Ian Dewhirst

There is a game plan for this Pete, but it's essentially a punt which may, or may not work. I happen to think the record's fantastic - a real unique recording which will hopefully captivate a few different audiences. It's also got a great story behind it, in that it's one of the few records that have come about really by accident - you don't get many of those these days. The ace up the sleeve (if there is one), is the fact that so many people have contacted me about it - I'm talking people on here, people who listen to my show and texted/e-mailed after I played it (unusual in itself), numerous other radio DJ's who want to play it (it's a natural radio record if ever there was one), a couple of music biz veterans who want to be involved etc, etc and I can only hope these areas will mushroom once the record becomes available. Fingers crossed............ Ian D

Yep, pretty much. Same as Frank Wilson "Do I Love You" and in fact most records Pete! Of course, on top of that is the meetings, phone calls, lawyers, advance, mastering, label repro, labels, MCPS, paper bags, courier costs, transport, warehouse, distribution, sales, marketing, postage, packaging, promotion, other overhead costs and of course the large amount of time involved in getting all the above done. A normal company would need to sell a few thousand copies to recoup on the above, whereas we're only doing 1000 copies. Of those, 100-150 will be used for marketing/press/promo purposes and hopefully 300-350 will most likely go directly to exporters. So if we do the remaining 500 copies in the UK we may just make a few quid. But not much for the amount of work involved. The limited-edition record biz isn't going to make anyone rich Pete. This is a small-scale operation by a small scale company. Most people think we're nuts for even doing this as most independent record companies are long gone these days! It's not as rosy and you may think. We may get lucky and get some radio plays here and there and that will be the difference between profit and loss by the time we've finished. Bizarre but true. Ian D

Found a few of these 2 excellent limited-edition 7" singles whilst scouring Mike Ritson's warehouse last week! Co-incidentaly some of these tracks have also recently appeared in some SS threads just recently so timing is good. Excellent value and an SS exclusive. Johnny Moore - "Can't Live Without Your Love"/"Hello Baby" - Dottie Pearson Bee Cool White-Label Promo The In Crowd - "Cool 4 E.P." - Various Artists Bee Cool Limited Edition Pic Sleeve 4 track E.P. (Containing Watts 103rd St Rhythm Band "Spreading Honey"/Jackey Beavers "I Need My Baby"/Pat Lewis "No One To Love"/Rose Batiste "I Miss My Baby") £5.00 each inc P&P or both for £8.00 inc P&P! Beat that for value. Please PM me if interested! Ian D

Yep. That's the term I believed I used at the time, just after she said, "........but it's only a bit of plastic"! Ian D

Yep, my wife accidentally stepped on an original Joe Mathews "Ain't Nothing You Can Do" on Kool Kat in the late 80's and snapped it. Ouch! I had a car smash on the way back from Cleethorpes and bust the Oscar Perry record on Mercury but luckily that was the only casualty! Ian D

No, but you can run 'em off for me can'tcha? Ian D

Rule No.1 : ALWAYS keep at least one copy of everything you've released, if only for your own archive! Ian D

Well, I need copies of :- DON'T WAIT AROUND - 2001 NORTHERN SOUL 2004 - 2004 SOLID GROUND - 2006 Fairly sharpish if poss. I'm in A&R mode right now LOL. This is a good time for me to catch up on this stuff before I get slogged down in other areas! Ian D

OK, I just listened to the show and the worse thing about it is ME LOL! My microphone level was too high and I was 'over-moding' throughout the show. However, my 14 year old daughter who has never been in a radio studio before or spoken on radio, sounded absolutely crystal clear and handled herself with aplomb, whereas her super-experienced father sounded like a congenital Northern f*%kwit! She actually took over the hot seat whilst I went to the loo, used the controls herself and did some unscripted talking whilst I was out of the control room @ circa 2.57 in the middle of the Stylistics track. She's now saying she wants her own show playing HER kind of music! Hmmmmph.......... These bloody kids are getting WAAAAAY too precocious IMO! Ian D

