Neil Rushton

Casanova composed by one of the Detroit greats George McGregor - top songwriter, drummer, producer and a&r man. Had the privilege of interviewing him whilst gathering info for The Precisions album on Joe Boy/Inferno - he tells great stories about Detroit in the 60's. And he's the reason "Sugar Ain't Sweet" - The Precisions is so rare (all revealed in sleeve notes to the album).

I don't think anyone realises how impossible it would have been to licence the original versions and try and use them over our footage. As Ian has pointed out for a start the majors don't want to do business wth an indie company and if they do deign to do so charge a fortune and would allow a licence for just a limited number of years.But in most cases they would just point blank refuse to allow their old masters to be synched with new footage anyway citing legal reasons in the contracts for the original master recordings - so Ian had no choice but to create new versions. Even then we had the problem of getting an agreement with MCPS who collect royalties on behalf of the songwriters/music publishers Nowadays the popularity of DVDs means there is a blanket licence which provides for a uniform pre agreed royalty rate to be paid for music to be linked to video footage. At the time of the VHS release of SWONS this blanket licence did not exist and potentially we had the nightmare of every different music pubisher for all the song copyrights used charging us a different upfront fee per song to allow for the synchronisation of their music with the footage - and to make it worse this would actually be on top of the roylaties to be paid per sale for the use of the songs. After some very compicated negotiations with MCPS this was resolved, but honestly no one from the outside can have any comprehension of the logistical nightmare SWONS was. In comparison putting out a CD compilation is like a 100 yards sprint and with SWONS we were putting ourselves through a gruelling marathon. I have never minded grafting and am not complaining, but it is too easy to look from the outside and be a critic without any idea of the practical problems we had to overcome ....then on top of everything Ian turned around and said he was filming The Dells just one week before the SWONS launch at Blackburn meaning I had to squeeze a production job that would normally last 17 days into 5 days!

I am shocked. Last spoke to Richard after Dave Thorley had warned me that Richard was not as on top of things as he used to be; Dave was right but Richard was as nice as ever. Richard was a true kind gentleman - after staying at my house (he loved going out to a wine bar in Burntwood and sampling somewhat enthusiastically what what was on offer one lunchtime) he always took the trouble to send a Christmas card every year and his first question would always be "how are the kids?" And he was fantastically friendly and hospitable at his home in Detroit where he loved to get the wine out and talk about the old days.On one trip over there he took me around to meet Casablanca - the legendary one time Golden Word/Ric-Tic promotion man - and to hear swap stories about the sixties days was jaw dropping.Richard was a beautiful a person as his music was amazing. He had a fall out with Motown in their early days, otherwise he would have been one of their top producers. And he loved the UK scene - does anyone remember him DJ'ing playing his own productionsat a club in Nuneaton (?) where we had a party to promote the release of his "Detroit-A-Go-Go" album on Inferno?I have got the photos somewhere. God bless you Richard and rest in peace.

You must be a Thatcherite who believes everything has to be profit driven and nothing else is important?. Why are you focusing on the artists getting a share of the profit for their performances when as I have tried to explain once the decision was taken to make the project so ambitious there never ever was likely to be a profit - it had become, whether you like it or not, a labour of love. The artists did not do it because they were promised money, they wanted to be remembered and their performances preserved for posterity. But one of the on going costs were royalties earned by the songwriters for every sale and these have been paid.

I haven't got any stock. SWONS DVD is released by Wienerworld not me and they have got an efficient distribution system for UK and overseas. The VHS we released is long deleted.

What are you on about "so no payment has gone out"? I will say it one more time - royalty payments HAVE BEEN PAID to the songwriters. In some cases the songwriters are also the artists, in some cases they are not. Ian put most of the money in to SWONS and by making the decision to make it so ambitious with 131 artists it meant he accepted he would be unlikely to ever make a profit. That was not bad or good business, rather he thought he would invest in something he believed in and if it did not make a profit that would be one of those things. The artists were never ever misled and told to expect to earn anything from SWONS, but we did the right thing and they were given a contract that if it did make a profit then 50% of that profit would be split pro-rata between them. How can you have a problem with that?

