John Reed

But this was the B-side of the potential Eurovision entry. The Eurovision entry was "Don't Bother To knock". I can't remember this at the time as I was 11, but did Keep on Walking By get any airplay at time of release?

This reply comes on the back of a long conversation I had with my Son at the weekend after we went to see the film StreetDance UK and his statement to me "I don't really like Northen Soul" I think as we move further into the new millennium interest in the standard view of "Northern Soul" in the UK will wane. Soul music as we generally accept it, is no longer a mainstream musical genre and has passed in a similar way as: Rock and Roll, R&B, Swing, Punk, etc... There are still new music releases of these genres and for soul we have: Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Kings Go Forth, etc.., but these are classed as retro and are not part of the music mainstream. Soul music IMO has morphed/evolved into what is discussed in the EMS Thread "New Music" (this is not a plug, by the way), but even that can be left field compared to what is played on Radio1, Capital or Kiss. Getting the above artists played on these stations could spark a renewed interest in old music, look what happened with "Rare Groove" with the likes of the Jackson Sisters and Archie Bell & The Drells, although that revival was only 12-15 years after release, whereas for a 65 release it'll be more like 45 years. Another reason is relevance of this music, to today's young people. Some of the music I play dates from the early 60's and my son has listened to them, but he just can't seem to get connected, although there are a few he likes but maybe the production is so different to what he's used to listening to that it's going to take some time for him to truly appreciate the difference. It's not just a case of listening to music his dad likes, but its music from his granddad's era and I think an appreciation of music with a two generation gap only comes with maturity and an active interest in things out of the norm. You also have to be quite dedicated to go to a club/do when the majority of the patrons are your parents/grandparents age, so it's a bit like the chicken and the egg. So I feel the days of young people falling into the music have gone. I'm not saying that the past is a bad thing as the majority of my collection is over 30 years old, but there seems to be a lot of harking back to the Wigan/Mecca days. I know this was a significant period in a lot of people's lives and it's nice to hear stories and look at memorabilia from those days. But for those too young to have experienced it and especially for me, they're just clubs from the past (albeit a significant part of Northern Soul's history) and the over-reliance in looking back at club venues rather than focussing on the music is a bad thing. There still seems to be a lot of bad blood going back to those clubs which tarnishes the "scene" going forward. As I said, I was too young to go to any of the significant clubs and don't understand what really went on from a politics side and I've been into soul for 27 years, let alone someone just entering the scene in their late teens/early 20's and seeing all that baggage must be quite daunting. Sadly, I think that for the majority of young people, music format is secondary. There is still a big hang up on OVO (even though I love and collect it), with sometimes rarity overriding quality, just because something is rare doesn't necessarily mean it's good. People new to the Northern scene haven't necessarily gone through Manships price guide before attending a do, when I was young I danced to what I liked irrespective of value and surely the same goes for everyone else? I also think that the competence of DJ's is also a factor for young people. When you look at the presence of the big name DJ's on the dance scene, they're sets are slick and professional and they put on "a show". Comparing these "shows" to quite a few collectors cum DJ's sets on the Northern scene with muffled links (I put my hand up to that also, even though I don't DJ), and bad cuing which we generally seem to have put up with it over the years. For young people professionalism/showmanship is a key factor of the entertainment experience. Look at concerts these days (ignoring previous Parliament and EWF spectacles) they are all glitzy with many costume changes, whereas my favourite concert was Curtis Mayfield playing the guitar with 3 other musicians. Young people want more these days and there can be quite a void between what they get from main stream club events compared to Northern do's. I'm not saying that this doesn't happen in the UK, but from reading the reviews and talking to people who have attended events in Europe, attracting younger people seems to be a different matter. A younger crowd could be due to a more varied mix of what is played/accepted and maybe that's where the UK is falling behind. It does seem that I have a very jaded view on life, I don't. I just don't expect nights in the UK to start filling up with younger faces. Though at present there seems to be a glut of soul nights. What I do see (I'm waiting for the fortune teller, digs) is that the scene will contract further as the years go on (effectively when people get too old or die) and in 10-20 years those few young faced people now, will take up the gambit of Northern Soul and lead it into a new future devoid of the hang-up's it currently has.

What about an EP? The Goldwax one Kent brought out for International Record Store day really stood out as something special.

Sebastian, you've hit the nail on the head and I think that's what peoples bugbears are with his records. His songs have been recorded by soul/black artists and as you said, it doesn't mean that his versions are soul, but its seeing them categorised as soul and people telling me its soul that doesn't sit very well with me.

