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News: John Harris And The Soul Sayers Now Out On 45


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Pete's view is slightly different in that he loves the concept of vinyl as a format no matter whether it be the original or pressed up, i.e flicking through a box, pulling out a vinyl version of the tune he loves, putting it on the decks and dropping the needle into the grooves. (not saying he doesn't love the history and orig piece of vinyl, nor the history of the tune).

 

But what about when you buy a new release - that has no history - or does its' history begin from that first ever time you put the needle on it?

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But what about when you buy a new release - that has no history - or does its' history begin from that first ever time you put the needle on it?

Azza is saying ..a vinyl 45 from the 60's /70's (the eras that northern soul records are from ) has history attached to it .

New releases don't have any history ,even if they are from current bands ,unreleased cuts or re-issues .

The rest is just gonna go down the ethics of ovo politics :)

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Azza is saying ..a vinyl 45 from the 60's /70's (the eras that northern soul records are from ) has history attached to it .

New releases don't have any history ,even if they are from current bands ,unreleased cuts or re-issues .

The rest is just gonna go down the ethics of ovo politics :)

 

But when I bought a record in the 70's it didn't have any history, it was a new release and had never been played.  So this theory can only be applied to second hand records, even if they were bought 40 years ago?  

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I was referring to a re-issue, not a new release. And was just inferring from a previous posters viewpoint. Didn't say anyone had to change and conform. You like vinyl for your reasons and they like it for theirs.

Not everyone is old enough to have bought records as new releases I.e. late 60's, early 70's and so they're reasons for owning the vinyl object may mean different things, as is clear in this case.

Personally, I love the history that a piece of original vinyl holds. If it could talk, I'm sure it would tell many a good story. But I also love playing vinyl, especially at home. Still got lots of modern gadgets, granted, but I also love flicking through and playing vinyl......got a few re-issue 45's and various hits Lp's for tunes that are in my all time top 50 but unaffordable. Nice to put in a ten stack on my dansette.

Of course, the tracks themselves have huge history. Many have great stories to tell that captivate us all and make us want to know more, often shrouded in mystery and rumour. That's an obsession in itself.

Edited by LilJimmyCrank
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Guest Bearsy

Completely sold out and wont be pressing any more. So they say!

I wonder if they will be interested in selling the master tape ??

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Guest john s

Interesting to see Bear Family doing this as they've been one of the leading reissue labels in the world for 30-odd years but never known them do 45s (or soul!)

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Guest Bearsy

Bleeding hell!!!

I give in!!!!!!

I ain't given in I'm still interested in this thread as I've asked questions but sadly no one has answered, so will ask again,

Has anyone ever managed to find John Harris or any of the band members and got any true and factual info about this tune ?

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I ain't given in I'm still interested in this thread as I've asked questions but sadly no one has answered, so will ask again,

Has anyone ever managed to find John Harris or any of the band members and got any true and factual info about this tune ?

 

The info that Marc Forrest posted came from the producer of the record. Is that true and factual enough?

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Guest Bearsy

The info that Marc Forrest posted came from the producer of the record. Is that true and factual enough?

Kerston may of been the producer of the 250 vynil presses but he morw than probably had nothing to do with the writing and producing of the tune as John Harris was already playing it live at gigs and because of its popularity they went to Kerston to put the tune on vynil, surely that's the only connection Kerston had with the tune, That's why I have asked if anyone has actually been in contact with John Harris or any of the band members about any true facts and info about this tune... I thought it was a simple question and going by the lack of replies I take it that no one has ever found John Harris or any of the band members..

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Guest Bearsy

Out again tomorrow (26 Aug) from Juno in the UK, this time on Kerston. The picture cover has exactly the same front but with Kerston logo instead of Cree, back is different, and no idea about the labels. No mention of limited edition this time.

 

Cheers

Mick

Got to be worth more with the Kerston logo on Surely !!!

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Guest Bearsy

Guess that would depend if it's a bootleg v a legitimate re-issue. Imagine what would happen if someone played a bootleg of a re-issue. Do two negatives make a positive?

Are either legit ? Could it be a boot of a boot ?

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actually been in contact with John Harris or any of the band members about any true facts and info about this tune... I thought it was a simple question and going by the lack of replies I take it that no one has ever found John Harris or any of the band members..

The group were USAF guys based in Germany in the 1960's. They played together in GI Clubs on military bases in the area for a short while & then moved on with their careers / lives. Their song was written by Cook / Harris, so that will be John Harris himself & another guy in the group by the name of Cook. Apart from that little or nothing is known about this short lived group made up of guys in the military that were posted to a base in Germany at around the same time (probably Ramstein airbase near K-Town aka Kaiserslautern).  

