Steve G

Another one for me Big Dee Irwin "you satisfy my needs" on Stateside - took me YEARS to get one.

OK Smudge I'll shoot you down in flames. £73 is a substancial sum for many people in these times, and why should people not get their money back? There seems to be an awful lot of "benefit of the doubt" going on here. If someone spent a fifth of that sum on a record that never showed up or a case where the seller wouldn't give a refund or replacement, there would be a thread here with everyone saying "dodgy seller", "avoid this ebayer" etc etc, so why because someone wanted to bring over a treasured live act should we view their refusal to honour their refunds any differently? When you go into business and take people's money you have an obligation to either provide services or give the money back. These folks have taken peoples money and they should pay it back, end of. No bouncing cheques, delays etc. I don't know the people involved but the principle is the same - even if that means getting a bank overdraft facility over the short term. The point is the world is full of well intentioned fools. Fact is if you are going to try and bring over acts from the USA you better know what you are doing. There are those that do (Wigley, Croasdell, Prestatyn etc etc), and clearly there are those that don't. Steve PS: Sorry to hear about the Odean - sounds suspiciously like it might be an insurance scam to me

We're only into 60s Chrissie not this new stuff :(

"Living for the City" was the first album I bought (apart from Superbad)....although I would not play it now.......

Isn't it an article to Americans? Telling them to watch out for their Ray Pollard because he has heard his new 45.Not sure where you get the Abbey Road connection from? But what a great article - I shall look at Freeman in a new light after that......Steve

Paul is this show available on iplayer, I won't be able to listen at 6pm but will pick it up over the weekend if it's on replay.

Test pressing / acetate I seem to recall. Same as Darryl Stewart, and also "Hung up in Mid Air". Though I would cvall these rare, wouldn'ty see them as Holy grails of UK collecting..... Great thread.......PS thanks for the clarity on the Chris Jackson SOul City 120, and 444 releases, was still on my first cappuccino of the day when I typed that all in.... No thanks on the Billy Harner, though the Ian Clark copy went to someone in the West Midlands who is on here. Steve

Oh just forgot - very early mod / R&B / 6Ts sound but deffo one of the rarest I'd say Huey SMith & Clowns on a UK demo.

Got to agree with you there Karen, on all points. The Europeans tend to be a bit younger - many of them tracing their roots back to the mod upturn late 70s / early 80s, some are younger still. No obvious politics or "history" with "W.C" (see I didn't say the actual words), "Oldies versus Newies", "60s v 70s" etc which have dogged the scene here for 30 years. I am sure there are some politics but they don't tend to rise above the surface. In Europe they seem to be grateful to actually have a scene, and it shows. I've DJed in Italy, Germany and Spain and have found every night I've been at has been great....and they all pull together and attend each others events.......easy to do when there's not 30 events on a night I guess......Steve

No one mentioned the last record on Soul City yet - the 444 acetate of Chris Jackson or whatever it is? Otherwise would have to agree with Pete S on the Billy Harner - it's awful though - only half the record, and a case of rarity over quality if ever there was. And agree on some of the stock copies mentioned. Hoagy Lands is weird because I am pretty sure it was played on radio as a new release, obviously didn't garner any sales. How many of these Polydor Demos were made - does anyone know? There's a rare Motown 70s thing as well - a mispress type thingy. Little Hank "Mr Bang bang man" on London is another collectible, but like most mentioned on here it's not super duper rare. As with most of these things there are copies about. I still have a soft spot for UK releases, ask the boys that frequented Blue Skies.

It has appeared in soul packs guys - ok a long long time ago.

This is easy all based on the delta number 6xxxx in the run out = pressed in 60s = original. 100xxx in the run out = pressed in 70s = boot. I always thought this is an under rated sound, occasionally try reactivating it but it seems not to many people remember it....

Great on your maths Mike - it's 30 years on.......but as others have said this debate has been raging really since the late 70s.....I always blamed Mr M's

this is just starting to take off (seriously)......I know someone down south who wants it.....and he is on here......Steve

Sad to hear that, someone I knew died of septisemia the over day. Cut himself in the garden and two days later he's dead. Which is a timely reminder to everyone keep your tetanus jabs up to date.....basically there's no rhyme or reason to this, as we get older, friends die, but that doesn't make it any easier.

Flip is crossover, in fact we iused to play it at Yarmouth before flipping it over.

