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Gentlemen Four You Can't Keep A Good Man Down C/w It Won't Hurt

Oh yes! Not only one of this most-admired label’s rarest 45s but also one of it’s finest Northern Soul offerings BOTH sides.

Top side is bludgeoning brass pumped Northern Soul belter, lead by a trumpet supported husky vocal. Relentless horns glide over a muscular male-harmony support, the mixture delivers real-deal Northern Soul tat has remained RARE and un-booted for over 4 decades.. always has been one of the seriously hard-to-acquire “Wand’s” and always will be.

If that wasn’t enough to tempt you into ownership; the flipside drops in pace but loses no quality what so ever, as the boys once again serve up a master-class in male-vocal-group-harmony. This time Pam Sawyer & Lori Burton are the writers as Dionne Warwick’s men give up a killer version of The O’Jays 1966 Imperial recording.

I rate this 45 so highly - why it’s not today considered a Northern Soul classic is purely down to it’s rarity and lack of exposure.

Sorry, this item has already been won!

The winning bid was £ 586.00

 

Pinkertones Featuring Eddie Gross It's Not The Way You Walk C/w It's Not Who You Are

Perhaps Blue eye-Northern Soul, but at it most impressive!

Very rare 1969 San Diego, California Northern soul that has had an underground cult fan base since it was first played covered up as “The Royal Five”. “The Way You Walk”

..for those of you not driven by bigotry, dismissing the likes of Chuck Cockerham etc. as “white and not worthy.

This band are most probably of the light-skinned variety but they like so many of the great Carolina’s dance 45 essentially influenced by “Soul” and it’s powerful arrangements. This example is litter with horns from the very first note and enriched by a refined down-reaching lead vocal.

Catchy, infectious and thoroughly memorable tune for much more than just it’s rarity.

Flip it over for more of the same full production, taken down to a medium pace but still benefiting from that brawny-brass and sturdy vocal.

Two great sides - one very elusive disc.

Sorry, this item has already been won!

The winning bid was £ 212.00

 

Rastafari Funky City

Extremely obscure British release Northern Soul with a cult following from those who have dug deep into the fascinating world of British Soul vinyl.

Taster notes:

Vocal, with hints of Edwin Starr is supported by a persuasive horns and squealing girl-group chorus. The snarling lead ramps up the volume the horns hang on to his coat-tails and the girls become sharper as they intensify

Sorry, this item has already been won!

The winning bid was £ 71.00

 

Servicemen Are You Angry C/w Need A Helping Hand

A listing for the neurotic, fadidious, perfectionist vinyl and label OCD nut about condition.

Can condition of seriously-rare Northern Soul get any better than this;

We think not!

This 45 has never ever left it’s sleeve in 48 years - this copy is STONE-MINT - top corner stapled birth-sleeve, a peak inside reveals utter perfection.

Soundfile was taken off a previous listing from 2012 - click away and unleash a NS Tsunami of unsurpassed vocal-group Northern Soul.

The winner will be receiving a 47 year old virgin - handle with care.

Sorry, this item has already been won!

The winning bid was £ 948.00

 

Four Tops Your Song

Red Alert !

the in-demand bells rung out across John Manship Records recently when we uploaded our single copy of this 45 to Music Stack / GEMM on a Friday - on Monday morning we had multiple orders for it..and it certainly wasn’t cheap.

So off I trot to the unprocessed “Creole” label 45s and got lucky - a Mint unplayed copy that was hidden for years was there, ready to be set free.

It was after all, a “flop” on release in 1983 even though this version of the Dells / Laura Lee song is an absolute stunner, as the unmistakable vocal of Levi Stubbs snarls out Cecil Womack’s lyrics..Utter mid-paced brilliance produced by Don Davis and the Tops at full-throttle..

what more could a dancefloor ask for?

Sorry, this item has already been won!

The winning bid was £ 121.00

Darrow Fletcher Honey Can I C/w Rising Cost Of Love

The beauty of the rare stock copy that sports a flipside of pure quality that is not available as the much commoner PROMO, is forcing some of these “stockers” way up in demand, as most are seriously hard to acquire.

