Frankie Crocker

Picking up on some of the points raised Nick, Archer may have had no connection with Southern Plastics, but Jack Ashford was calling the shots - he opted for Warren McCleallan Evans and Nashville Matrix which was across the road from the Southern Plastics pressing factory. Archer as a small business could not handle large orders of the sort Motown wanted so they went to Southern Plastics - the capacity of Archer was limited and the presses there might not have been able to produce the quantity of records Jack Ashford wanted at a budget price. You mention multiple stampers - this could explain why bootlegs appeared at a later stage. The unauthorised Lorraine Chandler version on Black Magic could possibly have come from one of the multiple stampers that Simon Soussan accessed? The more I think about it, the mystery of various/missingArcher stamps is definitely worth digging into. I don’t yet have a first press Eddie Parker to study in detail and compare with the WME copies I have (and a small uneven Archer stamped bootleg). Maybe one day someone will confirm where the Ashford records were pressed - as things stand, it could be one or two plants depending on the numbers pressed up, but most importantly, the WME copies are original USA late 68/early 69 records whether they have an Archer stamp not.

Thanks again for adding to the thread Nick. I’m not able to dig out my Archer stamped records at short notice but will endeavour to do so in the months ahead. If you read back over page 1 of the thread, you will see that Warren McCleallan Evans scribed the matrix number on the lacquer in a Nashville studio - as he did this for Archer, the number 95 was included. Nashville matrix made the metal plates to press the records but we do not know how many were made - normally there is only one lacquer but there could be 2, 4, 6, 8 etc master discs depending on pressing plant requirements. One ponderable is did some of the master discs go to Southern Plastics or another pressing plant QED? Some of the master discs went to the Archer plant in Detroit where the presses added the raised Archer stamp to the Ashford record. Maybe operations at Archer were not as high quality as I suspected so it may well be that every single copy of Eddie Parker was pressed at Archer, some with a company stamp and many more without. If so, why have record collectors far more knowledgable and experienced than myself differentiated between the two variations classed as definite original and second issue for 50 years? Going forward then, lucky owners of Eddie Parker with the tiny WME etching may well possess a true original whether it was pressed at Archer or another plant.

The number of surviving copies on Popsike and seen for sale, suggest the number of records pressed was limited. Sure, some are in collections but we must be talking dozens here rather than hundreds or thousands. To some extent, this was a vanity project with one man, not a company, behind the release - Jack co-wrote the song, produced it and started his own label to release it. Pressing records was an expensive business, and as we well know, local labels generally didn’t prosper. Jack had massive confidence in Eddie Parker and being a shrewd businessman would have had a pilot run of demos done early on for radio DJ’s to provoke interest in what was to be the imminent bulk pressing; this is now looking more like a carefully planned and cleverly coordinated contract aimed at keeping costs down.

I tend to agree. As a ‘boutique’ pressing plant in family ownership, I bet they took massive pride in their workmanship. The Archer stamp itself is one of the best and most prominent on any record. The fact the firm still exists today and is operated by a third generation Archer tells you it has always been a high quality operation - I very much doubt they used worn or missing stampers on their presses.

True. Archer was really only a small plant, the first in Detroit and although inundated with work it seems, the records pressed were generally for limited distribution in finite numbers. The press machine that did the white demos and a limited edition of issues may have been used on another record before Jack decided on a bulk run, anything’s possible. The large, even, embossed Archer stamp on the Eddie Parker record is loud and clear showing no signs of wear.

