Ian Levine, Motorcity, Centre City, Blackpool Mecca, And Swons

[Guest]

Also - if you want to share it - were you involved in music in any other way? i.e. I guess your school would have encouraged you to play some kind of musical instrument? Have you got a "Grade V in clarinet" or somesuch. Or was there no urge for a practical involvement in music until later?

MB

Nope.

Nil.

[Guest]

I know you have said before that these started as family holidays. But where did your stay and how far afield did you travel in your hunt for records. And how did you get to these places when you obviously couldn't drive??!!

By bus.

The bus trip back from Goodwill was two buses and an hour and a half, and I was almost crying from lugging back such huge boxes on my own every day.

[Ted Massey]

Ian

By the time you were 17 and first went to/DJ'd at the Wheel - roughly what was the size of your record collection by then. And what sort of split i.e.

- your U.K. Tamla Motown collection

- other U.K. released stuff

- U.S. releases that you bought over here

- U.S. releases that you bought over there

And by this time had you got special storage units for them, cataloguing etc. etc.

Sorry if these are odd questions but I'm still trying to get my head round this "precocious" kid who was building up this amazing record collection and probably still hadn't even done his O-levels!!!

By then how many "buying" trips had you done to the States. I know you have said before that these started as family holidays. But where did your stay and how far afield did you travel in your hunt for records. And how did you get to these places when you obviously couldn't drive??!!

Also - if you want to share it - were you involved in music in any other way? i.e. I guess your school would have encouraged you to play some kind of musical instrument? Have you got a "Grade V in clarinet" or somesuch. Or was there no urge for a practical involvement in music until later?

MB

Blimey is that you James ,sorry MB just could not resist

[Hitsville Chalky]

Another great Video from Ian's page - -

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[Guest MBarrett]

Blimey is that you James ,sorry MB just could not resist

Ted

Definitely not JT . . . . .

Couldn't resist picking Ian's brains while the opportunity is here. Mid-teens I thought I was fairly street-wise, seen a thing or two, loved my soul music. But when I see what Ian had done by the same age leaves me stunned and amazed. MUST be the same for 99.9% of folk on here.

Ian

Thanks for the info. Being scrupulously honest - I shan't be buying your DVD collection - but I would buy a "warts and all" biography tomorrow.

MB

[paup-ine]

Another great Video from Ian's page - -

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[Guest]

Blimey is that you James ,sorry MB just could not resist

It did sound a bit like Trouble, didn't it ???

Nevertheless, I patiently answered each bit of it.

[Guest]

Another great Video from Ian's page - -

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[Guest]

Being scrupulously honest - I shan't be buying your DVD collection

But why ??

I may be naive here, but I assumed that each and every person who was into the music would actually want to own one perfect collection containing Frank Wilson, Bob Relf, Dobie Gray, The Tempos, Doris Troy, Dean Parrish, Tobi Legend, Sandi Sheldon, Bobby Paris, Emanuel Lasky, Alfie Davison, Willie Hutch, The Artistics, Bobby Hebb, The Dells, Maxine Brown, Gene Chandler, The Carstairs, Irma Thomas, Leon Haywood, Sidney Barnes, Edwin Starr, J.J. Barnes, Sam Dees, Dean Courtney, Gwen Owens, Bobby Sheen, Lorraine Chandler, Robert Knight, Bunny Sigler, Popcorn Wylie, Bobby Hutton, Chuck Jackson, Mary Love, Tommy Hunt, James Fountain, The Blossoms, Ray Pollard, Alexander Patton, Garland Green, Barbara Lewis, Lou Johnson, Brenda Holloway, The Volcanos, Clifford Curry, Billy Butler, Carl Carlton, Kim Weston, Dee Dee Sharp, The Dynamics, The Vel-Vets, The Montclairs, etc etc etc

ALL SINGING THEIR BIG CLASSICS.

ALL ON DVD.

Am I being naive ??

If such a specialised set can't find a place in the home of each and every fan of Northern Soul, then why do we all claim to love these songs ????

Edited August 30, 2008 by Ian Levine

[Guest rasfoz]

But why ??

