Frankie Crocker

Thanks for this. Missed it at the time but came across it a few years ago. Looks pretty good and tempting but who plays compilation LP's these days?

Which album are we talking about here? I recall hearing about someone called Levine, worked at Top Rank or Mecca somewhere, but the album, I just can't place. Ivories just a great track but can not recall it from Wigan so guess it did not really take off. If you want another good track on the Despenza label, seek out the Measures 'Girls Are Evil'.

An interesting point Mike. The La La La-ing gives the impression of improvisation and something lacking. That said, the backing singers have rehearsed thoroughly and are in sync with the string arrangements. I suspect it sounded good in the studio, but once the demo's were cut, someone said it lacked oomph, would not sell and therefore the release be canned. I think it has a touch of class, sublime tempo, clear lead and backing vocals, great orchestration but flawed by the La La La-ing that aims to give a sense of happiness but sounds like filler when you analyse it intently. But give me a flawed track over a poppy chart-topper anyday.

Just assumed it was a local label before being picked up by Mira. My apologies, I meant Mira and not Mirwood.

Great tune and will always be wanted. Recent dancefloor reaction had pushed the price up. The Coda find has leaked out and dried up. Mira is now the label to wait for but a white DJ is particularly hard to come by. To appreciate the 'value' of the finishing prices on Pat's auctions, you need to watch the starting 'bids', incremental 'bids' and winning 'bids' closely. Best way to acquire this record at the lower, older price is a private sale or trade-deal. Good hunting.

Went for less than expected so someone had a bargain. That said, it is an acetate as opposed to a proper record. Acetates deteriorate with handling and plays, more so than vinyl records. Hopefully, the sound will be preserved in a studio and transferred onto another medium. If put on 7 inch, it could sell hundreds at £10 a pop making the original investment a shrewd bit of business.

I played Higher and Higher. Brilliant track. Put up with it on a crumby bootleg until I entered the real world of OVO. Only discovered I'm The One To Do It was on the reverse years later. Like you, I spent some early days combing soul compilation LP's for good tracks but rarely finding much until the Grapevine, Casino Classics and RCA albums came along.

If was an M's tune in the early days of the Casino, it was sure to have been spun at The Torch and maybe The Wheel. Don't forget, there were other top venues such as Cats, Va Va's, Palais etc where some Mirwood tune might have had the first spin. If a record appeared on the Jay Boy UK label, it was generally a popular spin at one of the early clubs. Bob Relf is in the spotlight at present with a few of us chasing the yellow label release of Blowing My Mind To Pieces - rumoured to be scarcer than the orange release, a couple have gone for big money recently including one on John Manship's auction.

Before my time but I would guess The Twisted Wheel and certainly The Torch. Mirwood records are generally common and would have been more available than most in the early 70's. The legacy of Relf/Garrett was in evidence at Mr M's so the records had already featured in the early venues and by then we're 'oldies'.

True. One on there now. Another minter a month or so back. Perhaps San Diego has been mostly overlooked due to the limited recording output and shortage of record stores but is now yielding the better stuff.

Yes, the cat's been out of the bag a while now. But who did the finding, where was the stash hidden and how come they got their hands on the goods? If this person was sitting on a load of Mickie Champions and June Jacksons, wouldn't you like to know?

Sure, there have been plenty of private sales with plenty of UK dealers listing it. I would imagine they took a couple of copies each. Add that to those that have dribbled out on eBay and Discogs etc and there are 50 plus in circulation. The LA/SD finder has certainly managed the 'bringing to market' process shrewdly and kept the source secret. I wonder how many more Pinkertones are going to be up for sale in the future and what price it will eventually settle at?

Thanks for this info. I am curious to know if it is indeed Eddie's stash that is coming to market. Whoever tracked down the hoard has done well to locate a great tune that, although known from a small number of copies, has remained very scarce until fairly recently. A few San Diego dealers auction rare soul records regularly but the facts behind this particular find are buried deep at present.