If you want to buy a copy of SWONS you can stiill get one from Wienerworld. What has Ebay got to do with anything? The new release is not something I am directly involved in, but what are you on about.......the previous releases would have recouped x amount of the costs, the new release if it sells will recoup more, and the more that is recouped the more closer you are to break even when there will be a profit to split. What are you on about "the artist getting money back"? The artsits didn't lay out any money to get back - we did.The songwriters - who in some cases are the same people as the recording atists - have been paid on every copy sold, including our VHS release. If you want to check go the MCPS.

. How much can a video cost 10 years ago £1.00 each or £2.00 each and CD are what 0.04 p each to make.

No, I am not "still saying" I wont give any artist a copy. Where did you get that from? And how do you justify the sarcasm of putting words in my mouth of saying I am "a bit sorry"?.. What I said was that some of the artists who asked for copies got them and some slipped through the net. Anyone who asked me got them. I never ever charged any artist for a copy. And I know Ian supplied copies to artists free to. What happened was that at the time of the release a few of the artists who asked for copies did not get them. most who asked for copies did. Some of the artists got copies and then realised they could not play them on their video recoders in the USA. Looking back what we shoud have done at the time was set up a system where all the artists automatically got a USA friendly copy of their video, not the UK Box Set. We did not do so but in the main if someone asked for a copy of course they got one with our thanks. Here's another way of putting it, like you say it's dreadful, we tracked these people down, they were delighted to be asked to relive being recording artists (just ask Chris Lalor who did some of the filming) and we spent over £100k (a lot of which has not come back) because we wanted to make an historical document, we generated money for the songwriters most of the artists who asked for copies got them and a few didn't. And you decide from whatever Rare Soul snobbish ivory tower you live in that allows you to tell me to fook off? In my career i reckon I have generated and paid well over £2 million in royalties to artists and songwriters, never mind what I have earned for writers and artists I have managed. How much have you earned for them? And are John Manship and John Anderson grave diggers for finding box of records?

Ady is probably too tactful to point this out, but he was talking about our release on VHS tape some time years before the DVD release by Wienerworld. Each VHS package cost us a fortune - much more, ironically, than it would be now for the same number of DVDs which give better reproduction. We were all exhausted at the time from getting SWONS out but we could and should have supplied copies of their particular video for artists who asked. We did supply some, but others slipped through the net and that was wrong. Neil

It was also pretty embarrassing that anyone could think the Four Vandals was an original track from the sixities when it patently was not. And a bit sad that if Ian had just come out and said it was a new recording made by him it would have been rejected out of hand - but because of the hype it became in demand. Or am I wrong about that?. By the way if anyone has a demo of "My Head's In The Stars" I would be very happy to buy if from them. Please PM me if you have one for sale.

I am looking for an issue and also a demo copy of BURNING SPEAR - SOULFUL STRINGS - UK CHESS anyone who can help please PM me. Neil

Well I did point out that the K-Klass remix of Frances Nero is Soulful. Which other untruths are you on about? I've only dipped in and out of this topic and am defintiely not up to date. What I would say: 1 - From working with Ian on SWONS I know his motive/mission was to make an historical record of the Northern Soul scene, not to make a profit. I wouldn't have minded making a profit but once Ian decided he wanted to include 131 artists or whatever the total was there was no chance of that. 2 - Pat Brady called SWONS "a flawed maserpice" which is prety good description. 3 - Ian falls out with people like most people breathe. He fell out with me 3 weeks ago. But whether you liike it or not he loves Soul music and has done more than most to promote it.He also says some pretty terrible things about people and then gets surprised when there is a comeback. 4 - Who else would have had the energy to track down the artists for the film?. Some of the original videos were pretty limited but they have been improved/re-edited now, as Soul fans don't you want to see footage of Sidney Barnes, The Gems, Bobby Hebb,Edwin Starr, Kim Weston, Mel Britt, The Younghearts, The Vel-Vets etc?. I don't think it matters that much that the backing tracks don't sound like the originals, to me it was all about the footage. I got goosebumps when the video of Fred Hughes singing "Oo Wee Baby I Love You" appeared a few years ago, but I get the same feeling watching Edwin Starr "I Have Faith In you" - from SWONS. But even if you hate the end product from SWONS surely ian deserves respect for having a goI? I have in the past also seen people coming up with some bullshit about the acts being ripped off. Some - like The Dells - gpt money upfront. Most are on 50/50 profit splits so that if a profit is made, 50% ot is split pro-ratra between the acts featured on the videos. As the film has not made a profit - IE IAN HAS NOT GOT THIS INVESTMENT BACK - there is no profit to split. But royalties have been paid for all the songs used so SWONs has generated new income for songwriters. 6 - I have only met up with Paul Sadot once and he seemed alright to me. And Dave Rimmer is a sound chap. 7 - How come nobody has not pointed out what a great floater Evelyn Thomas "My Head's In The Stars" is.? Neil