I may be naive here, but I assumed that each and every person who was into the music would actually want to own one perfect collection containing Frank Wilson, Bob Relf, Dobie Gray, The Tempos, Doris Troy, Dean Parrish, Tobi Legend, Sandi Sheldon, Bobby Paris, Emanuel Lasky, Alfie Davison, Willie Hutch, The Artistics, Bobby Hebb, The Dells, Maxine Brown, Gene Chandler, The Carstairs, Irma Thomas, Leon Haywood, Sidney Barnes, Edwin Starr, J.J. Barnes, Sam Dees, Dean Courtney, Gwen Owens, Bobby Sheen, Lorraine Chandler, Robert Knight, Bunny Sigler, Popcorn Wylie, Bobby Hutton, Chuck Jackson, Mary Love, Tommy Hunt, James Fountain, The Blossoms, Ray Pollard, Alexander Patton, Garland Green, Barbara Lewis, Lou Johnson, Brenda Holloway, The Volcanos, Clifford Curry, Billy Butler, Carl Carlton, Kim Weston, Dee Dee Sharp, The Dynamics, The Vel-Vets, The Montclairs, etc etc etc

ALL SINGING THEIR BIG CLASSICS.

ALL ON DVD.

Am I being naive ??

If such a specialised set can't find a place in the home of each and every fan of Northern Soul, then why do we all claim to love these songs ????

Think your being a little naive

[Guest]

Think your being a little naive

Okay then. I'm listening patiently.

Putting aside all personalities, why am I being naive ??

These are the artists we all claim to love and grew up with, and many of them have passed away.

Isn't it, like, the one thing for every fan of the music to own ???

I can't see why not. That's why I ploughed so much money into it and lost most of it. Because I expected not just the current fans but the people over the last thirty years whose lives were touched by the music, to have to have a copy.

I STILL can't see why they wouldn't. And please don't come back with "the music's not the original tracks" either. If you see an artist appear live then that's not the original tracks either. We got it done. We made it. Just for once, I thought everyone would care.

[Prophonics 2029]

Your copy sounds worn out try mine Ian.

Thats_what_You_Do_To_Me.mp3

Thats_what_You_Do_To_Me.mp3

Edited August 31, 2008 by Prophonics 2029

[Tabs]

Ian,

Personally I don't thimk you are that naive.

I really believe that the stalwarts of the scene do care.

This is a labour of love which deserves universal recognition. (Whenever that might come)

As an historical archive it is beyond reproach, suely no one can argue with that.?

Any individual who wishes to criticise these performances, by artists we all love and admire ,MUST have ulterior motives.

Personalities totally aside you got it done, BIG time.

History can be re wtitten but everyone can see what you achieved on DVD.

Kudos.

Okay then. I'm listening patiently.

Putting aside all personalities, why am I being naive ??

These are the artists we all claim to love and grew up with, and many of them have passed away.

Isn't it, like, the one thing for every fan of the music to own ???

I can't see why not. That's why I ploughed so much money into it and lost most of it. Because I expected not just the current fans but the people over the last thirty years whose lives were touched by the music, to have to have a copy.

I STILL can't see why they wouldn't. And please don't come back with "the music's not the original tracks" either. If you see an artist appear live then that's not the original tracks either. We got it done. We made it. Just for once, I thought everyone would care.

[Philly]

Why am I about to answer this ???

I must be mad. Maybe he's sussed that I wouldn't be able to resist answering it. That's scary.

Stuart Bremner lives in Australia. He married twice. His first wife was my best friend at the Mecca, Joanne Leech's sister. He came over to England in 1998 to be interviewed for the Strange World Of Northern Soul. I fancied him when he was sixteen and I was fourteen. I did not fancy him when he was fifty and bald. But he's a lovely guy and was one of my main influences in my career in Soul music.

Colin and Keith left the Torch. Alan and Martyn stayed till it closed along with me.

Les Cokell was my first openly gay friend. The friendship was platonic and indeed the idea of anything other than that was unthinkable for so many many reasons. But his openness led to me eventually coming out, but when I did, he was the hardest person to tell. I had had a girlfriend at Balckpool Mecca called Christine Gojke.

The promise sworn on my life was to a guy who worked at Motown, and was made in 1992, much later than the period you seem to think it was. He gave me a tape of Kim Weston's unreleased "You Hit Me Where It Hurt Me", which was the first copy to ever surface. I had to swear on my life to never copy it. In 1994, Les wanted a copy and I couldn't break that oath so we ended up not speaking over it, and I regret to say we never spoke again till the day he died.

