Did anyone on here ever buy one of these ?

At the time they were £5 for 100 records including postage , i bought one and when i went through it , found quite a few good records

The remainder were left in the loft for 30 years then a couple of years ago i went through them again with a price guide

i can't remember all the good stuff but here's a couple that were in there

cliff nobles our love is getting stronger on atlantic 2352 issue Book price £200

sam dees fragile handle with care atlantic 3287 demo book price £75

viola wills together for ever bronco promo £30

there are many others when i went through them i think total book price for what i picked out was £1500

not bad for a soul pack ?

just wish now that i had bought loads !

Yeah there were some incredible bargains, looking back. But at the time we have to remember that:

a) these soul pack records were the records that no one wanted (Channel 3, Ruby Andrews were other ones - too slow back then!)

b) the whole distribution network for records was collapsing and distributors were going out of business etc. as were labels and there was lots of stock about. So they would have been records where John had picked up quantity on a title - like 200 - 500 copies.

John was getting a lot of stock in (I remember containers arriving at Kings Lynn docks in the early 80s when I went there!). John was also supplying a number of record shops around the Uk with records as well like Black Wax, Record Corner etc and a host of others. So the amount of stuff that went through Kings Lynn was truly incredible. Who'd be the Soul Bowl Postman? I bet he had long arms or a big van!

They were great days (I didn't meet John until the early 80s although I bought off the list in the 70s - but mainly cheapies as I didn't have money) and like you I wish I had bought more of them.....but even then we were chasing the big sounds / in demanders etc. and had limited money to spend. Soul Packs were really viewed as a way of boosting your collection and finding new stuff cheap. But if I'd bought more at the time it would have saved me some money

Another incredible thing was the front page focus. 50p / £1 records here today gone tomorrow, many have never resurfaced in any quantity.

Edited January 8, 201213 yr by Steve G

I had a few Soul Bowl packs and looking back, yes, there were some crackers in there. A couple which immedieately spring to my mind as having eventually got some recognition and sell for a few beans these days:

Jesse Fisher - You're Not Loving A Beginner (Way Out)

Shelley Fisher - Girl I Love You (Dayla)

I'm sure there will have been more.

Yeah there were some incredible bargains, looking back. But at the time we have to remember that:

a) these soul pack records were the records that no one wanted (Channel 3, Ruby Andrews were other ones - too slow back then!)

b) the whole distribution network for records was collapsing and distributors were going out of business etc. as were labels and there was lots of stock about. So they would have been records where John had picked up quantity on a title - like 200 copies.

John was getting a lot of stock in (I remember containers arriving at Kings Lynn docks in the early 80s when I went there!). John was also supplying a number of record shops around the Uk with records as well like Black Wax, Record Corner etc and a host of others. So the amount of stuff that went through Kings Lynn was truly incredible. Who'd be the Soul Bowl Postman? I bet he had long arms or a big van!

They were great days (I didn't meet John until the early 80s although I bought off the list in the 70s - but mainly cheapies as I didn't have money) and like you I wish I had bought more of them.....but even then we were chasing the big sounds / in demanders etc. Soul Packs were really viewed as a way of boosting your collection and finding new stuff cheap. But if I'd bought more at the time it would have saved me some money

Another incredible thing was the front page focus. 50p / £1 records here today gone tomorrow, many have never resurfaced in any quantity.

Yes great days How the hell any of us managed to collect decent records back then i'll never know

i used to have to get my soulbowl mailing list sent to someone elses house near where i was working i would bunk off work every thursday morning run round to a phone box and start dialing only to hear the constant engaged tone . I would spend at least an hour of unbelievable frustration redialing knowing that the top sounds would all be gone by the time i got through , i can still hear John on the phone "Thats gone, thats gone , thats gone " it haunts me

i did get some good stuff though like Pointer sisters Send him back demo for £6 can't remember at the moment

I bought a record off John a couple of years ago because of the location etc i messaged him and i said "Are you the same John Anderson that used to run SoulBowl at 15 portland street Kingslynn Norfolk ? , if so can you send me one of those Major Lance you don't want me no more demo's for £6"

He replied yes it's me and there all gone !

