Cd release news

This has to be one of the picks of the litter of recent new releases

THE MIRWOOD SOUL STORY -CDKEND 237

TRACK LISTING

OH, MY DARLIN' / DO THE TEMPTATION WALK / ANYTHING YOU WANT aka ANY WAY YOU WANT - JACKIE LEE - BABY, DO THE PHILLY DOG / THE SAME OLD THING / I'LL DO A LITTLE BIT MORE - OLYMPICS - SET ME FREE / I CAN'T STOP YOU - PERFORMERS - WORDS CAN'T EXPLAIN / DON'T PRETEND - BELLES - WHERE THERE'S A WILL / JUST TRYIN' TO PLEASE YOU - JIMMY THOMAS - MY LITTLE GIRL / KEEP IT COMING / I CAN'T GET AWAY - BOBBY GARRETT - THAT BEATIN' RHYTHM - RICHARD TEMPLE - BABY, YOUR TIME IS MY TIME - BOB & EARL - STUBBORN HEART - SHEPPARDS - YOUR KIND AIN'T NO GOOD / NOW THAT I'VE FOUND YOU, BABY - MIRETTES - WHETHER IT'S RIGHT OR WRONG - JACKIE LEE & DELORES HALL - LOST - DARLETTES - IS SHE IN YOUR TOWN? - CURTIS LEE - OOH HONEY BABY - EARL COSBY

By ADY CROASDELL

Strangely enough Mirwood is a household name. Admittedly only among a few select residences dotted around the north of the UK and the odd foreign outpost, but the cry "Go and put some Mirwood on Agnes" is as common up there as "Do you want a cuppa Arbuthnot?" That's because two generations of Northern Soul devotees have been brought up, while dandled on their mother's knee, to the sounds of Jackie Lee, Bobby Garrett and the Olympics playing on the phonogram.

To research the label properly was therefore a daunting task. This wasn't just a group of records that happened to come out under the same brand name, but a musical sound that has determined a way of life for thousands of people who like their soul music fast and viberant (sic). Unfortunately what has been written about the label has been either sparse, speculative or utter balderdash. To put that right and to maintain Kent's high standards, I've been locked away in a garret (no relation) at Ace Towers to plough through the reams of paperwork that fortunately came with the label's purchase. Given access only to a toilet, tripe and onions, Eccles cakes and a direct line to five hand-picked soul gurus, I've come up with eight thousand words of wisdom which includes 914 facts and two jokes. I pray it was worth it: God (better known as Fred Smith), will be my judge.

The North's love affair with Mirwood started innocuously enough with a cool dance number called The Duck. The singer Jackie Lee happened to have been one half of a successful male soul duo called Bob & Earl. His partner Bobby Garrett also recorded for the label as a solo act, with just the occasional recording together. The Duck was a big US hit and saw a lot of life in England's trendier discotheques in 1966. The follow up album sold well too, but hidden among the tracks was the blueprint for what would become the Mirwood sound. Producer Fred Smith along with arranger James Carmichael used the LP to develop their own house style and tracks like Do The Temptation Walk, The Shotgun And The Duck, Everybody Jerk and even re-cycled old hits like Hully Gully and The Bounce were given this brand new groove. The sound was urgent but smooth, with a relentless beat that was enhanced and bewitched by the celestial sound of vibes. They completed and polished off this beautiful gem of a sound and discerning soul fans became aware that a new dimension had been added to the discotheque sounds.....

more of background can be read at ace site

here

Cd release news

This is an excellent CD!

But can there possibly be anyone left who hasn't got all these, good as they are?

But can there possibly be anyone left who hasn't got all these, good as they are?

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ya you-you ain't got none of these.

Edited March 8, 200520 yr by micksmith

ya you-you ain't got none of these.

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On CD I think I probably have...get back under your stone anyway

But can there possibly be anyone left who hasn't got all these, good as they are?

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Most people under the age of 58 will not have all of them, unless a specific Mirwood label collector. It is still an excellent CD.

But can there possibly be anyone left who hasn't got all these, good as they are?

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As there's unissued on there it goes without saying that No-one has all of these. The sound quality is far superior to anything you've heard before. And if you read sleevenotes even you might pick up the odd fact you didn't know about (and see some cool memorabilia)

As there's unissued on there it goes without saying that No-one has all of these. The sound quality is far superior to anything you've heard before. And if you read sleevenotes even you might pick up the odd fact you didn't know about (and see some cool memorabilia)

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Ady without doubt the booklets and sleeve notes are worth the price of admission on their own, I wasn't saying that, I just meant Goldmine did a Mirwood 22 tracker or something and odd tracks have been slipping out on cd's for years that's all, I was just a bit surprised to hear Kent were putting out Mirwood material.

I thought of one that hadn't ever been reissued in any guise whatsoever but I'm not sure if it's 'real' - the instrumental of Don't Pretend without the added Simon Soussan strings on top. I have this on a very old emidisc but it would be nice to hear a great recording of it.

Ady without doubt the booklets and sleeve notes are worth the price of admission on their own, I wasn't saying that, I just meant Goldmine did a Mirwood 22 tracker or something and odd tracks have been slipping out on cd's for years that's all, I was just a bit surprised to hear Kent were putting out Mirwood material.

I thought of one that hadn't ever been reissued in any guise whatsoever but I'm not sure if it's 'real' - the instrumental of Don't Pretend without the added Simon Soussan strings on top. I have this on a very old emidisc but it would be nice to hear a great recording of it.

We bought the label from the rightful owner and acquired the master tapes (except the ones that had been "borrowed") so the sound is much better, we have access to all the files (I certainly didn't know Jimmy Conwell 'To Much' was scheduled for Mirwood release) and will be doing two 24 track volumes plus odd tracks elsewhere where appropriate. We're also paying all the artists we can find for the first time since 1966/67.

If you bought a copy, I'm afraid some of it would go to the singers and songwriters this time.

If you bought a copy, I'm afraid some of it would go to the singers and songwriters this time.

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I can live with that

i saw this the other day,i have the first goldmine release [didnt they put it out twice?] now after reading adys words i really need it on kent,cant wait for the better sound and sleevenotes and vol 2 nice one ady

hey randy wood came to blackpool mecca once anyone remember that?

hey randy wood came to blackpool mecca once anyone remember that?

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Ady, do you know if mono masters for "The Duck" and "Temptation Walk" exist? All the CD reissues I've heard are stereo takes, which just don't sound right...these were tunes meant to be heard on AM radio, after all!

Jerry.

Ady, do you know if mono masters for "The Duck" and "Temptation Walk" exist? All the CD reissues I've heard are stereo takes, which just don't sound right...these were tunes meant to be heard on AM radio, after all!

Jerry.

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I'm sure there are and I'll bear it all in mind for the next volume, good point and always a hard one to decide on which version to go for. For example I purposely made all the 6TS story mono as that's how we heard them down the club. Whereas on the Sue story Harlem Shuffle sounds great in stereo.

Agreed, some sound OK but Stereo was in its early days and the separation on some, including the Mirwood tracks, is pretty primitive - not a criticism, just the way it was then.

Mind you, I'm the sort who always listens to "Sounds of the Sixties" on R2 in mono!

Jerry.

ady

what's the story with rushton's old inferno album 'that beatin rhythm' from about 1983/4? was that dodgy or done with mirwood's co-operation do you know?

dan