Ian Dewhirst

Ian D

Contentious issue mate and there's several different views on it depending on who you talk to! However, I can clearly recall being at Burnley Cricket Club one Tuesday night and Brad from Burnley telling me that Levine had played him a DYNAMITE Tony Middleton tune on Mala called "Paris Blues" produced by Claus Ogerman - an original old time mid-tempo pounder. Brad was brilliant on detail so I always took him seriously. So we all went over to the Mecca the following Saturday and heard it for the first time. I remember clearly 'cos after the Mecca on the way to Wigan there'd be spontaneous bursts of various people in the car screaming "Paris Blues, follow me each place I go" completely out-of-tune but you get the gist........ Maybe someone can put a date on it? It feels like it was '74 ish............? Ian D

Yep, I can remember having loads of great records which wouldn't have done jack back then on the basis that they were too slow - Johnny Bartel's "If This Isn't Love", Jimmy McFarland's "Lonely Lover" and George Soule's "Baby Please Me" are three that spring to mind...... Ian D

Yep, from a previous thread Seb. It would have been unusual if G. Clinton's name wasn't on the credits so I'd probably have played it out of curiosity and then discarded if it was no good back then. Ian D

Well I'd have checked the credits and if there was no G. Clinton on there I may well have passed on the basis that it could be a white group. Also it's dangerous to compare eras as I'm finding out daily LOL. I've lost count of the HUNDREDS of records I left in L.A. on the basis that they were too slow for back then. Also when I used to go digging with Soussan, he put me off tons of records which have since gone big with his constant put downs e.g. "that's repetitive GAR-BAGE baby boy", "you wouldn't play this at your funeral", "it's pop GAR-BAGE" or he'd just look at the record and snap in it half! So anyone who's ever found a broken copy of Kell Osbourne "Quicksand" and wondered why, there's your answer! Ian D

Well great in theory, but usually the first question asked is what records does someone have. Anyone answering with the reply, "well he's got 2000 great OVO but mostly cheapies and unknowns" will surely get the reply, "haven't we all". Plus it would take a very brave DJ to play to a large crowd with a stack of records they've never heard before I reckon. The balance used to be along the lines of:- Established monsters - around 50% New 'breakers' - around 30% New total unknowns - around 10% Cheapies/revived items - around 10% Note, no oldies back then. However, the scene has changed a lot hasn't it? It's actually much more diverse in tempo then before so you can get away with beat ballads, early 60's and even slowies etc, etc. But the real thermometer always used to be the dancefloor which you obviously couldn't afford to alienate back then - especially at the Casino or Cleethorpes or you wouldn't be invited back! Ian D

Never saw it when I was doing the rounds in California in the mid 70's and never saw on numerous trips all over the U.S. since then, so obviously it's very rare. However, the Parliaments are surely the sort of group which you would automatically check wouldn't you? What are you going to do if you see a Parliaments record on Cabell and then check the credits - leave it? Don't think so somehow......... Ian D

Album only I believe Marcello! And you're welcome mate. Ian D

Well, since you put it like that............. Beautiful words Brett. I could have done with them when I was running Simply Vinyl (a vinyl reissue company of all things) in the late 90's/early 00's. But I think you should update it by adapting to MP3 which is even worse than CD! Ian D

Great reply Gareth. But I'm stunned that a record by The Parliaments on Cabell wouldn't have amassed much interest. Why not? If I'd have seen it I'd have been on it in a flash. ........... Ian D

It's like a nervous tick - a form of St Vitus dance whenever Sam gets behind the decks and gets excited..... Ian D

But I hear Butch goes over to Japan to source most of his rarities these days doesn't he? It's not cheap to fly to Japan and stay there for a couple of weeks and surely he's dealing with established collectors over there, who won't be cheap either. I wonder how many records over the last 10 years or so have actually been FOUND for the first time by the DJ's themselves? I betcha it's only a handful. Most of the big discoveries will be coming from dealers/collectors won't they? In which case, I reiterate that collecting/deejaying at the top end is a rich man's game is it not? Ian D

