As Mike chose to split my thread up, and as I wanted one thread to discuss my productions, this is the Ian Levine Production thread.

To discuss anything I have written or produced or both, between February 1975 and the present date 2009.

Paul

Can you please post details of this release as a separate item

Did say last week that there was no way was going to have one long running thread centered on one person in the main forum

and as you may recall the last ill advised thread was split into different threads due to this

That does still stand and so ask that all try and fit in their future use of this forum with that in mind

thanks

mike

(again if have any queries on this post this please use the feedback forum - not this thread)

Paul

Can you please post details of this release as a separate item

Bit confused now, Mike, as it's a new Ian Levine production, and that's the subject matter of this thread.

Bit confused now, Mike, as it's a new Ian Levine production, and that's the subject matter of this thread.

But posting advert for an upcoming release isn't IMHO, I'm sure that's what Mike meant.

But posting advert for an upcoming release isn't IMHO, I'm sure that's what Mike meant.

It wasn't an advert. It was a scan of the label and a clip of the song. People have been asking to hear it, so Paul Mooney obliged them. I set up this thread to discuss my productions, openly, and this is one of them.

It wasn't an advert. It was a scan of the label and a clip of the song. People have been asking to hear it, so Paul Mooney obliged them. I set up this thread to discuss my productions, openly, and this is one of them.

there's already a thread regarding this track

I will move the posts in there when time allows

last week a thread was split

went into the reasons behind that at the time

a week later and seems we are now back at square one - a long running thread covering many subjects

I say it again - there is no way that we are having a long running thread centered around one person in the main forum

there are many reasons why , the balance of the site, the knock on effect it has on other threads, the overall interest and attraction it has to all members are just a few that spring to mind

long running threads in the main forum are simply not an option unless there are special circumstances

there's already a thread regarding this track

I will move the posts in there when time allows

last week a thread was split

went into the reasons behind that at the time

a week later and seems we are now back at square one - a long running thread covering many subjects

I say it again - there is no way that we are having a long running thread centered around one person in the main forum

there are many reasons why , the balance of the site, the knock on effect it has on other threads, the overall interest and attraction it has to all members are just a few that spring to mind

long running threads in the main forum are simply not an option unless there are special circumstances

If we were discussing records played at the Mecca, I could see your point, but we were discussing an Ian Levine production, and the title of this thread is "Ian Levine Productions And Songs", which made it totally on-topic.

I cannot keep up with the rules changing every day.

JT made a foul comment which was cunningly disguised to make you react in this way.

I thought you'd have treated it with the contempt it deserved, instead of allowing him to achieve his conniving goal, with you getting wound up and reacting.

After all, I have remained calm and haven't let anything wind me up or rile me, even laughing off Paul-S's truly pathetic post.

long running threads in the main forum are simply not an option unless there are special circumstances

Hypothetically, if I were a forum owner, I'd welcome with open arms a thread which brought thousands of readers into my forum and generating real interest. But I'm not, and you are, and it's your call of course.

Hypothetically, if I were a forum owner, I'd welcome with open arms a thread which brought thousands of readers into my forum and generating real interest. But I'm not, and you are, and it's your call of course.

And what happens when we complete the video and I want to let people see it ??

Is it not allowed to be posted in a thread specifically called "Ian Levine Productions And Songs" ?????

Should I start a new thread called "Ian Levine is only allowed to post ten replies, but no songs, in this thread" ????

just do what everyone else does what they got something to pass on

start a new thread where the title reflects the content

just do what everyone else does what they got something to pass on

start a new thread where the title reflects the content

But this title does reflect its content....

I can't win here........

long running threads in the main forum are simply not an option unless there are special circumstances

MOVE IT THEN PLEASE

Adding on to that, my memory now recollects that this was the time of Terry Callier's rebirth and his first gig at the 100 Club, which came about because of Eddie Pillar's Acid Jazz label re-issue of 'I don't want to see myself (without you)'.

That was a great gig, and happened because there was an openess then, certainly in the London area, to more modern releases. Colin Brown (still here on the forum?), for example, was spinning a lot of modern sounds at this time in London and the track by the aforementioned Chuck Jackson, etc, fitted right in with that groove and mood.

The biggest venue for Chuck Jackson, when it came out in 1989, was Chris Hill at the Lacy Lady. He made it into their biggest anthem of the late 1980s and early 1990s, and at all the Caister weekends too, where every punter knew every word of "All Over The World".

IAN - several questions for you .........

Who - if you can name them - could you not work with , despite trying to ?

Who did you approach to work with you , but they turned you down ?

Did you have a gut feeling that " Reaching for The Best " would be a success , or did you have reservations ?

