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    Posted

    OK the USA trip was unlike previous as it hadnt really been planned in advance...I usually spend 4 months or so organinsing the working schedule. The reason for the almost last minute decision to go was as a direct result of the death of Andy Lee...Rob & I decided "fuck it..lifes too short".

    Normally I like to have lots of tasty things lined up but we decided we didnt really care if we came back with nothing. So day 1, Thursday evening, into Newark...spent hours waiting for our connecting flight to Ohio which was eventually cancelled..finally arrived there Friday 15 hours late to meet my first contact, brother of the late Herman Lewis...after haggling for hours we escaped with 2 copies of Whos kissing you tonite on Stone Blue...4 copies of Bee Jays Ill find you (Prime) & a Universal acetate of the same... 7" Bell Sound acetate of Whos kissing you ...A&R 10" acetate of Herman & Gerri Right direction which is the same take but a sli...

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    Posted

    Written by JR Smith in Oct 98 and taken from Soulful Kinda Music Dec 98 issue issue with permission

    soul source

    Bill Spoon and the Soul Notes

    In 1997 a Channel 4 TV documentary dealing with the duties of the LA Coroners office was screened in the UK.One of the people whos day to day tousle were illustrated in this programme was a department member by the name of William Bell. Now for most people who saw the documentary this will prove to be their one + only insight into the like of William Bell. However northern / modern soul fans will already be acquainted with his work in the music business where he is better known under his recording / stage name of Bill Spoon. William Bell (Bill Spoon) was born on November 6th, 1942 in Jefferson County, Alabama.

    His interest in music began at an early stage under the tutelage of the late Alex Bradford. His home area must have been a hot bed for musical talent as Bill grew up in the company of numerous others who were later to forge successful recording careers. Bill attended High School with Frederick Knight, Barbara Joyce Lomas ( later to become a founding member of BT Express ) and Richard ~ Jessie Fisher. In fact, for a short period, Bill and Richard sang in the same street corner group. He would get together to write songs with his neighbour, and long time friend, Roger Hatcher and he also participated in local talent shows with the likes of Eddie Kendncks &: David Ruffin. Bill was also a member of the Miles College Chorus where one of his fellows was Mitty Collier who would go on to enjoy success with Chess Records. In the early sixties Bills plans for a musical career seemed as if they would have to be put on hold as he was called up into the Army. However he soon turned the situation to his advantage, as he spent two years ( 1962/3 ) entertaining the troops in Korea as lead singer for an outfit known as the Soul Masters.

    He was relocated to Germany for a further period where he was lead singer for a group who went by the name of the Uniques. In 1965, at the end of his tour of duty, he returned to Alabama where he completed his education in Birmingham At the time, however, there were few opportunities in the area to make the inroads into the recording business that Bill aspired to. As a result of this he followed the example set by Eddie Kendricks and David Ruffin and moved north to relocate in Cleveland, Ohio. Other locals took the same road, Richard and Jessie Fisher also making the same move with Roger Hatcher following a few years later. On his arrival in Cleveland, Bill was reunited with Walter Ricky Dannison who he had got to know before going into the Army, this occurring in June 1965. Walter introduced him to Leroy Elie, with whom Ricky had sung while Bill was in the army. Riki, Leroy and Bill realised that they had the gist of a competitive singing unit, but were one voice short of a true blend. In August 1965, they met John Cornbread Berry and he became the fourth member of the as yet un-narned group. The group started to perform in night clubs but only on weekends as they all had full time day jobs. Walter did some form of quality control at the Cleveland Chrysler Auto Plant, Leroy was a commercial electrical and mechanical architect while John was the floor manager at a metal photo processing plant.

    Bill himself was a criminal investigator for the State of Ohio. Soon after the line-up adopted the name the Soul Notes their collective efforts were recognised as in November 1965 they were signed to a recording contract by locally based Way Out Records. The group continued to gain experience and hone their performances and by 1967 Way Out were ready to let them record in their own right. Initially two tracks were laid down, How Long Will It Last and Dons Make Me Beg but Way Out were in the process of negotiating a national distribution deal with MOM and so the companies releases were delayed while this was completed Early in 1968 though the two tracks were released as a single, Way Out 1001. The group returned to the recording studio and a further two tracks were recorded, I Got Everything I Need and Ive Been Waiting For Your Love. Way Out decided a second single was warranted on the group and so in 1969 they enjoyed another release, I Got Everything I Need / How Long Will It Last - Way Out 1006. For some reason Way Out decided to leave Ive Been Waiting For Your Love on the shelf as they re-used one side of the groups first single. This decision undoubtedly robbed uptempo soul fans of a potential favourite as Ive Been Waiting For Your Love had definite dance floor potential.