Everyone Chris. It's de rigeur in the Northern Soul academy of life! Plus, a truly brilliant instrumental of course. EXACTLY what you wanted to hear at a nighter in those days. Sheer magic. Ian D

They're back! Can't beat a monster instrumental IMO. The only reason I found 'em was I was still trying to get to the bottom of the David Ruffin multiple versions of "Hurt The One You Love" scenario and I stumbled into the Watts 103rd Street Strings on the same album as "Cafe Regio's" - Gary The Master Blaster! I reckon that since the album sold jack plus Ian's 'reputation' would have put off a lot of people, most people have probably never heard this stuff. I certainly hadn't, even though I've had the album since it was released. I never played it and listened to the music on it's own merits because I had "Levine Fatigue" at the time and thought it could be a case of 'same old, same old' if you see what I mean. However, I'm now listening to this stuff with fresh ears and less preconceptions and getting some lovely surprises along the line. This whole process is happening very organically and very publically so I've really no agenda here. I'm posting up what I like as I find it and thoroughly enjoying the process! Typical of Ian blandishing me for not recognising it when I watched the DVD's LOL! Hardly anyone knows these and they're f*&king GREAT! Ian D

OK, time to stop pussyfooting around with all this namby-pamby Soulful vocal stuff! What I want is some million-per-hour STOMPING NORTHERN SOUL INSTRUMENTAL MONSTERS! Yep, that's right. All this financial nonsense has made me unduly aggressive today and I want to hear some fast, aggressive, POUNDING stompers to channel my furious, blood pumping energy and I want plenty of energy today! Usually it's "Tell Me It's Just A Rumour Baby" by the Isley Brothers that gets me going but I've managed to wear that out over the last week or two LOL...... But hold on. What the hell are these????? Bloody hell! Play 'em loud! No one can tell me that both of these would't have been absolutely HUGE if they were undiscovered Checkerboard Squares tunes! They tick all the right boxes today...... The Watts 103rd Street Strings "West Coast Shingaling" https://www.zshare.net/audio/19623532d49a83eb/ The Watts 103rd Street Strings "Soul A Go-Go" https://www.zshare.net/audio/19623300734f3f71/ Phew. That's much better now. Thanks Ian. Credit where credit's due mate. These are just brilliant IMO. Play at loud volume first thing on a Monday morning and that'll set you up for the week! Ian D

Will The Real "Hurt The One You Love" stand-up please!!! OK, so I got the wrong mix on this: David Ruffin "Hurt The One You Love" - Modern Version https://www.zshare.net/audio/19527625ffc8ad60/ So I spent a while looking for the right mix, only to bump into this:- David Ruffin "Hurt The One You Love" - Northern Version https://www.zshare.net/audio/19603981d5c0e595/ So what's the deal? Are there any more versions of "Hurt The One You Love" lurking around the Motor City vaults? So that's 3 versions now, right? Or do you have any others knocking around that you haven't got around to mentioning yet? Confused From Carshalton

This week I was in the unlikely position of trying to entertain three 14 year old girls throughout the show - my daughter Savannah and her friends, Sophie and Nicole. If they'd have had their way the show would have been full of R'n'B and Rap though. So a certain degree of parental control was necessary in order to keep the show on track musically. Besides, if they wanna hear R'n'B and Rap, the bitches can get their own show LOL! Anyway, they were incredibly bright and bubbly and I felt I was at least trying to do the parental guidance thing in a fatherly way. So all the usual beer, cigarettes and hookers will just have to wait until next week.......... Anyway a good time was had by all and Robin Thicke's "Magic" is Savannah's fave record of the moment so all's well! Six Million Steps Presents The Original Mastercuts Show with Ian Dewhirst, Savannah Dewhirst, Sophie and Nicole on Sunday 28th September 2008 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 alone! Plus, loads of new fully downloadable KILLER mixes in a variety of styles! So let's go with this week's show:- 1st Hour Dreamtime - Sisco (Gentlemen Players Remix) Was A Bee - This Is What You Are Truce - Let Me Take You There Prince Charles & The City Beat Band - We Can Make It Happen Val Young - If You Should Ever Be Lonely American Gypsy - You Are In My System Bobby Lovett - All My Love John White - Fooled Around And Fell In Love Cheryl Hunter - It's Your Attitude The Stylistics - One Night Affair 2nd Hour Barbara Acklin - Love Makes A Woman Otis Smith - Let Her Go Linda Jones - I Just Can't Live My Life (Without You Babe) Brenton Wood - Gimme Little Sign Tolbert - I Got It Madcon - Beggin' Grady Harrell - Make It By Yourself David Ruffin - Hurt The One You Love Anita Baker - Sweet Love The Black Style Mood - Closer Rufus - Stop On By Peace Of Mind - Heaven In Your Eyes Jennifer Hudson - Spotlight Jay Sean - Maybe Robin Thicke feat Mary J. Blige - Magic (NYC Remix) https://www.sixmillionsteps.com/6MS-2008-09-28-Starpoint.mp3 Best, Ian D

