What underplayed (or overplayed) oldie can envisage overtaking the status of 'Pure Soul Ballad' as such is Tony Middleton's immortal 'Paris Blues'? Is this the best record you've ever heard or what. Both the vocals and backing are monumental!! Nothing can touch this.

TONY_MIDDLETON___PARIS_BLUES.MP3

Drenched in atmosphere, and possibly one of the first tracks I owned as a lad. It is an unbelievable cut.

My Mala Demo ain't going nowhere, timeless division one record....love it.

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

Drenched in atmosphere, and possibly one of the first tracks I owned as a lad. It is an unbelievable cut.

Totally agree with you. I only managed to get my original coply (on an issue) back in the last few years. I paid £300 for the privellage, but to own this classicly underated tune once again . . . MAGIC !!! Happy or what??

My Mala Demo ain't going nowhere, timeless division one record....love it.

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

The same for my Mala issue, Mark...

As good as it may be I bet this is played at most oldies venues week in week out. Can think of many records I'd sooner hear now instead of this and can think of plenty that can touch this and surpass it.

The same for my Mala issue, Mark...

I always thought, now I know Italians (and Mark Bicknell) had got class!!!

Martin

Edited October 24, 200717 yr by martinsbox

As good as it may be I bet this is played at most oldies venues week in week out. Can think of many records I'd sooner hear now instead of this and can think of plenty that can touch this and surpass it.

Name at least three (and that would last only the max. 9 mins at a soul do)!!

The record sucked 25 years ago & it still sucks today.

The only good thing about it is its consistency.

Name at least three (and that would last only the max. 9 mins at a soul do)!!

Tommy Ridgely - My Love Gets Stronger

Invitations - Whats Wrong With Me Baby

John And The Wierdest both sides

Thats four and all p*ss all over Paris Blues (IMHO of course)

The record sucked 25 years ago & it still sucks today.

The only good thing about it is its consistency.

So it sounds nothing like punk rock!! I'm glad I like SOUL music!!!!!!!

I'm so glad you didn't like the record in 1982, it sounded SO much better in 1977!!

Name at least three (and that would last only the max. 9 mins at a soul do)!!

I'll amend my choices as I've just re-read and seen the pure soul balklad.....not just the oldies bit

Don't likers must be in a minority maybe due to the arrangement (in places?).

Super soulful vocal imo and that's what makes it an all time winner.

Big for the mods?

I'll amend my choices as I've just re-read and seen the pure soul balklad.....not just the oldies bit

No worries mate!! The Invitations classic track 'What's wrong with me baby' is still brilliant. I'm sure there are still 45's from The Wheel to be re-discovered, even if for a second or third time!!!!

Martin

Don't likers must be in a minority maybe due to the arrangement (in places?).

Super soulful vocal imo and that's what makes it an all time winner.

Big for the mods?

Just listen to that backing track. Even without the vocals . . . a $1000 per second backing!!! Totally moody, totally seventies (60's) Northern Soul at a peak.

My Mala Demo ain't going nowhere, timeless division one record....love it.

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

arranged, produced and partially written by a german, what else do you need?

benji

(krautsville resident)

paris blues restored my faith back in 1977, along with sam williams.

this is all about taste, & as they say in spain, for tastes there are colours...

paris blues restored my faith back in 1977, along with sam williams.

this is all about taste, & as they say in spain, for tastes there are colours...

Don 't think the quality is disputed, except by Col Just disputing the comment that there's nothing better...Sam Williams is far better record IMHO.

To The Ends Of The Earth is better than Paris Blues, and I love both of them

What underplayed (or overplayed) oldie can envisage overtaking the status of 'Pure Soul Ballad' as such is Tony Middleton's immortal 'Paris Blues'? Is this the best record you've ever heard or what. Both the vocals and backing are monumental!! Nothing can touch this.

Nope.. tho not Soul Ballard ... Milton Jame's - (Indie music) n all time classic .. Gwen Owen's - (contain's everything)

Karen

Name at least three (and that would last only the max. 9 mins at a soul do)!!

Mine would be -

Al William's - I am nothing

Al William's - Try them

Masqueraders - How

Karen

Don 't think the quality is disputed, except by Col Just disputing the comment that there's nothing better...Sam Williams is far better record IMHO.

I also like "The Ohio Player's" version - tho Sam William's the best version of the two...

Karen

To The Ends Of The Earth is better than Paris Blues, and I love both of them

Agree Love them both too... remind's me of after niter session's in the Museum garden's when I was a wee girl...