    The song had been driven by Bill along with group member Walter Riki Dannison and the Sensations Johnny Washington. Someone at Way Out must have thought the song had potential though as they got James Calloway to come up with an alternative set of lyrics.The revised version of the song was later (1971) to be recorded ~ released for the company by Jessie Fisher, the songs new title being Your Not Loving A Beginner - Way Out 104. The Soul Notes cut a further 6 tracks in Way Outs studios in 1969 but unfortunately none of these gained a release. The songs laid down by the group were Please, Baby Please ( a version of the Sensations track), I Cant Wait Until The Weekend, Try It, Youll Like it, Im On My Way, Ill Wait For You and Alone. The groups treatment by Way Out was fling its members and in 1969 John Berry quit the group. His place was taken by Avon Wells but Avons stint with the Soul Notes was short lived as within a few months he moved on, becoming a member of the Imperial Wonders. Bill, Riki,Leroy continued on as a trio but in early 1970 a power struggle broke out at Way Out and the companies management became chaotic. In the confusion a number of projects got lost, a new Soul Notes release being amongst these.

    Bill is sure a few test pressings featuring tracks they had laid down in 1969 were made but none enjoyed an official release. Discouraged with their future the Soul Notes broke up.Bill Spoon decided a change was again called for and so he moved back down south, relocating to Memphis where he worked briefly with Frederick Knight. Bill soon returned to Cleveland though and later in 1970 he cut his first tracks as a solo artist. He cut five songs in all (Gotta Go On, Its Hard Livin Alone, etc.) and these were destined for release on Springboard Records. A few demo copies were pressed up but unfortunately the scheduled release failed to make it into the shops. Bill next acted as producer /arranger on a session for Walter Dannison, who now went by the recording name of Riki Sonda, but again a release failed to materialist. In the meantime Bill had formed a relationship with Bobby and Friendly Womack and so he moved out to California which was where they were based. Here he met Pete Peterson and Tom Wilson and in conjunction with them he landed a recording deal with Angel City Records who were to be distributed by Polydor. Bill cut 4 tracks for the label in 1972, 2 more in 73 and another 4 in 1974 however the untimely death of their executive producer, Tom Wilson meant the project ended. A number of the tracks were co-written / produced by Gene Dozier these marked the first occasion that Bill and Gene had collaborated in the recording studio.

    Four of these tracks were to find favour with UK soul fans in the late 80s when they were reissued on a Hense Forth 12". The tracks involved were I Can Feel It from 1972, Shell Be Lucky from 1973 (both of these being written /produced by Bill himself), The One Who Really Loves You and I Bet You Cant Love Me One More Time from 1974 (both being co-written &produced by Gene Dozier). Yet again Bill returned to Cleveland and here he organised a deal with Hot Ice Records. In 1976 he recorded 2 tracks for the company, a further 2 in 77 and 5 more in 78. One of the tracks that he recorded at this time was a song Bill had written with ex - Soul Note Riki Dannison, I Got God On My Side. Once again unfortunately nothing really resulted from He association. By 1980 Bill had thrown his lot in with Bob Davis who had earlier run the Day-Wood label. Gene Dozier, who at the time was working for Solar Records, was fetched across to Cleveland to oversee the proposed recording session. At this session Bill laid down 2 tracks, Love Is On The Way ~ Dont Play With My Love and these were released on the newly instigated Highland label. Unfortunately the company didnt have the finances to properly promote and distribute the single and so commercial success eluded Bill yet again.

    The quality of the tracks was appreciated by UK fans though and the single became a much sought after item on this side of the pond.Eventually, to satisfy the pent-up demand, the record was also reissued on Henseforth in the late 80s. The problems the Highland release experienced finally convinced Bill that he wasnt going to establish a successful recording career in Cleveland and so in the early 80s he returned to Los Angeles. Over a period of several years he collaborated on projects with the likes of Friendly Womack, Leon Haywood, Lou Ragland and Gene Dozier. By the end of the eighties he was ready to give a solo career a try again He linked up with Hense Powell and a number of tracks were laid down. The result of this work saw the light of day in 1990 when the Henseforth LP Talk To Me was released This 8 track strong album immediately found a receptive audience in the UK but unfortunately maldug the US record buying public aware of its existence and quality was to prove a more difficult task.

