hearing salvation out last night made me smile as i got this in a soul pack in the70,s, i can remember a few more records in that pack and though it would be good to try and get them, however a couple i remember appear to be going for a few quid

milton floyyd hungry for love

betty wright the best girls dont always win

and one ive never seen again, the signs of the time, dont hurt me no more

made me wonder any more soul packers now worth a bit

I'd say that quite a few 70's soul pack (Contempo, Soul Bowl) 45's are worth a lot now.

Weren't lots of copies of Jack Montgomery's Barracuda 45 included in late 70's packs ?? 

as an add on to the original question anybody know the sign of the time 45, seem to remember it was great but really poorly  recorded

My Rhonda Davis on Duke came from an early 80's soul pack.

Lots of the 45's that ended up in Contempo Soul Packs were the singles that they had in bulk that appeared in their Record Club catalogue ....  .... Two copies of "Keep My Woman Home" on Atlas, please .... £1.20 + postage, OK, that's fine, send em straight away !!

 

Edited July 18, 20168 yr by Roburt

Bought one from Contempo in May 1975, 50 records, most of which weren't played out. Loads of fillers, but amongst them was Valentines "Breakaway" and, The Delegates of Soul "I'll come running back" which everyone hated invmy circle of friends as it was too funky.

Edited July 18, 20168 yr by jim g

I don't think Contempo ever sold NS packs though did they, only soul packs containing good soul (& gospel) records rather than good dance records.

It was the Bowl that sold NS packs (though I would rather buy their cheaper soul packs as you got a more balanced selection of sounds). 

I had a Purple Mundi which I sold probably mid eighties to the shop in Hull,  Voices in the Shadows I think it was when I saw it on their wants at the bottom of one of their lists. Thought I had done well getting £40  which was a tidy profit back then, do I wish it was still under the stairs at todays prices, all relative I guess. Also had a couple in the same pack of Innersection.

On 17/07/2016 at 20:30, codfromderby said:

and one ive never seen again, the signs of the time, dont hurt me no more

 

On 17/07/2016 at 22:36, codfromderby said:

as an add on to the original question anybody know the sign of the time 45, seem to remember it was great but really poorly  recorded

Always liked this 45 and thought it would/could have been much bigger had it been recorded properly and not in some echo riddled cellar.

Hard to figure out why they even released it with this mix? What happened to quality control at the test pressing stage?

Unable to find a link on YouTube.

Derek

16 hours ago, Roburt said:

I don't think Contempo ever sold NS packs though did they, only soul packs containing good soul (& gospel) records rather than good dance records.

It was the Bowl that sold NS packs (though I would rather buy their cheaper soul packs as you got a more balanced selection of sounds). 

They were just Soul Packs, but there was always a few goodies in them

Something that comes to mind every now and then this being one of them what did other people do with the records in these packs that at the time you thought that's shite. I know it brings a shiver down my spine as I can see myself taking the lid of the dustbin and tossing x amount records on top of the rubbish. Reading threads such as this and there was a similar one some time ago about records worth not inconsiderable amounts now with changing tastes what did I throw away back then.

      I'd like to think I could spot a good tune but I know over the years my tastes have changed and even in the last few years trawling through YouTube tunes I have passed over once or twice are now firm favourites so what did I throw away back then. If anyone reading this kept theirs have you looked though them in the years since and found any gems you initially passed over, was it just me who  maybe  foolishly tossed away what I then considered to be crap.   

10 hours ago, Derek Pearson said:

 

Always liked this 45 and thought it would/could have been much bigger had it been recorded properly and not in some echo riddled cellar.

Hard to figure out why they even released it with this mix? What happened to quality control at the test pressing stage?

Unable to find a link on YouTube.

Derek

Archway Studios was owned & run by Oliver Sain. He liked / cut loads of funk & that was his 'bread & butter'. But he cut loads of other stuff too (his was the main soul studio in St Louis). Acts like the Montclairs, Swamp Dogg, Bobby McClure, Uvee Hayes, David Dee , Charles Beverly, Gene Anderson + loads of local gospel & soul acts used the studio. Probably Les Watson as well (who's tracks were released on Pompeii) & Jamie Ross (on Cat). Oliver was usually the engineer himself, having started the studio around 1971.

Oliver actually started out in the music / recording biz back in the very early 60's, running an orchestra. He cut instro stuff & took on local acts. He was Fontella Bass's manager & backed her up on her Chess stuff. He became a sort of mentor to many St Louis acts. Not sure if Archway Studios was new when he took it on OR if he bought up an existing local studio & just renamed it.

My guess is that the Sign of the Times session was bought at the studio by the act or their manager (Sid Wallace ?) & that it was just a quick contracted job for Oliver & the studio -- get em in, cut em, & create the master. I've no idea if it was the studio part or the mastering that screwed this track up but it really shouldn't have been the studio session (unless  it was done around 71 when Oliver was still learning how to be a studio engineer). The Lee Stone 45 on Break Out was also cut at Archway. Oliver himself cut loads of big tracks in there & they came out sounding OK.