..i had great stuff also..among them..soul bros inc on pyramid, the second copy of 'sweet music' chris cerf ( a massive exclusive for soul sam at the time, i sold mine to Kev roberts)..Joseph moore, Enchanters 'love with your daughter' several copies..plus loads more semi known which i used to sell on for £2-3..again i wish i had kept more..

Yes great days How the hell any of us managed to collect decent records back then i'll never know

i used to have to get my soulbowl mailing list sent to someone elses house near where i was working i would bunk off work every thursday morning run round to a phone box and start dialing only to hear the constant engaged tone . I would spend at least an hour of unbelievable frustration redialing knowing that the top sounds would all be gone by the time i got through , i can still hear John on the phone "Thats gone, thats gone , thats gone " it haunts me

i did get some good stuff though like Pointer sisters Send him back demo for £6 can't remember at the moment

I bought a record off John a couple of years ago because of the location etc i messaged him and i said "Are you the same John Anderson that used to run SoulBowl at 15 portland street Kingslynn Norfolk ? , if so can you send me one of those Major Lance you don't want me no more demo's for £6"

He replied yes it's me and there all gone !

..is he still in UK? i thought he relocated to US...

..is he still in UK? i thought he relocated to US...

He was about two or three years ago

..is he still in UK? i thought he relocated to US...

Yes still in the UK.

He sells stuff on Ebay, his user name is Skye49, latest listing is here, when I bought from him it was posted from Dumfries

https://www.ebay.co.u...5&_trksid=p3984

Edited January 8, 201213 yr by jim g

I had a few Soul Bowl packs and looking back, yes, there were some crackers in there. A couple which immedieately spring to my mind as having eventually got some recognition and sell for a few beans these days: Jesse Fisher - You're Not Loving A Beginner (Way Out) Shelley Fisher - Girl I Love You (Dayla) I'm sure there will have been more.

John Andersons Soul Bowl soul packs 100 records for a fiver ...these were essential purchases and what a great way of finding total unknown records .....use to love the buzz when the packs arrived the boxes were just big enough to hold the 100 45s .....all these unknown titles on labels that you never new existed...i can remember getting loads of the Instant label/Phil LA soul nearly all the Darrow Fletcher titles in one box some of the Capri stuff in another pack Reggie Souls 100mph stormer Mighty Good Lovin/World of Ecstasy ....this was a power play at my parernts house circa 1975.....in the early days i can remember one pack arriving .....mmmm when am i going to get chance to listen to all these records-hey presto i put a sick note in at school for 2 days..whey hey great times-i still have some of the original lists with the adverts for these packs on...still hair raising stuff=if i could turn back the hands of time?

Edited January 8, 201213 yr by tfk

I got a soul pack from blues and soul in 75 and there was a copy of The Valentines "Breakaway" on Black SS7, sold it in 1995 for peanuts and now it sells for 70 to 150 ..

John Andersons Soul Bowl soul packs 100 records for a fiver ...these were essential purchases and what a great way of finding total unknown records .....use to love the buzz when the packs arrived the boxes were just big enough to hold the 100 45s .....all these unknown titles on labels that you never new existed...i can remember getting loads of the Instant label/Phil LA soul nearly all the Darrow Flethcher titles in one box some of the Capri stuff in another pack Reggie Souls 100mph stormer Mighty Good Lovin/World of Ecstasy ....this was a power play at my parernts house circa 1975.....in the early days i can remember one pack arriving .....mmmm when am i going to get chance to listen to all these records-hey presto i put a sick note in at school for 2 days..whey hey great times-i still have some of the original lists with the adverts for these packs on...still hair raising stuff=if i could turn back the hands of time?

Like you say the box held exactly 100 records and some of them looked like they could have been shoveled in with a spade but unbelievable value for money

I can't believe i only ever bought one !

bought my soul pack around '79 when the price had increased to £12.50 for 100, still a bargain and wished i'd bought more, listed a few below that were in it, still got them all, not bad for 12.5 p each

millionaires "you got to love your baby"

fletcher walker III "guess i'll never understand"

variations "i wanna take you uptown"

yvonne baker "i can't change"

lee sain "i can't fight it"

carlena weaver "jealousy"

buckner bros "love you from the bottom of my heart"

albert jones "up to the sun"

richard starr "love is not a game"

tina britt "who was that"

betty wright "man of mine"

paragons "oh loving you" ISSUE!

