Baz Atkinson

REALLY SURPRISED THAT NO ONE HAS MENTIONED THE LEDGENDARY RECORD STORE THAT SOLD BLUE VINYL RECORDS UPSTAIRS.YOU COULD BUY A SHINY BLUE VINYL COPY OF TEN TO ONE THEN CELEBRATE BY GOING 20 FEET AND BUYING A MEAT AND TATTY PIE. OTHER THINGS I REMEMBER FROM THE PERIOD I WENT WAS THE AMOUNT OF COVER UPS SURE THESE WILL RING A BELL. PURE SOUL BAND, EDDIE JEFFERSON, BOBBY ADAMS, GENE MC DAMIELS THE MICHELLES ROBERT L MARTIN CHESTER PIPKIN ETC ETC ETC. REMEMBER FIGHTING WITH THE PUNKS WHEN DARLO LADS AND BORO LADS COMBINED ,THE SAME NIGHT THE NEWCASTLE BUS ROLES IN AND THERE HAD BEEN FIGHTING LIKE MAD WITH A BUNCH OF HELLS ANGELS AT THORNTON SERVICES. DID WIGAN GO POP WELL I WENT FROM APRIL 78 [THE LOVE HUSTLE PERIOD FOR POP] TO THE MIGHTY SEARLING PERIOD OF 79 RIGHT THROUGH TILL THE END.WILL NEVER FORGET SEARLING PLAYING EDDIE JEFFERSON "PAY THE PRICE FOR THE NEWTON AYCLIFFE CROWD,HE SLIPS IN OVER THE MIKE IMPECCABLE TASTE IN SOUL [WE WERE ALL 16 AT THE TIME] CRAZY TIMES,BITS OF POP BUT MOSTLY RECORDS THAT HAVE STOOD THE TEST OF TIME. NO VENUE WILL EVER MATCH IT IN MY EYES IT WAS JUST TOTAL CHAOS! WHAT A RIGHT OF PASSAGE.

IM OVER THIS YEAR AGAIN TO MY FAV CITY PHILLY,THERES A FEW LADS FROM THE AYCLIFFE AREA THAT COULD TELL SOME VERY FUNNY STORIES RE THE STATES. ONE OF MY FUNNIEST WAS MEETING LOUIE SILVARNI ,[bIT OF A COMPLICATED MAN INDEED NOW HE HAS RELIGION AND ALL],KNOCK ON THE DOOR AND THIS COOL DUDE TURNS UP LOOKING FOR RECORDS WHEN IM RIFLEING THROUGH SOME,I COOLY ASK HIM WHAT ARE YOU AFTER AND HE REPLIES "NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK" ALSO FLORIDA SOMEWHERE DOWNTOWN MIAMI THIS WAS 1989 DISCOVERED A RECORD SHOP COME BARBOURS WITH THIS RATHER AGEING SOUTHERN BELLE ,AFTER HANDING A COUPLE OF HUNDRED DOLLARS OVER FOR QUITE A FEW DISCS SHE OFFERS ME A SHORT BACK AND SIDES [THATS NOT ALL SHE WANTED TO THROW IN ALSO]. FINALLY JOHN MOORE IN PHILLY ONLY LAST YEAR ,HANDED HIM SOME MONEY FOR SOME RATHER NICE GROUP STUFF/BALLADS SWEET ETC AND HE PULLS OUT THE MANSHIP PRICE QUIDE AND WINKS AT ME!

MARK ALL LEW STANLEYS STUFF IS BY AUCTION ,HE RARELY SELLS INDIVIDUAL ITEMS,HES QUITE QUARDED ON PRICES ,GOT HIS DETAILS IF YOU NEED THEM AND HIS CONTACT E MAIL. BAZ ATKINSON.

MOSES DILLARD AND THE DYNAMIC SHOWMEN-ILL PAY THE PRICE-MARK V,GREAT DEEP FLIP ALSO,BOUGHT IT JUST AFTER IT WAS UNCOVERED IN 1981 FOR £19 WHICH WAS A FORTUNE THEN,SOLD IT HEN I LET A FEW GO .BIG REGRET USED TO LOVE IT AT THE CASINO CIRCA 1979 EDDIE JEFFERSON.

