Mickey Finn

Maurice Starr produced Tom Browne at the tail end of Tom's run on Arista ... not his finest recordings. Around the same time he produced 2 albums for the Stylistics ... also not their finest. That would have been around the same time as New Edition. NKOTB came later, and I still get irritated thinking about the next door kids waking me up with the sounds of "hangin' tough" at 8am on a Sunday. Hanging would have been too good for them!

I was thinking of that Michael Jackson LP; also the Jacksons Philly albums and various tracks from the Destiny and Triumph albums Teena Marie, "Just us two" - Robbie Vincent used to hammer this in his Kiss FM days Lamont Dozier, "Wild frame of mind" - really atmospheric, especially with Jones Girls backing

The Spinners, "I'm coming home"

The Four Tops, "I just can't get you out of my mind", "Feel free" and much else of their ABC output Marvin Gaye, "Joy" Chuck Jackson, "All over the world" (another of Mr Levine's classics) Leon Ware, too many to mention but will single out whole "Undercover" album as it is unfairly neglected and strong throughout Ruffin and Kendrick, "One more for the lonely hearts club" Mary Wells, "If you can't give her love give her up" Gladys Knight and the Pips, "Landlord" Kiki Dee, "Nothing can stop us now"

Yes, and long overdue a reissue

As with my music purchasing, I attend events on the basis of "Catch them while I can". For as long as they are available, I'll set aside time and money to enjoy them, and if their availability should ever dry up, then there is still a lot of this world to explore and experience, and not even so far from my doorstep. I know I would miss the excitement of hearing new sounds, of meeting old friends and making new ones with the same shared interest, of discovering new places just because of the event that I'm attending for the very first time ... but I'll have the memories and the energy that I gained from enjoying all these things and which, I am assuming, will have added on some time to my otherwise finite existence. I hope it all goes on forever, but I would be foolish to assume that it does. And even if it does, it will evolve and therefore be different anyway. Such is life.

Thanks for the tip. That was a decent album and it deserves a separate reissue. It was re-released as part of an Atlantic box set that came and went in 2010. Demon/Edsel have been releasing the 60s Atlantic LPs as twofer cds. The final one in the series covers the early 70s releases "In Philadelphia" and "Don't Knock My Love" plus tracks previously unreleased until the 2010 box set. Well worth the purchase

The Mary J Blige tune was a really pleasant surprise when I heard it first time - very respectable remake. Haven't made up my mind about Jay King yet... But I don't get out much

Ironic that it was a year ago that the BBC wouldn't touch Tony with a bargepole, now another faithful servant gets bumped and Tony replaces him. Such utterly poor management. They did the same to Jimmy Young and no doubt when it's Tony's turn (again) he'll be replaced by that well known afficionado of golden oldies, uh, Chris Evans... or what about Timmy Mallett... Not sure Tony's the right person to replace Brian Matthew, but it shouldn't have been an issue since Brian was still ready and willing to do it. Yet another dumb decision by "qualified" idiots.

He made mistakes like all of us, as the four volumes of Cellarful of Motown testify. And Tammi Terrell's recording of Stevie's "All I do" should not have waited until the 21st century for a release. I love that Frank Wilson record for its raw emotion and sheer honesty. Certainly not as slick as the famous quality control was putting out in the 60s. But maybe that's exactly why it stands out.

My first introduction to Leon Ware was his "Undercover" album from 1987, which at the time was getting plays on Radio Clyde (!) From there to Marvin and no looking back. The Expansion collection of his songs as performed by other artists gives some idea of the contribution of this man. RIP.

Many good ones ... the earlier albums with Tom Canning and Jay Graydon were particularly special. By "High Crime" the commercial formula was beginning to tire and so working with Nile Rodgers and then George Duke changed things up in a good way. There are so many great tracks that will hopefully now get played as people are reminded of this fantastic artist. Perhaps it's also time for Warners to put together a proper box set in his honour.

Very sad news. Saw him a few years ago live in Finland. A classy performer and great stage personality. I had the impression he might have been wanting to do a volume 2 tribute to George Duke ... hopefully there are some recordings in the can that we can enjoy, in addition to the many great ones that are already out there. RIP.

Regis Branson - did a couple of duet LPs with Howard Johnson and also appeared on jazz pianist Alex Bugnon's 1993 album:

Top choices Another one who never got her just desserts was Debra Henry (Ujima, Anglo Saxon Brown, Silk, duets on Jerry Butler's second PIR LP)

Tell a lie, it was Kirk Whalum in Whitney's band ... easy mistake to make? Level 42 were a top live act - saw them in 1985 just as they were beginning to cross over from jazz funk to TOTP and they were fantastic. They were supported By 52nd Street, who did two encores, they were that good. Their over-produced studio albums didn't do them justice as a proper band, much as I like especially their debut LP (produced By Nick Martinelli).