    A number of songs on the allbum help illustrate the enduring musical associations that Bill had developed over his long career as they were co-written with old allies. One of the LPs most popular hacks, Kick Back was composed in conjunction with Lou Ragland whilst Riki Dannison assisted with Look At Yourself. Further Henseforth recordings escaped in 1995 when the single I Rode The Crest Of The Wave / No Way To Live was released but again it failed to find a wide audience. Bill isnt a person whos easily discouraged though and hecontinues to work on new material. He has re-recorded I Got God ~ My Side along with a number of other songs.

    Bill feels his duties on behalf of the L.A Coroners Office are becoming too arduous on a day to day basis and so he is determined to make another effort in the recording field He has plans to release a new C D. I hope that thissees the light of day in the near future and that, at long last, it results in Bill getting the recognition long overdue to him.

    JR Smith Oct. 98

    Taken from Soulful Kinds Music Dec 98 issue with permission

    Original article was posted in the Soul Source Article/News feature

    view article in its original format (c/w images etc)

    Posted

    Thought a great read so a worthwhile pass on

    Asked John P for a few possible "watch outs" for this upcoming Sunday. Well all will say that his reply was such a enjoyable read, I had to ask for permission to pass it on ....

    Planning and Prep - John Pugh

    Hi Mike, re plays at NCSC - talking to Max today he told me that hed spoken to someone who was Monkeying on Saturday, whod said theyd enjoyed hearing the Jackie Edwards duet with Joyce Bond version of I Feel So Bad from the vogue e.p. ( guess Carl W had played it ? ) so think Max says he is gonna stick that one in. Should find room somewhere for the Detroit 5 cover up weve been pushing ? Unusual and less well known things, A Bell Sound beauty that I keep wanting to call Shirley (& the Four) Temples, but thats just me being daft ! (was asked to play it at the last NCSC, but too late to fit it in, so if the same lad is there must try to play that one) D...

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    Posted

    A recent release from Jazzman records, latest in their Holy Grail series, on both cd and also a limited edition vinyl run.

    Available on both cd and lp, just check out the clip link for a quick no brainer decision

    George Smallwood - Just 4 You - JMANCD.031

    Limited reissue of a totally obscure private press LP of real quality soul music, from up-tempo disco movers to crossover floor fillers and deep modern ballads, there are several good reasons why this LP has been so prized amongst lovers of progressive, rare soul music.

    The fifth release in our illustrious HOLY GRAIL series is a faithful, collector-friendly reissue of Washington DC native George Smallwood's only LP, one of the most sought after modern soul long players in existence. As ever, we present the LP complete with its original artwork intact and the music lovingly restored - limited to 1000 numbered copies on vinyl. The CD issue boasts additional tracks taken from his 45s as well as exclusive in-depth track notes with background info on the man himself and every song included.

    As with every release thus far in this series, haste is strongly advised! We have sold out on every title and we anticipate the demand on this to be just as strong!

    George Smallwood had actually turned his back on a dream of a career in music in order to provide for his family by driving trucks for a living when a terrible accident intervened to rob him of his sight forever. Finding gainful employment hard to come by, Smallwood turned once again to music as both a possible vocation and a remedy for his soul. Setting up a home studio outfit, he buried himself in instrumentation and composition in a more deep and concentrated way than ever before. Eventually assembling a band of talented musicians he began to record and release his own 45s.

    Each record he released was distinguished by truly sophisticated production, a smooth sound and lavish depth which marks Smallwood as a real voice in 70s soul music, but one which few up til now have ever heard. Even without major success, thankfully Smallwood continued to record and issue short-run records through the '70s and into the early '80s, culminating in the majesty of his full length LP 'Just For You.'

    With George's blessing and endorsement we are thrilled to be able to offer up his wonderful album once again, and we feel that it will find a much wider and more receptive audience than it did the first time around, in fact the audience it was always intended for - lovers of deep, groovy music from the heart and soul.

    Also available on Vinyl (note limited run)

    Listen to a preview clip via Refosoul link below

    https://www.soul-sour....uk/node/68840/

    Both formats available for on line purchase thru the Jazzman website

    Link follows

    https://www.jazzmanr...rchFor=&PT_ID=1

    Click here to view the article

    Posted

    Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings announce a new tour to support their upcoming album "I Learned the Hard Way" inc London, Berlin , Paris and Amsterdam.

