Amsterdam Russ

My name's Des O'Connor and I don't buy records.

Also available as a box set from your local Amazon/eBay, etc... (^^^ Ah, beaten to it ^^^) Must admit, I found them to be rather mediocre. There are some much better tellings of the story of the blues to be had out there. The four part series, America Roots Music, which was made in conjunction with the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian Institute, is far and away the best documentary on the subject of 'the blues', its origin and development, that I've seen to date.

It wasn't Churchill, although he may have borrowed the phrase - and it would sound good coming from him. The original quote apparently came out of the mouth of Abraham Lincoln, and he was supposed to have said: "You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time." Not only is that the same for DJ's, but it's also the same for life.

And there I was searching through Google for some information, late at night, on the songwriter to the latest 45 to drop through the post box: "I need, I need you love" by the Philharmonics - and where does it take me? Straight to this post from a few months ago. Sometimes my musical ignorance shames me.

A seller on eBay recently apologies for the delay in sending out a 45. As recompense, they included another 45 from the same label completely free of charge. An unexpected and generous gesture very much appreciated on my part.

I was just checking my browser bookmarks to give you a link to a company I've found to be the cheapest - and I see you've already been given it. Can't get white card sleeves here in the Netherlands, so have to have then sent over from the UK. Sounds Wholesale offers by far and away the best price per sleeve when you include overseas postal charges - and they send orders out very quickly.

The last 45 in my hand - yesterday - was a scruffy, scratched, crackly and warped issue copy of The Metros "Since I found my baby" that I bought as a supposed VG+ from a seller on eBay who is refusing me a refund and with whom I've now opened up a dispute.

"Being offered to the economy minded collector." I love it and take my hat off to the seller in respect of their wonderfully creative way with words. That's a gem.

I'm looking for a copy of this French EP by Barry 'Barefoot' Beefus. Got one for sale? Please let me know. Thanks!

Advance test pressing of "One who really loves you" from 1962.

Pete - I've taken screen grabs of your post at the top here on this page, the ebay page, and the Popsike page showing the same image. If useful or needed, I'll happily email them to you.

I'm a big fan of the track "If only we had met sooner" from her "Hypnotized" LP. Whilst the stereo mix is rather weak and very thin in sound, the mono recording is warm, rich, has great depth and really brings Linda's voice to the fore. The arrangement is marvellous, too. It's a brilliant performance all round and a great slice of early 'crossover' soul. It's also vastly underrated (possibly because of the weakness of the stereo version). Here's the mono version... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRLdicXQZuw

Don't forget that with tracks you can upload artwork/images to your iPod. All you need do is wave that at the crowd and there's the proof. Of course, with the majority of punters being old timers these days, they may have a problem seeing such small images without specs on. But hey, that'll give the moaners something new to go on about

Take it seriously? Of course Paul's having a laugh - and so am i...

Would you be digitising your 45s straight to the iPod or on to a computer first? If the latter, then I'm afraid there is a problem. When transferring a file from your computer to the iPod, you are in fact making a copy of the original. This means that the iPod files are reissues. As we all know, the Soul Police frown upon 2nd issues, repressings, call them what you will. Not convinced that the ones on your iPod are reissues? Consider - when you transfer the file to your iPod, you have the song on this device and the original on your hard drive. Admittedly it's very hard to tell them apart, especially as no matrix numbers are to be found in the run-out grooves of either, and John Manship has yet to publish his digital bootlegs and repressings guide, but the Soul Police can always tell. It's almost like bootlegging your own 45s, but bootlegging them for yourself! And that will never do!! Having said that, forward looking and more technologically minded soulies - particularly those who are a bit business savvy - will soon start swapping, buying and selling these files. Eventually this will lead to the development of the Northern Soul ODO market - Original Digital Only.

Are you sure? My copy begins with the slow organ intro that leads into the drum roll.

I've had three funeral songs picked out for a good while. There's no Northern, but to me they are very 'soulful' in their own way. I want people to cry lots when I die. So, my choices are designed to stir the emotions in the employees of the funeral home who will probably be the only people in attendance. 1. Lullaby (Nana) - Manuel De Falla (Spanish composer). Sung by Soprano Marilyn Horne, this beautifully poignant and emotionally moving song comes with a large helping of mournful melancholy that is guaranteed to get them in the 'mood'. 2. Greensleeves - Coleman Hawkins. An odd choice for a funeral? Give it a listen and you'll see where I'm coming from. Saxophone legend Hawkins turns an overplayed oldie into a thing of beauty, one that cannot help but touch the soul. Coming straight after 'Lullaby', even the hardest of hearts will have melted and lips will begin to tremble. They'll be missing me about now. 3. The Lord's Prayer - Mahalia Jackson. Specifically, her live performance from the Newport Jazz Festival 1958. About 30 seconds into this track, mourners will be moved from the carefully manipulated sadness to uncontrollable spiritual overflow. Hankies will be out now and (hopefully) some wailing will accompany the weeping. At this point they are in the palm of my hand and, being so deeply moved, will realise the depth of their loss and recall for as long as they live what a great guy I really was.

The Angelenos - Lori (Highland). Only arrived in the post this afternoon, but reckon I've played it eight or nine time already - and uploaded it to YouTube. Not only is it one of those tracks that creeps up on you, but it's got Mexican/Mariachi-style horns - and that always does it for me! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVDWcHf4sNA&feature=colike

Wanted: The Implements - Ole Man Soul Pt1/2 Looking for a copy of this on the green Loma label only. Must be a minimum of EX condition on both sides including labels. PM's please...

The seller has now added a 60 second snippet.

Thank you, Pete.

The seller has figured that out now!

You know when something really makes you laugh and then for some reason you can't control it or stop - that's me now. Priceless, absolutely priceless :lol:

Yes, but 'Wigan' features in this threat seven times and 'Casino' eight times. Sorry, make that eight and nine times respectively

Does the fact that a 45 might have been played only once or twice at the Wigan Casino make it 'forgotten'? I don't think so. Anyone got the comprehensive list of every track played at every venue, large and small, national, local and parochial, across all the years? Of course not. So, the question is then: forgotten by whom? Seems the answer is only old timers who went to clubs that existed for a few short years and closed their doors - how long ago? Let's have some criteria to define 'forgotten' before the usual statements of "When I was at the [insert name of decades dead venue here]..." Which is usually followed by the lonesome cry along the lines of: "...it's not like the old days..."