Rick Cooper

Around 1975/6 Soul Bowl were selling the Party Time version of Houseparty for under £2.00. They were original issues that they had got hold of from somewhere. So if you got your copy around this time it will be original. The record was freely available on Showtime from Jamie/Guyden via Universal Distribution so no point bootlegging a common record. Rick

So that's why the Sam Baker record came out. I went to the Sam and Dave show with Eddie Floyd and Arthur Conley at the Manchester Odeon but don't remember Sam Baker or Linda Carr on the bill, maybe they only did certain venues.

Thanks for your reply. It seems like loads of unusual places were really "happening". The UK press at the time considered London was where everything in music was centered. Dave Godin famously dismissed this as London elitism but I wonder if he was aware how far flung soul was appreciated. I wonder what happened to all the records the reps and foreign companies got from the US, probably binned.

Some of the foreign releases put on this thread are truly amazing ,especially the S American and Lebanon records, so does anyone know for sure how the record companies got the records and decided to issue them in their country. Roburt has pointed out EMIs worldwide influence for US label representation. So would EMI receive a copy or tape of every release issued by the labels they had a deal with, i.e Capitol, UA, Uptown, Liberty,Minit,Tower,Motown, Musicor, Amy/Mala, Okeh and others. Ditto RCA, CBS, Decca, Pye,Polydor . If so this must have amounted to hundreds or thousands of 45s and LPs every week. Would every other country with a similar set up also get samples of all US issues? Also would publishers get a record or just the sheet music. The other scenario is that the US labels picked the records they wanted the foreign companies to push and recommended them for issue. This doesn't seem likely except maybe when an artist was touring overseas or had a built up a fanbase in certain countries. In one of John Broven's books he relates how UK Decca had US based representatives on the lookout for new releases to issue in the UK. Did other companies do the same? Maybe this is how the Velvets got issued in Argentina. I suppose we'll never know for sure but maybe someone has some answers. Rick

Some information about 60s UK record sessions here. https://blog.oup.com/2015/10/studio-musician-london-sixties-pop-music-industry/ Also a new session trying to recreate a 60s soul sound https://www.uaudio.com/blog/producers-corner-steve-levine/ Quite interesting, any comments?

John Thanks for the reply, fascinating stuff that could do with more writing about. The story behind Name It And Claim It is interesting. They seemed to spend a lot of time and money on the track. One more question on this. The recording costs would have been paid by the production company, so did they get an advance from Scepter/Wand when they did the deal for it? Would Daryl Stewart have paid any his own money upfront or did he just have the cost set against any future sales? Rick

I have a vague recollection that someone told me that someone had told them that when they asked Fatback records (or someone claiming to own the tapes) for a tape of The Catwalk they were sent a tape that played A Little Bit of Soul. So it looks like the mix up with what recording is which started with a mistake on a tape box. The changed matrix number with the scratched out A and B on the deadwax could be an attempt to get it right. However as both tracks are instrumentals and the titles are fairly meaningless I don't suppose it matters what we know it by, but The Cat Walk sounds cool and who wants a little bit of soul. Rick

John If someone asked me where Porgy and the Monarchs -My Heart Cries for You was recorded , Memphis would have the last place I'd have thought of. Any idea if they used the regular session musicians or out of town guys. Could you help with a couple of questions about sessions in the sixties. Would a session usually last three hours and if it overran the time would the musicians be on double pay? Also would a newly signed artist be expected to record four songs in a session so they had an initial single and a possible follow up. From the info in your post it looks like some artists only did one or two songs in a session or were the others not listed or finished. Perhaps once you'd had a hit the label would allow more time to get a song right and sod the expense. Rick

Kegsy The record I remember as The Cat Walk is not the one on your link ,although I've been told it is really The Cat Walk and the one that was played at the Torch was one of the many that had reversed labels , so this is "The Cat Walk" that really isn't as it is the other side. confusing! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEKgaB

Rob The original 1976 issue of Seven Day Lover never had a white demo. The demo was an issue copy with a rubber stamp- "A Promotion Copy Not For Sale" on the label as on the photo. Not many were done of these and most went to radio stations and the individual presenters. Many years later a re-press was done when James Fountain was possibly going to appear at The Gala Gran. Unfortunately he died before he could come over but William Bell did the tour and I got one of the new issues signed by him. The original issue has "master room" in the deadwax and has an anti slip ring around the label. The second issue has "orlake" in the deadwax and no slip ring. I think the second issue used the old label stocks from the 70s. If you have a demo with red lettering some one may have been creative with a felt pen. Could you post a photo Rick

