George G

Despite the titles, the Big Wolfe is a Cincinnati record. I forgot who BW is (my copies of the Counterpart company files are long buried) but the co-writer is THE Kenny Smith. This was an early Counterpart production before the label was active.

The Human Beingz recording was a HUGE hit in the US - top 10 on the national charts and sold 100,000s of copies. It's also been in rotation on oldies stations forever and shows no sign of disappearing. All 300 million+ people in the US know it well. If it's used in an ad/movie by anyone from the US, it's pandering to the obvious, not some stroke of deep cultural insight. The HB band members also collect performance royalties.

Sure - glad to do it. I have a couple pics of the early Shaddows. The record was financed by a local lawyer. It got some local ariplay and probably sold several hundred copies. Unfortunately they recorded at WAM studios which was not much more than a shoebox with two mikes and an Ampex tape deck, the record doesn't have a lot of punch. Later the group made some professional recordings. In 1971/2 they played a lot in Cleveland and played opposite bands like the Raspberries and Damnation of Adam Blessing.

Since you were interested in the brief backstory on the Originals of "Ain't No Sun" fame, here's the brief background on some similar bands that haven't been covered here at least in the 3 years that I've been active Shaddows ("Together Again") - white band from Warren, OH (near Youngstown) - started as a rock band and changed to soul, adding a horn section with nine members. They played until 1972, but by that time they were playing rock and soul. Some of the members later played in the recording bands Moms Apple Pie and I Don't Care Insights ("Love Is a Game") - From Youngstown, OH - unlike the Shaddows the Insights were all blue eyed soul. They played local bars and clubs and like the Shaddows were well known and respected. The flip side of their United Audio 45 - "That's All" - was the hit side and was heard on local radio into the 1970s. The Youngstown area had many other bands who were of the 'blue eyed soul' variety. The most well known were the Jaggerz from PA, the Bellboys from PA/Youngstown, and the Hi-Guys (who recorded on Columbia as the Loading Zone). Universal Joint ("Love Won't Wear Off") - from Steubenville, OH which is in the SE part of state sharing the Ohio River with West Virginia and Pennsylvania. Another white band - that included future members of Wild Cherry and Crack The Sky (a band that was probably never heard in the UK but were big in several areas of the US and released many LPs). - George

I don't have all the names handy....I will over the next few months. The only guy that I talked to from the band was the drummer and his memory was unclear, he played drums in at least 5 different bands in the 1960s. Tom Baker moved to Michigan in the early 70s and devoted himself to Christian music. No connection to the Fab Originals (they were black and from Dayton, a good 200 miles away). Other bands from this 'scene' were the Naturals on Cle-O, the Hustlers on Fascination, the Cellmates (one super rare 45) and numerous others. There's also a rare record by the Enchantments on Doyle that's 'misquoted' as a soul record, it's actually a greaser pop harmony record (good in that style, but not soul, Northern or otherwise). - George

I know these guys, sort of. They were a white 'greaser' band from the Cleveland suburbs. Tom Baker, whose name shows up on some Cleveland soul 45s as arranger (and also a musical collaborator for the infamous "Sign of Aquarius" movie), was the leader of the band (yep, he's white). They also seem to have been (or some of the members played on) the 45 by the Magic Tymes on Mala. The 45 was recorded at Audio Recording in Cleveland and released twice - the first press is the gold label, pressed at Pama in Cleveland, the black label Ter Mar pressing is second. I dunno what else you'd want to know, but ask away...

I don't quite understand what you mean by this - I grew up in Cleveland and Sketches were a polished rock band that played upscale clubs. I didn't see them play as I was a teenager at the time and more interested in hard rock and punk. Jerry Bruno and his brother Bob go back to the early 1960s and run a suburban music store. They also played in the Selective Service of Shake/Green Onions fame but joined after the record was cut. I can understand why this record (which I've had since it was released) could be considered a 'dancer' but it's not a soul record. It sounds like many other records of its time. - George

Not that it's relevant to the Northern scene, but I've had the Shaddows 45 for almost 30 years (actually I've had a few copies), the record used to be pretty easy to find in northeast Ohio - the band was really popular in the area and played shows with the Raspberries among others. Too bad they didn't record it at a better studio.