This example is from Darrow’s impressive 70s sessions for Ray Charles’s Cross-Over label whilst Darrow was under the wings Len Ron Hanks & Zane Grey label dates it at 1979 i think it was possibly recorded before that if so, making his version of “Rising Cost Of Love” first before the equally impossible Jean Terrell single.

The company flipside of the STOCK ONLY press is just a killer mid-tempo tune (like all this man’s work) drenched in expressive-emotion of the type the “Soul Essence” faithful just love to sway to.

The flipside you do see occasionally as the promo - but what a tune, again it’s Len Ron Hanks & Zane Grey providing the material for Darrow to flex his poignant voice upon.

Everybody who is really into SOUL recognizes this artist as encapsulating everything that draws us to the sound. And this elusive single offers the owner a double-helping of one of the world’s most-naturally gifted singers of the sound.

you want two sides it’s STOCK ONLY and no easy find!

Sorry, this item has already been won!
The winning bid was £ 184.00

 

Shorty Long Function At He Junction C/w Call On Me

Condition, Condition, Condition.

We have an Excellent copy sitting on the website set-sale at he moment, but the serious about collecting the early TMG series will confirm it is an endless upward spiral of upgrading their cherished 500’s.

Seeking out unblemished labels & vinyl as near to perfect as they could ever hope for - this is pretty damn close. Both labels are flaw free, close analyzing of the vinyl surface only reveals the very lightest of sleeve contact surface whiskers.. it’s an all-round beauty.

The desirability also lies in the reputation this Twisted Wheel classic carries - something of an anthem for the MODS during the 60s, with a mostly unknown flipside that mirrors some of Sam Cooke’s finest work - Motown are not renowned for their Soulful ballads but when they did record and release one they made darn sure it was a killer.

“Call On Me” is exactly that… 

Sorry, this item has already been won!
The winning bid was £ 68.00

 

Boobie Knight And The Universal Lady A Woman Will Make You Love C/w Somebody Touch Me (in The Right Place)

An almost mythical Sweet Soul rarity!

Of course we knew it existed but this is our first copy in memory, because 99.9% of this 45 are one-sided stereo/mono PROMO’s of the Funk side.

At last here’s a 1974 STOCK copy with the divine sweet soul ballad hidden away on the flip. A gently bluesy atmospheric production, melts into sublimely blended Sweet Soul, showcasing a cold-as-ice falsettol gliding on a thermal of sexy-sax, male-vocals oohs & arrhs and a very complimentary jazzy guitar precisely plucking away embroidering an already fabulous production into greatness.

This is a Sweet Soul masterpiece and near impossible to find!

Flip it for an early 70s FUNK dancer which is good in it’s own right - but the Sweet side is utterly heavenly!

Sorry, this item has already been won!
The winning bid was £ 61.00

 

Marvin Pryer What Can I Call My Own

Let’s make no bones about this - you are viewing and about to hear one of Deep Soul collecting, most-wanted least-seen trophies.

Beyond rare (our first copy in well over 30 years) and way beyond Deep…young Marvin’s portrayal of despair will take you into an abyss of misery, as he milk’s every aspect of his fellow Memphis hero Otis.

Listen and weep - miss this listing you may never seen another -

Just so insanely RARE - just so fabulously Soulful.

Sorry, this item has already been won!
The winning bid was £ 348.00

 

Jerry Williams If You Ask Me (because I Love You) C/w Yvonne

It is a Northern Soul Factoid that..

The very first copy to ever be played on the Northern Soul scene circa 1971 was in fact the very rare SPANISH 1966 press, just like this example before you today.

Note the 1966 original differs greatly from the 1973 Calla remix that also enjoyed a 1974 release in the UK in 1974.

For the original full-strength top volume floorshakin’ best - go every time for the 1966 recording - if you would like to own it’s most-historical format - you cannot beat his seldom-seen 1966 Spanish press complete with the head-turning title cover.

