John Moffatt

Hi all Anybody heard anything about a new Motown LP release featuring many very early tracks? I think it's just a rumour, but if there's anything substantial does anyone have details? Cheers John

Which is pretty much where I came in at the start of this post - can't shift good, but plentiful cheapies. Yet, when I play some of these tunes out, nobody knows them. They've never heard them played. So, they're common yet unplayed. Why is this? Many, it's true, are not up to the mark, but many are. The ethos seems to be, among many DJs (and, by exposure, many punters) that if it isn't a well known 'biggie' (that you probably can't afford) then play a bootleg, rather than search for something good, but cheap. The mindset seems to be that if it's cheap, it can't be any good. (This is easily disproved by the fact that many common cheap records have become 'biggies', and hence acquired a suitably inflated price.) This is ridiculously wrong and very sad, and potentially very damaging. If playlists continue to shrink, as they are doing in many places (the mentality that says "I play what the punters like and the punters like what I play"), then the end is surely nigh.

Just think of all the £200 bootlegs could you buy instead.

I wasn't intending getting too specific, but 3 tunes that attracted no interest at all were Martha & Vandellas - Heartless, Miracles - Would I Love You & Gerri Granger - You Must Be Doing Something Right. Not out-and-out in-demanders admittedly, but worth 99p surely (£2 postage). Perhaps not :-)

Well put. As you say, we'd all love more of the big ones, but we all have only so much cash, and the price shouldn't really matter anyway. If it's good, it's good. At a time like this when, supposedly, money is tight, how come the cheapies (but goodies) don't sell, but the big ticket numbers do? Or is that just my perception, that may not be universal or accurate?

Interesting point you make. For myself I can say, if I'm guesting somewhere, I pick tunes that I think will fit where I've been asked to play, and then I'll go for the ones that will be well-accepted, be that oldies, underplayed, R&B, whatever. But at my own clubs, I empty my box after every event and fill it up with completely different material. Of course, most tunes are repeated eventually, over the months, but my aim is to keep it as fresh as possible. That's where having a reasonable collection, with a fair few cheapies, works, I think.

Great to hear Barry. Yes, we do too. I hope the idea might spread a little, but such events are not very common (at least not round here) and I've lost count of the number of times I've been told to 'play something we know'. But that's another well-worn topic, so let's not get into it here.

Loads of very interesting and well thought out comments along the way here, based on a wide range of experiences. I can't reply to everyone, but thank you all for your input. I think we are going through a time when real bargains are there to be had, but it all depends on why you buy records in the first place. Can I ask though, that some of you who also DJ give some of these cheapies a spin or two. Whether you're playing at a full-on dance night or a chill-out session, there are many, many tunes that are in need of an airing (and, conversely, a fair few that should be put away and never heard again). ATB John

Got one if you're still after it, VG++, clean labels. I'll send you a PM with more details.

Yes Dean, no doubt, cash is tight all over for the reasons you state (I'm certainly no exception). Might have to rein in for a while.

Just posted a piece about the sale of cheaper records. You've got a bargain there, but is it a sign of the times? Cheers John

Hi All, I hope I've got this in the correct forum. Lately I've tried selling off a few of my cheaper records, to fund a couple of more expensive wants, mainly on Ebay, but also on SS and Facebook, as well as carrying a sales box around to just about everywhere I go. Nothing new in this, of course, except that, of late, I'm having very little success, with no sales on SS or Facebook, or from my box. As an experiment recently I posted six records on Ebay, that would normally fetch between £5 and £10 each, with a start price of just 99p. The listing was for ten days. Three of the records attracted no interest at all, while the other three went for just the start price, 99p. Is anyone else suffering from the same problem? Is there just a glut of cheap records about at the moment, or is there really a serious decline in sales generally? I notice many higher priced items seem to be becoming cheaper as time goes by. I've also noticed a number of long-term collectors who are selling up for various reasons. Any comments would be very welcome. Thanks John

All in decent nick. Please PM me if interested. P&P is £2 in UK. Outside, please ask. Paypal, cash, cheque. Gold, diamonds, camels considered. The 5th Dimension — The Girl’s Song / I’ll Never Be The Same Again Soul City £4 Mel Carter — Dreams (mono / stereo) RCA demo £5 Ruby & Romantics — Sweet Love And Sweet Forgiveness / My Summer Love Kapp £7 Cameo — Find My way / Good Company Chocolate City £5 Third Time Around — Soon Everything Is Gonna Be Alright (vocal / instr) Denine £5 Imperial Wonders — Love Coming Down / My Baby Musicore £10 Cheers, John.

I bet this guy thinks Karaoke is great

So, it's 'I've created a brand new sound but kept my interference to a minimum so as not to completely bugger up the original.' Since no part of that statement is accurate, I think we can safely dismiss this whole charade.

Pound to a penny - they're all coming to a 'soul' night near you soon. Some clueless numpty is bound to be on a 'look what I've discovered' kick.

Surely, the black fist image predates any use on the soul scene by a long time. It's use as a symbol of left-wing solidarity is well known. That takes it back to 1917, at least. So, what's all the fuss about? I can't see anyone succeeding in trying to copyright it, but, more importantly, I don't understand why anyone would want to.

Thankyou all folks, and apologies Ady for not recognising it at a Kent CD release. (Big OOOOOOOPSSS!!!)

Hi all, does anyone know the history of this record? It's on a white Epic demo 5-9449, and I always assumed it's a bootleg, probably ripped from a Goldemine CD (forget which one it was on). I picked it up a few years ago, but have never come across another. Any info much appreciated. Cheers John

ALL VG+ TO M-. Postage in UK is FREE, EU £4, ROW £6. Full refund, with one-way postage, if in any way unhappy. Always open to offers. Bobby Taylor - If You Love Her - Gordy 7073 - £7 Gladys Knight - You Need Love Like I Do - Soul 35071 - £6 Miracles - I Gotta Dance To Keep From Crying - Tamla 54098 - £10 Gladys Knight - The Nitty Gritty - Soul 35063 - £8 Originals - Baby I'm For Real - Soul 35066 Red Vinyl Promo - £10 Eddie Holland - Just Ain't Enough Love - Motown 1058 - £20 Supremes - Stoned Love - Tamla Motown 760 - £3 Jimmy Ruffin - What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted - Soul 35022 - £7 Please send a PM if interested. Paypal, personal cheque, cash. Cheers, John.

A bit of unusual R&B... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuHFEWTc5EM

Levi and the guys, from 1956. Long before their fame at Motown, the promise was there... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nf93BsIVlTs

Mine's on a white label and just says 'On licence from Disques Elver' and is dated 1974, with the number FL 479. It has El Bimbo as the A-side! Not sure where I got it, but it didn't cost much.

I bid recently on a record that had 'Reserve not met' set. I bid a few quid over £50, though the latest bid on it was less than £10 at the time. Straight away my bid went in at £50, and the 'Reserve..' legend disappeared. I wasn't expecting a figure that high (bit of a shock), so I'm assuming that is how it works. I couldn't imagine the seller set it that high through any free choice.

Hah-ha. On that note...... Thanks for your input Gene Cheers John