Ian Dewhirst

No ya didn't. I did. 4th March 1971. So there! Ian D

As a matter of fact, yep I have Jocko! I just found 2 copies so if anyone else wants one it's £25.00. PM me if interested. Best, Ian D

I'm merely a conduit for what happens in real life Dylan. Truth is far stranger than fiction especially with characters like Tim, Sam, Soussan, Levine, Pete Lawson, Bub, Swish, Kegsy etc, etc. Much more entertaining than a Jeffrey Archer novel that's for sure........ Ian D

LOL. I'm sure you and Tim could spend countless evenings waxing lyrical about the merits of Freddie North Baz! Me? I'd far rather watch him struggling to get his TV working via the Sky telephone helpline which involved him using the phone in a seperate room and then frantically dashing from one room to another with each seperate instruction from the lady at Sky......Hilarious! There was a point when he tried to enlist me in the process by telling him what was on the screen whilst he was on the phone in the other room and at that exact point what looked to be a green Gekko popped up on the screen, so I yelled out "There's a Gekko Tim"! He thought I was taking the piss and came in to look for himself and then pointed out that it was in fact a Chamaeleo Calyptratus which should give you some indication of where his head's at................ How can you win............? Ian D

I'm sure it will Gareth, but I'm talking about the Freddie North one on Mankind which can be found in quantity in every corner of the world and as ballast in most ocean going ships! Is there any reason why they'd have pressed several million copies of a record which patently never sold and could in fact, make an exact scale model of the Empire State building in vinyl? Answers to Mr Know It All @ Anglo American Freddie North recycling centre........... Ian D

His 'I know best' attitude didn't look so great last week when he couldn't even operate his satellite T.V. LOL. I have FANTASTIC fun regularly watching him proceed at full-pace into a brick wall and then grudgingly eat humble-pie. It's become one of my favorite past-times trying to catch him out which doesn't happen often enough for my liking I'll say one thing for Tim - if he's proved wrong he's man enough to admit his mistake and apologise accordingly. I'll tell him he got his facts wrong on this Betty Harris score and see how he blusters his way out of it (which is entertaining in itself)! Here's a guy who takes pleasure in stockpiling 1000's of Freddie North records, so he's not entirely a full shilling as we say in the Calderdale Valley......... Ian D

They do laugh about it themselves, regularly talk, meet and generally get on very well. I actually like their written skirmishes as both parties happily convey their passion and foibles for all to see. Good luck to 'em I say. For the record, Sam submits his column on hand-written longhand A4 sheets of paper, which is then de-scrambled and re-typed by some poor functionary who'll often ring up several times an hour for clarification purposes. Luckily, it's not written in Welsh........... Tim has not yet discovered the wonder of the web for quick fact-checking and thus has to rely on a brain which is also addled with a lifetime of zoological information. This is a guy who's only just learned how to use a mobile phone, still works with holes in his jumpers and thought the internet was a fishing implement! I think it's fair to say that these guys have yet to come to terms with the 21st century so one has to allow 'em both a certain level of tolerance! Ian D

OK, better late than never as they say. The super-efficient Alan Champ was away last Sunday so naturally we had a technical glitch with the recording of the show. Anyway we've finally played catch up, so here it is folks a mere few hours before the next one's due out LOL..... Six Million Steps Presents The Original Mastercuts Show with Ian Dewhirst on Sunday 12th July 2009 on everyone's favourite Soul station www.starpointradio.com. Hour 1 The Temptations I'm Here Remix The Mothafunkaz feat Sheila Ford & Biblical Jones - Galaxy Soulfeenix feat Monday Michuri Brazilian Love Affair Dance Culture feat Kenny Bobien - Better Dan Hartman The Love In Your Eyes Gwen Guthrie Seventh Heaven Unlimited Touch Searching To Find The One Shot Main Thing Gigolo Precious Hour 2 Eddie Holman This Will Be A Night To Remember Billy Paul The Whole Town's Talking The Mighty Pope Can't Get By Without You Marvin Gaye Where Are We Going Jean Shy What Can I Say, I'm So In Love Al James & The New Rhythm Band Give Me Up Turn Me Loose Michelle Wiley I Feel So At Home Here The Rascals Groovin' Sheree Brown It's A Pleasure John Simeone Who Do You Love Main Ingredient Won't Let You Do That To Me Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes Is There A Place For Me https://www.sixmillio...2-Starpoint.mp3 Hope ya can join myself and special guest Alan Champ for another Sunday afternoon session this Sunday from 2.00pm-4.00pm LIVE! Laters...... Ian D

I think the term 'buyer beware' applies. Plus it seems that old boots are fair game these days - after all there's only so many originals so if someone really wants a tune at any cost than this will be the route for many. If anyone wants my Johnny Howard green copy they can have it for the pricely sum of £40 LOL.... But I wish I'd never sold my Mel Britt boot............. Ian D

I'm pretty sure the originals were all vinyl weren't they? The reissues were certainly all styrene...... Ian D

