We have the world's biggest factual database

[Derek Pearson]

I must say I got a bit of an ego rub and felt quite proud actually that several people on here considered an old fanzine of mine worthy of reprinting in full, every issue, page for page as PDF files for each and everybody to read and download should they wish. I thank you for all the considerable time and effort you chaps must have put into completing this lengthy task. Nice One Bob. Nice One Sean. Should our pathes ever cross I’ll get the first drinks in.

And it got me thinking…..whilst sat in the sunshine yesterday I took the hand brake off my mind and just let it wander about and go into free fall. Bear with me - after several cups of tea I came to the conclusion there was actually no way of calculating the total combined knowledge of soul music by all the members on this forum. No matter how hard I tried it couldn’t be done.

How could you ever begin to measure the length, depth and breadth of music recorded within the last 55 years or so?

If you could download all that information onto paper can you imagine how big that book would be? What number of pages? The sheer weight of it – what shelf could ever be built to hold it?

Between the members of Soul Source we have access to the world’s biggest factual database on all things related to soul music right down to the minute-ist detail imaginable.

A library of knowledge so unbelievably vast it would make the US Library Of Congress look like a garden shed.

Say you want to know the colour of the shoes worn by the lead drummer on the Pied Piper sessions which yielded all the recorded output for the Imperial label by The O’Jays at the end of 1965…….Hold on, give me a minute please - yeah got that, page 4100000 third paragraph down. Size 8 Brown with hole in left shoe. Next.

So bearing that in mind I reckon one of the most important jobs this esteemed forum could do is to work together and compile label listings that have never been done before. Or add to and complete as near as possible label listings that have been touched upon over the years but never fully fleshed out. We can document gaps in the history of the music we love before we fade and it fades. The power of the written word will go on for ever as long as the generations continue.

Now you might think bah what a waste of time surely all the multitude of records on all the vast array of labels we collect have long been well documented by now haven’t they? Everything’s out there on the web isn’t it? It’s all been done or has it?

So what percentage of label listings do you think - out of all the record labels out there, over all the years – has or have been put together with care and attention?

Have I sold you the idea? And your thoughts are?

I confess I am currently working on a couple of label listings that I haven’t seen compiled in print before however before I put them forward for additions I’d like members to reply with label listings they’d like to see put together. And the power of forums like this with an uncountable number of eyes and ears in countries across the world is that somebody somewhere might just have seen or got a listing of the very label you’re interested in.

To make it achievable it might be best to tackle smaller labels first rather than say something like the complete output of the RCA label from 1960 to whenever….

Your replies and input is required, needed and very much appreciated.

I will try mi best to keep up with updates and editing of the various label listings depending of course if sufficient interest is forthcoming.

Onwards.

Derek x

 

[Dave Rimmer]

Well I've got 652 label listings on my site.

[Frankie Crocker]

Hi Derek. Always enjoyed your magazine when I picked up a copy at The 100 Club. Still use your grading system...one hanky...two hankies etc. Now, if you could talk the compiler of Stak-o-Wax into putting his lists on Soul Source, it would help achieve your goal in double quick time.

[Steve Plumb]

...........................Now, if you could talk the compiler of Stak-o-Wax into putting his lists on Soul Source, it would help achieve your goal in double quick time.

​And the four R&B Indies volumes too?
Although i think Derek may be talking about the gaps/omissions/missing labels etc that are not in those mighty tomes or on SKM?

[Mal C]

that's sparked my imagination, thanks for that derek. I've got three that I started years ago and never finished, plus an interview or two I did that never got further than actually doing it. Happy to throw some names your way.  

Mal