Roburt

I always struggled to understand the Tamla-Motown strategy in Portugal. Many record companies there, pressed their own records & printed their own sleeves ... but lots of T/Mot 45's sold there were just the UK single packaged in a locally printed picture sleeve .... I guess the picture sleeve (rather than the UK made label sleeve) was to tie in with the local practise of other companie's single releases.

A message from Lou Ragland ..... I have already spent 17,200 dollars of my own money, over 5 years, collecting raw video footage of the Cleveland Soul Music Men and I have this in the can. I now need help to edit and complete my story -- this will cover my 63 years in the Entertertainment Business and all of the artist that I have produced and helped. My story will show that no matter what area or broken home you come from, one can create a positive productive life !! ............... The Title is: "Man Invisible - the Lou Ragland story !" Lou has set up a crowd funding campaign via gofundme.com ..... the $77,000 he needs is to allow him to complete his project to a first class standard .... .... see here ... https://www.gofundme.com/wh4949-documentary?utm_source=internal&utm_medium=email&utm_content=cta_button&utm_campaign=upd_n

I have good quality copies of most of the above ... BUT never really thought of selling my old B&S's.

He can do oldies too ....

Sounds good live too ....

This cut ain't too shaby either ....

Here's TILL THE END ... this should be coupled with NEED YOUR LOVE on a 45 for over here ...

These ladies had a great effect on this 18 year old lad when I saw them at the Wheel in 67/68 ... This is how I remember them, a US TV clip from 68 (when they spent a really lot of time performing in the UK / Europe) ...

Next Monday (after 11pm), FILM 4 are screening the music documentary '20 Feet From Stardom'. It's a great watch ..... https://www.channel4.com/programmes/20-feet-from-stardom

The cover to the album is a gatefold (opens like a book). In one side is the LP itself, whilst in the other is a 12" square booklet ... this is also worth having, so check any copy you intend to buy still has the booklet.

Paul, when am I getting that Spinners 45 back (at the same price I sold it to you of course) ??

That's from much later ... when Jerry B was milking his 60's fame by running special dances for older folk & people who had been teenagers in the 60's (agin a link to the NS scene ??). Jerry's STILL running dances and has a FACEBOOK page to help promote them. He's also involved with themed cruises, running dance classes / dance sessions each day / night on ships for the duration of those cruises ... so once agin a link to the NS scene here.

Jerry even identifies the dance you should do to each track. I know lots of those dances ...BUT ... WTF was the Disco Spin (back in 67) ?? It seems you did the Cha cha to the Astors, Frankie & the Classicals plus the Tymes cuts ... I feel some more NS classics may be appearing on STRICTLY in the near future if the BBC find out.

I know that the first intentional NS comp LP was put out by Pye here in the mid 70's ... but I would suggest that before that a few comp LP's had escaped in the US that would (if they were 70's releases) be classed as releases aimed at the NS market. Here's my tip as a probable 1st NS comp album ... compiled by Philly / New Jersey radio / TV DJ Jerry Blavat. It was released in late 67 and featured 20 tracks in all, of them I'd say 16 would count as NS cuts -- The Jerry Blavat TV Song Storybook (no label identified on the record or album sleeve but 95% certain a product of the Lost Nite label / Crimson Records). Jerry was part owner of these record companies, so it makes sense that 'his' LP would be put out by them. As Crimson were releasing new product by the likes of Lee Andrews & the Hearts, Soul Survivors, Damon Fox, Brothers Two, Chuck Trois & the like at the time, he obviously was aiming his product at teenager dancers who loved soul stuff.

Didn't manage to get up to Palm Beach Gardens to see Joey Gilmore perform ... BUT ... the venue must be a decent place as .... The PGA Arts Centre is the PROFESSIONAL GOLFERS ASSOC ART CENTRE and Palm Beach Gardens is just about as expensive as Boca Raton as all the top sportsmen / women have pads there (all the golfers & the likes of the Williams sisters). It might be a hang out for the rich but it don't make it that safe ... as many sportmens homes are empty a lot of the time (& full of expensive goodies), PBG's is a top spot for burglaries ... Venus Williams place was done while we were there & the robbers took $1000's worth of stuff.

Pye Records had the top 45 equipment & acetate / test pressing team in the UK in the 60's. They could adjust the track (if an LP take or a non- club balanced US effort) to maximise how the cut would sound on the radio / dance floor (boosting the base & other little tricks). I too would guess that they're from the 60's and not 70's efforts. There's a UK test pressing of a Linda Carr track she cut for DCP in 65 (which would also have made it an EMI release here, probably on United Artists if EMI had proceeded). That was also made by the Pye Records team. If you want to know more about Linda Carr & her career, you might try buying the next edition of SOUL UP NORTH mag. Now, TALL PIMPLE, you got anymore questions ???

STRANGE SMALL WORLD ... as we either hitched, caught the train or got a lift down to the Owl from Donny. If we hitched, we went past Clumber Park to Notts & then onto Leicester. If we caught the train, it was via Sheffield. Must have been in the club on the same night at least once .... ALSO, went on to live in Worksop from late 70's.

Curtis on Jools BBC2 show ...

He toured all over & was famous for his high energy stage act ... at one venue, he'd throw a chair through a window ... at another, jump up on the bar (sending glasses / bottles flying) & sing from up there ...

Anuda off the new album ... Anti need to put "Need Your Love" out on a 45 ...

He also plays gigs in Europe quite a lot, in fact he's playing live in London in a few days time.

This guy's been around for the last few years, BUT HIS NEW TRACK has been playlisted on Radio 2 ... I like it a lot ...

John (the writer of the Florida Soul book) has informed folk that Wayne Cochran has passed away. John did a chapter on Wayne in his book. Wayne was a pastor at a Ft Lauderdale church.

My choice would to have been in the Stax studio when Booker T & the guys laid down "Green Onions" .... a throwaway B side at the time, made up & cut quickly on the spot in a few minutes.

I went to the MIAMI BOOK FAIR yesterday & attended the Florida Soul book presentation. Along with the author, the panel consisted of the great Jackie Moore, Timmy Thomas, Willie Clarke, Helene Smith & Marlon Johnson (co-director of Deep City documentary). It was a fun meeting, though not enough people attended it. All the artists present talked about events in their careers (that are discussed in the book). Timmy Thomas did a bit of a new song he's cut and Jackie was so happy I knew "Both Ends Against The Middle", we sang a short duet on it. As well as the book presentations, there are loads of cool stalls selling cheap books, magazines, postcards, prints, posters, etc. ALSO stuff for kids and food lovers (a marquee where chefs were doing presentations, cooking food, etc) and numerous food stalls selling every type of cuisine. There was also a music stage on one of the (closed) streets and I got to see a reggae / funk band perform plus (after dark) a jazzy blues outfit. No idea who they were but both outfits were decent. Pity the artists at the book presentation didn't go up on stage and sing a short set.