I get the gist of your post Mark and I don't think too many people will disagree with most of the points you've made, apart from the fact that you seem to be saying that it must be OVO and nothing else. That's a bit like sticking your head in the sand like a Dodo, which co-incidentaly is also obselete. We're living in an age now, where there are 10's of 1000's of Music Blogs around the world and most of those blogs (especially the collectors ones) have 100's and, in some cases, 1000's of tunes on. If you go digging around these blogs, there's loads of great tunes which I've only just discovered after 40 odd years of collecting. In the past - from 1976 in fact, I used to get on a plane, go to the States and spend weeks/months digging around record shops getting covered in rat shit and cobwebs finding great tunes. It was possible back then when there were still plenty of record shops and dealers. But that was then and this is now. These days, OVO has become a rich man's pursuit. I don't know many DJ's who find their own rarities. Usually they deal with established dealers and hand over shedloads of money don't they? So this whole OVO scenario has essentially become a money game rather than a passion game. In an age where you can dig around the record collections of the world to your heart's content from the comfort of your sofa and when so much great unreleased stuff is finally appearing on CD for the first time, it seems just nuts to me to limit yourself to one format. What's the point unless it's really fear of the unknown? In the same way as you wouldn't consider using a wind-up gramophone in this day and age, I don't know why you would limit yourself to playing just one format among many. As I've said a zillion times before, it's all about taste in music, so why limit your choices unless it's for egotistical reasons? Ian D

That's 'cos your systems designed for scratched, beat-up pounding Northern Soul stompers like "Theme From Coloured Man"! Sounds pretty clear at this end..... Ian D

This has jumped from 123 downloads yesterday to a massive 433 over the last 24 hours! This means that other blogs and forums have picked up on it. Gary The Master Blaster has never been bigger! Ian D

Ain't that always the way......... Ian D

I found a few of these the other week and snapped 'em up:- G.C. Cameron "No Need To Explain"/"Out Of My Mind" Motor City 12" 12 MOTC 89 Johnny Bristol "Man Up In The Sky"/"Man Up In The Sky" Inst Motor City 12" 12 MOTC 21 G.C. Cameron "Out Of My Mind" https://www.zshare.net/audio/18929887eb7feb5c/ The other side of the G.C. Cameron is great as well...... G.C. Cameron "No Need To Explain" https://www.zshare.net/audio/189300388ece930a/ Johnny Bristol "Man Up In The Sky" https://www.zshare.net/audio/18930200c776ec5e/ These are some old stock of the original 12"'s from the last millenium, so once these go that's it! PM me if anyone wants 'em......... Ian D

Good point. OV ensures that you get accurate information on the label as per what the label owners intended. And I guess if you need to pay £5K for that info then that's one's choice. Ian D

LOL, they should be as they cost approximately £18K each to licence the repertoire! Would be impossible to do that series these days...... Ian D

You've got it Denbo. Well done. Will PM ya payment details OK? Ian D

No you're right Chalky. These came from Mike's Book warehouse which in turn came from a Chicago book warehouse when Mike was over there a few years back. These were the last of the copies he found so I took 'em all 'cos I figured there'd be a few people on here who could use 'em. I was right too! However these were the last of 'em. Just one more unsealed but mint copy left for some lucky person............ I'm putting up a few of the last of the early Manifesto issues he still had knocking around shortly and that will be the last of those too! Ian D

I have one last mint (but none-sealed copy) of this incredible book left. £60.00 + £10.00 P&P to the first person who replies, then that's it folks....... So last chance saloon if ya don't already have one...... Best, Ian D

Well this is turning into a regular love-fest! Whatever happened to the bad-tempered bile-spewing posts........? Ian D

So let's hear it then.....coming to a dancefloor near you soon hopefully........if anyone can find it that is! JJ's in phenomenal voice...... J.J. Barnes "I've Seen The Light" https://www.zshare.net/download/189941188d98b7ca/ Have permission to post Mods! Enjoy! Ian D

The would be the North East Yorkshire variety of sledgehammer humour then Rod? Ian D P.S. To get a smiley, you go to the box on the left and, errr, click on the appropriate smiley and it will drop it where you want it hopefully.