Alan Pollard

Hi there, I have heard all these played at a Northern Soul Venue and believe me the night was better for hearing them. Big Dee Irwin - You satisfy my needs - Rotate or if you're really fortunate UK Stateside. The Phantom - Come back to me - Karisma The Autographs - Sad sad feeling - Joker or Loma. Johnny Truitt - Just the other day - Abet. and finally one I played myself at the the 3 Greyhounds Charity All Dayer, the awesome, Maxine Brown - Seems you've forsaken my love - Epic Regards Alan

For me the first record I heard at my local youth club which made stop and think hey this isn't chart music but this is brilliant dance music which went onto to be one of my all time favourites and to to me defines Northern Soul is:- J.J.Barnes - Please let me in - Ric Tic. Regards Alan

I had it all planned that I would probably sell my collection in about 10 years or so just in time for retirement and I also had planned for a sudden exit from this world but recent circumstances (not financial) have made me think very seriously about selling them now, someone mentioned in an earlier reply that when they can no longer play them at venues for what ever reasons then alot of enjoyment has gone. Regards Alan

Arctic, Golden World, Revilot & Ric Tic. Regards Alan

I love instrumentals especially the ones you get the full orchestras on, favorites being:- Wingates "Love in" Strings - Lets have a love-in - Ric Tic. Mike Post Coalition - Afternoon of the rhino - 7 Arts. Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band - Brown Sugar - 7 Arts. San Remo Golden Strings - all there stuff. Earl Van Dyke & The Soul Brothers - I can't help myself , All for you and 6 by 6. and last but not least who can forget the immortal Funk Brothers. Regards Alan

Hi Karen, Great taste, Free Spirit "Love you just as long I can" is one of my very favourite 70's track, I bought it as a new release and my copy is just about wore out now but don't worry it's not rare, you should be able to bag one for around £15. Regards Alan

Extension of a man - Donny Hathaway - Atco. very closely followed by, California Sunset - The Originals - Tamla Motown. What's going on - Marvin Gaye - Tamla Motown. Sam Dees - The show must go on - Atlantic. Regards Alan

Great stuff John, it's nice to know that someone else is trying to make this popular. Regards Alan

Hey up Russ how are things mate ? Anyway Soul Records by Reggae Artists my favourite that fits this description is:- Llans Thelwell & his Celestials featuring Busty Brown - Lonely night - Island WI-262 Top tune and ever so soulful. Has anyone else heard this great record ? Regards Alan PS hope you have a brilliant time in Orlando in a couple of weeks.

There are many good records that can be had for a £5 but a couple that do it for me are:- The Trammps - Where do we go from here - Golden Fleece. Al Kent - The way you been acting lately - Ric Tic. (I know dealers may be looking for a bit more than a £5 but hey defo only a £5 record but the cream of Detroit) Regards Alan

Hi Dave, great question which I'm sure will attract many answers but for me it started with Sam Cooke and probably his recording of Cupid but you could pick any of his early recordings, had he not been killed in December 1964 he would have gone onto to be as big as Marvin Gaye. Regards Alan Pollard

I was probably one of the first few people to own and play this record by Jeanne and The Vallamonts, I bought it off a very well known dealer for ALOT of hard earned cash and I mean ALOT considering how much it eventually became worth, I bought it about 7 maybe 8 years ago and I played alot in my sets and I still love the record immensley, it wasn't until one day I decided to play the b side "Steeping over heartbreak" that I realised that Ian Levine had something to do with it, this side has Ian Levines production stamped all over it whereas I don't personally think "Change my destiny" has any of Levine's trademark on it. I suppose part of collecting is making mistakes and I have made many but i consider this my biggest financial mistake but I wouldn't be without the recotrd I just wish the dealer had sold it me for the correct price. I still own the record although I don't feature it anymore in my sets but that is not because of the mystery surrounding it it's just that my set has moved on and anyone who knows me will know that I try a change my sets as much as I can. At one stage about 5 years ago I hit a raw nerve as I think I got pretty close to the truth behind where the record originated from but I can't discuss that anymore as the parties involved are on this forum and I had some rediculous threats made to me and all I really want to do is enjoy the music and if folk can't be honest about that then there's not much hope. So with that lets enjoy "Change my destiny" for what it is and that is it's a brilliant record regardless of where or who recorded, booted, produced, wrote or sang it. I know a few who will immediately disagree with this but I feel there judgement is clouded by who supposedly made it and there disliking of this person. Regards Alan

A few of my favourites from that era are:- Syl Johnson - We did it - London. Damon Shawn - Feel the need in me - Janus. Trammps - Where do we go from here - Golden Fleece. The Detroit Spinners - I'll be around - Atlantic. Average White Band - Atlantic Avenue - RCA. Cate Brothers - Easy way out (b side to Union Man) - Asylum. the last two most would probably not consider as soul music but to me they are extremely soulful compared with some mainstream soul tracks ie Whitney Houston etc. Non Soul Stuff. The Corgi's - Everybody's got to learn sometimes. Hot Gossip - Break me into little pieces. Kissing the pink - Never too late to love you. Big Audio Dynamite - E = mc2. Junior Murvin - Police and thieves. Wah - Story of the Blues. It's Immaterial - Driving away from home. Regards Alan

