Johnny Hampton Not My Girl C/w Don't Lead Me On

A magnificent copy of this Detroit Northern Soul trophy!

Over the decades we’ve seen it all, yellow bootlegs bleached and passed off as promo copies. Fake Nashville Matrix’s scratched in the deadwax by a devious drunken hand late Friday night, ready to slip in the sales box for that poorly lit local all-nighter sales box or worse the ill informed buy the styrene repro….

Before you today is the RARELY seen authentic original press with the Nashville Matrix in the deadwax. As you can see BOTH labels are flawless, with the vinyl to match. Listen to Detroit at it’s raucous potent best, and then enjoy a nearly as good flipside that has been neglected by all, for nearly 40 years.

A Northern Soul trophy-piece in the condition that will retain and increase in value through the years. Dare we say, those who seek safe vinyl investments, you should not pass by…

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The winning bid was £ 1,614.00

 

Blues & Soul Edition 12 Edition 12 July 1968

An issue that digs deep, cover picture cover is The Valentinos which is the starting point for reviewing some obscurer soul artists, some of which were previously undocumented…

Where else could you find a artist picture of Lisa Richards a one recording only lady who 45 on Jovial is considered one of the greatest Deep Soul sister sessions of the 60s, or full group picture & bio of Sari & the Shalimars who obscure Veep release has just been made available in the UK by United Artists.

Vivian Reed also receives the same treatment, great artist pic and bio.

More well known Soul are artist enjoy full page pictures & bio’s like The Dells & Aaron Neville. Looking harder we find a rare pic of Dennis Edwards.

Plus all the usual eye-catching Record Company ads, charts, reviews.

This copy is utterly flawless other than than uniquely additicive scent of 1968 paper, that only historical artifacts share..

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The winning bid was £ 116.00

 

Robert Knight Love On A Mountain Top

According to an early 70s Radio One Northern Soul documentary, Blackpool Mecca DJ Ian Levine was single-handedly responsible for launching this over looked flipside from obscurity, to Northern Soul top classic status.

Earlier in 1967 Mr. Knight was pick-pocketed when his wonderful “Everlasting Love” was Xeroxed by the “Love Affair” with a lone Steve Ellis backed by girls-of-substance in the form of Kay Garner, Madeline Bell, Kiki Dee & Lesley Duncan to achieve a UK #1. Those plagiarists tried it again with “My Rainbow Valley” and would probably had made it a hat-trick of Robert Knight copying had “Love On a Mountain Top” not been obscured on a B-side.

From Ian Levine’s turntable to countrywide notoriety, not only an all-nighter favourite, but also a Youth Club tune, that influenced hoards of teenagers to join the early 70s in-vogue Northern Soul movement.

So today I’m quite happy to offer it in by far and away it’s rarest form - the 1968 British DEMO! Any serious British Soul collector will confirm this is no easy find..

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The winning bid was £ 107.00

 

Claudine Clark The Strength To Be Strong C/w Moon Madness

SUE 4039!

OK so how many of you who have spent a lifetime foraging British rare-soul vinyl actually own this SUE rarest-of-the-rare 45.

Well, now we’ve narrowed that down to hardly anyone - who can now honestly say they own a flawless LIKE NEW copy of this 1967 vinyl-mirage!

Click the sound file, rarity, condition will then not be the only thing you’re impressed with. As this 1964 Philadelphia Bob “Girl Across the Street”Finiz session, serves up two spectacularly emotional Soul screamers

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The winning bid was £ 213.00

Johnny Watson I Say, I Love You

1964 PROMO in spanking impeccable condition!

Johnny Otis & Ray Agee join forces to guide the Johnny Watson through this top-drawer R&B dance tune! Compelling n’meaty stop-start production contrasting a feisty girl-gathering against Johnny Watson’s snarling defiance against the plea of..

“Get Those Women Off Your Mind”

A hopeless request which Johnny tries to convince his fidelity with words of love, but his voice hides none of his scheming - you just know he’ll be after the ladies the first chance he gets .. this is Northern Soul R&B story-telling at it’s very best.

Only the likes of Charles Sheffield have stirred my legs into wriggling under desk like this statement has..an awesome song - in unbelievable condition!

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The winning bid was £ 287.00

 

Barry Benson Stay A Little While

Red & White’s you just can’t ignore a Red n’ WHITE.

