Seano

Great stuff Bob, thanks again.

Duly noted!

Looks great Bob - thanks for this! I had collected Blackbeat and Shades of Soul and moved onto Voices from the Shadows, and hadn't really explored all of the others. Look forward to reading this. Sean

Soul Bowl was definitely one of the top quality soul packs that I bought. Black Knight was another, and I got several others before Soul Bowl, including one that was pretty much all boots. In those early days (mid/late 70's I suppose) I preferred that as I was trying to get hold of records I really liked but didn't really know what was what (not sure I'm any the wiser now). I wrote about them in Shades of Soul back in the '80s and I've posted copies of issues from 1 to 7 so far on a few threads in 'All About the Soul'. The relevant articles looking at what was in the specific pack at the time are in issues 3 and 5.

Thought I'd round off the Bank Holiday weekend with a further 3 issues, especially now that Mike's been good enough to raise the upload limit for files so that I can use the scans I'd already done rather than the lower quality ones (and thanks to Chalky for the encouragement and to Derek for permission): Shades of Soul issue 5 August 1985.pdf

Fantastic Mike thanks - just scanned issue 10 on normal setting and at 40 pages it's 28.3 mb, so here's issue 4 on the higher quality: Shades of Soul issue 4 April 1985.pdf

Thanks for that Chalky, I'll carry on with a few issues on this c-pdf, format, and wait to see if the limit can be increased (the biggest file I've scanned, issue 8, was 26.8 mb, at 36 pages, and I haven't yet done issue 10 but that's 40 pages, so if possible, maybe a limit of 30mb could help?).

I've hopefully solved my problem of scan size of the PDF being too large to upload, and it looks as though this format (compact pdf) is way smaller (about 4.4mb) but still seems perfectly readable. Please let me know if it works was I'm about to get busy scanning some of the others which came out too large to upload. This issue includes an article on The Masqueraders, RCA Victor, History of Fanzines (part 4), Sundance Records, Tommy Tate, J.J. Barnes discography, Wild Deuce, and all of the many regular contributors covering various records and venues. Shades of Soul issue 4 April 1985 (cpdf).pdf

I think a really good programme would be Apple's iBooks Author - you can weave in photos, slideshows, video clips, audio files, all nestled in amongst the text, and that can then be made available on the Apple Store as an interactive book to download that you can have on your computer or iPad. I think the trouble would be making sure to have access (and permission) to all of the extra material that you'd want to add in, audio files of records mentioned, scans, maybe even video clips of venues where they exist. You could even get Derek to do some interview clips maybe talking about his time producing the magazines! It would be a hell of a project to pull all of the music together, the photos - what's Elaine Constantine up to nowadays??

I'd scanned up to issue 9 so far, but have stalled on uploading issue 4 as the file size is too big. I can export it to a smaller size but the quality drops massively, so will try and see if the scanner at work has a lower resolution setting that gets it just under the upload limit. Great that they're triggering ideas like for the Stafford podcasts - hold tight!

I used to look forward to the next issue dropping through the door, and then pretty much drop everything to take it all in as quickly as I could. I've never been big on the label listings but reading record reviews and seeing scans was always interesting to me.

Another Friday night, another issue to post! Hope everybody finds it a good read. This issue includes several further label articles (Mar-V-Lus, South Camp, Verve & Big Wheel), a couple of artist articles (The Falcons & J.J. Barnes) and collectors such as Eddie Hubbard, Stuart Raith, Dave Hitch, George Sharp talking about records of current interest to them. Other articles included an interesting overview of fanzines, which I think was by Derek Pearson (the editor), one focussing on Soul slogans and symbols by Graham Anthony, and my first stab at writing, talking about a recent Soul Pack I'd bought from Soul Bowl, and a 2nd one reviewing Bobby Womack performing in Oxford. Have a great Easter! Sean

I don't have a problem with how this guy dances, or anybody else for that matter, but what seemed odd to me was just the comment in that first video posted in this thread where he explains that the video may be useful if "you're looking to get into Northern Soul." Just seems a weird idea, flick through some magazines, social media or whatever, and toy with the idea "Yeah, might fancy a bit of this Northern thing." Obviously I know we all started at some point, but I think for everyone who stays with the music, no matter how much your tastes change and expand, the interest in Northern was pretty much instant. You didn't really choose it, it just took hold of you.

Thanks both, helps put that in context.

Don't know if it helps, as I'm not really into discographies but it just happens that earlier today I downloaded the Pete Lawson magazines, 'The Gospel according to Dave Godin' posted on Chalky's website, and noticed that there was a Wand label listing there: The reference to "(or) I'm laughing to keep from crying" seems interesting.

I've just seen a story on the BBC News website about a drum break in the Winstons' Amen Brother (B side of 'Color Him Father') and how it's been sampled in more than 1,500 songs: BBC News story

Thanks for the nudge Chalky - didn't see these when you first posted them. Tremendous sense of commitment comes across even now, 25 years on.

Glad it's gone down so well! Yes I'll be posting the series gradually - I thought it might be like the wait between original issues, time to re-read the one you've got but impatient to get the next one dropping through the door! As several people have said, all credit to Derek Pearson for the huge amount of effort he put into writing, badgering, compiling, funding and curating one of the great Soul magazines of the scene.

Just dug back in my records again and another Esquires, on Bunky again. The side I like more is 'Everybody's laughing' which to me has the feel of Tony Clarke's 'The Entertainer'. The flip side is 'And get away', faster, and seems linked to 'Get on up' at least in the lyric.

And then Mary J Blige and Anita Baker kept the quality up. Alicia Keyes very accomplished too, but not quite up my street.

Queens of Soul was worth watching through, for Angie Stone's 'No more rain' towards the last quarter hour. Plenty of good stuff anyway, but some of the ones leading towards hers get a bit tedious.

Glad to be of service to you both! I'd be fascinated to hear about any surprises either of you or others spot in terms of records which took forever to finally break, or maybe just odd scraps of interest....

Going back to The Esquires, I've not heard the album version, but I did pick up the Bunky Records issue of 'Get on up' a few years back and then on Ju-Par Records from Detroit the 1976 version also by The Esquires titled 'Get on up '76'. On the flip side of the earlier release is 'Listen to me' - worth a spin, and the flip of the '76 version is 'Dancing disco' - naff lyrics but a sort of 2 step.

And of course Bunky's Pick on The Ballads "I can't see your love for the tears in my eyes" on Vee Jay.

Here's the 2nd issue from the 80's Soul fanzine that was run by Derek Pearson. Several reviews of venues of the day, label and artist articles (Darrow Fletcher for example). Also record reviews with different angles such as Eddie Hubbard's column that became 'Slow and Deep', Stuart Raith's 'Goosepimples' and Dave Hitch's lookback at albums from the 70's. Enjoy! Sean