Everything posted by Ian Dewhirst
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Mellow Mellow - New Harmless 15th Anniversary Release out Monday
Out Monday "Mellow Mellow" comp from Harmless, the final one of the 15th Anniversary releases Not particularly Northern by any means, but some of you may be into some of these so no harm in posting 'em I guess. After 4 new Disco Discharges and Trax Re-Edited, Harmless gets back to some Soul again with the final 2 of our 15th anniversary releases which celebrate another two of the label's most popular series from the previous 15 years both compiled by the good Dean Rudland...... Just as an otherwise ferocious Winter draws to end and the first flowers of Spring begin to blossom, lo and behold what could be better then another special edition of another one of Harmless's flagship series, so welcome to "Mellow Mellow" - 15th Anniversary Crystal Edition. As with the original albums in this flagship series, we present a veritable cornucopia of Mellow Soul delights designed to be played as you're relaxing in the Sun, preferably on a beach or in long field of tall grass. As with "The Breaks" (also released this month) we've utilised the services of compiler extraordinaire Dean Rudland to scour the vaults of various catalogues like Curtom, Philadelphia International, Kelli-Arts, Invictus, Columbia, Epic, Hi, Brunswick, Fantasy, Philly World, Sleeping Bag and Spring to bring you 2 CD's worth of simply delectable music compiled with love and expertise by one of the most knowledgeable Soul Music experts in the world. Naturally there are a host of tracks which have either NEVER been available on CD before or which are currently unavailable on compilations like Jae Mason's "Cloud Of Sunshine", Maryann Farra & Satin Soul's "Living In The Footsteps Of Another Girl", Side Effect's "Spend It On Love", Anthony White's "I'm So Much In Love With You", MFSB feat Carla Benson's "Tell Me Why" and Millie Jackson and Isaac Hayes' "Soft Lights, Sweet Music & You". Also it gives us great pleasure to finally unearth Eugene Wilde's superlative UK and US smash "Gotta Get You Home With Me Tonight" which has long been unavailable on CD and is always in demand. As per usual, Harmless will be doing a full-on major Press, Promotion and Radio campaign targeting a much larger range of media then other Harmless releasesas we think"Mellow Mellow" has the potential to reach a much wider audience then most Harmless releases. So ease yourself into what will undoubtedly be a beautiful Spring this year and make "Mellow Mellow" the soundtrack for the Summer! You know it makes sense! HURTCD099 Mellow Mellow - 15TH Anniversary Crystal Edition 28/3/11 CD 1 1. All Because Of You Leroy Hutson 7.02 2. Why Can't We Be Lovers Holland & Dozier 4.01 3. Cloud Of Sunshine Jae Mason 3.29 4. I'm Back For More Al Johnson & Jean Carn 5.05 5. Give Me Some Emotion Webster Lewis 4.01 6. What Do You Want Me To Do Lou Courtney 2.49 7. Call Me (Come Back Home) Al Green 3.01 8. The Sweetest Pain Dexter Wansel ft Jean Carn 5.42 9. Ain't You Had Enough Phyllis Hyman 4.11 10. If Only You Knew Patti Labelle 4.44 11. Just As Long As I Know You're Mine Dee Dee Sharp Gamble 4.14 12. The O'Jays Darlin' Darlin' Baby 4.15 13. Living In The Footsteps Of Another Girl Maryann Farra & Satin Soul 2.15 14. Keep Goin' On Gary Bartz 4.27 15. This Feeling's Killing Me The Jones Girls 3.30 16. Oh Girl The Chi-Lites 3.43 17. Spend It On Love Side Effect 3.35 18. Gotta Get You Home With Me Tonight Eugene Wilde 5.19 Total 75.45 CD2 1. Come Into My Life Joyce Sims 3.43 2. I Choose You Paris 5.52 3. Heaven Only Knows Teddy Pendergrass 4.08 4. Use To Be My Girl The O'Jays 3.59 5. My Love Don't Come Easy Jean Carn 5.05 6. Tell Me Why MFSB feat Carla Benson 3.55 7. Let's Make A Baby Billy Paul 7.09 8. Do You Get Enough Love Shirley Jones 4.34 9. I'm So Much In Love With You Anthony White 4.41 10. Love For The Sake Of Love Claudia Barry 5.15 11. Devotion Earth Wind and Fire 4.48 12. Soft Lights Sweet Music and You Millie Jackson & Isaac Hayes 4.24 13. Count On Me Natural Four 4.03 14. Mon Belle Amour Ann Peebles 3.40 15. Don't Leave Me Starving For Your Love Laura Lee 2.57 16. Look At The Boy Jean Plum 2.32 17. Aretha, Sing One For Me George Jackson 2.55 Total 73.50 Amazon also out but available now... HURTCD101 The Breaks - Harmless 15th Anniversary Crystal Edition 14/3/11 CD 1 1. The Champ The Mohawks 2.38 2. It's A New Day The Skullsnaps 3.03 3. Don't Change Your Love Five Stairsteps 2.48 4. I'm Gonna Get You Joe Quarterman 2.52 5. Same Old Thing The Meters 2.45 6. Space Funk Manzel 3.39 7. Cavern Liquid Liquid 5.20 8. Heartbeat (Party Version) Taana Gardner 9.48 9. Jammin' Big Guitar Vaughan Mason 6.08 10. I Got My Mind Made Up Instant Funk 9.46 11. Dazz Brick 5.36 12. Sing Sing Gaz 7.15 13. Get Down With The Philly Sound MFSB 4.29 14. Bra Cymande 5.03 15. Love And Happiness Al Green 5.02 Total 76.40 CD2 1. I'm So Glad You're Mine Al Green 2.52 2. Here I Go Again Jean Plum 2.27 3. You Know How To Make Me Feel So Good Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes 5.16 4. Hercules Aaron Neville 4.11 5. Person To Person Average White Band 3.36 6. Cry Together The O'Jays 5.26 7. Hurry Up This Way Again The Stylistics 5.53 8. I Hate I Walked Away Syl Johnson 3.26 9. Tramp Lowell Fullsom 3.05 10. Stick Up Honey Cone 3.01 11. Soulful Football Willie Henderson 3.47 12. The Message Cymande 4.19 13. Good Ole Music Funkadelic 8.04 14. Run Nigger Last Poets 1.10 15. Kool Is Back Funk Incorporated 8.15 16. Groovin' Willie Mitchell 3.00 Total 68.17 Amazon Ian D
