Amsterdam Russ

Not so decent a camera, Peter. Mine's is a Nikon D80, which must be half a dozen years old now and takes 10 MP pics. By today's standards that not so big anymore for images. I bought it 2nd hand about three years ago and have no plans to replace it yet. Like you, I'm lucky to have somewhere very close to me that's got plenty of bird/wildlife. In my case it's the woods of Amsterdam. At the same time though, it's amazing what you can see outside your own windows. I only got the blackbird pics above because in between them being fed, the chicks were trying to fly and kept flapping against a window. That alerted me to what was going on and I stood quietly at the window, looking down on them, camera in hand!

As an extension to the ongoing "I saw my first kingfisher today" thread, I thought it might be interesting if people wanted to post and share any wildlife pics that they've taken. As I said on the other thread, that way instead of just talking about what birds and other wildlife we've seen, we can also show photos of them. Hope you think it's a good idea. As the current topic in the "kingfisher" thread is herons, I thought I'd start with a couple of pics of them that I've taken... Juvenile heron (looking very interested in a dragonfly) Heron in sunset silhouette Next up, a couple of pics of blackbird chicks, which I was lucky enough to get while looking out through a window at home. Come on then, show us what you've got. The only condition is that the photos are ones you've taken yourself.

Ah, yes. I see the shipping link now. Thanks... https://www.blurb.co.uk/shipping

What's the postage to Europe, please Mark? I can't get a price from the site without setting up an account first. Thanks in advance...

I've posted this before, but it's definitely worth another share - the mono mix of "If only we had met sooner". Vastly superior to the thin and tinny stereo version. So much so that it's almost like listening to a different song (if you know what I mean). https://youtu.be/mRLdicXQZuw

I've had partial refunds from eBay sellers on a small number of occasions. When I have done, I sometimes feel that sending the item back and getting a full refund might have been the better option. But, once that item is in your hands, it can be difficult to let go of it. Having said that, a partial refund is often much easier than having to repackage the item, set off to the nearest post office, pay the return shipping costs, and keep fingers crossed that it arrives back safely with the seller. Also, it's not always me asking for a partial refund. Sometimes the seller offers one as an easy compromise to the general inconvenience to both parties of returning an item. Sometimes it really is the simplest and most convenient option.

Nancy Wilson - French EP featuring her great version of Unchain My Heart

Found the earlier thread about this. No wonder it seemed familiar - I started it...

I seem to recall that this was discussed a year or two back. And I'm sure I also added a link to this brilliant latter-day vid of Carl Sonny Monroe.

This is a classic, isn't it? And it's certainly been achieved a few times, although I bet there are way more failures than successes. if I understand the idea, this is where someone sets out on a specific challenge to own something of significant worth by starting out with something relatively small, and then making their way to the goal by upgrading, selling for a profit, reinvesting that profit, buying something bigger in value, and, with a bit of luck, accumulating enough to eventually get the 'prize'! Always liked the idea, but think I'd fail miserably and probably end up with less then I started with. Good luck with it!

Ike & Tina Turner - Somebody needs you - Dutch WB with pic sleeve. A new addition to my Loma collection that I'm very happy to have!

Betty O'Brien - She'll be gone & Money Honey (French Liberty EP)

Had a good read through the site earlier - great stuff & well done to all involved!

Fully aware of that, Dave, I can read. However, as this is a forum full of music obsessives, I was sure that acknowledgement of the original version would be appreciated. My statement about The Weavers being a cover wasn't me being contrite, it was stating a fact.

That was incredibly touching to watch!

So, a cover of an old tune that was subsequently covered. Looking into the background of the song, I read that The Weavers version, done 20 years after Lead Belly, was described by Time magazine as: a "dehydrated" and "prettied up" version of the original." Anyway, I digress!

The Weavers certainly helped make Goodnight Irene more famous, but credit must go to killer and chain-gang regular, Lead Belly, who was discovered in Angola Prison and made famous by John Lomax in the 30s.

On the subject of cool versions of "Comin' home baby", Tony Middleton's take on it (recorded in France as Tony Milton and only available as a French release) is great! https://youtu.be/KwrVkBTR1-k

What sort of pies?? We all want to know!

Harlem Shuffle saw lots of action across Europe when it was released for the second time in 1969. It climbed as high as number seven in the UK charts, and - according to one online source - rose to eight in the Dutch charts, and 14 in Belgium (scans, anyone?). It must also have done well in Germany at this time. It was exactly because of this success that Warner's released Everybody jerk (but not the original flip, Just one look in your eyes). Does Loma 2004 exist? Well, I've been keeping an eye out for it for a good 10 years now - still am - but haven't had a sniff of its existence. I suspect though that there is (or was) at least a WB acetate or two of it. How else would you play cuts at in-house meetings when discussing forthcoming releases? Having said that, there is one small clue, of sorts, that makes me think that copies do exist somewhere. In issue 50 of the music fanzine Hot Buttered Soul, published in 1977, Chris Savory wrote a detailed article on Loma - this coinciding with the release of the ambitious 7-LP anthology, a project overseen by the late Claude Nobs. Chris very kindly gave me permission to reprint that article on my site. While there are numerous factual errors - generally assumptions made with the limited knowledge of the day - Chris had one great advantage when doing his research on the label: he'd been sent a copy of the Loma archive files by Dave Walters of WEA. https://www.lomarecords.com/loma-story.html Towards the end of the piece, Chris mentions in passing the fact that the label has another 'missing' release - Ike & Tina Turner - Recorded Live (vol 1), which actually came out on the parent label. Here's what he wrote: "Loma managed to release five albums — three by Redd Foxx, one by Richard ‘Groove’ Holmes, and one by Ike and Tina Turner. The latter album is a ‘Vol 2 recorded live’ and as the issue number before this album shows no release, I suppose you could safely assume that this was scheduled to be ‘Vol 1 recorded live’. " See what I mean about the errors? That aside, the clue, or rather, the half-clue, is in the fact that the 'missing' album didn't get a release number in the Loma catalogue. A precedent is set. No release - no release number. It's weak, of course, but the fact is that the Loma archives do show a release number for Bob and Earl. There is no mention in the files of Loma 2004 being withdrawn or shelved - otherwise Chris Savory would have mentioned it. Quite the opposite, he mentions the track safe in the assumption (based on the archive information he has to hand) that it did get a release. This isn't proof, of course, but - and presuming there was some consistency in the Loma administration - it does offer the tantalising possibility that, no matter how elusive it's proven to be for nearly 50 years, Loma 2004 - Bob and Earl: Everybody Jerk, is out there... somewhere...

Wanted... Rhonda Davis - Can you remember - Duke. Nice clean copy sought (both sides). Postage will be to the Netherlands, so needs to be sent Int'l Signed For or Airsure. Let me know if you have one for sale by PM, please. Thanks in advance...

I thought the Epitome of Sound bootleg - the one that has the track at 48rpm - was done for the Belgian scene.

As I've had a couple of requests for the info, it seems only fair to post the link up for everyone. https://vinyltracks.nl The site is in Dutch, so you'll need the services of Google Translate. It's a very small site though, so you shouldn't have too much trouble. You need to register and the link for that is on the far right and says "Registreer dan hier". Ah, just realised that the text in Dutch above that I cut & paste is live and links direct to the registration page...

Hold on... Found Romance Watson on a Popcorn channel on YouTube, and this one's speeded up...

What makes me laugh is that they even slow down the slowies! Romance Watson "Where does that leave me" for example. As if that wasn't slow enough!