I used to buy em in 1974/75

best ones I can remember

Jannette - Wade Flemmons ( a couple)

Please Stay - The Ivories 2 in every pack

ac read - my babys been cheating ...played it c/uped as Bobby Womack at the Wirrina..cleared the fookin floor..LOL

I bought one 100 for £3 and some good stuff in those Soul Packs too.

Yes still in the UK.

yeah, he just travels to the US a lot to look for records.

Andy Dyson told me that although most of the soul packs were filled with records he had some quantity on, that he would round them off with random records that he only had a single copy of. So some very rare records sometimes ended up in the pack. Are there a lot of people who got out of the scene with these specific soul packs in their attic?

yeah, a guy I DJ with dragged the remnants of his soul packs out of his attic last year, all records that were deemed crap at the time, let's just say that a fair few of them have got a lot less crappy & more valuable since he put them away in the 70s

yeah, a guy I DJ with dragged the remnants of his soul packs out of his attic last year, all records that were deemed crap at the time, let's just say that a fair few of them have got a lot less crappy & more valuable since he put them away in the 70s

you should have offered to buy them blind...

you should have offered to buy them blind...

I didn't know until after he had got them out, researched them & was telling/showing me in person, I doubt they would have been for sale anyway as he's still into soul 45s.

Alan Pollard got Chuck Cockerham Have I the right on Mala in a Soul Bowl soul pack. Back in the day.

Alan Pollard got Chuck Cockerham Have I the right on Mala in a Soul Bowl soul pack. Back in the day.

yikes!! nice one

yeah, he just travels to the US a lot to look for records.

Andy Dyson told me that although most of the soul packs were filled with records he had some quantity on, that he would round them off with random records that he only had a single copy of. So some very rare records sometimes ended up in the pack. Are there a lot of people who got out of the scene with these specific soul packs in their attic?

Spot on......

Ditto with the titles below:-

millionaires "you got to love your baby"

fletcher walker III "guess i'll never understand"

yvonne baker "i can't change"

lee sain "i can't fight it"

carlena weaver "jealousy"

buckner bros "love you from the bottom of my heart"

richard starr "love is not a game"

tina britt "who was that"

betty wright "man of mine"

also add

jimmy soul clarke-a girls world soulhawk [with ill be your champion on tother side]....remembering that JSC sweet darling was massive back then but not much demand on this 45?

jack montgomery on revue

brothers guided light-getting it together-mercury

just to mention a few

yes these packs were great value for money and a good source to expand your knowledge and collection...

i would guess looking back at Soul Bowls sales list from that era the current indemand sounds of the time and the latest hot newies/discoveries were the main string for John Anderson .....but there were thousands of titles arriving at Portland Street Kings Lynn on a regular basis from all over the USA .... these records were virtually unknown to most and not in too much demand either ? so maybe to make space the soul packs were a great concept ? but with time and changes in taste and variable styles of soul music being accepted amoungst collectors these titles were heading to be the in demanders of today and tomorrow...

ktf

tfk

Edited January 9, 201213 yr by tfk

Yup all the titles were too slow then for most of the UK customers......Chuck Cockerham - wow - but in the sweaty dripping vest main hall of the Casino nah, fairy music, stick on "The joker" or Judy street please......That said John has always sold to Japan and deep collectors as well....back in the 70s though Chuck Cockerham was only a few years old so maybe wasn't realised to be a hard to find record at that point.

never bought one but my brother used to most natable he had 4 copies of betty lou and bobby adams dr truelove,) he also had several copies of issues of herb ward honest to goodness (i know he got these cheap but cant say for sure from soul bow)

he had quite a few packs so he probably has other stuff tucked away

In one pack of 10 (selectadisc i think) i got Connie Laverne 'can't live without you' and 2001:black essence 'change in my life', both big money records these days. Anyone got a time machine?

Rob

Yes still in the UK.

