Frankie Crocker

Cheers Tim. Hope you’re well. Butch’s box was always a joy to browse at the 100 Club with stacks of contemporary in-demanders…

Butch never had a copy in his sales box in the early 90’s. By the early noughties, the record was selling for 3K. Tim’s copy was the first I’ve seen for sale on the open market this century. The record is extremely rare. It’s also a supreme exemplar of the genre…

Values for five of the records auctioned 6/8/25 are still up on John’s site. Current auction items show a finishing date where it says ENDS…

Or just naming the artists in the first line…

Plain white cardboard sleeves are best but try to avoid the record rubbing against the sides as you draw it out or replace it. If you take care to squeeze the sleeve opening a few millimetres, the record should slot in without grazing the sides. Double sleeving the records with company sleeves has become weirdly viral but these dusty relics will give vinyl hairlines. Records for sale are often best kept in a plain white sleeve in an old cardboard sleeve, especially if only VG condition.

I agree with the comments above but Gigi really does it for me. Snagged the issue for about £100 decades ago then bagged the demo more recently on eBay. Not surprised the value has rocketed in recent years with hot competition for the few copies that have surfaced for auction. Two sides that have had limited exposure due to rarity.

Better version by far…great record!

This evenings results all over the place. Ann Perry - WOW! Frank Williams well down on recent values. Jo Ann Courcy slipped a bit. No surprises with True Image.

Very sad news. Ted was as nice a guy you could meet on the Soul scene. Always happy to chat about the music and records. He amassed a fabulous collection of brilliant sounds as those fortunate enough to witness him deejaying will testify. Ted’s contributions on Soul Source were always a joy to read such was his knowledge. Ted will be sorely missed in many ways…

Yep. Both set sale until now. The supply of OV from the US is drying up fast!

I doubt there’ll be many buyers at the current price. It’s sold for a big sum according to Popsike but the seller will be lucky to achieve that. He’d have been wise to offer a second chance first time around. Now he’s going to have to drop down closer to 2K which will be tricky. Glad I bought mine from Shifty decades ago.

Very sad news. I’ve only got to hear ‘You’ve Been Gone Too Long’ to be transported back to The Casino. The first time I heard Ann’s masterpiece, I was going from the main room balcony into Mr M’s…just blew me away. Such a great song…

Was this just a bit of marketing from Tim or what? Butch played the Parisians version out presumably because of the quality rather than its rarity. It’s Butch’s spins that’ve made the Parisians version as popular as it is. The Parisians is still a rare record and always been hard to come by. As indicated by the scans above, the song had the same arranger and producer so the musicians could be the same too QED? Was Demon Hot the small local label that was then picked up by Abet, a much larger company? The Parisians take does it for me - the Traditions take is fine though; the two groups are probably the same but the Abet version has had a few more tweaks in the recording studio.

I’ve just had a message back from the seller! He’s got four copies left. So maybe he had 5 to start with, possibly 6 if he unloaded one as a second-chance offer…or even 7 if he kept one for himself. It’ll be interesting to see if he can sell four copies at the BIN price. Anyway, what a great find in this day and age.

That’s my interpretation too. If that’s the case, then it’s unethical. If you bid, you’re committed to buy if you win. By the same token, sellers should be obliged to sell… The record was mint unplayed in the original sleeve so the case was worthy of closer scrutiny.

A US eBay seller auctioned a copy of Sweet Magic and Connie earlier today. The record has now been relisted. So, have a few copies turned up or did something unusual affect the sale? I’m intrigued…

I thought the white demo version was the one to own? Red issues are on the scarce side but the WD has the side played out to the masses.

Admirations went quite cheaply. Roy Hamilton went for more than expected. Sherries perked up a bit too.

Now that’s a belting tune🎶🎵🎶🎵🎶

Pleased to be a proud owner of the gold label release even though it’s styrene. Would be pleased to own the vinyl edition too as it’s a great sound and overlooked.

Sad loss. Was compulsory listening on Piccadilly Radio in Manchester mid to late70’s. Thoroughly deserved the step up from local radio to the BBC. Sure knew good music did Andy.

I wonder why that is? A sample of current offerings reveals mainly set sale items at inflated prices, some of which may reappear in a few weeks time. ‘Results’ of this ‘auction’ are not worth tracking or publishing but collectors may be intrigued by what they see from time to time.

Certainly a hot topic worth discussing. The auctions of major UK dealers throw up some interesting talking points. More importantly, they give exposure to some very scarce records, often with anecdotal detail. Prices may be a sore point but they can be a guide for buyers and sellers. Just recently it appears though a few top collections have been put up for auctions suggesting a turning point of sorts. Some auctions prompt collectors to ‘cash in’ by trying to sell records to disappointed underbidders, something that wouldn’t happen if auction results weren’t publicised. I really look forward to Zanetti and Mick putting up John and Tim’s results on a regular basis - the figures achieved will be quite something to look back on in the years ahead.

You must’ve been Modern Soul shuffling instead of Northern Soul stomping Rod. Too many dancers get their shuffling and stomping muddled up…

Ugh. Totally cringeworthy. Although the lass can dance, she has no soul. Northern Soul dancing has never been taught - it’s picked up by observation. For any beginners reading this, pay your entry fee, buy a drink or two, sit down and watch. Tap your feet to the music and if you really like what you hear, get on the dance floor. For those of a nervous disposition, practise the moves in your kitchen. Listen to the DJ if you want a playlist or just go on YouTube if you want good music and dance videos. Steer clear of Spotify and buy a record deck, some used compilation LP’s and then a few 45’s from the USA. Money is for blowing on records not dance videos!