DJ - I bought a record from them this week and was 100% satisfied with the deal. I don't know them personally but I can say that in my case I was well taken care of - George

I'm assuming that most of the hand markings were made when the record was mastered to the lacquer, and not inscribed onto the metal mother. Same for the stamps, although stamping a mother would be easier than scribing it. When record masters were reused, info would be crossed out an edited. That would happen when a record was 'picked up' for a release on a different label. The new 'owners' would 'stop the presses' and have the master (lacquer or mother) altered with new info

I bought a nice copy of Jesse Fisher in the past year for $350ish, so should be in the 250-300 quid range. Ignore the high prices paid some years ago, must have been a buzz record then. Also beware of promos that only have the flip side song on mono/stereo (forget the title). - George

Are you in the US? You should be able to go to the website www.usps.com and have all your questions answered. - George

This article is pointless - of course the number of record stores is getting gradually smaller. There's nothing in the article that says anything beyond some superficial hand waving. "Record store day" is not going to change much. No one who runs a store is relying on RSD to save their business. If you live in the US and collect used records, record stores are one of many outlets you use to find records. Thrift shops and antique shops as well. The antique mall near me has three stalls (out of 75 or so) that sell records and a fourth one just opened. Unlike record stores they don't need to cater to the trends of the day. There's also multi use places like bookstores with records, musical instrument stores with records, etc. There's still plenty of places to buy records. The bad ecomony for the past 3 years (more like the past 10 years) has also contributed to store closings. Check the number of bookstores in any US town lately?

I have a M- Lenny McDaniel - but it would take a big trade to get it out of me....no $ offers. If you can't get one elsewhere and must have it, hit me up in a week or so. - George

If you don't know - WIYG is a Guess Who song and appears on their "Wheatfield Soul" LP. It's an intricate pop song with jazzy progressions (typical of a Randy Bachmann composition) and certainly would not be a dancer. Could be re-imagined as a early 70s Four Tops type thing I suppose. It wasn't released on 45 by the Guess Who but got airplay, I well remember hearing it on the radio c. 1969/70

Thanks much Roger! I got mine in the past year George

I need help with confirming if I have an original green stocker. The label looks indentical to the scan posted by Roger, and the "Monkey..." side plays true. What's confusing me is the dead wax, the Columbia pressing number is hand etched, not stamped. There is also "T1" (as read from inside to out) on both sides. I got it from a Detroit area seller. The record material is deffo styrene. How can a DJ not like a record with a line something like (paraphrasing from memory) "Put on a stack of 45s..." thanks George

The address on the label is a few doors down from the Clarks/Glass City (Romona Collins, Casuals, Jimmy Holloway) record store/studio. It wasn't recorded there though. I bought one of the copies of this for about the price the last bunch sold for. Mine is 100% original pressed at Archer in Detroit....1968, maybe 1969. - George

I know Alan....I think he restarted his business sometime in the late 1990s, after being out of it since the early 1970s. So the disc was probably done in the past decade. - George

I don't want to sound like a snob but this record is easily finable in the US for nothing. It was a HUGE hit and there's really no demand for it here in the states. The postage cost from US to UK would be much more than the value. I'm not sure the origin of this copy, the US originals are the greenish demo (harder to find) and the yellow/orange stock typical of mid 60s Capitols - George

Diffferent Eric.....The reissue Eric is from Philly, the Big Sambo label was a Huey Meuax operation I think

Very interesting to a non-Soulie record nerd like me. How about - Inspirations (Breakthrough) ? Eddie Parker (Awake) two sales at $7K - ish

This is the most disturbing thing I've ever read here - anyone who would offer 50 quid for "Honey" is a deranged psychopath. I imagine it used as "Stuck In The Middle With You" in "Resevoir Dogs"

Same for me....all over and done.

I've noticed that there seems to be two different colors for Timeless Legend - (Baby) Don't Do This To Me A (ahem) 'forest' green and a pastel blue I assume both are originals? Is this just two comtemporary pressings or is there a story behind it? Both look like Musicol pressings and the label colors match their stock selections. TIA George