I got don Gardner cheating kind,jd Bryant,jimmy burns,the combinations and 5 frank wilsons!!!!!! How lucky was i? Lol

It would feel like xmas, when the packs would arrive, and I bought a few, but I believe they were £25 per 100 alas still unearthed a few gems......Loads of Chicago labelled stuff Onederful/ Mar-v-lus, and as said many Darrow Fletcher pieces, along with quite a few 70's bits that would have their airing in the clubs.....Great buzz going through them , during great times.

It would feel like xmas, when the packs would arrive, and I bought a few, but I believe they were £25 per 100 alas still unearthed a few gems......Loads of Chicago labelled stuff Onederful/ Mar-v-lus, and as said many Darrow Fletcher pieces, along with quite a few 70's bits that would have their airing in the clubs.....Great buzz going through them , during great times.

Nah soul Bowls were £5 inc postage ' i still have one in my loft

Soul Bowl packs circa 79/80 were definitely 25 quid.

In fact I got a very nasty letter from a prominent member on here for padding out my sales lists with some of them. He actually took the time to highlight all the Soul Pack 45's and send the list back to me

Soul Bowl packs circa 79/80 were definitely 25 quid.

In fact I got a very nasty letter from a prominent member on here for padding out my sales lists with some of them. He actually took the time to highlight all the Soul Pack 45's and send the list back to me

I don't understand the complaint. Are you not allowed to sell records that came from soul packs?

I don't understand the complaint. Are you not allowed to sell records that came from soul packs?

you're allowed to sell them, you just have to sell them at the old Soul Bowl price & not profit off them by selling them at the current going rate.

CONNIE CLARK ---SOUL PACK 1975

J.D. MARTIN----SOUL PACK 1975

Soul Bowl packs were legendary and SteveG as always is spot on when he says they were full of the stuff at the time that the majority weren't interested in because they were too slow etc (the shit box as my frinds used to say of my packs when they'd arrive!) That said the front page focus was also fantastic and I got a shed load of great toons from there at the time including both Timeless Legend and Storm for under a £10! I'll have to go thru the reams of old lists in the attic (god knows why I kept them!) to confirm but Soul Bowl was the man as far as we were concerned. On a footnote; it took John several years to work out why he'd get phone calls at 6am and earlier from people like me with his list in hand desperate to get their sweaty hands on the toons listed before the majority of collectors called - thus was the joy of having a fellow collector/dancer who worked in Stevenage Sorting Office and who'd call me at 5am to go through the latest Soul Bowl list!!! Great days.

On 08/01/2012 at 10:17, Guest allnightandy said:

Did anyone on here ever buy one of these?

just wish now that i had bought loads !

Yes although not until early summer 1983. By that time it was £20 for 100 plus P+P…well worth the money but it was mostly unwanted 70s stuff which would now be described as crossover, modern, rare groove etc rather than “60s Northern”. 
 

Back then I wasn’t really interested in 90% of the 70s sounds just the 60s records and the current at that time 80s soul/funk/boogie scene. So took out all the decent Northern vinyl and discarded the rest which have been moved around the house at various points in the last 39 years. I even thought about dumping them on several occasions.

Out of curiosity, I dug them out a couple of months ago and had a good look through them checking out the prices using guides and online resources…I found plenty of now rare in demand items and at a conservative estimate the value must be around £3000! Most of the records now sell for a minimum £10 to £30 (hardly big numbers on the soul circuit but I only paid 20p per item back in 1983) with plenty of £40 to £80 contenders and a small number of higher value pieces like Clay Gatton on White Wing which then would of only been out 4 years. So yes, should of definitely purchased more of those packs!!!

There were also LP soul packs, in amounts of ten I think, although given it was about four decades ago I'm not 100% sure these came from Soul Bowl but quite likely; what I AM sure about is that I got a George Scott "Find Someone To Love" in one such pack.

The excitement of opening them up was intense. At least 90 out of the 100 unknown to me anyway, and it took years and years before, if good enough, they got played out.

As explained in a similar thread, anything untested was restricted to 25 copies in the soul bowl vaults, and the rest soul packed off.

There were obviously some records that were awful, but on great labels, or by great artists.

I remember thinking what to do with the slow stuff. I shifted all of them at record fairs as job lots. 

Happy days..

Ed