Sorry, this item has already been won!
The winning bid was £ 111.00

Sophisticates I Really Hope You Do C/w Let Me Go

Oh so soulful 1967 Los Angeles crafted strolling Northern Soul… that seems near impossible to capture.

Jugging arrangement is embroidered with an on-0your-knees beseeching Sister lead vocal and expands in volume and despair as the despair takes hold. Imaginative Greg Poree arrangement adorns the session with a girl-crew harmony and breaks of a vibe and piano mix.

You will discover this session grabbing hold of your mind as the melting atmosphere delivers more Soul than is good for the heart.

If you flip it, you’re hit with a down the line gut-wrenching Deep soul.. .

Two totally spectacular sides so thoughtfully arranged by a guy who 3 years later joined Motown as Musical Direction - don’tcha know.

Condition of this extreme rarity is a smidge off perfect..

Sorry, this item has already been won!
The winning bid was £ 212.00

 

Lord Luther My Mistake

With the power usually reserved for Monk Higgins productions this preposterously rare Bay Area beauty grinds out a rasping Northern Soul dancer where the horns take backstage to Lord Luther’s verbal assualt.

If you ever wanted to own a “sleeper” with massive potential for a much bigger ticket - this dance-assassin has snoozed away since the 70s never quite being in the right place at the right time or being around in enough quantity for it to achieve dancefloor established..

In this century You Tube and websites have made access to the “under-played” music obscurities so much easier.. although very few [people actually own a copy of this Northern Soul Hooligan it is now highly-regarded and on the lips of collectors and DJ’s.

We think in the right hands this 45 is a really solid investment - I’m sure we said that about “Rudy Love’s - Suffering Wrath..” a while back.. known and occasionally heard since the mid-70s but bristling with all the forceful qualities that will one day make it a NS Monster.

A tip…

Sorry, this item has already been won!
The winning bid was £ 237.00

 

Electric Express Hear Say - Vocal + Instrumetal

For some reason the boys sat Key-Vac decided to lead with the saxophone version as the a-side it’s nice meat & tidy but does not deliver the like the soulful vocal side does. Maybe a mistake that condemned this 70s crossover delight to obscurity!

Check out the elaborate maze of vocals that replace the saxophone on the flipside… strong male vocals are suspended by haunting girl cooing, precision horn interventions compliment the vocal goings-on as the production rises and falls perfectly for the Soulful dancer to immerse themselves in.

…then the sexy sax returns near the end to ice this terrific tune with “cool”

Sorry, this item has already been won!
The winning bid was £ 161.00

 

W. J. B. Washinngton Jamb Band Sorry About Today C/w You Have Made A Big Mistake

Not as the name suggests a street-level group from Washington, D. C. but gathering of Soul from St. Petersburg, Florida. With the Washington referencing Leo Washington group leader of this versatile gathering.

The group “Gonna Get Your Cherry” album on Leo, is one of Funk’s most highly-prized platters. This 45 precedes the album and neither side appears on it.

So check out this Hunk Of Funk from the Sunshine State - irresistible rhythm, Kool & The Gang styled relentless horns, rumbling lead vocal, persistent wah-wah guitar and trumpets from Heaven. This is proper 70s Funk ignoring all the crass influences of 1976 and the lift-off of disco.

Flip it over and your treat to the unusual combination of Sweet Harmony Group Soul with a pinch of attitude.. horns again set the scene as a dominating vocal - says “Hey Baby You’ve Made A Mistake - Find a man standing in the closet with my pajamas on..”

That’s after she ignored his request to “Put The Money Back In The Bank Baby…” the cheek of the lady…!

Two fabulous examples of individualistic independent Soul - SO RARE and covering two very collectable genre! with the FUNK side right on the money for today’s Funk influenced upfront DJ..

Sorry, this item has already been won!
The winning bid was £ 26.00

 

Van Dykes Save My Love For A Rainy Day

It’s timeless Northern Soul CLASSIC!

and before the soundfile was lifted this beauty was an “unplayed” copy straight from a Blues collection where it was filed neglected and unloved out of the collectors taste boundaries sine the mid-60s.

