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How Many Known Copies Of Arthur Willis?


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Andy Rix got the second copy from someone in the US who described it as 'the worst record ever made', which Mick H now has.

So that's 3, (3 too many? :thumbsup::wicked: )

Oh. THAT story again. Three too many to some, two too few for my own personal comfort.

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Oh. THAT story again. Three too many to some, two too few for my own personal comfort.

I'm very sorry to have posted on this thread.

The 'THAT' story is nothing I know of, I made it up in order to ingratiate myself.

Please accept my profuse apologises. I promise not to darken SS door again.

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Guest biggray1

Three known copies mmmmm,so this must be very rare then,so what is the value on this one then,great 45 cant say ive had the pleasure of hearing this played out...the soundfile in refosoul sounds very rough.

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Three known copies mmmmm,so this must be very rare then,so what is the value on this one then,great 45 cant say ive had the pleasure of hearing this played out...the soundfile in refosoul sounds very rough.

Sounds great , i remember asking Butch to spin it and he replied "ok but not sure how it'll sound on this sound system" ?

Sounded good to me :thumbsup:

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Three known copies mmmmm,so this must be very rare then,so what is the value on this one then,great 45 cant say ive had the pleasure of hearing this played out...the soundfile in refosoul sounds very rough.

4 grand according to JM's book

:thumbsup::wicked:

Brilliant record!

Lenny

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Am I right in thinking Rod Shard was present when the first copy was found? What's the story Rod?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yes Rod found the first copy he sold it to Butch

Barry James had a copy when he lived Stateside and i had sorted a deal out with Barry for it

some how Andy Rix ended up with it which miffed me at the time but now i could,nt care less

Records & Relics Blackpol turned a copy up couple years ago that was sold / traded on to John Manship

who moved it on to Martin Barnfather ( Soul Sam ) Some fella in the States has a couple of copies i,m lead to believe

by a reliable source but they aint surfaced yet ( or have they been sold on Stateside ? )

Regards Ian Cunliffe

ps Mick H got Andy Rix,s copy

Edited by IANCSLOFT
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Sam played it last Sunday, it sounded great and filled the floor.

Hearing a smalltime laugh.gif North Notts DJ might have aquired another copy!! :D

Hi Mark,

The rumours are out already, I managed to pick up a copy from a friend in the States a couple of weeks ago. I tune I rate very highly, but was not sure how rare this really is, hence the question.

Thanks for the information everyone, a tune that will be treasured in my collection. A first time for the bentinck backroom next month.

Mark

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This seems to have a Jamacian feel to it where was it recorded?

Hi Ted,

No address on the label, I agree has a reggae feel to it. This copy actually came from georgia but that is no indication.I have not heard of the label before but i am sure someone will enlighten us.

Mark

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Hi Ted,

No address on the label, I agree has a reggae feel to it. This copy actually came from georgia but that is no indication.I have not heard of the label before but i am sure someone will enlighten us.

Mark

Mars La Tour was a Georgia label owned by a guy called Carl Queen

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Hi Ted,

No address on the label, I agree has a reggae feel to it. This copy actually came from georgia but that is no indication.I have not heard of the label before but i am sure someone will enlighten us.

Mark

Mars La Tour was a Georgia label owned by a guy called Carl Queen

perhaps he toured the west indies :D

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Hi Ted,

No address on the label, I agree has a reggae feel to it. This copy actually came from georgia but that is no indication.I have not heard of the label before but i am sure someone will enlighten us.

Mark

Prepare to be inundated with requests to sell it Mark.... :D ....and let me be the first, sell us it, go on..... biggrin.gif .....pleeeeease.

Phil.

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i've got a record by a group called chain of fools on this label which is also very good. Dare I say its a better record than AW :D

popsike shows one but that isn't mine. My copy is in quite bad shape but OK for home listening.

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i've got a record by a group called chain of fools on this label which is also very good. Dare I say its a better record than AW :D

popsike shows one but that isn't mine. My copy is in quite bad shape but OK for home listening.

Share it with us then please Sound file?

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Oh. THAT story again. Three too many to some, two too few for my own personal comfort.

I'm very sorry to have posted on this thread.

The 'THAT' story is nothing I know of, I made it up in order to ingratiate myself.

Please accept my profuse apologises. I promise not to darken SS door again.

simon,

dont think anyones having a dig

think agent45 is the guy who had the 45 up on his website eg the one barry james got

which may explain his wording

mike

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A tad more info about the Arthur Willis here: https://www.soul-source.co.uk/Collect...illis&st=45

There were rumors in 2006 that some quantity had been found but I don't know if that ever went beyond the status of pure rumor. And just for the record, I still think it's a shit record. But I'd be very happy to find two more copies myself.