I have answered all your questions frankly, not for you, not one bit for you, but for the others reading this thread, as I can see no harm, and many of them are ignoring the fact that you're attempting to make a scapegoat out of me.

Hi Ian

I have been reading this thread since post 1# and have found the content informative and very enjoyable if kept to what it is supposed to be about.....the music. (I dont see anything inviting us to ask about Ian's personal life, of feelings for certain friends, or his relationships)

I have just read this post and it reduced me to tears, Ian you dont have to answer any of these personal questions, these are your private memories and thoughts.... you dont have to explain yourself, how can anyone be so insensitive and downright cruel as to bait someone for their own amusement, it is sick and I am thoroughly disgusted by some people who I thought were nice, genuine souls....how wrong can you be. Its quite scary the amount of vultures and buzzards among us... hovering to pick the bones.

Please do yourself and lots of other members a favour....INGORE THEM.

Kind regards

Phyllis

[Guest rasfoz]

Okay then. I'm listening patiently.

Putting aside all personalities, why am I being naive ??

These are the artists we all claim to love and grew up with, and many of them have passed away.

Isn't it, like, the one thing for every fan of the music to own ???

I can't see why not. That's why I ploughed so much money into it and lost most of it. Because I expected not just the current fans but the people over the last thirty years whose lives were touched by the music, to have to have a copy.

I STILL can't see why they wouldn't. And please don't come back with "the music's not the original tracks" either. If you see an artist appear live then that's not the original tracks either. We got it done. We made it. Just for once, I thought everyone would care.

Fair enough hats off to you for your contribution past present ,& even now im sure there are people who appreciate what your trying to create, im not gonna knock you today as its apparent that you really do give your heart soul time effort to your projects , but there are people who dont cant & will not grasp & embrace what you have created for a number of reasons , personally for me its all captured in the original recording theres just a little bit of magic something special that in my opinion cannot be replicated or recaptured , obviously not everything period but a hefty percentage. I dont really like the live performance angle either as i find im always left let down for what reason i cannot say it just is not the same experience. Sorry its just me maybe its me whos being naive ? Yes the artists do deserve better & recigoniton for what they have achieved & how they have touched the souls of probally countless people in the last 45 yrs but for me im afraid its not the way, id rather donate the money without the the dvd its heartbreaking to watch

[Guest]

I had my own record room in my parents house, shelved out floor to ceiling, very small and cramped.

Lots of old Northern Soulies remember it well. Anyone ???????

Morning Mr L .........

Following our e-mails last night , here is my recollection for the masses on the above .....

I once had the pleasure of visiting that very sanctum mid '73 with Bernie Golding , and I could not beleive the amount of records that you had in there , and kept thinking to myself " God - if ever there is a fire " ..........

You made the comment to me of / on how knowledgable I was for a Yorkshireman .........

Two questions regarding your record room Ian .........

Firstly , I know this is possibly a mammoth recall task , but what titles did you have around that time , that you strongly believed would be monsters , but flopped and died : and likewise , what titles did you placed little or no faith in , which went on to become floorfillers , and ultimately , classics ?

Secondly - how many 45s were stored in that room around that time ? .........

Malc Burton

Edited August 31, 2008 by Malc Burton

[Guest]

I had my own record room in my parents house, shelved out floor to ceiling, very small and cramped.

Lots of old Northern Soulies remember it well. Anyone ???????

I have a photo of you in the doorway holding a copy of Terrible Tom!

[paup-ine]

Hi Ian

I have been reading this thread since post 1# and have found the content informative and very enjoyable if kept to what it is supposed to be about.....the music. (I dont see anything inviting us to ask about Ian's personal life, of feelings for certain friends, or his relationships)

I have just read this post and it reduced me to tears, Ian you dont have to answer any of these personal questions, these are your private memories and thoughts.... you dont have to explain yourself, how can anyone be so insensitive and downright cruel as to bait someone for their own amusement, it is sick and I am thoroughly disgusted by some people who I thought were nice, genuine souls....how wrong can you be. Its quite scary the amount of vultures and buzzards among us... hovering to pick the bones.

Please do yourself and lots of other members a favour....INGORE THEM.

Kind regards

Phyllis

Hear Hear!

There are some very sad people around.

P

[Guest Nik Mak]

Your copy sounds worn out try mine Ian.

