Steve G

Are these the guys that were emailing Tim Brown asking for money? - I seem to recall reading about it in Manifesto a few months ago I understand the ethical side of it - artist in poverty has given great pleasure to a generation of people in far off lands etc....but the whole area is fraught with problems. If a singer got paid $40 for laying down a track, they got paid, end of. They can't come back now just because that side attracts large money and say, "Oi I only got paid $40, I am ill, in poverty and I want some more". What about writers, producers etc? Who is the writer anyway? Very often I've come across disputes over who actually wrote a song and whether "their name" was allowed to appear on the credits. What about groups, who get's paid, the one "cheeky enough" to enroll in R&F F? What about the others? All these folks would have either been paid, or not paid at the time they made their music - and that's where the redress takes place, not in the resale market decades later. Thing is the US record industry has always been corrupt and this just seems like another way or re-addressing something that's fundamentally broken and that the US itself won't deal with, and it always has been that way.

In the 70s he ran a mobile round the Coventry area playing soul, wrote a few articles about the (then new) Philly Sound, and then popped up in a documentary a few years ago about NS talking about miners holding hands as they danced at Wigan - must confess I never saw that going on . This to me makes him a one time fan. Of course I don't know what he has in his living room by the record player, and it may well be some soulful delights......but these days Pete is more interested in model railways, and runs a company that makes them. I am sure some of those lads on the northern railways circuit could fill in the blanks - Steve M, Sean etc?

That makes it worse Ady - I still didn't get one

It is on the 12 Sean - but I think Ady only did 40 of them, so it's pretty 'ard! Ady did it for the DJ's. I didn't get one, but Sam did. Sam being Sam he sold his....to me

Really? What an odd thread / post! Work it out, we're not all sitting by our computers at 6 pm on a Wednesday, some of us are working, travelling etc. Respect Dude

Just want to pull you up on this one point - I have nothing against people making money - just don't rate the way certain people do it. But the four people you have listed are very different. Ian is Ian and has views on the future of the scene that I strongly disagree with - though I can hold a conversation with him. Roberts and Manship are succesful businessmen - good luck to them, they've worked hard ploughing their furrow - especially John. Obviously Kev Roberts is a controversial figure - and to be blunt I don't really know him. Russ meanwhile is a former "top DJ" who is well past his sell by date and who has traded off of his WIgan status for far too long. And Yes David Ruffin was a nasty piece of work - rumours over his treatment of Tammi Terrell continue to crop up from time to time and as they say there's no smoke without fire.

This was also true for us Jo. Kim and Steve noble - who are older than me - got into Northern a few months before me...when two guys - Josh and Ging came down from Chatham to the Elizabethan Barn and were dancing northern. Think they had come off a boat at RN Dockyard. So that supports your theory of the influence the military had on "spreading the word". Of course Dearlove was also stationed at Chatham in the 70s, but I never knew him then. Don't think he ever went out that much. Steve

Many of the artists never got paid when they recorded the records, others got paid a notional fee for cutting a track but nothing from the sales. I know two wrongs don't make a right, but it really is time we stopped looking at this with rose tinted glasses - the music biz has always had more than it's fair share of opportunists and rip off merchants. I've met some great guys - like George Jackson for example who didn't himself have many of the sides he recorded....but also many nasty people or hustlers. Another lovely guy was Emmanuel Lasky who was living in poverty in Detroit - he'd missed out on getting paid time and time again, but his records sell for money but at the end of the day, that's life I am afraid. I know labels like Kent and Grapevine pay royalties and that obviously helps, but to suggest that we should be guilty for paying large sums for rare records and not passing something onto the artist is a hopelessly naive view.

Paid about 8 for mine from voices back in the early 90s at SouL Essence.

I'd agree with this.

Wotz up with you today? Someone open your Advent Calender window for the 14th and nick the chocolate out of it?

Nope Ken - Steve Davis has been to Yarmouth weekenders and also pitched up at the Smersh bar one night when I was on.....

What's happening? We're agreeing on everything again Hope the man cold is not too bad Tone. Steve G

...and the B side- great deep

Not trying to be funny, but how many of these bods that 'popped in' were genuine afficiandos? And how many were just there for a late drink or to see what all the fuss is about? For example I am reliably informed by someone who knows her that Anna Ford was never into northern, despite being "photo'd" in The Casino. Same thing with Freddie Starr I think. All these indie / punk band members though? As an aside I was watching a programme on London last night in the "ITV versus Eastenders" slot and that horrible weird geek that does the tax adverts was warbling on about the 100 Club. Mentioned it's jazz routes and it then having a new lease of life for punk / indie. No mention of it holding northern nights for nearly 30 years typical!

I'm pretty sure there's still a box under the counter of a certain store in Las Vegas

New one on me. Always had it on Midtown. I have to say Bill is one of those Atlanta artists who'se never turned in a duffer ever. All of his records are good, including this one which is probably the best of 'em all. Think I got six or seven by him, all worthy records, especially if you like deep.

Oh feck off Jocko Like the Rouncmeister I have got pretty much all of her records - apart from some very early stuff. She's a classic soul artist, but just not in my own personal premier league.

Cor glad I dropped out when I did.

Without you??? Why what has happened? I have even gone out and got your Xmas card in anticipation of seeing you in "The Lamb" tonight

Let me be the first to say Bah Humbug! Seriously Merry Christmas folks! Steve G

Shouldn't you be putting your make up on by now Martin???

That sounds like Ronnie Craft's old collection then

Lead singer does resemble Donnie Osmond a bit.

Now that is interesting.....Don Revie was also a fan, though mainly things like Al Green, Motown, Stalantic etc - his daughter told me.