Ian Dewhirst

Blimey, life is going so fast that I don’t seem to have time to even catch my breath these days so many apologies for my slackness in posting up the playlist and link for the last show until just now LOL! Hopefully normal service has now been resumed! I can tell you that there’s some incredible stuff coming on the horizon very shortly. The passport to one of the all-time holy grails has just been opened and that is why I’ve been consumed just lately. Keep tuned and all will be revealed shortly but it’s truly sensational stuff believe me! Anyway, I managed to get it together enough for this week’s show which features the usual trawl through the eras and as usual we have some fresh new re-edits and a wonderful new exclusive among the veritable smorgasbord of incredible music from across the last 45 years! You know what to expect by now. Sunday afternoon heaven! Join me LIVE @ 2.00pm today and let’s have a Sunday afternoon love-in! Six Million Steps Presents The Original Mastercuts Show LIVE with Ian Dewhirst between 2.00-4.00pm on Sunday 17th July 2011 on everyone’s favourite Soul station www.starpointradio.com. Featuring…… Stevie Wonder * Los Charly’s Orchestra * The Supremes * James Ingram * Change * Ashford & Simpson * Rene & Angela * Steve Arrington * Leonard Lidell * The Four Tops * Marvin Gaye * Jr Walker & The All-Stars * Garnet Mimms * Dusty Springfield * Phillip & Lloyd (The Bluesbusters) * DeDe Warwick * Darrell Banks * Ruby Andrews * Bob & Gene * Tommy Keith * Millie Jackson * Prominent * Jamiroquai * Cee-Lo Green See you LIVE @ 2.00pm! It’ll be fun…….. Ian D X

Massive massive apologies to all the regulars who have been quite rightly moaning about my slackness in posting the playlists and links up for the recent shows. Truth is I've been incredibly busy and basically knackered most of the time so I've slacked a bit! Anyway, here is the last show and once again apologies to all for the late posting! Six Million Steps Presents The Original Mastercuts Show LIVE with Ian Dewhirst & Alan Champ between 2.00-4.00pm on Sunday 3rd July 2011 on everyone's favourite Soul station www.starpointradio.com. Featuring...... 1st Hour The Jackson 5 - Never Can Say Goodbye - J.J. Re-Edit Michael Jackson - You Are Not Alone - Frankie Knuckles Remix Frankie Knuckles feat Jamie Principle - I'll Take You There - Directors Cut Signature Mix Frankie Knuckles feat Bunny Sigler - Frankie's Dance - S.G. & Neil Thompson Mix Stevie Wonder - All I Do - Danny Massure Groove Is In The Heart Re-Edit Jimmy Ruffin - Tell Me What You Want - Scratchandsniff Re-Edit The Chi-Lites - You Don't Have To Go The Spinners - The Rubberband Man - Scratchandsniff Re-Edit Ashford & Simpson - Street Corner - Womack Re-Work 2nd Hour Tami Lynn - I'm Gonna Run Away From You Felice Taylor - I Feel Love Comin' On Diana Ross & The Supremes - You Keep Me Hangin' On The Velvets - I Gotta Find Me Somebody Sandi Sheldon - You're Gonna Make Me Love You The Funky Sisters - Do It To It Stanley Mitchell - Get It Baby Detroit Executives - Cool Off The Paramount Four - Sorry Ain't The Word Rena Scott - The Grass Ain't Greener The Dramatics - What You See Is What You Get - Victor Rosado 2011 Remix Bobby Caldwell - What You Won't Do For Love - Womack Re-Work Marvin Gaye - I Want You - M&M Breakdown Mix Cee-Lo Green - I Want You https://www.sixmillionsteps.com/6MS-2011-07-03-Starpoint.mp3 Coming backatcha LIVE on Sunday 17th July 2.00-4.00pm! Don't miss! Ian D X

Agreed. It seems that an act which can cross over to a pop audience (often by accident), virtually always condemns them to a fate of none credibility with so-called 'deeper' audiences. Commercial success quite often erradicates them from the equation which is a shame in some cases. It's just one of those things I guess. It's funny that you brought up Billy Ocean in a Cee-Lo Green thread though, because they have very similar parallels. Billy Ocean started his career with a multi-racial pop band called Scorched Earth who made a record called "On The Run" which I heard in the early 70's and I loved the lead vocalist's voice at the time. In fact, here's a clip:- And then he did his quasi Northern pastiche which was actually pretty good in a UK Biddu kinda way..... And here's a clip from a couple of years ago, performing "Suddenly"..... He's a lovely guy. I bumped into him in a McDonalds in Shaftesbury Avenue in the 80's and we had a great conversation over big macs. I have a lot of respect for him. Cee-Lo's similar in a way. Incredible voice but very unconventional in the way he made it. That's why I always try and stay objective about great voices because quite often the hype can cloud the issue. Ian D

Nought wrong with Billy Ocean Boba. I forgave him for being so ridiculous as to sell millions of records when I recently saw him do a spellbinding version of "Suddenly" and saw grown men in the venue start blubbering openly LOL. One of the greatest performances I've ever witnessed actually, I shit thee not........ Ian D

Mint UK 7" with pic sleeve over here for £50 if anyone wants one. Ian D

Good point. However, Cee-Lo toiled away in relative obscurity for a long time before his major breakthrough with Gnarls Barklay (which I also thought was an incredible vocal). He'd had a string of relative commercial flops since 1995 and he got dropped by Arista after 2 flop solo albums, so if anything, he was incredibly lucky to get the breakthrough when he did. His success was anything but guaranteed really. Most people had consigned him to the dumper a long time before. But he kept at it against all the odds through thick and thin, which is maybe the difference between Cee-Lo and the Robert Tanner's and George Hughley's of the world, as good as they undoubtably are. But I take your point about the thread title. I think he's unlikely to appeal too much to the more traditional among us. He didn't appeal to me at all until recently but his recent album has been the most played in my house just lately. Apparently he loves Northern Soul too which doesn't surprise me....... Ian D