    Plus 45 sale info, 45 and lp release news from Daptone

    European Dates

    Friday, March 26 - Rutland, VT - Snoe Down Festival TICKETS

    Saturday, April 10 - Berlin, Germany - Astra TICKETS

    Tuesday, April 13 - Paris, France - Trabendo TICKETS

    Wednesday, April 14 - London, UK - Kokos TICKETS

    Thursday, April 15 - Amsterdam, NL - Paradiso TICKETS

    USA dates at end

    New 45!

    3 Titans "College" b/w "The Life of a Scholar"

    OUT NOW! Get it on 45 or .mp3 and watch them record "College" at Dunham Studios!

    The 3 Titans, Khalil Jackson, Jorden Plaines, and Dallas Ifill, are rhythmically gifted fifth-graders with their sights set on higher education. On their debut for Dunham Records, College b/w Life of a Scholar, the precocious eleven-year-olds trade rhymes about the benefits of going to college and the determination it takes to get there over two sides of old-school, hard-as-nails (and refreshingly sample-free) beats provided by the notorious Menahan Street Band.

    --------------------------------------------

    45 SALE! From now through February 28th, 45s are on sale at $3 each! 43 titles total. Time to fill in the holes in your collection!

    --------------------------------------------

    Out April 6th...

    Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings

    "I Learned the Hard Way"

    *Get a sneak preview of the album and download the single "I Learned the Hard Way" for free! Go here, now.

    Produced by Bosco Mann and recorded on an Ampex eight-track tape machine by Gabriel Roth in Daptone Records House of Soul studios, this record drips with a warmth and spontaneity rarely found since the golden days of Muscle Shoals and Stax. *

    -----------------------------------------------------------

    DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND, A SECOND SHOW AT THE APOLLO HAS BEEN ADDED ON SATURDAY MAY 1st!!

    Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings' NYC Record Release Parties

    Friday April 30th @ The Apollo Theatre

    253 West 125th Street

    TICKETS

    Saturday, May 1st @ The Apollo Theatre

    253 West 125th Street, New York, NY

    TICKETS GO ON SALE FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26th

    All Upcoming Shows

    Menahan Street Band Featuring Charles Bradley

    Along with Lee Fields & the Expressions!

    February 19th

    Music Hall of Williamsburg

    66 North 6th St

    Brooklyn, NY

    https://www.musichall...

    ---------------------------------------------

    Naomi Shelton & the Gospel Queens

    Sunday March 14th

    Bowery Ballroom

    6 Delancey St

    New York, NY

    Opening for The Carolina Chocolate Drops

    TICKETS

    ---------------------------------------------

    The Mellomatics featuring Binky Griptite

    Friday February 19th, 8pm

    @ Southpaw

    125 5th Ave.

    Brooklyn, NY

    Also Performing: Ikebe Shakedown, The Ex-Caminos

    TICKETS

    ---------------------------------------------

    Antibalas

    First Australian Tour!

    Sunday, 28 February 2010

    WOMUBU World Music Weekend BUSSELTON WA

    Old Broadwater Farm Busselton 3-10pm

    TICKETS

    Monday, 1 March 2010

    RAILWAY HOTEL Fremantle 6-11pm

    GLOBAL WARMING event with Tijuana Cartel + Sunshine Brothers + Grace Barbe

    TICKETS

    Thursday, 4 March 2010

    MANNING BAR Sydney

    w/ Gilles Peterson + DJ Somatik

    TICKETS: www. manningbar.com & Moshtix.com & All moshtix outlets

    Friday, 5 March 2010

    PRINCE OF WALES Melbourne

    + Dead Dog + Dj Chris Gill

    TICKETS

    Saturday, 6 March 2010

    GOLDEN PLAINS FESTIVAL Melbourne

    TICKETS

    Tuesday, 9 March 2010

    FESTIVAL OF NEW ZEALAND

    Pacific Blue Festival Club, Wellington NZ

    TICKETS

    Sharon Jones Dates USA

    Saturday, April 17 - Live Oak, FL - Wanee Music Festival TICKETS

    Thursday, April 22 - Lafayette, LA - Festival International de Louisiane TICKETS

    Friday, April 23 - New Orleans, LA - The Howlin' Wolf

    Saturday, April 24 - Oxford, MS - Double Decker Festival

    Friday, April 30 - NYC RELEASE PARTY @ The Apollo Theater TICKETS

    Saturday May 1st - New York, NY - The Apollo Theatre

    Thursday, May 6 - Richmond, VA - Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden INFO

    Friday, May 7 - Annapolis, MD - Ram's Head Onstage TICKETS

    Saturday, May 8 - Charlottesville, VA - Jefferson Theater

    Sunday, May 9 - Norfolk, VA - The NorVa TICKETS

    Tuesday, May 11 - Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle TICKETS - on sale Friday!

