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Yes, I was going to say "Chicago Shadow" - you beat me to it Cheers Richard

So - yes, the same song Written by Wiley & Hester

Still looking - anyone help with this one please? Cheers Richard

Was on UK MGM. Agree with Rob that Correc-tone is the rarest.

Got mine around 5 years ago - for 50 quid I think it was. Definitely a hard record in my view though. Cheers Richard

Why do you guys openly admit tax avoidance online?

Sometimes they can look quite different Peter Many test pressing are just handwritten on a plain (often white label). Others have a printed template into which to write the details (like some Motown test pressings). Others are weird like this one - but the deadwax shows it is a cool copy and the same details as the issue (there is also a handwritten test pressing I have seen of this - but it did get pressed a few times on red and blue and West Coast). Cheers Richard

You know I like my quality and business management systems mate LOL On the second part of your question - yes, a test pressing (of an original release) would be great to play out - no probs whatsoever - even maybe better than the proper copy in my book as it's probably much rarer! Cheers Richard

Dead wax details should match the original issue They were pressing a few before doing the full batch - quality control Cheers mate Richard

Beth Bynum - f*ck me Cheers Richard

Yes, I have just listened to the Clifton tracks (had listened previously but that was back in 2011 when DP posted up the thread). I agree - it's obvious all tracks are Steve Mancha - his voice is very distinctive Cheers Richard

Are you comparing Steve Mancha and John L Brown - or John L Brown and J L Brown?

Err - what is?

I'm going to find my copy over the weekend, if I remember, and have a good look at the vinyl, label paper, print quality/fonts, deadwax markings etc. and see if that suggest anything about when and where this was pressed.

Told you it was Flynny who knew the source Cheers Richard

There you go USD $730 and 40 bids - is that the real world? https://www.ebay.com/itm/361014219645?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

That is unbelievable

It's as "real" a world as all the other worlds folk live in on the rare soul scene. If it wasn't real world nobody would be coming on here commenting on it all the time These are real records, generally rare records in great condition, with real people bidding real money on them - what's not to get about that? I'm currently watching an eBay item that I have had for sale for a while - top condition copy - on here and on Facebook. Always in demand and frequently on wants. I'm a humble collector, not a regular seller - have had it priced at £247. It's in John's book for £200 I think. However, it has been going for more for a while. There's a copy on eBay (lesser condition) that failed to sell as Buy It Now for £275 just a few days ago. A copy (presumably re-listed) from the same seller has got an hour left and it's at £365 with 34 bids on it. 'kin annoying that mine hasn't sold but it's the real world! Might put the price up - that works with selling houses Cheers Richard

Maybe there's a Lester Tipton on the way

I have a note here on an Excel spreadsheet saying Pete sold one in November 2000 for £250, which I must have noted down at the time. Cheers Richard

David Flynn is the guy who knows about this one Cheers Richard

Totally agree. That copy looked pretty good - they don't turn up like that very often. My copy is similar condition and I have never had the chance to buy another one in that condition and at a realistic price since I got it. That was 15 years ago. Plus, the other side is finally, finally getting recognition - it's ace too Cheers Richard

Thanks for clarifying Robb. The ZTSC thing definitely prompted me to go hunting for the record as it didn't sound quite right - and when I found it, the dead wax info answered my original question So it was mastered somewhere during the period January to June 1966. Cheers Richard

OK - so I found my copy. The label is pretty much destroyed. However, there are numbers on one side visible on the label, and also stamped info in the dead wax. Not sure what your source for the ZTSC matrix was Robb - can you clarify please? My copy is Bell Sound stamped and it also specifies "T5KM" on the label and stamped in the dead wax. On this basis, unless the info I'm using is dodgy, I think this means: T = the year was 1966 (not 1964). 5 = this is a custom job - not cut at RCA studio - and because the "5" comes before the "k", it was mastered (but not necessarily released) between January and June of the year - as designated by "T". K= it was on a 45rpm format. M = The recording was mono - not stereo. Any further thoughts please on the obvious conflict between the ZTSC and RCA-pressed matrix codes and the resulting conflicting years of release? Cheers Richard

Hi Tim Sorry for the delay mate Well, I found both copies of Billy / Billie Kennedy- on the black issue and the WDJ copy respectively. The artist's name is shown as Billy on the issue, but as Billie on the WDJ. Many copies of the demo that I have seen are corrected in marker pen by hand to replace the "ie" with a "y" (like mine). The matrix details on both sides look identical on the issue and demo - I examined them with a 10 x magnification hand lens. The reason I initially said that the demo played louder was by comparing the MP3 sound files I did of "This Is A Groovy Generation". This time, I played the records themselves and again I think the demo sounds much sharper and brighter, with more overall "presence". More treble picking out things like the snare drum and cymbals. This is the case on both sides of the records - so on "Sweet Things" too. The differences in the artist's name on the labels suggests that the two discs could have been cut in different batches, at different times, albeit from the same master plate. Perhaps that might explain it? I have also heard from time to time that companies often put more effort into how they recorded and pressed up promotional copies, knowing these were going out to radio stations, so they needed to make them sound as good as they could - but that they put less effort into how they produced the subsequent stock copies. I don't know if that's true or not, but it kind of makes sense. The only other factor that could come into play is that my WDJ copy is a beautiful, shiny M-. By comparison, my black issue has obviously been played a bit and I just wonder whether the differences in sound quality could be down to a slight deterioration in the sharpness of the sound from use? It's all very subjective stuff, but listening to the two discs side-by-side I would hazard a guess that they did a better recording (with sharper, clearer sound and more presence) on the demos - on which they got the artists name wrong on the labels - and they didn't do as such a good job when they pressed up the issues later on (when they also corrected the artist's name to "Billy"). Whatever the situation, it's another reason to choose the lovely demo over the issue Hope this helps. Cheers Richard