Ian Dewhirst

'Must- Have Reissue' in the Culture section of the Sunday Times today! Fame at last LOL.....

So along with Simon Rimmer plugging the M.V.P.s "Turning My Heartbeat Up" on Channel 4's "Sunday Brunch" this morning and Gordon Ramsey using "How You Like Me Now" on his new trailer, the mainstream is waking up nicely.

Now if only my favourite Mod, Bradley Wiggins can win the Tour-De-France today then we'll be really rockin'!

Ian D

That's a good start. I just turned on 'Olympic's Most Amazing Moments' on BBC 3 and what's playing but The Heavy's "How You Like Me Now" - track 17, CD 2 (which does seem to be being used everywhere right now). Good. One down and another 41 to go LOL.....

The Heavy - How You Like Me Now

Ian D

Especially for anyone who comes second.........

The Controllers - Somebody's Gotta Win, Somebody's Gotta Lose

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygwZvbISyIY

Ian D

Ian's already compiled Volume 2 which will be released the next time we host the Olympic Games in this country.

That's right mate. I'm furiously compilng albums which will go into a nuclear-proof bunker which won't be opened until 3000 ad. It's pretty difficult to figure out what they'll be listening to in 988 years though........

Ian D

Will Banks on 'Soul prescription' just described this as something like "The most tenuous excuse for an album I've ever seen", but he was laughing when he said it, and he did play two tracks and admit that it was a pretty good collection.

At least we're getting radio plays LOL!

Plus I just checked Will's recent playlists - he's been hammering "Holy Spirit" which is great.

In all honesty I think there's only 4 or 5 tracks on "Inspired!" which are very tenuous but they'll work brilliantly if used in the right context.

Ian D

Can you imagine THIS getting a play or or two over the next few weeks?

Absolute Soul perfection. Doesn't get much better than this for me!

Bettye Swann - When The Game Is Played On You

Ian D

Yippee! Just confirmed:-

Friday 20/07/2012 - Lead Review The Times

Sunday 22/07/2012 - Must Have Re-Issue The Culture, Sunday Times

This is the weekend before release and the opening ceremony for the London Olympics 2012.

OK, that's the highbrow audience, now let's get some red-tops!

Ian D

The album which refuses to go away! Now it's in the Top 1000 on Amazon! Sales increasing in the third week it's been out there. It truly must be blessed!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Holy-Spirit-Spiritual-Soul-Gospel/dp/B007O3VO2Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1342042008&sr=1-1

Must be Greg's sterling promotion!

Ian D

Just a couple of weeks to go! Things are beginning to build nicely and will hopefully peak from the 27th July - 12th August. Some major plays are already coming in and we have a nice piece in the Times coming so anticipation is building nicely.

After the disappointments of Euro 2012, Wimbledon 2012 and the abysmal summer we're having, hopefully the forthcoming Olympics will provide some much needed inspiration for us!

Ian D

That's the only track on the whole thing that I've already got on 45.

And that's one of the rarest. You should be happy John!

Ian D

Ian, is there going to be a vinyl release ?

Yep. We're gonna a release a cute Jewel 45:-

A. BPS Revolution "Brotherly Love"/B. The Meditation Singers "Trouble's Brewin'"

We thought that this was a nice pairing 'cos BPS Revolution is probably the most sought-after and hardest to find these days and the Meditation Singers has never been on a 45 before (previously just on LP). Hopefully we should have 'em in a few weeks. 500 only (and I mean 500 LOL) so make sure you get one. The first Jewel 45 release since the late 70's and what a double-sider!

Ian D

Really interesting the way this release is selling. As of today it's at it's highest Amazon ranking yet after 2 weeks on release:-

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B007O3VO2Y/ref=s9_simh_bw_p15_d0_g15_i1?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=center-4&pf_rd_r=1WVX06GVWAMYCHCBY9G3&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=234852867&pf_rd_i=229816

Now No.1298 might not seem like a big deal, but one out of every 1300 people who are buying on Amazon today, are buying an album full of Gospel Music from 40 years ago, which is kinda exciting.

Also I think the radio and press are beginning to kick in now and we have some pretty stunning reviews heading our way which have kicked off with a thumbs up from "In The Basement" which is usually a good sign.

So the story's just beginning on this I think. Great to finally meet Greg Belson this week. I'm hoping to catch one of his gigs whilst he's over here.

Ian D

RE: the people who run the system don't think that there's anything wrong with the system and can't understand why I would get so upset

....... I know Ian didn't mean it to apply to this case .... BUT ... the above statement just about perfectly sums up the state of the UK banking industry at present.

