Ian Dewhirst

An actor's life is not for me, but I play the part so well, though my heart is broken down inside, no one can ever tell, they look at me, but they don't see this sad but lonely clown (now baby), if they took a closer look, they'd see the smile was upside down, if they could turn me over, their gonna see, there's really two sides of me, and I hurt all on the other side......... Sheer poetry! Ian D

Someone on this very forum explained to me the other week why the O.V.O. thing is such a contentious issue. He reckoned that O.V.O. underpins the whole eco-system of the scene - especially from the record dealers persepective which I guess makes sense. But I still don't think it's as back and white as some people make out. Not playing a newly discovered track which has never been on vinyl before off a CD is just plain daft - some of the best tunes I've heard in the last couple of years have never been released on vinyl, so what's the deal with playing them out? But I still think that you have to be pretty well-off to play a decent O.V.O. set that will satisfy a full dancefloor at most gigs. You'd need at least £150K to get with the big boys and have a popular hotbox surely? The £5-£10 sounds do not a full dancefloor make - with the greatest of respect the majority of those records are not necessarily the ones I wanna travel 200 miles to hear...... It is pretty contentious though. In the early hours of this morning @ Crossfire Keb Darge announced he was putting a CD on and we almost got stampeded by the exodus from the dancefloor........it turns out he was just getting the decks moved so he could actually see the audience and vice versa and had to get the P.A. guys to put a CD on whilst the decks were moved. Needless to say normal O.V.O. service was resumed pretty quickly....... Ian D

Yep, here's the Easter Sunday special which covered a whole realm of eras over the last 45 years and boy, did we cover some ground.......there's almost everything but the kitchen sink in this week's show! A Burt Bacharach and Hal David section featuring Dionne Warwick, Lou Johnson and Marva Whitney which are all Soulful gems plus a 'Sunday' themed section for you regulars featuring Bettye Swann, Jerry Butler and Chaka Khan. Add to that a few exclusives from First Choice, Jr Walker and Conrad Jackson plus the usual burst of great ORIGINAL MASTERCUTS type tunes from all era and styles and that should make for an Easter special! Anyway, for those of you who missed the show live - enjoy the download and the rest of the bank holiday weekend and I'll see y'all next week! Six Million Steps Presents The Original Mastercuts Show with Ian Dewhirst on Sunday 12th April 2009 on www.starpointradio.com. To download the show simply hit the link below! Or for this and all archived shows please pay a visit to www.sixmillionsteps.com where you can download the last 4 weeks worth of all Six Million Steps produced shows. That's 16 hours of free music over the last 4 weeks plus loads of new fully downloadable KILLER mixes in a variety of styles! So let's go with this week's show:- 1st Hour Jamie Liddell - Another Day Terry Hunter feat Terisa Griffin - Wonderful Marc Evans - Reach Out For Love 4-Love - Hold Your Head Up High Luther Vandross - Follow My Love First Choice - Love Having You Around - Tony Coote Re-Edit Kleeer - I've Had Enough (Can' Take Anymore) Change - Heaven Of My Life Hi Gloss - I'm Totally Yours Jimmy & Vella Cameron - Be Fair To Me 2nd Hour The 3rd Degree - Mercy Dionne Warwick with Celia Cruz & The Pete Escovedo Orchestra - Do You Know The Way To San Jose Lou Johnson - Always Something There To Remind Me Marva Whitney - This Girl's In Love With You L.T. Davies - Love Recipe Harold Melvin & The Blue-Notes - Baby I'm Back Bettye Swann - I Want Sunday Back Again Jerry Butler - What Do You Do On A Sunday Afternoon? Chaka Khan - Any Old Sunday Jr Walker & The All-Stars - Way Back Home - Inst & Voc Full Length Mix Cut Glass - Rising Cost Of Love Conrad Jackson - Come Back With Me Lisa Shaw - Honey Mark Cappani - I Believe In Miracles https://www.sixmillionsteps.com/6MS-2009-04-12-Starpoint.mp3 Right! That's enough work for the weekend. I'm off to Northern All-Nighter in the heart of London now to watch Ady Croasdel, Keb Darge, Ginger Taylor, Roger Stewart and Ian Levine work their nuts off! See y'all next week! Best, Ian D

