Only slightly relevant to the site but I had to mention this unbelievable box set i bought - We're Gonna Rock, We're Gonna Roll by Proper Records. It's a four cd set, 30 tracks on each, disc 1 is rhythm & blues, disc 2 is doo wop, disc 3 is hillbilly/rockabilly and disc 4 is rock & roll. A truly excellent track selection and a 68 page booklet, all for TEN QUID from a shop called Fopps. If you just check out the first disc: Arthur Crudup - Thats alright, Big Mama Thornton - Hound dog, Johnny Ace - Pledging my love, Junior Parker - Mystery train to kick off...maybe they don't have to license this stuff as it's outside of the copyright period, I don't know, but I enjoyed it that much I just thought I'd pass on the info. They also do a brilliant ska box set too which would be up there with the very best but for the inclusion of a smattering of UK recordings.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Were-Gonna-Rock-Roll/dp/B000BO5LYK

there a seller who advertises in record collector by the name of finbarrs who sells similar stuff at a similar price, i wonder if its the same seller

there a seller who advertises in record collector by the name of finbarrs who sells similar stuff at a similar price, i wonder if its the same seller

You're right, Finbarr's do very similar stuff. I just couldn't believe 120 tracks, brilliant book profiling every single artist...but what I said about copyright must be correct, you or I could have put this out because Blue Moon Of Kentucky by Elvis is on there and if that were still in copyright it wouldn't be on here

fopp stores are great just got an Atlantic gold 3cd set for a fiver!!!!!1

Finbarr are great to deal with by the way

You're right, Finbarr's do very similar stuff. I just couldn't believe 120 tracks, brilliant book profiling every single artist...but what I said about copyright must be correct, you or I could have put this out because Blue Moon Of Kentucky by Elvis is on there and if that were still in copyright it wouldn't be on here

copyright is 50 years over here, 90 years I think in the states, only 25 years I think in Holland.

Proper do a great 4CD compilation of Western Swing and a second volume has just come out although i haven't heard it yet. Western swing being the now virtually forgotten half of Country and Western. 100 tracks, thick booklet, some killer stuff there, all 1920-1940 ish.

some other good R&B 3 or 4 CD boxsets around at the moment, there's two companies doing them by year 'hits of 1954' etc, for six quid in Fopp you can't go wrong, sound quality is good. there's also one of all female stuff called something like 'I'm a Bad Bad Girl' which has some killer early stuff on. only bad thing about listening to this kind of stuff is wanting a track and finding out it's on 78 only...

Proper do a great 4CD compilation of Western Swing and a second volume has just come out although i haven't heard it yet. Western swing being the now virtually forgotten half of Country and Western. 100 tracks, thick booklet, some killer stuff there, all 1920-1940 ish.

some other good R&B 3 or 4 CD boxsets around at the moment, there's two companies doing them by year 'hits of 1954' etc, for six quid in Fopp you can't go wrong, sound quality is good. there's also one of all female stuff called something like 'I'm a Bad Bad Girl' which has some killer early stuff on. only bad thing about listening to this kind of stuff is wanting a track and finding out it's on 78 only...

Yeah I saw those boxes yesterday, I think they have an R&B set for every year from 1948 to 1953...looked fantastic. This shop, Fopp, I have to say it was the best music shop I've been in for a long long time, I stayed in for about 45 minutes and actually enjoyed the browsing experience, plus they had a VINYL SECTION which literally gave me goosebumps to see...though £15 upwards for an album is a bit much

Depends which country they were issued in as to the copyright stuff. Nothing to stop them from being sold anywhere in the world tho.

'Finbarr' comes highly recc from this end too..obscure cutouts, imports, end of lines ect,damaged boxes,all sorts of music. I think it was from them I got the fantastic 'Chigago Cool Breezin' 3 cd box set of Brunswick, Chisound, Dakar from 66 to 83,, great tracks, sleeve notes and pictures but it was withdrawn...why?......notice the spelling of the title......

Yeah I saw those boxes yesterday, I think they have an R&B set for every year from 1948 to 1953...looked fantastic. This shop, Fopp, I have to say it was the best music shop I've been in for a long long time, I stayed in for about 45 minutes and actually enjoyed the browsing experience, plus they had a VINYL SECTION which literally gave me goosebumps to see...though £15 upwards for an album is a bit much

Got a Fopp record shop in Sheffield Pete & have had some very nice stuff off them over the years. Always worth checking out the clearance stuff as there's always bargains to be had & you find stuff that other major record shops just don't stock.

Had a couple of Sounds Of Blackness cd's off them for a fiver each but well worth checking for compilations. Seen all the Kent & Goldmine stuff in there for a fiver.

Best thing though is some of the clearance books in there. Couple of years ago i picked up the current Manship price guide for a fiver & have seen stuff like KR's top 500 for £5 & the In Crowd book for £10.

Great part of Sheffield to visit if looking for records as besides Fopp there's a couple of dance music shops that always have some discounted older stuff in + just round the corner there's Spin City records who specialise in vinyl.

Owned by a friend of mine called Andy who loves his Northern & his wife Pauline likes a bit of Modern. Had some real nice stuff out of there over the years & it's more of a social thing really as you always bump into someone in there.

Box after box of vinyl to rummage through & quite a big Ska/Reggae stock as well.

