Ian Dewhirst

Everything's out my range these days mate! I was perfectly happy with the 1975 prices LOL.... Hope you and the missus are well! Boy, we had some wild times back then ay? Dunno how I lived through it all..... Ian D

Yep, me too. I can even see simularities between "I Wanna Be Your Dog" and "Ain't Nothing You Can Do" LOL.... Ian D

He sure is. A massive loss. What's cheesed me off a little bit, is that they used a whole hunk of the same footage from the Soul Deep programme also for the "Motor City's Burning" programme just an hour later, which meant that I watched vast swathes of the same footage twice in the last 3 hours! I guess the Beeb needs to economise all it can but frankly I think it's taking the piss to nick the same footage and interview clips from one programme and then thwack 'em on another completely different programme on the same channel within an hour of each other. Which dickhead scheduled this? Still, shouldn't moan really when the rest of terrestrial TV is moron city LOL.... "Standing In The Shadows Of Motown" is still a delight to watch for the interviews and original footage but I could do without Joan Osbourne and Ben Harper doing their thang. It's a shame virtually all of the original acts declined to go on. Pressure from Berry maybe? Ian D

So stand by for an EMI issue of "Now That's What I Call Johnny Johnson" right off the back of yours LOL... Also, I don't believe this but I just found a version of "Sweet Inspiration" by Samantha Jones on You Tube! How weird is that? It's awful but check this....... Best, Ian D

Wow! Did anyone just see the Detroit Motown episode of "Soul Deep" on BBC 4 just now? Absolutely brilliant. One of the best programmes of it's type I've ever seen. Also TONS of clips which I've never seen before including early promo videos for the Supremes, Martha & the Vandellas, the Impressions, the 4 Tops plus great interviews with Lamont Dozier, Martha Reeves, Mickey Stevenson, Etta James, Fontella Bass etc, etc. Truly exceptional. Plus coming up later @ 11.00pm, same channel, is another documentary "Motor City's Burning" about the impact of Detroit music on the world and then @ 12.00pm, the excellent film "Standing In The Shadows Of Motown". Whatta Night!!!! Now this is value for the licence fee. Great stuff BBC! Ian D

Course it is Chris! It's an Ashford & Simpson co-write, a Mark Ronson production and the Dap-Kings on the backing - the only thing not to like is the fact it's that it's drug-slut-whore AMY LOL. The best song Tammi Terrell never recorded......... Ian D

Funny you said that 'cos I just played "All The Way" and it's a great 'lil mid-tempo pounder..... Ian D

Great track - b side to their also GREAT version of the Four Season's "Let's Hang On". I've just checked my Johnny Johnson section of UK 7"'s and found the following besides SI and BDTWOH which are all there for one reason or another: "You"/ "You Blew Your Cool And Lost Your Fool" Direction 58-3923 (1968) "Let's Hang On"/ "I Ain't Lyin'" Direction 58-4180 (1969) "Mr Tambourine Man"/"Soul Sahara" Bell 1154 (1971) "Sally Put Your Red Shoes On"/"Gasoline Alley Bred" Bell 1185 (1971) "Give Me Your Love Again"/"All The Way" EMI 2011 (1973) "Music To My Heart"/"Lookin' Lean, Feelin' Mean" Epic 3458 (1975) - cover of Patti Austin A fabulous vocalist who had the misfortune to have a few hits. It's usually the other way around LOL..... Ian D

Uh oh. I don't like the sound of that so much Ed. But here's a taste of what can happen with the right producer, song and band behind you. Just listen to this and tell me that if this had been recorded in '68 and was by Roberta 'Ms Soul' Hightower on Flying Tumbleweed records from buttf**k USA, that this wouldn't have been a monster everywhere? I'd have played it in a second! My fave 'pop' song from last year....... Ian D Amy_Winehouse___Tears_Dry_On_Their_Own.mp3

Where's ANYONE who has any info on this Top 20 Wigan smash. LOL? I think we can safely say it didn't stick around long. It's not some horrible instrumental is it? Like "Theme From Spiderman" by Ron Grainger & Orch.........? Ian D