Karen

As a beat ballad it's very good. It's one of those records, too, that is simply good in any 'file under' category. If it does have a weakness it would be in the lyrics which don't really go anywhere. I prefer it it 'To The Ends of The Earth' but think that this is lyrically stronger. As others have said , as good as it is, as a Soul ballad it's not really in the same league as 'Love slipped Through My Fingers'. which is superb in every respect and like a lot of works of serious music, as opposed to pop music, takes a lot of listening to fully appreciate.

'Love slipped Through My Fingers'. which is superb in every respect

Except for the out of tune girl backing singer(s) which ruin a perfect 10 and make it a 9.5

To The Ends Of The Earth is better than Paris Blues, and I love both of them

I will go along with the above

Dynamite record!

Played this on a Paris radio show a couple of years and blew everyone's mind as they hadn't ever heard it before.

I remember the exact time Levine played this upon his return from the U.S. Surely this would have been huge at the Wheel if it had been discovered then wouldn't it?

Ian D

Got a nice Canadian Polydor copy for sale if anyone interested PM me

Ian

I want to put a vote in for "Spanish Maiden" by Tony Middleton as being better than both (and I love all three!)

Can't argue with Sam Williams, though - and I like the backing vocals..... ethereal, but slightly desperate

The comments about the Wheel are bang on.

Some of the sounds from there are just right for re-activation.

Never went, but my older mates at the time did. I could bloody kick myself!

Absolutely fantastique! merci for posting up - lovely to play first thing in the office

What underplayed (or overplayed) oldie can envisage overtaking the status of 'Pure Soul Ballad' as such is Tony Middleton's immortal 'Paris Blues'? Is this the best record you've ever heard or what. Both the vocals and backing are monumental!! Nothing can touch this.

absolutely top drawer track, so atmospherical taking mine to the grave with me.

As good as it may be I bet this is played at most oldies venues week in week out. Can think of many records I'd sooner hear now instead of this and can think of plenty that can touch this and surpass it.

WELL PUT CHALKY, I TOTALLY AGREE!

When I was 15, this tune seemed very soulful. But, obviously, as ive gotten older, my life experience, exposure to new and brilliantly 'soulful' tunes, has increased and i really dont need to hear this tune again. Id like to remember it as it was then, but if you drag it out now it pales next to many, many, records that are being played today! For me anyway. An example would be Johnny McCall - I Need You.

The Ohio Players version of 'Love Slipped....' is completely superior to the Sam Williams imho....the vocals are truly outstanding....

Other amazing Tony Middleton cuts are 'Return To Spanish Harlem' on Speed which pips 'Spanish Maiden' for me (and the flip is also great) which was big on mod dancefloors a while back and pretty tough....also 'Drifting' (on UA I think?) which whilst not a dancer has some hair-raisingly good vocals from Tone.

Edited October 26, 200717 yr by mulf

ps. Paul - Johnny McCall...what a record! Stunning...whats this fetching nowadays?

ps. Paul - Johnny McCall...what a record! Stunning...whats this fetching nowadays?

VERY VERY TOUGH TO FIND, had mine a while now. think about £100/£150, but I think its actually harder to find than people think.....'soul' incarnate really, the guys almost crying while singing....top notch.

VERY VERY TOUGH TO FIND, had mine a while now. think about £100/£150, but I think its actually harder to find than people think.....'soul' incarnate really, the guys almost crying while singing....top notch.

Agree, this is the BIZ!!! always been a tough one, as they say.

M

TOP SOUND this coupled with "Wilbur Wolton Jnr 24 Hours of loneliness"

BRINGS BACK MEMORIES OF GREAT TIMES AT THE NOTTS PALLI ALLDAYERS 78/79/80s

Not heard much "out" since

just a couple of times.

Nope.. tho not Soul Ballard ... Milton Jame's - (Indie music) n all time classic .. Gwen Owen's - (contain's everything)

Karen

Mine would be -

Al William's - I am nothing

Al William's - Try them

Masqueraders - How

Karen

I also like "The Ohio Player's" version - tho Sam William's the best version of the two...

Karen

Agree Love them both too... remind's me of after niter session's in the Museum garden's when I was a wee girl...

Karen

Al Williams -I am nothing.

Definately my all time number one sound. Great atmospheric dancer, but I personally wouldn't class it as a "Pure Soul Ballad"

Paris Blues is good enough for me on that count

Other contenders though IMO are:

Chuck Jackson - Look Over Your Shoulder

Tony Michaels - I Love The Life I Live

Loads of others I'm sure.