https://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi...A:IT&ih=021

Well , blow me down , have a look at what this copy of the "The Champ" by the Mohawks went for on ebay the other day.

Several questions here:

* Issued of course on Cotillion in the US, but how many issues in the UK have there been of this record over the years ? The first in the UK was on blue Pama was it not ?

* And does this particular UK issue justify the finishing price ?

* The item description of this UK issue states "Reggae Version" ? Is this indeed a reggae version by the Mohawks - and is there any other "alternative" version or mix by the Mohawks - other than the original that we all know and love ? Or has this seller just incorrectly described it as a "reggae" record when it is in fact just the original version ?

I expect our resident ska / reggae & UK label experts experts Pete Smith and Tony Rounce to add their weight here !

Edited October 15, 200816 yr by sunnysoul

https://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi...A:IT&ih=021

Well , blow me down , have a look at what this copy of the "The Champ" by the Mohawks went for on ebay the other day.

Several questions here:

* Issued of course on Cotillion in the US, but how many issues in the UK have there been of this record over the years ? The first in the UK was on blue Pama was it not ?

* And does this particular UK issue justify the finishing price ?

* The item description of this UK issue states "Reggae Version" ? Is this indeed a reggae version by the Mohawks - and is there any other "alternative" version or mix by the Mohawks - other than the original that we all know and love ? Or has this seller just incorrectly described it as a "reggae" record when it is in fact just the original version ?

I expect our resident ska / reggae & UK label experts experts Pete Smith and Tony Rounce to add their weight here !

1st issue pama was purple

* The item description of this UK issue states "Reggae Version" ? Is this indeed a reggae version by the Mohawks - and is there any other "alternative" version or mix by the Mohawks - other than the original that we all know and love ? Or has this seller just incorrectly described it as a "reggae" record when it is in fact just the original version ?

if it's the version i'm thinking of then that later Pama issue is an alternative JA-recorded version, and clearly a different group. the original version had a JA release on Sir JJ's, so it would have been known over there...

The Mohawks of course were just a bunch of session musicians who were recording KPM LPs (Big Beat 1 & 2? not a library expert) when asked to do an LP of similar material for the Palmers, the sleeve notes about 'Morris Hawk' or whatever are totally made-up...

just seen this Champ clip from the KPM All Stars gig back in 2006:

Edited October 16, 200816 yr by michael-j

https://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi...A:IT&ih=021

Well , blow me down , have a look at what this copy of the "The Champ" by the Mohawks went for on ebay the other day.

Several questions here:

* Issued of course on Cotillion in the US, but how many issues in the UK have there been of this record over the years ? The first in the UK was on blue Pama was it not ?

* And does this particular UK issue justify the finishing price ?

* The item description of this UK issue states "Reggae Version" ? Is this indeed a reggae version by the Mohawks - and is there any other "alternative" version or mix by the Mohawks - other than the original that we all know and love ? Or has this seller just incorrectly described it as a "reggae" record when it is in fact just the original version ?

I expect our resident ska / reggae & UK label experts experts Pete Smith and Tony Rounce to add their weight here !

What WAS the finishing price sir? Be aware that there was a (much rarer) issue of 'The Champ' on Pama Supreme in 1972 which is a COMPLETELY different mix from the original Blue issue (always had it down as blue first / purple second? Diff b sides too...) and is extremely hard to find with 'Cherry Pink' on the flip...was the one that just finished on the evil bay on Pama or Pama Supreme? Completely different animal...Alan Hawkshaw WAS the Mohawks...

Anybody who shells out more than £20 / £25 on either a blue or purple UK press is a dunce. Amen.

MRez

https://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi...A:IT&ih=021

Well , blow me down , have a look at what this copy of the "The Champ" by the Mohawks went for on ebay the other day.

Several questions here:

* Issued of course on Cotillion in the US, but how many issues in the UK have there been of this record over the years ? The first in the UK was on blue Pama was it not ?

* And does this particular UK issue justify the finishing price ?

* The item description of this UK issue states "Reggae Version" ? Is this indeed a reggae version by the Mohawks - and is there any other "alternative" version or mix by the Mohawks - other than the original that we all know and love ? Or has this seller just incorrectly described it as a "reggae" record when it is in fact just the original version ?

I expect our resident ska / reggae & UK label experts experts Pete Smith and Tony Rounce to add their weight here !

First issue blue, second issue purple. The Pama Supreme 'reggae' version is a different recording entirely, and much rarer than the Pama version. That price on ebay - just over a ton - isn't that high, seen it go anywhere from 50 to 150.

(There was one that went for over 1K on ebay a few years back, but as far as I know the buyer didn't pay for it!)

There's also a 80s reissue on a buff coloured pama... (of the original version)

First issue blue, second issue purple. The Pama Supreme 'reggae' version is a different recording entirely, and much rarer than the Pama version. That price on ebay - just over a ton - isn't that high, seen it go anywhere from 50 to 150.

(There was one that went for over 1K on ebay a few years back, but as far as I know the buyer didn't pay for it!)

The mans speaks truth - I've bought that issue @ over £100 in my time to sell on @ £175 - at it's PEAK that issue / version was hitting £250++, Japanese collectors and Americans were shelling heavy bucks to get it - believe me - £100 is a fair price now - reflects the record's true value / scarcity...

The Mohawks who played on the 'reggae' version were a different Mohawks completely to the ones that did the KPM LPs and did the blue / purple label issues - Alan Hawkshaw was doing completely different stuff by then - the 'second' Mohawks were Mr Palmer's in-house band who played on 100s and 100s of Pama sessions up there in Harlsden - bit like The Funk Brothers on Motown actually, I guess?

Most releases on Pama Supreme involved The Mohawks in some way or another - right John?

MRez

There's also a 80s reissue on a buff coloured pama... (of the original version)

With a (then) 'modern' remix on the flip - issued as 12" and 7" to coincide with the Rare Groove 'boom' (hah!) of the late-80s - even that issue is not easy to pick up nowadays. I've had £30 for the 12" very recently...

MRez