Levine's New Album

[Pete S]

https://www.myspace.com/northernsoul2007

Northern Soul 2007

Just wondering if Gwen Owens knows about this (or cares) - this is Just Say You're Wanted And Needed isn't it?

I'm just not sure there's a big enough market for this stuff. The purists won't touch it and it doesn't get enough exposure to crossover to the pop charts. I admire the guy for keep on trying but if it were me, I don't know...

Edited July 9, 2007 by Pete-S

[Simsy]

Not so sure about 'new northern soul monster' ... decent toe tapper more like ..

[Bitchdj]

all levines videos look like badly shot porn...every track has exactly the same backing its all shite IMO

cookie

[Tomangoes]

Looks like another attempt to manufacture ready made Northern Soul.

As a matter of interest, did Mr Levine discover JSYWAN?

I met Mizz Owens in 2004, flogging her old vinyl. she appeared to be very commercially astute, so if she had any claim for copyright, I am sure she would be interested, along with the writer/producer etc or indeed VELGO.

The current rise in popularity of the scene will always fuel ambition, but as you say dont expect many to play this, let alone buy it.

The current active DJs seem to be doing OK at finding enough material from old master tapes etc to satisfy the demand, so maybe we are not ready for this at least for now.

Ed

Edited July 9, 2007 by tomangoes

[Guest Stormin Si]

Looks like another attempt to manufacture ready made Northern Soul...

...so maybe we are not ready for this at least for now.

Ed

I dont think we will ever be ready for this sh!te

[Ged Parker]

https://www.myspace.com/northernsoul2007

Northern Soul 2007

Just wondering if Gwen Owens knows about this (or cares) - this is Just Say You're Wanted And Needed isn't it?

I'm just not sure there's a big enough market for this stuff. The purists won't touch it and it doesn't get enough exposure to crossover to the pop charts. I admire the guy for keep on trying but if it were me, I don't know...

Leaving the Scene.........?? My comment would be - if only he were

How do you call a track a Northern Monster when is has never been played in any 'Northern' venue? I'm sure some will be taken in; not that I'm saying they are necessarily bad tracks the leaving scene one is quite pleasant but 'Northern' not IMO and 'Monster' definatley not.

Why did he not release these just as soul they may then have found there way on to the decks at modern venues on their own merits.

[good angel]

all levines videos look like badly shot porn...every track has exactly the same backing its all shite IMO

cookie

Kim,

What do you know about badly shot porn, I will look out for you

Kev

[Bitchdj]

Kim,

What do you know about badly shot porn, I will look out for you

Kev

i paid for those videos to be destroyed ...he he he

cookie

[Pete S]

Well I don't know what to think, I quite like a lot of these tracks but there is a certain familiarity about them, whether it's the fact that some are based on original records (I heard the van dykes, chuck wood and holly st james for a start) or the fact that a lot of the track sound similar. But what I would say, if Ian could get the sort of sound that they (Timmion records) got on that Nicole Willis record 'If this ain't love I don't know what is' then I think he would have a lot of success because that record (nicole willis) sounds like it was recorded in the 60's. Ian's stuff sounds contemporary because of the way that technology is today. Using those facilities you're never going to get that live drum sound we know from our 60's records.

Edited July 9, 2007 by Pete-S

[45cellar]

Well I don't know what to think, I quite like a lot of these tracks but there is a certain familiarity about them, whether it's the fact that some are based on original records (I heard the van dykes, chuck wood and holly st james for a start) or the fact that a lot of the track sound similar. But what I would say, if I an could get the sort of sound that they got on that Nicole Willis record 'If this ain't love I don't know what is' then I think he would have a lot of success because that record (nicole willis) sounds like it was recorded in the 60's. Ian's stuff sounds contemporary because of the way that technology is today. Using those facilities you're never going to get that live drum sound we know from our 60's records.

Well said Pete.

[Guest Stormin Si]

To me the backing tracks sound very cheap a la SWONS.

Rather than use a computer, how about hiring some session musicians and at least attempt to create that 60's feel.

[Pete S]

To me the backing tracks sound very cheap a la SWONS.

Rather than use a computer, how about hiring some session musicians and at least attempt to create that 60's feel.

I think they do use 'live' musicians don't they? Might be wrong. I'll find out.

[Guest]

He's just not a good producer - Pete Waterman without the hits!

Why he keeps on i don't know - where's the market for it?

Derek

[Pete S]

Why he keeps on i don't know

Quote: This is our attempt to bring the music we love into today, without losing the magic of the sound

[Guest Stormin Si]

Quote: This is our attempt to bring the music we love into today, without losing the magic of the sound

I'm not sure what he means by bringing the music "into today"

Just a money making scheme

He should get a proper job

[Guest]

Quote: This is our attempt to bring the music we love into today, without losing the magic of the sound

If that's his intention it fails on every level.