" RFTB " is acknowledged as your first major production , but what was the first " dry run " producing a song ?

plus a Mecca related one .......

Cover ups : what was the shortest and longest run a record had that you covered up , before it was revealed by other parties ?

Malc Burton

Any chance of a reply as promised Ian ?

Malc Burton

IAN - several questions for you .........

Who - if you can name them - could you not work with , despite trying to ?

DO YOU MEAN TO PRODUCE ON RECORD, LIKE BARRETT STRONG, TATA VEGA, EDDIE KENDRICKS, OR DENNIS EDWARDS, OR DO YOU MEAN FOR SWONS, LIKE AL WILSON, JACKIE LEE, JOHNNIE MAE MATTHEWS, OR CHUBBY CHECKER ??

Who did you approach to work with you , but they turned you down ?

ALL OF THE ABOVE DECLINED. DID YOU WANT NAMES THAT WE TRIED TO FIND BUT COULDN'T LOCATE FOR SWONS - IF SO - CHRIS JACKSON, THE AD LIBS (at the time), THE CHARADES, THE AMBERS, SHIRLEY ELLIS, THE VIBRATIONS.

Did you have a gut feeling that " Reaching for The Best " would be a success , or did you have reservations ?

ALWAYS BELIEVED IT WOULD FROM THE MOMENT WE CREATED IT

" RFTB " is acknowledged as your first major production , but what was the first " dry run " producing a song ?

THAT ONE WAS - THE VERY FIRST

plus a Mecca related one .......

Cover ups : what was the shortest and longest run a record had that you covered up , before it was revealed by other parties ?

LONGEST WAS THE JOHNNY JACKSON EXPERIENCE, WHICH WAS MELVIN CARTER.

CAN'T REMEMBER ANY OTHER SHORT ONES THOUGH.

Ian

When producers recruit vocalists to lay the vocal on a track, you sometimes get the impression that the vocalist is just doing the job, they're not 'getting' the track - it may be a competent vocal but it lacks 'soul' i guess. This is why I don't get many, usually house tracks, that use 'feat' - ie dj/producer ft 'soulful vocalist'

Not saying I lump you in with that but you are a producer/writer and use a variety of different vocalists so:-

a) when you write a track, or have a vision for a track, do you have a specific vocalist in mind, do you write for specific vocalists.

you write in the style of 'northern soul' if you like, so is the style the key, your vision of the track and the vocalist secondary?

c) have you used a vocalist on a track, the one you wanted or envisaged, but actually it hasn't worked and you've binned it. Or perhaps utilised someone else and its worked?

Thanks

a) when you write a track, or have a vision for a track, do you have a specific vocalist in mind, do you write for specific vocalists.

I try to write WITH the vocalist, so they put their own stamp on it too

Edited January 16, 200916 yr by Ian Levine

you write in the style of 'northern soul' if you like, so is the style the key, your vision of the track and the vocalist secondary?

Possibly.

I have an overall sound in my head, and I try to find the right singers who can fit within those parameters, but also try to give a different identity to each singer. Tahira Jumah has a very different sound, for example, to The Flirtations.

c) have you used a vocalist on a track, the one you wanted or envisaged, but actually it hasn't worked and you've binned it. Or perhaps utilised someone else and its worked?

Many many times.

My discography is littered with versions of songs I binned and redid with someone else.

I cut a track for the new "Soul Steppers" album, for example, by Judith Hall, but I loathe the performance on it, so I'm putting it with the bonus tracks in the DVD and having to cut a new track with someone else to replace it on the CD. I exercise my own quality control - if I like it personally then it works for me. If it bugs me and grates on me, then it goes.

Cover ups : what was the shortest and longest run a record had that you covered up , before it was revealed by other parties ?

Malc Burton

Thinking long and hard about this, the answer has to be Sidra's Theme.

Colin had it covered up as "The End Of The World", but Soussan twigged what it was and bootlegged it through Selectadisc in virtually no time at all.

Who - if you can name them - could you not work with , despite trying to ?

DO YOU MEAN TO PRODUCE ON RECORD, LIKE BARRETT STRONG, TATA VEGA, EDDIE KENDRICKS, OR DENNIS EDWARDS, OR DO YOU MEAN FOR SWONS, LIKE AL WILSON, JACKIE LEE, JOHNNIE MAE MATTHEWS, OR CHUBBY CHECKER ??

Who did you approach to work with you , but they turned you down ?

ALL OF THE ABOVE DECLINED. DID YOU WANT NAMES THAT WE TRIED TO FIND BUT COULDN'T LOCATE FOR SWONS - IF SO - CHRIS JACKSON, THE AD LIBS (at the time), THE CHARADES, THE AMBERS, SHIRLEY ELLIS, THE VIBRATIONS.

