Ian Dewhirst

Ian D

Actually I don't necessarily agree with that Ady. It's always nice to get an advance promo of a great record and if you know you're getting it in advance and could be influential in breaking it, then what's not to like? Plus you'd be getting the record to everyone at the same time and thus hopefully creating some synergy and an initial buzz, which could hopefully spread to better advance orders for the general release hopefully. These days it might take a few weeks for someone to actually get hold of the releases. If they have a local record shop and can get there every week, then fair enough, lucky them. Otherwise they'll be having to order it, as and when they finally get around to it and assuming they're that diligent with UK releases! So it could be a couple of months before there's any momentum. I reckon it'd be worth putting a limited mailing-list together. If you covered say, 50 key people - 25 key name Northern DJs, 15 good Radio DJs and 10 Press/Online reviewers and internet sites, I think you'd get some bang for your buck and maybe create a lot more awareness for the next releases and the Ace/Kent back catalog in general. I know Ace/Kent's reputation is the best word of mouth promotion you can get but 50 promo copies won't kill anyone, especially if you could sell another 500 copies and up the pressing quantity. Gotta be worth a shot surely? Ian D

A dilemma. Out of curiosity, do you have a mailing list of DJs who could potentially play these releases and, if so, roughly how many would there be who could get behind these records? Or is up to them to buy the records as they're released? These releases are caught between a rock and a hard place really. I don't know how many of the DJs who can can actually 'break' records these days would actually go into a record shop and buy these as new releases. Given the emphasis on rarity, do these releases get anything like a fair shake I wonder? Ian D

I've just got back from being away Geoff. Will reply shortly mate. Best, Ian D

Your're welcome. We interviewed Sam a couple of weeks back so that worked out very nicely. I won't get drawn on the other stuff 'cos we'll be going down the same path again and at cross-purposes. As I've said a gazillion times previously, if someone wants to step up and make a program about the 80s forward then fine, go for it. I'll watch it. Ian D

Who needs an anniversary when they have a 1,000,000 unit pre-sell? They're doing 'em in Mono apparently. This figure represents the international demand for vinyl releases by the Beatles. This campaign alone represents one sixth of the total U.S. vinyl sales for last year. Personally I'm skeptical. Really? 1,000,000 Mono Beatles LPs? I didn't realise that many people still had record players! Ian D

My enthusiasm is humbled by the 17 years of gestation that this film took for Elaine Constantine. Whichever way you look at it, it takes a huge amount of commitment and passion to get from an initial idea to a finished major film - a massive achievement in itself. Plus a very brave leap to go from being a top-level blue chip photographer in the fashion industry, to becoming a film director with a debut film that focuses on a 'cult' music scene with limited appeal. I honestly don't know how she managed to do it. I was late to the party really. I actually didn't know Elaine personally but everything I was hearing about the projected film sent the right signals and obviously touched a nerve so I contacted her out of the blue a couple of years back and begged her to let me do the soundtrack before a frame of film was shot. Sometimes gut instinct is enough. Unbelievably, I still haven't seen the film. I'm kinda saving it. I wanna see it at both the London and Northern premiers along with everyone else. The footage and trailers I've seen are simply spellbinding and awesome. There's a very nitty-gritty and shocking trailer I've just viewed which blew my mind and which was the perfect combination of image and sound with the most manic part of Lou Pride's "I'm Com'un Home In The Morn'un" perfectly complimenting some seriously incredible (and x-rated) footage. Serious, serious stuff. I just had to view the Interview DVD that comes with the 2CD package and James Lance's interview with Elaine is just pure gold. A fascinating interview which catches the passion of the project perfectly. Very very moving. And the in-depth Elaine Constantine/Richard Searling interview with the exclusive access to his memorabilia is just fantastic! Hooked me right to the end and I know this stuff! Projects like this make it all worthwhile somehow. I hope 50,000 people will buy it and make their lives better. It they don't get it after this, they never will. Ian D

My elitism started before your elitism so there nyaaaah....... Ian D

Phew. What a week. I've had enough of London now. I'm heading up North tomorrow to get back to reality and de-pressurize from riding this bucking bronco. With a bit of luck I'll be in Wakey on Saturday, get paralytic, have a fight in the bullring and wake up Sunday morning in A&E. That's the plan. An extraordinary week. "Northern Soul: The Soundtrack" is looking exceptionally good and will be in the charts on Monday 22nd September - a mere 4 weeks away. Top 20 for sure, Top 10 maybe. Let's see. But it's definitely catching fire big time with the buyers. The enthusiasm is pretty fantastic from all areas - the big decisions on what will be on the shelves towards Christmas are made now and "Northern Soul" is looking very good indeed. Also lots of excitement with the Film people. Momentum is gathering almost daily so I'm sure there'll be some announcements soon. Plus some FANTASTIC PR coming up too. Also, the bonus Interview DVD with the release is just fantastic - James Lance's interview with Elaine is wonderful and almost had me sobbing lol and the Richard Searling interview with the footage of his his personal memorabilia is just fascinating and great. I think anybody buying this package will totally get what Northern Soul is all about. Even though this is technically a 'mainstream' release, this is as good as it gets for me. And I didn't even compile it damn...... Ian D

