Steve G

This is a serious comment, but I have got a feeling he is related somehow to George Bush.

It's a tough one. But agree with the others, totally silly price, especially for a deep 45. SOundclip anyone?

AGree a great sound. John A found the first copy in Allentown, Pa. in a hillbilly record shop / warehouse - it was probably the most unusual thing, as being found there and with the title you'd think it was a "country" release......rather than a blasting northern sound.

Yes think that was Russ, and it was probably ahead of it's time as a record. Fact remains though relative to his position at a weekly venue, top spot, scene in it's heyday, the level of quality discoveries is poor.

I like it, but then again I am a sucker for major label oddities. But not at the silly money that's being banded about. There's a lot of these nice pop edged blue eyed 70s things about, but this one is a good production. And I have always thought JS was light years ahead of it's 1973 release date in ternms of feel and production. No doubt about it Ian this came later than the JS, even if he did record it at the same time. Good one though.

No No No, we're not ganging up on you Dave honestly. I am hardly Winstanley's biggest fan am I? But I will concede that he did play some good records. Just not enough of them Steve

Love music was a Russ sound.......like you heard him spin it every time in that period.

That's an interesting point. Some would say that the whole WC thing did untold damage to the soul scene in this country with the split between oldies and newies, 60s v 70s, the complete neglect of things below 120 bpm and things like Muriel Day. Not for this thread but I have heard it said....when compared to others scenes such as Europe.... DD Barnes was a good Russ one, but Mark you have to admit for a guy that had a two hour set every week for eight years at a club, the list is a bit on the "thin" side even if it does contain some goodies. Does Russ really see himself as an "underdog"?

Hey Malc I am trying to be objective in my post ......and yes Richard was getting most of big stuff from John A in the late 70s. That's the point about "discoveries". I know stuff did turn up in shops and stalls and some stuff was discovered that way but most of it came from dealers, Soussan, Anderson, McCutcheon etc etc. BTW Frank Bloody Wilson also came from Soussan..... So this obsession with DJ's 'discovering' records is a bit of a misnomer. Levine can of course lay claim to "discovering" many records because he was going round junk shops in the USA and bringing back unknown records at a time when most of the rest of us got no closer to the USA than watching "The Andy Williams Show".

Wasn't Yvonne Baker first played at the Mecca? I might be wrong on that but it's a niggling thought. Maybe the Mecca played it later I can't recall. Rather than "discoveries" which is always a misnomer since most people at the time discovered these records in their letter box or in a bin at Soul Bowl or a market stall in Bradford, maybe "broken by" would be a better expression to use (and I don't mean broken as in Pete SMith's Carstairs). Whilst I am a big critic of Russ and the Wigan bandwagon he has promoted he did play some good records such as Willie Hutch "Love games", Larry Hale "Once" and Lee Fields "Take me back" I believe was his too. But it's all so hazy now someone else may lay claim to beating him to it.....

Yep we've documented this one before as PD says. They found clem martin the label owner and he had a garage full of his old stuff, good and bad. He has since died and his widow found some other stuff - acetates etc. Sometimes it does happen that way. Interesting story on Dave godin and Shirley Lawson - thanks DtheD

In principle yes as long as it is "accidental damage"

The highest I have heard is £4k. It is a 60s record I have and I don't want to reveal the person that paid that amount for a cracked copy. It's not a nice thing to do. But I did hear they paid £4k for a cracked copy......

Don't know the UK version. Eddie Carr is the version I am thinking of.

I guess you all know there is a slightly better version of this on WHC?

TV mini-series "Ellis Island" featured both Ben Veren and Melba Moore amongst a cast of thousands (Melba of course was a bit of a thesp. but not sure whether Ben appeared in other films). And I spose we should mention "Live and let die" as well in this section BJ Arnau and Lon Statton.

Stuart if you still need the cover let me know. I'll scan it. I only have a desktop so would have to do it in two halves. Steve

I have the album, from memory it has a green psychadelic cover with an tough looking McKinley on it.....Steve

It's a great record, so well produced. I even like the other version (Yvette Anderson I seem to recall though that was a local production).

More sad news

A real shame he was a real gentleman......and for northern afficionados Lou Pride on Suemi was done at Hi Studios as well.

I agree - you won't be surprised to hear - and just right for today. It's played at places like Lifeline, but had it been spun at Stafford I am sure it would have been big.

About 3 years ago Simon I got mine and it was still relatively unknown - and thus not that expensive (think Butch and Dave Welding may have been playing it, and maybe Arthur or Andy D (can't remember) but it was still a relatively new spin). John A told me when he got all the Both Sides stuff he had quantity on all of the titles except this one, which he only had a few of. So I don't think it's ever been an easy record.....and bearing in mind I was buying new releases from John weekly at the time, and didn't get a sniff at this one then, I'd imagine the few copies he had probably went to the "big names" (Searling, Sam etc) and Japan. I was merely a struggling "po'boy" with hungry mouths to feed precious little money and a second hand Honda 90 for transport back then (violin smily) So it was probably out of my price range anyway. As you know sometimes I used to go with Sam in his Chevette, we'd have seperate piles of records to play through, I'd have these really good cheap records to play through, and Sam had his own pile with things like Fluorescent Smogg in..... I guess the records were individually selected based on our respective budgets......Anyway enough of the history....Is Ohio the most under rated soul state or Texas? Steve

Does this include mine Simon? Steve

Hi Dave, yes a Memphis label.....Steve