Modernsoulsucks

I found a lot of these single sided 45s in a radio station in Columbus,Ga. I kept the Frances Nero and remember BH "Just look what..." amongst others that I sold. I can only assume they were for radio station use only to ensure plug side got played. ROD

I once arranged to go on a trip from Raleigh,NC to Washington DC with John Swain, a record dealer active in the 70's/80's but now sadly dead. I'd spent a couple of days in his shop and got to know him slightly and he seemed a very likeable guy. He was outta town for a few days but we had arranged to meet at 5pm in this downtown park under the statue of a confederate soldier not far from my motel. Why I didn't say no, pick me up at my motel or meet me in some bar, I have no idea. So I get there early and am taking in the sites and reading the inscription on the statue and generally anticipating all the 45s Im gonna find with him as my guide. Next thing it's 6pm. I'd better phone. Looking for my mobile I realised it was 1979 and headed off for a phonebooth. I have his home number. What I didn't know was that he was in the middle of a messy split with his wife and she answered the phone. I spent the next 30 minutes listening to what a no-good SOB he was and intimate details that I was frankly surprised to be a party to on the basis of such a casual acquaintance with her. I tried to be diplomatic but of course had to agree that all men were bastards whilst trying to play down my own membership of the same club. It's getting on for 7pm and Im worried I may have missed him so I say goodbye to his wife and we at least agreed that he was bloody unreliable if nothing else. Back to the park and there's just me and Johnny Reb for company. Im whistling "Dixie" and damning the Yankees by this time as I'd spent so much time in his company. Still there's those 45s to look forward to. Twilight is falling and I look up and there's no one about except for the big policeman coming towards me with his nightstick out. I then spend 10 minutes explaining why I don't have a drivers licence or identification on me. What Im doing in this dangerous park at that time of night and that there are other cities besides London in England. Just then out of the gloom appears John, full of beans and with some cock'n'bull excuse for being late. Off we go and it's nearly 10pm and I expected to already be in Washington by then. John is full of stories about hunting 45s as we drive out of Raleigh and he never shuts up. Then instead of taking the interstate he tells me we're going the backroads. We're never gonna get to Washington!! Well I can get a nap in the back of the car but he's talking away ten to the dozen and I have to be polite and listen. Whenever we find a gas station or diner still open we stop and it's coffee and off to the bathroom for John. I mean I went to Wigan. I shouda guessed that the heavy cold he appeared to be developing extremely quickly was nothing of a sort. I thought he was full of beans but he was full of coke!! Well, it wasn't prevalent here in the late 70's so I didn't twig until it was really obvious. We'd taken the backroads cos he didn't wanna chance the highway patrol. So roughly 8 hours later we got in Washington itself but it was an entertaining journey if being trapped in a car with a paranoid cokehead is your idea of a pleasant night out. All we had to do then was find our motel which he'd pre-booked. I'd never been to Washington and where we were driving Im glad I hadn't. It looked like Dresden. Burnt out buildings and waste ground. Then I noticed the White House through the window so I figured we must be close now. However still some driving to do as John carried on with his tales although I'd heard some a few times by then. I then noticed the White House. Either there were two White Houses or maybe we were on the other side of it. I didn't know. When I noticed the White House for the third time I thought I'd mention it to John. If I could get a word in edgeways. To cut a long story short I think we passed the White House about 6 or 7 times before arriving at the motel. I then spent another 2or 3 hours drinking coffee and praying he'd run out of stories to tell me. I did get some OK 45s and LPs but next time he told me he'd found a place full of rare 60's soul 45s I said I was washing my hair!!! ROD

Second time I went to Bob Mays in Detroit and we'd got friendly he invites me on a fishing trip the next day with him and a mate. Anyone who knows Bob will say that he liked a drink. Used to have crates of schnapps in his shop and he'd start drinking from getting up to going to bed. I turned up at 11am and he's paralytic. Mate picks us up and off we go with Bob the Hillbilly rolling around drinking in the back seat. Suddenly there's this awful stench and we all start to retch. Seems that catfish like rancid chicken livers and Bob has not secured the lid on the bait box. Jump out the car for synchronised vomiting then Bob's mate cleans the mess out the back seat. Back in the car and off to the lake. Im sat there waiting for a bite whilst Bob reels around the edge of the lake trying to cast in. Then an almighty splash and we're fishing Bob outta the lake. I caught one and we had it for breakfast the next day. I think Bob killed it by breathing on it. ROD

It wasn't Ron Guy who pulled the gun on us. We were explaining why he owed us the money when he started screaming and this guy runs up from the flat below with a shotgun. Luckily Mick was an ex-para so he knew exactly what to do. He got behind me!! Don't remember the cockroaches but then Im glad Dave didn't tell me cos I'd have been battering the door down then. I remember one time in the Carolinas looking through 45s outside on these kinda market stalls in this woman's back yard and having bug-killer spray in one hand whilst trying to look at the 45s. There were loads of big black hornets buzzing about and all these nests in the roofs of the stalls. Being British, Dunkirk spirit, stiff upper lip etc Im afraid I ran round the garden like a big girl. Those hornets were huge. ROD