YES AGREE WITH PETES ,THE FIRST RECORD I BOUGHT AT WIGAN WAS THE RINGLEADERS ON M-PAC FOR £4 OFF KEITH MINSHULL AT THE TIME NOONE HAD LATCHED ON TO IT.I CAN REMEMBER JOCKMITCHELL GONG FOR A FIVER ETC,AS FOR WIGAN GOING POP ,WELL THAT WAS THE MONEY THING AND THE MEDIA,BOTH HAD LITTLE TO DO WITH THE REGULARS WHO WENT WEEK IN WEEK OUT HAD A GREAT TIME AND MADE FRIENDS FOR LIFE. DONT GET ME WRONG IM NOT PRO WIGAN BY NO MEANS BUT TOWARDS THE BACK END JOHN ANDERSON WAS FEEDING SEARLING AWESOME SOUND AFTER AWESOME SOUND,NO POP IN THAT LOT. ANOTHER POINT IS THE TURNAROUND OF SOUNDS REMEMBER YOU HAD SEARLING ,SAM,PAT BRADY,RAISTRICK, ETC AT THE TIME TOPOF THEIR GAME ,CANT REMEMBER ANY OF THEM PLAYING POP? I DO REMEMBER HEARING NUMEROUS TRACKS THAT STILL DEMAND GREAT PRICES ,NO POP IN BILLY HAMBRIC,MOSES DILLARD,APPOINTMENTS,EDDIE HOLMAN,PARIS,THE OUT OF SIGHTS,JOE MATHNEWS,VICKIE BAINS,INSPIRATIONS ETC ETC ETC.

Two nice pieces here BULL- BYGONES- DEMO [stamped with date on label of press may 1972] Mint [few clicks on intro but mint very rare record] 400 quid. STOPPERS -COME BACK BABY-JUBILEE WHITE DEMO MINT.200 quid mint. TEL BAZ ATKINSON 07814 936275 HOME 01388 813214

DEEP SOUL MARKETS AND PRICES HAVE CHANGED A FAIR BIT OVER THE YEARS,POINT TAKEN RE THE MAKET IN JAPAN,BUT STILL GREAT COLLECTORS OUT THERE SCANNING E BAY LIKE SHIRUTO ETC. I USED TO TRADE ALOT OF DEEP WITH GERMAN DEALERS IN THE EARLY N INETIES BUT THAT HAS BURNED OUT OF RECENTLY AS WELL. THE PERSON WHO HELPED ME PUT MY DEEP COLLECTION TOGETHER ROD DEARLOVE MAY BE WORTH A CONTACT AS HE IS WELL NETWORKED WITH THE WIDER SOUL COMMUNITY IE THE INTERNATIONAL DEEP COLLECTORS THAT HE SELLS TO .MOST OF MY DEEP COLLECTION CAME FROM HIM VIA HIS LISTS IN THE LATE EIGHTIES AND EARLY NINETIES. AS FOR FUNK DEFINETLY STEVE WRIGHT ,ALSO TRY THE WITCHES BREW IN THE NORTH EAST JASON WORKS FOR SOUL BROTHER RECORDS AND STILL IS A AVID DEEP FUNK COLLECTOR. ALL THE BEST AND GOOD LUCK BAZ ATKINSON.

THANKS MARK B ,WE HAVE NOT SEEN YOU AT PIERCEBRIDGE YET,SURELY THAT WILL BE RECTIFIED SHORTLY,I OFTEN THINK OF THE LAUGHS WE HAD AT STAFFS/SHOTTS [REMEMBER THE SUNGLASSES NIGHT LIKE IT WAS YESTERDAY].INTERESTING COMPARISON TO BE HONEST AS MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO WENT THERE AT THE TIME WERE IN THE LATE TWENTIES AND OPEN TO ALL SORTS OF STUFF.PADDED CELL BEEN A GOOD EXAMPLE ETC. DJED AT SOUL OR NOTHING 2 WEEKS AGO AND LISTENED TO ADAM AND JAMES SPOT,BREATH OF FRESH AIR,TALKED ABOUT IT ON THE WAY BACK WITH MY OLD SPARRING PARTNER GAZ SIMONS AND AGREED THAT WE NEED NEW BLOOD ,NOT JUST BASED ON MUSIC BUT ATTITUDE ALSO [GOES ALONG WAY IN MY EYES]REMEMBER SOUL SAM GETTING BOLLOCKED FOR PLAYING PROGRESSIVE STUFF AT THE CASINO ,5 YEARS LATER COLLECTORS BUY HIS STUFF. THE SCENES FRAUGHT WITH CONTRATICTIONS ,WE ALL ADD TO THE CAULDROM,MAKES IT GOOD FUN,ALOT OF MY MATES SIT IN CLUBS AND PLAY DOMINOS,ME IVE JUST BOUGHT ALTON SHADES ON BLUE ROCK ,WHATEVER FLOATS YOUR BOAT I SUPPOSE,BUT MUSIC DOES KEEP YOU YOUNG AT HEART,WE CANT GO ON FOR EVER BUT.