Put the two together and Ian's sounds soooo weak? NO BALLS! Would you get up and dance to it? & sorry but they all sound like that. The original songs made you get up and DANCE. The new versions don't have the same impact. Fantastic vocals & high quality production but they just don't have that ooompth the old recordings had. Maybe that's why people don't take them seriously? As a documentory of past classics the idea is sound but the execution is just off point. If you go back to the Motorcity releases to me that's the way these songs should have been produced. Live instruments of course but production with some real punch.

[Guest dundeedavie]

Hi Ian

I have been reading this thread since post 1# and have found the content informative and very enjoyable if kept to what it is supposed to be about.....the music. (I dont see anything inviting us to ask about Ian's personal life, of feelings for certain friends, or his relationships)

I have just read this post and it reduced me to tears, Ian you dont have to answer any of these personal questions, these are your private memories and thoughts.... you dont have to explain yourself, how can anyone be so insensitive and downright cruel as to bait someone for their own amusement, it is sick and I am thoroughly disgusted by some people who I thought were nice, genuine souls....how wrong can you be. Its quite scary the amount of vultures and buzzards among us... hovering to pick the bones.

Please do yourself and lots of other members a favour....INGORE THEM.

Kind regards

Phyllis

well said m'dear ... a few of those baiting wouldn't want their personal lives looked at too closely

Davie

[Guest]

Ian,

Personally I don't thimk you are that naive.

I really believe that the stalwarts of the scene do care.

This is a labour of love which deserves universal recognition. (Whenever that might come)

As an historical archive it is beyond reproach, suely no one can argue with that.?

Any individual who wishes to criticise these performances, by artists we all love and admire ,MUST have ulterior motives.

Personalities totally aside you got it done, BIG time.

History can be re wtitten but everyone can see what you achieved on DVD.

Kudos.

Thankyou so much.

This is a very articulate and wonderful response, and has restored my faith in human nature, after having it somewhat tarnished of late.

[Guest]

Hi Ian

I have been reading this thread since post 1# and have found the content informative and very enjoyable if kept to what it is supposed to be about.....the music. (I dont see anything inviting us to ask about Ian's personal life, of feelings for certain friends, or his relationships)

I have just read this post and it reduced me to tears, Ian you dont have to answer any of these personal questions, these are your private memories and thoughts.... you dont have to explain yourself, how can anyone be so insensitive and downright cruel as to bait someone for their own amusement, it is sick and I am thoroughly disgusted by some people who I thought were nice, genuine souls....how wrong can you be. Its quite scary the amount of vultures and buzzards among us... hovering to pick the bones.

Please do yourself and lots of other members a favour....INGORE THEM.

Kind regards

Phyllis

Thankyou Phyllis.

I think now that the thread is a couple of weeks old, that the people who came on here just to bait me and mock me have got fed up of their sport, and drifted away, leaving people like yourself who are decent people and who actually care, to read the thread.

Which means the thread has gone from eighty people reading it at once, to five or ten people reading it, but has drastically improved as far as the quality of the people posting on it.

Thankyou once again.

[Epic]

My opinion on Northern Soul on film is it never quite hits the mark for me.

Seen many regional news articles on the scene - This England etc. - no celluloid can express the feelings for the music - the time - the friendships etc.

The SWONS was a great effort & must have been such hard work at times - whether you liked the finished product or nor - you must all appreciate the time, effort & genuine affection for the music that Ian put into it.

Personally just seeing Mel Britt on my TV screen was & is wonderful beyond words - if that footage doesn't move you - you are on the wrong forum IMHO.

[Guest]

personally for me its all captured in the original recording theres just a little bit of magic something special that in my opinion cannot be replicated or recaptured , obviously not everything period but a hefty percentage.

As I have explained so many times, it is not possible to legally release a DVD like this with so many performances without owning that version of the music too, otherwise it would cost so much money to licence in the music that it would bankrupt anyone, and secondly, even if you did spend over a hundred grand to licence in the original music, (and THAT'S being overconfident, merely allowing five hundred quid each, when companies like Universal wouldn't let anyone NEAR a sync licence for something like Frank Wilson without getting AT LEAST five grand), the rights would have expired after ten years anyway, so you'd have to pay all over again, so re-recording the songs and trying to make them sound as close and humanly possible as the originals, was simply the only way to go, either that or nothing.

And I WANTED to film these songs. and so I did. And most people, not all, but most, are grateful that I did.