How cool to hear this British release Northern Soul charmer again. Straight from the center of that Golden Era of DJ’s like the legendary Nev Wherry, Alan Rhodes, Rick Scott who almost weekly would unveil some catchy British discovery.

It was an era of “Pop” but very good pop that went hand in hand with Barry St. John, Micky Moonshine, John E. Paul, Mark Lloyd ..we could go on and on listing those British only releases that reverberated around Wigan Casino, Cleethorpes Winter Gardens, Yate etc. during the mid-to late 70s before the Stafford’s Top Of the World DJ’s like Knights on White horses came charging over the hill to rescue, to put Soul back on the menu.

Having said that, this 45 was some much better than some choices, take a long listen, it has undeniable charisma, that is why Nev Wherry turned it into a Monster tune causing more Junk Shop frenzy he so often ignited.

There is also of course the seductive allure of the RED & WHITE Demo and it’s palpable gleaming condition.

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The winning bid was £ 85.00

 

Satisfaction Unlimited Think Of The Children

Seriously rare 1972 USA Soul album, crafted by Ron Dunbar & Winford Terry (aka Johnny Terry of Just Brothers & Jack Montgomery fame) the pairing forge vocal-group-soul so divine, we have sound-filed SEVEN tracks of the 12 tracks on offer.

An album crammed full of real-quality, with four tracks delivering fabulous examples of vocal-group Crossover Northern Soul.

Here comers the astonishing fact - not a one of the 12 tracks ever received a 45 release!

Every track album only - offering LP & DJ collecting at it’s most essential.

Condition is impeccable, as you can see sleeve still shrink wrapped label perfect & vinyl flawless.

Listen and melt…

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The winning bid was £ 184.00

 

Tripplettes That Man Of Mine

Get ready for girl group soul at it’s most passionate.

The 3 girls serve up a beseeching testament of aching frustration, as that old, old story unfolds of “that man of mine” is running around with every girl in town, but she wouldn’t change him.

Listen and hear some tangible pain delivered in the sweetest way possible. A Bittersweet session of pure quality and genuine feeling. From a city that gave up so many great songs & artists over the decades, Albany, Georgia this is one of your very best offerings.

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The winning bid was £ 410.00

Gold Brick I've Been Trying

This weeks Sweet Soul offering makes the word “rare” seems rather inadequate in this case of the unknown band “Gold Brick” getting to grips with The Impressions timeless masterpiece “I’ve Been Trying”.

This is without question not only the most obscure and rarest version of the song, but also carries an unique identity of it’s own, as the D.I.Y. homemade atmosphere seeps into your skin, as the lead vocalist bares his pain with a gently-tortured-fractured approach to the lyrics; then joined by an ice-cold falsetto, gliding around in the background, only coming to the fore at exactly the right moments.

QUALITY!! and EXTREMELY RARE

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The winning bid was £ 139.00

 

Anderson Brothers I Can See Him Loving You

Before you today is the 1974 ORIGINAL 10” studio acetate!

A Northern Soul classic that was so popular in the 70’s, the NS counterfeiters bootlegged this title, fully there times. The counterfeits often appear on other auction-sites with ambiguous descriptions, with the latest misleading counterfeit listing sold for £150+, ouch!

The original GSF promo is ridiculously rare, but here is an opportunity to own the unique original “Direct-Cut” airing real depth of recording, lush strings swirl around, as the Anderson Brothers deliver pre-disco Northern Soul!

FOOTNOTE: I have to tell a humorous story Val Shively told me decades ago. A notorious English bootlegger walked into his shop - and after a few minutes declared “I want all those up there” on the upper racks of his vinyl-emporium. Val asked “What..All Of Them?” “Yes I’ll buy the lot!” Val thinking what a fantastic sale, he’d just moved all his 100’s of GSF 45’s in one shot… as he got them down onto the counter, the buyer announced “NO not the records, just the GSF sleeves”

Within days the first Anderson Brothers GSF counterfeits with the prominent New York press “ridge” style label were on sale in England, masquerading as mint original PROMO’s adorned with the company sleeves.

Oh, the tricks pulled on collectors back in the good old days!

…no tricks with this listing, just exclusive ownership of a Northern Soul Legend!

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The winning bid was £ 487.00

 

Felony Theft When You Have Love C/w Run For Cover

1972 soulful-crossover Northern that gives you twice the pleasure - both sides giving up rare inventive independent dance soul!

