Neckender

I sold it to andy about 10 yrs ago, but I found it in the 8ts. I had it in the 'piss poor northern sales box' for many years, with no takers.

I have willie gauff and the naturals 45s; both sides of the records sound the same to my ears. The willie gauff recording has a far better recording sound than the naturals. I noticed that on the label, the willie gauff has a watts way release number of 201 and the naturals of 1201, but in the deadwax both records have the same matrix number of JT-ES-001 and JT-ES-002 Hope that helps.

John Manship has a different phone number for the 'first yellow label press' than we have here. In his auction blurb, John has the phone number, 213 750 4966. Is this another press? I can't make out the phone number in the auction picture.

Seb, phone number of TA-0009 is 213-384-9334

I've never heard of it being released on Hit until your comments on here. I remember the copy that was played in the 7ts being on Twin Hits and Soul Sam verified this a moment ago via a phone conversation.

Rick, i have the original Val Palmer-back in my arms-Twin Hits 5099. Original is vinyl, whereas the bootleg is styrene. It has a black label with silver text and came out as a b-side. It doesn't have a Nashville matrix; just 5099-B scratched into the dead wax. John Manship, in his 6th edition rare soul price guide, has the original with the flip side 'uptight' and label release number of 5046; I assume he has been given the wrong information (or does he know something that I don't?) Hope that helps. PS. great version!

I bought this celebrities-I choose you baby from Frank Merrill for $15 in the early 8ts. I bought it blind, taking a chance on it being a decent record, based upon the other release that was getting some attention from the collectors. Funny, at the time I didn't think it was good enough to play in the clubs and never did anything with it until the later 9ts. Must have lowered my standards!!

Actuall, its butch who has the only issue copy. Came from John Hillyard, the great LA record digger.

Gareth, the bootleg's logotype 7, is made up of horizontal lines in a similar way to the original copies, but they are spaced closer together, making it seem like it's solid black. It's one of those situations where you need to have the records in front of you and get a closer look.

Yes Seb, but your image doesn't show the extent of the poorly defined and smudged text. But your comments I agree with.

Just to get back to the original question; does a bootleg of 'you've been gone too long' on Seventy 7, exist, I think the answer is yes. I found a record shop/distributor in South Carolina with a load of ann sextons on seventy 7. I bought about 30 copies and noticed that there were two distinct pressings of the SEVENTY 7 record with different dead wax impressions. First one has: A-side: small SS-107 with a small matrix. Run-out groove is 8mm. B-side: small SS-108 with small matrix. This side has a larger run-out groove at 12mm. The vinly edge has that square finish. The white dj copies also follow this format Second press: A-side: seperate numbers in dead wax; 320, SS107, 77104 and the small matrix different to first example. Run-out groove is 10mm. B-side: seprate numbers in dead wax; 77-104, SS108, 320 and a small matrix different to first example. Run-out groove is 10mm. The vinyl edge has less of a square finish. Probably two different different presses at different pressing plants. Both originals. Now here comes the info about the possible bootleg. I also came across a copy of the Seventy 7 record, somewhere along the collecting journey, which doesn't look right. The label doesn't have the same defined print and the text looks a little washed out. It didn't come from America, but from a collector here in the UK. The dead wax impressions are different; A-side; 77-104-A (scratched in, rather than pressed) and SS107. B-side; 77-104-B (scratched in, rather than pressed) and SS108. But there is the small matrix on each side. Vinyl is different to the previous two presses. For me, this last example, doesn't look authentic and reminds me of a lot of the other bootlegs from the 7ts. It may have been pressed in the States, but I think later than the original pressing. I can't imagine that the bootleggers of the later 7ts would have missed an opportunity to do a job on this record, especially since it became such a very popular play later in that decade, even though the original release wasn't so rare. Additional contributions appreciated.

