A thorny old subject but there's a couple i particularly like:

Venicia Wilson - This time i'm loving you

Evelyn Thomas - Weakspot

Anybody else out there wish to share their faves or do you think they're all sh*te!?

Simon

Edited October 29, 200619 yr by Simon

A thorny old subject but there's a couple i particularly like:

Venicia Wilson - This time i'm loving you

Evelyn Thomas - Weakspot

Anybody else out there wish to share their faves all do you think they're all sh*te!?

Simon

Hi Simon, hows things ? hope you are well, favourite taylor made would be :-

Barbara Pennington - "24 hours a day"

Regards

Alan

A thorny old subject but there's a couple i particularly like:

Venicia Wilson - This time i'm loving you

Evelyn Thomas - Weakspot

Anybody else out there wish to share their faves or do you think they're all sh*te!?

Simon

===========

I'm quite partial to the four vandals.

Hi Simon, hows things ? hope you are well, favourite taylor made would be :-

Barbara Pennington - "24 hours a day"

Regards

Alan

Agree always loved this, but my No1 fav is James Wells-'Baby I'm still the same man' and even better on the 12" played very, very loud

Quite like reaching for the best.

Paul

Quite like reaching for the best.

Paul

Hi

Yes, "Reaching For The Best" - The first version 20th Century Single -

The Exciters really did a good job on this .. Superb . I've Heard later versions/remixes - Which vary from not so good mix to tragic overkill mix.

A lot of Levines stuff had the customary long intro which nearly always killed the record in my opinion before the Vocal had a chance. This one got everything right.

Agree always loved this, but my No1 fav is James Wells-'Baby I'm still the same man' and even better on the 12" played very, very loud

James Wells-"Baby I'm still the same man"

I have to agree with this one too. Stunning.

(I picked this up on a 12" Promo years ago)

Edited October 30, 200619 yr by 45cellar

Hi

Yes, "Reaching For The Best" - The first version 20th Century Single -

The Exciters really did a good job on this .. Superb . I've Heard later versions/remixes - Which vary from not so good mix to tragic overkill mix.

A lot of Levines stuff had the customary long intro which nearly always killed the record in my opinion before the Vocal had a chance. This one got everything right.

Sorry miss read your post

Edited October 30, 200619 yr by ken

Hi

Yes, "Reaching For The Best" - The first version 20th Century Single -

The Exciters really did a good job on this .. Superb . I've Heard later versions/remixes - Which vary from not so good mix to tragic overkill mix.

A lot of Levines stuff had the customary long intro which nearly always killed the record in my opinion before the Vocal had a chance. This one got everything right.

James Wells-"Baby I'm still the same man"

I have to agree with this one too. Stunning.

(I picked this up on a 12" Promo years ago)

yep, was just gonna post similar

as been said its the 12 inch version thats the best imo

remember the "irony" of this ?

as i remember James Wells was his first releases after saying he was no longer doing any northern tailors any more

Sorry miss read your post

Anyhow its on the LP,"heaven is where you are",bakcground music by the Ellington singers,and the Belairs.not the worst LP i`ve heard,

Have to confess that mine is "One Picture's Worth A Thousand Words" by the Four Vandals.

Baby i'm still the same man - James Wells - Polydor LPSP 001A 12"

James Wells has got to be the best taylor made by Levine & co.Martin

Dogs Nuts!!!!!!!!!

I'm with Simon. Venetia Wilson is a cracking record.

Would 'love on a mountain top' be included in the tailor mades? its one of the tunes that turned my head towards Northern Soul.

Edited October 30, 200619 yr by in town Mikey

mine is..

surround me..tyrone ashley..united artists..

one of levines best..very lamont dozier-ish..

bless

jc

the messiah of northern soul

anyone see all them levine acetates on ebay recently?

dunno if finished if so, final price ?