Top side is an uplifting feel-good vocal group relish, that currently enjoys residence in a few lucky play-boxes of some of the most-renowned upfront DJ’s. Not surprising, as it’s an instant reaction dance tune, at dead-the-right pace for today’s scene Soulful dance scene.Vocally it is slick, precise and together; a persistent guitar riff drives the rhythm for the interchanging leads to weave in and out of..

LOVE IT!

Flip it over and the pace goes up a notch and the arrangement becomes much more adventurous, with the same vocal presence but much more urgent in it’s delivery, emerging as a more funky/Jazz dance presence, with a wild sax break adding to it’s unusual texture. Not such an ideal dance tune perhaps but certainly a strong enough to be worthy of your attention.

So getting back to the A-side ….it’s rather special isn’t it?

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The winning bid was £ 300.00

 

Mark I I I Should I Believe You C/w Peaceful Lonely Fire

From the same man who crafted the Unlimited Four & Mel Hueston 45s on Chanson; comes this double-helping of vocal group Northern Soul that I’m having difficulty deciding which side I prefer, as both sides submit slick Northern Soul dancers.

Topside arranger / producer Howard Collins leads with thumping brass which collides head-on with aggressive vocals supported by smooth vocal harmony backing and chorus, peaking with a brass & bass guitar break before the attitude returns… fabulous vocal-group Northern Soul with big-balls!

Flip it over and Mr. Collins again shows off his talents with an altogether different animal - a super smooth Northern Soul crossover dancer seeps from the headphones like a creamy soup of soul. Personally I adore this side as it builds the atmosphere on a raft of rippleless harmony and subtle trumpet flurries to end in perfection.

Note: “Peaceful Lonely Fire” does not appear on the group’s silly-rare Canadian Quality #1936 release, it was replaced by another raucous NS stomper entitled “Anyway”.

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The winning bid was £ 300.00

Contours Just A Little Misunderstanding C/w Determination

Home Of The Blues - July 1966 said the A-side was an inferior dance tune to the one EMI left on the “B”. How correct they were from the moment “Understanding” hit the round-steels of “The Wheel” a timeless monster was born!

It must be 47 years since this majestic moment in Motown history debuted in England, and still when those simple but genius Earl Van Dyke piano-prods hit your ears, it’s off to the dancefloor we go.

I love this every note as much as I did when I was 16 - and so does everyone else!

Before you today is the rare original Tamla Motown 1966 TMG564 that sold very little upon release, as the A-side is a only shadow the future-classic.

EMI did put things right 4 years and 150 releases later when club demand could no longer be ignored.

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The winning bid was £ 100.00

 

Various Artists 50 Minutes 24 Seconds Of Recorded Dynamite

British 20 track 1966 compilation of Ace, Fury, Fire labels.

Artists from the iconic to the entirely obscure inc: Buster Brown, Lee Dorsey, Gladys Knight & The Pips, June Bateman, Joe Tex..to Dr. Horse, Gene & Al, Wild Jimmy Spurill, Joe & Ann.

An eclectic mix chosen by the impeccable ear of Guy Stevens who also guilds the back cover with his consistently knowledgeable & enthusiastic sleeve notes.

This copy has two perfect labels, neat clean vinyl that only reveals very the briefest of blemish under light. Back cover has aged tippex blocking old track notes.

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The winning bid was £ 74.00

 

Wombat I'm Gettin' On Life

ORIGINAL FIRST PRESS!

More Soul collectors are confused on the authenticity of this Northern Soul 45 than most-any other, for two reasons.

Firstly this 45 was either re-issued, counterfeited & bootlegged on four different occasions - and the ORIGINAL first press is so rare!

Simple to distinguish the real-deal original just by the label design. Right hand producer, arranger credits, publisher, label number & running time all the text is in line (on the re-issue it is staggered.

GEMNI MUSIC Co. address at the bottom of the label has a lower-case “o” in the Co. On the re-issue it reads CO. is all in upper case.

this extremely elusive Northern Soul Catacombs anthem is a magnificent Mint - in every respect.

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The winning bid was £ 361.00

THE CONTOURS MUST BE RIGHT AT THE TOP OF MY LIST FOR UK RELEASES,

66 WAS A GREAT YEAR FOR SOUL MUSIC AND THIS MUST BE RIGHT UP THERE,

JOE.