    Wednesday, May 12 - Asheville, NC - Orange Peel TICKETS - on sale Friday!

    Thursday, May 13 - Atlanta, GA - Center Stage Atlanta TICKETS

    Friday, May 14 - Nashville, TN - Cannery Ballroom TICKETS - on sale Friday!

    Saturday, May 15 - Nelsonville, OH - Nelsonville Music Festival TICKETS

    Monday, May 17 - Newport, KY - The Southgate House

    Tuesday, May 18 - Detroit, MI - Majestic Theatre

    Friday, May 21 - Chicago, IL - Vic Theatre

    Saturday, May 22 - Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theater TICKETS

    Sunday, May 23 - Indianapolis, IN - The Vogue TICKETS - on sale Friday!

    Tuesday, May 25 - Toronto, ON - The Sound Academy

    Wednesday, May 26 - Montreal, QC - Le National

    Thursday, May 27 - Boston, MA - House of Blues TICKETS - on sale Saturday!

    Friday, May 28 - Hartfod, CT - New England Dodge Music Center TICKETS

    Saturday, May 29 - Hartford, CT - New England Dodge Music Center TICKETS

    Sunday, June 20 - Vancouver, BC - The Commodore Ballroom

    Monday, June 21 - Seattle, WA - Showbox Sodo

    Tuesday, June 22 - Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom

    Friday, June 25 - San Francisco, CA - Warfield Theatre

    Saturday, June 26 - Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern

    Sunday, June 27 - Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up Tavern

    Daptone Records

    https://www.daptonerecords.com

    Original article was posted in the Soul Source Article/News feature

    view article in its original format (c/w images etc)

    Posted

    'IN THE SNAKEPIT'

    The facts and the friction. There is a Motown related anniversary that is not likely to figure in the anals of the current campaign, led by the Universal Corporation, to 'celebrate' the company's bi-centenary. In fact, this milestone is only a measly five years in the making. Yet, in many ways, it exposes how corporate ignorance, deference and indifference have been confronted by a small number of people who care passionately about the less commercial and popular aspects of the label's output. In this case, the incredible music produced by the backing musicians, on songs that didn't necessarily sell by the boatload or were ever released at all, at a time when these talented individuals had been all but ignored by history, the public and their record company. 'In the Snakepit' is a cd containing 20 relatively obscure backing tracks, photographs of the main players and a comprehensive and informative essay about the personnel who actually produced the unique 'Motown Sound.' It doesn't have a label, a number, a barcode or any details of songwriters, producers, arrangers or dates of release. It is a bootleg - an illicit, unsanctioned, unlicensed, unauthorised release. But, if you happen to be an admirer of this kind of music and want to hear more than the tiny number of titles that currently exist, its all there is. The tracks come from a variety of sources - quarter inch master tapes, unreleased material long dismissed as not commercially viable, stereo recordings that could be 'split' to isolate the backing only and, in two cases, songs that were electronically manipulated to remove the vocals. The circumstances surrounding its compilation, manufacture and distribution, and the range of reaction to its release provide a tantalising peep into the somewhat grimy world of corporate manoeuvring and executive posturing.