Funny cos I hate james Wells, f*cking awful...best of the lot is venetia Wilson, very closely followed by Barbara Pennington - 24 hours a day, and then Barbara again with Running In Another Direction

Cant see how James Wells is a taylor made?? sounds more like a 80's soul/funk/dance track atempt thing

A thorny old subject but there's a couple i particularly like:

Venicia Wilson - This time i'm loving you

Evelyn Thomas - Weakspot

Anybody else out there wish to share their faves or do you think they're all sh*te!?

Simon

My fave is probably " Find my way back " -Bobby Taylor , from the SWONS CD . Best ,Eddie

Funny cos I hate james Wells, f*cking awful...best of the lot is venetia Wilson, very closely followed by Barbara Pennington - 24 hours a day, and then Barbara again with Running In Another Direction

That's what I like . . . honesty!

Martin

Can't see how James Wells is a taylor made?? sounds more like a 80's soul/funk/dance track atempt thing.It all depends on how it's packaged at the time perhaps . . . and I got this the same week as Millie Jackson's "House for sale" both packaged towards the Northern market. A nother way of looking at it, would you class a record BLATANTLY labled as Northern Soul on the label a 'taylor' made as with Val McKenna??Martin

I guess your right there Martin, i suppose its a case of IMO i usually tend to see (or hear so to speak) 'taylor mades' as sort of sixtys throw back type sounds, where im guessing James Wells was realesed in the 80's around the same time there was loads and loads of the soul/funk/dance stuff around, so was it made for the northern scene or aimed at the 80's soul/dance scene, if you can see my point

Best tailor-made? Nicole Willis & the Soul Investigators "Feeling Free" - released last month on Finland's Timmion label!!!

I guess your right there Martin, i suppose its a case of IMO i usually tend to see (or hear so to speak) 'taylor mades' as sort of sixtys throw back type sounds, where im guessing James Wells was realesed in the 80's around the same time there was loads and loads of the soul/funk/dance stuff around, so was it made for the northern scene or aimed at the 80's soul/dance scene, if you can see my point

James Wells was released in 1977 if my memory is correct. Yeh, sure it was!! Although Ian Levine made stuff aimed at the 'Northern' market, he also did some more for the 'High Energy'/'Gay' scene. And yes everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

Martin

I guess your right there Martin, i suppose its a case of IMO i usually tend to see (or hear so to speak) 'taylor mades' as sort of sixtys throw back type sounds, where im guessing James Wells was realesed in the 80's around the same time there was loads and loads of the soul/funk/dance stuff around, so was it made for the northern scene or aimed at the 80's soul/dance scene, if you can see my point

77 think Baz

memory says thing with James Wells was released at the time after criticsm of some of his recent releases he proclaimed in one of the mags that he was no longer gonna do any northern style/influenced tracks

Funny enough it turned out his first nothing to do with northern release after this which believe was James Wells was then picked up northern wise and became one of his biggest well recieved northern releases

I really like that Nicole Willis - If this ain't love, in fact I liked it so much I bought it and have kept it in my small collection of all time favourites...I especially like that bit near the end which is reminiscent of The Bottle. Great great track.

anyone see all them levine acetates on ebay recently?

dunno if finished if so, final price ?

talking to me sen

curoisty got me

reserve not met

https://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ian-Levine-27-Rare-A...9QQcmdZViewItem

James Wells was released in 1977 if my memory is correct. Yeh, sure it was!! Although Ian Levine made stuff aimed at the 'Northern' market, he also did some more for the 'High Energy'/'Gay' scene. And yes everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

Martin

77 think Baz

memory says thing with James Wells was released at the time after criticsm of some of his recent releases he proclaimed in one of the mags that he was no longer gonna do any northern style/influenced tracks

Funny enough it turned out his first nothing to do with northern release after this which believe was James Wells was then picked up northern wise and became one of his biggest well recieved northern releases

Blimey 1977, well ahead of its time 'sound' wise listened to first 30secs and sounded exactely the same as some of the 80's soul/funk/dance stuff, could Ian have been the one that kicked off that sound with this record...................might as well blame him for that as well

Blimey 1977, well ahead of its time 'sound' wise listened to first 30secs and sounded exactely the same as some of the 80's soul/funk/dance stuff, could Ian have been the one that kicked off that sound with this record...................might as well blame him for that as well

Second listen does sound fairly '70s' now

Hi Simon,

How you doing.I'll go with you on Venecia Wilson.Think the backing track is The Peter Hamilton Orchestra - Hey Girl.