I was with Dave Raistrick when we got locked in a shed in Richmond full of 45s in early 80's. Owner said he'd be back for us. It's getting very dark and no sign of owner so Dave decides to smash the door down. Think he'd been watching too many cop shows cos he only managed to knock a couple of panels out. He's trying to squeeze his body through when the owner turns up and we had some quick explaining to do. Owner probably thought we were trying to do a runner. Another time me and Mick Atherton had a shotgun pulled on us when we went round to a guy's, Ron Guy if anyone remembers him, to get some money or 45s he owed us. Luckily Im still here and I still have those brown trousers!! ROD

Sorry Sean and Gavin. I once asked Bob Cosby what you were like as DJs and he said nothing to choose between you and that you weren't as good as him. Since then I've regarded you both as interchangeable. I like Bob, don't you? ROD

How long has she been dead. Any movement at all?

So Gavin and Chalky we appear to be more in agreement than first appeared. Maybe the real problem is some of the music playing in Northern rooms masquerading as modern soul. As Gavin said, dance music but not soul. Im not going to say anything else about the importance of continuing to play underplayed and new 60's cos BazM has done it for me. I know his committment to all kinds of modern soul over the years and it's good to see him writing in the defence of us luddites and blinkered reactionaries. To Soul Intention. Those tracks you mentioned have about as much effect on me as Levine's Exciters etc did back in the 70's. There's just something missing. Finally this little tiff is all Stuart Cosgrove's doing but he has promised to make amends. Using his considerable clout at Channel 4 he has arranged for all of us to sleep with our choice of the female stars of "Desperate Housewives". Obviously not all at once cos that would be a bit freaky. So I reckon we all owe Stuart a big debt of gratitude and should get in touch right away to arrange running order etc I've already baggsed Eva Longoria [Gabby]. ROD

Hey Sean I think your take on things is rather selective. Those early Mecca tracks you listed were I agree pretty well universally accepted at the time but you conveniently omitted to mention the later Mecca disco phase when Ian and Colin were playing tracks like Salsoul Orchestra which were big in the NY clubs. It was that change in music policy which led to a split in the audience not those earlier tracks. I can well remember waiting till the last half hour for Colin to play 60's like Don Gardner. I really object to the idea that the 60's newies crowd were negative and retrograde. That Stafford thing was a reaction to the 60's newies being squeezed between 60's oldies [the real beer towel crowd] and modern. Are you really saying that Rob Marriot,Jim Wensiora, Guy, Keb,Tim Ashibende, Butch, myself and Dave W. were a bunch of know-nothings out of touch with the direction the scene was going and having no appreciation of soul music in general. Should Dave and I have not bothered playing Monique, Phoenetics, Young Brothers, Limelights, Combinations, Del-Tours,Topics, the unreleased Motown etc cos people were happy dancing to Richard's album tracks. Was that a retrograde step and they weren't worth listening to cos they're crap 60's. Yeah we didn't play many from the 70's but then other DJs were doing that and I do remember playing Blue Steam cos it was a bit less polished and just fitted in with what we were trying to do. Finally if I understand Chalky's comment he feels that the revival has led to modern soul not being accepted nowadays when both Baz and I have stated that we've attended venues where it's exactly the reverse and it's 60's,unless oldies, that's suffering. So allow us a little corner to listen to what we like and keep that strand of the scene alive.To use the examples earlier in the thread I don't see that Drizabone and DJ Genesis are any kind of future. ROD

Miss-Popcorn, that's very good of you and it does look the business. Thanks a lot, really appreciate you taking the time to let me know. Now I've just gotta win it!! ROD

Save me that Billy Bass if it's Mintish please. Sort something out later Ta ROD

Pete,I got the Puffs and "Dr.Love" off Dave last night. I'll check out the others on his list too. Thanks ROD

Then, it's the Noose!! You fell Mr. Cosgove into my cunning trap. Wait while I stroke my pussy. That's better. But wait suppose you anticipated my fiendish ruse and really prefer the Noose. Well I anticipated that eventuality too. You will be ravished to death by a rampant elk. Messy but enjoyable in parts. It's the Moose for you. RODFINGER

So Stuart you skulk back to the scene of the crime. Gingerhaired Scotsman. Lethal injection or the Noose. That's nothing personal. Just to get a debate going. I really have no axe to grind on the relative merits of 60's Northern and whatever eras encompassed by the term "modern". Like Baz I feel that there's gotta be a space for the 60's and particularly 60's new discoveries and right now that space is shrinking. IMO we've already had to fight two rearguard actions to keep the 60's alive [Mecca and Stafford] and Im sure there are enough like-minded people out there who will do just that. If it means that 60's gets it's own smaller room at venues then that's fine. If the majority of paying customers are happy with an across-the-board musical policy in the main room then as Roger says that's the future of the scene and I certainly don't want to dictate to other people what they ought to listen to. I think it would be a shame to lose a strong 60's identity and if it was good enough for Butch, Rob,Guy,Keb,Gary etc back in the 80's I can see nothing to suggest that it's the actions of dinosaurs now. ROD