Damn you're good at this! Wasn't there a decent record by the Fidels though........? Ian D

Wow. I'm impressed. It did work quite well though didn't it? A strange thing to give away with an album though. I wonder how many he made......? I sold my album and the guy who bought it insisted he got the Hotel Sheet with it and it took me about 2 bloody hours to find it! Still, who's laughing now ay? I want one!! Ian D

Ian D

Damn, you're right Rod. Of course it was Hugo.......the first of the Venezuelan cover-ups though wasn't it......? Ian D

Richard had it covered as Freddie Chavez if I remember correctly........ Ian D

Didja keep the free plastic 'hotel sheet' which came with the album? Jack Ashford almost became the U.S. equivalent of Rolf Harris with that! Ian D

Yep, not a Ken record. It actually sounds pretty good LOUD in a funk club but that's about it for my money....... Talking of Jack Ashford, has anyone heard "This Ain't Just Another Dance Song" from his "Hotel Sheet" album? It's another version of "Payback's A Drag" by the Smith Brothers - same backing track............ Ian D

I've got a spare mint U.K. London demo if anyone wants it. Looks great. Has a small sticker mark on the label but othewise perfect. £20.00. PM me if interested......... I guess Barney Ales kept ex U.S.A. distribution of Prodigal to himself so he could sub-licence outside of the U.S. Ian D

Well yet another busy weekend, this time up to Hinckley for the Chris Hill gig @ Soul Purpose which Starpoint are broadcasting LIVE from 10.00pm tonight incidentally so tune in! So you can take it that it'll be yet another LIVE HANGOVER show from Starpoint Towers this Sunday afternoon between 2.00-4.00pm. Whilst the presenter may be difficult to put up with, you can be guaranteed that the music will salve even the most persistent of hangovers LOL, so coming up this week will be another wonderful trawl through the eras featuring....... The Temptations * The Mothafunkaz feat Sheila Ford & Biblical Jones * Soulfeenix feat Monday Michuri * Dance Culture feat Kenny Bobien * Dan Hartman * Gwen Guthrie * Unlimited Touch * Shot * Gigolo * Eddie Holman * Billy Paul * The Mighty Pope * Denise LaSalle * Marvin Gaye * Jean Shy * Al James & The New Rhythm Band * Michelle Wiley * The Rascals * Sheree Brown * John Simeone * Main Ingredient * Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes Hope ya can join me @ 2.00pm LIVE! Ian D

Whilst I'm rediscovering the sheer unbridled beauty of Edward Hamilton & The Arabians....... Detroit's doing well tonight innit? Ian D

I actually agree with pretty much most of what you say Chorleysoul. Of course, Motown should be historically viewed as being the catalyst for both the original and subsequent sucesses of Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Lionel Ritchie and Michael Jackson etc, etc. It's just that Michael Jackson had the biggest selling album of all time, reached the biggest audience long after he left Motown, had the biggest marketing machine in the music business behind him at the time and the snappiest videos, all of which adds up to a much bigger media package for today's media than the black and white clips from the original Motown era. Naturally WE know the real story but we're living in an era where snappy soundbites and quick-cut video clips rule - instant gratification for the video generation if you like. Hopefully, in the context of time, Motown will get it's proper due but you only have to look at the history following Elvis Presley's death to realise that Elvis and his iconic image meant more to the mass population than Sun Records ever did! A good intelligent debate though! Ian D

There's just so much of it isn't there Jerry? I wonder how many promo 45's they pressed up from the Thriller album considering the whole album was full of singles and had a 2 year Marketing plan? Probably 20K of each in the U.S............... Ian D

I think it died off pretty quickly though. Every MJ related record I had on Discogs sold out the night of his death, so I put up a brilliant batch of Jacksons/Jacko mint promos and rarities on E-Bay - 19 in total @ £200 but no takers. I think everyone else had the same notion because there is now more MJ stuff up there then before but the bidding has slumped right off by the looks of it. My mate put up his "Off The Wall" test-pressing with the track-listing on the cover and got £37.50 for it yesterday, whereas one week before I think he would have got £100+ easily. All the HMV's are racked to the hilt plus MJ's being TV advertised so the mainstream is holding up ut I think the collectors market has been saturated by the looks of it.......... Ian D

Good point Gareth. I see what you're getting at here. In terms of Motown, it's difficult to see what else can be done really. There's been a plethora of high profile re-issues, countless TV documentaries which reach a marginal audience at best and plenty of recent deaths of the Motown aristocracy but Motown's relevence simply doesn't touch most people the way it touches us. It's probably a generational thing and unless you were of a certain age, the majesty of the label simply doesn't affect most people in the same way, that, say, the Sun catalogue doesn't really affect me. I guess it's a sign of the times isn't it. The mass media convenient sound-bites and imagery of MJ are perfect for a global audience which has the attention span of a gnat! Ian D

I completely forgot she was involved with Stax. Poor lass. She just wasted away and died young........... Ian D