Thanks for posting this Nick - you pretty much contend that all Eddie Parker issues have come from the Archer plant, some without the Archer stamp. I speculated on this earlier in the thread but dismissed the notion as highly implausible. True, Archer had multiple presses back in the late 60’s but I just don’t see this highly reputable outfit being short of an Archer stamp on a machine, especially when pressing a record for a key figure in the music business who owned the label. In any case, as the Eddie Parker bulk pressing was a ‘second issue’ or follow-up order, why not just use the press with the Archer stamp? I very much doubt Jack Ashford commissioned a second order specifically without the Archer stamp - I’ve tried phoning and emailing the Archer family for details but have had no success in this. It would be interesting to learn if other records left the Archer plant with and without the Archer stamp- this could confirm the different press machine stamper theory. Although I’m no expert when it comes to matrix numbers, I would have thought they were cut into the lacquer and would be on the masterpress(es). The 95 in the record runout is common to all Eddie Parker records regardless of where they were pressed - I would think that any record pressed in multiple locations would retain a common matrix number. If Southern Plastics did press the record, it would be easy to leave their code off, especially as it was an Archer commission for accounting purposes. It would be wonderful news to learn that all 60’s Eddie Parker issues, with and without the Archer stamp, came from the Archer plant. Maybe some day this could be confirmed, but I don’t think it’s as simple as that. In fact, if we accept that the Archer presses were different and had dodgy stampers, it’s only one step away from saying the records with the small uneven Archer stamp came from the Archer plant; these are universally regarded as 70’s bootlegs, but so far, no information has emerged on their origins. I accept that there’s still much to be learned about regarding the story of Eddie Parker. If further distributor documents turn up, that would shed more light on the discussion. In the meantime, all we can do is kick the topic around in the hope that someone around in the late 60’s can confirm the details we are speculating on.

Thanks for this really useful document. As you suggest, Eddie Parker was due for distribution in February 1969, a time that ties in with the hand written dates on the four copies featured in this thread. Summit distributed in the Chicago area, a market of considerable potential - this in itself is significant as it boosts the numbers of the record pressed in addition to the Detroit quota pressed by Archer and speculatively, the bulk of the pressing from Nashville which surely was distributed from that city. Of course it would be interesting to know if Summit distributed Archer stamped stock or WME stamped records! Anyone out there who bought Eddie Parker in Chicago during early 1969?

Another bonanza evening for John. Never seen an Empires for sale - wow

Not sure, sorry. I only screen-shot a short while after 6.00 pm.

Top tune however you look at it. A good example of how diverse music can be, and despite a few quirks, can make it to the big time. I can’t remember which film it featured in - Soulboy perhaps - but it was perfect for that particular scene.

For the record, The Daily Telegraph has his obituary on page 27 today, 29/8/24. No mention of Being Without You, surely the tune he’ll be remembered for in these parts.

One of many all-time great records. Maybe Wigan nostalgia at work here but remember it at The 100 Club, packed dance floor, hand-clapping lifting the ceiling off…knew then it was going into the collection🎶🎶🎶

Great news Theresa. Thanks for posting. Thanks for enlightening us Rod.

Check out the Soul-Source listing for today and you’ll see one for sale. The Manship result will not be repeated any time in the near future.

Some of us want to see a book published - he must spend hours penning the descriptions so let’s hope there’ll be a nice fat volume of shiny pages and colourful photos one day.

I always thought Mel Britt was a cracking record. A jolly nice evening’s results for John and thoroughly deserved with a proper set of tunes up for grabs. Thought Soft Touch would go for much more but the blurb didn’t do justice to this under the radar tune.

Two different records mate. Well done on spotting a scammer. Photos are proof of the facts - the buyer should be rather worried now his wheeze has been rumbled.

Most prices in most price guides and data bases are inaccurate and misleading. The best price for any record is the one it sells at optimally. A flood of John Bowies hitting the market at the same time won’t allow the price to hold up. Always better to consult a number of sources then formulate a set-sale price based on condition. If the price is right, the record has an improved chance of selling but many other factors come into play…

The curse of Frank Wilson… Your photos should clinch it - send them to the chancer and confront him.

Much depends on whether the label was applied manually or mechanically. Some minor local labels would load the paper discs by hand for a small pressing run - the YouTube clip for Archer reveals this. Major labels eg RCA, ABC, MGM pressing many thousands of records would use a machine so batches of records’ labels could appear very similar in their positioning. You sold a mint record so surely there was no scratch on it… Always best to photograph records for sale to avoid this situation.

Understandable Dave. It’s a ‘keeper’ nowadays. Demand will always outstrip supply of this record.

Bargain! Got to be more at auction these days depending on the auctioneer🤔

On a John Manship auction it probably would be judging by the John Bowie result.

Been £500 for years and years. White demo only, scarcer than John Bowie and many would say a better tune by far…

Monique fetched a tidy sum as did Kenny Carlton. If John Bowie, a £700 record can almost triple in price, what would Vivian Carol ‘Oh Yeah Yeah’ on Merben go for…asking for a friend🤫