I feel kinda responsible for this thread but nowhere have I said that modern is rubbish. I explained earlier why I chose "Modernsoulsucks". As for modern fans being more open-minded it just strikes me that it's one way traffic. More modern in Northern room but no Northern in modern room. If Winnie thinks that DJ Genesis and Drizabone fit in a Northern room then I'd suggest that's down to his personal taste and to the fact that in my experience, round the NW, modern is pushing out the 60's so they're gonna fit because the music played is mainly 70's upwards. We had a similar thread re soulful house and mixing it with 60's Northern. I just can't see how it would work. Maybe it's time that 60's Northern was in the side room as we appear to be a dying breed ROD

Thanks Pete for letting me know about the Kenard 45. I think it's the lyric that puts me off. I used to have Rita&Tiaras and sold it. I did keep Paul Anka though. Must try and get to evening classes on record collecting sometime. ROD

Milton Parker!!! Where? When? If I hear Pete Warner, Drizabone etc again..... You were spot on re label collecting. I can't stand that Kenard 45. ROD

COD and Steve I've PM'd you altho nothing's showing in my "Sent" box so I hope I didn't do something wrong. Looks like I have Puffs,Whispers "Dr. Love" and Melvin DJ now. Steve Z. No I don't have the bloody Milton James. Im a collector not the mastermind behind the Brinksmat robbery!! ROD

As I am that well-respected, charismatic, babe-magnet of a 60's collector to whom Stuart refers I am pretty certain I did not throw a wobbler on hearing Ronnie Walker at the Mecca. To my recollection the only time I was really miffed was when Levine played Gloria Gaynor "Never can say goodbye" early doors and Francis T. skipped across the floor to let Levine know that he had plumbed new depths!! To further illustrate this monstrous calumny, John, are you aware that I actually discovered Curtis [Midwest Distributors, St. Louis] so I know a catchy Modern 45 when I hear it. Modesty only prevents me from mentioning that I also discovered True Image "Im not over you yet". Oh shit!! My fave modern tracks which I own in my modern box not far from where Im sitting now are Ty Karim Romark and Elvin Spencer Twinight, and Velvelettes "Needle in a haystack" My choice of "modernsoulsucks" is really a not very articulate frustrated cry as I feel that lately modern[anything from 70's oldies to current R&B] and earlyR&B are pushing 60's Northern to one side in this particular area. It's gotta stop!! So thank you Stuart for putting me in it and I can only put this down to jealousy on your part as I am neither ginger nor Scottish. ROD

COD will PM later after work. Steve, as you know "collecting" is a euphemism for buying cheaper 45s when you can't actually afford the expensive ones. I still have some pride so at least Im not collecting "soulful house". I reckon that Ady guy down in London ought to play more "soulful house" to attract young people or that 100 Club will just be a flash in the pan. And Butch's spot would benefit greatly if he just "dropped" the odd track in that genre. Notice "dropped" which is a "yoofemism" proving Im down with the groovey young hipsters instead of still wearing hipsters [remember those?] ROD

Melvin Davis "This love was meant to be" MALA DJ Puffs "I only cry once a day now" DORE Whispers "The Dip" DORE Must be Mint-ish condition. Still need:- 4 Tops "Baby I need your lovin" USA Motown Temps "The way you do...." USA Gordy Would be interested in any Dore 45s really, depending on price, as Im thinking of collecting label.Only have Fi-dels, LJH "Oh how I love you" and "Go for what you know". Thanks ROD

Not with the way my luck's going on Ebay. I'd probably be outbid!!

Yes, it was in reply to the threat of your impending spot. £20,000 prize although up against stiff competition in the form of a collection of size 13 shoes. Maybe £600 Million per year in Government Arts funding plus 2 Billion through lottery grants since that started. Then private sponsorship and awards like the Turner Prize. Of course it provides jobs. Bet ya that guy who sells the tickets at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool is on a good screw. How are the guys in Manchester selling the Big Issue. Still one every hundred yards? And that Save the Children are a nuisance always asking me to give more. I wonder where we could possibly get some extra cash to tackle some of these problems. Better ask the chattering classes really cos they know where the priorities lie. Here's one of the panel, Yinka Shonibare [?], who awarded the prize " a nostalgic recreation of a moment in the history of rave; an audience going dancing, the rituals involved in that, the group euphoria" Obviously not been to Whalley and Billington Brass Band Club on a wet Friday In March. Did you see those old films from beginning of 1900's shown on TV recently where the people were in awe of seeing themselves depicted on screen. I would have sworn they'd all be dead by now but maybe not. Some primitive cultures objected to being used and photographed. They said it took their souls. I think they were probably right. ROD

Im breathless with anticipation although more likely to be emphysema. ROD

Well you would say that wouldn't you as probably the only person here to appear with Bernard Levin. Read it in the Guardian yesterday and today.What on earth for!!?? Anyway next time at Whalley and Billington Brass Band Club we've got Melvyn Bragg spinning some of his favourite oldies and Damien Hirst is going to saw a copy of Al Williams in half and then auction it on Ebay as VG+. JumpingJoan Bakewell will not be appearing as she's promoting her new Northern Price Guide. ROD