Expect to pay at least £100 for an original in excellent condition. If the record is in mint-minus or unplayed condition, you may have to pay appreciably more to secure it at auction. It is not a 'Buy It Now' record that you can pick off a shelf so be prepared to scrap for it as the competition is intense. There are two yellow label versions, one of which was thought to be a boot but actually isn't, a white demo version in two formats and a minefield of bootlegs to differentiate. As a classic top 500 tune, you will be very lucky to pick up a nice original on the cheap.

You sometimes get that impression looking at the range of prices a specific record is on sale for. That said, if a dealer has paid handsomely for a rare record, then it is understandable if they want a high return. Also, always worth chancing your luck as in the case of Tommy in LA just recently picking up well over a £100 for a worn copy, presumably one that had been in a collection for decades.

Now they are really coming out of the woodwork but where did the bulk-find turn up?

I saw this too and thought it optimistic. Mind you, if that's what you paid for it, then it's reasonable to expect that in return...unless of course, a ton of them turn up.

Now heading north of 3K within minutes of being posted on the web site. Clearly this is a record that isn't going to turn up in bulk any time soon, so this copy may be from a pressing plant employee, label owner or group member QED. If anyone wants to get rid of their clapped out 'decorative' object, I would be delighted to cover postage costs so I can frame it for the wall.

Thanks George. I suspect the find was made in Southern California, possibly Los Angeles. Am really interested in who came across them and how.

PM to reserve any or send email address for label scans. Prices include postage, packing and insurance to UK address. Payment by PayPal (f&f)- buyer to cover charges. Thanks for looking. All messages replied to. Joe Tex-I Wanna Be Free-Dial: Mint for £120 Ruby Andrews-I Just Can't Get Enough-Zodiac: Mint for £50 (label off centre) Apollas-Mr Creator-Warner Bros: VG+ for £100 (patches of damage on both labels) Anna Belle Caesar-Little Annie-Glad Hamp: VG+ for £250 (label damage scorch mark and haze on portion of vinyl as record has been exposed to sunlight with another record partly on top) SOLD Don Gardner-My Baby Likes To Boogaloo-Tru Glo Town: VG- for £30 (slight label grime but plays fine with a couple of slight pops) Happy to send label scans for Apollas and Anna Belle Caesar: both records play perfectly and are ideal for DJing. Both are in-demand, hard to find in Excellent or better condition but prices reflect the damage to labels.

I've got the white label bootleg and I'm thinking of colouring it in. Great record. I recall reading about an original copy that was mistakenly sold as a bootleg...ouch. Another auction that will be watched with great interest.

Surprised there is no info on this yet. Surely someone might know the source of them? I wonder how many more are going to be auctioned as it is fast approaching set-sale price.

A hugely enjoyable read. Thanks for posting. Great photos by the way.

Yep, I'll concede that some vinyl from the 60's is poor quality with the odd bump, bubble or too coarse a grain. Just been sorting through a pile of records and was reminded that some styrene records just have a screen printed label and not even a stick-on one. I use a fantastic Thorens deck and use a 1.5 gm tracking weight to minimise wear. I am not an audiophile buff but the system I use is terrific for the 'vintage'records I play with amp and speakers doing full justice to vocals and instruments. As a primitive hunter-gatherer, I keep both vinyl and styrene pressings for the same release plus any other label variations: for the Motown records, this is particularly tricky so this part of the collection is badly in need of reorganising. I wish the price guides and record sellers would specify whether records were vinyl and/or styrene releases so we could specialise when buying.

First off, big shout to Trevski for putting me on to this 20 years ago. About three dozen copies of this San Diego masterpiece have featured on Popsike in the last few years. So, does anyone know where the stock turned up and in what quantity. Two years ago, Rockaway Records in L.A.had a copy up for $400; this summer, Amoeba in Hollywood had a copy for $150. Barely a week goes by without one up for sale and now the price has tumbled. So, what's the story behind one of the best finds in recent years?