Another guy involved with Oliver & the studio was Phil Westmoreland was had his own group (Westmoreland), worked a lot with Charles Drain, Shirley Brown, Larry Davis and Kent Washburn of EmKay Records fame (Hypnotics, Voice Masters, Otis Williams, Michael (Love)Smith, etc). 

Didn't Numero release some Sign of the Times stuff, I guess more about the group & their recordings will be available via Numero's releases.

 

Edited July 20, 20168 yr by Roburt

9 minutes ago, Twoshoes said:

Something that comes to mind every now and then this being one of them what did other people do with the records in these packs that at the time you thought that's shite. I know it brings a shiver down my spine as I can see myself taking the lid of the dustbin and tossing x amount records on top of the rubbish.

I know a lot of funk 45s were included in Soul Bowl 'soul packs' back in the 70's / 80's. Later on, lots of these little indie label funk cuts became big money items with the funk DJ crowd.

The old Archway Sound Studios at 4251 Natural Bridge, Saint Louis. Building currently vacant.

https://www.saxophone.org/resources/guestArticle/view/article/11

Derek

One of the recent bigger records on the scene Wade Flemons Jeanette on Ramsel had 3 minters from various soul packs mostly I think from Soul Bowl in the mid to late 70's but ended up eventually selling them all!! there were quite a few others which were also played at various times on the scene loved the soul packs as they were great collection builders.

From that article Derek posted, it seems Oliver converted the building into a studio sometime in the mid 60's (65/ 66).

So by 1971, when it started to get lots of 'outside' useage, he should have been well skilled as a studio engineer.

On 19 July 2016 at 07:12, Roburt said:

I don't think Contempo ever sold NS packs though did they, only soul packs containing good soul (& gospel) records rather than good dance records.

It was the Bowl that sold NS packs (though I would rather buy their cheaper soul packs as you got a more balanced selection of sounds). 

 

On 20 July 2016 at 07:34, Twoshoes said:

Something that comes to mind every now and then this being one of them what did other people do with the records in these packs that at the time you thought that's shite. I know it brings a shiver down my spine as I can see myself taking the lid of the dustbin and tossing x amount records on top of the rubbish. Reading threads such as this and there was a similar one some time ago about records worth not inconsiderable amounts now with changing tastes what did I throw away back then.

      I'd like to think I could spot a good tune but I know over the years my tastes have changed and even in the last few years trawling through YouTube tunes I have passed over once or twice are now firm favourites so what did I throw away back then. If anyone reading this kept theirs have you looked though them in the years since and found any gems you initially passed over, was it just me who  maybe  foolishly tossed away what I then considered to be crap.   

I did get a pack of bootlegs in the '70s (not knowing they would be at the time) from somewhere down in Surrey I think (Gwen Owens, Porgy and the Monarchs etc), but the Soul Bowl packs were definitely the most interesting.

As I didn't have many records at the time, I was thankfully fairly liberal about what to keep, plus I was happy enough if I just liked it, irrespective of whether it struck me as 'Northern' or not. I must have got rid of quite a few still, but I think I'd typically keep maybe 80 or even 90 from a 100 pack. I enjoyed flicking through and playing a few first ones that I thought I knew, and while doing so, going through the rest checking both sides and deciding a series to next play through.

As you say, tastes change over time and I still find flip sides to the ones I thought were the 'good' ones that catch my interest. Tape swopping was the key for me, needing to dig into what I had to try and keep on top of returning the favour of great tapes of music that dropped through the letterbox!

A bit off topic, but I got some really good general soul 45's from Black Knight back in 1998, stuff like Pat Cooley 'I'm giving it all I got', Shirley Brown 'I don't play that' and Frederick Knight 'When it ain't right with my baby.'

11 hours ago, seano said:

 

I did get a pack of bootlegs in the '70s (not knowing they would be at the time) from somewhere down in Surrey I think (Gwen Owens, Porgy and the Monarchs etc), but the Soul Bowl packs were definitely the most interesting.

As I didn't have many records at the time, I was thankfully fairly liberal about what to keep, plus I was happy enough if I just liked it, irrespective of whether it struck me as 'Northern' or not. I must have got rid of quite a few still, but I think I'd typically keep maybe 80 or even 90 from a 100 pack. I enjoyed flicking through and playing a few first ones that I thought I knew, and while doing so, going through the rest checking both sides and deciding a series to next play through.

As you say, tastes change over time and I still find flip sides to the ones I thought were the 'good' ones that catch my interest. Tape swopping was the key for me, needing to dig into what I had to try and keep on top of returning the favour of great tapes of music that dropped through the letterbox!

A bit off topic, but I got some really good general soul 45's from Black Knight back in 1998, stuff like Pat Cooley 'I'm giving it all I got', Shirley Brown 'I don't play that' and Frederick Knight 'When it ain't right with my baby.'