Hi Pete - looking forward to receiving the EP. Re the comments above - I find it hard enough to send an e-mail so setting up a web site is not something I could do in a million years.. The web site you are on was set up to promote and sell the oriignal release of The Strange World Of Northen Soul, not to slag you off, and nothing to do with ANS . What I do remember is that you cirticised SWONS as it was about to be released (?) and I had a go back at your comments in an artlcle but I cannot remember where the article was published, maybe on our web site only? Looking back it all seems a bit silly. Neil

I had first copy and sold it to Tim Ashibendie.

On suSU - not Su Su. If you didn't like the remixes I respect your view, but I think the K-Klass remix is very Souful and I am proud of it. The original song is faithfully followed and the new strings and keyboards nicely complement the original but update it. The Soulful House crowd rejected it because it was not tough enough. The Axwell remix of "High Energy" is not Soulful but is a real winner which again I am very happy to be associated with - if Concept had spent some money on marketing it would have been a huge hit. Neil

Clearing out some records. The following are all £10 each, including postage and packing. Any 3 different for £25, again includes postage and packing. PM me if paying by cheque, Pay Pal - sales@soulvation.biz GIVE ME ANOTHER CHANCE/A DREAM - PEARL JONES (SIDRA/JOE BOY ISSUE) TROUBLE - RONNIE WALKER (IMPACT PIC BAG) I'M THE ONE TO DO IT - LAVERN BAKER/EVER AGAIN - BERNIE WILLIAMS (GLOBAL TV PIC BAG) LET'S SPEND SOME TIME TOGETHER - LARRY HOUSTON (HFMP) SUCH MISERY - TIMMY WILLIS (JOE BOY/SOUL HQ) I NEED YOUR LOVE - CLYDENE JACKSON (JOE BOY/SOUL HQ) BECAUSE OF YOU - JACKIE WILSON/LET ME COME BACK - WALTER JACKSON (TRENTHAM GARDENS LAST ALL-NIGHTER) STOP (DON'T GIVE UP YOUR LOVING) - THE TWO FELLOWS (FRED & SKEETS) (MUTT) HURTING - ERIC &THE VIKINGS/MY BABY AIN'T NO PLAYTHINGS -WILLIE JONES/iIN THE POCKET - DETROIT STRINGS (KOOL KAT) YOU'VE GOT THE POWER - THE FALCONS (RUMOURED TO ACTUALLY BE DEON JACKSON) (JOE BOY UPTOWN DOWN SOUTH) THE BOTTLE - GIL SCOTT-HERON/BRIAN JACKSON (INFERNO TWELVE INCH SINGLE) I'LL HOLD YOU - FRANKIE & JOHNNY (INFERNO) WHAT HAPPENED TO YESTERDAY - MR SOUL (TRENTHAM SINGLE) TEN PER CENT - THE TRAMMPS (NETWORK TWELVE INCH SINGLE) CANNOT RECCOMEND THIS TOO MUCH, GREAT VERSION OF THE DOUBLE EXPOSURE SALSOUL CLASSIC WITH AMAZING MIX BY NELSON "PARADISE" ROMAN TO ROCK THE MODERN ROOMS. RUNNING AWAY FROM LOVE - SLIP MAHOANEY & THE CASUALS (ABET TWEVLE INCH SINGLE - STILL IN WRAPPING!)

Ist cop went Tom DePerio- Soussan - Les Mc- Jonathan - Kev - Tim Brown 2nd copy - Ron Murphy - sold to Martin Koppell/Tim Brown. Tim then had hands on 2 copies, and I was told he kept the one he had from Kev and sold on the Ron Murphy copy to Kenny - but thinking about it I don't know....so sorry if I got that wrong. (Les Mc says he photo copied the label on the one he had and the photo copier slightly warped it)

Yes Ron Murphy had a copy which he showed to me at this place in Detroit around 89-90 - he wouldn't sell it then, but maybe a year later did as part of a pile of stuff and that's the copy that Kenny Burrell has got.

