bri phill

Ian, I use to think the same as your post at the time back in the late 60's but just after the Wheel had closed heard about a guy who had plenty of sounds credited to being discovered later. Records such as Tainted love, I'm on my way,)Sandi Sheldon and quite a few more what were played at the Blue Note circa late 68 but didn't take off and were not played much after that as the club moved more into ska scene. On top off that there were people like Roger Eagle regularly importing records but not giving them a lot of air time because of the amount of stuff coming out in 65-67 era. In the late 60's early 70's there wasn't the same quality as that era so we were having to search out more obscure stuff etc. Gotta go things to do/. Regards Brian

Ian, I was wondering what you were on about when you mentioned this but Ive only just seen this post. I can assure you Sousann never put a list out through me, he may have used my name because I was one of the main dealers at that time and trusted by all the major collectors where he wasn't. It must have been one of his scams but nothing to do with me Regards Brain

Hi Ian, My rejection threshold is I would say is higher than anybodys because out of all the so called great records I've heard only 10% do it for me,Everything is overrated .I personally didn't like the way soul progessed out of the basement to the penthouse(can't remeber who said that] smoove doesn't do it for me I like bolocks in the music if it's punk,rock or whatever thats where we and plenty of other people differ. A lot of 70's is a bit shallow nice records don't do it for me and worst of all is a night out listening to beat ballads.On a night out I want music to energise me not music to sit down to or shuffle about to thats for dinner party people not a proper soul night.If it was down to these people the scene would have never got going. Regards Brian

Ian you've got a fantastic memory but I haven't I have no recollection of that listing. I can't remenber thousands of records I had let alone the ones I didn't have that never existed. Regards Brian

Hello Ian, Just a line to wish you good luck with your DVD. And thanks for getting me back on the scene with the SWONS project which I do beleive was a labour of love. Regards Brian Phillips

huh huh

Ive only just read this quote although I did post earlier today about the film and fully agree with Shimmy,HOW CAN THIS QUOTE GET ANYBODYS BACK UP as quoted by the lipstick girl. Like I said the more success the film as the more the artist will earn from future CD sales etc and isn't the music about the artists. So why don't people open their minds a bit and look at THE BIGGER PICTURE. I like the new film plots coming from SUTTY pure class. Regards Brian

I read the initial thread and the first few postings a few days ago and thought a film on the way,so ok. This morning sees a thread about Mark Bicknell resigning (who contributes a lot to this site)amd thought what's all that about which drew me back into this thread. I've not read all posts ecause unlike some have got a life to lead. It's a commercial film not a documentary yes it wants authenticity but it doesn't have to be the to the most minute detail. The film makers are going for the wider audience they have to make money and are just tapping into the NS scene because of a point of difference with other British films. Using some of todays popular artist will help the commercial viability so it makes sense but this will also help the original artist also used in the sountrack through reaching a wider audience. In the early 60's when the Rolling Stones and the rest started coveing black R&B tunes some purist wern't to happy but that helped the chicago blues men and the Motown R&B acts. The same thing with soul acts a little later. So youv'e got to look at the bigger picture(no smart cracks) the original artists will receive some benefit via extra CD sales and thats more important than anything else. The other benefit I hope it results in a few new faces on the scene if the soul police don't scare them off. I personally don't like the pigeon holed view of NS being portrayed ie Baggies ,Vests, Talc etc (not my cup of tea)but in1974 that's what was happening. At the end of the day it's just a film so I hope it's enjoyable and no one dies(in real life) Regards Brian Phillips

TWISTED WHEEL enders circa 67-70 were Touch of velvet a string of brass,Walking to New Orleans,Long after the tonight is all over,The Drifter, Regards Brian Phillips

