Flirtations - Festival

[Soulfulsolutions]

Authentic Festival release from LA’s Monarch Records plant, don’t miss out on one of the scene’s best…..

 

The Flirtations – Stronger than her love – Festival 705 WD EX+ £650 SOLD

 

Well documented I know but formerly the Gypsies recording on Old Town records, with favourites like “It’s a woman’s world”, “Jerk it” and the nice underplayed “Diamonds, rubies and fame”. The group comprised of Leslie Johnson, and sisters Ernestine, Shirley and Betty Pearce, all from South Carolina, an ever issuing spring for youthful soul talent. Their formation for New York’s Old Town label in 62 was the beginning of a journey that is still chugging along to this day, appearing at Headingly Carnegie Stadium in 2017.

 

Moving as the Flirtations to the Josie label, Johnson left, Viola Billups joined and their single release “Change my darkness into light” crashed, unable to repeat earlier successes, so it was over to Herb Abramson’s Festival label for another reinvigoration, but again “Stronger than her love” failed to take off. It may not have influenced the paying customer at the time but how could anything with Sidney Barnes and Horace Ott involved have failed to make an impact? Thankfully that’s not the case on the Northern scene where for over 50 years those names have been linked with some of the most popular records to own or play and an unsurpassed stamp of pure class wherever those names appear.

 

Between then and now Betty left, the Flirts went trio, and Billups was replaced by Loretta Noble in 74. Although they signed for the Parrot label, most of their 70’s releases were on Deram, notable dancers included “Nothing but a heartache”, “Someone out there” (cover of Candy & Kisses on Decca) and my fave “How can you tell me”.

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PLEASE DO NOT confuse this sale with the 70’s pressing, you could park a car in the run out on that cheap nasty boot. This is the real deal and rare too, sandwiched between the Los Angeles red label as the rarest format and the New York multi-coloured advance disc jockey copy, still rare but more common and probably most sought after! This white demo has the same run out markings as the east coast press, AB F1124, but additionally Delta 64784 and the Monarch Records (MR) machine stamp. The run out is much-much smaller than the boot, 7mm to be precise and it’s a match to the east coast, I know I have both in my hands!

 

Beautiful deep luster on the styrene, conservatively graded, plays with high fidelity. Clean labels, and only the date 19/12/66 written over the top side logo, just provenance really. Images and sound files on request.

 

Content with PayPal by friends or add 4% for your own assurance, or I can take bank transfers.

 

Postage:

£8.50 – Special Delivery full insurance for 45’s up to £1000

Overseas on request

 

One final tip, if you haven’t seen it, check out you tube for

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=874Qetm7UBc

Absolutely fabulous!

 

Cheers, Lee

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 8, 2019 by SoulfulSolutions