That's two of us then LOL. I've always used cans 'cos I like the dynamics between one record ending and the other beginning. I personally don't like too many gaps or crackling before a record starts....... But cue burn on styrene pressings ruined some very good records - anyone remember the early copies of Mel Britt which were hammered so much that you could hardly hear Mel's voice......? Ian D

I've actually got an unreleased double CD of Daryl Hall's early solo Philly recordings which I got sent last year and which I'll similarly pull-out now........will report back if there's anything phenomenal on there......... Ian D

Wow, the last few weeks have been like a blur with a plethora of guest appearances from Gary Lee, Alan Champ and Simon M and some fantastic music being aired...... ........but this bank holiday's been a blessing 'cos it's given me the chance to find some blinders and boy we have 'em in spades this week. A couple of nice 'first-time on radio exclusives' on a couple of brilliant re-edits and the phenomenal Conrad Jackson track which if you haven't heard it yet is worth the price of the show alone LOL..... .........also couple of mini-sections this week with the emphasis on just great songs, so we have a wee Burt Bacharach/Hal David burst in the Northern/Modern/Crossover section featuring Dionne Warwick, Lou Johnson and Marva Whitney and a special 'Sunday' themed section going on for the regulars featuring Betty Swann, Jerry Butler and Chaka Khan. Plus did I mention the Jr Walker slice of beauty with the full version Of "Way Back Home" featuring the vocal and instrumental for the first time on radio........? ..........so it'll be an Easter Sunday special this week folks. The idea is that I'll get nicely trashed LIVE on air spinning some great tunes and then wander down to the Northern do @ the I.S.H. later on......... ...........it'll be a messy bank holiday and it starts tomorrow @ 2.00pm featuring tunes from.... Jamie Liddell, Terry Hunter feat Terisa Griffin, Marc Evans, 4-Love, Luther Vandross, First Choice, Kleeer, Change, Hi Gloss, Jimmy & Vella Cameron, The 3rd Degree, Dionne Warwick with Celia Cruz & The Pete Escovedo Orchestra, Lou Johnson, Marva Whitney, L.T. Davies, Harold Melvin & The Blue-Notes, Bettye Swann, Jerry Butler, Chaka Khan, Jr Walker & The All-Stars, Cut Glass, Conrad Jackson, Lisa Shaw & Mark Cappani Join the madness! See ya tomorrow...... Ian D

And the horn arrangement from Gene Chandler "There Was A Time" of course. Mix and match Northern. Ironic really that the Duffy record plundered a ton of influences and now this version plunders a few more thus out-plundering Duffy LOL....... What next? A rap section from James Lewis and the Case Of Tyme maybe? Ian D

I think it's a 'her indoors' typa record - the females in my place are playing it around the clock. A 'good to be alive' kinda track....... Ian D

For some reason this week is one of those Blue-Eyed typa weeks. Some guys were playing quite a few things like this last night. It sounded pretty refreshing actually..... Ian D

Signed to a Sheffield label too. I've never heard of him before....... Ian D

I've been hearing this tune for the last couple of months 'cos they're using it as a promo for ITV breakfast and I thought it had a nice Soul lilt and gospel influence about it, so I thought I'd track it down...... Quelle surprise. The guy may look like a geeky charted accountant from Surrey but whatta voice. Where the hell did that come from LOL....... Ian D

But the Third Degree vocal's pretty soulful isn't it............? Ian D

Deniece Chandler was the nearest voice I could get to Duffy in the allotted time! It could have been worse, Dena Barnes was a possibility for a moment! Ian D

I don't know the Belleruche track but I'll deffo check it out...... I'm listening to Soulful House now but when I'm a 'Nouveau Retro Soul' phase I'll give it a whirl LOL...... Ian D

You could get killed for saying that on here LOL! The fact is that "Mercy" is just a GREAT pop record and I like great pop records too. Let's face it, if "Mercy" was an undiscovered Deniece Chandler record on Lock Records or an unreleased Brenda Holloway on a Motown acetate we'd all love it wouldn't we? I keep a pretty open mind about these things if I can......... I reckon that IF no one had ever heard the Duffy record, then the Third Degree version would be a monster! I still think it was a bold move for Acid Jazz to issue it - I think it falls in nicely with the Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings stuff. It's just a great record full stop........ Ian D