    The motive behind assembling a collection of this kind was simple and sincere. The current owners had no interest, and even less inclination, in searching through their vaults for material of this kind to release - and would never have believed that it would have made the profits deemed necessary to make it worthwhile. (The subsequent success of 'Standing in the Shadows of Motown', to which neither the label nor its corporate master contributed any investment capital, proved otherwise.) At the time (2003) only the British rare soul scene had any inkling of the importance, quality and potential of instrumental backing tracks. Motown executives, responsible for release schedules and product placement decisions, were utterly clueless. The opportunity arose, the material became available, the will and wherewithal was strong and the perceived interest, on the part of fellow devotees, was assured. In an attempt to minimise adverse reaction on the part of the corporate giant, certain precautions were made prior to the start of the operation. An individual, who worked for the specific division of the company affected, was approached and asked to canvass colleagues for their reactions to the feasibility of such a project. Her findings were encouraging. 'Technically we own the tracks I suppose, but nobody seemed overly concerned. Go ahead.' Advice from a different quarter, the US, had suggested that careful attention should be focused on the quality of the packaging, artwork and sound quality. Assembling the photographs proved to be quite difficult, as obscurity tends to translate into scarcity. The front cover was 'doctored' somewhat to create the desired effect. Mike Terry got quite a chuckle out of seeing his head on Dan Turner's body. Jack Ashford wasn't even in the same city when the original photograph was taken (at Robert White's birthday celebration - the board originally said 'Happy Birthday Robert) but replaced a non-musician friend who managed to get on the shot. An error of omission was made in the track listing on both the back cover and the booklet when Track 10 '24 hours to find my baby' was completely missed out. Not many people noticed, nor cared, presumably. A significant amount of money was spent on the graphic components, and in a recording studio to ensure maximum aural fidelity. On the subject of finance, it must be stated, categorically, that profit was never the objective, nor the result (despite what sceptics have theorised). There was, however, a na¯ve hope that this release would prompt the issue of legitimate collections. This was partially achieved when a series of karaoke cds came out containing instrumental 'singalong' versions, but these were only the hugely successful hits (no surprise there) and only available at Toys R Us (?) in America.

    The initial reaction to the availability of 'In the Snakepit' ranged from unbridled joy on the part of informed Motown fans, eager to get a copy, to bewilderment, embarrassment and then ire from American company executives. It apparently made it to the desk of the President of the company, who instead of admiring the ingenuity, skill and resourcefulness of its creators, took a slightly different and less diffident approach. A discussion forum topic in Detroit attracted streams of angry rhetoric condemning the temerity of such a move, and promises to track the culprits down and have them publicly flogged. Most interesting was the involvement of attorneys, always the first to sniff out the slightest opportunity of making a quick buck, purportedly representing everyone from the band members themselves to the recording industry and everything and everyone beyond. The frustration levels were almost palpable and seemed to explode off computer screens in the direction of the evil but anonymous perpetrator(s). Funny how their moral stand on this issue conveniently evaporated when the 'Funk Brothers' unity imploded and lawsuits began flying around - meal time for the bottom feeders. It was mildly amusing to read the details of a debate on the 'evils of bootlegging' that had taken place on the British soul scene 30 years before. The same old, self-righteous, 'holier than thou' lollygagging about musicians losing out (no royalties were paid out on re issued original material that were put out to shamelessly cash in on the success of the film incidentally - always wondered whether these tracks would have come out at all if it had bombed), and the supposed immorality of such an act. If company officials had any idea of what potential customers actually wanted, or were informed enough to initiate something like this all by themselves, there wouldn't have been a need for such an initiative. The only constructive criticism that deserves any serious consideration is the charge that the 'Snakepit' was deliberately put out at a time to coincide with the release of 'Standing in the Shadows of Motown' - that some diabolical and cynical plan was dreamed up to maximize profits and deflect sales away from the true recipients. Absolutely and totally wrong. Although assistance had been provided to the producer of the film, in Britain several years before, in a vain attempt to solicit investment capital for the project, all communication had ceased. This would have made it impossible to have coordinated such an action. It was purely coincidental

    Most critiques of the cd contained a weird 'guilty pleasure' component where reviewers seem to feel as though they must censure such a shameful and exploitative product, in public, while grudgingly conceding its quality, merit and worth between the lines. Some went as far as to advise readers not to purchase it - pound to a penny they've still got their review copy and play it on a regular basis. Bloody hypocrites. Distribution through the usual channels of specialist retailers became difficult due to the pressure applied by 'the authorities'. A communication was received from the British Pornographic Association ordering the offending article removed from public sale. The cd was manufactured through a company in North Wales, who then sent it to Austria to be duplicated. It was only later, when a different project was brought to this same company, that the full scope of the corporation's anger and concern was revealed. According to the Managing Director of the manufacturing company, he had been visited by a representative, an ex policeman, who was anxious to find the culprit. He also stated that two others had been dispatched to Austria to track down the whereabouts of the pressing plant and retrieve any incriminating paperwork. It was only by sheer luck that the cancelled cheque had been destroyed by the Austrian bank (bless them) or fate would have been sealed. Whether these stories were scare tactics or not is open to conjecture. No matter, it did the trick. The only time 'boot' and 'leg' went together after that was during a football match. The MD was generous enough to share some advice he had received - he was told that this misdemeanour would be excused, this time, but any reoccurrence would result in the full weight of the corporate legal machine at their disposal being brought to bear. Chilling. He refused to sanction the second project for the same reason, even though it was completely legitimate.

