Amsterdam Russ

Long overdue, Andy. Will send you a PM.

From the Scottish paper, The National: Source: https://www.thenational.scot/news/20188284.jubilee-pageant-concern-apparent-black-sun-nazi-symbol-northern-soul-float/ I've just done a quick search and found it rather easily... https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/black-sun-symbol-icon-color-vector-1333116191

From the Daily Mirror... https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/people-outraged-over-alleged-nazi-27152261 They had one job to do, just one. And they couldn't have screwed it up any more than they did. Kin eedjits!

Have to say that apart from the occasional new release I’ve pretty much stopped buy records now. Prices for original 45s have steadily risen over the past few years and today they are either unaffordable or do not offer value for money. Where cheaper items are concerned, ridiculous postage costs and Customs/VAT charges on items bought outside the EU can double the price paid (I bought a 3-DVD set from a UK seller on eBay just recently. Once postage, VAT and handling charges were factored in, the £16 I paid for the DVDs became £32 in total. That’s just ridiculous). Additionally, items that get picked up by Customs for additional charges are taking about five weeks to come through. I no longer know if items are lost in the post or whether they’re sitting in Customs. This is super frustrating for both me and the seller and is another reason why the desire to buy 45s has diminished.

I've ordered two copies (sometimes three) of most new releases I've bought over the last half a dozen years or more simply to help justify postal charges (postage for two copies is invariably the same as one copy) if they're coming from the States, and from the UK since Brexit. If I'm buying from within the EU, the price of one copy is usually fine relative to postal costs. For the handful of releases that subsequently go up in price, probably 90-95% do not. Indeed, many are still in stock. Or, if they have sold out, and there's not been the desperate scramble by people to get copies just because it's become hot, they can typically be bought at or around the original retail price. I can't say I've ever bought two or three copies of something on the basis it might go up in price. I've got a box full of low-value duplicates to prove that.

Early summer of 2019 and I'm spending three weeks on our favourite Greek island. Sitting in a taverna one afternoon, and Carlton Jumel Smith's 'This is what love looks like' comes on the radio. That's quickly followed by some Joe Bataan and a whole host of great soul tunes. I never did find out what the radio station was called (it was all Greek to me), but what a lovely and unexpected way to while away a sunny afternoon.

There was rain with the early morning sunshine. I said to my better half I reckon that with the sun being out the front, there's a good chance of a rainbow out the back. And sure enough, there was...

Not sure why you cut-and-paste JM's sales text without providing a direct link to the item up for grabs. That's very discourteous in my book. For the benefit of everyone - regardless of whether you're interested in bidding on the item or not - here you go: https://www.raresoulman.co.uk/harmonica-harry-nothing-but-the-blues-rampart-ramblers-soulin-sr-100-197263.html

Welcome aboard, Robert. In many respects, your story sounds similar like mine. I came into it about the same time. Still got an Inferno 45 and a few Kent LPs that were bought "back in the day". I sold most of my very small collection of LPs pre-Covid, but couldn't get rid of the Kent ones, bought when I was so shiny new to the scene - too many good memories associated with them. Hope you enjoy being on the right side of Soul Source - that is, by signing up and being a member rather than just lurking silently from a distance.

Not messed around with the camera and a light box in ages - a few years, to be exact. We had some over-ripe fruit at home and I thought that if I left them for a few days they'd be interesting to photograph as still-life subjects. Setting things up, I realised I was way out of practice. It didn't help that I don't have any really suitable lighting and ended up using some free-standing spotlights - very Heath Robinson! Fun to do, and perhaps oddly, I do like taking pics of things in decay. Things like that have a lot of character and texture about them. Well, I think so, anyway.

A bidder with 67 feedback and another with just 27 get into a bidding frenzy for a cheap 45 in, wait for it... VG condition? I'll be surprised if the seller gets paid!

On the official Ernie Barnes website (he being the artist responsible for "Sugar shack"), it states that: That comment hardly seems to be given positively, and intrigued by it, I tracked down the original source of the quote. It comes from an article Hopkinson (who describes herself as "...a writer, scholar, and advocate for history, culture and the arts across the Black Diaspora.") wrote for The Washington Post in 2002, in which she reviewed an exhibition held in Harlem called "Black Romantic: The Figurative Impulse in Contemporary African-American Art". Scathingly, she says of the exhibition: Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2002/06/19/art-viewed-at-arms-length/038d76dd-e5ae-4fdb-ac94-02de4b950f73/ I suspect Godin's feelings towards both Sugar Shack and the photo used on the album by the Temptations align with Natalie Hopkinson's perspectives - albeit Godin's comments came some 18 years before the reviewer came up with her "Chitlin' circuit" analogy. Godin, I suspect, perhaps felt that the artistic representations on both album covers were romanticised and backward looking expressions of Afro-Americans - their culture and music - at a time when Civil Rights struggles and the fight against societal and institutional racism were still very much painful daily realities (and the struggles continue, of course). Perhaps that was very naive of him. At the same time, "class struggles" and societal change were very much a part of who he was, so perhaps he wanted to see images that were (to his mind) more progressive and more forward-looking in their portrayal of Afro-American people and their music, which he so much admired. Regardless, here in 2022, I don't believe Godin's perspectives (as I've interpreted them) are widely accepted - as acknowledged by the price achieved by Sugar Shack.

