Seano

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

And it's followed by people doing covers of Motown tracks at 10pm and Queens of Soul at 11, which looks like it will be the female partner to last week's Kings of Soul.

Fair enough, not as if there's much else on most of the time anyway!

Recorded it but haven't watched it yet - anyone seen it and got an opinion?

I've scanned two other later issues as well, but thought I should do the ones in between too so will get them done and up soon. I think the ebook version would be great, I'd love to see them as an iBook with links to listen to various tracks, but at the same time there's something special about the real deal - staples included!

I thought some people might enjoy a look back at the articles and what was being discussed at the time. One of the great soul magazines of its day. Derek Pearson was the editor, as many will know. Best Sean updated see

The whole book is a great read, I found myself checking the tracks referred to out on YouTube as I read through it, sort of DIY iBook!

Alfie Davison 'Love is a serious business' for $1 in a sadly long gone record store, Wowsville, on 2nd Avenue. It was my first visit to New York, staying with my cousin in East Village. At the time there were plenty of other good 2nd hand record stores in the vicinity, but didn't find anything to match that. This was 2002.

I think it may have been an echo back to her performing that track with William Bell a year or two back on Jools' Hootenanny. Loved seeing/hearing him performing 'Happy' this time round!

You might also want to see if there are any Soul Nights on while you're there. Subway Soul appears to still be putting some on now and again: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Subway-Soul-Club/144013184117 The guys from Big City Records, Jared and Chris, used to run Lost and Found with The Honeydripper also DJing, but I can't find anything except references to their nights at Savalas in Brooklyn having sadly closed, so not sure if they are still around. SoulWolf earlier mentioned Good Records - some photos from several years back - click here.

Fascinating store to visit; I'd recommend the thin gloves and face mask that several 'diggers' were using when I went. I had some of that hand gel which helped a lot afterwards, but it's seriously grimy. Some photos from several years ago here.

A guy I used to know, Andy Vaughan, who came from Ince just outside of Wigan was a big Wigan Athletics fan, and along with co-creating and contributing to The Mudhutter Latics fanzine/website, he's started writing books. One of his first that he co-authored was Pies and Prejudice in 2005, and he doesn't have many kind words to say about Stuart Maconie, who some of you will know had a book published with that same title in 2007. Just googled him to check back and I've seen he has a new book out called Faded Lois Dreams.

What an amazing flip side, thanks for posting that! Sadly mine's a DJ copy, although given how good the track is that's fine anyway. But must admit that I like the Mighty Pope version too, having posted this on YouTube a few months back: "I've never heard this version before, always loved Jesse James, but this guy has a great voice and love the choppy piano and overall rhythm" As mentioned in the thread by Dave L, would be great to hear Jesse's preferred original take....

Finally got this as a Christmas present - one very happy chap! Wonderful quality in all respects, and really good review here too thanks Chalky, adding to the Kent notes rather than just repeating them.