I did a write up on this in an old Shades of Soul. As stated the label was owned by Carl Queen and some other guy who had a French wife. The label name was taken from her home town in north-east France which was the location of a famous battle in 1870.

I was in touch with Carl for a few years before he died and he always maintained that he never had any copies or the master tapes. After he died I kept in touch with his family. The rumours of a find might have started at this point. When Mick H bought it from me I did let it be known that the family were in the process of clearing out a massive barn and the possibility that some might be found could not be discounted. As it transpired no copies ever surfaced.

The long search for Arthur Willis has also been a fruitless one.

I think the 45 will always be a rare one ... but we never know what might be around the corner

Andy

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garethx said:
Am I right in thinking Rod Shard was present when the first copy was found? What's the story Rod?

Yep I found it at Ye Olde Clocke Shoppe in Kannapolis NC around 91/92. Knew the guys in there very well through getting them Beach 45s. Been through place a few times but just happened to look under a table and behind some mags there were a few boxes I'd not seen. Mostly Beach but a lot of oddball 45s.

Got the Willis and that blue label thing "Little something or other" which I saved for Butch. And yes I though it had a slight reggae feel which I think is why I liked it. Also got the Sadler Panther 45 which I think Phil Wainwright got off me and a few others like Johnny Hoyle [i think]. Can't remember too well now but around 30 decent 45s.

If Agent is the guy who sold another to Barry James then by my calculation he was only 26/27 at the time and I imagine clueless when it came to Northern.

And now for the controversy. Most of them were or are clueless without the price guides anyway!! Very few I'd trust to tell me what a good unknown record is.

ROD

Edited by modernsoulsucks
  • Up vote 1
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i've got a record by a group called chain of fools on this label which is also very good. Dare I say its a better record than AW :D

popsike shows one but that isn't mine. My copy is in quite bad shape but OK for home listening.

I've got this one too. Yellow label. Nice Mello but soulful number..love this and never seen it anywhere..

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If Agent is the guy who sold another to Barry James then by my calculation he was only 26/27 at the time and I imagine clueless when it came to Northern.

Clueless? You can f*** off with that garbage. Don't make presumptions about me when you don't know me.

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Clueless? You can f*** off with that garbage. Don't make presumptions about me when you don't know me.

Don't tell me to F88K off you pr*ck.

I said "imagine" clueless. At such a young age I doubted you'd have had much experience of listening to Northern and going to venues to get a feel for it.

F88king moron!!!

ROD

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Don't tell me to F88K off you pr*ck.

I said "imagine" clueless. At such a young age I doubted you'd have had much experience of listening to Northern and going to venues to get a feel for it.

F88king moron!!!

ROD

Good. Now that this is out of the way, I'm not a prick, I'm an asshole. And I don't care what you think as long as you're not making baseless assumptions, which you were. My last bit of mudslinging on this subject is that with a name like ROD you must be the prick. Back to your regularly scheduled programming....

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A tad more info about the Arthur Willis here: https://www.soul-source.co.uk/Collect...illis&st=45

There were rumors in 2006 that some quantity had been found but I don't know if that ever went beyond the status of pure rumor. And just for the record, I still think it's a shit record. But I'd be very happy to find two more copies myself.

Quite a few copies changed hands right after it was "discovered" for the UK scene back then. Still a raritity but not as rare as people may think. 7-8 copies or more?

Agree about the shit bit, awful record IMO. Sounds like Homer Simpson on a bad day to me...

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Guest covmart

Hi Ted,

No address on the label, I agree has a reggae feel to it. This copy actually came from georgia but that is no indication.I have not heard of the label before but i am sure someone will enlighten us.

Mark

Mars La Tour was a Georgia label owned by a guy called Carl Queen

Here's a scan of some country thing on Mars La Tour with the address P.O. Box 606, Marietta, Georgia. Marietta is part of Metro Atlanta, on the north west side. I've got a MLT demo also, so more than just issues out there somewhere.

post-10045-1243707035_thumb.jpg

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Hi Mark,

The rumours are out already, I managed to pick up a copy from a friend in the States a couple of weeks ago. I tune I rate very highly, but was not sure how rare this really is, hence the question.

Thanks for the information everyone, a tune that will be treasured in my collection. A first time for the bentinck backroom next month.

Mark

Hi Mark.First off,good find,don't listen to one or two who want to piss on your chips.

Second,is Tats on in the Backroom in June? If so, Arthur Willis is another incentive to come along.Not been for a while...Kev :(

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Hi Mark.First off,good find,don't listen to one or two who want to piss on your chips.

Second,is Tats on in the Backroom in June? If so, Arthur Willis is another incentive to come along.Not been for a while...Kev :thumbup:

Hi Kev,

Yes Tats is on in the backroom next Bentinck, looks like being a great night. Will be great to see you.

