Ian Dewhirst

Managed to keep my copy of one of the rarest Mowest releases of all time until the mid 90's when Blake Helliwell managed to prise it off me. Typically, I've never seen it since. I think it's super-duper-super rare. A powerhouse vocal performance and rare as hens teeth. Bugger......... "Just A Little Bit Closer" - Bobby Taylor https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pd_RXq4jtcU&feature=related Ian D

Best version by far for me. One day this song will make it......... "I Can't Move No Mountains" - Crack Of Dawn Ian D

Kept mine since 1972 or whenever it was. It didn't seem rare at the time but I bet it's a bugger turning one up now. As good a piece of blue-eyed Soul as I've ever heard........... Ian D

New ones on me....... "Don't Take It Out On Me" - Richard Marks "Love Is Gone" - Richard Marks Ian D

Just about everything they do is great but for Northern dancefloors I reckon "If You Don't Love Me No More" on Curtom would be a better bet. Can't find a clip on You Tube and nothing in Refo so can't post...... Ian D

I think this was held back by it's rarity at the time...... "Left Out" - Jesse Johnson Ian D

Surely it's time will come one day....... "Since You Said You'd Be Mine" - Lou Ragland https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNUv0hlGl-U Ian D

I still think this is the best version..... "I Don't Wanna Cry" - Dick Jenson Ian D

Another oldie but goodie. Had funky in the title which maybe limited it's chances but still sounds good LOUD! "Funky To Me" - Kent Meade Ian D

Yep, it's a bugger. He seems to be irresistible to most women which maybe explains the cross he has to bear vis a vis being a sex addict........... Ian D

No Jerry, it was the other way around, namely, Cortez Greer was reviewed in Levine's column in Black Music which alerted me to it, then, a few weeks later, it turns up on Soul Bowl's list for £1. A shame because the record had no time to build at all - a bit like those Selecta bootlegs which came out too early on Lou Courtney, Jessica James etc, etc Ian D

Really? So presumably all those copies that Soul Bowl knocked out were boots then? Weird. I always thought that John had simply found a decent quantity of them. I remember thinking at the time that they looked pretty new........ Ian D

Nope, deffo not a plumber from Swadlicote but Halle Berry's ex-husband, reputed sex addict and recording act from L.A. who has been around for about 15 years or so. But close. Ian D

I do kinda remember some dodgy copies with what looked to be unconvincing labels. Can anyone confirm? This is one of those records which requires thick vinyl to soak up those killer harmonies and screams LOL.... Ian D

Yep, unlikely as it seems, there'sprobably a few young Godzillas out there right now feverishly devouring this thread and filling in their notebooks looking to start thinning down that vinyl mountain over here! I guess most of these will be comparitive cheapies these days........ Ian D

Sure Godzilla but one man's underplayed oldie could be another man's unheard song full-stop. Also I'm assuming that there could be a large contingent of younger people or new to the scene people who may not have heard some of these ever. There's songs on this thread which I've never heard out in 40 odd years. Also, a lot of it depends on when people were on the scene, when they were off the scene, when they came back on etc, etc. Feel free to straighten the balance by all means. I'm sure there'd be a load of goodies that were'nt found 'til the early 80's but those are 30 years old now, so hence will be new to many ears who maybe weren'r around at the time........ Ian D

10-1 that's exactly what it is. Stanstead Airport has never been known as a Northern Soul stronghold LOL..... Ian D

No I don't think it was booted was it? Can anyone confirm? Ian D

Ah, OK. First time round was in the mid 70's for me Chalky. I wasn't around that much in Northern clubs the 80's and early 90's like a lot of people so there's bound to be a few knowledge gaps here and there. Was it huge everywhere then? Ian D

Killer record Malc! Levine wrote about this one in his Black Music column. What killed it stone dead was that it appeared on a Soul Bowl list for £1 not long after, so it's another one of those that was simply too available. I suspect if had been a one-off it would have been a biggie at the time...... Ian D

Yep, it first appeared on a Soussan list and no one knew whether it was real or not until a couple of originals came through. Initially we thought some of those Roll copies may have been advance bootlegs but they turned out to be the real thing! By then it was too late and people had moved on....... Ian D

OK let's have a couple of killer album tracks from two Detroit veterans from back in the day that should have been biggies but which are picking up a bit of attention finally..... "I Can Take The World On" - Popcorn Wylie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5yUWWl9vYI "I'll Fly To Your Open Arms" - Jack Ashford https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glTM-32LbYw Ian D

And how could this have failed first time around? Vintage Detroit, catchy hook, great vocal but simply not enough copies back in the day. Probably down to rarity I guess....... "I'm Catching On" - Betty Lloyd https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjgyeDL5f90 Ian D

Another vintage Chicago record from a vintage act which used to be rare as hell (and I presume it still is). Maybe not as commercial as some of the others but all the right credentials........ "You Make My Heart Sing" - The Eldorados Ian D

Can't believe this one never took off big. Woulda worked nicely with something like "Take Me Back" - Lee Fields possibly? Perfect record for time like this! "The Economy" - Lee Mitchell Ian D