Only on some. Mine sounds perfect.

The autograph (alongside the key 45)...

You're pretty much on point with that. The story goes - and it's been well documented elsewhere - is that Eddie Piller had a fixation in finding Callier, to the degree that he - with the aid of the old-fashioned Directory of Enquiries phone service and some access to US telephone books - phoned up every Callier listed or given. So the story goes - as far as I remember - he called up a number one day and there was a hesitancy in answering the question as to whether this was the right connection for THE Terry Callier. Eddie Pillar called several times - again getting a continued rebuttal from the young lady at the other end of the line. Doggedness on his part (what we'd probably call stalking today) eventually led to her - apparently his daughter - saying something like "there's someone who wants to speak with you". It was indeed Terry Callier. Anyway - and I'm sure many others can better clarify the story - Eddie Piller, after much reassurance to a man who had no desire to either get back into the music business or get involved with someone from the UK he'd never heard of - convinced Callier to come over to the UK on a holiday (I guess Piller must have offered to pay expenses). This, I believe, was all because of the fantastic success of Eddie's licensed release of "I don't want to see myself". As part of the holiday, Eddie convinced Callier to do a performance at the 100 Club - that was in 1991. I was there that legendary night, and have to say, not unlike many other 'forgotten' artists brought over thinking they're playing on the UK equivalent of the US oldies circuit, Callier was absolutely blown away by the response he got from the intensity of a small crowd that knew the words to every song he sang. Little did he know before going on to that small stage how much of a hero he was. The rest is history. He stayed - he recorded - he found adulation and fame. He was truly respected. He found the musical career he thought had died many years previously - and all because of the determination of someone who probably rang nearly every 'Callier' in America's many regional phone books. Well, that's my late-night recollection of the story. I'm more than happy to be corrected, put right, etc. I still have the flyer from the night. And, from a Terry Callier who was clearly impressed by my asking, I got his autograph when he came out of the dressing room, post-performance, which stood right in front of the 100 Club's equally legendary gents' toilets (in which, I might add, I shared some peeing space with Lou Pride before he too was blown away by that club's still legendary crowd.) The flyer...

I'm not sure why, but I felt compelled to go as extensively through the Soul Source sales listings to see how frequently the TSU Toronados 45 had been offered - at what prices and when. Here we go... 16/05/2022 - £500 (Sold) 10/05/2022 - £400 (Sold) 23/04/2022 - £400 19/03/2022 - £390* 17/03/2022 - £400* 22/02/2022 - £375 05/02/2021 - £300 (Sold) 01/10/2020 - £300 12/11/2019 - £325 (reduced from £350) 24/10/2019 - £225 20/09/2018 - £180** 18/05/2018 - £250** 21/04/2018 - £200 02/07/2016 - £200 31/05/2017 - £175 (Sold) 04/02/2017 - £200 24/01/2017 - £175 29/04/2016 - £150 (Sold) 03/09/2015 - £175 13/07/2015 - £125 (Sold) 09/05/2015 - Offers 02/03/2015 - £250 18/02/2015 - £150 05/02/2015 - £160 12/12/2014 - £150 (Sold) 20/07/2014 - £120 20/04/2014 - £140 14/03/2014 - $250 19/02/2014 - £150 (Sold) 03/11/2013 - £185 ****** 01/11/2013 - £180 ****** 28/10/2013 - £185 04/10/2013 - £150 (Sold) 17/09/2013 - £140 (Sold) 14/09/2013 - £175 (Sold) 15/07/2013 - £175 30/06/2013 - £130 22/06/2013 - £150 08/05/2013 - £150 29/03/2013 - £140 (Sold) 15/07/2012 - £150 17/09/2011 - Offers 04/07/2011 - £150 02/07/2011 - £130 (Sold)**** 23/05/2011 - £130 (Sold)**** 21/04/2011 - £90 29/12/2010 - £125 14/12/2010 - £125 07/11/2010 - £120 (Sold) 07/11/2010 - £150 05/12/2010 - £150 21/07/2010 - £150 06/06/2010 - £175 31/05/2010 - £175 11/06/2009 - £160***** 21/04/2009 - £180***** 04/04/2009 - £175 27/02/2009 - £175 13/02/2009 - £120 15/01/2009 - £175 21/08/2008 - £125 05/07/2008 - £120 (Sold) 14/07/2008 - £120 23/02/2008 - £150 (Sold) 22/01/2008 - £120*** 16/12/2007 - £130*** 09/11/2007 - £150 22/09/2007 - £150 01/03/2007 - £120 30/01/2007 - £250 06/01/2007 - £150 05/01/2007 - £150 26/11/2006 - £100 (reduced from £150) 15/10/2006 - £175 05/09/2006 - £170 27/08/2006 - £125 20/02/2006 - £174.99 19/02/2006 - £175 11/02/2006 - £150 30/01/2005 - £150 01/06/2005 - £100 24/04/2005 - £150 18/07/2004 - £150 11/11/2003 - £150 Where an asterisk or a number of them appear next to a sales listing, this indicates the same seller offering the 45 soon after an earlier listing. It doesn't mean the same seller across the years - just different people offering it up a second time after it not having sold, and often posting it again with a price reduction. Obviously there will be other instances where a seller has listed an unsold disc a second, or perhaps even a third time, but these weren't obvious to pick up (unless I also made a note of the seller, which I thought was taking this a bit too far) Where sellers stated the 45 had been sold, this is marked on the listing. This doesn't mean these are the only sales of the disc on Soul Source. Rather, these are the only listings where a seller has bothered to say it has been sold. So, 84 listings in total with prices ranging from £90 (for a copy with some poor sound reproduction) to an eye-watering £500 'today'.