So ALL you have to do is chase down as US guy called John Harris (or one called Cook) who could be living anywhere in the US (or world) and who was (over 40 years ago) in the USAF.

TASK SHOULD BE DEAD EASY ... BUT ... I'll leave you to get on with it yourself :D  

Edited by Roburt
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The group were USAF guys based in Germany in the 1960's. They played together in GI Clubs on military bases in the area for a short while & then moved on with their careers / lives. Their song was written by Cook / Harris, so that will be John Harris himself & another guy in the group by the name of Cook. Apart from that little or nothing is known about this short lived group made up of guys in the military that were posted to a base in Germany at around the same time (probably Ramstein airbase near K-Town aka Kaiserslautern).  

So ALL you have to do is chase down as US guy called John Harris (or one called Cook) who could be living anywhere in the US (or world) and who was (over 40 years ago) in the USAF.

TASK SHOULD BE DEAD EASY ... BUT ... I'll leave you to get on with it yourself :D  

 

We know all this, it has been said in this topic and previous topics.

 

Who are The Bear Family paying the royalties/licensing to?

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We know all this, it has been said in this topic and previous topics.

 

Who are The Bear Family paying the royalties/licensing to?

 

It's just Bear Family mate.

I remember when I used to work at Music Master back in the 80's, cataloguing new releases, they were putting out the first real archive releases of any artist, like a huge Jerry Lee Lewis box set with tons of unissued tracks.

They are also responsible for putting out the fabulous quality copies of The Beat DVD's.

So they aren't a bunch of fly by night hustlers, they are among the best in the business and they will be paying royalties to the appropriate people.  They would also not have done this record out of the blue as they are not a soul 45 reissue label

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Understand Bear Family are fully legit and one of the best at what they do, wouldn't for a minute accuse them of being dodgy but who have they licensed the track off?  Kerston?  Harris?  Might lead to some unanswered questions if you can find the licensing deal out?  I don't have a copy of the re-issue so can't see if that tells you who it is licensed from.

 

off-topic....I have The Beat DVD's, magic stuff.
 

Edited by chalky
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Understand Bear Family are fully legit and one of the best at what they do, wouldn't for a minute accuse them of being dodgy but who have they licensed the track off?  Kerston?  Harris?  Might lead to some unanswered questions if you can find the licensing deal out?  I don't have a copy of the re-issue so can't see if that tells you who it is licensed from.

 

off-topic....I have The Beat DVD's, magic stuff.

 

 

My guess is they've licensed it off whoever was responsible for recording the track in Germany

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Guest john s

My guess is they've licensed it off whoever was responsible for recording the track in Germany

 

That would be Fred Kerston.

 

There's a few expensive (nothing like this scale) LPs on Kerston, maybe Bear Family are planning a label deal.  :g:

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That would be Fred Kerston.

 

There's a few expensive (nothing like this scale) LPs on Kerston, maybe Bear Family are planning a label deal.  :g:

 

Is Fred Kerston still alive or is it going to his family?  Does Kerston really own the rights to everything?  Some royalties must be paid to the writers Cook & Harris or their estate I would have thought?

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Songwriters royalties are always due the writers.

Usually all the money goes to the label owner & then he has to pass a % on.

That's if Harris & Cook have registered the song with BMI / ASCAP / GEMA or the like ... AND ... that organisation knows their current contact details ....... AND that someone at Kerston / Bear Family wants to try to track them down to pass money along. 

Edited by Roburt
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Songwriters royalties are always due the writers.

Usually all the money goes to the label owner & then he has to pass a % on.

That's if Harris & Cook have registered the song with BMI / ASCAP / GEMA or the like ... AND ... that organisation knows their current contact details ....... AND that someone at Kerston / Bear Family wants to try to track them down to pass money along. 

 

If they can't track them they have to at least show they have made an effort don't they and leave something in a pot in case they come forward?  Ian Dewhirst or someone will know the ins and outs.

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If they can't track them they have to at least show they have made an effort don't they and leave something in a pot in case they come forward?  Ian Dewhirst or someone will know the ins and outs.

Ian Dewhirst, Ady ..... OR .. Paul Mooney.

In foreign territories (such as Germany  or the UK for Americans), I think they have to be signed up to a local rep.

AT LEAST, American song writers, to get their UK royalties, have to be signed up to the likes of Paul Mooney to be sure to get their cash (I know coz my mate Lou Ragland is signed up with Paul).

Edited by Roburt
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Guest john s

If they can't track them they have to at least show they have made an effort don't they and leave something in a pot in case they come forward?  Ian Dewhirst or someone will know the ins and outs.

Bear Family have been going for 35 years, I'd imagine they have the legal details sorted!

 

  :wink:

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Bear Family have been going for 35 years, I'd imagine they have the legal details sorted!

