Gene-r

Actually, I was led to believe that the original version of "A Groovy Kind Of Love" was recorded by the composer, Toni Wine (aka Carole Bayer Sager), and also released as a single in the US. Anyone shine some light on it?

What an excellent record! And too underplayed.... I'd say about £40 - £50 these days Headsy (take it you mean "Happiest Day Of My Life"). Gene

Think it sells for about £30 on Philips, Tabitha - got yourself a bargain there!! Incidentally, I wonder if Big Frank Murphy is actually Big Frank as in The Essences?? Anyone got any ideas on this?? Gene

They look like this, and are backed with "Ain't Gonna Give You Up" by the Volumes (can't get more booty looking than this, can you?): (Source - an unnamed auction site)

Oh no, Dave!! I should never have sold my Blue Rock issue for £100!! Always thought it was the other way round!!! Think I'll go and have a few Guinnesses and try to blank the whole traumatic experience out of my mind!! :-)

Derek, are you sure you don't mean PHILIPS? Billy - Big Frank & The Essences was released on both Philips and Blue Rock labels, as they were both distributed by Mercury. I think the Philips issue is marginally rarer than Blue Rock. Hope this helps. Gene

Hi Geoff, Actually, Gerri Grainger's "Just Tell Him Jane Said Hello" was the same as "Just Tell Her Jim Said Hello" by Elvis Presley (written by Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller), but was the female equivalent of the track, odd words changed for obvious reasons. As far as I know, Gerri Grainger's is the only version of this. Gene

Good luck Dan, but I think you'll find the copy of "Pyramid" by Soul Bros Inc out of the bag has gone!!!

Apparently, he was serving two concurrent life sentences for rape.

Aaaaahhhh, Janine!! Lost sight of you after I went to chat to Dave Abbott!! Sorry I missed you, but we didn't stay too long after that, as it was getting past my bedtime!!! Good to see you both - TOS next week??? Gene

Very sad news....... God bless you Johnnie - you have a place in my memory, not just for your brilliant "They're Talkin' About Me", but also for your work with the Prisonaires. Such a shame that what could have been the best years of your life were spent behind bars, but it still didn't put an end to that talent.... As a final note, does anyone know the Johnnie Ray hit "Just Walking In The Rain"? You wouldn't if it hadn't been for Johnnie Bragg; he wrote it, and first recorded it for Sam Philips' Sun label in 1953, with the Prisonaires, whilst still serving concurrent life sentences. The music lives on forever. Gene

Sorry to throw this in Mikey, but to add to that, not all styrene is see-through. Only styrene produced from the early '70s onwards will go a different colour if held to the light. Additionally, vinyl records from the '60s on labels like Diamond, Lescay, Beltone will go a light brown when held to the light. Confusing I know.........but when has life never been confusing? BTW Mikey, where were you last night? Didn't see you at SITC!! Gene

Hi YouYou, Apparently, Styrene was developed in the early 1950s in America, and was seen as a cheaper material for pressing records. The main producers of styrene at this time were labels under the Columbia group (Okeh, Columbia, Epic etc). During the late '50s, some UK budget labels like Gala used it, and called it "Lustrex", for reasons I don't know. It is these UK budget LPs (from between 1958 - 1960) that are the only example of Styrene LPs I know of - as far as I am aware, no other LPs have been made from styrene. The way to tell a styrene record is that it is always lighter in weight compared to solid vinyl. If you hold a styrene record by its edge and centre hole, then tap on the edge, you should hear a brittle, hollow sound. Not a good idea to try and flex or bend a styrene record though, as they will crack easily. Providing you play styrene records on a lightweight cartridge, they should last forever. If DJing, it's probably a good idea to avoid cueing them up, as back-tracking with a crap stylus will cause serious needle burn which is also permanent. Hope this helps. Gene