Jerry Jackson for me. In fact, I'd rate them in exactly the order they're listed. Phillips James's version is very good, but as Dobie Gray sang... the original is still the greatest.

Definitely the way forward. I was at a 'soul alldayer' here in Amsterdam just last weekend. Two venues, with one running from 12 in the afternoon til 5pm, and the second open from 7:30pm til about 2am. I got to the first one at about 1:30pm, DJ'd twice, and once again (in the 2nd venue) between 7:30pm til 8:30pm. I left at about 11:30pm to make sure I got the last proper train/bus connection home - rather than have to subsequently wait for the once-an-hour night bus from Amsterdam Centraal Station that would then get me home an hour later (plus a 20 minute walk home with a heavy record box that was already stretching my arms). If I'd stayed til the end of the night, I'd get home at about 4am or later. After two-and-a-half years of lockdown, I find I don't want to do that anymore (particularly a 15-hour session from start to finish). Next time I organise an event here in Amsterdam (should that happen), it'll be an alldayer - mid-afternoon til late evening, ending before or at midnight at the latest. Very few local people here actually live in Amsterdam, and most come by public transport - hence they've always left early to ensure getting the last train/bus home. Now I feel they really want to make sure they're back home at a more reasonable hour - not just because of age directly, although that is a huge factor, but also because the idea of waiting at train stations, bus or tram stops for the next public transport connection at silly o'clock no longer appeals. Perhaps more so than at any other time, and after two years of restrictions on movement and activities, home is where the heart is.

Imagine... you're young. You're in a local pub. It's 1982 and you can't help but overhear the old guy and his wife in the corner moaning about how it's "not like the old days" and how ridiculously expensive things are 'today' compared to the good old days of 1942. Fast forward to 2022, and that same, previously young person from 1982 is in a bar moaning about exactly the same things. Yup, it's true. You've become your grandad.

The covers of the US and Canadian releases of this brilliant album have different hues. Oh, and in my humble opinion the mono cut is far, far better than the stereo version - by a long, long way.

I suspect 'someone' might have repackaged the Masterseal tracks, given them 'new' band names, and then made them available digitally. Searching online for The Green Apples brings up nothing. Likewise, if you search for the record label/publisher Popirock there's nothing to be found.

Hence why I put the word foreigner in quote marks. Anyway, on with the show and back to the subject of unchaining our hearts...

Never having heard of Don Raleigh (band leader) nor Don Raleigh (ice hockey player) until my online searches a little while earlier, the humour was lost on me. Maar, ik snap het... nu (trans for those not speaking Dutch: "But, I get it... now"). World famous comedy writer? Misschien in Nederland je bent een bekende "buitenlander" (trans for those not speaking or understanding my atrocious and unique form of Dutch: Maybe in the Netherlands you're a well-known "foreigner"). Normal English-language services will resume shortly. Just noticed, by the way, that the original post asking for any info on Sandy Phillips and "Unchain my Heart" is from Sept 2018!

A different Don Raleigh, I think. There's no mention on the Wikipedia entry (or elsewhere that I've seen) of the ice hockey star having had a musical career. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Raleigh

Pretty much exactly that... https://www.discogs.com/release/12474807-Hugh-Laurie-Didnt-It-Rain And... http://www.hughlaurieblues.com