Is John Anderson Soul Bowl still selling records? anybody got a contact, used to get good tunes ages ago, saw the name again in the Keb Darge article.

Cheers

Ozy Duncan

Is John Anderson Soul Bowl still selling records? anybody got a contact, used to get good tunes ages ago, saw the name again in the Keb Darge article.

Cheers

Ozy Duncan

https://www.soulbowlrecords.com/

https://www.soulbowlrecords.com/

Cheers

Is John Anderson Soul Bowl still selling records? anybody got a contact, used to get good tunes ages ago, saw the name again in the Keb Darge article.

Cheers

Ozy Duncan

Also Ebay's as sweetsoul28 I believe

https://myworld.ebay.co.uk/sweetsoul28

John's contribution to the rare soul scene has been emense. Those that came to the scene in the mid 80's onwards will never fully appreciate how important this guy was.

Still to be found selling records as others have said and occasionally at venues too. He is the very tall grumpy scotsman in the record bar at Cleethorpes "these people are all selling my records" . Love him to bits

John's contribution to the rare soul scene has been emense. Those that came to the scene in the mid 80's onwards will never fully appreciate how important this guy was.

Still to be found selling records as others have said and occasionally at venues too. He is the very tall grumpy scotsman in the record bar at Cleethorpes "these people are all selling my records" . Love him to bits

Agree with you there Dave. JA was never one to blow his own trumpet and shunned the limelight but serious collectors of originals all knew who he was, and still is. I'm certainly not alone in believing John Anderson has forgotten more about records than most or any of us will ever know.

Who can ever forget visiting Soul Sowl or getting John's weekly lists and the frantic dialling to be the first to get through at 8.30am

Total respect

I heard that John was moving back to Scotland.....

Agree with you there Dave. JA was never one to blow his own trumpet and shunned the limelight but serious collectors of originals all knew who he was, and still is. I'm certainly not alone in believing John Anderson has forgotten more about records than most or any of us will ever know.

Who can ever forget visiting Soul Sowl or getting John's weekly lists and the frantic dialling to be the first to get through at 8.30am

Total respect

Worked Nights even back then, stayed up waiting for the Post & List.

(Prompted me to pay to have a Phone put in at my Parents House).

Still a Dial, but until that point, Phone Box, Dial & Queue Outside to add to the Fun.

Never mind actually getting through, only to be told "Sorry That one's Gone".

I heard that John was moving back to Scotland.....

he already HAS.

Steve

Agree with you there Dave. JA was never one to blow his own trumpet and shunned the limelight but serious collectors of originals all knew who he was, and still is. I'm certainly not alone in believing John Anderson has forgotten more about records than most or any of us will ever know.

Who can ever forget visiting Soul Sowl or getting John's weekly lists and the frantic dialling to be the first to get through at 8.30am

Total respect

Absolutely. The 8.30am Thursday (or was it Friday) call was very stressfull. Especially if I was on the road and had to use a telephone box. This just brought back memories of freezing my balls off somewhere in a phone box, constantly being harrassed by other people wanting to use the phone box whilst getting a constant engaged signal.........

Does John understand the sheer psychological trauma he put people through I wonder? I'm still suffering the nightmares some 35 years later. I think it's called "Post Trumatic Soul Bowl Syndrome" or something innit?

Anyway I'm suing the tight Scottish git for not installing several lines!

Ian D

Edited December 22, 200816 yr by Ian Dewhirst

Post Trumatic Soul Bowl Syndrome

Mine was caused by having to use the phone in joinery workshop where I did my apprentership (A bit like job seekers training for you young ones). Dirty looks from the forman and the odd shout of 'are you gonna do any fecking work today'. Then just as I did get through, someone would start up the circlar saw, only to hear a voice at the other end say 'What did you say, I can't hear you' then line goes dead.

Mind you still easier than buying things from the states back then

Send for a list(2-3 weeks)

List arrives (often with no phone number)

Send requests back (2-3 weeks later a reply)

Send payment (2-3 weeks records arrive)

Edited December 22, 200816 yr by Dave Thorley

Absolutely. The 8.30am Thursday (or was it Friday) call was very stressfull. Especially if I was on the road and had to use a telephone box. This just brought back memories of freezing my balls off somewhere in a phone box, constantly being harrassed by other people wanting to use the phone box whilst getting a constant engaged signal.........

Does John understand the sheer psychological trauma he put people through I wonder? I'm still suffering the hightmares some 35 years later. I think it's called "Post Trumatic Soul Bowl Syndrome" or something innit?

Anyway I'm suing the tight Scottish git for not installing several lines!

Ian D

The times I have got through and asked "Have You Got" ........... Pip, Pip, Pip (Insert More Money) and ask again.

