Amsterdam Russ

Out on the bike on a glorious afternoon. Took my camera with the intention of getting some shots of flowers. Unfortunately, while a bright sunny day, it was also a bit breezy, which doesn't help if you're taking pics of flowers. Also, a spot I know that should have been awash with wild flowers had actually been recently mown. This, unfortunately, is the Dutch attitude to nature - it has to be managed. Anyway, I didn't come back empty handed. Of the couple of dozen pics I kept, I'm really pleased with these 'flower portraits' - and the lone poppy in particular. Hopefully next time I go out it won't be windly and the flowers won't have been cut down!

Likewise, I heard it out frequently around that time and also bought it. And I’ve also heard it played out here in NL, although no comment about that.

Absolutely spot on. I always get the impression that the people paying way over the odds for items he's auctioning live in some sort of isolation bubble. The only thing they know about the 45 is what JM posts up about it. They have no sense of context of where The Drifters, say, fits in the context of the UK scene. Given that the beginning of the 70s is over half a century away now, of course one can't expect younger soulies to have the sense of living history as those who were there. And that's even more true for buyers from beyond the UK. JM sets out his market stall and people buy without having their arm twisted. That's fantastic for him and fantastic for anyone he's auctioning items on behalf of. As they say, caveat emptor - let the buyer beware.

Although I cannot find any announcements from family, it would appear from the many posts on Facebook this morning that Dean Parrish has passed away. https://www.facebook.com/dean.parrish.5 Is anyone able to confirm this sad news?

Half past four in the morning and I'm awake. Still, the view out the window makes it worthwhile.

Absolutely stunning images courtesy of the finalist in the Nature TTL Photographer of the Year 2021 competition. Winning image, which is actually a reflection in water and titled The World is Going Upside Down, below. Source: BBC News / © Thomas Vijayan Link to photos here: https://www.bbc.com/news/in-pictures-57335458

Really sad to hear. As has already been said, condolences to his family and friends.

Looks like a female sparrow hawk.

Another excellent job. Well done!

Mixcloud is, in many respects, the modern day equivalent of tape swapping. And where once upon a time the audience for your selection was limited by the number of tapes you recorded, posting a mix online can attract a much bigger audience - although looking at the number of listens of some of my mixes, that isn't always true.

If I had to choose one song to typify 'Northern Soul' - bearing in mind it's not a music genre but a term that labels what was once upon a time a youth/underground culture - it would be this one. A purely subjective choice, of course.

I guess we’ll never know why.

It reads to me as self-deprecating humour - in the sense that stereotypical dimwit Americans aren't great at world geography, and that if a place isn't in the States then it must be in the UK. Bob was mocking his own kind - his fellow American citizens.

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Balcony view this evening...

Yes, exactly so. The only difference between gospel music and soul music is the lack of the 'godly' element in the latter. Otherwise they're one and the same. Thanks a lot for giving my mix a listen - that's really appreciated.

In a good way or a bad way?

A selection of early R&B and gospel sounds including a number of tracks, possibly unknown/unreleased, taken from acetates. 1 The Hammer - Faye Adams (Herald) 2 Josh-ico - A Ram in Mexico (Ensign) 3 Money Honey - Betty O'Brien (Liberty Fr) 4 He's So Jolly - The Jolly Man (Acetate) 5 Troubles of the World - Gospel Pearls (Liberty Fr) 6 If Anybody Ask Me - Black Nativity - (Stateside Fr) 7 Elijah Rock - Mahalia Jackson - (Philips Fr) 8 Tone the Bell - Harmonizing Four (Vee-Jay) 9 The Madison - Billy Wade (Pathe DE) 10 Dyspepsia Boogie - Dr Rennie (Acetate) 11 They Don't Know - 5 Royales (King) 12 The 1109 - Lucky Carmichael (Dillie) 13 I'm Gonna Run it Down - 5 Royales (King) 14 Do It - The Jolly Man (Acetate) 15 Shame on Me - The Rumblers (Acetate) 16 Boom Boom - Five Keys (Capitol) 17 I Don't Believe You Put Me Down - 5 Beltones (Acetate) 18 Zindy Lou - The Mariners (Cadence) 19 Water Boy - Evelyn Freeman (UA)

Read this on the news earlier today. Absolutely awful, heartless and stupidly selfish. I really do hope those responsible are caught and punished severely.

Something a little different, but still photography... It's a fine selection of aerial photographs taken mainly in the 1920s and 30s of British seaside towns and which feature in a new book England's Seaside Heritage from the Air, written by Allan Brodie. Story and images here: https://www.bbc.com/news/in-pictures-56929622 Source: BBC News / © Historic England Archive / Aerofilms Collection They're well worth checking out.

I've pretty much stopped buying rare soul records over the last year as prices have become too prohibitive. And even with cheap items postage often doubles the cost, which sours their financial attractiveness. If you've got the money to spend, great. And if you have records that are nowadays fetching these exorbitant prices, then also great. I no longer have the money to throw at a market that has seen prices often quadruple in just a few short years, and also can't see the financial value in doing so - even if I did have the cash to spare. I love the music and always will, but ownership of original rare soul vinyl (or styrene) is a club to which I can no longer afford to belong.

Just this minute spotted the first swallows of the year from our balcony - a most welcome sight. Didn’t look as though they were stopping, but hopefully more on the way - and summer with it!

“The Stax Museum of American Soul Music announced today that it has acquired one of the world’s most prestigious and storied collections of soul music records comprised mainly of rare records by lesser-known artists from Chicago’s culturally rich... Tap to view this Soul Source News/Article in full