Anoraks Corner

Hi Neil, I've been in touch with John Smith...he is active on RareSoulForum.com (amongst other sites) where I also hang out. I pointed him towards this thread as I thought it may well be him you were referring to. He seems to be a reasonable chap, so I offered to post a reply as he isn't a member on here...here it is: "Yes it is me. All I said was that some Brit-Soulies were 'under whelmed' with the content of the book - that was after someone else (an American) on SoulfulDetroit.com (SDF) had said it was the most wonderful of books -i.e. I didn't start the conversation, but just added a differing opinion on the book. Hardly a massive dissing of it?! With regards to the character assassination of my writing saying that I just 'stole' his sleeve notes from his Precisions CD - I got my info on the group direct from Billy Prince when I visited him in San Diego in October 2005. I also had input from Dennis Gilmore & Spyder Turner (who knows Billy & the group from way back), plus some from Lou Ragland (who played tambourine on "If This Is Love"). I had no knowledge of the UK CD of Precisions tracks until just before the group first arrived in Prestatyn (March 2006), but knew of the US (group prepared) version of Precisions cuts, as I had been in touch with Billy constantly between October 2005 & March 2006. This was all talked about on SDF around February 2006 (there was a thread on the topic) and that was when I first became aware of the UK CD. I had written my bio on the group well before that & it had gone up on the Weekender web site. All I did was inform the people on SDF that there was a US CD - that was the sum total of my involvement with the project. As to me organising/preparing the US CD or writing the sleeve notes for it - well that's news to me! When I wrote my bio on the Precisions, I (of course) sent it to the guys (Billy Prince, etc) to get their approval of its contents (I can't stand any piece I do 'going live' with errors in it, so always do this). It may well be that Billy liked what I had written & used bits of it for the US CD sleeve notes? To round off, as I like to share information with fellow Soul fans, I don't think the group got too much money from Sidra/Drew back in the day, which is one of the reasons they signed with manager Phil Walden and moved onto Atco, where they first teamed up with Jerry 'Swamp Dogg' Williams (who actually helped them with their US CD release). As a footnote, I don't mix much in mainstream NS circles, being much more of a general Soul fan (never did take to Wigan - the music at the Wheel was much more my thing) and a Modern Soul fan for the last 25+ years. However, I do love meeting / chatting with / getting the low-down on / watching performances by ALL Soul artists though! Can't say I'm too bothered by whom the top scene DJs were/are or who broke what & where, but facts on all the artists I do lap up!" That's it. Neil please note I also have a lot of respect for you and what you have done for the scene, so am happy to put you two in touch directly, if it will help...PM me. Flynny

Never fear, I am in full runaway train mode with it...this week I have also been looking into various Japanese national census stats and noting how many people owned radios and TVs in the mid-60's...great for the bit about record company promotion budget spending!! I'm sure one day in the distant future looong after I get it into print, someone will cut it up and mix it with French, Spanish, Italian, German, Dutch, Australian etc, and produce an enormous 'outside the US and UK Soul release guide'...now there's an idea!?!

This is an awesome full-orchestra beat-ballad of the highest calibre...thoroughly recommended. Quite rare...and that's a steal of a price imo.

Oh! How those words echo around my head at present, after having just spent (yet) another pleasurable day going through original 1960s Japanese record company catalogues! My quest to produce a definitive book on what Soul was actually released over here during the 60's continues...5 years and counting and enjoying every single minute of it! If a job is worth doing, do it properly says I...even if the sales potential is very, very limited!

Have had that happen to me as well...after the initial shock and mild anger came pity.

Nice efforts, but not sure they actually capture the people that well at all. At a guess, it is probably the Jennifer Wells as on Genuine Records! If you like that style of painting, you may want to watch a set of YouTube clips of a rock'n'roll fan painting a picture of Danny Williams. Once again the finished product isn't like a photograph, but interesting for sure.

Am happy to send you a high-quality scan, if no one can help you out.