You will not encounter a finer example - still hugging it’s birth-sleeve, two labels that are flawless in every way - and virgin vinyl only deflowered 46 years after it’s birth.

On close inspection I can’t even detect a sleeve brush blemish - this 45 really is as near perfect as you could ever hope to own.

Sorry, this item has already been won!
The winning bid was £ 212.00

VAN DYKES LOOKS A BIT CHEAP IMO ??

Nooooooooo, Darrow Fletcher that's just wrong, it should never be that price.

Servicemen £948' thought it would have gone for more in that condition. Wasn't it a £1500 record recently ? Or have I dreamt that. Steve

Edited March 5, 201411 yr by Winsford Soul

Lord Luther was half the price of another one John had auctioned a few years ago and hardly any copies have turned up! Must be out of vogue!

usual story.

Trophy records overbids and genuine rare records going relatively cheap….

Nooooooooo, Darrow Fletcher that's just wrong, it should never be that price.

 

John, stockers are all tied in collections, this is really quite hard compared to some of the bigger ticket items….and probably mostly emanate from a single box full haul at some point in the past. I mean apart from the winning bidder and the second highest, who hasn't got the Van Dykes at this point? good luck to whoever got the Fletcher. G4 quite low too.

Edited March 5, 201411 yr by Steve G

Ditto!

John, stockers are all tied in collections, this is really quite hard compared to some of the bigger ticket items….and probably mostly emanate from a single box full haul at some point in the past. I mean apart from the winning bidder and the second highest, who hasn't got the Van Dykes at this point? good luck to whoever got the Fletcher. G4 quite low too.

 

Is this the DF you played Steve.?

John, stockers are all tied in collections, this is really quite hard compared to some of the bigger ticket items

 

they are indeed  

Edited March 6, 201411 yr by John Reed

Servicemen £948' thought it would have gone for more in that condition. Wasn't it a £1500 record recently ? Or have I dreamt that. Steve

 It was on a set sale for 700 on manship 2/3 months ago

 It was on a set sale for 700 on manship 2/3 months ago

Thanks for that. Must  have dreamt it. Steve

servicemen is usually between 800 and a 1k,and its not unusual for the copies to be mint for some reason! gentlemen four is a lowish price for what is one of the best and rarest on wand!

Servicemen £948' thought it would have gone for more in that condition. Wasn't it a £1500 record recently ? Or have I dreamt that. Steve

 

It used to be rare until the big find. Can't remember how many copies he's auctioned since then. Wonder how many more he's still got?

Lord Luther was half the price of another one John had auctioned a few years ago and hardly any copies have turned up! Must be out of vogue!

 

Probably cos it's s**t. 

Is this the DF you played Steve.?

 

That was the Atco one - Lets get together. Now that IS a hard Darrow Fletcher record to find on an issue copy.

Edited March 5, 201411 yr by Steve G

servicemen is usually between 800 and a 1k,and its not unusual for the copies to be mint for some reason! gentlemen four is a lowish price for what is one of the best and rarest on wand!

 

See post 16. Bloody loads turned up in the big find.

 

Can't agree with G4. May be rare, but not good to my ears.

usual story.

Trophy records overbids and genuine rare records going relatively cheap….

problem is......to many people don,t know that which is rare and that which is not

I don't know alot, but I know the G4 would have sat very well in the box in the Potteries! Wonderful record, loved it for so long. A good price for a REAL rarity.

It used to be rare until the big find. Can't remember how many copies he's auctioned since then. Wonder how many more he's still got?

 

I love/hate post like this! For those mere mortals not in the know, when / where was the big find? Please tell!

The greatest finds are the ones where you've spent all day looking through 45s and found virtually nothing, then in the very last handful! Bam! A great record..  you can't beat that feeling.

 

But there is only one truly great find, that was DOBARD'S load in Oakland 2005, that was far & beyond anyone's wildest dreams. Beating any of my previous finds a 10,000 fold or more. At the time those involved in the purchase were all numb, as it was totally unbelievable. 