[Guest]

My opinion on Northern Soul on film is it never quite hits the mark for me.

Seen many regional news articles on the scene - This England etc. - no celluloid can express the feelings for the music - the time - the friendships etc.

The SWONS was a great effort & must have been such hard work at times - whether you liked the finished product or nor - you must all appreciate the time, effort & genuine affection for the music that Ian put into it.

Personally just seeing Mel Britt on my TV screen was & is wonderful beyond words - if that footage doesn't move you - you are on the wrong forum IMHO.

Ian - a question for you ......

I have been listening to your production of Pamela Ivonne-Coles's " On a Crowded Street " - a fabulous record by the way - which is an update of the Barbara Pennington original .......

Am I right that you have paid a slight homage to August Darnell / Dr Buzzard with the P I-C version ? .......

Malc Burton

[Guest]

Morning Mr L .........

Following our e-mails last night , here is my recollection for the masses on the above .....

I once had the pleasure of visiting that very sanctum mid '73 with Bernie Golding , and I could not beleive the amount of records that you had in there , and kept thinking to myself " God - if ever there is a fire " ..........

You made the comment to me of / on how knowledgable I was for a Yorkshireman .........

Two questions regarding your record room Ian .........

Firstly , I know this is possibly a mammoth recall task , but what titles did you have around that time , that you strongly believed would be monsters , but flopped and died : and likewise , what titles did you placed little or no faith in , which went on to become floorfillers , and ultimately , classics ?

Secondly - how many 45s were stored in that room around that time ? .........

Malc Burton

By the time I moved into my flat in Blackpool in 1974, I had a much bigger record room built.

I know I had sixty thousand singles by 1979, but no ideas how many pre-1974, but at least two thirds of that for sure.

Stuff like Lenny Curtis and Don Gardner went on later to be much bigger than they were initially.

Very few flopped and died, because if I believed in a record, like The Carstairs, my spiel to the crowd caused them to pay extra attention to it, and believe it or not, the Mecca crowd actually DID listen to me at the time.

[Guest]

I have a photo of you in the doorway holding a copy of Terrible Tom!

Can you put it up here on this thread. Just scan it and attach it.

[Guest]

Secondly - how many 45s were stored in that room around that time ? .........

Malc Burton

Hi Malcolm from memory I'd say perhaps 4 -6 thousand. The room was on the immediate right hand side when you came through the side door, It had a small window, Ian had a three in one centre the briefcase type that were very popular! It Had record Deck, Cassette, And Radio. My friend at the time was Joanne Leech who had moved to Australia, Ian compiled about 5 tapes for her to send out, Later I got copies of the tapes Ian sent, They were crammed with absolute stonkers, From The Salvadors to The Themes "Bent out of Shape" the year was early 1974. Ian managed to vocally introduce every record on there! The Salvadors intro was For Andy from Bradford! Still have the tapes somewhere and I still have photos of the many hours I spent at Ian's Along with Bernie, Les, Etc.

The new stuff was more often than not played in that room on the Saturday afternoon prior to being aired at The Mecca, It was the era of "Solid Soul Sensations" indeed!

[Guest]

By the time I moved into my flat in Blackpool in 1974, I had a much bigger record room built.

I know I had sixty thousand singles by 1979, but no ideas how many pre-1974, but at least two thirds of that for sure.

Stuff like Lenny Curtis and Don Gardner went on later to be much bigger than they were initially.

Very few flopped and died, because if I believed in a record, like The Carstairs, my spiel to the crowd caused them to pay extra attention to it, and believe it or not, the Mecca crowd actually DID listen to me at the time.

If not , you told us to pay attention ........

Malc Burton

[Guest]

Put the two together and Ian's sounds soooo weak? NO BALLS! Would you get up and dance to it? & sorry but they all sound like that. The original songs made you get up and DANCE. The new versions don't have the same impact. Fantastic vocals & high quality production but they just don't have that ooompth the old recordings had. Maybe that's why people don't take them seriously? As a documentory of past classics the idea is sound but the execution is just off point. If you go back to the Motorcity releases to me that's the way these songs should have been produced. Live instruments of course but production with some real punch.

You make me wish I'd simply never bothered.

And lets just say I'm starting to feel none too fond of you.

I can't help but wish you weren't frequenting this thread, even though I have no right to say so.