You're so right Roburt. A lot of younger people get indoctrinated into systems from an early age, so they don't know any better. I go through this shit on a regular basis.

For instance, earlier today, I needed to make an online payment to a company. So I zapped into my usual process to make the payment in my lunch break on my work computer. However, it turned out that since I last visited the site, it's been blocked at my workplace. But instead of telling me that the site was blocked so I should forget it, I got some incomprehensible b*llocks about certification and I had to click a 'Yes' button to proceed. So I did as instructed and the site kept freezing every time I got to the point of paying. After an hour and half a dozen unsuccessful attempts to pay on my work computer, I gave up and switched to my i-phone. I pumped in the website and got going. When I got to the payment bit, I pumped in my card details and kept getting rejected with a message saying the security code was wrong. I then realised that I'd changed my card in the last 2 weeks because the old one was trashed and they'd issued me with a new one with different start/end dates andf a different security code. So I then had to change all my security details which involved me then having to remember my Apple password in order to simply get access to change my details. And then, once I'd done all that, I got to the final click and couldn't do it because the i-phone app box was bouncing all over the place and wouldn't stay still long enough to let me get the password in blah, blah, blah..............

I finally got through to the company's customer service centre, to be told that their website 'had technical issues' and that their i-phone app was 'clashing'. I asked them "clashing with what?" and the robot at the other end said, "clashing sir. That's what we've been told".

3 hours of my life which I'll never get back. I can't imagine my 81 year old dad having much truck with stuff like this. The only reason I put up with crap like this is because I don't have any choice.

And it was the same with the banks back in the 90's for me. They made their own rules up and basically said, "tough shit. If you don't like it, then f*ck off". So that's exactly what I did in 1998.

Now, in 2012, they're finally paying me back for all the PPI charges they nicked from me from the mid 1980's to the late 90's because they've been forced to by law. Yet, for the last 20 years they tried to make me feel like a pariah because I questioned the morality of their actions.

But this should probably be in the banking thread Roburt.

I'm trying to promote an album which is all about inspiration. I don't wanna drag it down with Banking stuff old bean.......

Ian D

Hello Mr D! Great idea, well done :o)

We soul-punned the Olympics half to death on a drunken evening over on Facebook a couple of months back - some of my faves below to make you smile.

Free review copies to me at the usual address please ;o)

Tee x

Maxine Brown - It's Torcher

Little Richard - I Don't Want To Discus It

Landlords of East London - Cashing In

Invitations - Cross-Country Ski-ing In The Snow

Del-Larks - Job Opening Ceremony

Ron Grainer - A Touch Of Velvet A Sting Of Ralgex

Hop Skip & Jump Mahoney - Tennis (Don't Be So Blind To Love)

Paula Radcliffe - You Didn't Do A Turd

Judo Street - Shot

Benzine - Olympic Village Of Tears

Winstons - Love Of The Commentators

Johnny Nash - There Are More Equestrians Than Answers

Edwin Starr - Running Back And Forth

Johnny Howard - The (Steeple)Chase Is On

Marvin Gaye - Where Are We Rowing?

Willie Mitchell - That Diving Heat

Platters - With These Rings

Happy - Velvet Hammer

Edwin Starr - (Tug Of) War

Dana Valery - Judo Know If Your Drug Test Lies

Marvin Gaye - I Hurdle Through The Grapevine

Lou Pride - I'm Com"ží" 'neci In The Morn'un

Junior Walker - Shotput

Chairmen Of The IOC - Give Me Just A Little More Bribe

Tommy Hunt - Never Love A Robin Cousins

Melba Moore - The Magic Torch

Carstairs - It Relay Hurts Me Girl

LOL, that sounds like the sort of conversation we'd have on a Sunday night after a couple of all-nighters and an all-dayer circa 1974!

If I ever do a compilation of Soul puns I'll knock on your door!

PM me your address again and I'll send some summer cheer!

Ian D

I agree. It's been like that since Monday and it's bloody annoying. The Amazon software has some kind of 'recognition technique' which has confused "Inspired! Blood, Soul, Sweat & Cheers" with an 'inspired' title from Expansion and for some reason given us their reviews in the process. Daft.

I have nothing but problems with these automated systems because they're just not good enough. For example, I tried to load "Inspired! Blood, Soul, Sweat & Cheers" into the new Official Chart Company database today and it kept blowing me back.