Like I said earlier, Arthur Willis has been in my top wants for a while, so a great find from my perspective.

Mark

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Quite a few copies changed hands right after it was "discovered" for the UK scene back then. Still a raritity but not as rare as people may think. 7-8 copies or more?

Agree about the shit bit, awful record IMO. Sounds like Homer Simpson on a bad day to me...

So who's got the other 3 or 4 Benji

Because everyone else only seems to know of 4 including this one Mark's just got hold of

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Theres also the Rickey Andrews (edit) funk 45 which is very are as well but not in the league of Willis from what I've heard. Think Honky from the States plays it?

I heard it was a bluegrass label.....

Edited by mulf
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Theres also the Rickey Allen funk 45 which is very are as well but not in the league of Willis from what I've heard. Think Honky from the States plays it?

I heard it was a bluegrass label.....

Yes, primarily a bluegrass/country label. Here are the records by black artists on the label

MLT-2051 Arthur Willis & Soulful Dynamics - The Hurting Is Over / Gotta Find A Way

MLT-2053 Alton Reid & The Voodoo Children - Funky Hogg / A Boy Needs A Girl To Love Him

MLT-2066 Chain of Fools - Searching For A Brand New Love / It Takes Two

MLT-2090 Ricky Andrews & the Chances Are Band - Chances Are Your Dance Is Mine / You Are What My Heart Needs

I could use an upgrade of the Alton Reid if anyone can help out with that. My copy is pretty whipped. If Richard/Honky is playing Rickey Andrews, his copy *probably* came from his DJ partner Michael/Pomonkey, who got it from me. Not that it matters. I've personally known of about 5 copies of the Rickey Andrews. There's a sixth copy hanging on Rickey's living room wall, but it is broken, a big chunk taken out of it. The only other copies I've been aware of were sourced by Up!Pig! in that ridiculous distributor collection he got into a few years ago.

Edited by Agent45
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Yes, primarily a bluegrass/country label. Here are the records by black artists on the label

MLT-2051 Arthur Willis & Soulful Dynamics - The Hurting Is Over / Gotta Find A Way

MLT-2053 Alton Reid & The Voodoo Children - Funky Hogg / A Boy Needs A Girl To Love Him

MLT-2066 Chain of Fools - Searching For A Brand New Love / It Takes Two

MLT-2090 Ricky Andrews & the Chances Are Band - Chances Are Your Dance Is Mine / You Are What My Heart Needs

I could use an upgrade of the Alton Reid if anyone can help out with that. My copy is pretty whipped. If Richard/Honky is playing Rickey Andrews, his copy *probably* came from his DJ partner Michael/Pomonkey, who got it from me. Not that it matters. I've personally known of about 5 copies of the Rickey Andrews. There's a sixth copy hanging on Rickey's living room wall, but it is broken, a big chunk taken out of it. The only other copies I've been aware of were sourced by Up!Pig! in that ridiculous distributor collection he got into a few years ago.

so how many copies of chain of fools have you seen ?

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  • 7 years later...

This is what I always thought the story was.

Andy Rix bought the first known copy, he and Rob Thomas played it out and made it a desired sound. This copy eventually got sold to Mick H

There was talk that Butch didn't have one until he proved all skeptics wrong and played it (100 Club I think) so now there are two. (He may of had it first - Who knows)

A third copy turned up in Blackpool and was sold to Sam.

Number four was Gained by Mark Hopes from a USA record source of his.

Now there is one on eBay - If its not one of the above then there is five + all the others I haven't heard of

All the above is my version and counts for sod all

 

Mick

 

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Rod Shard had it first as far as I know and sold it Butch in the 90s.

Andy got the one that came from Barry James and was going to Ian Cunliffe originally.

Brian Wakelin from Blackpool found the copy in Blackpool. That went to Sam.


 

 
Edited by chalky
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30 minutes ago, chalky said:

Rod Shard had it first as far as I know and sold it Butch in the 90s.

Andy got the one that came from Barry James and was going to Ian Cunliffe originally.

Brian Wakelin from Blackpool found the copy in Blackpool. That went to Sam.


 

 

I wasn't aware of Butch playing it before Rix / Thomas but was aware of talk that he didn't own a copy until he proved otherwise. So I presume Butch had it but didn't play it out much if at all.

Top tune - If I had it i would play it every day and twice on Wednesdays 

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28 minutes ago, Mick Boyle said:

I wasn't aware of Butch playing it before Rix / Thomas but was aware of talk that he didn't own a copy until he proved otherwise. So I presume Butch had it but didn't play it out much if at all.

Top tune - If I had it i would play it every day and twice on Wednesdays 

So would I but I guess when you are Butch you have so many great records you can let some wait their turn.  TBH I thought I heard it first from Butch but could well be wrong, memory not like it was.

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