 

Unfortunately as nothing will ever get close to that in the future, it has dulled my excitement of looking & finding records somewhat. But I have an appointment for another load to look at shortly of 100,000+. With no-one having been through them in many years, I'm already getting a little excited.. strange what vinyl can induce on the senses when there's a chance of finding something. 

Edited by john manship, 27 March 2008 - 09:41 AM.

Edited March 5, 201411 yr by Quinvy

 

The greatest finds are the ones where you've spent all day looking through 45s and found virtually nothing, then in the very last handful! Bam! A great record..  you can't beat that feeling.

 

But there is only one truly great find, that was DOBARD'S load in Oakland 2005, that was far & beyond anyone's wildest dreams. Beating any of my previous finds a 10,000 fold or more. At the time those involved in the purchase were all numb, as it was totally unbelievable. 

 

Unfortunately as nothing will ever get close to that in the future, it has dulled my excitement of looking & finding records somewhat. But I have an appointment for another load to look at shortly of 100,000+. With no-one having been through them in many years, I'm already getting a little excited.. strange what vinyl can induce on the senses when there's a chance of finding something. 

Edited by john manship, 27 March 2008 - 09:41 AM.

 

 

Phil is that you or John Manship saying that? It's not clear 

Edited March 5, 201411 yr by Premium Stuff

Blimey, Sophisticates I Really Hope You Do C/w Let Me Go for just over £200 quid, good price for that in Mint condition, wish I'd bid..

 

malcolm

Phil is that you or John Manship saying that? It's not clear 

 

Yeah it's a quote from John.

Phil is that you or John Manship saying that? It's not clear 

 

Sorry, that is a post by John Manship that I copied and pasted.

Blimey, Sophisticates I Really Hope You Do C/w Let Me Go for just over £200 quid, good price for that in Mint condition, wish I'd bid..

 

malcolm

 

Yes, that was really cheap and someone got a right bargain I reckon. The last one he sold a few years ago i think, was £500+ and I thought that was cheap then!

Yes, that was really cheap and someone got a right bargain I reckon. The last one he sold a few years ago i think, was £500+ and I thought that was cheap then!

 

It's a really nice record, but very hard to sell. People pay big money for dance floor fillers. That's a fact.

It's a really nice record, but very hard to sell. People pay big money for dance floor fillers. That's a fact.

 

Yes you're right. I wish I'd taken a very nice offer for my copy a few years ago.

Yes you're right. I wish I'd taken a very nice offer for my copy a few years ago.

Glad you didn't Jordi got one less than half that price 2 weeks later

Still very cheap though at 200

 

The greatest finds are the ones where you've spent all day looking through 45s and found virtually nothing, then in the very last handful! Bam! A great record..  you can't beat that feeling.

 

But there is only one truly great find, that was DOBARD'S load in Oakland 2005, that was far & beyond anyone's wildest dreams. Beating any of my previous finds a 10,000 fold or more. At the time those involved in the purchase were all numb, as it was totally unbelievable. 

 

Unfortunately as nothing will ever get close to that in the future, it has dulled my excitement of looking & finding records somewhat. But I have an appointment for another load to look at shortly of 100,000+. With no-one having been through them in many years, I'm already getting a little excited.. strange what vinyl can induce on the senses when there's a chance of finding something. 

Edited by john manship, 27 March 2008 - 09:41 AM.

 

I would love to find out more in detail about that mysterious "find". Google didn't really help, gave me only the name Ray Dobard.. Thanks in advance.

I would love to find out more in detail about that mysterious "find". Google didn't really help, gave me only the name Ray Dobard.. Thanks in advance.

 

I think there was an article about it in one of the Togetherness magazines.  If I've still got it, I'll send you the magazine.

That would be great ! Thank you 

 

I would love to find out more in detail about that mysterious "find". Google didn't really help, gave me only the name Ray Dobard.. Thanks in advance.