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Northern Soul Deejay's Of The Future ?
Yep. Essentially correct Wee Mark. Well done. Ian D
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Otis Williams New 45 Release
Wow. Stunning mate. That is a record I want to own. I'm still of the opinion that this record is one of the best double-siders of all time. I find it amazing that a record of this calibre, via both the A & B sides, somehow still managed to fall through the gaps on it's original release. Well it's here now LOL....... Can't wait to get it in my hands at last! Roughly when did you say the delivery date was Paul.........? Ian D
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Cee Lo Green, Best Male Artist At Brit Awards
Yeah, he's the real deal for sure. Wonderful voice. Cunnie was good enough to put me onto a great mix of this t'other month:- Cee-Lo "I Want You" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZY8g96fMgg Ian D
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Probably The Best Northern Soul Ad Ever
Yep, he's a major vinyl fan. I did the 180 gram vinyl pressings for both "Reservoir Dogs" and "Pulp Fiction" soundtracks and he loved 'em! Ian D
- 100 Club Saved! ...by Converse?
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Babe Ruth Elusive
Yeah, weird ay? Since I never played it off the original LP because the U.S. 7" copies came in immediately, I never really thought about it. I presume that the original album version is different from the 7" versions? Great thread though innit? I mean, this is what we live for......................... Ian D
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Probably The Best Northern Soul Ad Ever
Completely forgot about that Tony and that's probably where they got the tune from now that I think about it.............. So presumably the next big international ad will be snagged from Tarrantino's FANTASTIC use of Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich's "Hold Tight" from Deathproof.........? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIwiUXCA6W0 I mean, that's a pretty effective use of a tune innit? He's very good at that................... Ian D
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Probably The Best Northern Soul Ad Ever
Yep, if ever there was any doubt about the reach, emotional resonance and viabilty of a Northern Soul record to reach a mainstream international audience, then this Nike ad puts those fears to bed. This was a key record in my own musical education and one of the records which drew me into Northern Soul. The amount of interest that this will gather purely as a result of this ad is virtually incalculable. I mean the previous benchmarks were Felix Cat Food, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Lambrusco. This is a whole new league. If anything was going to provide a surge of interest in this music at a time when everyone's questioning whether it even has a future or not, I would suggest that a pan-world Nike advert is better than a kick in the derriere......... Didn't see this coming at all. Smart move by Nike and their ad agency. Maybe we're not as dead as we thought we were ay? Ian D
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Babe Ruth Elusive
Yep. Of course it is. Occasionally even I can get a bit puritanical about records but when it comes down to it I was brought up with all the Motown stuff plus a lot of UK only hits like "Baby Now That I Found You" and "Build Me Up Buttercup" - The Foundations, "I Feel Love Comin' On" - Felice Taylor, "Sweet Inspiration" - Johnny Johnson & The Bandwagon and UK produced Northern hits like "A Man Like Me" - Jimmy James, "What Love Brings" - Kenny Bernard, "Serving A Sentence Of Life" - Carl Douglas, "Our Love Is Getting Stronger" - Jason Knight, "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" - P.P. Arnold, "Stop What You're Doing" - The Playthings and numerous others. The Northern Soul audience in the mid 70's just loved an irrestible beat, a great song and a vocal with conviction and "Elusive" is simply another fine record in that tradition. It was the biggest record in the country at it's height and rightly so. Still a fantastic performance and I'm glad we were right on it! We generally got the best of the most 'soulful' records throughout most genres in my opinion. I mean, Babe Ruth never saw a Northern Soul classic in a zillion years and neither did we at the time........... Ian D
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Probably The Best Northern Soul Ad Ever