Those Flaming Pips. Struggling to Negotiate the change into the slot, finger still sore from all that Dialing.

• Insert "Salute to Modern Technology" Mobile Phones etc.
  

The Public Phone that I used was a Modern one for it's day, one up from the older PRESS Button A or B.

Still a Dial though.

When I did eventually get a Phone put in at my Parents house we ended up on Party Line for a short period.

Stress, you better believe it.

Edited December 22, 200816 yr by 45cellar

Post Trumatic Soul Bowl Syndrome

Mine was caused by having to use the phone in joinery workshop where I did my apprentership (A bit like job seekers training for you young ones). Dirty looks from the forman and the odd shout of 'are you gonna do any fecking work today'. Then just as I did get through, someone would start up the circlar saw, only to hear a voice at the other end say 'What did you say, I can't hear you' then line goes dead.

Brilliant Dave. Now we can launch a class action LOL..........

I don't like the sound of the circular saw bit though.

Come to think of it, I also wrecked one car engine and totalled another completely on the way back from bloody Norfolk. He owes me millions.............

Ian D

memories of going down too johns.staying in a hotel in kings lynn. hotel had free porn heaven for an impressionable 17 year old.lol visiting his office next day wall too wall records,concert posters on the wall,gold discs and all that vinyl in piles.heaven.being given a pack of wonderful,marvelous playing cards for nowt,buying a pile of records all for under a £100 priceless.top man.

The times I have got through and asked "Have You Got" ........... Pip, Pip, Pip (Insert More Money) and ask again.

Those Flaming Pips. Struggling to Negotiate the change into the slot, finger still sore from all that Dialing.

• Insert "Salute to Modern Technology" Mobile Phones etc.
  

The Public Phone that I used was a Modern one for it's day, one up from the older PRESS Button A or B.

Still a Dial though.

When I did eventually get a Phone put in at my Parents house we ended up on Party Line for a short period.

Stress, you better believe it.

Right! That's three of us so far. I suggest we all get a proper psychological evaluation done and get the "Post Traumatic Soul Bowl Syndrome" established as a bona-fide symptom of the long-term physiological damage of trying to get through to Soul Bowl under extremely difficult circumstances......

Tell John to get his cheque book out Stevie G...........!

Ian D

memories of going down too johns.staying in a hotel in kings lynn. hotel had free porn heaven for an impressionable 17 year old.lol visiting his office next day wall too wall records,concert posters on the wall,gold discs and all that vinyl in piles.heaven.being given a pack of wonderful,marvelous playing cards for nowt,buying a pile of records all for under a £100 priceless.top man.

Mmmmm. Let me get this straight Soulfulmouse, are you saying that John put you in a hotel and then subjected you to sexually depraved visual images and then relieved you of your money whilst you were at an impressionable age................?

And then gave you a free pack of cards LOL?

That's just bloody typical of these Scottish media types.......!

Just added to the ever-expanding dossier we have on this Mr Anderson...........

Ian D

Mmmmm. Let me get this straight Soulfulmouse, are you saying that John put you in a hotel and then subjected you to sexually depraved visual images and then relieved you of your money whilst you were at an impressionable age................?

And then gave you a free pack of cards LOL?

That's just bloody typical of these Scottish media types.......!

Just added to the ever-expanding dossier we have on this Mr Anderson...........

Ian D

well makes a change form your hands being sore trying to get through on the bloody phone.thank god for redial now thats all im saying!!

Absolutely. The 8.30am Thursday (or was it Friday) call was very stressfull. Especially if I was on the road and had to use a telephone box. This just brought back memories of freezing my balls off somewhere in a phone box, constantly being harrassed by other people wanting to use the phone box whilst getting a constant engaged signal.........

Does John understand the sheer psychological trauma he put people through I wonder? I'm still suffering the hightmares some 35 years later. I think it's called "Post Trumatic Soul Bowl Syndrome" or something innit?

Anyway I'm suing the tight Scottish git for not installing several lines!

Ian D

My Mam used to phone Soul Bowl,to get my order in,I also remember a 4,year old running up our road,with a special record in her little hands ,it had been deliverd to the wrong house.

Kev

I was hoping he was still in business ................. clearing out a box I found a hand written credit note from 1976 ..................... been waiting until I saw something I fancied

well makes a change form your hands being sore trying to get through on the bloody phone.thank god for redial now thats all im saying!!

Mmmm. Chafing of the fingers and repetitive strain injury as a result of consistant re-dialing.........

It's just gets better and better...........

Ian D

he already HAS.

Steve

the package I got from him 2 days ago was from scotland, it was always from england before

How did John Anderson get to be so influential? How did start off getting hold of so much stock? I used to get some stuff off him in the mid-80s but only knew about 10% of what he listed so half the time it was 'close your eyes, choose a record at random and hope for the best!'