Can't see 'em being the Alessi Brothers - earlier releases under another name would have been dug out by now I think (as with Barnaby Bye). But I CAN see 'em being Stefan and brother. That would make a bit of sense....... Ian D

Yeah right, Toad. And the check's in the mail etc, etc... How about, like, the name of the artist, label and song? You'll be telling me that the vocal of "6X6" by Tony Turner on Musicor really exists at this rate LOL..... Ian D

Cheers Tony. But "Spiderman"?????? Ian D

Doh! Thanks Dancingcollector.... Anything definitive on Spiderman yet though? Someone must know it - it was a Top 20 hit @ Wigan LOL..... Ian D

Never mind that, what's "The Notice" by the Fidels and "Spider Man" - Will Power? I don't seem to know either of 'em unless my brain's finally turned to mush LOL....... Ian D

"Manifesto" - Dexy's Midnight Runners "Hung Up On Your Love" - Rod Stewart "I Never Knew" - UB40 Ian D

Oh, GREAT call Tony. Put me down for one of them wouldja? Would be good news because hardly any of JJ's stuff is available on CD. In fact I was going to include "Sweet Inspiration" on a 70's Soul Hits type thing I'm doing with Sony-BMG but it didn't really fit with the rest of the stuff on there, so if you're doing it I'll leave it off for sure. It sounded kinda daft in between Friends Of Distinction and Main Ingredient anyway if the truth's know LOL.... And yep I caught the Artie Fullilove connection in a previous thread.... I feel a Johnny Johnson revival on the horizon...... Is he still around? Ian D

I've tried 'em all and I think the Anderson Brothers is the best production by a long chalk. Great performance too. Who were the Anderson Brothers and did they ever make another record? Ian D

Nah, certainly wasn't Wigan at it's height by that point. Too much Soussan Mirwood stuff in there, made for the scene stuff like Tommy Hunt and serious dodgies like Biddu, Flower Shoppe etc. I was always biased towards Richard in terms of what he played to be honest and I'm not sure if this really reflects too much of Richard's taste here LOL.... Probably made more for the promo dept @ Spark Records methinks........ Ian D

Dusty did a version?????? Wow, I've got to hear that - I'm looking for it now....... I LOVE this song. I vaguely remember 'em playing this on Top Of The Pops and me being a bit sniffy at the time 'cos it was a Tony Macaulay UK produced hit but, now I'm hearing it some 38 years later, it just sounds fantastic. Johnny Johnson definitely got shortchanged on the N.S. scene. To have made a record like "Breakin' Down The Walls Of Heartache" and 'overshot' the scene is unfortunate but to have made another killer like "Sweet Inspiration" and overshot the scene again is just plain bad luck. But at least we're agreeing on this one Tony! BTW I'm having an audit of my U.S. 45's shortly and I know there'll be some stuff you'll want in there I think so I'll let you what's going shortly... Best, Ian D

Correctomundo Blake! Could there be any other use for such a fabulous recall of such minor details in the footnotes of music history LOL? Best, Ian D

OK, I know this was a Top 10 UK hit record in July 1970 but I listened to it again recently and I simply cannot find any flaws in it at all. A fantastic song, great pounding Northern production and Johnny singing his heart out. If this was on a tiny Alabama label by an unknown act surely it would be huge wouldn't it? Fairly easy to find and a fabulous feel good record with an irresistible hook but could it ever be played or is it considered too pop/available? Ian D

It's funny how things come around. I actually 'worked' this record when it came out as I used to be a plugger for Decca at the time. I HATED it then. I think the only person who played it back then was Chris Hill. Always a bit obviously commercial for my tastes at the time 'cos it was used in the perfume ad. Also, having been such a fan of "Come Back", it just didn't appeal to me at all. Ian D

Now THAT is exactly the right attitude! More power to ya Rob. Sounds like fun - I'll try and get along one night..... Ian D

Nothing Can Compare To You" - Any Winehouse Ian D