Remember when Weakspot was released.Those were the days.

Dave Morris

I would rather have the Frank Pop - Hip Teens thing than any of these hideous creations. I.M.H.O. of course

talking to me sen

curoisty got me

reserve not met

https://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ian-Levine-27-Rare-A...9QQcmdZViewItem

Was someone off here selling them Mike, though he'd respond

James Wells was released in 1977 if my memory is correct. Yeh, sure it was!! Although Ian Levine made stuff aimed at the 'Northern' market, he also did some more for the 'High Energy'/'Gay' scene. And yes everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

Martin

"Talk of the Grapevine" - J J BARNES

Not sure when this was actually recorded - J J BARNES Helped to write this too.

Edited October 30, 200619 yr by 45cellar

A thorny old subject but there's a couple i particularly like:

Venicia Wilson - This time i'm loving you

Evelyn Thomas - Weakspot

Anybody else out there wish to share their faves or do you think they're all sh*te!?

Simon

Indeed a 'thorny old subject'. Nearly all the suggestions lead back to Ian Levine yet he would be adamant that ALL records are 'tailor made'. Back in the ANS days I made a joke about it and got the following reply....

and if Diane Jenkins 'I Need You' was - it is my nomination!!

I do miss that list

Mike

I abhor the use of the term "tailor made".

Why was Diane Jenkins making a record with a classic mid seventies dance

beat wrong in any way ???

When all your beloved Northern records were created, they were similarly

an attempt by producers and artists to make a sound that was in most

cases ALREADY popular. Usually trying to gain access to the market that

already loved the Motown sound.

Similarly, my own "Twenty Four Hours A Day" was recorded in Chicago in

1976 to be a then current soulful Disco release, and indeed it topped

the Billboard disco charts in the US for a staggering seven weeks. As

did James Wells' "My Claim To Fame" in 1978.

So I put it to you that this is all pure NONSENSE.

EVERY F***ING RECORD MADE is "tailor made" for something.

EVERY other music scene [House, Garage, Reggae, Techno] encourages its

DJs to make new music for the dancers.

STILL the Northern scene suffers from the Ponomarenko type cancer that

has ALWAYS plagued it.

WHY THE HELL CAN'T TALENTED ARTISTS RECORD SOMETHING NEW FOR IT, WITHOUT

IT BEING DENIGRATED AND DISMISSED AS A TAILOR-MADE.

It truly makes me sick to my stomach, and will eventually cause the

scene to dwindle away again, as a sad bunch of seventy year olds pat

themselves on the back and gloat at how wonderful they were for ALWAYS

boycotting ANYTHING that might have been made with a Northern Soul

Scene's dance floor in mind.

The ammount of bad feedback Goldmine got over this proves my point. Kev

Roberts is very forward thinking, but Tim Brown listens to too many

purists. I delivered Volumes Three and Four of that series of my

Northern stuff back in August, and, do you know, they STILL haven't been

scheduling because Goldmine are scared stiff of upsetting the purist

"anti-tailor-made" brigade. As for being a collector, I do count myself

amongst the purists as far as collecting vinyl goes, but this subject

makes me sick to my stomach.

Thank God for open minded collectors and dealers like Steve Jeffries,

Steve Plumb, and Keith Williams.

And shame on some of you for DENYING the artists a chance to fill

dancefloors again.

Tailor-f***ing-mades.... HAH !!!!!! Bollocks !!!!!!!!

ALL RECORDS ARE TAILOR-MADES

Mike

I abhor the use of the term "tailor made".

Why was Diane Jenkins making a record with a classic mid seventies dance

beat wrong in any way ???

When all your beloved Northern records were created, they were similarly

an attempt by producers and artists to make a sound that was in most

cases ALREADY popular. Usually trying to gain access to the market that

already loved the Motown sound.