    Most of the acrimony toward the cd seems to have subsided in recent years. Several tracks have made their way onto You Tube (pity the photos and misspelled text couldn't match the music) or Soul-Source, and there is at least one 'official' Funk Brothers site that displays the 'Snakepit' on the same page as all the legitimate releases. Very little unreleased material surfaces anymore, even though there is still a wealth of music in the vaults. Universal are more likely to reissue known hits or repackage 'greatest hits' under some guise or ruse (nothing new there) than cater to the minority who have loyally supported them, one way or another, throughout the duration. Control of the archives appears to be in the hands of a tiny minority of 'insiders' who harbour and protect the contents as if it were their own. This secretive cult has full knowledge and access to the hundreds, possibly thousands, of unreleased tracks, but chooses to keep it to themselves. No one knows how they came to exert such control or, more importantly, how they came to be chosen in the first place. Can't remember any applications or interviews taking place. Actually contacting anyone in a position of authority or influence at Motown in the UK can be likened to attempting to interview Osama bin Laden, finding Lord Lucan or meeting an honourable promoter in the East Midlands. There seems to be a wall of anonymity, mystery and intrigue surrounding these people. Having said that, a couple of them ventured out into the daylight when Tommy Good, Chris Clark and Bobby Taylor performed in Northampton several years ago. One individual was so paranoid about giving out his email address that he required a sworn (and notarised) promise that it wouldn't be given out to anyone else. (Who?) Contact was made with a slimeball called Nickson who proceeded to harass and harangue in search of photographs and unreleased material he wanted for 'upcoming important Motown projects'. Despite promising to supply two solitary cds, which were the subject of his projects, he gratefully accepted the quarry but never reciprocated. When questioned some time later about it he stated that his solicitor had told him that it was not a binding contract! Ironically, this same scumbag discussed the possibility of organising another 'Snakepit' like project, but this time with the company's blessing and full access to the material in the vaults. No prizes for guessing what became of that.

    HUMDINGER

    Original article was posted in the Soul Source Article/News feature

    view article in its original format (c/w images etc)

    Posted

    Well been busy times last 2 or 3 weeks and with upgrade to site things been a bit slack on news and that, so standy by for a quick few words on the last few weeks.... or to be honest just what I can remember.

    Prestatyn 2003 Lots of words have been written about this, and will just say for now had a most and I mean most, enjoyable time! (recently saw some well scary photos of going ons! Should have a report up, its half written so will hopefully be up soon.....ish) Dave Rimmer has written his views on the weekender and can be read at the SKM site

    Last of all check out one recent addition to sounds/download section which to me was the sound of the weekender Llandudno Connisseurs Weekender.

    After one great weekend along come another! Again more words on this soonest and a great weekender of quality rare soul.

    Other Events

    DMSC guest bit on Wire Fms Sunday soul show was a laugh, especially as later on we got mistook for car thieves by Lancashires finest. Heard that Wilton 10th Annivesary last Friday was a cracking niter. DMSC Friday nite was a stormer, loads of great feedback. Report soon honest. Hardest rare soul nite ? ;-) Other Misc Stuff Check out North meets South new web site , updated link here

    Proving the power of Soul Source Janet J just let me know she got that video she was after thanks to using the forum!

    Think thats that, know was/is a lot of other events going on, feel free to spread the word by posting up

    can be jigged - longer or even increase to 4 instead of 3 before showing

    though after some of the feedback have had (such as above) a concern is that by doing either of the above may mean that some may not "get it"

    i think i need to have a look at best way to get over such features

    Would it be a good idea to have a 'Source-Sike' section? Sold prices as a reference tool?

    P:)

    Give that man a medal!!

    Great idea and could be fairly simple to implement

    prob with stuff like this is after an all singing all dancing such feature - you would have to get everyone to enter details/data in a structured seperate format

    however you can do a "roll your own"

    just hit the advanced icon (cog) next to the search box at top right of every page

    choose sales forum to search

    enter 45 title or artist you are after (can use double quotes)

    and away you go

    (the search listing now also has a handy "thread preview" gadget - which avoids having to open the post to see results)

    current score on any site features can usually be found in feedback forum

    there's a thread about todays ongoing maint here

    that should tell you the score

    closing this as best place for any site related q's is in feedback

    mike

    Nice one Mike - cheers :thumbsup:

    Would like to have seen that website - anyone got any more info on it please?

