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Amsterdam Russ

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Everything posted by Amsterdam Russ

  1. What you said seemed obvious to me, so you ain't too far gone just yet.
  2. Intriguing! Having had a bit of a search, it appears Sandy Phillips was a vocalist with Don Raleigh & his Orchestra - a band that recorded low budget cover versions of pop hits for the Canadian Masterseal label - much the same as you'd get on the Top of the Pops LPs from the early 70s, etc. Discogs shows Sandy Phillips and Don Raleigh together on multiple albums, and Unchain my Heart features on Masterseal's MTH-13 and titled "12 Top Hits". Pic source: Discogs Link to Discogs listing here: https://www.discogs.com/release/11736960-Don-Raleigh-And-His-Orchestra-12-Top-Hits
  3. A recent mid-week trip to Brussels saw us, among other touristy things, visit the Musical Instruments Museum. Must admit to being initially sceptical, but it was well worth the visit. The many musical delights include a selection of brass instruments made by Adolphe Sax, the inventor of the saxophone (I did post this elsewhere on SS recently), and a surprisingly early 'pocket' gramophone player that was also known as a 'cameraphone'!
  4. “The best”, in my view - Dutch band The Originators - seen in the vid below at the Amsterdam Soul Club in 2013. They’re still going strong, albeit with some different personnel.
  5. Can't offer up any info beyond the fact it was set up by an Ian R Smith. And if you haven't seen it already, there's a discography here: https://tapirs.home.xs4all.nl/hotlead7.htm
  6. I think all of that is well known, but thanks. Just to clarify, the acetate sold on eBay just recently and shown in the eBay link is not the one I posted about back in 2012. Mine is a publisher's acetate - and as documented - allegedly came from the estate of Isaac Hayes, and which had been seized along with many other things during the course of his bankruptcy. Also as documented in my earlier posts in this thread, the acetate came with a copy of the Casper Peters version with the sleeve annotated with the question to Hayes that asked "Dear Isaac, All I want to know is why?" (and initialed "JM", ie, Melfi himself). The more recent acetate is hugely interesting, although in a much poorer condition - presumably because Mr Hayes never played the one sent to him. Why would he? I suspect the more recent one was pressed at the studio for in-house reference only, and as such is also extremely rare to the degree that it - in itself - is a one-off. Regardless, it's absolutely fantastic to know of its existence. Superb!
  7. Ah, yes. I’m with you now. But wasn’t it the case - and perhaps I’m looking too far back - that there was a clear distinction between commercial enterprises selling on platforms such as eBay and ‘private sellers’? In the case of the former, VAT had to be paid, but individuals did not. Jeez, likely that distinction is well and truly history and yet I still thought it pertinent. Upgrade 2022.4 required…
  8. Gift? The taxation aspect seems to depend on the status of the seller. Private = no VAT. Business = plus VAT. Or am I misunderstanding what the article says?
  9. Interesting and - at the same time - alarming story about VAT/customs charges on items bought online from the UK and sent to the Netherlands. Not of much interest to most of you, perhaps, but it's worth noting this comment from the Dutch postal service (PostNL), which states that: eBay, I suspect - and based on the surcharges I've had to stump up when buying from the UK - is charging VAT with no distinction about whether the seller is private or business, and makes it about impossible for individuals to dispute erroneous charges. https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2022/04/parcels-from-britain-you-will-have-to-pay-unless-it-is-a-small-gift/
  10. Exactly my own definition. For John Owen, here's a fairly recent thread on the subject. Can't say I agree with all the comments, but each to their own.
  11. https://news.sky.com/story/art-rupe-the-music-executive-who-helped-r-b-go-mainstream-dies-aged-104-12592177
  12. Well done to the team you support - and thanks for the explanation about the pic.
  13. A football match, obviously - and in a very empty stadium - but as someone who stopped following the 'beautiful game' many years ago, I've no idea what we're seeing beyond some very tiny figures on a pitch. Was it important?
  14. Courtesy of the BBC News website: © Darren Cole Lots of great photos that have rightly won awards. Check them out here: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-60912679
  15. There are services out there that will let you have stuff mailed to them in the States - and then they ship it to you. Here's one (note, I've never used this service, so no idea if it's any good or not): https://www.myus.com/how-myus-works/
  16. Sure, music moves on - it evolves. And when it comes to 'soul', I don't feel I recognise it anymore. I really do feel completely disconnected from the genre today and in many respects find it as far removed from 'soul' as 'R&B' is from 'rhythm and blues'. Also, in some respects the understanding and appreciation for soul music from the classic years is somewhat nostalgically challenged and even re-imagined. As the first-hand experiences of the people who lived 'soul' through the 60s and 70s die away, there only remains the second-hand experiences of the children of those parents. To paraphrase Jackie Wilson, it's like Chinese whispers getting louder.
  17. The future of UK soul is bright - or is it? Tap to view this Soul Source News/Article in full
  18. From The Guardian newspaper's website: The summer of soul meets the stars of the UK soul renaissance... I'm puzzled by the article - possibly just in the dark. Possibly, I'm at an age where I'm way outside the target audience. And the only thing I know about what's hip is in the future possibilities of hip replacements. Do bear with me... From the article: Must admit, I don't actually know what the "post-grime era" is (guess it must be my age - or ignorance - or both), but here we go... In-the-know writer (Blues and Soul, among many others), presenter and photographer Johny Pitts says that: Next up, he says that... Ok, nice sincerity... but did the Wicked Pickett perform at the Casino? Just asking. I never went there. And then: Interesting statement. Personally, I find it difficult to understand that "soul" isn't a part of everyone's lives anyway. What follows are interviews with various groups/performers representing the "new wave of soul". In reading them, I feel incredibly out of touch, and can't say that I even associate with the artists. Is it age - is it that "soul music" really has moved on that much since its heyday of nigh-on 60 years ago - or is it a case of us not just getting into the modern day sense of what "soul" really means musically? Full article here: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/mar/27/summer-of-soul-meet-the-stars-of-the-uk-soul-renaissance
  19. A gloriously sunny day here in NL, so we took the opportunity to get the balcony boxes and other plant pots filled again. Primula and viola for us this year, in the main - blooms all summer long and brilliantly low maintenance. Bring it on… And yes, that is a classic Dutch windmill in the background.
  20. I've just been comparing the scan with one of the group's "Look at me now" on Vent. It's interesting when you overlay one on top of the other in Photoshop - the inconsistencies become more obvious. Even without overlaying labels, putting the scans side by side and it's obvious all the typefaces - barring the Goudy family font used on the label name - don't match. Look at the lower case 'g' in 'Arranged' and 'Triangle' you'll see very clearly they're from completely different font families. Also, there's no full stop after the comma in Phila (Phila., vs Phila. on the fake - something that no-one would have made the mistake of doing in those days). And, as has been pointed out, the texture of the label (it's a completely different type and weight of paper - uncoated, by the looks of things - from that used on "Look at me now") and the almost pitch black of the printing (heavier ink absorption on the label because it is uncoated paper). Another clue (for me at least), is that the block of text featuring group name and song title isn't centred with the address details featured below. And, the kerning and tracking (the spaces between letters and words) are not consistent with the "Look at me now" label.
  21. Can you post up a scan of the label from the FB group? I’m sure we’d all like to see it.
  22. Welcome to Soul Source, Mike.


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