Sean Hampsey

I used to always end Clifton Hall, Rotherham, AllNighters with this one; More recently, we've finished Just Soul with one or all of these beauties! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5O_pGuuHW2A Sean

Wanted Dorothy Moore & Maxine Brown 45's on AVCO AVCO 45's 4590 - Dorothy Moore - See How They've Done My Love (Issue only) 4599 - Dorothy Moore - Same Old Feeling (Issue only) 4585 - Maxine Brown - Always And Forever / Make Love To Me 4604 - Maxine Brown - Treat Me Like A Lady / I.O.U. 4612 - Maxine Brown - Picked Up, Packed Up And Went Away / Bella Mia Must be Stock Issues (Not Promo's - got those already). Happy to pay your reasonable price. Please pm me with what you have stating price and condition. Many thanks, Sean

Geeeeeeeeenius! :0)

It was me that played it Peter. Big Cleggy record for me early 80's. The topside "Without Your Love" had been a big NY Disco record. I Just flipped it over and found a track so perfect for Cleggy! :0) Never heard Richard, Sam or Robin play it, but Robin may have, later. Sean

I consider that a compliment Peter. Sean

Would never take a record off half way through because it empty's the floor. Might 'crop' it or 'fade' it early, but only after I've given everyone a good earful of the record in question. Depends on how you see the night itself and your role as a DJ: If its purely or entirely about 'dancing' then you might want to do a 'graceful early fade' but its important not to forget that, nowadays, as many people on our scene approach retirement age ;0) at least half the crowd at most nights aren't there to dance, but to socialise and 'hear new tunes' in which case you'd be doing them (and the artist) a great disservice to end the record early, as has been suggested. Just in case a record wipes out the floor completely, always be sure you've got a couple of 'winners' on standby. Nobody wants to see or hear 2-3 floor clearers in succession... except in those places with a 'Deep Room' - then its mandatory! I've had nearly 40 years, trying to break or introduce new records, clearing hundreds of floors, length and breadth of the country. Nobody ever got hurt in the incident. Yet! :0) Sean

Very good evening Peter. Hope you're well mate. It does indeed look very nice. I think this is a very special record. Played it lots, here and there, over the years but its never really taken off. The intro is infectious. The vocals are superb. The lyrics rousing and the whole production has 'anthemic' qualities. Like Gary, I'm also intrigued as to why so many promo's. Were they all done around the same time, or was this great 45 given several bites of the cherry? Obviously someone else believed in it as much as we all do. Sean

For anyone who doesn't know it, here's a link. One of the truly great underrated voices in Soul Music. Sean

Aha! Having just checked, my issue is yet another demo! So, I havent seen an issue either! The thick plotens! Wonder if your Issue is a Demo too Ady? Sean

I too have an issue (and a couple of White Demo's) as second and third ones. Bloody marvellous record! Sean

Any time Dave. Regards, Sean

The group's first recordings were on the Dionn label, owned by Gilda Woods, and the follow-up to the classic 'Dry Your Eyes' proved to be another gold record for them. "We'd cut an album after the first record took off so well and I wrote four or five of the songs on there including 'A Touch Of You' with our drummer, back then, Gerry Jones. Well, that also did well and we just continued to record and do gigs at the weekends for a few years." With the demise of Dionn Records and the birth of Top & Bottom Records, again owned by Gilda Woods in partnership with others, Brenda and co. again began to hit the charts. From an old Blues & Soul Interview... with Brenda (of the Tabulations). Not definitive, but only within a few years of the recordings.. Cheers, Sean

Did you see the Mike Boone YouTube on Mrs Woods, Dave? See it from the start but at 3:00 Mike says she owned Dionn 'with distribution by Jamie / Guyden' Elsewhere, I've seen her mentioned as 'label manager'. Don't know if that helps. Sean

That sounds plausible. We all know that artists often forget or 'choose' to forget their past. I had the Expo 'Talkin' 45 in the 70's. When Richard Searling started playing the JONZ Dispo 45 in the early 80's I had always assumed it was the same guy, with a 'jazzed up' surname. Some years later, talking to Ward, we were chatting about all the stuff he found for Richard in the late 70's / early 80's and the 'Win Your Love' came up in the conversation. He almost bit my head off when I said I'd always liked the Expo 45 - "Totally different guy!!!" he said. I quizzed him on this but he maintained it was a totally different singer... In the early 80's very few people in the UK were better connected than Mike Ward and I had no reason to doubt him. But then it wouldn't have been the first time he'd lead me on the rocks! Sean

Agreed. The Black 'A' though is definitely a boot. Sean

Great vid Mark. Takes me back to the first time I heard Sam play it at Cleggy as a new release (1983?). This was standard stuff at allnighters in the early 80's and a VERY big record. Can't imagine you could drop it in a Nighter set nowadays though. Don't you find that strange? Brand new release, acceptable (MASSIVE) at the time, but impossible (too 'modern') 30 years later! SWONS :0) Sean

That looks like the second boot (the first being pressed on the RITA label). This can be spotted at a glance as the Original has a Red 'A'. Never been on Decca though, to my knowledge. UK MCA legit 70's issue but never Decca. It was actually also booted with a Red A at some point (if my memory serves me correctly) but I'm pretty sure, in any case, that the Black 'A' is a boot. And judging by the fact the ebay item made a lot less then £250 I guess a lot of others do too! Best, Sean Sorry Dave, just seen your amendment.

Not read article mate but distinctly recall Mike Ward saying that when he 'met' Jonz he told him he was not Jones. Would make a lot of sense if they were the same person, but Mike Ward would say different. Sean

Mike Ward discovered the Bobby Jonz stuff early 80's and told me Jonz maintained he was not the Expo guy, Chalks. Sean

Sorry, no, Bobby Jonz and Bobby Jones are not the same person. Sean

I've got the album too Andy and I'm happy to report my copy is absolutely perfect! :0) Also got the 45 of 'Welcome Back A Foolish Man' on the unfortunately titled 'Kack' label. Nice double sider - shame about the sh#t label name lol Sean

Agreed Chalks. Been in and out' my box forever. Might even get around to playing it again one day, lol. Sean

Spot on Steve. You probably did. It's why I never believed they were the same person (from something I read, back in the Blackbeat days) Again, you're dead right. Beverly Glen was THE label at the time and we lapped them all up! Little did we know, by the time The Poet was on the streets and being promoted 'everywhere' Smith was already sueing Womack for the return of nine Womack Masters that Bobby took as insurance (trying to get paid). When Record Execs Go Bad! A thread all of its own! Sean

The Beverley Glen Otis Smith took Anita Baker, Johnnie Taylor and Bobby Womack to the cleaners. According to Bobby, the thief, Smith, had been introduced to him by Wilton Felder, after they had done Inherit The Wind together. Smith promised Bobby he could get a deal for Womack with Motown, but instead signed him to his own Beverley Glen label, giving world wide distribution to Motown, but he kept the US rights to himself. The Poet & Poet 2 sold millions. Bobby never saw a dime! - but it cost him a fortune to get out of his contract. He did pretty much the same for Anita Baker. She never saw a nickel and spent two years and thousands of dollars getting out of her release to sign with Elektra. Smith was so bent, in 1985 even his law firm had to sue him to get paid for their services! I don't believe he's the same guy as the artist on perception (after all, neither Otis or Smith are particularly unusual names) but he certainly was the Hot Wax and ABC guy. He's now deceased, but he managed to f#ck over some of our music's greatest artists before he died. Sean

Have never believed the Perception Otis Smith to be the same Otis Smith that ran Beverley Glen. No sir! Sean