I picked up the following in New Zealand 3 years ago, all NZ originals: SOLOMON BURKE: Stupidity (Atlantic) FRED HUGHES: Oo Wee Baby, I Love You (Fontana) LEE GRANT: Movin' Away (HMV) - same as Kenny Lynch THE JEWELS: Gotta Find A Way (Colpix) AD LIBS: The Boy From New York City (Pye) GENE CHANDLER: Duke Of Earl (Top Rank) WILBERT HARRISON: Kansas City (Top Rank) THE SHIRELLES: Soldier Boy (Top Rank) LITTLE ANTHONY & THE IMPERIALS: Shimmy Shimmy Ko Ko Bop (Top Rank) MAJOR LANCE: The Monkey TIme (Columbia - green label) JIMMY RUFFIN: What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted (Stateside) SUPREMES: Nothing But Heartaches (Tamla Motown - neat looking red label!) BARBARA GEORGE: I Know (London) CHRIS KENNER: I Like It Like That (London) SAM COOKE: You Send Me (London) GENE McDANIELS: Hit After Hit (Liberty LP). ...plus about 100 other pop/rock n'roll 45s from the 50s/60s!! One shop owner allowed me to go through some unsorted stock in the back of the shop, but refused to sell me "Since I Found My Baby" by the Metros on NZ RCA (red spot), after he played it, saying it was going straight into his collection!! He was armed with the US Goldmine Price Guide, where it was valued at $150, so I guess that must have influenced his decision! Gene PS - it's gone quiet.....I was waiting for Agent Double R-Soul to say "There are 20,000 soul records pressed in Australia, and I've got every one of them twice!!!"

I've been told that the lined yellow issues are all bootlegs. I caught sight of a white demo which was lined some 20 years ago, but can't recall if it was real or a boot; it was being sold as WORN for £1! My old copy was a defininte original, as it had the "Distributed by Atlantic Record Sales" bit under Four Brothers. I think the copy pictured in the Northern Soul Top 500 book is actually a boot! Certainly looks like the label design which I saw in so many re-issue boxes over the years - there was more than just one label design for the bootlegs. Gene

Looks to me like a complete unknown, though "Look Around" is awesome!! I can see one of the top DJs including that in their playlist now, whoever it was got it. Gene

Have to say, whenever I think of Bottom and Company, somehow Ade Edmonson and Rik Mayall come into my mind!!

There's also: HECTOR RIVIERA: Do It To Me (Barry) HECTOR RIVIERA: I Want A Chance For Romance (Barry) TONY MIDDLETON: Spanish Maiden (Speed OR Storm) THE LATIN SOULS: Look But Don't Touch (Kapp) RAY BARETTO: Soul Drummers (Fania) Hope this helps. Gene

It's OK if you like it slow and bluesy. Sold mine for £3 on Ebay last year.

"Young Man With A Horn"???? Guess the title would be changed if it ever had a UK release!!!! This happened with the story of Bix Beiderbecke. The film was called "Young Man With A Horn" in the States, but even in 1949, the UK decided it was too blue, and renamed it to "Young Man Of Music"!!

Mike, There is one other Bobby Valentin 45 which is near to "Use It...". It's "Bad Breath/Love Me So" on Fania (445). Ady Croasdell played "Bad Breath" in the mid-80s, not long after "Use It Before You Lose It" was uncovered (Gary Rushbrooke played it covered up as Rex Garvin - and it sounds nothing like Sock It To 'Em JB!!). I have no idea what it goes for pricewise; mine came from an American list a few years ago for $10, though I have heard someone estimated around £75 for one - don't know how accurate this is though. As for the record itself; you wonder how a track all about his girlfriend's halitosis can be a neat latin dancer - but it is!!! On the two occasions I played it at Spinoff earlier this year, it attracted quite a lot of attention and enquiry. Gene

I'm sure "Melodie" by Bobby Darin was issued on a US Motown 45 in 1970 - am I right? Gene

It's not at all funny, whatever way you look at it. However, if you click on the "me" logo next to his name, this will take you to his "about me" page, where his feedback can be seen. Not trying to defend anyone, since none of us know the story behind it, but this guy has only 3 negs against 227 positives.....what can we say?

Speaking of which, does anyone know of other foreign countries (other than the USA) that released their own quality soul records? For starters, here are some from Italy: THE BLUE SHARKS: These Things Will Keep Me Loving You (Grand Prix) ROCKY ROBERTS: Just Because Of You (Durium) WESS & THE AIREDALES: I'll Never Turn My Back On You (Durium) Also, is it coincidental that Richard Anthony (No Good) on Swan shares the same name as the French chanteur? Or could it be the same guy (he asks, having not heard it for over 18 years)? Gene

Hi Steve, Never saw the strippers, mainly due to the fact I think that most of them mucked up the (un)dress rehearsals by losing grip of their zimmer frames!! I do remember a regional punk programme in the South during 1978 called "Revolver" (did you get it in other regions?), which was recorded live, and featuered some of the best punk groups of the time, including an early line-up of Dire Straits before they went sensible. Hosted by Peter Cook, who always had a nubile wench sitting on his desk slowly attempting a strip. Yep - you guessed it! Even by the end of the programme, she was still well clad!! Gene