Similarly, my own "Twenty Four Hours A Day" was recorded in Chicago in

1976 to be a then current soulful Disco release, and indeed it topped

the Billboard disco charts in the US for a staggering seven weeks. As

did James Wells' "My Claim To Fame" in 1978.

So I put it to you that this is all pure NONSENSE.

EVERY F***ING RECORD MADE is "tailor made" for something.

EVERY other music scene [House, Garage, Reggae, Techno] encourages its

DJs to make new music for the dancers.

STILL the Northern scene suffers from the Ponomarenko type cancer that

has ALWAYS plagued it.

WHY THE HELL CAN'T TALENTED ARTISTS RECORD SOMETHING NEW FOR IT, WITHOUT

IT BEING DENIGRATED AND DISMISSED AS A TAILOR-MADE.

It truly makes me sick to my stomach, and will eventually cause the

scene to dwindle away again, as a sad bunch of seventy year olds pat

themselves on the back and gloat at how wonderful they were for ALWAYS

boycotting ANYTHING that might have been made with a Northern Soul

Scene's dance floor in mind.

The ammount of bad feedback Goldmine got over this proves my point. Kev

Roberts is very forward thinking, but Tim Brown listens to too many

purists. I delivered Volumes Three and Four of that series of my

Northern stuff back in August, and, do you know, they STILL haven't been

scheduling because Goldmine are scared stiff of upsetting the purist

"anti-tailor-made" brigade. As for being a collector, I do count myself

amongst the purists as far as collecting vinyl goes, but this subject

makes me sick to my stomach.

Thank God for open minded collectors and dealers like Steve Jeffries,

Steve Plumb, and Keith Williams.

And shame on some of you for DENYING the artists a chance to fill

dancefloors again.

Tailor-f***ing-mades.... HAH !!!!!! Bollocks !!!!!!!!

ALL RECORDS ARE TAILOR-MADES

Mike

He does make some good points though IMO. Reaching for the best for example, great record to dance to, but never hear it, same with 24 hours a day, can only assume it's because of its history and the fact certain elements of the soul scene would be up in arms, should it be spun.

About ten years ago I would always play James Wells-Baby I'm still the same man, at the Ritz allnighter. Would always get a full floor and bollocks to those who couldn't see the soul in it.

A thorny old subject but there's a couple i particularly like:

Venicia Wilson - This time i'm loving you

Evelyn Thomas - Weakspot

Anybody else out there wish to share their faves or do you think they're all sh*te!?

Simon

Hi Simon straightforward answer..........NONE..Atb Steve

About ten years ago I would always play James Wells-Baby I'm still the same man, at the Ritz allnighter. Would always get a full floor and bollocks to those who couldn't see the soul in it.

===========

Fair play to that

I abhor the use of the term "tailor made".

Why was Diane Jenkins making a record with a classic mid seventies dance

beat wrong in any way ???

When all your beloved Northern records were created, they were similarly

an attempt by producers and artists to make a sound that was in most

cases ALREADY popular. Usually trying to gain access to the market that

already loved the Motown sound.

Similarly, my own "Twenty Four Hours A Day" was recorded in Chicago in

1976 to be a then current soulful Disco release, and indeed it topped

the Billboard disco charts in the US for a staggering seven weeks. As

did James Wells' "My Claim To Fame" in 1978.

So I put it to you that this is all pure NONSENSE.

EVERY F***ING RECORD MADE is "tailor made" for something.

EVERY other music scene [House, Garage, Reggae, Techno] encourages its

DJs to make new music for the dancers.

STILL the Northern scene suffers from the Ponomarenko type cancer that

has ALWAYS plagued it.

WHY THE HELL CAN'T TALENTED ARTISTS RECORD SOMETHING NEW FOR IT, WITHOUT

IT BEING DENIGRATED AND DISMISSED AS A TAILOR-MADE.

It truly makes me sick to my stomach, and will eventually cause the

scene to dwindle away again, as a sad bunch of seventy year olds pat

themselves on the back and gloat at how wonderful they were for ALWAYS

boycotting ANYTHING that might have been made with a Northern Soul

Scene's dance floor in mind.