Y'know , sometimes something happens that's just perfect. If ever Northern Soul was going to appeal to an international audience and turn more people on to this music, I always thought it would need to be branded a bit more snappily. Well, we just reached that moment. I was busy on the Babe Ruth thread in the 'Look In Your Box' section, when suddenly the TV started blasting the Human Beinz "Nobody But Me" from out of nowhere and I looked up and watched some brilliantly filmed sport footage to a hundred mph Northern classic that kept me mesmerized for the next 60 seconds. Yes folks, welcome to the brand new international Nike ad: Nike Throwdown https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAe9SpuxtYI Not bad ay? To think it all started some 43 years ago at a little club in Manchester. From little acorns etc, etc. Great stuff! Ian D
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Babe Ruth Elusive
This whole UK re-recording thing has kinda thrown me. I've nothing to compare it to other than "Elusive", which I've got both on U.K. and U.S. promos, but sadly, nothing else by 'em. I actually met Steve Rowland, the producer, at a Lonnie Liston-Smith gig at the Orange in the 90's and had a great conversation with him. He produced one of my favourite pop records, "Central Park Arrest" by Thunderthighs, a sort of very accomplished, wall-of-soundy, Phil Spector pastiche by a UK studio group. It was like the Ronettes on acid. Great record. In fact, here it is:- "Central Park Arrest" - Thunderthighs UK Phillips 1974 Wow! How about that ay? What a f*ckin' REKID! I wish I'd realised at the time that he'd produced "Elusive"! That wouldv'e been an extra 20 minutes conversation LOL......... I'll try and track him down and ask him what the deal was. Also, I'll ask my colleague, Val, 'cos he's pretty good on this stuff too and this will be right up his street LOL.... Ian D
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Babe Ruth Elusive
Yep, that's right. My brain can't be that defective then although the c/u title would be more likely to be "Trying To Find You" surely?. Ruth Brown is bang on the money though......... Ian D
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The New Sound Of Old Soul
Yep, agreed. But who's Black Wolf...? And did he ever make it to plastic or local fame? Ian D
- 100 Club Saved! ...by Converse?
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Manifesto
My thoughts exactly. Aging eyesight and those f*ckin' 60 watt energy efficient light bulbs don't make reading those stupid fonts very easy do they? I'll pass it on to Mike but I think he's probably aware. I pulled him on the no creditation for the Kent Washburn article (which was John Smith by the way), so he's suitably humbled already. This'll make his week LOL.... Ian D
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The New Sound Of Old Soul
Who's Black Wolf? Anyone....? Ian D
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Rare Soul At The Oscars - Blue Valentine
Excellent stuff. I love it when stuff like this happens because it makes people realise the quality of old music that they wouldn't ever get to hear under normal circumstances. It was a similar thing when Boots raided that Soul Jazz album for the previously generally unknown "Here Come The Girls" - Ernie K. Doe and probably pumped up Soul Jazz's sales nicely. So good for them. Same for Numero. They go to a massive amount of effort to dig up this stuff so it's nice when something like this happens. Well done to all! Ian D
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British Jayboy
Canned Heat surely Kev? Most of those 2-22 releases are ridiculously difficult to find. My mate (Sid from Cleckheaton) actually had a complete run back in the 70's but I haven't seen him for 35 years so I dunno if they're still intact......... Ian D
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Ltd
Nope, just U.S. Ian D
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By Any Other Name
Sure did. Don Haywoode from the Velours actually lived in Leeds when the Fantastics got established in the UK and he confirmed the connection. I used to go out with his daughter Emma so I'd see him quite often........ Ian D
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By Any Other Name
Frank Beverly & The Butlers - Maze Rotary Connection- Minnie Ripperton The Poppies-Dorothy Moore Ian D
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What Are You Spinning At Home ?
Currently going through the entire One Way/Al Hudson albums from the late 70's to mid 90's. There's gold in there somewhere! Ian D
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Harold Melvin
Landa was pre Philly International (and even pre Arctic I think). It was released in the UK due to Northern Soul demand - Route routinely issued quite a few in-demand Northern tunes at the time including Sheila Anthony, Elsie Strong and Mistura among others. Actually, whilst we're on this subject, does anyone know whether the Teddy from Teddy & The Fingerpoppers of "Soul Groove" fame on Artic is actually Teddy Pendergrass? He used to be a drummer so it's feasible isn't it? Ian D
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Who Are The Top Dj's For Breaking New Tunes?
The only shack in town is Stevie G's shed. Tickets going fast. Might have to put the last few up for auction............... Ian D