Carl, The vast majority of record royalty rate deals these days are not based on retail price,, they are based on the labels' dealer (wholesale) price minus any discounts given away to the buyer (eg recod chain) to get the sales.. So say your dealer price is £3 and someone demands 25% discount to take stock in quantity,you pay your royalty on £2.25. Say you are paying 20% royalty, then on above basis you would pay 20% x £2.25 = 45p per sale. This is much more equitable in current market price than label paying on retail as you never get the retail price and with the discounts the big buys demand you don't often get 100% the dealer price!. As an example that this is fair, in the UK the MCPS representing the music publishers/songwriters charge their royalty against dealer price, not retail, although it has to be on full dealer price, not after diiscounts. For synch deals, it is usual for the label if it owns the master to have the exclusive rights to do the licence, but to split the income (say 50/50) with the artist - ie 50% of any advance you get is credited to the artists royalty account. All the Best, Neil www.soulvation.biz.

I think Right On was actually first and foremost a USA label owned by Bill Downs, who was at one time Van McCoy's partner - he was the "do" in Vando and Mr McCoy was the "Van". Bill did lots of business with Dave Godin and from what Bill told me in the 70's allowed Dave to use the name for the UK label. Bill managed Chris Bartley and the Ad Libs and at Inferno we licenced from him "New York In The Dark" - The Ad Libs, "You Don't Mean Me No Good" - The Jellybeans and "Come Back" - The Fantstic Puzzles . I also bought out the rights to "Your Autumn of Tomorrow" - The Crow from a deal put together by Bill, and of course like "Come Back" this this had previously come out here on Right On. The company who owned The Crow were not interested in a licence deal, they would only do deal to sell outright the master recording which I was/am chuffed about. Funnily enough I was sorting through old boxes of tapes at the weekend and found the original tape Bill sent us of The Fantastic Puzzles, complete with all the Right On credits, fantasic collectors item, as the credits were done in USA sort of confirms that Right On was originally a US label? All the Best, Neil www.soulvation.biz

The inst was released as flip to vocal on UKSMP/Inferno seven in the 80's, licenced from CBS as they were at the time.

Was the Underworld label from Blackpool? We also put out "Janice" 12" as the flip to "The Bottle" - Gil Scot Heron/Brian Jacksoon a Joe Boy 12 in lovely pic bag some years ago. The CD version is pretty amazing, contains "The Bottle", "Janice", "I Can See Him Loving You" - The Anderson Brothers and "Ten per Cent" - Doube Exposure, thans to a deal with Charly who at the time had access to Salsoul, Strata-East,and GSF. All the Best, Neil www.soulvation.biz

There is a railway station directly behind Lea Hall - people using the station use Lea Hall as a car park. Trains go from Birmingham New Street on the hour up till around 7pm. And there are trains back on the Sunday. Nearest hotel to the venue is a Travel Lodge in Rugeley Town Centre, walk out of the venue and down the hill for approx 200 yards and you are there. They have 8 rooms available at the moment, booking number is 0871 9846102. If you are driving - if coming from the North come off the M6 at J15 (Stoke), follow the signs for our old venue Trenham Gardens and carry on to Stone and then follow signs to Rugeley. From the East Mildlands take the A38 from Burton to Lichfield and you will see sign for Rugeley before you get to Lichfield. If you miss sign get off at Lichfield anyway and follow the you come off on and and Rugeley is signposted.From the South come off the M6 at J12 and follow signs for Cannock/Rugeley.And if you end up on the M6 Toll Road get off at Cannock and Rugeley is signposted. For map of where Lea Hall is in Rugeley go to the web site and look at "Lea Hall" section.. www.soulvation.biz Looks like being a massive night with lots of travellers from outside the area. Please arrive as early as possible, doors open 8pm and the last 2 Catacombs DJ get togethers have been busy right from the start. And just to remind everyone - this event has nothing to do with the owners of The Catacombs trademark! All the Best, Neil