The ammount of bad feedback Goldmine got over this proves my point. Kev

Roberts is very forward thinking, but Tim Brown listens to too many

purists. I delivered Volumes Three and Four of that series of my

Northern stuff back in August, and, do you know, they STILL haven't been

scheduling because Goldmine are scared stiff of upsetting the purist

"anti-tailor-made" brigade. As for being a collector, I do count myself

amongst the purists as far as collecting vinyl goes, but this subject

makes me sick to my stomach.

Thank God for open minded collectors and dealers like Steve Jeffries,

Steve Plumb, and Keith Williams.

And shame on some of you for DENYING the artists a chance to fill

dancefloors again.

Tailor-f***ing-mades.... HAH !!!!!! Bollocks !!!!!!!!

ALL RECORDS ARE TAILOR-MADES

As said he does have a point but I dont think many of us will be rushing out to buy 'Mods79' on Casino Classic's!.

Think I would have to go with the Four Vandals as well

barbara pennington- i cant erase the thought of you, a corker imho, and i quite like that male vocal to festival time as well if that counts

As said he does have a point but I dont think many of us will be rushing out to buy 'Mods79' on Casino Classic's!.

==========

I agree with that, but do find it interesting that if you take "Wrong side of town" for example, people everywhere were dancing to it. When it's background came out, suddenly it was a no no. The record itself hadn't changed, just the circumstances surrounding it's arrival on the scene. I remember someone saying recently judge a record on it's merits, so how come suddenly everyone was required to hate it? Is it really worse than all the records currently played?

==========

I agree with that, but do find it interesting that if you take "Wrong side of town" for example, people everywhere were dancing to it. When it's background came out, suddenly it was a no no. The record itself hadn't changed, just the circumstances surrounding it's arrival on the scene. I remember someone saying recently judge a record on it's merits, so how come suddenly everyone was required to hate it? Is it really worse than all the records currently played?

Winnie

Stop trying to figure it out, the scene is Irrational, emotional and generally F*$ked up, always has, always will be. That's why I love it, see irrational

==========

I agree with that, but do find it interesting that if you take "Wrong side of town" for example, people everywhere were dancing to it. When it's background came out, suddenly it was a no no. The record itself hadn't changed, just the circumstances surrounding it's arrival on the scene. I remember someone saying recently judge a record on it's merits, so how come suddenly everyone was required to hate it? Is it really worse than all the records currently played?

Yes!

Its a sack of sh*t

Yes!

Its a sack of sh*t

==============

I sort of thought you might think that Baz

Well I like it, but then again I also like Joey DeLorenzo and the Oxford Knights

==========

I agree with that, but do find it interesting that if you take "Wrong side of town" for example, people everywhere were dancing to it. When it's background came out, suddenly it was a no no. The record itself hadn't changed, just the circumstances surrounding it's arrival on the scene. I remember someone saying recently judge a record on it's merits, so how come suddenly everyone was required to hate it? Is it really worse than all the records currently played?

I seem to remember 'I'm gonna share it with you' ( Diana Foster?) and 'Lost Summer Love' (Lorraine Silver) filling the floor at Wigan..... but CC never had a chance after Murial Day!!

Speaking of which I got hit on the Head by a copy of said 'Nine time out of Ten' in M's one night......... The Jock had just played it and said "Thats the First and Last time I play that shit!" and with that slung it out, hitting me on the side of the head!!

Not affected me though!.........Honest!!

Edited October 30, 200619 yr by Teapot

==========

I agree with that, but do find it interesting that if you take "Wrong side of town" for example, people everywhere were dancing to it. When it's background came out, suddenly it was a no no. The record itself hadn't changed, just the circumstances surrounding it's arrival on the scene. I remember someone saying recently judge a record on it's merits, so how come suddenly everyone was required to hate it? Is it really worse than all the records currently played?

Hi Winnie trust you are well, just my take re the four vandals, irrespective of wether i rate the track i think it went the way of lots of records not just because of its origins but because of its sudden availability!