 

  :wink:

 

I never implied they didn't but they might have the answers Bearsy wants after all they have to have been in touch with someone to get the rights  :thumbsup:

Edited by chalky
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That would be Fred Kerston.

 

There's a few expensive (nothing like this scale) LPs on Kerston, maybe Bear Family are planning a label deal.  :g:

 

The name's Alferd Kersten, not Kerston. Owner and main producer of Kerston records. He's still alive. John Harris was reissued using the original tapes. Very likely IMHO they came from him and Bear Family licenced from him.

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The name's Alferd Kersten -- Owner and main producer of Kerston records. He's still alive. John Harris was reissued using the original tapes. Very likely IMHO they came from him and Bear Family licenced from him.

Bet he (& Bear Family) has no idea where John Harris is today though (or knows how to contact him anymore).

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Guest Bearsy

I never implied they didn't but they might have the answers Bearsy wants after all they have to have been in touch with someone to get the rights  :thumbsup:

That's why I have asked if John Harris or any of the band members were ever found as I would of thought they would have to of given permission surely to re-issue their tune. Unless of course they wavered all rights to their tune once they put it on Kerstons label.

As John Harris has never been found and yes I have tried for a long time to try find him with not even a sniff as you never know he might just have a few tucked away..

I have had a few people get in contact with me and they too have tried with no luck so maybe the John Harris mystery will never be solved just who he really was.

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 if John Harris or any of the band members were ever found as I would of thought they would have to of given permission surely to re-issue their tune. 

 

It's the label owner who gives permission / grants a license to release a track not the artist (unless the artist holds the rights coz they reverted to him after a set number of years  --- but usually that's not the case).

Edited by Roburt
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Ian Dewhirst, Ady ..... OR .. Paul Mooney.

In foreign territories (such as Germany  or the UK for Americans), I think they have to be signed up to a local rep.

AT LEAST, American song writers, to get their UK royalties, have to be signed up to the likes of Paul Mooney to be sure to get their cash (I know coz my mate Lou Ragland is signed up with Paul).

 

Hello John

It isn't necessary for American artists or even writers to sign with a UK or EU agent or music publisher to get royalties but it's easier for them to benefit and control activity and take advantage of opportunities if they have representation.

 

Not only is the market different in each territory, the language barrier can be a problem and copyright legislation is also different in many countries (that's why my company is represented by Imagem Music Group in most other territories).

Because this John Harris record was a private press rather than a commercial issue it's likely that there wasn't a detailed agreement for the recording and I doubt Harris assigned the song to a publisher or joined a copyright society. If he had done he might have been easier to trace.

 

Kerston may have held some rights (or options) but it may be that all they had was possession of the master tapes.

So we can only assume that Bear Famiy obtained a master license from someone, most likely the artist or Kerston, or have issued the record with the intention of negotiating and paying royalties when and if they locate the owner or when a claim is made. I'm not suggesting they did that but it's a risk some people take and the assumption is that the owner won't object.

Because of the internet it's likely that John Harris or someone who knows him will come forward at some stage, especially if there's some money due to him.

 

To answer Chalky's point, yes the record company is liable to pay mechanical royalties to the publishers / writers of the song if it's registered with the copyright society in that territory or later if a retroactive claim is made but there are different statutes of limitations in different territories. In the UK, for example, in theory you can claim retroactively for up to to six years on mechanicals and two years on performance and broadcast royalties. That also assumes the record company which owes the money is still in business.

 

Paul

 

Edited by Paul
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Ian Dewhirst, Ady ..... OR .. Paul Mooney.

In foreign territories (such as Germany  or the UK for Americans), I think they have to be signed up to a local rep.

AT LEAST, American song writers, to get their UK royalties, have to be signed up to the likes of Paul Mooney to be sure to get their cash (I know coz my mate Lou Ragland is signed up with Paul).

In the UK labels have to get publishing licence (representing song/composers /song publisher) from Mechanical Copyright Protection Society.. If the MCPS do not represennt the song they make no immediate claim (they can come back!) and declare it as copyright control.

Edited by Neil Rushton
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In the UK labels have to get publishing licence (representing song/composers /song publisher) from Mechanical Copyright Protection Society.. If the MCPS do not represennt the song they make no immediate claim (they can come back!) and declare it as copyright control.

And as I understand matters, if a song is designated as copyright control, the royalties (for the record release & radio plays) goes into a central kitty that eventually gets doled out to impoverished British ex-recording artists (down on their luck).

So for all the US recorded UK released soul tracks that were MCPS copyright control, not one penny in royalties has ever found its way to any of those US recording artists.

MAY BE WRONG HERE but don't believe I am. 

That's why US artists need to be signed to a decent label (Ace / Kent, etc) or be represented by Paul Mooney or his like over here.

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