It turns out the Database doesn't recognise exclamation marks or commas - basic English grammar which is fundamental to our language and national identity. So, in order to get on the system, I have to bastardise my title in order to comply with a badly designed database. Sheer stupidity.

But the people who run the system don't think that there's anything wrong with the system and can't understand why I would get so upset about losing an exclamation mark and a few commas. I'm like the Victor Meldrew of maintaining literary standards in a sea of shit LOL...

Amazon have been alerted twice in the last 4 days about this blitch but they work at their own speed so who knows when it'll get changed. I'm not gonna moan too much 'cos they're my best customer these days.

Ian D

Still not managed to get CD1 out of the player.

......... Hopefully I'll get to hear CD2 sometime soon

I'm away for 4 days from Saturday, will have to put CD2 in the car .... sorted !!!).

C'mon Roburt. "Holy Spirit" Volume 2 will be out before you've even listened to CD2 of Vol 1!

Ian D

Hello Ian,

I heard there's going to be some kind of sporting event in London to promote this album.

I think it's called the Olympic Games.

Something like that.

Paul

Yep. The easy part was compiling the album. The hard part was getting the games to come to London.......

Ian D

Good luck with your mailing Ian hope the cd pricks up some ears, think your theme could help the compilation in some kind of way. hope this venture works out for you.

Cheers mate, so do I! It cost quite a bit to license, so I need some luck and hopefully plenty of coverage throughout the games.

Ian D

Can you please release something that might make my commute from Paddington to Spitalfields (there and back) more bearable during the Olympics? Come to think of it, and after the Olympics. Something on Mirwood maybe?

For Mirwood check out Kent's releases.

But Paddington to Spitalfields is a doddle. CD 2 of "Inspired" would probably work OK.....

Ian D

OK, this got mailed out today to 35 of the key movers and shakers in the music placement business, so they should all get it in the post tomorrow morning. The exciting bit for me is just imagining a lot of people hearing these tunes for the very first time.

Will they get it? Will the hair on the back of their neck stand up? Will they sit there drooling from the sheer brilliance of these rekids?

Who knows? We'll see if anything happens.

In the meantime does anyone have any mates up in Salford who are doing Olympic type stuff @ the Media centre? I'd like to zap 'em a copy........

Ian D

I knew we should have given this longer pre-promotion. It's selling better in it's 2nd week than last week and it's at it's highest Amazon ranking today. Good news. It's actually just beginning to make some real sales progress now. Hopefully we'll start getting some reviews too........

Ian D

English football team- Brown Sugar -The game is over

Good one Gogs. It was on the original list but got pipped by Bettye Swann in the end......

Ian D

now that chambers has been pick

cheating kind

LOL, there were a few cheating records I could've used ("Cheaters Never Win" - Love Committee, "The Cheater" - Bob Kuban etc) but the emphasis was more on winning and losing rather than cheating.

Plus can you imagine the joy of trying to licence Don Gardner? It'd be difficult to even find a decent copy to dub from!

Ian D

for everone who finshed out side top 3

don ray born a loser

Good call but it didn't make the cut 'cos it's not one of my faves LOL....

Ian D

or "Up and Over" - Jay Traynor for the pole vaulting. In fact Ian, you should have opened it up on here for suggestions before you compiled it.

Jordi

You know I actually wanted to do that 'cos it would've made my life easier in terms of legwork. But on the other hand, I didn't want to give the game away (no pun intended) otherwise some bloody TV advertised compilation with a £200K spend could've nicked the concept and just outgunned me. It's pretty cut-throat in the music biz these days and you're only as good as your next release, so this one was too good to give away. So I just couldn't risk it Jordi.

But I'm totally into throwing wild cards into the mix. That's how the Backbeats series and albums like "Holy Spirit" happened. There's no point in repeating the same old stuff all the time as Ace/Kent, Numero, Outta Sight and others consistantly demonstrate. People LOVE listening to stuff they've never heard before.

It'd be constructive to do a thread to see what people on here would like to see as potential compilation concepts. Word of warning though: there has to be a feasible and realistic audience for a CD release - several thousand minimum. Anything less won't cut it.

So I'll start a seperate thread about this. I'm actually looking for ideas for the next lot of Backbeats comps, which, incidentally, sell fantastically 'cos they're quality and cheap so peope don't mind spending a fiver to check 'em out. Some of the biggest sellers are the so-called 'uncommercial' ones. So I need more of 'em.

However, in the meantime, I have an Olympics album to deal with.......

All I need is 1,000th of that 4 Billion audience and I'll be good for another year...........

Ian D