For anyone who's interested in how this one was discovered, here is how it happended. During my first visits to Japan with Keb, we would do a tour of the record shops, especially in Tokyo, where there was at that time, an abundance of soul 45s. One shop in particular was a great source; it was run by a chap named Toshiyuki Katayama who always had something of interest for us avid buyers. During one trip over there I met Katayama san in a club and with him he had a small bunch of records for sale that he had just found on a buying trip to the States. One of the records was the Mixed Feelings, which was unknown to me at that time and he told me that it was really good and that he wanted £350 for it. From his description it sounded great, but I had no way of playing it, so unfortunately i left it behind as it was at the end of my trip. Three months later Keb was back in Tokyo and at Katayama's shop got to listen to the Mixed Feelings. He bought it without hesitation and returned back to london with the 45. By the time Keb got back to his flat in London he had decided that 'sha la la' was too Northern for his clientel and so, lucky for me, he gave me a blast of the record down the phone. I was knocked out by how good it was and immediately bought it (well, traded it for 3 times its original price) I think it's been one of the best modern discoveries in the last 10 years......love it !! Arigato Katayama !!

A collectable record from the 7ts, along with the Moments-you said. A fiver from soul bowl. Where would we have been without john? Managed to find the acetate on a trip to NY, which plays with a decent sound unlike the released 45.

actually, another one of my discoveries and c/ups.

dave, if you had forgotten, at stafford, i traded you the g.i. joe for that acetate, 'it takes a lot of living'

soul sam bought it.

If i remember correctly the originals have a Bell Sound stamp in the dead wax. Hope that helps.

The interview was very thorough and detailed and there was no mention of any female involvement on those songs.

The Superlatives were an all male group from New Jersey: St. Julian (pee wee) Bonaparte (lead) David Jones (first tenor) Leon Stuckey (second tenor) Marvin (mousey) Williams (bass) Gerald Applewhite (baritone) Both the tracks, 'i still love you' and 'we're so lonely' were recorded in 1966, at Cameo Parkway in Philadelphia. The information was lifted from Tim Ashibende's enlightening fanzine 'tracks to your mind' which features interviews about the Superatives with Paul Kyser and Earl Morgan (manager)

Just to clarify Dave's info; the titles on the acetates are; 'win you over/baby what has happened to our love' 'all of my life/let's start over' (which is the flipside of the released m-pac 7232, baby what has happened to our love) All the sides on the acetates are recorded at a lower sound level than the released 45, which makes it difficult to get a good sound out of them unless it's on a system such as the Kings Hall or occasionally the 100 club!! Just as a side issue, I do remember that period during the early 8ts when Dave T got the ringleaders acetates from Soul Bowl. JA had just bought all the one-derful, m-pac, mar-v-lus, midas, toddlin town stock. Numerous hundred count boxes of their 45s, including at least 100 inspirations on midas. Loads of unknown acetates and also released stuff including joseph moore, the blenders, accents, jimmie & entertainers etc. Even company playing cards with the one-derful logo! Knee-deep in soul 45s; what a one-deful time it was !

Yes, originally played from on a dub at the end of the 7ts by dave withers. An original motown 10" acetate of the song did finally turn up in the 8ts. Was in the collection of duncan morris for a few years (anyone remember him) and then finally went to a better home in my collection!

chalky, do you have a sound clip for me to listen to, as i dont remember any of keb's c/u titles. Probably have more chance of recognising the song.

Actually, it the copy that Gary played was the soulmates 'sock-in-soul' on double soul, because myself and tim ash found it on one of our US trips.

On the run-out groove (dead wax as our american friends call it) of the side 'got to have your your love' there is a series of stamped letters and numbers: W4KM-0277- - 1 Followed by a scratched A1 Opposite this there is a single scratched R. Hope that helps.

Jim wensiora had it early 8ts; as someone else pointed out, jim had so many great records at the time, he didn't have the gigs to play everything he had. Rob marriott bought it off jim when he was selling his collection around 85. Rob had a go at pushing it, but it never really got off the ground. When rob sold up, he let tim ashibende have it. Tim eventually sold it through pat brady a few years ago. I saw it re-appear on pat's auction list about 8 months ago and im not sure if it was the same acetate, or possibly another copy turned up. Pat brady will know the answer to that.