If I weren't on Soul Source, I would be much ruder to you and really speak my mind.

[Guest]

The SWONS was a great effort & must have been such hard work at times - whether you liked the finished product or nor - you must all appreciate the time, effort & genuine affection for the music that Ian put into it.

Personally just seeing Mel Britt on my TV screen was & is wonderful beyond words - if that footage doesn't move you - you are on the wrong forum IMHO.

Thankyou Epic, and much appreciated.

[Guest]

Can you put it up here on this thread. Just scan it and attach it.

Ian I Will dig some out tomorrow and do what I can, I think I have one of you with Doris Pittance!!!! Real name I forget, Stood in the Highland Room! Whilst on the subject I have one of Tony Cummings FAST ASLEEP in The Highland room

Andy.

[Guest]

Ian - a question for you ......

I have been listening to your production of Pamela Ivonne-Coles's " On a Crowded Street " - a fabulous record by the way - which is an update of the Barbara Pennington original .......

Am I right that you have paid a slight homage to August Darnell / Dr Buzzard with the P I-C version ? .......

Malc Burton

We cut the song in 1984 on Barbara Pennington.

It was my personal tribute to the Blackpool Mecca sound of 1976, and was the follow up to "Fan The Flame", which also was just that.

The Pamela Ivonne-Cole version was earlier this year, twenty four years later, but I used all the live brass, bass, drums, guitars, etc etc off the original Barbara Pennington two inch tape, and just beefed them up a bit.

Here are both versions so you can compare them. The original Barbara Pennington twelve inch started the same as Pamela's version, but the seven inch didn't, so hasn't got those lovely 1940s type whooshy hi-hats, something I objected to at the time about the seven inch.

Anyone wanna see "Fan The Flame" too ???

">

[Guest]

Hi Malcolm from memory I'd say perhaps 4 -6 thousand.

Much more.

The whole 4000 from Goodwill in 1973 were all on shelves as we used to play through one shelf each Saturday afternoon, me Les and Colin.

That room in the end had to have been crammed with at least thirty thousand, otherwise where were they all stored ?? As I said, I know for a fact I had sixty thousand by 1979.

[Guest]

Ian I Will dig some out tomorrow and do what I can, I think I have one of you with Doris Pittance!!!! Real name I forget, Stood in the Highland Room!

Norma Jeffries.

Now married as Norma Fowden.

[Guest Brett F]

I did collect them but was never a big lover of the traditional Stax sound.

My favourites were the later stuff, such as The Epsilons, The Stingers, Collette Kelly, Paul Thompson, The Dramatics, Margie Joseph, The TSU Toronadoes, Proud As Punch, Reggie Milner, Darrell Banks, Chuck Brooks, Barbara Lewis, Roz Ryan, The Temprees, The Limitations, Major Lance, and of course J.J. Barnes.

Always loved the Collette Kelly "City Of Fools" 45' on Volt, she seems to be a bit of a mystery to me, don't know of anything else she did, did you ever come across her Ian or know anything about her ?

Brett

[Simon M]

Always loved the Collette Kelly "City Of Fools" 45' on Volt, she seems to be a bit of a mystery to me, don't know of anything else she did, did you ever come across her Ian or know anything about her ?

Brett

I was going to ask that Brett , also about Paul Thompson?

[manus]

I think a lot of people on Soul Source will enjoy this. The late Frankie Gaye, which I co-wrote and co-produced with Ronnie McNeir and Obie from The Four Tops.

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[macca]

Ian I Will dig some out tomorrow and do what I can, I think I have one of you with Doris Pittance!!!! Real name I forget, Stood in the Highland Room! Whilst on the subject I have one of Tony Cummings FAST ASLEEP in The Highland room

Andy.

The tapes going to Australia story is interesting.

It'd be nice to hear them.

What about digitalising them Andy?

[Guest]

Always loved the Collette Kelly "City Of Fools" 45' on Volt, she seems to be a bit of a mystery to me, don't know of anything else she did, did you ever come across her Ian or know anything about her ?

Brett

It was one of Les Cokell's favourite records.

Some of those obscure records on the dark blue and red Volt label were just amazing. "I Still Love You" by the TSU Toronadoes, for example. As good as it gets.

I have no idea who Collette Kelly was, but the record exudes a sweet coolness that's verging on unique. Sharon Jones and The Dap Tones, take heed of how it SHOULD be done with a lean musician section.

