Mattbolton

Apart from being a special record, is there something particularly special about this copy of Maxine Brown?

Probably Jackie and Linda Hopkins, no?

Let Her Go is one of the dreamiest sides. Wish I was still spending this much on records. It hardly comes up too.

Absolutely at the pinnacle of soulfulness. Always regret turning down a signed copy from George Brown's daughter after she offered some up for about £300. Early days of money exchange then and seemed a bit sus. Rich Buckley got one from that source and true enough they were legit. Did anyone else have one off her?

Cheers guys. Thought as much.

Am I right in thinking the paper label copy on Maxx is a styrene West Coast issue? I've already got a vinyl copy but never come across the paper one before. Cheers in advance.

Best album he ever made.

Looking for the above. PM only please. Many thanks. Matt

It's gotta be the SF TKO's/Peggy Gaines double sider for me. Quite possibly the best two sides ever committed to one record. The soul world is incredibly lucky to witness both of those records I think.

From Sid. What up good buddy, yep a few sound familiar. "Watch Yourself Boy" is my old girl friend Jean Carter. I don't know who the others are. Carol Moore was a young lady from Newark that we used on a few tracks. Little Nicky was a good friend of mine who asked me to produce a Motown sounding record on him.

Wasn't this same thread here last year? I started it! Didn't we come to the conclusion that it was always going to happen at the Tower weekender. Despite Kev and Richard's sterling [sic] collections. Therefore you pay your money you takes your chance.

Has no one asked Sid? He might remember. I'll put him into it.

I know a Ady owns both the 'Lou Johnson' acetate and now more recently the Unsatisfied extended cut. Interesting that they've been booted on the same 45 cos I know he wouldn't have done this. I have the RH 45 which I adore but I really love the Unreleased cut for the mind blowing backing vocals. Sounds like angels innit.

Alright lucky pants. You've no idea how jealous I am about that. Probably three for me. 1) Originals at The Ritz. Really mind blowing and if you weren't there I found the live recordings on SPOTIFY of all places the other day, real shivers stuff. Crowd was insane too. 2) Phil Perry @ Prestatyn. Never knew he was the Montclairs man. Opened with a note perfect rendition of Hey You, my favourite record at the time. My head exploded and I just wept. 3) Morris Chestnut, same weekend. His own repertoire was short. Then he kicked into Ooh Baby Baby and I swear to god knocked Curtis' for six. Simply incredible. And if anyone has a sound file of that I'd love to hear it again. Dean Parrish at Cleggy was a special moment too. During a crowd involved rendition of I'm On My Way there wasn't a dry eye in the house.

For the benefit of diplomacy, before this thread gets out of control, I want to clarify my view. What I find amazing, and for this I am thankful, is that after 17 years of doing niters and events I can stand in a club for 7 hours and not hear a single record I've listened to more than 4 years previously. Not once compromising quality of sound. This is simply testament to the incredible heritage of black music and the efforts we have taken to seek it out.

It's very probable that those 'sweet memories' of the Casino and Cleethorpes have tainted our vision of what is actually soulful. The Carstairs tore the scene apart but you'd be hard pressed to find a generic Northern Soul compilation today without it on.

What I find comforting is that many of the new young faces have no spiritual link to those old venues and are free to discover their own sounds and develop their own '500' unencumbered by the past. And the quality is still top notch.

You're definitely picking the wrong oldies for comparison i think. If you were to pull out The Delites or Jimmy Raye I'd in some way concede perhaps. In terms of songwriting, vocal talent and arrangement every single one on that list makes ICMIA sound like Pinky and Perky.

'I just don't think that anything can hold a candle to the 'old stuff' - I've not heard anything anyway - I think the John Harris record is great and I bought a copy of the reissue but just can't compare with even something as worn out as I Can take Care Of Myself.' Yep, we'll definitely have to agree to disagree. ;)

If only to have just one of em, MAK.

I see your point Pete and rightly so, my initial post was opinion as was yours. Fundamentally it's a taste thing, I guess. The thing is the records I cited ARE all records from the past but either no-one found them or gave a shit about them enough to hammer them. Perhaps if we HAD found them or given them a chance they would be etched on the tablets of soul history. Dave's remarks go some way to describing my point. Some of them oldies you mention are great. Really great. Dazzling even. I'll say that some for me would be throw away records, not least the Shrine 45. Again a taste thing. But for a scene that has been ferociously turning up records for over 40 years I find it incredible that the records that are now surfacing (resurfacing?) are as stunning, if not more so, as those which for four decades constituted the musical canon of the scene.

I reckon.

I can start but wouldn't know where to finish. Prime examples.... United Sounds Sugar boy & Shades Of Black Young Mods Rideout Emulations Sag Warfare (the 'arguably' better side) Salt & Pepper John Harris

Like many on here pretty much all of my adult life has been dedicated to dancing to, travelling for or collecting these wonderful records we revere so dearly. Whilst there's been some incredible tunes played in my past I genuinely believe that the quality of soul music being passed around at present is the most exciting I've listened to in 17 years. This of course is down to a hardcore of relentlessly hardworking, tastemaking DJ's but I honestly feel really grateful that I'm going through this period of soulful discoveries. Although I acknowledge that many in their own right have likely been played in venues way before my 17 years on the scene I believe the amalgamated quality of genuinely 'soulful' records that are turning up way surpass the seemingly halcyon days of the likes of Wigan etc. Thats in no way a rebuff of the fantastic records that the likes of those many big 70's & 80's clubs gave us. They're incredible and we would probably not even be here without them. But I feel we've finally reached the face of the goldmine (pardon the pun). Where these records have been hiding all my life I'm not sure but I'm glad they've shown their face. What I guess I'm trying to say is that if the quality of music continues to develop in the way it does we're all in for one hell of a ride! Thanks to all who have stayed at it with the shovels and dusty faces. The future looks brighter..

Love this record so much.