"Ain't Nothin' Goin' On But The Rent" - Gwen Guthrie Gwen nails her cards to the table and tells it like it is LOL...... Ian D

Poetic little bugger aren'tcha? Ian D

Well that's the way I heard it last night and it worked! I think I'll play it on the radio show on Sunday wedged between Gene Chandler "There Was A Time" and Lee Andrews & The Hearts "Can't Do Without You". If those 3 don't get the blood pumping then you're technically dead LOL......... Ian D

I agree Tony. I only heard it for the first time last night. A great f*ckin' rekid which sounds like it owes it's brass arrangement to Gene Chandler's "There Was A Time". Anyone know who the vocalist is? I think it's a perfect Acid Jazz release. Typical of 'em to do a 60's cover of a 00's record LOL...... Ian D

I dunno either. Simon kept his modus operandi very close to his chest. I just know he'd be down @ Monarch every other week picking up his 'legal reissues'. I think PB was either a 'front' company or possibly even the guy who mastered the records..........? Ian D

Cheers Andy. That wraps up the mystery of why Simon had 'em then. I think out of the three records I ordered from him at the time, the Prince George and Kenny Smith were actually originals and the George Blackwell was a very convincing boot........ Ian D

It is almost classical. I've played it out to great effect a few times. It's a good record to kick off a set with as the intro gets everyone anticipating what's going to happen and then.........bada BOOM! It kicks in and people go nuts. I also like the way it breaks down to just vocals later in the mix which, again, is a great tension builder. I love it! I dunno about "Cathedrals" but I think it'd be very difficult to beat the original mix on that to be honest.......can you imagine how good that would have been with a decent Soul vocals and maybe a Gospel choir........? Ian D

Well you can catch the download now Steve! Both the guest and music was top notch but the host left a bit to be desired LOL..... First time I've heard the majority of the selection as well proving that one's never too old to learn. Give us a shout when yer ready to guest yourself. Simon schooled me on how to beat the download carvers so no worries there! Ian D

OK, today's show was touch and go right from the off LOL..... We got to the studio with all of 3 minutes to spare and just made it in time. Then I had motor neuron problems trying to figure out a couple of minor technical issues (that's the awkward gap just before the EL record which was entirely my fault by the way) and then for some reason we only appeared to be coming out through one channel. Phew...... Anyway the good news is for the download link is that we had a good fiddle about (many thanks to Champy) and the show can now be heard via both channels finally praise be to the lord!. Which is a good job because we have some absolutely top class tunes today which would otherwise unheard outside of Simon M's record room. Top quality stuff folks, so kick back and enjoy........ Normal live service will be resumed next week I'm reliably informed...... Six Million Steps Presents The Original Mastercuts Show with Ian Dewhirst and special guest Simon M on Sunday 5th April 2009 on www.starpointradio.com. To download the show simply hit the link below! Or for this and all archived shows please pay a visit to www.sixmillionsteps.com where you can download the last 4 weeks worth of all Six Million Steps produced shows. That's 16 hours of free music over the last 4 weeks plus loads of new fully downloadable KILLER mixes in a variety of styles! So let's go with this week's show:- 1st Hour Groove Junkies Presents Solomon Henderson - Inside My Soul EL - Walk Away Vincent Kwok feat D'Layna - Love Is The Answer Leo Mendez - I Feel Love Lanier and Co " I Don't Know What To Do Walt Foster - Let's Take This Time Tonight Otis Clay - All I Wanna Do Truth - What Direction DMX Affair - One Time To Make It Right Epicenter - Get Off The Phone 2nd Hour Lorraine Rudolph - Keep Coming Back For More The Pretenders - Just Be Yourself Joe Chapman - Beautiful Lover The Joneses - Who Loves You Buddy Ace - I'll Love You If You Let Me La Voyage - Never Lookin' Back Tony Gregory - You Lift Me From The Ground Drizabone - Don't You Want Me Oezlem - Eyes Burn https://www.sixmillionsteps.com/6MS-...5-Starpoint.mp3 Many thanks to Simon for putting up with a none-stop barrage of issues and manfully coming through the test with flying colours. A Mothersticker of a show! See y'all next week! Best, Ian D