    Also, can anyone post up the flip to the Power Exchange 45 please? It's different to the Arc release and is not in Refosoul

    Thanks! :lol:

    Richard

    got the pe 45 somewhere - but cant do it for a bit

    if no joy give us a nudge

    good track not great but ok

    back to the a side, there's also the "geno washington" unreleased uk version

    think the background has been documented recently ainit ?

    can't remember how that come about , anyone refresh us ?

    on toronto site

    everytime comes up i have a dig, but no joy

    done it again and no joy

    but this time spotted a what to me is very interesting cd, that aint seen before from 2006

    also a 34 page booklet

    Jamaica to Toronto: Soul Funk and Reggae 1967-1974

    rom All Music Guide:

    Canada had a sizable resettled West Indian population by the 1960s, particularly in the Toronto area, making it a destination stop for touring Jamaican musicians, many of whom decided to relocate there, and a vibrant scene that mixed Jamaican rhythms with Northern R&B, soul and funk grew up around them, a scene that was essentially hidden from the rest of the world. This wonderful sampler of rare period singles from assorted Canadian labels lifts the veil on all of that to reveal music with an uncommon energy and vitality, and the real wonder here is that these tracks weren't massive international hits. Side after side bristles with a funky brilliance, beginning with Jo-Jo and the Fugitives' rough and ragged "Fugitive Song," originally released in 1968 on Cobra Records, followed immediately by Eddie Spencer's impressive "If This Is Love (I'd Rather Be Lonely)," which sounds like a great and long lost Motown single. The Cougars' stark nyahbinghi take on the Temptations' "I Wish It Would Rain" is a stunning reconstruction of the song, and it is amazing to learn that this version was never even been released. Once heard, the Cougars' version makes the Temptations original -- great as it is -- sound oddly uninspired. It is important to note here that most of these tracks aren't necessarily reggae, falling more to the hard soul side of the spectrum, and the best of them are delightfully energetic hybrids which, like the Cougars' "I Wish It Would Rain," work both sides of the fence in an impressive synthesis, Count Ossie meets Motown if you will. Great stuff. ~ Steve Leggett

    Artist Time Price

    1. Fugitive Song Jo-Jo And The Fugitives 2:47 $0.89

    2. If This Is Love (I'd Rather Be Lonely) Eddie Spencer 2:49 $0.89

    3. Chips - Chicken - Banana Split Jo-Jo And The Fugitives 2:22 $0.89

    4. Grand Funk Jackie Mittoo 2:58 $0.89

    5. Together Lloyd Delpratt 2:33 $0.89

    6. I Wish It Would Rain Cougars 4:35 $0.89

    7. African Wake Johnnie Osbourne 2:42 $0.89

    8. Love Is The Answer Ram 2:40 $0.89

    9. I Believe In Music Bob And Wisdom 4:42 $0.89

    10. Eternal Love The Sheiks 3:07 $0.89

    11. Fire (She Need Water) Wayne McGhie And The Sounds Of Joy 3:37 $0.89

    12. Right On Cougars 2:50 $0.89

    13. You're So Good To Me Baby Eddie Spencer 2:38 $0.89

    14. Mr. Fortune The Hitch-Hikers 2:45 $0.89

    15. Memories Noel Ellis 6:59 $0.89

    16. Here We Go Again Wayne McGhie 3:05 $0.89

    am smiling as the majority of posters in this thread seem to be involved in promoting

    reckon ya missing the point of the event forums

    events forum is a place for members to talk with each other about events they plan to go to or have been

    sure guess it can be used as a promotional tool

    however would say that rather than discussing and comparing other threads views/hits or checking how valid lookbacks are and all the rest

    perhaps the best way is to leave all that sh*te at the door

    and just use it as a quick, friendly way to communicate with fellow soul fans !

    there was a great informative piece on this and background info on the whole toronto/detroit thing on net a few years ago on an obscure (maybe candian ?) site

    can never find it now, so taking its disappeared unless anyone knows better ?

    the uk power exchange release had what think was a previous unreleased flip - power of love think was the title or something similar? could there have been more recordings?

    hit the green play icon and it should open a inline window and play automatically

    hit the black play icon and it should open a new window and play automatically

    the player has a play/pause button

    am a bit intrigued by your question as seems somethings not working right for ya

    maybe not uptodate flash player?

    can check it via the link below

    as said it "should" autoplay...

    let us know how you get on