Rick Cooper

Mal Sorry , small print. Review is; Easy going offering from Chuck Cockerham lacks dynamite and is destined to be just one of the many issues that are immediately forgotten (Mala 12036 Flip; Hey There). In 1969 things were getting a bit more funky so the reviewer was maybe comparing it to the newer harder records coming out. Just shows how some records eventually get their day in the spotlight. Rick

Came across this review in the March 1969 issue of Blues and Soul of the Chuck Cocherham Have I The Right single. It's right at the end of the Bell Sounds list and says it will be "immediately forgotten". Well not completely as went it for £1500 this year. I tend to agree with the review but others may have another opinion, what's yours? Rick

Looking through some old Blues and Soul mags came across these reviews for the Constellations singles on Gemini Star. I think the "Bell Sounds" reviews were probably done by Trevor Churchill as he was at EMI looking after the Bell group issues for the UK. It wouldn't have been possible to order these from your local record shop, unless that was Soul City. I suppose it was to try to raise the profile of the records from the Bell group. He must have been sent every release from the US unless Soul City got them for him. Anyone got any more info? Would EMI have been sent every US release on the labels they represented? If so what happened to them? Imagine every Veep, UA,Capitol,Tower, Okeh, Musicor, Amy,Mala and all the rest arriving weekly. Rick

Patto Here is some more Decca info but no answer to the small print question. ./forums/topic/195133-decca/?page=1 I understood that Decca and Brunswick releases often had small and large print versions but the large print version tends to be the rarer( and they look nicer). They were done at the same time just different locations. I think I had the small print Hide Nor Hair way back before it was popular. Rick

I don't think it was played in the 70s or early 80s. My first recollections of it would be Lowton and Prestwich in the mid to late 1990s but may have had earlier plays at all-nighters. The memorable thing about this record for me is hearing it on Peter Kay's TV prog Phoenix Nights or something similar. Three of the main characters were hurtling along in a car with Take a Giant Step blaring out. Someone was shouting over the music just as the silent break starts , deafening the others. Can anyone confirm this in case I'm imagining the whole thing. Rick

Marge Dodson had at least one album in the late 50s but nothing like Be Your Baby. She sounds like a mix of Peggy Lee, Julie London and Lena Horne singing the usual jazz songs of the time. The album cover has a photo that looks like it is taken in a way that makes her look like Lena Horne i.e not as a black woman. Like many other Jazz artists in the 60s she was told her old stuff wasn't selling and had to get with the "new sound, like Motown". I've got a CD that notes she had an album in 1968 that is described as MOR soul,this could be a Decca release with the single on. I've got the Soul Kitchen CD mentioned by Stateside above, and agree that it is a great track that should be played more. I'd rather hear this than Holly St James for the thousandth time. It's just the type of record that seems to be overlooked because it was first played at a time when the returnees had yet to return. Rick

There is a series of Ben E King CDs issued by Sequel in 1996 which has a listing of his Atco sessions compiled by Peter Burns in 1970. Checking through these for any info on Gettin' To Me only adds Artie Butler as arranger and exact date as 3rd February 66. However looking at the other sessions reveals another fifteen unreleased tracks. There is only the song title listed without writer credits so hard to say if they are all unknown songs. From Feb 68 was Hangin' On and You Were Meant For Me and October 68, The Look of Love and Givin' Up, the last two could be the well known songs. Anyone (Ady) know if any of the other unreleased tracks exist on acetates or are they all lost for ever in the fire at Atlantic. As to if Ben E King talked about Gettin' To Me, Ady would be the one to ask but many artists seem to have little memories of their recording sessions. Maybe they were more concerned with live appearances. Rick

Dave Well done, somebody screwed up as the originals were kept well away from the boots. Rick PS Shane Martin was on the pop list for 22p until Pep tried to order 12 copies.

Keith I've got Blue and Soul starting from around issue 12 up to 1980s you could look through. I'm just outside Manchester so not too far. Up to issue 12 Steve (above) could help. PM me for details. Rick

The Global list with Duke Browner was the wholesale list for shops but with the price codes and info changed for mail order or callers to the warehouse so the copies are the bootleg. The originals were listed on the collectors list . This was a single page of titles that were in small quantities or valuable. The original Duke Browner would have been up to around £3.00 but definitely more than 60p. Dave K emailed me some Global lists years ago but I can't get them to load anymore. Global's owner Ed Balbier used to refer to the collectors list as the "kids list" , which was not very nice. Rick