Ian I was one of the DJs at the Leeds Allnighter. I think I was asked as I had DJ'd at the Leeds Central prior to the tram/bus station event. If I remember rightly the whole night was a disaster. Concrete dance floor ,echoing sound and live acts that couldn't really do their best on a poor stage and bad sound system. There were full page ads in Blues and Soul but I can't get to my copies just now. The records you remember were all well established at the time but not easily available. I could have played the first three singles on your list but definitely weren't anywhere close to being the first to play them. Saxie Russell I thought was a Midlands discovery, I remember first hearing it played by Barry Tasker at The Pendulum in Manchester around 71/72. Tony Clarke- Landslide was an Ian Levine play and was a featured title in the adverts he placed for the Mecca. I don't remember it ever getting plays all around the NW in the late 60s. Ain't Love Good and The Entertainer were played everywhere but I can't see Ian Levine playing a record that would have been well known before he got it. Slow Fizz was a Torch biggie but I don't remember which DJ played it first . I thought the Milestones was a Simon Soussan discovery for Russ, it's a bit manic so would go down well at Wigan. As Kegsy says a lot of records from the early 70s were sold or lent to DJs from guys in London. I remember two or three lads from London coming up to the Pendulum with a couple of boxes of fantastic records that no one else had. They wouldn't sell any to us plebs , perhaps already having done deals with the top DJs. Rick

https://www.soul-source.co.uk/forums/topic/27908-total-eclipses-you-took-our-heart/?tab=comments#comment-1678468 John Your memory isn't playing tricks.This topic from 2006 has the B&S article in it but no help with Ady's question. Rick

Probably like others I was influenced by older siblings when I was starting to pick up on music. My sister was into Blues, so aged twelve I heard Howlin' Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson and other Chess artists. My brother was in a group around 66 and 67. They mainly did cover versions of soul records or covers of cover versions, such as Just One Look which I thought was a Hollies song but later heard the Doris Troy original. He took me along to the 67 Stax show in Manchester which was phenomenal. In 68 and 69 the local youth club would still be playing Motown, Stax, Atlantic as well as new releases like The Foundations, Bandwagon etc. Moving on from youth clubs I experienced the horrors of prog rock and psychedelia as a lot of clubs had dumped soul music. Finding Blues and Soul in the local newsagent I discovered Dave Godin's writing and reviews of the first wave of reissues . Spotting a tiny ad in the Manchester Evening News for the first night of the Pendulum Soul night I went along and never looked back. Rick

Luther Ingram not on US release , so this is official UK issue. Also on a Kent CD. https://acerecords.co.uk/stand-up-straight-and-tall-oh-baby-dont-you-weep Rick

Chalky Chess Records changed ownership just as the Carstairs stock copies were about to be sent out to distribution centres and in the ensuing turmoil Red Coach was left without a distributor. By the time a new deal with Pickwick was in place they must have not thought it worthwhile issuing the Carstairs as the demo copies sent to radio stations had not resulted in much interest, apart from Ian Levine. I can't be certain but I'm fairly sure pink Chess distributed copies would have been pressed but junked, just like London issues of Darrell Banks. The pink reissues were done when I ordered 1000 copies from the new distributor of Red Coach for Global Records in Manchester. It took about five weeks for the records to arrive so I assume Red Coach pressed these and were aware they were going to the UK.These sold within a week so we ordered a few thousand more. Other importers also sold the pink copies. I don't agree with your last sentence. When I was working for Global records I never heard, or read, of any record only being pressed if there is demand. I've said this before but it is complete madness to sign an artist, record a session and then only press promo copies when the cost of pressing is so small compared to the money already spent. Any A&R manager who told his CEO that a new record was only going to be tested would have been sacked on the spot. Every record ,according to the A&R, man is a sure fire hit. If a record got plays on radio stations the public wants the record next day not in a few weeks. I also worked in record shops for many years and know how the record buyers will want a record one week and by next week there is a newer record they want. Some people would order a new release but most would buy what the shop had that day. The abundance of US promos for most non hits is because distributors didn't have to send them back unlike the issue copies. There maybe some examples of records only being pressed on demos but not many and definitely not most. Those that were could be due to legal problems, artists getting called up or other problems. This theory seems to have been spread by record collectors without any evidence. Some US artists have grumbled that their record was not in the shops but that does not mean that they were not pressed. Rick

Just back from my local The Works, empty handed as they didn't have it. Checked on line but it now shows "no result" to a search. Should have "click and collected" when they had it on line last week ,doh.......... Rick

I think Ian Levine was the first to play Rosemary What Happened at Blackpool Mecca. He featured it in the B&S adverts so unlikely to do this if Richard was playing it before him. Ricardo