 

IRS seized the remained stock of Ray Dobard's Music City Records shop, about 250.000+ records, in the early 2000's. IRS put the lot up for auction, John Manship and two other dealers won it. Ray shut down the shop in the early 70s and left everything untouched ever since.

 

The stock was unbelievable. Ray did not just run a record shop but he was a wholesale distributor as well. Many record companies sent him promos, boxes of undistributed records, etc. etc. (e.g. still sealed promo mailers from Shrine, or 25 count boxes of Jackie Day on Phelectron).

 

I wouldn't be surprised if somebody says that of every 1960s west coast/california Northern Soul 45 at least one copy was in this find.

 

I'm convinced JM is still auctioning stuff from that 'find' and will be for many years to come.

lots of great stuff at cheap prices on that list, stuff i paid more for in worse condition.

also, i have the stock copy of the other boobie knight, wish i had bid on that one

IRS seized the remained stock of Ray Dobard's Music City Records shop, about 250.000+ records, in the early 2000's. IRS put the lot up for auction, John Manship and two other dealers won it. Ray shut down the shop in the early 70s and left everything untouched ever since.

 

The stock was unbelievable. Ray did not just run a record shop but he was a wholesale distributor as well. Many record companies sent him promos, boxes of undistributed records, etc. etc. (e.g. still sealed promo mailers from Shrine, or 25 count boxes of Jackie Day on Phelectron).

 

I wouldn't be surprised if somebody says that of every 1960s west coast/california Northern Soul 45 at least one copy was in this find.

 

I'm convinced JM is still auctioning stuff from that 'find' and will be for many years to come.

 

I agree, he's definitely still selling that stuff. I was at his place not long after he got that stash, and there were mint copies of rarities all over the place, and that was just in the office.

IRS seized the remained stock of Ray Dobard's Music City Records shop, about 250.000+ records, in the early 2000's. IRS put the lot up for auction, John Manship and two other dealers won it. Ray shut down the shop in the early 70s and left everything untouched ever since.

 

The stock was unbelievable. Ray did not just run a record shop but he was a wholesale distributor as well. Many record companies sent him promos, boxes of undistributed records, etc. etc. (e.g. still sealed promo mailers from Shrine, or 25 count boxes of Jackie Day on Phelectron).

 

I wouldn't be surprised if somebody says that of every 1960s west coast/california Northern Soul 45 at least one copy was in this find.

 

I'm convinced JM is still auctioning stuff from that 'find' and will be for many years to come.

 

 

There wasn't boxes of Jackie Day, there wasn't even one 25 count box if memory serves me right.  You shouldn't believe all the rumours.

There wasn't boxes of Jackie Day, there wasn't even one 25 count box if memory serves me right.  You shouldn't believe all the rumours.

 

There's been an awful lot sold since then though.

There's been an awful lot sold since then though.

 

Not from that find though as far as I am aware. John did tell me how many JD's there was and how they were divided, it was less than 25 if memory serves me correct.

With a record like that 15 seems a lot until they disappear into collections.

I also think some of those sold in recent time (Jackie Day) are the ones previously sold.  Still a rare record, not that many turned up compared to Clara Hardy, Four Tracks etc.

There wasn't boxes of Jackie Day, there wasn't even one 25 count box if memory serves me right.  You shouldn't believe all the rumours.

 

99.9% of the boxes were full of Vic Damone's 45's

I also think some of those sold in recent time (Jackie Day) are the ones previously sold. Still a rare record, not that many turned up compared to Clara Hardy, Four Tracks etc.

You're right chalky I heard it was 9 copies and I have sold 4 JDs in the last two years and I can assure you it was 4 sales but only 2 records being resold and they came from the Oakland find of 9 which gives the impression of there being more around.

I still paid nearly £2k to own a copy long after the find as I didn't think they would resurface but it's amazing how once the exclusivity is lost the shine comes off for most Djs I figure this 45 will rise again in the long term and someone got a bargain yesterday

Cheers Darren

Edited March 13, 201411 yr by BROWNIE