Did you have a gut feeling that " Reaching for The Best " would be a success , or did you have reservations ?

ALWAYS BELIEVED IT WOULD FROM THE MOMENT WE CREATED IT

" RFTB " is acknowledged as your first major production , but what was the first " dry run " producing a song ?

THAT ONE WAS - THE VERY FIRST

plus a Mecca related one .......

Cover ups : what was the shortest and longest run a record had that you covered up , before it was revealed by other parties ?

LONGEST WAS THE JOHNNY JACKSON EXPERIENCE, WHICH WAS MELVIN CARTER.

CAN'T REMEMBER ANY OTHER SHORT ONES THOUGH.

What I should have stated was " who were you in the process of working with , but could not continue to do so , through a clash of personalities and artistic opinions "

Thank you for the replies : very much appreciated .

Malc Burton

Edited January 16, 200916 yr by Malc Burton

moving this thread to box

reason is as stated before

main forum is not a place for long running threads centered on one person/topic

I like the motorcity recording of Billy Griffin - Technicolour. ~Did this come out on vinyl? Sorry cannot find the list you posted up months back.

Many thanks,

P

I like the motorcity recording of Billy Griffin - Technicolour. ~Did this come out on vinyl? Sorry cannot find the list you posted up months back.

Many thanks,

P

I've got it on a 12" White label - with the artist/title on a sticker slapped on it - if anyone wants it they can have it for a fiver including postage and packing (in the UK).

Edited January 16, 200916 yr by pikeys dog

Message to ALL members.

Now the Ian Levine 'songs' thread has been moved to the 'box' forum can you all please keep replies on topic.

If you have any other comments post them in the 'Members Feedback' forum.

What the hell is going on ?????

It's starting to look like a few people complain and the thread either gets shut down or moved.

Is this an attempt to drive the viewership of Soul Source as underground as some of the clubs are ???

Disappointed in you, Mike.

As many of my productions are on CD only, I don't think this thread belongs in a section about what records are in peoples' DJ boxes.

This is just an attempt to pander to James Trouble and Paul-S, I'm sad to say.

Message to ALL members.

Now the Ian Levine 'songs' thread has been moved to the 'box' forum can you all please keep replies on topic.

Much as I'm not happy my thread has been moved here, I shall try to continue, in the hope that it becomes a terrorist free zone now.

Thinking long and hard about this, the answer has to be Sidra's Theme.

Colin had it covered up as "The End Of The World", but Soussan twigged what it was and bootlegged it through Selectadisc in virtually no time at all.

I thought it was one of your finds Ian : I did not know it was Colin's .

I assume the air went midnight blue when Colin found out Saucepan had bootlegged it ........

A long shot , but is there something that you played and still have , that is still covered , never having been revealed ?

Malc Burton

Edited January 16, 200916 yr by Malc Burton

What I should have stated was " who were you in the process of working with , but could not continue to do so , through a clash of personalities and artistic opinions "

Frances Nero when she punched me in the stomach.

I like the motorcity recording of Billy Griffin - Technicolour. ~Did this come out on vinyl? Sorry cannot find the list you posted up months back.

Did you not get one in the records I sent to you ?????

I thought it was one of your finds Ian : I did not know it was Colin's .

No, it was Colin's. Very much so.

A long shot , but is there something that you played and still have , that is still covered , never having been revealed ?

Malc Burton

No, we revealed them all in the end.

The Johnny Jackson Experience lasted three whole years in the end. That was easily the longest. I remember Marc Copage being Little Lee Howell, and Steve Karmen Band being "Black Ship To Hell".

I like it too.

Ian firstly thankyou for the night at the Ion Bar, although I had to leave early I had a very enjoyable night and it is always a pleasure to see The Flirtations (still a great act) not that they were the only ones dishing it out.

Secondly and I'm not sure this should be posted in this thread or the other, but having listened to lots of your productions over the years I would be interested in this:

Many times I think that if I had a time machine I'd like to travel back in time to Detroit around about 1965, maybe to have a night at The Phelps Lounge or The Twenty Twenty Grand, Hustle around the studios Terra Shirma, Golden World, Hitsville even. If you had the chance to do this...and I know it's hyperthetical.....where would you have gone...who would you have worked with and how would you have arranged the productions.

This is a guenuine question and has crossed my mind for a long time.

Kev

Edited January 17, 200916 yr by Kev Moore

I like the motorcity recording of Billy Griffin - Technicolour. ~Did this come out on vinyl? Sorry cannot find the list you posted up months back.

Many thanks,

P

Hello,

Although I don't always like Billy's voice, 'Technicolour' is a classic. It was a Motorcity 12" and possibly a limited 7".

