have a strong venue with a progressive music policy then those circumstances tend to unite a scene and provide a nucleus event to focus everyone. Also it makes breaking new tunes a lot easier - that's how you break stuff to a huge audience in a few weeks and get a real buzz going isn't it? This then builds into a self-fullfilling prophecy because everyone will want to check it out and the buzz would grow and grow. Also I would go for resident roster of the top 'progressive' DJ's aligned with the younger, edgier element with a sexy crowd. So that'll be Sam, Butch and Trouble headlining then! Now who else? In fact, what would be the optimim DJ line-up to create the right mix of top rare unknown goodies and deeper, unplayed oldies which haven't been done to death? Oh yeah, and there has to be a bunch of youngsters for the energy levels LOL..... Now THAT would be a night worth going to! Ian D

Hey Jocko, OK then, there's a few on tomorrow's show which I think will hit the spot for S.S'.ers (and they're not always the obvious ones LOL)... Featuring T.J., The Ritchie Family, J.J. Barnes, Brenda Jones, Scandal, One Way feat Al Hudson, Skool Boyz, Henry Thomas, Grady Harrell, Larry Wedgeworth & Clique, Veda, The Delfonics, The Dynamics, Solid Solution, Front Row, Billy Paul, The O'Jays, The Fantastic Johnny C, Sharon McMahan, Booker T, Collins & Collins, Ullanda McCullough, Gloria Scott, The Temptations & J.P. Rodgers Jr The Grady Harrell, Larry Wedgeworth & Clique, Veda, Solid Solution and Front Row may well appeal but there's plenty of other goodies tucked in there for lovers of soul from a few eras.... Oh, yeah, it's on tomorrow between 2.00-4.00pm on everyone's favourite station Starpoint Radio www.starpointradio.com! Gratuitious plug over but the show's definitely worth a listen! Ian D

Yep, for the first time in 3 weeks Al & myself are back at the helm of the ORIGINAL MASTERCUTS Show - Sunday 2.00-4.00pm on everyone's favourite Starpoint Radio - www.Starpointradio.com! Don't miss tomorrow's show - especially if it's pissing down LOL..... We're talkin' a FEAST of incredible music which somehow, we think you'll like LOL Featuring T.J., The Ritchie Family, J.J. Barnes, Brenda Jones, Scandal, One Way feat Al Hudson, Skool Boyz, Henry Thomas, Grady Harrell, Larry Wedgeworth & Clique, Veda, The Delfonics, The Dynamics, Solid Solution, Front Row, Billy Paul, The O'Jays, The Fantastic Johnny C, Sharon McMahan, Booker T, Collins & Collins, Ullanda McCullough, Gloria Scott, The Temptations & J.P. Rodgers Jr Don't miss! This one's a beauty - I spent a week compiling it LOL.......! Ian D

Now why would Butch retire to Columbia? He's not fronting a rare record mail-order scam to distribute coke in 7" record mailers is he? Or maybe he's checking out Andrew 'Loog' Oldham's (ex Rolling Stones manager and owner of Immediate Records) PHENOMENAL collection (including the unreleased P.P. Arnold acetates and unreleased Spector stuff) which is stored in a garage on the outskirts of Medellin......? Ian D