John Anderson R.I.P.

[Still Diggin]

I can clearly remember John playing me the Crystal Pyramid 45 down the phone after he had turned them up, I asked him to keep a copy as I had arranged to pop up and buy a few things the next week. The first thing he said to me when I arrived was it had been his favorite play while driving around the states on his previous two trips. A few years later while having a pint at Andy Davies( who worked for John) wedding reception I said, so who is your favorite artist, he replied without hesitation James Brown. Those two examples could not be further apart, so I all ways had the great man down as real soul fan with few boundaries, However as mentioned in previous posts the harder edged, gritty and southern material was probably his first choice. I remember when the so called 'rare groove' scene emerged, he would laugh at the wants lists because most of them at the time were not actually rare.

[Mickey Finn]

Some of the above artists and tunes he mentions in the interview. He also praises this obscurity from future Players Association man Chris Hills in 1969:

And my apologies for careless misquote earlier. As the interview makes absolutely clear, his fulsome knowledge of the music was informed by a deep love for it, spanning a very wide spectrum.

[Sebastian]

21 hours ago, Mickey Finn said:

There's an interview conducted by Richard Searling and Ian Dewhirst on this:

It's a very interesting interview that gives a taste of the sort of book that could have been written. Well done to the people who made it happen, especially now that its historical value is sadly much more obvious.

 

I've uploaded the full John Anderson interview to YouTube. The box set is sold out and long out-of-print so hope no one minds. Here it is:
 

 

[David Meikle]

It was refreshing to hear John’s account of this part of his life. However the many interruptions especially towards the end grated quite a bit.

I’m uploading an advert listing the shop John got Hoagy Lands in. It was a treasure trove for many years and was a room within a store which sold virtually anything. The shop was Silverdales and the record room was called Record Bazaar. I’m almost certain that John sold a substantial amount of his unwanted cargo to the owner after one of his trips. 
 

it was good to hear that John also purchased pop records because he used to dee-jay in the Phonograph discotheque at the top end of Buchanan Street in Glasgow. I remember climbing the twisting stairwell only to have the biggest let down of my life over what he was playing!

When he could get a word in near the end of the interview it was also good to hear his interpretation of what was being mooted as Rare Soul in this country when in actual fact quite a bit of it is/was not! Hear, hear.

Also downplayed the idea that no one cared about the old records in the States. I immediately thought of Ron Murphy, Carl Pellegrino, Joe Moorehouse, Robb Klein and many many more I met over there.

It was great to hear John but the interviewers could have done so much better.

Pffft.

Edited October 17, 2019 by David Meikle

[Guest Polyvelts]

 

[Tomangoes]

I dare say his collection, if sold, will throw up some great tunes, across the board. Or maybe his son will continue to build it if he is into soul music.

I remember looking through Nev Wherry's boxes about a month before he tragically died and stood back in amazement.

Ed

 

 

[Rick Scott]

20 hours ago, Tomangoes said:

I dare say his collection, if sold, will throw up some great tunes, across the board. Or maybe his son will continue to build it if he is into soul music.

I remember looking through Nev Wherry's boxes about a month before he tragically died and stood back in amazement.

Ed

Yes, I remember the the fist time Mary Chapman booked Nev as  a Guest DJ at Cleggy.  I was stunned at what Nev Had ,Big UK Label collector and mostly Promos, he was very knowledgable too, Top Guy. 

 

 

[Mike]

The National Website has a article by Stuart Cosgrove on the funeral

Can read via...
 

Stuart Cosgrove: A pitch-perfect funeral for legendary John Anderson

THERE is never a perfect way to die but, increasingly, as humanist funerals grow in popularity, we hear more talk of the perfect funeral. This week, as Mexico celebrates its “Day of the Dead” in a carnival of skeletons and iridescent skulls, I had the honour to attend a pitch-perfect funeral which paid tribute to a truly great man as he departed from this Earth....

https://www.thenational.scot/news/18011168.pitch-perfect-funeral-scot-whose-soul-sang-music-black-america/

[Daved]

Excellent well written tribute as you'd expect from Stuart.