I also liked an earlier Griffin Motorcity track, "First In Line". It probably sounds a bit fast these days but it was another strong song with a frantic bass line.

Maybe Ian should update these songs one day.

Best regards,

Paul

Although I don't always like Billy's voice, 'Technicolour' is a classic. It was a Motorcity 12" and possibly a limited 7".

classic, or not, nobody is interested in the Mint 12" Demo for a fiver incuding p&p.

Thinking long and hard about this, the answer has to be Sidra's Theme.

Colin had it covered up as "The End Of The World", but Soussan twigged what it was and bootlegged it through Selectadisc in virtually no time at all.

Did Midnight Brew also come out by Still Life on Trip Universal? Ian when are we going to see the Christine Gojke pctures?

Shortest cover up - Universal Mind - Carstairs?

Hello,

Although I don't always like Billy's voice, 'Technicolour' is a classic. It was a Motorcity 12" and possibly a limited 7".

I also liked an earlier Griffin Motorcity track, "First In Line". It probably sounds a bit fast these days but it was another strong song with a frantic bass line.

Maybe Ian should update these songs one day.

Best regards,

Paul

Both of these were indeed on seven inch, Paul.

Shortest cover up - Universal Mind - Carstairs?

I truly don't recall that being covered up.

classic, or not, nobody is interested in the Mint 12" Demo for a fiver incuding p&p.

If it was a proper copy with a picture sleeve, you'd sell it easily.

Twelve inch white label demos just look so unappealing.

If it was a proper copy with a picture sleeve, you'd sell it easily.

Twelve inch white label demos just look so unappealing.

And here's me thinking "It's What's In The Groove That Counts"

Both of these were indeed on seven inch, Paul.

Hello Ian,

I suppose most of the Motorcity 7" singles are hard to find now. I wish I'd kept some but I gave them to radio stations etc. I still have a 7" of "It's A Shame" by GC but it's a bit worn because my ex used to play it to death.

If anyone has a 7" of "Good Times Up Ahead", please contact me.

Paul

just thought of another good 'un ...............G C Cameron - 'No Need To Explain'

Edited January 16, 200916 yr by Val

Did you not get one in the records I sent to you ?????

No I didn't have that one.

P

Ian,

Do you ever look back at your earlier productions, say up to the Motorcity releases, and think how you would have/could have done them now?

Are there any that you think you could vastly improve and how?

Are there any that you believe are 'perfect' and wouldnt alter even with a gun at your temple?

Edited January 16, 200916 yr by pikeys dog

Did Midnight Brew also come out by Still Life on Trip Universal? Ian when are we going to see the Christine Gojke pctures?

Shortest cover up - Universal Mind - Carstairs?

MIDNIGHT BREW ALSO CAME OUT AGAIN AS A B SIDE BY GLASS TEAR BAND ON TRIP 15.i RECENTLY BOUGHT A COPY BUT NO ONE SEEMS TO KNOW MUCH ABOUT IT????

MIDNIGHT BREW ALSO CAME OUT AGAIN AS A B SIDE BY GLASS TEAR BAND ON TRIP 15.i RECENTLY BOUGHT A COPY BUT NO ONE SEEMS TO KNOW MUCH ABOUT IT????

I think Rob Lythall turned up the first copy of Glass Tears. Certainly remember him having one in the late 70s when the other known were The Still life, Melvin Carter and The Six Pak.

hi ian,

can you tell us more about soussan, ive heard lots of stories bout him,did you know him well ? what was the score with him ? he seems such a charactor, did he really love the music etc ?

cheers

jason

And here's me thinking "It's What's In The Groove That Counts"

It is.

You can buy "Technicolour" and SIXTY NINE other tracks on the "Reaching For The Very Best" triple CD for less than a tenner, from Goldsoul or Amazon.

But if someone were to pay a tenner for a vinyl copy, I merely thought the white label twelve didn't look nearly as appealing as the picture sleeved release copy back in 1990.

just thought of another good 'un ...............G C Cameron - 'No Need To Explain'

Yes. Back in 1991, that was very popular with the London modern-soul crowd. Incredibly popular indeed.

Ian,

Do you ever look back at your earlier productions, say up to the Motorcity releases, and think how you would have/could have done them now?

Are there any that you think you could vastly improve and how?

All the time. I hate the sounds we were limited with, twenty years ago.

I have redone loads. On the current "Reaching For The Very Best" triple CD, there are TWENTY TWO Motorcity recordings that have been completely redone and re-recorded since their original release.

Later this year, we're releasing "Motorcity 2009" which will be 24 Motorcity songs all freshly re-recorded and remixed and redone from their original twenty year old versions.