Never found me a copy of My Conversation - The Uniques though.

Never found me a copy of My Conversation - The Uniques though.

Have a listen to this mate, this is obviously the take that was used for the single but you can hear it in all it's live-in-the-studio glory here, I especially like right at the start you can hear the pianist practising the riff. Also this version goes on way after Slim Smith stops singing...absolutely fantastic stuff

My Conversation (longer version) - slim smith & the uniques - island

13433 refosoul Refosoul Rare and Northern Soul Clip library

This is brilliant but it's the wrong track, please go to the track below this one

Edited January 15, 200718 yr by Pete-S

Conversation - uniques - island

13434 refosoul

This is the long version, originally studio cut

Conversation - uniques - island

13434 refosoul

This is the long version, originally studio cut

Brilliant that Pete

1st time i've heard the long version.

Just love Keith 'Slim' Smiths voice.

Racking my brains now, heard loads of different versions over the years but 1 sticks in my mind. Had it on a blank handwritten label years ago & it just said "1 fingered piano player". Any ideas?

Seem to recall Freddie McGregor as well.

Any more apart from the obvious JD version?

Brilliant that Pete

1st time i've heard the long version.

Just love Keith 'Slim' Smiths voice.

Racking my brains now, heard loads of different versions over the years but 1 sticks in my mind. Had it on a blank handwritten label years ago & it just said "1 fingered piano player". Any ideas?

Seem to recall Freddie McGregor as well.

Any more apart from the obvious JD version?

Tony Rounce will no doubt know more than me but I personally think the best alternative version is "President mash up the resident" by Shorty...but there really are loads of versions, in fact there was once an album made up of 12 versions of the track. Also I remember in about 1991, the group Dream warriors used the original track for a song called Ludi (I think thats what it was called). There's a good organ version called Peacemaker by the Hippy Boys on Unity. I'll do a bit of research when I get back from the hospital.

I've got a 12" on Success by Leroy Sibbles & Heptones "Give me the right" which uses similar rhythm but without tinkling piano.

I'd forget this modern soul stuff,Cunnie and run a soulful reggae night instead.

Pete, what about Jackie Edwards "In paradise". Any chance of a download?

ROD

I've got this computer database program called Roots Knotty Roots which is a searchable database of some 20,000 Jamaican and Uk labels/songs/artists/producers, and I did a quick search for "Conversation" rhythm and it pulled up 32 straight away! So maybe we best leave this topic as it could get out of hand!

I've got a 12" on Success by Leroy Sibbles & Heptones "Give me the right" which uses similar rhythm but without tinkling piano.

I'd forget this modern soul stuff,Cunnie and run a soulful reggae night instead.

Pete, what about Jackie Edwards "In paradise". Any chance of a download?

ROD

Funny that cos once i played My Conversation at the end of one of our Modernism nights. Wanted to hear it on a good loud system & thought it would clear the room but every bugger came back & started dancing.

Sort of turned into our signature tune after that. Other guys who run it with me wern't too keen at 1st but got my way in the end.

Can feel a soulful reggae thread starting up soon.

I've got a 12" on Success by Leroy Sibbles & Heptones "Give me the right" which uses similar rhythm but without tinkling piano.

I'd forget this modern soul stuff,Cunnie and run a soulful reggae night instead.

Pete, what about Jackie Edwards "In paradise". Any chance of a download?

ROD

That's going a bit past my timescale Rod, it's from 71...I don't think I've got it, I found it on an LP but it's a definite re-recording

Funny that cos once i played My Conversation at the end of one of our Modernism nights. Wanted to hear it on a good loud system & thought it would clear the room but every bugger came back & started dancing.

Sort of turned into our signature tune after that. Other guys who run it with me wern't too keen at 1st but got my way in the end.

Can feel a soulful reggae thread starting up soon.

Do they have a reggae section @ HMV Martin ?

Ten To One - the mad lads - coxsone

Not the soul group - very nice jamaican male harmony track

Pete,I hope that's not a case of modernreggaesucks!!

It sounds a lot earlier than '71 from what I remember.

Anyway this thread is too upsetting. I can't believe I threw away in 1972 around 200 60's Doctor Bird etc [All Mint!!] that I'd picked up for 2 bob on Stockport market cos I'd gotten into Northern UK and US originals.

What a f..king chump!!

ROD

Pete,I hope that's not a case of modernreggaesucks!!

It sounds a lot earlier than '71 from what I remember.

Anyway this thread is too upsetting. I can't believe I threw away in 1972 around 200 60's Doctor Bird etc [All Mint!!] that I'd picked up for 2 bob on Stockport market cos I'd gotten into Northern UK and US originals.

What a f..king chump!!

ROD

Well it's a standard Rod as you know but the only Jackie Edwards version I can find is on Trojan from 71 - though I thought he did a version with Millie in the mid 60's, I'll have a proper look when I get back

I'm Still Waiting - cornell campbell - studio one

13438 refosoul

There's loads of versions of this Wailers classic but this is the only true soul version I know of

I have a nice lovers version of that by Sandra and Jah Larry on a Charmers 12" "You're still waiting".

Early 80's I think, before it all went bloody digital!!

ROD

Do they have a reggae section @ HMV Martin ?

B8ll8cks Mannion.

Got a reggae section in Fopp to try to get this back on topic (not trying too hard though)