The music we love was performed by fantastic singers, the songs written by songwriters whose best work was almost poetic, the music was performed by talented musicians.

It can't be copied, so why try?

Derek

[Pete S]

If that's his intention it fails on every level.

The music we love was performed by fantastic singers, the songs written by songwriters whose best work was almost poetic, the music was performed by talented musicians.

It can't be copied, so why try?

Derek

Depends how you look at it. Half of the music you love, I think is sh*t.

[Guest]

Depends how you look at it. Half of the music you love, I think is sh*t.

Only half Pete?

[Pete S]

Only half Pete?

Okay 95%, I'm sure you still like a bit of the old stuff

[Soulsmith]

Well I don't know what to think, I quite like a lot of these tracks but there is a certain familiarity about them, whether it's the fact that some are based on original records (I heard the van dykes, chuck wood and holly st james for a start) or the fact that a lot of the track sound similar. But what I would say, if Ian could get the sort of sound that they (Timmion records) got on that Nicole Willis record 'If this ain't love I don't know what is' then I think he would have a lot of success because that record (nicole willis) sounds like it was recorded in the 60's. Ian's stuff sounds contemporary because of the way that technology is today. Using those facilities you're never going to get that live drum sound we know from our 60's records.

Here is my take on it.......

Nicole Willis track def has an under produced sound to it.

Most Levine tracks sound over produced.

Sometimes, less is more.

[Guest]

Okay 95%, I'm sure you still like a bit of the old stuff

I mainly buy 60s stuff these days believe it or not!

That's my point will i spend a tenner or so on an album of 14th rate 60's soundalike pap from 2007 or buy a couple of 60's singles instead?

It's a no brainer surely?

Derek

Edited July 9, 2007 by blackwhite

[Pete S]

Here is my take on it.......

Nicole Willis track def has an under produced sound to it.

Most Levine tracks sound over produced.

Sometimes, less is more.

That was sort of what I was trying to say.

The Nicole Willis record is also, pretty obviously, played live and done in one take (well thats what it sounds like to me) like records used to be recorded way back before even 4 track recording.

Listen to any Shrine record, they are all played absolutely live and it's one of those takes that got used as the finished single.

[soulAdequateNP]

That was sort of what I was trying to say.

The Nicole Willis record is also, pretty obviously, played live and done in one take (well thats what it sounds like to me) like records used to be recorded way back before even 4 track recording.

Listen to any Shrine record, they are all played absolutely live and it's one of those takes that got used as the finished single.

Exactly - if you remember, that's how the 4 Vandals was twigged - the fact that it was so "balanced" it was obviously multitrack which no minor label would have had access to in the 60s or even early 70s (for comparison, the "Sgt Pepper" album - for which the Beatles would have had access to the very best technology that was available in 1967 - was recorded on 4-track).

[Soulfinger]

It's the same old bland, synthetic twaddle. It's just loathsome garbage!

It sounds like it was recorded in a studio with marshmallow walls.

I bet it's also got an annoying video with all those swooping multi shot split screen nonsense like he did on the SWoNS.

To be fair, the lass sounds like she might have a decent voice if it was less overproduced. That guy who did the wade in the water remake would have made a much better job of this.

[Guest Bearsy]

i paid for those videos to be destroyed ...he he he

cookie

If there is one left then Butch is bound to have it

just going to check you tube

[Guest Bearsy]

I'm not sure what he means by bringing the music "into today"

Just a money making scheme

He should get a proper job

wasnt that the reason for every record made in the 60s etc, everyone wanted to be the next Berry Gordy, Ian Levine is no different really is he,

some of its ok and some a bit too overthought maybe.

good effort though,

The Sidney Barnes track, Solid ground, goes down extremely well on the dance floor ive heard it and played it out with always someone asking what that track was, when i tell them and who its produced by there are often very suprised faces indeed,

[Pete S]

I bet it's also got an annoying video with all those swooping multi shot split screen nonsense like he did on the SWoNS.

To be fair, those graphics were done for a reason - I didn't understand at the time - it was to cover up the reality of the backgrounds and rooms that the singers were actually in. Bobby Sheen's abode being the prime offender.

[Baz Atkinson]

INTERESTING I NEVER KNOCK THE GUY,DESERVES A BIT MORE CREDIT THAN HE GETS ON HERE ,AS FOR THE RECORD NOT MY CUP OF TEA,WISH I HAD HIS KNOWLEDGE BUT.

BAZ A.

[Guest Baz]

My ears are bleeding!

[Jordirip]

To be fair, those graphics were done for a reason - I didn't understand at the time - it was to cover up the reality of the backgrounds and rooms that the singers were actually in. Bobby Sheen's abode being the prime offender.