What i am saying is DJs whatever their billing status enjoy any exclusivity, look at the unnissued motown stuff a few years ago along with tracks such as carbon copy and voodoo working and more recently catch that teardrop and im waitin, massive reaction records, buzz records if you like! The common denominater? They all fell from premium playlists to an extent when booted or in the case of previously unnissued material pressed in numbers, thus meaning more plays by a considerable amount hence any mileage left in the tracks was driven almost overnight.

The second it became known that the four vandals was available to anybody rather cheaply and not on a boot it became a lot less of a travel to listen to tune, and played absolutely everywhere in these parts anyway, which i think would kill it even quicker than the usuall 'boot' theory.

a bit off thread i suppose but just an idea, and an interesting subject :- tracks that died a death once 'booted' or pressed in numbers, just thought of another as i type, mayfield singers - dont start none, the list goes on,

Pete

Right credentials,just shite

Hi Winnie trust you are well, just my take re the four vandals, irrespective of wether i rate the track i think it went the way of lots of records not just because of its origins but because of its sudden availability!

What i am saying is DJs whatever their billing status enjoy any exclusivity, look at the unnissued motown stuff a few years ago along with tracks such as carbon copy and voodoo working and more recently catch that teardrop and im waitin, massive reaction records, buzz records if you like! The common denominater? They all fell from premium playlists to an extent when booted or in the case of previously unnissued material pressed in numbers, thus meaning more plays by a considerable amount hence any mileage left in the tracks was driven almost overnight.

The second it became known that the four vandals was available to anybody rather cheaply and not on a boot it became a lot less of a travel to listen to tune, and played absolutely everywhere in these parts anyway, which i think would kill it even quicker than the usuall 'boot' theory.

a bit off thread i suppose but just an idea, and an interesting subject :- tracks that died a death once 'booted' or pressed in numbers, just thought of another as i type, mayfield singers - dont start none, the list goes on,

Pete

==========

Hi Pete, yep, very well thanks

I can see what you're saying re the vandals being easily available making it less popular with DJs, but still suspect it's 'questionable' origins to be the biggest reason it isn't played, which equates to, not judging a record on it's merits IMO. As Dave T said in an earlier post, probably better not to analyse things, but on these cold winter nights what else is there to do?

Ian Levine doesn't have a point at all.There is a world of difference between small companies trying to hop on the Motown bandwagon contemporaneously, and Ian Levine identifying a few hallmarks of Northern and then rounding up great singers to sing crap lyrics to gay disco tunes.

Edited November 1, 200618 yr by Billy Freemantle

Ian Levine doesn't have a point at all.There is a world of difference between small companies trying to hop on the Motown bandwagon contemporaneously, and Ian Levine identifying a few hallmarks of Northern and then rounding up great singers to sing crap lyrics to gay disco tunes.

=============

Where's the world of difference? Small record companies also produced good singers who couldn't get a major record deal, and got them to imitate, for instance the Motown sound, or whatever else was popular at the time. Presumably they did this with a view to having a successful record by tapping into the current trend. Levine did similar as far as I can see?

Winnie:-)

back on track... four vandals for me. northern soul? Yes!

I'm with Simon. Venetia Wilson is a cracking record.

Would 'love on a mountain top' be included in the tailor mades? its one of the tunes that turned my head towards Northern Soul.

Rubbish!, just dubbing new vocals over an existing instumental and the words make no sense to me.

I made TOTP, does that still count since the demise of the darts club??

Edited November 1, 200618 yr by Tony Smith

I made TOTP, does that still count since the demise of the darts club??

good tops Tony, pint your way when we're at the bar next

=============

Where's the world of difference?

Winnie:-)

The small record companies were doing it at the same time as Motown and maybe even before. They were not trying to satisfy a niche that had existed for 20 years.In other words the degree of opportunism was less and the level of artistic integrity higher. The records were genuinely great too in their own right. They were not just Motown copies. The majority of Ian's tailormades are poor. His argument about all records being tailormades is just an apologetic and an attempt to justify himself. His focus on the genesis of a lot of Northern as being failed Motown soundalikes is all part of his self defence.