Amsterdam Russ

By the looks of things, it's a red wasp (Vespula rufa)... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vespula_rufa

Brenda and the Tabulations... Tommy Hunt...

My nomination is the Dionne Warwick documentary - Don't make me over. As well as being good in its own right, a bonus is that among the many talking heads there is Chuck Jackson. He pops up to provide comment a number of times.

Freddie North's version... That's why I asked which version people liked best!

Big Maybelle... Maxine Brown...

A little while back, a friend here in NL very kindly gifted me a copy of Dionne Warwick's Disques Vogue French EP he found in the wild and which contains her sublime take on the classic Luther Dixon-penned "Oh Lord, what are you doing to me?" I have to say I've been rather haunted by her version ever since - Dionne seems to bring the right depth of emotional fragility to the song, certainly in a way that appeals to me. Numerous other versions out there - Big Maybelle being the original and first call, of course - but what's your fave take?

Something local for me - Fingerpoppin' Soul with Hans Diepstraten and Harry van Vliet. Thirty years broadcasting uninterrupted on radio playing sweet soul, group harmonies and a splash of reggae/lovers... Normally they're in the studio of the radio station, but this episode had to be recorded in Hans's kitchen. Well worth a listen in spite of that...

Thank you for the lesson on Suriname and soul music! Here's an interesting article on the subject written by a couple of chums... http://www.sirshambling.com/articles/surinam_soul/index.php

Watched French movie "You resemble me" last night. A most unexpected and very powerful film! Can't say anything really, except to say it's about how the eldest of two young Moroccan sisters living in Paris copes with life after they are taken into care and cruelly given to separate foster families instead of being kept together. 7/10 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt15131600/

Saw that a couple of days ago. First half is a bit slow, but the drama and tension builds and the end result is a satisfying movie experience. 7/10

'Dutch Northern Soul' at the Wigan Casino!

Certainly not Soussan, of course, but why on earth did someone go to the trouble of bootlegging that?

Likely because Negram had licensed All Platinum material. It says on the label, “Produced for Red Bullet Prod and All Platinum by A Goodman and J Eggermont.” https://www.discogs.com/master/61908-Spooky-Sue-Ive-Got-The-Need/image/SW1hZ2U6MzUwMzM4NDU= Oh, and here’s a link to the Guardian article: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2023/may/11/pascal-jansen-az-alkmaar-manager-west-ham-europa-conference-league-semi-final

Finished watching The Diplomat. Rather mixed opinions about it, to be honest. Our lady diplomat is clumsy, socially inept, doesn't like public speaking, has a love-hate relationship with her husband, goes around looking like she buys her clothes at M&S, and perpetually needs to brush her hair - things that do not make her the ideal candidate as US ambassador at the Court of St James. However, politically she's exceptionally effective, which is her saving grace. While I like the political drama and intrigue, I'm not keen on just about everyone - herself and husband included - having relationship dramas. It seems the plot of the show runs from the political part to the relationship part and back again repeatedly throughout every episode. It's a poor person's Borgen. I give it 6/10. That reminds me – not yet seen series 4 of Borgen. Must get on to that.

Not convinced it's a reissue. A repress, perhaps, but not a reissue. Looking through the MGM discography shows the new branding was first used in 1967. Not on labels, but the new lion head design appears on 45rpm picture covers and album covers. For example: Robie Porter's "That's the way love goes" https://www.discogs.com/master/1111867-Robie-Porter-Thats-The-Way-Love-Goes-Yesterday-Years/image/SW1hZ2U6MTY1NzkwNDU= Robie Porter's "You could end the world" https://www.discogs.com/release/14256038-Robie-Porter-You-Could-End-The-World-Softly-As-I-Leave-You-/image/SW1hZ2U6OTM2OTYzNjI= Eric Burdon's "The best of..." LP https://www.discogs.com/release/6469935-Eric-Burdon-And-The-Animals-The-Best-Of-Eric-Burdon-And-The-Animals-Vol-II/image/SW1hZ2U6NDc1ODI1NTM= All three were released in 1967. Thus it does seem possible a transition period did go on through 1967 and 68. The Formations "At the top of the stairs", which first saw chart action in Feb 1968, came out on both the 'old' MGM label and the new one. We know it could take weeks or even months for a 45 to break in any chart, thus it could easily have been pressed late 67. In support of that, Billboard mentions that track twice in its Feb 17 1968 edition - once as a new release and as a track that was having a regional breakout. If it was getting strong regional airplay in the week prior to Feb 17th, then it had certainly been pressed in January (maybe even earlier) and subsequently distributed to radio stations late January/ very early Feb 1968 Of course, another possibility is that the initial run might have sold out and it was pressed again, this time with the new logo. The Invitations' track saw no national chart action (Billboard/Record World/ Cash box). But, if there was some regional action here and there, a repress might have been needed - and this time done with the new label design. For MGM to wait something like a year and decide to reissue a flop doesn't make sense.

Warner Bros was acquired by Seven Arts in 1967. The first Loma release of 1968 was The Implements "Ole man soul". This is available on both the 'original' yellow Loma label and the 'new' green label. The green variant was released concurrent with the old design. The following three releases were pressed, to the best of my knowledge, solely with the original label design. In Feb 1968, Linda Jones "My heart needs a break" was pressed with both the yellow and the green labels. Again, these were released concurrently. The new label design was not a reissue/rerelease. The Implements release on the yellow label is commonplace. The release with the new, green label is exceptionally hard to find. I don't have a copy, but do have a scan of it. Indeed, do a Google search and the only image of it you'll find is one I posted here some time ago. My point is that if the two MGM label designs were being used in 1968 (as stated in Modularman's post), then, as with Loma, there very easily could have been a crossover period where both were used. However, like The Implements on Loma - available with both designs, but with the new variant being super hard to locate - it could be that the new MGM logo was only partially rolled out. I don't see any real reason to suggest The Invitations MGM swirl label is a reissue.

Still spinning in our graves…

Hope you have endless fun with the kit, but watch out for those tiny critters - they ain’t half fast!

Just been reading the write-up on Sky News, in which it states that Linda’s “biggest hit was It's In His Kiss, a cover of Cher's The Shoop Shoop Song…”, and that “she toured with Kat Stevens” and “Steve Harley and Cockney Revel…” Must have been the proofreader’s night off. https://news.sky.com/story/linda-lewis-singer-with-five-octave-range-who-provided-backing-vocals-for-david-bowie-dies-aged-72-12872588 RIP Linda. You deserve better than that.

Delft is correct on both counts (the ‘t’ is emphasised). Delftsblauw [Delft’s blue] is the porcelain, and the city, Leiden - and they’re both lovely places.

Can’t advise, but I do know there’s a lengthy thread on the subject from around the time first box set came out. Can’t seem to find it though. Maybe Mike can help.

Thanks for the links. A comment in the first suggest the tulip fields are few and far between now, with somewhere near Kings Lyn being the best place to go. Had forgotten about the Spaulding Flower Parade. My other half made some props for the parade maybe 12 years ago and was interviewed on local BBC radio in the run up to it. They liked the idea that a Lincs-born lady who now lived and did business from NL was making stuff for the parade.

Must admit I didn’t know tulip fields existed in the UK. Fantastic to see wherever they may be!

Nearly right - Koningshof. There are a number of places with Koningshof in it. Was it a Europarc, and when did you come over?

A Wednesday afternoon visit to the glorious tulip fields of Lisse here in the Netherlands...