This is a great subject and giving someone a cd of totally whats being played at allniters now would be a complete waste of effort because the tunes alone wouldn't hook them in they haven't got the quality of the original tunes what got people hooked un 60/70's. That would be like giving a cd with what's big at the moment in 1975 at Wigan or in 1970 whats big at the Twisted Wheel or the Catacombs or in 72 the Mecca or the Torch. All these cd's would lack pure quality because the original sounds will take some beating the scene would never have got off the ground with what's played now. What I mean by that a cd for new comers should have at least 50% classics to help introduce newcomers because thats what they beleive northern soul is.ie a cd for newcomers in1972 would contain Twisted Wheel classics etc.1975 would contain Twisted Wheel Catacombs Torch etc. I know we all have our own opinions what are classics most of them are probably judged at the point when we entered the scene which is normal . I also know forward thinking dj's will want to push the new discoveries forward that's right and natural for allniter regulars but not for new comers.New comers will need a bit more gentle breaking in and even old comers,so back to the cd it needs both old and only the very best of the new because most of the new will be forgotten in a year,history tells us this. This is not a personal go at new sounds I personally would prefer to hear new with a sprinkling of classics,there's nothing better than hearing a great new sound but for a cd to intoduce people a DEF NO NO. Regards Brian(I hope I've made sense after a few sherberts)

I won't pay top dollar for a big sound there's no fun in that anyone with money can do that,(and i'm not skint)but finding some great album,cd only tracks and putting them on carvers as more appeal if nobody is playing them out like playing anything of quality thats not getting airplay in the venues. As regards royalties the artist have got more chance via cd sales than rare vinyl sales. Regards Brian

Ian, Heres one for the records regarding "tainted Love" and I'm on my way"going of the thread but for the history books. In 1969/70 I thought I had every record that anyone was after or if I didn't I would find it within a week in time for the next niter. Someone mentioned a couple of tracks they'd heard in the past around 68'sh at the Blue Note which was just up the road from the Wheel that didn't really catch on that much. I remember Gloria Jones and Dean Parrish being mentioned and vaguley remeber the titles but because the Blue Note was playing an allround mix of soul funk etc. and ska it didn't register on my radar as normal .I also use to visit the Blue Note for short bursts passing through on my way to the Wheel and they played a right mix of sounds but at that time was going more towards the Jamaican scene. So I never heard them myself but have it on good evidence they were played along with a lot of supposadly later discoveries. The big difference I think was for the older crowd a new record by Gloria Jones or Dean Parrish wouldn't mean that much because their view would be it's not as good as say Determination or Heartbeat.The older crowd were moving on and they had all this stuff as new releases via Roger Eagle,imported singles to the dedicated were't no big thing quality was the key. Regards Brian

I haven't got any carvers but am going to get a couple done for dj purposes only stuff thats not been issued on single format and really only stuff I don't think is being played amywhere. This is only the same as in the late 60s when I cut stuff of albums on EMI disc for dj purposes only I beleive these carvers are a lot better quality. I wouldn't do it for personal use. Regards Brian Phillips

TOTALLY AGREE,IT HELPS US GUYS WHO HAVE NOT BEEN COLLECTING FOR YEARS. BRIAN

I personally think you can't beat an underground venue The Twisted Wheel was on the groundfloor and underground but all the atmosphere was generated underground. All the best 60's clubs were underground,the hip Manchester kids wouldn't have gone to big dance halls such as the Ritz or Belve vue they were the cheesy bright lights old hat places. I know Northern Soul graduated to The Mecca and Casino but IMHO it could never have started there it would never have got of the ground(no pun intended)with them venues the Mods wouldn't have gone to them places. The reason not many cool young kids go to NS venues now is because their not cool ,big dance halls,civic centres and worst of all social clubs with bright lights. The young kids will be seen more at Mod venues or in the main modern clubs/bars where they play a more ecclectric mix including northern,funk,R&B,.They don't seem to like smooth 70's they want music to energise them not to send them asleep which goes back to how it all kicked off. Regards Brian Phillips

I would have thought it was worth more on Red Atlantic than Fame, Having said that I'm only just starting buying records again the last 1 I had was part of a collectiom I solld for mext to nothing. Top record this one though everbody needs this. Regards Brian Phillips

I found about 20 copies on Major Minor on a market in Oldham 1969. Ade Jeff King is selling records now from Birmingham I think it's the same Jeff from Leicester bought I off him on Gemm it's due anytime I hope. Regards Brian