I was a regular at The Rocket and I got to know to know Ian fairly well infact he gave me the opportunity to DJ at The Rocket warm up sessions over the road at Spoofers Bar, the Spoofer sessions were really special to me and many of other like minded people many of who are grwat friends now and will be hopefully for life. Anyway back to Ian, and what he tried to achieve at The Rocket, he really believed that he could get back on the scene he had left many years earlier, the way he went about it was in his usual manner which winds people up, he seemed to be excliuding the rest of the established scene then obviously the war of words which built up into his famous saying FOAD which for uninitiated means "F**K OFF AND DIE" not very nice. At the time prior to the Rocket and in the early days of the Advanced Northern Soul List I must admit to having a great deal of respect for Ian which was mainly down to his days at The Highland Room, Blackpool Mecca and The Blue Rooms at Sale Locarno, his contribution to the Rare Soul Scene via the records he was finding was immense and if anything I favoured at lot of the stuff he was playing rather than alot of pop influenced stuff that was being played at Station Road, Wigan but I supported both venues regularly for different reasons, many will say that given the resourses Ian had that anyone could have turned them records up but I doubt that many could I don't think I could have done it. I'm sorry to say I lost my respect for Ian after being fed lots of face to face lies during The Rocket and ANS era, now I know I'm not the only one he deceived but I'm sorry I can't respect someone who doesn't respect me. Ian's finest work as a producer without a doubt "24 hours a day" Barbara Pennington. Where is he now ? ........................... I don't know but I can't see him making ever making the return. Ian's persona is part of his make up and that will never change and that side of him doesn't bother me and like someone said earlier perhaps the scene is short of more characters like Ian well I don't know, to me the scene is short of venues and promoters prepared to move the scene forward and before anyone jumps on my back I know that is difficult, I have been trying unsuccessfully to do just that in Stockport since the early 80's without success. There are venues like The Greatstone, The Three Greyhounds and The Orwell that are doing this with success and there are probably more over the UK but not enough. Last word from myself is the scene wouldn't be were it is now without Ian's input. Regards Alan Pollard

John I'm sorry mate I don't remember you giving me any CD's at my Silver Wedding do but I don't remember much about that night any way other than it was a great night, I must look in my record box between records as I have probably stuffed them in there and forgor about it. Regards Alan

The last CD you did for me was Try Me and it isn't on there as I have worn that one out and know all the tunes off by heart. Regards Alan

Top selections John, there are 2 I don't know but will be looking for Philip and Lloyd and Luke Day. Regards Alan

Love these Craig, so your one the ugly one's like me great face for radio LOL Regards Alan

John, I think I have gone on record many times to state this is my favourite record of all time bar none, love it to pieces and I still get a massive kick everytime I play whether out at a venue or full belt down my earphones at home, the orchestration is AWESOME, probably cut by The Detroit Symphony at the Twenty Grand Club Detroit, and you are right it sounded great Friday. It literally makes the hairs on my neck stand to attention. You've got me going now gonna have to go and play it now. Regards Alan

Patti is a great record, Mis Madeline was one of The Young Folk but like you say Rachel "Behave Yourself" is a top tune. Regards Alan

Bobby McClure- you got me babe Al Wilson-who could be loving you more Shirley Brown-yes sir brother Major Harris-after lovening you Jr Walker-do you see my love Andy, these are the dogs nads. Regards Alan

I always try and feature some records that people can stand a better chance of finding, one the big problems on the scene are the DJ's who the rarer the record the better it sounds (they're probably refering to their own voice). Anyway here goes:- 1) Al Kent - The way you been acting lately - Ric Tic 2) Juanita Williams - Baby boy / You knew what you were gettin' - Golden World 3) Barbara Mercer - Doin' things together with you - Golden World 4) Anthony & The Imperials - It's not the same -Veep 5) The 5th Dimension - I'll be loving you forever - Liberty 6) The Odds and Ends - Yesterday my love - Today 7) Direct Current - When it's love - TEC 8) Patti LaBelle & The Blue Belles - You forgot how to love - Atlantic 9) The Young Folk - Lonely Girl - Mar-V-Lus 10) Robb Fortune - Crazy Feeling - Now That's my selection, but there are many many more. Regards Alan Pollard

Like Janine I keep in touch with Andy and I think I can more or less say he won't DJ for any one at the moment, I recently asked him to do a set for me but he was unable to do it for personal reasons. Regards Alan Pollard

that could it Hippo, many thanks. Regards Alan

Hi Ali, I remember it now, it's not that one. Alan