How did John Anderson get to be so influential? How did start off getting hold of so much stock? I used to get some stuff off him in the mid-80s but only knew about 10% of what he listed so half the time it was 'close your eyes, choose a record at random and hope for the best!'

I think I found him through Blues & Soul originally when he was up in Scotland first time around - he used to run a box ad in the classifieds and was one of the only people dealing the bulk lots of U.S. imports back then. I presumed he started off as a soul fan who combined business with pleasure but I'm sure plenty of people on here know more about his origins, influences etc..........

Ian D

How did John Anderson get to be so influential? How did start off getting hold of so much stock? I used to get some stuff off him in the mid-80s but only knew about 10% of what he listed so half the time it was 'close your eyes, choose a record at random and hope for the best!'

Yes he has a tremendous knowledge and built up an unenviable list of contacts in the US through sheer hard work and endless visits. He went every month for years and spent all day and night on the road meeting people, tracking people down etc. So yes sheer hard work and a good personality that meant that people remembered him. He also managed to get records that appealed to northern souL DJs. Because he wasn't just looking for northern though he managed to amass a huge stock of vinyl - when many of the major one stops and chains were closing down in the 70s. This investment obviously served him well when styles changed. He'll tell you no one wanted the slower records in the 70s, so things like "Just can't speak" JBH and "Channel 3" were "Soul pack" records - 100 for £4. But there are not many records he hasn't had over the years.

Yes he has a tremendous knowledge and built up an unenviable list of contacts in the US through sheer hard work and endless visits. He went every month for years and spent all day and night on the road meeting people, tracking people down etc. So yes sheer hard work and a good personality that meant that people remembered him. He also managed to get records that appealed to northern souL DJs. Because he wasn't just looking for northern though he managed to amass a huge stock of vinyl - when many of the major one stops and chains were closing down in the 70s. This investment obviously served him well when styles changed. He'll tell you no one wanted the slower records in the 70s, so things like "Just can't speak" JBH and "Channel 3" were "Soul pack" records - 100 for £4. But there are not many records he hasn't had over the years.

Could be a good thread Steve, i.e. 'What Records Did John Anderson NOT Find Between 1970-1980'?

The No.1 source for rare soul in the 70's for sure.

Not just the Northern scene either. Virtually every serious collector of various Soul genres in the world has gone through John at one time or another, if you 'scuse the expression...........

Oh, merry Xmas Steve. A real twat that I missed you guys yesterday @ The Hobgoblin - I had a radio show and a Mother-In-Law to deal with but catch yer soon no doubt.....

Merry Xmas!

Ian D

I must Say John is one of the most charasmatic and likable people i have ever met. He can tell stories for hours and hours (and often does!) without repeating one..My fave story is about the first time he ever went to the States in 1968, which is also the same story about how he started dealing in records, which is also the same story about how he first met Soul Sam...etc etc..

John has moved back to Scotland, Moffat to be exact. He still visits the States between 8 and 12 times a year. Very much a moaning old git but an absolutely top bloke too...love him to bits...

John was actually voted number one Northern soul guru of all time on here a couple of years ago. I told him that and despite what he said i think he was quite chuffed!

Chris

1. He can tell stories for hours and hours (and often does!) without repeating one..

2. He still visits the States between 8 and 12 times a year.

3. Very much a moaning old git

Chris

Chris

1. you've obviously never roomed with him - when he's got a bottle of red inside him, you only ever hear the same story ... over and over.. and over.....

2. I don't think he's been going to the US that many times for the past 20 years. Like a lot of (us) old timers, he can't take the crap at the airports and at US Immigration anymore.

3. but he wouldn't be the same if he didn't...

Merry Christmas to all .. and Happy Hogmanay to him too .............

Garry

The amount of records I've just missed out on over the years from Soul Bowl is incredible.

The amount of records I've just missed out on over the years from Soul Bowl is incredible.

Yes, I used to miss quite a few and I suppose everyone did, but we all got a fair few as well.

John's not daft, he knew what would definitely sell and I believe he would share them out a bit. No good selling everything really good to the first couple of callers and everyone else just being pissed off getting nothing. Hence if one had bought a few tasty rareties and was told the next few had gone, they hadn't gone but went to the next caller. Most early callers got something and although dissapointed not to get some records we were happy to get others.

Can't remember the exact record but I remember once being told a record (Stanley Mitchell for example) had gone, when I gave my name (regular buyer) and not getting much else was told "still got the Stanley Mitchell" . Happy buyer as I least got something tasty that week.

I have always wondered if the Gwen & Ray at £1.75 had really sold when I asked for it