GOOD THREAD THIS AND WELL DONE TO JAMES TROUBLE FOR STICKING HIS NECK OUT AND SAYING VERY ELOQUENTLY WHAT NEED TO BE SAID. FIRSTLY YOUNG DJS ARE ESSENTIAL,THERE BRING A DIFFERENT SLANT AND VIEW ON TO A SCENE THAT IS TRENCHED IN HYPOCRISY,VESTED INTEREST AND FINANCIAL SELF INTEREST.ON TOP OF THIS OVER PLAYED SHITE,EMBARRASSING RETRO FASHION AND SOUL NIGHT AFTER SOUL NIGHT THAT OFFERS NOTHING BUT CHEAP BOOZE AND THE CARSTAIRS. WHEN I GOT IN TO THE SCENE IN THE SEVENTIES THROUGH THE YOUTH CLUBS IN THE NORTH EAST ,THE SOUL BOYS AND GIRLS WERE ALWAYS THE PEOLE TO BE AROUND,BREATH OF FRESH AIR,DARING TO PUSH THE LIMITS MUSICALLY ,NOW LOOK AT THE SCENE EXCEPT FOR THE UPFRONT DOS WHICH I SUPPORT FULLY,NO FRESH SOUNDS AND ALOT OF BRAND BUILDING AND EMPIRE BUILDING. WE NEED YOUTH AS THE FOUNDATION OF OUR SCENE IS BASED ON IT,AND IF THAT MEANS THE PEOPLE FROM OTHER SCENES MIXING IT TO PUSH IT FORWARD THEN SO BE IT.ONE LAST POINT THERE IS A MILLION COLLECTORS OUT THERE WHO COULD PUT TOGETHER BRILLIANT UNKNOWN SETS PLAYING 20 QUID RECORDS ,WHY ARE THEY NOT GIVING A CHANCE? AGAIN [NOT BIG NAMES MENTALITY] BA ZATKINSON NORTH EAST.

THE BOBBY TAYLOR IS 30 QUID AND ITS A GREAT TRACK.

Super article,always found John to be the nicest of dealers when I dealt with them,will never forget the 78-79 discoveries at wigan THAT changed the scene for good,all came via john anderson.Hi joan did you enjoy the tape i send you and see you at soul or nothing. BAZ A.

Great topic this got a few to tell re the usa.first visit was 1989 still could do well in certain areas.Picked up nice stuff in Canada near the falls then went on someones advice to a place over the falls in Buffalo,the guy clocked me immediatly and said"know where your coming from man,your not welcome here".He looked like a line backer total brick shithouse. Got thrown out of a store in Tampa once and was made to feel very awkward in a godspell store in Brownsville[another lead] went bad.Had a few weired experiences with Mr Sylvarni in New York also mainly centring around a conversation on his strange price formulas. Last visit was last year New york and Philly ,nice to visit john moore a proper gentleman from the no bullshit school,some nice sweet soul picked up there[its not all bad],you need a good network out there to get anywhere!

VISITED IAN LEVINE LAST SEPTEMBER AT HIS HOME AND IT WAS A ABSORBING ,FUNNY AND INFORMATIVE JOURNEY.WE RIFLED THROUGH THOUSHANDS OF TUNES AND I PICKED UP LOADS OF DEEP AND SWEET SOUL,STUFF LIKE MARK GREEN ON STANG AND THE HIGHLY COLLECTABLE RALPHI FAGAN ON UPTIGHT. FOR SURE THE MAN HAS HIS OWN MANNERISMS AND ECCENTRICITIES BUT SO WHAT WE ALL DO! HIS CONTRIBUTION SET AGAINST THE BACKDROP OF TIME WILL BE UNMEASUREABLE AND WHEN YOU BREAK THROUGH ALL OF HIS BULLSHIT HE REALLY IS A DECENT PERSON WITH UNLIMITED KNOWLEDGE. ITS TRUE MOST OF HIS STUFF IS BEEN SOLD FOR COMICS AND HE DID PRODUCE THOSE EARLY SESSIONS.ITS HARD TO PLAY CATCHUP ON THE NORTHERN SCENE THE DOUBTERS WILL ALWAYS GIVE YOU A HARD TIME THAT WAS HIS MISTAKE,BUT HEY WHEN YOUR IAN LEVINE ITS ALL WATER OF A DUCKS BACK.