[Guest]

The tapes going to Australia story is interesting.

It'd be nice to hear them.

What about digitalising them Andy?

As we know that I taped them in 1974, I would love a list of them, just to see which records I thought good enough to put on Joanne's tapes all those many many years ago.

[Pete S]

WENT TO THAT ONE.Can't remember year,when Heroes was released.

Eno on keyboards.BOOTSY COLLINS in the crowd.

Coach trip with old mucker Tats Taylor.Did'nt know Bowie had a motorbike!!!! .

It was June 1978 - he did 2 nights at Stafford and 3 at Earls Court, also 3 at Glasgow Apollo...

[Pete S]

WENT TO THAT ONE.Can't remember year,when Heroes was released.

Eno on keyboards.BOOTSY COLLINS in the crowd.

Coach trip with old mucker Tats Taylor.Did'nt know Bowie had a motorbike!!!! .

Eno wasn't on keyboards Kev. He never played keyboards live with Bowie. Keyboard player was Sean Mayes (not Roger Powell as it says on wikipedia)

[Guest TONY ROUNCE]

Did I dream, this or did you used to have a copy of the Four Tops version of "Helpless" on South African (or maybe Nigerian) Tamla Motown?

I've told many people, who claim that it only came out on either the "Second Album" or a French EP, that this was the case, but they tend to dismiss my insistence as the ramblings of an idiot who's flicked through too many record collections...

[Guest thenogger]

Is this BULL S**T still on. I can't see what all the fuss is all about " MOTORS**TY " it is not that good for a load of CRAP.

REGARDS

thenogger (Stoke - on - Trent) (MR. IRONSIDE)

[Guest]

Did I dream, this or did you used to have a copy of the Four Tops version of "Helpless" on South African (or maybe Nigerian) Tamla Motown?

I did indeed.

On a dark olive green coloured South African Tamla-Motown.

I had some other stuff on Indian Motown that never came out anywhere else on singles.

My parents used to travel round the world taking groups of people on chartered holidays. It was part of their business. Each country, my Mother went into a record shop and bought me a few local Motown singles for variety.

I think John Anderson and Mick Smith bought these off me a few years back.

[Guest]

Is this BULL S**T still on. I can't see what all the fuss is all about " MOTORS**TY " it is not that good for a load of CRAP.

REGARDS

thenogger (Stoke - on - Trent) (MR. IRONSIDE)

"You are ignoring this useless user".

[Guest Brett F]

I did indeed.

On a dark olive green coloured South African Tamla-Motown.

I had some other stuff on Indian Motown that never came out anywhere else on singles.

My parents used to travel round the world taking groups of people on chartered holidays. It was part of their business. Each country, my Mother went into a record shop and bought me a few local Motown singles for variety.

I think John Anderson and Mick Smith bought these off me a few years back.

Brilliant stuff, did you ever own a 45' by SABU ( South African Blues Union), it came out on a South African Atlantic ( not certain if it's a genuine Atlantic associated 45') release, 70's i believe, Mark Baildon (Mark B on this thread) has one, title eludes me but i do know that it's a banging tune.

Brett

Edited August 31, 2008 by Brett F

[Guest]

Brilliant stuff, did you ever own a 45' by SABU ( South African Blues Union), it came out on a South African Atlantic ( not certain if it's a genuine Atlantic associated 45') release, 70's i believe, Mark Baildon (Mark B on this thread) has one, title eludes me but i do know that it's a banging tune.

Brett

I had something similar that both sides were FANTASTIC.

It was on an Atlantic from some country or other, and had fabulous big Crown Heights Affair type brass, and I pictured it and reviewed it in Togetherness magazine, if anybody can find the review and remind me who it was by. But it was bloody brilliant.

[Dave Fleming]

I did collect them but was never a big lover of the traditional Stax sound.

My favourites were the later stuff, such as The Epsilons, The Stingers, Collette Kelly, Paul Thompson, The Dramatics, Margie Joseph, The TSU Toronadoes, Proud As Punch, Reggie Milner, Darrell Banks, Chuck Brooks, Barbara Lewis, Roz Ryan, The Temprees, The Limitations, Major Lance, and of course J.J. Barnes.

Ian did you ever see the "TSU T"on the local 1st issue "Ovide" at the time or was there just the Volt copy`s about back then?.

Dave f...........