We've seen the frenzy over his rendition of I Believe in Miracles. Well Moerer has really struck gold this time with his version on "A Day In The Blue" which is the other side of the UK Mums release of the Jackson Sisters. If you though Miracles was bad, listen to the sound bite on this...... https://cgi.ebay.co.u...=item51930989b0

Pete, I had issues paying for something on ebay this morning. The seller had trouble updating combined postage costs on the ebay invoice and suggested I change the postage amount via paypal. This generated a "non-normal" activity on paypal account and changed my status to "limited account access". I logged on using the www.paypal.co.uk, I've got it saved as a favourite for ease of use and saves me typing in the wrong address. After reading through thoroughly, it seems that they are reviewing frequent user accounts and this action is also generated if something out of the ordinary happens on the account. I think its cosha and just an additional periodic check. John

Tony, Nope its the Stevie song. It's a "live" version, but don't know of its "really live", if you know what i mean. I remember Norman Jay used to hammer this quite a lot in the 80's. Theres a scan of it at discogs. https://www.discogs.c...release=1136039 I also like Act 1's version of Still Water, but no... before anyone says anything.. It can't compare to the Tops...

Bobby Byrds version of Signed, Sealed & Delivered on Brownstone is a cracking tune.

That must have been Charly's biggest seller then

I think Tommy Starr (Charles Mintz) - Better Think Of What You're Losing (2095), the other side of Love Wheel is a fantastic bit of crossover and it's cheap too.

Can anyone give some history as to the Redd Foxx LP's? I know he was a comedian, but he's got the most LP releases on the label where's the link or was it a way of WB releasing his stuff on a minor subsidiary without it potentially tarnishing their lead brand?

I don't think I've got Tony's yet, but could be wrong.... as my wife chucked a few in with a lot of CD's from other swaps and they're all mixed up, so I need to go through them. Teach me to leave them lying on the side. Dya think we could have a tally up of who's got what? Cheers, John

Mark Houghton is a master of that... He's got more examples of getting bargain that I've got records. Saying that he has worked hard at crate diggin'

Wounded Woman, I'm such an ar*e. Yep, ment Woman To Woman . Just came back from a work team building weekend in Dorset, so my eyes are still crossed and my mind's not as sharp as it should be. I agree her Malaco stuff is a fine and sizable back catelogue and I should have been clearer when when talking about her small output, I was primarily refering to the Stax stuff and the period from about 83 to 89, that I don't remember a lot of airtime for her other recordings (well not in London). I would love to see the 2nd Stax & Arista LP's get more of an airing, but I'm very cynical these days. Most of it is cheap and easily availiable and what prestige does that give to a DJ other than playing "bloody good" soul.

It may have something to do with my age (I was 7 in 1974 ) and was too young to have heard/appreciated her output on inital release. It maybe my memory going, but when I started to listen to soul on the radio, Wounded Woman always comes to mind as compared to her other stuff. It wasn't until I started digging deeper that her other Stax and Arista stuff came to my attenion, rather being lead by radio DJ plays. As you said, its been as long time since I heard anything from her 2nd Stax LP and i personally rate her Timeless Malaco LP too.

I think all or her stax stuff is fantastic with the rest of her work overshaddowed by woman to woman, awsome though it is. I also feel that she's suffered a simlar fate as Eddie Floyd where generally she was not held in high regard as in the likes of Mavis and Carla, possibly due to the size or her output compared to theirs.

Val, that has made my day. PMSL...

One went on ebay at the end of April for about £100 (was gonna buy it as a birthday present as I've never got round to getting one, but bought something else instead) rarenorthernsoul.com has one on their site for £175, which I think is a very chunky price.

Thats the version before the Altantic cut and John Ridley mentioned it when he included RB Hudmon on his web site. Send John a mail, he's always willing to help.

Alejandro Aguayo played this in the Jim Wray lounge as Essence this year. It's a magic tune wish I had one. Apart from that I know nothing about it either.

Supposedly it was featured in the 1971/2 film "The Big Doll House", about a women's prison, mmmmmmm... Don't know if a soundtrack was ever released though?

Too true...

Dave, I asked the same question on here a few years ago and that's what I was told . Cheers, John

Dave, Here's one on the net, I found a while ago. https://forbiddeneye.com/labels/guinness.html Cheers John

I've always assumed that his last single Special Occasion was on it as it wasn't on the first LP.