Our good friend Francis sadly passed away today. Many on here knew of his illness but after some hope a few months ago it is tragic that the last few weeks took a sudden turn for the worse. Born in Stockport, where he was better known as Terry,he was familiar to many in the local record shops and clubs, often with a box of records to sell or swap. A job opportunity in the early 70s lead to a move to Kidderminster. The record boxes got bigger and more numerous as he made a weekly trip to Blackpool Mecca, selling new releases and rarer items. The all-dayers at Manchester's Ritz also saw his stall very busy. Making the move to full time dealing he opened a shop in Kidderminster. Here he ran a very successful business selling promotional items such as badges, tee shirts ,key rings, pens as well as fancy dress and novelty items. His badges ranged from punk,new wave, indie ,soul, CND and anti-nuclear and many are now in museum collections. He DJ'd at many of the West Midlands clubs and promoted nights at The Glades in Kidderminster. Over the past years the shop sold more music and was a destination for many collectors. He was a familiar face at most of the weekenders and on the US Soul Trips. Here he was always at the front of the stage to watch the live acts and made an effort to meet the artists to talk to them about their music and life. Many became friends on Facebook and Soulful Detroit Forums. Over the last few years he set up Real Side Records and helped compile many CDs . The tracks chosen showed his depth of knowledge and desire to get lesser known artists recognised. He loved the all-time great records but wanted to spread his appreciation of all types of soul music. He had many other enthusiasms , notably mid 20th century architecture and design. Collecting was not just records as his friends will know from his home. Many people will have their own memories of a true friend and gentleman, who will be greatly missed. Rick

Taj Mahal, Charlie Musselwhite, T Bone Burnett, drivelling imbeciles? https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08rnyxq

Some nice archive clips of recording sessions and artists early performances plus a bizarre cartoon of Cocaine Habit Blues by Memphis Jug Band. I thought they concentrated on The Carter Family and Memphis Jug Band too much, ignoring other artists. Hope the next one doesn't over emphasize Elvis Presley without mention of those who influenced him. Executive producer is Jack White but he only appeared in the back of a bunch of musicians. The experts used seemed to know their stuff. Looking good for the next two.

Got the Dynamics CD after your post and agree it is a great release. The sort of CD that shows how some artists, whilst never releasing loads of stuff, always produced top quality records. The CD is on Play Back Records but they don't give a web site on the sleeve so I searched the web and only found a Playback in Australia that has a tetchy comment on their site that they do NOT have a Howard Tate CD. From looking at sales sites I've found the following on Play Back 4302 Loving Sister 4303 Crowns of Glory 8501 O V Wright 8502 Howard Tate 8503 Joe Haywood 8504 Johnny Bristol 8506 Ernie K Doe 8507 Frankie and the Spindles 8508 Moments 8510 Dynamics 8514 Dells I've got the Howard Tate which is a cracking CD but anyone got any comments on the others, also any details on the missing numbers. The sleeve notes on the Dynamics CD are by Sonny Marrow who also did the ones on the Interstate releases so there maybe a connection between the two labels. As for northern compilations I'd agree that most tracks have been released and we don't need yet more 25 Northern Floorfillers for a fiver. However it's still possible to compile a great CD as the J&D All Night Long CD shows. Some tracks have been done before but a well thought out selection and even two instrumentals , so what's not to like. With labels like Play Back and J&D/Numero hopefully there are still some good CDs to come. Rick

Why not contact your friendly local cabinet maker if you want something specially making to your size and style. Georgian inlaid mahogany with rococo brass handles, walnut art deco, oak gothic revival? Or maybe a good plywood box with sturdy handles and a lock. Might cost a bit but not much compared to the price of the average OVO single. Rick

John The Interstate CDs are excellent and I can see why they could be thought to be bootlegs. The total lack of details of the writers,labels,producers, dates and publisher looks dubious but they may have been aimed at the US buyer who only wanted the music and wasn't too bothered about such stuff. The packaging is fairly good, certainly better than most bootlegs. They were out of stock at Amazon for at least 5 months so I tried to contact the label . I couldn't find the right people as there seemed to be UK and other US companies using the same name. The writer of the sleeve notes ,Sonny Marrow is a songwriter and recording artist who has done other sleeve notes. I'd go with them being legit, but would like more info and more releases. Rick

Have you got any details of the J&D releases, I couldn't find anything on the net, are they legit? Agree that CD releases are a bit less than 15 - 20 years ago but still some nice stuff coming out. Do you know anything about Interstate Records that had a couple of Sweet Soul compilation CDs last year - This Time Will Be Different and This Love is For Real. Have they released anything else? Rick

Can't give a definite answer on this but I was sometimes surprised when the deletions wholesaler SP&S Records had some titles that were, like you said, quite old . I think the explanation was that some LPs sold steadily at full price for many years so remained in their catalogue. Eventually sales would decline and the record company deleted the record and sold the remaining stock to SP&S. There was once a load of Motown titles that got deleted and ended up in Woolies but I think this was when Motown changed from EMI to BMG/RCA. Rick