Yep, that's our sole intention! Ian D

Nope, 9 & 10 dear! Can you hook 'em out from somewhere as I intend to be finished with the other vols by Wednesday...... Ian D

Well, yeah, no probs with a combo of Angelina Jolie, Daisy Lowe, Kelly Brook and the pin-up I saw at a Mastering studio on Friday and maybe, Richard at a push, but Russ, Colin and Levine doesn't ring my bell at all! Ian D

Blimey. That's a complicated daisy chain............wouldn't have fancied being Ginger & Eddie! Ian D

Whippersnapper service young man. Thankyou. Now if you can sort out Vols 9 & 10, I'll get back to trawling the Motor City catalogue............. Ian D

You're not somewhat biased are ya Sean? Great album though - probably the best Femme 'Real Soul' Dance compilation in the history of the world according to some....... Ian D

OK, research mode in full effect LOL. Can anyone on Soul Source dig up anything on Gary The Master Blaster and WCKO, Miami? I need to put some flesh on this........ Ian D

I think you'll be surprised at the radio reaction to it from certain areas! I've got some cards up my sleeve for the radio promo. Also, in this age of CD, MP3 and Bluetooth, we're making a real statement with a vinyl only 7" release. If they wanna play it, they'll have to play it on vinyl. That in itself could be a great PR story. By the way, is Gary still alive. Does anyone have any info on him? Ian D

Just played it 2 weeks on the trot, so I'm waiting 'til I get the BEAUTIFUL 7"ers in my mitts! I'll be distributing the record to a number of well-known radio DJ's/personalities so you won't be able to avoid it in weeks to come! Ian D

And I'll be playing David Ruffin today @ approximately 3.20pm today LIVE on The Original Mastercuts Show 2.00-4.00pm on www.Starpointradio.com. I have my 14 year old daughter and her two friends on the show today so should be fun. Tune in if ya get the chance. Soulful gems from all eras as per usual. Tune in. You may be surprised! Tracks from Dreamtime, Truce, Was A Bee, Prince Charles & The City Beat Band, Val Young, American Gypsy, Bobby Lovett, John White, Cheryl Hunter, The Stylistics, Splendour, Barbara Acklin, Otis Smith, Linda Jones, Brenton Wood, Tolbert, Madcon, Grady Harrell, David Ruffin, Stanley Williams, Anita Baker, The Black Style Mood, Rufus, Peace Of Mind, Jennifer Hudson, Jay Sean & Robin Thicke feat Mary J. Blige Ian D

Bump! Special show today. Dewhirst and 14 year old daughter, Savannah behind the decks! Soulful gems from all eras as per usual. Tune in. You may be surprised. www.starpointradio.com. Tracks from Dreamtime, Truce, Was A Bee, Prince Charles & The City Beat Band, Val Young, American Gypsy, Bobby Lovett, John White, Cheryl Hunter, The Stylistics, Splendour, Barbara Acklin, Otis Smith, Linda Jones, Brenton Wood, Tolbert, Madcon, Grady Harrell, David Ruffin, Stanley Williams, Anita Baker, The Black Style Mood, Rufus, Peace Of Mind, Jennifer Hudson, Jay Sean & Robin Thicke feat Mary J. Blige Ian D