Like you I had and still have a taste for all things soul my reasons for buying the soul packs similar to yours, at the time I was on a very low wage so the packs seemed a good option to bulk out the collection. I wasn't after purely Northern tracks hoping to find some Deep soul which I was heavily into at the time. Off topic one of my regrets is not being cheeky enough when a girl I was seeing said why don't you have a look in my brothers caravan he Dj's at the Nevada and here are records all over the floor. I searched through for half an hour barely scratching the surface but came away with about a dozen J Boy demos a couple of green Motown demos some deep soul stuff, Irma Thomas, Dee Dee Warwick,  and some other bits and bobs , when it got to about thirty I thought I better not be to cheeky and left . She finished with me a couple of days after so no return to the treasure trove.

Anyone buy soul packs (or Motown packs) from Oldies Unlimited in Telford ??

In the 80's, if you bought 100 soul 45's (for £10) you'd get about 50 US 45's on TK labels + 10 pic cover euro released things (lots of CBS labels like Philly Int stuff) + a few assorted indie label things. But you then had to wait about 6+ months to buy another pack from them or you'd get lots of the same 45's in your new pack.

 

Soul Bowls packs were usually very good for 70s and as tastes changed a few of the 60s tunes also went onto be popular, certainly had Innersection, Lou Kirton, most of the more popular U/A stuff like JB Bingham, James Gadson, Cornelius Bros, Capitol releases  like Barrett Strong and Brown Sugar,  60s wise the ones that stand out are Wade Flemmons 'Jeanette', Tonettes  'Gotta Know' Jimmy Soul Clark 'Champion', plus multiple Jackie Wilson tunes such as "Lost You, also presumably as it was so common Spyder Turner " Make It" was in a lot of packs., happy days indeed                                                

On 7/17/2016 at 21:30, codfromderby said:

hearing salvation out last night made me smile as i got this in a soul pack in the70,s, i can remember a few more records in that pack and though it would be good to try and get them, however a couple i remember appear to be going for a few quid

milton floyyd hungry for love

betty wright the best girls dont always win

and one ive never seen again, the signs of the time, dont hurt me no more

made me wonder any more soul packers now worth a bit

Johnny Howard - 'Chase is on' was from a soul pack...........

I got a few of the 10 for a quid packs from Contempo in about 72. between me & my cousin we always got stuff like Joe Simon Whole Lot a Lovin, Dee Dee Sharp Gravy, Booker T Soul Clap 69, Little Milton Grits Ain't Groceries, Spinners Message From A Black Man, Johnny Nash You Got Soul, and anything on Stax by Albert King. After a few packs we had multiples of each!

 

Paul

On 7/22/2016 at 16:11, Roburt said:

Anyone buy soul packs (or Motown packs) from Oldies Unlimited in Telford ??

In the 80's, if you bought 100 soul 45's (for £10) you'd get about 50 US 45's on TK labels + 10 pic cover euro released things (lots of CBS labels like Philly Int stuff) + a few assorted indie label things. But you then had to wait about 6+ months to buy another pack from them or you'd get lots of the same 45's in your new pack.

 

I used to get lists from AJ Lewis who morphed into Soul Scene also based in Telford. I think he may have become Oldies Unlimited. I remember a Youngblood Smith Demo on his list for 25p just as it was getting played at Wigan. Unfortunately I missed it.

 

Paul

Paul, you're right .......

Soul scene was owned by A. J. Lewis ( Tony) who had previously run a mail order list out of Hastings before moving up to St George's, Telford in 1973. Firstly based just off the square he took over the vacant miners club, and changed the name of his business to Oldies Unlimited. 

He also had old stock in a chapel that he had bought at some time. We used to visit the ex Working Mans Club premises but he wouldn't let you personally look thru the stock in there as he had his young staff all over the place all day fulfilling mail order requests.

But, he would lock us into the Chapel & we'd spend all day trying to get to the bottom of all the piles to see what stuff was hidden away down there. He mostly kept his 45's in those 25 singles boxes that record companies used to send them out in. He'd sell stuff from each box (25 of the same 45) but when only a couple of copies were left in a few boxes, he'd show em all into one box & send it off to the chapel 45 grave pile. Loads of 25 count TK 45's were his main 'new' soul stock in the 1980's but if you unearthed some old stuff in the chapel, you'd go right back to 60's releases.

Got quite a few bargains out of there BUT Also loads of crap bought on spec (but at 20p a copy for mint soul / disco 45's it was still worth it).

 

Checking this list in the back of B&S .... 10 x 45's for £1  ... any gud uns on offer ....

William Bell & Carla Thomas .... Howard Tate ........ Chuck Jackson ....... Blinky ...... Staples Singers ...... Johnny Taylor & Carla Thomas ... David Ruffin .... MarKeys ... Dells ..... Darrell Banks ....  Billy Harner ... Judy Clay .......  Margie Joseph .... Jimmy Hughes ... maybe could get 10 from those 14 ... BUT £1 + P&P ... a bit steep ....