Ian Dewhirst

Absolutely right. The more environments the better for me as I get bored with just one type of music all the time. Some of the best gigs I've gone to have been when I've wondered into a room playing stuff I've never heard before. Variety is the spice of life as Greg Perry once said.......... Ian D

Cracking record! Always under-rated even with those off key backing vocals which kinda make the record stand out for me..... 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Yep, sorry Sean. It's a promo with "Thank You" both sides....... Ian D

One here Sean..... https://www.discogs.com/buy/Vinyl/Kaleidoscope-Thank-You-Im-A-Changed-Person/63395239?ev=bp_titl Ian D

I'll be joined on the show today with my old sparring partner Alan Champ, so it'll be like old days with the usual inane banter and wonderful tunes to while away another summer Sunday afternoon in typical Original Mastercuts style. Hope you can join us LIVE from 2.00pm today. Six Million Steps Presents The Original Mastercuts Show LIVE with Ian Dewhirst between 2.00-4.00pm on Sunday 1st July 2012 on everyone's favourite Soul station www.starpointradio.com. Featuring...... Kenny Bobien * The Dizz & Azza feat Mmelashon * Gary's Gang * Fat Larry's Band * Willie Hutch * Norman Connors * Rhyze * Mousse T feat Borris Jennings * Maurice Williams * Carl Douglas * Dean Parrish * The Silhouettes * Clyde McPhatter * Millie Jackson * Joe Simon * Betty Moorer * The Chi-Lites * The Dramatics * Jean Shy * Sylvia * The Spinners * R. Kelly See you @ 2.00pm hopefully. Ian D

LOL, that's the beauty of a LIVE show mate. Who knows what the feck I'm gonna say........... Ian D

Show and download link from 2 weeks ago. I'm just so crap these days at posting! Apologies but playlist and download link right here folks! Six Million Steps Presents The Original Mastercuts Show LIVE with Ian Dewhirst between 2.00-4.00pm on Sunday 17th June 2012 on everyone's favourite Soul station www.starpointradio.com. Featuring...... 1st Hour Stevie Wonder - For Your Love Nassau Re-Loved Remix Black Sun - Spread Love Wipe The Needle feat C.T. Martin - Count On Me Jennifer Hudson, Beyonce & Jaimie Foxx - Family - Blaze Alternative Vox Mix Heaven & Earth - I Really Love You - J*Ski Voc & Inst Re-Edit Rene & Angela - I Love You More - Scratchnsniff Re-Rub Glenn Jones - Meet Me Halfway There Bettye Swan - When The Game Is Played On You - Apple Scruffs Re-Edit 2nd Hour The Steve Karmen Big Band feat Jimmy Radcliffe - Breakaway N.F. Porter - Keep On Keeping On The Rance Allen Group - There's Gonna Be A Showdown Jackie Beavers - Trying To Get Back To You - Sonny DJ Re-Edit The Ghetto Children - Don't Take Your Sweet Loving Away - J*Ski Re-Edit Al Mason - I Can't Go On Without You Sandra Wright - I Keep Running Back BPM Generation - Brotherly Love The Controllers - Somebody's Gotta Win, Somebody's Gotta Lose Judy Clay & William Bell - Private Number The Real Thing - The Story Of My Life O.C. Smith - Together - Soulpersona Re-Edit Des'Ree - You Gotta Be https://sixmillionsteps.com/drupal/node/1650 Ian D

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

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

Yep, I don't envy being in any festival organisers shoes this summer. It's the perfect storm what with the terrible weather, the Olympics and the general economic malaise etc, etc..... However, luckily Wayne had a back-up plan so Vintage 2012 will now be relocating to the Wilderness Festival 10-12th August @ Cornbury Park, Oxfordshire:- https://www.wildernessfestival.com/ Vintage 2012 will fit in here beautifully and hopefully we'll all get a break with the weather by then. Wayne is in the process of re-organising everything and will make announcements in due course. Out of all the festivals Vintage is the one which is closest to our collective hearts so everybody's support will be much appreciated. You won't find a Soul Casino venue at any other festival this summer! Ian D