Around that time Santana were doing more jazz-funk type material, so not such a surprise that they would be paired with EWF - from Welcome (1973) to the solo "Swing of Delight" (1980) he was doing a lot of stuff that his later rock fans would sneer at and which is well worth checking out. Must have been a great gig. For me, Bobby Womack at the Town & Country Club Kentish Town (1990), Roy Ayers several times, Jazz Crusaders with Wayne Henderson twice, Jimmy Smith and Phil Upchurch with Jerry Gonzales' Fort Apache Band in support at the Empire Ballroom (1990), Grover Washington Jr. (Glasgow, 1992), Manu Dibango several times, John Martyn several times including a great night at the Dominion Theatre on Tottenham Court Road (1990), Alexander O'Neal at the Glasgow Pavilion (c.1998) The Blackpool LSW performances that deserve a mention include Michael Henderson and Jean Carn, One Way & Al Hudson with Alicia Myers, Cool Million, and a shared bill with Sheree Brown, Keni Burke and the Valentine Brothers. Oh yes, and Rahsaan Patterson, who took no prisoners. Did see a version of EWF (without Maurice) play in the converted garden shed known as Glasgow's Exhibition Centre in 1999. Barry White was supposed to be on the bill and cancelled, being replaced By a pre-recording backed version of Shalamar. Hmmm. Not such a great night. Also saw Whitney Houston there a couple of times, first in 1986 and then in 1991. The difference between those two gigs was already suggesting problems - on the second she was constantly walking off for costume changes and left her brother without intro to sing "What's going on" solo. He was very good btw. Gerald Albright was in the backing band. Also saw him years later playing in Phil Collins' band, and say what you say about Phil, he puts on a good concert.

That's a great reply and covers most everything. I'm a cd collector and love properly remastered good music, crackle free and clear. The OVO policy at gigs I kinda get but still wish that more attention would be paid to the music itself rather than the format it comes from. It seems strange to me that a strictly applied OVO policy would prevent the playing out of fantastic tunes that never made the cut back in the day but which labels like Kent, Soul Junction and Soulmusic.com have brought to us at some financial risk, only to be excluded all over again. Also the album tracks that never made it to single status but which deserve an audience ... But I'll never win this argument so don't bother listening to me - no one else does One problem with OVO is that the condition of the vinyl may have suffered from repeated plays, dodgy stylus, mistaken use as ash tray, nail file, frisbee, etc., so you might end up with what started as a beautiful fully orchestrated flawless masterpiece but which is now sounding more like an outtake from Radio Luxembourg c.1968. The owner/listener might not have realised this and as I get older I've noticed that even with deteriorating hearing I can fill in the gaps in tunes I've enjoyed for years even if my ears, the music format or whatever sound system aren't cutting it like before. It might save a lot of OV and more than a few ears if djs would be able to display their vinyl whilst playing pristine remastered versions of the tunes, instead of subjecting the vinyl to yet more wear and tear and dance floors to yet more raspy upper frequencies. Anyway, good luck with the collecting and as long as you enjoy the music, that's what matters The scene is really friendly and hearing the music played out with a group of like minded people is one of life's great pleasures.

Almost all of this I've ordered or will do. Will do research on John Legend first. Vince Montana is just class and proper well-orchestrated and arranged disco with soul does it for me. Also interested in the new comp of Vivian Reed's Epic-released material on Soulmusic.com.

The Thom Bell-produced albums are well worth checking out, as are the Maurice White produced ones. Richard Searling plays some of her later gospel tunes which are really classy - the MCA album "Special Love" a case in point.

The flow of reissued and previously unreleased material has continued to challenge my finances this year, and with so much still to be tapped I hope that the market is big enough to sustain all this hard work by specialists like Soulmusic, Soul Junction, Big Break, Expansion, Soul Brother, Kent/Ace, etc. I have similarly high hopes for my wallet...

Good grief ... this year just never ends. No need to be defensive about this man's talents, a wonderful voice that gave a lot of substance to dance music in particular and someone who made a lot of great music at all tempos. A personal favourite:

Very sad to read this. A real ambassador for the music and the scene and always willing to share time, insight and humour. Very grateful to have been able to make his acquaintance. Condolences to his family and friends. RIP.

You missed Dickie Henderson and Noele Gordon.

Charlie Singleton later went on to become a member of Cameo, and it's easy to hear the connection in this seminal piece of gritty r and b that prefigures the funk to come