Gene-r

Isn't the first issue on the Stiff label rarer?

I know - they always turn up 'Scratchy'

Hmmm...........Tony Blackburn (aka Lenny Gamble) trying to sing 'I'll Do Anything'?

PETE!

Damn! Now what am I going to do with my 25-count box of unplayed copies??

Hi Pete, As a guess, I'd say records like this probably sold well locally, and were well-played on crap-quality equipment, and/or badly stored without sleeves by less than loving owners. A good example of this is "Some Good In Everything Bad" by The Fabulous Appollos on Valtone - almost always turns up in anything between VG+ and GOOD, but you never hear of spotless copies. On the other hand, I remember seeing a batch of soul records in equally bad condition. Not that they had been heavily played, but looked more like they'd been in bad storage in the same warehouse/shop basement pile. Hope that helps! Gene

Interestingly, the Leroy Jones "Someday" is actually the Thomas Henry track (released on Spar) under a false name!

Quite like "Twistin' The Night Away" - but what the hell are CHICKEN SLACKS???? Strange sense of fashion, these Americans................

Yep - it seems they all do, unless you play the first track with a heavier stylus. First went on sale around November 1983 at £10 each. Don't know of its origins though.

To those of you who sell to soul & ska collectors on Ebay, beware of northerne1960 (from France) and billymomma (from the USA). They have both bid on items (OK, £15 and £26 isn't a great deal, but it's the principle), have not paid up, and have both allowed an Unpaid Item Dispute to run its course. Deadbeat timewasters, both of them, despite the fact they have 100% positive feedback over the past year. In the case of billymomma, she bid on an item of mine. She won the same item from another seller at a slightly lower price, but did not cancel her bid with me. Obviously, she chose to ignore the dispute and strike against her. What really p*sses me off is that we can block these timewasters, but we can't leave them good, honest negative or even neutral feedback for what they've done. My advice to you, if they bid on your items, is to send them a message making sure they'll pay, or otherwise remove their bids and block them.

Only copy I've ever known of this to go on sale! Absolutely brilliant and so rare.

I guess Guy must have sold that copy to Keb in mid-1986.

Nice one - many thanks for the info Andy! I shall now be looking out for the Swan CD - gotta have it!

I reckon it's gotta end for between $4,000 - $5,000. Lovely record - thought it was more of a garage sound than anything else though. Am I right in thinking that a pic of The Primers was doing the rounds some time ago?

Been listening to an old Keb tape from 1986, and there's one track in particular I can't get out of my mind - "You'd Better Get Away" by Azie Mortimer. Does anyone know what this really is? From what I can remember at the 100 Club during this time, Keb played it off a 12" acetate (not sure if it was an LP track or what). I heard someone mention a few years ago that it was actually called "Get Away", by a girl group. Anyone know about it, and what it's really called and, most importantly, who is it by? I presume it's a one-off. So, who is now the lucky owner of the acetate? Please put me out of my misery - this is such an awesome track! Gene

Isn't that the Mexican issue, Ian?

It was reissued on FAB (as was Al Capone) around 1968-69.

4 years ago, while having a meal with friends at Old Orleans in Ipswich, heard "I Don't Need No Doctor" by Ray Charles played over the speakers.

Sure will! Text ya tomorrow.............

Hi Mal, Don't remember seeing that, so hope it was a dream! Hope Liza and Nia are doing well. Get in touch sometime. Cheers, Gene

Cheers Richard - was confusing it with the US TV quiz series "Queen For A Day", which this title was probably a play on!

Still worth a fiver - it's a 1986 bootleg. Came out around the same time as the Tommy Navarro batch on De Jac. Both these boots have the strange 4-prong centre hole, which looks like a centre's been removed from them. An original Stewart Ames has "Queen For A Day" on the flip.

And a James Brown production to boot!

I didn't Pete - I swear. Your copy of "The Laughing Gnome" on a Deram '73 issue is still safe in my collection!

And to think I sold mine for £5 20 years ago! JAMES.......WHERE ARE YOU??????