Wilky was a giant amongst men. One of the scene's major characters in the mid 70s. Please tell him 'Frank' sends his warmest regards. Ian D

Mark Bicknell? Ian D

I for one, have banned any acrobats from coming within 10 yards of me. Dangerous f*ckers! Ian D

The clue is in the phrase "for me it was the best era bar none". That's me personally Mark. Can't talk for anyone else and I wasn't comparing the 70s to any other decade or the scene from '82 onwards which seems to be a bit of an obsession for some. This whole debate is really about what age people were when they entered the scene surely? A bit daft I think. I was a carefree teenager in the early 70s having the time of my life so I have extremely fond memories of pretty much that whole decade. Likewise I'm sure that anyone who was a teenager in the 80s or 90s would say the same thing really. Ian D

I'm with your wife dude. I think she was pretty bang on. If you were attending soul clubs from 1971 and it took until Wigan closing in 1982 - some 11 years, before your 'ears were opened to real soul music', then how did you manage to miss out on the vibe and the incredible music that that happened throughout those previous 11 years despite being there? Youthful dementia, intensive treatment with psychotic drugs or aggravated deafness? There must be some reason..... for me it was the best era bar none. So I'm curious. I reckon you're a dark, dodgy, underground kinda guy who dislikes crowds. Ian D

Going To A Happening on UK Vocalion was in the first record collection I bought, circa 1971 or thereabouts off Lord Jim in Huddersfield. It was a big Twisted Wheel record by all accounts....... Ian D

I think they're at the bottom of a very long queue right now. My forthcoming Northern Soul: The Film 14 x 7" box set has booked the priority fast line and it'll still come out 4 weeks after the CD/Interview DVD version! We're lucky we're getting it out before the film! Ian D

Demon are locked into certain deals with certain plants, so whilst we generally get the quality we want at a price we want, it doesn't allow for much flexibility at times like this. As I point out most weeks, there are places where we can get a quicker turnaround but the production guys always tell me that the prices for those plants are beyond what they want to pay. It's a shame 'cos when I was running Simply Vinyl in the 90s it seemed we were spoilt for choice..... However I am getting the same story from other people about the vinyl turnarounds right now. In fact a fellow Soul Source member was lamenting today about how he's being messed around at the moment and another guy is talking about suing a plant because they can't deliver his vinyl in time for a tour, so it's deffo getting nasty out there..... Ian D

It's a bugger. The production deadlines for vinyl are getting crazy now. Everybody's manufacturing at the same facility and the plant is constantly revising the dates even when everything's been delivered on time to their original deadlines. Of course, the 1,000,000 Beatles LPs which are currently in manufacture elsewhere hasn't helped either since that plant is full up so people are desperately switching to other plants. It's a mess..... Ian D

We're wondering if we should edit out the bit where he insists that he hates Northern Soul..... Ian D

Yes, that's why we wanted to do it, so we could put everything into some sort of context. Glen's been away so I'm picking back up with him today touch wood... We're going to get that timeline drawn up so it's along the lines of a 'Family Tree' of clubs since 1968........ Ian D

John's pretty media-adverse so I'm not so sure he'd have done it to be fair. Watch out for Richard Searling's interview with John Anderson on the forthcoming box set "The Odyssey: A Northern Soul Time Capsule 1968-2014". The full interview was 2 hours and is currently being edited. It's great! Ian D

Hmmmm. Some incredibly interesting patterns are coming through now. Half the battle has been trying to convince people that this project is the real deal and not just a quick knock-off. Everything is beginning to punch through now. The next 8 weeks will be nuts I guarantee. All good from this end. Ian D

OK, news from the front-line folks. This is turning into an extraordinary soundtrack release based on pre-awareness and general market 'buzz'. With 4 weeks to go to the soundtrack release and 8 weeks to go to the theatrical release, we're in a pretty great place right now. Mainline PR is now about to kick in and Radio promo will start from the end of next week. All formats are performing out of their skin. Both the main 2 x CD/Interview DVD package and the 14 x 7" Special Vinyl edition + Film Stills book package have exploded and never been off the Amazon top pre-sellers in numerous charts for the last 3 months. The limited-edition all-singing, all-dancing package has now sold-out I believe. We've even taken the precaution of clearing and preparing a single CD format of just the soundtrack in case people ask for that too. The demand from all areas has been nothing short of astonishing. This is what it's all about for me. How many people will listen and fall in love with Towanda Barnes, Linda Jones, Lou Pride, The Tomangoes, Edward Hamilton & The Arabians, Eddie Parker etc, etc. purely as a result of listening to this package? Hopefully loads. It's about time this music got some national recognition. And just wait 'til they see the f*ckin' FILM! It's very weird. I've never known so much general mainstream interest in a release in my life. It's a good job I prepared for this. Ian D

'Festival Time' - San Remo Golden Strings beats the hell out of 'To Win Your Heart' - Laura Lee..... Ian D