I sold a HMV demo for about £2.50 in1970 don't remember it being a big money sound.In fact any English sound including A.Patten etc don't remeber fetching more than a fiver around Manchester,at that time we all thought imports were rarer. Julian me expensive!I must have been cheap you bought enoughLOL Ade A lot of love had been re-released by that time that's why it was cheaper than Hooked by love. By the way Jeff King selling records again based in Birmingham an earlier thread was wondering what happened to him. Regards Brian

To my knowledge Bettye Swann was never more than a £! and Mickey Lee Lane wasnt much more but we were cheap in Manchester because the Gloucester lads were paying a lot more but these 2 sound were comon in manchester and played out by 1970.The only reason I got top money for the Robert Banks and jerry Cook was that the Gloucester lads were after them and at that time they were probably the only copies. I don't remember getting more than £5 for any U.K. stuff and that includes all the top stuff and many Demos. Seeing Baby Reconsider being mentioned that was part of the remains of my collection with about 600 -700 more I let go in1981 to 2 well known DJ's who could make better use of them rather than my loft.The lot for £200 and I didn't even need the cash Regards Brian

I wish I'd found them punters I was getting about £1.50 for them at the Wheel or on my record lists,Idid get£40 for Moses Smith of Colin Curtis in 1972,I use to lend it to him along with other tunes and a bidding war started between Colin and Ian for it.I think the nearest I got to that was £15 each for Jerry Cook and Robert Banks 1n 1970. Mind I was always roo cheap Regards Brian Phillips

Hey Malc you did well getting them prices I couldn't get them in the 70's for half of 'em (fool to myself) Regards Brian

Ian you're obviously trying to make yourself feel better with this sadistic topic and I feel I am going to get the pain out and doine with as quick as possible because I am not a writer OK and i've neded the inducement of alchol but no other chemicals. In my time I have sold 30-40 thousand singles via record lists,personal deals and obviously many of them would bring nightmares with todays prices but business is business so no point in getting upset (at selling a £1000 sound for £2 thats business) What this post is about by the evil man who started it is what causes pain WELL After all my record dealing I saved about 6-8 hundred of my favourite sounds 80% english top tunes from the Wheel etc including A.lexandra patten,B obby sheen,Ray Pollard,Vala reagan,art freaman,dean parish,Invitations,Incredibles,Garnet Mimms,loads of demos like Helpless ,everybody loves a goodtime,sweet thing,unsatified,hoagy lands and lots more including later big tunes such as you satisfied my needs and more beat ballad stuff plus imports of the Baby reconsider quality etc. They were causing nobody any trouble lying and totally forgotten up in a spare bedroom until I met up in some cheesy disco in about 1981 asked have I got any tunes left by 2 well known jocks I said yes (bad answer). I didn't get railroded into it I didn't even need the money but I let them go at a very weak moment for about £200 but my comfort at the time was they would make better use of them than I would. I had no regrets untiil 1999 when all of a sudden Richard Searling phoned me and 2 hours later Ian Levine knocked on my door with some cameras and I realised what a twat I'd been.AND WORST WHAT A TWAT IAN (FRANK) IS I HOPE THIS MAKES HIM FEEL BETTER because I have to cut it short to get it over and done with even though I am half pissed. regards Brian Phillips

Max Good luck in your retirement you deserve a gold medal or maybe a gold record for 45 years UNBELEIVABLE. I can't beleive I never went there in the late 60's early 70's. Regards Brian

This thread is making me ill in 1981 I had about 700 records left after all my dealings my personal favourites all the best Uk stuff including Vala Reagen,Alexandra Patten,Art Freeman,Barbara Mills and every other big sound from the Wheel and my favourites from Torch ,Mecca Cats etc.They were gathering dust in a spare bedroom and I bumped into a couple of old pals who talked me into selling them. I think I got around £200 for the lot, I didn't need the money but I thought they both well known DJ's would make bettter use of them. Their must have been 100 demos. Still thats life Regards Brian