Joe, Theres a first press and a second press - both done around the same time - second press has silver weaved in with the pink and black......Steve

Kev I'd vever hit anyone in a soul venue, not being a fan of violence anyway.... the guy concerned was a fat geezer and he liked Barbaba McNair - that's all I can remember. Interesting line these days as to what is known by the majority and what isn't - which is the point Joan is making. Certainly many go to Lifeline, 100 Club etc. and hear - lets call them "progressive" sounds - at various weekenders up and down the country, so the type of sounds played at these clubs should be known to most by now I would have thought? Unless people don't go to these venues I guess. PS: Sam I believe uses pen and ink for his articles. It may seem odd to those of us who use computers, but not everyone does.

Nice one.

Re Wigan DJs I've seen richard Searling dancing to modern. Dave Evison used to dance at Wigan. Tony - Soul Sam - he danced to "I'll be around" by The Spinners when we were Djing in Spain......first time I'd ever seen it. not bad too for a guy drawing his pension. Cliff - who are the people without any thythm then?

Kev From my reading of Sam's article he was quoting some of your quotes from a previous issue. I don't know if these quotes are accurate or not, but these were the quotes for the benefit of fingers etc..... Sam cites the following which apparantly are your words: Demanding Dj's "Play "60-70% tunes that people know and have" "If people are not dancing then I am not paying them (The DJ)" "No modern should be played" Sam takes each of these quotes and provides his views on why he disagrees citing in the latter case the example of a promotor who 'advised' him what the crowd liked, but when Sam went on he refreshingly found the crowd receptive to the stuff he was playing. Of course DJs shouldn't tell the punters to "f*ck of" - a polite "No I didn't bring it with me - sorry" normally suffices. But what about the abusive punter? As you mention the Ritz Des, think I should say a few words on that. Whenever I guested there the floor was always full with a good enthusiastic crowd. Carl, Marco etc. had a great vibe going. Admitedly I didn't go in the last two years, and yet ironically this was the only venue ever where I have ever had a punter have a go at the DJ. I was asked for Barbara McNair and told the guy I didn't have it. I was then asked for Brown Sugar - which was totally played out - having been played continuously for about the previous ten years. When I told him I didn't have that in my 200 box either he went into this rant. "Call yourself a DJ? you haven't got the records......you're like that C*nt that Djed at X last month (X being a venue not a million miles away from yours) - he wouldn't play requests either" (said C*nt was actually - on checking later - none other than the DJ known as the countries top rare soul spinner!!!). I explained to this guy (it wasn't you was it Kev???) that I'd only bought two hundred records and that I was sorry I didn't have either of the requests with me. He continued with "you don't have the tunes blah blah and called me a name. In the end I did tell him to "F*ck off" just to get him off of the stage and gave him some abuse, but his whole attitude - as well as his taste in requests - totally sucked. Paying punter or not he has no right to be abusive either. For me, whilst surprising, it didn't put the dampers on an otherwise excellent night. So back to Sam, all he does is make some reasoned arguments against your own quoted words (assuming you said those things) - I was not aware that this was a crime in todays PC Britain? . Surely Sam is entitled to the right of expressing his opinions on your opinions? Sam actually does this in a logical and reasoned way without resorting to hysteric comments about modern being played in "gay discos" or "tents in Surrey" - more of your own words. Your lengthy posting actually makes you come across as a bit of a drama queen and big girls blouse - and I am sure you are not. Put your head above the parapet and spout off, then when someone replies to your comments, a lengthy "Ooh I've ben so wounded, It's just not fair". Sounds like some of the Levine stuff. Why is attendance at your venue required for Sam to have a view when you have supposedly set out your views of what you expect in writing? Sam doesn't need a booking, and whilst he can speak for himself, it is quite clear from his article that he wouldn't want to DJ at a venue where a promotor is telling him what he should and shouldn't play (and no modern). Sam prides himself on knowing what the punters want and he is one of the few DJs in this country that will actually attract people to a venue. Based on that I doubt you'd want to book him (rather than the other way round), for fear that some of his "modern" fans would actually turn up and request some "East Anglian disco dancing" music. If you knew Sam you would also know that he has an excellent box of 60s - including good oldies. As others have suggsted if you feel so strongly post your reply to Manifesto, they could do with a decent letters page. Anyway I hope people continue to attend your venue for years to come and enjoy themselves as you obviously have a good local following in Northants. Steve

Reading in the late 70s. Col, those were great alldayers

Russ is looking his age.

He's always been fast and reliable whenever I have had anything off of him

Plenty of DJs who aren't what I'd really call collectors Ian - just trophy record hunters after the same 'in demand' titles.....hot boxers etc.....sorry.