A mention also for Ricky Ricks - 'Chained and bound'. A 'tape swappers' fave from the 8Ts set at an uptempo R'n'B pace...the deeeeeeeep vocal is obviously Jimmy Ricks under an aka! Only drawback for me is the annoying guitar picking away throughout...but others love it! Still cheap too!

That copy more than likely came from me, as I flogged most of them to friends in and around London! I told them to just buy it if they didn't know it, as it was good/rare/will have its day! Can't remember it being played at the Dome regularly...maybe once or twice.

Yes, a plain looking matt black label with silver writing. I ever had one copy myself...quite a tough disc.

Don't panic, the blue label copy isn't thaaaaaaat bad at all! The recordings aren't a million miles apart and to the untrained ear the only obvious difference you notice is the girly Oooo's and aaaah's in the sax break-down parts. Mind you, if you've paid $400 for the blue your doctor may notel a rise in your blood pressure!

Quality disc...I will be interested to read of current valuations too! I think the first time I became aware of it was when Pete French used to play it at the Wheelwrights club back in the early 8Ts...may have been his ender? At that point it was listed/rated as a £6 disc, but awkward to get...the price did not reflect its rarity! I recall seeing it rise during that decade...£15...£30...and £75 by the mid 9Ts, and still not too easy to get. I was lucky enough to find a small clutch of unplayed copies around 2001 and sold them easily and quickly (at three figures a piece) mostly to friends. I have since seen it listed and seemingly sell at £300+, though to be honest I have not heard it played out since those Wheelwrights nights...does it get major nighter spins? Are there any label variations/demos...I've only ever seen stock copies. Kinda reminds me of Johnny Rogers 'Make a change' in places!

This is such a classy track I wonder what market they were aiming at for it, as it is kinda cross-over Soul/Pop/Jazz/Lounge!

Does this mean the £-notes have to be without tears or WOL?! (Hi both from Tokyo...still here! )

There is an original UK 7" acetate of it...found in the company files...so it was possibly considered for an at-the-time 7" release.

I had a test pressing of the album complete with engineer notes etc...no finished sleeve kinda thing. Yes, 'Country road' is on there, but the rest was average at best with no other track being Northern-able and possibly only one or two for the Funk fans...imo.

Can recommend this not so obvious one by Ruth McFadden to those liking shuffling brass-stab-ladden R'n'B fem vocal tracks! (Have a spare demo for £30 on my site.) The Tornados version of 'Little Sally Walker' isn't the easiest number to get either...and another mid-8T's minor spin for GuyH.

A minor spin for GuyH back in the day...haunting harmonies!

Nod of respect from here too...a superb slab of 'mid-60's pop/soul beat ballad' (copyright Pete!).

You'll probably want one of these as well...but alas no spares of this or the Roy Redmond...yet.

I think there is a thread in the vaults which tells the tale of how this was sold/given to Dave Evison to play at the Casino...he slipped it in his Oldies sets and broke it even though technically it was a 'newie', so to speak! Or did I dream that?! Has always been one of my all time faves as well...my first copy came from Soul Symbol...purple one for £20. I was delighted as this was the first chance I had to get it since I asked RussW to sell it to me whilst playing it at the final Casino nighter...unfortunately he had already promised it to someone else (The pain was eased as I then asked him to sell me his Patti & Emblems IGLYALLT which he did...off the deck...£12.) I hung on to that same copy for many, many years, but let it go eventually, replacing it with a demo...which I also later moved on. In fact I only recently got one back...found it over here in a Rock & Roll collection...for the equivilent of 30 of your English Pounds!

I absolutely love this track...and fortunately own Japanese Warners WD and stock copies of this one too!

Cheeky...I blame the sales team That 12" white label that Ken mentioned...there were only x50 pressed to promote the double LP

Can offer up a picture of Roy and that is about it...along with the stock and WD labels for his 'That old time feeling'. If nothing else it should excite rigilbert!?!

Here she is singing it in Japanese: >>> PRESS HERE <<<