That's not a good reason Pete. If he had used a half decent cameraman/director he could have shot it in Bobby Sheen's bog and given the tapes to a decent editor who would have been able to come up with something that was a darn sight less cheesy. Special effects/graphics only cover up crap ideas and production. With a bit of lighting (that any proper cameraman would have)he could have knocked out the background, may be turn the shots black and white, perhaps get some old 60's US city archive scenes running over the top of some of it, it wouldn't have cost any more than the studio time he obviously put into producing the video the way he did.

Jordi

[Pete S]

It must be really heartwarming for someone to spend 6 months or a year of their life trying to create something that people can enjoy and then see it ripped to shreds in the blink of an eye. I can never figure out why a lot of people show so much hatred and venom towards the producer in question when a simple 'I don't like it' would be ample. I agree with many of the points made but why so nasty?

p.s. I'm sure Ian will get the last laugh - one of these will go global and sell millions, another will be a northern monster, it's happened before, it'll happen again

Edited July 9, 2007 by Pete-S

[Guest]

My ears are bleeding!

You need to wash out your bleeding ears then,Nicole aint that bad.

[Mak]

Quote: This is our attempt to bring the music we love into today, without losing the magic of the sound

I know this not your quote Pete , for Christs sake its already here to day . Utter bollox , get over it man (Levine) your day is over , you've done your bit why over cook it. move on

[Pete S]

That's not a good reason Pete. If he had used a half decent cameraman/director he could have shot it in Bobby Sheen's bog and given the tapes to a decent editor who would have been able to come up with something that was a darn sight less cheesy. Special effects/graphics only cover up crap ideas and production. With a bit of lighting (that any proper cameraman would have)he could have knocked out the background, may be turn the shots black and white, perhaps get some old 60's US city archive scenes running over the top of some of it, it wouldn't have cost any more than the studio time he obviously put into producing the video the way he did.

Jordi

They ran out of time and went overbudget so ended up using some people they knew from Doctor Who Fanclub or something like that

[Jordirip]

It must be really heartwarming for someone to spend 6 months or a year of their life trying to create something that people can enjoy and then see it ripped to shreds in the blink of an eye. I can never figure out why a lot of people show so much hatred and venom towards the producer in question when a simple 'I don't like it' would be ample. I agree with many of the points made but why so nasty?

p.s. I'm sure Ian will get the last laugh - one of these will go global and sell millions, another will be a northern monster, it's happened before, it'll happen again

Hey Pete, I'm not being nasty here or showing hatred and venom. I respect Levine for a lot, not least his ability to always use top notch vocalists on his tracks, but he tries to do everything himself. He needs to be able to hand over certain aspects of the job to people that are more expert than him. I'm gonna put me kids to bed and I'll come back and say what I mean in a bit.

[Guest Bearsy]

They ran out of time and went overbudget so ended up using some people they knew from Doctor Who Fanclub or something like that

[pikeys dog]

They ran out of time and went overbudget so ended up using some people they knew from Doctor Who Fanclub or something like that

Good comedy writes itself....

[Guest lifeandsoul]

p.s. I'm sure Ian will get the last laugh - one of these will go global and sell millions, another will be a northern monster, it's happened before, it'll happen again

might not be wrong there - for example - https://perezhilton.com/?p=794

[Pete S]

Hey Pete, I'm not being nasty here or showing hatred and venom. I respect Levine for a lot, not least his ability to always use top notch vocalists on his tracks, but he tries to do everything himself. He needs to be able to hand over certain aspects of the job to people that are more expert than him. I'm gonna put me kids to bed and I'll come back and say what I mean in a bit.

I'm on the fence here mate it's nothing to do with me, I just thought it'd be an interesting debate, I don't like it though when people save up a years worth of viciousness and spend it all on attacking I.L., especially when there are better targets around. Bogue for instance

[Pete S]

might not be wrong there - for example - https://perezhilton.com/?p=794

Thats the girls who were on X Factor I think - 3 black sisters from Luton or somewhere like that - they were good!

[Guest]

It must be really heartwarming for someone to spend 6 months or a year of their life trying to create something that people can enjoy and then see it ripped to shreds in the blink of an eye. I can never figure out why a lot of people show so much hatred and venom towards the producer in question when a simple 'I don't like it' would be ample. I agree with many of the points made but why so nasty?

p.s. I'm sure Ian will get the last laugh - one of these will go global and sell millions, another will be a northern monster, it's happened before, it'll happen again

Pete

The fact that Levine produced this material is irrelevent to me.

I don't like it , wouldn't have liked it no matter who had produced it.

Can you see what market it's aimed at?

A northern monster ? these days what does it mean the scene is shrinking will it mean 500 sales , 1000 at a push?

A chart hit? i very much doubt it.

Derek

[Pete S]

Pete

The fact that Levine produced this material is irrelevent to me.