I sometimes took a few records to sell to the Blue Rooms in Sale back in the 70s. One night I had a copy of The Glories- I Worship You Baby on Date when it was quite an expensive record. Someone picked it out, asking how much it was, but he seemed to get annoyed at the price and the fact that I wouldn't take a lot less for it. Later on he came back and asked if he could show it to his mate. Five minutes later he gave it me back. When I got home I found the record had a crack from the edge to the label ........ right on soul brother, KTF...... Rick

Don't forget "The Whip" Looks like the record company and TV station tried to start a new dance but with little success. I always thought that the film Hairspray looked like a good interpretation of dance crazes in the US, unless it was overdone for the film. Line dances didn't seem to catch on in the UK but I have a vague memory of seeing some older dancers dancing in line at a youth club in 1967/8, only happened a few times . Some records had a few special moves that the girls used to do- "down on Funky Street" would mean a bended legs dip down, weird... Rick

This is a previous thread about drill holes. The answer by Paul Mooney(27 April) is the correct answer, all talk of BB holes , hot needles , stringing on wire,ship ballast, etc is total rubbish.

Thanks Dave and Steve. It was back again today sitting on the same post for five minutes before heading off . If it's going to be a regular visitor I'll try to get some better photos. Rick

OK it's not a great photo, taken on a small, old camera through a dusty window but could someone identify it. I've seen it hovering above the roadside behind the trees and getting chased off by a load of rooks when it got too close. It's been back a couple of more times so could be it's patch. It's about 5 miles from Macclesfield, Cheshire so won't be anything fancy. Rick

Just got another one of these Atlantic CDs and instead of throwing away the bit of paper wrapped round the edge of the CD found the Japanese site for the complete listing. https://shop.wmg.jp/shop/g/gSETRB-1/?icid=related It's a bit hard to follow but found releases for Linda Jones,Honey and the Bees,Paul Kelly, Lou Johnson, Barbara Lynn, Darrell Banks as well as all the obvious stuff. They're not on the Amazon UK list so possibly only available from Japan. Also the Jazz listing https://wmg.jp/jazz1000/index_01.html A few releases veer towards soul but most hardcore jazz. Those Atlantic guys sure loved their jazz. Rick

Mike As Westender already posted they are in decent plastic cases, not the lightweight ones of some budget labels. The ones I've got have the lyrics and track listing in English and a page of Japanese text. I know what you mean about Sam Dees, bought the Atlantic box set for this then it came out in the Japanese series, grr. Rick

Maybe most people have seen these listed on a number of internet sales sites but does anyone know more about them. Is there a site that lists the whole series, Amazon lists about thirty five but are there any more? Is it an ongoing series or are they overstocks from Japan that will soon be gone? Have they appeared in any supermarket bargain racks yet? There is also a jazz series with some hip be-boppers and cool vocalists......... nice. . Again is there a list for these? For anyone who hasn't seen them a search of "Japanese Atlantic Soul and R&B Range" on Amazon brings them up . Other sites sell them as well but not as easy to find . At around a fiver each they are worth getting although there are no bonus tracks, just a straight re-issue of the original albums. Rick

Yeah , lots of Chess/ Checker/Cadet and yellow Stax but I don't remember Duke labels in quantity. I don't suppose any of the thousands of Precisions- If This Love were left when Global sold up. Rick

Ebay has some from £10 to £15 ,of which a couple are the first issue and others could be but not clear in the photo. Rick

Pete Global bought some overstocks from Selectadisc which didn't sell so these would have ended up with Rollercoaster in Stroud .I can't remember exactly what they were but think included some of the MGM Verve reissues. They also would have got quite a lot of mid 60s Motown. Rick

Pete The original has the anti slip serrated ring ,as did all singles in the 70s. The later issue on Cream was ,I think, done by or on behalf of Rollercoaster when William Bell came over to perform at the Gala Gran in the 90s . Rollercoaster bought most of the stock when Global Records/Cream closed down. This would have included all the unused Cream records labels,which there were thousands, so they probably did a deal with William Bell to press up a quantity using the original labels. The re press copies have "Orlake" in the run out which was a pressing plant. If I remember rightly they did the pressing for all the original Cream issues but the re press must have been re-mastered as the markings are different. So I don't think the 90s re press is a boot but a short run to tie in with William Bells visit. He would have been aware of this as I have a signed Cream re-press by him. It had been planed for James Fountain to come over with William but I think he died just before, or was very ill ,and died later. Rick

The local heron and still there when I got back with a camera. Rick

Rod Thanks for that , so I've not completely lost the plot even if the details are a little hazy now. The letters I got from Bob did go on at length not unlike some all nighter patrons ! Rick

Rob (or should that be Robb) Your mate Rod S told me this but I've obviously got the wrong name so it could be C.... or maybe M..... Rick