Good point Charlie. As many people keep pointing out, it's a very different scene these days and, as you say, much more fragmented with a much more diverse set of audiences. I think it's a natural progression and evolution much like you get on other scenes. Exactly the same thing happened with 70's Dance/Disco/Jazz-Funk music which was huge in the 70's when there was less choice and everybody seemed to be happy just to hear all the stuff under one roof and then that evolved into the 80's and 90's and fragmented into Boogie, Electro, Hip-Hop, Acid Jazz, House, Garage, New Jack Swing etc, etc. Consequently people got choosier and the audiences became more fragmented and harder to please. But your point about the bigger name jocks is a good one. Just being up there in the top strata with a boxfull of killers adds a certain mystique and most of the top jocks have the confidence to know they can carry the crowd with the right record choices because they have an expensive hotbox at their disposal. I'm curious about something else though. Are there many instances of today's top jocks actively championing the easier to find cheapies alongside the rarities? I mean who started playing Lee Fields again for the first time? How come that common as muck Dolly Gilmore record which you couldn't give away in the 70's has just gone for £350 on Mannies auction? Sometimes I think it says more about a jock who will happily play a £10 record alongside the multi-thousand pound rarities, but I reckon only some top jocks can actually get away with that, so who are the ones who can walk that particular tightrope? Ian D

Stunning. Can't really think of anyone else who comes close in terms of recent artists. Maybe his big mistake for this scene was to not record in a shack in Alabama, press up a couple of hundred copies with an amateurish label design and die pennyless? Some artists just don't get it do they? Ian D

It's probably more the production then the song Matt. I actually can't stand 98% of contemporary productions which leave me totally cold and uninspired but I think this guy's in a league of his own. And I wasn't an easy convert believe me. I reckon if that vocal could be transferred to a 60's or 70's type production it would tick all the boxes for a lot of people. I seriously think he's right up there with the greats and I concurr with Simsy that he could easily be a modern day Solomon Burke. Cunnie turned me onto this ages ago and it's since become my favourite track (but I do have pretty broad tastes). Ian D

Fantastic post Gareth and some very good points raised. Ian D

Totally agree. The guy just oozes Soul and "I Want You" is the best record of the last couple of years for me and his latest album is easily the best Soul album of the 00's for me too. A gigantic talent who is on a par with all the greats IMO. Ian D

A good metaphor there Simon. Plus, of course, there's no modern day equivalent to Soul Bowl is there? i.e. nowhere to buy tons of unknowns at a reasonable price.......... Ian D

Thought you may have the wrong idea that's all. I'm a little bit long in the tooth to go through all that again and my disposable income tends to go in other directions LOL.... In fact the point you allude to is one of the points of the thread. There's always been 'chequebook' DJ's who come and go but presumably they'd need a very fat chequebook to get in the game at the top level these days surely? Ian D

I don't really understand what you're getting at Steve. What do you mean? As far as I'm concerned it's am interesting thread that's all. Ian D

Well, some of those who have managed to maintain their collections over that time without ever selling anything and have the time and space to house it all probably are sat on a fortune at current prices. Certainly Browny's collection (especially with his Deep Soul stuff) probably wouldn't have been far off that mark when it was at it's prime. I've always found that trying to maintain even a relatively modest collection is still equivalent to a part-time job which sometimes takes over your life and house (that's if you like to have everything neatly filed). As we speak, I've around 1000 records that need filing back in which are just piled up around the house - the source of constant arguements in the Dewhirst household! Time for another clearout is coming......... Ian D

LOL, I know Marc. I kinda knew the answer(s) before I posted but I thought it'd be fun to throw it open....... Bloody annoying though. I can't find that friggin' Parliaments record in any of the local charity shops......... Ian D

Brilliant work! Wheoever did this really put some effort into it. Great stuff! Everybody should download that list for reference purposes alone. Ian D

Boy, if the Mecca had a lighting system like the one in the clip then "Overture" would have been even bigger! To me this record continued the tradition of the great Northern string-led instrumentals. I presume it was recorded in L.A. but it's deffo got that Detroit String vibe albeit more updated. Great record! Ian D

Ah, so now we're getting to the gist of things. So, over a number of years, smart buying, good analytical skills and a keen ear can redress the balance between someone who swans in with a ton of cash. Makes sense if you're playing a long game for sure. Ian D

LOL, I think it's pretty simple really. The greatest DJ in the world with 3K worth of records probably wouldn't have the same appeal as the worst DJ in the world with 30K worth of records. Does that make it any easier? Ian D

No. I can't think of a great technical DJ who ever made it on this scene without rare records. Can anyone? This is one of those scenes where the DJ is only as good as the records he has in his box. Ian D

Yep, he was the 'enfante terrible' for sure although I'm not sure how many repeat bookings he got. He wasn't afraid to pay big money for rare records either which kinda brings us right back to the subject of the thread doesn't it..........? Ian D

An interesting comment in itself. Hiding to nothing? Ian D

Undoubtably. Ian D

I wouldn't be so sure that you'd only sell 500 copies Lorraine. You're a natural writer, you were there at the time, you're still very level-headed (which is a rarity believe me) and you have a fantastic story to tell. I can tell just from this thread that you have the skill to write a book that could touch the hearts of many people. I'll bet you a dollar to a cent that you could sell at least a couple of thousand copies to your core audience alone. And yours would probably be a much better read than Dennis and Jack's books! Could be a lovely project and an opportunity to document everything properly from your own unique angle as one of the few women that covered all angles. Worth thinking about ay? Ian D X