I don't like it , wouldn't have liked it no matter who had produced it.

Can you see what market it's aimed at?

A northern monster ? these days what does it mean the scene is shrinking will it mean 500 sales , 1000 at a push?

A chart hit? i very much doubt it.

Derek

No I can't and I said that near the beginning.

It is a strange set of affairs.

The scene is shrinking faster than one of my jumpers after my mum did the washing.

I sold one record today! One.

As for cd's - I doubt if Goldmine cd's now sell more than 400 copies a time nowadays

[Guest]

No I can't and I said that near the beginning.

It is a strange set of affairs.

The scene is shrinking faster than one of my jumpers after my mum did the washing.

I like to refer to the scene as receding much like my hair

I sold one record today! One.

You are one of the fair dealers as well . I'm afraid the huge rise in prices over the last few years has driven away many collectors.

As for cd's - I doubt if Goldmine cd's now sell more than 400 copies a time nowadays

About 398 copies too many

Derek

[Nocker]

The vocalist give their all, they should be congratulated for that, but Ian is trying to produce a sound, a modern version of Northern Soul. Unforuanatly it isn't happening in my veiw. His sound is his soumd and it hasn't really changed since the early days of LJ Johnson, Evelyn king etc... I recon if some up to date producer got hold of one or two of them, like the Angelo Starr track they could get a decent track, in other words dicth Ian's production and let someone else have a go. Somewhere in some of them is a good track trying to get out

[Jordirip]

No I can't and I said that near the beginning.

It is a strange set of affairs.

The scene is shrinking faster than one of my jumpers after my mum did the washing.

I sold one record today! One.

As for cd's - I doubt if Goldmine cd's now sell more than 400 copies a time nowadays

Got the kid's to bed, at last! Time for a fag and a bottle of Heineken export in peace.

I think if you're going to try and 'do' old music, then do it right. As has been said Nicole Willis (and others such as Sharon King, Zven Zettesburg etc) have done it with credibility. They have used old sounding production techniques and real instrumentation. It can be expensive to hire in session musicians to do brass and string sections but if the tune needs it then pull out the stops and do it. There's nothing worse than a parping synth brass section, and nothing better than a real one. We all like the old underproduced sound with a soulfull vocal on top, it's what got me into this music, who's to say it wouldn't get youngsters into it now. Even Amy Wino uses real deal instruments and how good does that sound? I'm sure Levine must have contacts within the musician world as well as the vocalist world to be able to put together some credible backing tracks that weren't reliant on computer generated sub Stock Aitken and Waterman dated cack. It would do his vocalists justice, and a good song would be able to stand up for itself, without argument. If he can't do this, for whatever reason, then he ought to go full on and do proper modern soul using the latest studio techniques, with his great vocalists. But he will still need to use a good producer who will stay away from trying to reproduce old sounds on new technology. I don't know how shrinking Northern soul is, but I bet fake, taylormade, computer backing tracks don't help. If I was young I would be wanting an antidote to all of that, and some gritty soul played by real musicians would be the perfect antidote to all that Indie shite that the youngsters think they're into.

Jordi

[Wiganer1]

I dont think we will ever be ready for this sh!te

========

his 'thunder and lightning' by rowetta is Brilliant....should be played..

[Guest Stormin Si]

Jordi, you are spot on in my opinion

[Wiganer1]

Jordi, you are spot on in my opinion

=====

that 'like a lady' is ok!

[Guest Paul]

Producers often have to compromise between what is artistically good (which is always subjective of course) and what may be commercial. There is no shortage of experts to offer advice or criticism but someone has to make decisions and someone has to pay the bills.

The danger is that producers sometimes try to please everybody and can end up pleasing nobody. So I respect those who have the courage to follow their own instincts.

But those who don't like Ian's music should at least be respectful of his effort and determination. And don't forget that many of his critics were completely fooled by The Four Vandals scam which proved that some people will only like a track if they think it's old, obscure, rare, exclusive or whatever.

Paul Mooney

[Joe Tex]

Producers often have to compromise between what is artistically good (which is always subjective of

course) and what may be commercial. There is no shortage of experts to offer advice or criticism but someone has to make decisions and someone has to pay the bills.

The danger is that producers sometimes try to please everybody and can end up pleasing nobody. So I respect those who have the courage to follow their own instincts.

But those who don't like Ian's music should at least be respectful of his effort and determination. And don't forget that many of his critics were completely fooled by The Four Vandals scam which proved that some people will only like a track if they think it's old, obscure, rare, exclusive or whatever.

Paul Mooney

Just been reading the comments about the new CD, yesterday i was playing The soul power Cd that ian was involved with a while ago liked the first two tracks Francis Nero & Chuck Jackson and one or two more that were not to bad but had to turn it off near the end as it was making me feel ill, repetitive and all sounding the same ! !