Ian Dewhirst

Hiya Mate, 800 copies of Frank Beverly?????!!!!! So, presumably there's at least a thousand of 'em buried away in people's collections then? Makes me wonder what it's worth these days. I still thought Sassy copies were pretty rare..... And Simon did do legitimate deals as well, strange as it seems. Neil cited the Mirwood deal, someone else cited the Doni Burdick deal and I know he paid Joe Robinson for the Frankie Crocker "Ton Of Dynamite" and Kenny Smith for the "Lord What's Happening To Your People" re-presses 'cos I heard him on the phone talking with them. Joe Robinson wasn't one to mess around with in those days - had Simon attempted to rip him off, there'd have been two Mike Tyson's on the next plane to L.A. LOL.... He'd often phone artists or label owners whilst I was there and always seemed to be sending payments out. Other than that I didn't really get into his personal business dealings, thank God. Also, he introduced me to a ton of acts - Solomon Burke, Ike Turner, Pat Powdrill and loads of others, as mentioned above. He'd often bump into 'em on the street and he had an almost photographic memory for faces (same as records). We met Solomon Burke going into a lift in a bank in downtown L.A. and Simon was his usual over-the-top self, "baby boy, we are in zees lift with one of ze legends of Black Music..." as he turned towards Solomon in the lift and stuck his hand out, ...."Mr Burke sir, my name is Simon Soussan and I am your greatest fan! I am blessed to be able to meet you. I am humbled." etc, etc, etc. And as Solomon left the lift, Simon would then say something like, "there goes one of the greatest sinus-deblockers of all time", somewhat destroying the moment LOL..... I agree with Neil totally that if he'd been a bit more honest he could have cleaned up legitimately in the 70's. Dave Raistrick's just been on the Greatest Record Finds thread and is threatening some stories, so I'm hoping we can squeeze the Monarch story out of him for this thread. I'm wondering whether that was the same trip when Arthur Fenn had his hit @ Monarch? Van McCoy was a right result though Neil. Almost (but not quite) made up for the Shalamar disappointment....... Ian D

I dunno what happened to 'em actually. I pretty much stopped going around '75 I guess. I remember going to the Warehouse in '77/'78 or thereabouts and finding lots of modern stuff when I ran my Vinyl Junkie list, so there was still a nice amount of gear there. I remember getting lots of 70's stuff like Norman Connors, Brothers Guiding Light, the Futures etc, etc, so they must have been still buying bulk amounts from the states into the mid 70's. The passing of an era LOL.... Ian D

Yep, you need to be in there for posterity Dave! I KNOW you've had some brilliant hits but you probably don't shout about 'em like some of us! And you must have been trailing round a lot of the mid-west to have ended up @ the 1940 Jukebox Company in the outskirts of Denver in late '89! So I bet you have some goodies to tell.... Note: record hunters can be particulary shy about their hits - it's the nature of the beast. Professional record hunters don't generally run around advertising their best hits otherwise there'd be a stampede of people checking the same locations. So we're very lucky to have some of these stories! And the more the merrier! Ian D

Played it 5 weeks ago on the show! Love that video. Whatta cutie! Six Million Steps Presents The Original Mastercuts Show with Ian Dewhirst - Sunday 24th February 2008 (Alan away this week) Ist Hour Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jnr - Shine On Silver Moon The Ritchie Family - Quiet Village Lucy Hawkins - Gotta Get Out Of Here Silvetti - Spring Rain Wanda Walden - I Must Be Dreamin' Curtis Hairston - I Want Your Lovin' (Just A Little Bit) Walter Brooks - Right In The Middle Caviar - Never Stop Lovin' You Leonard Lidell - Fallen Out Of Love The Wynd Chymes feat Alexander O'Neal - Festival Lamont Dozier - You Made Me A Believer 2nd Hour Christine Cooper - S.O.S. (Heart In Distress) Ila Vann - You Made Me This Way The Volcanoes - The Laws Of Love Bobbi Wells - Be's That Way Sometimes Don Thomas - Come On Train Carl Graves - Heart Be Still Jackie Moore - Both Ends Against The Middle The Philly Devotions - I Just Can't Say Goodbye (freakily digitally chop-segued with "Breakin' Down The Walls Of Heartaches" - Johnny Johnson & The Bandwagon for reasons which no one can explain!) Serge Ponsar - Out In The Night Ronnie Dyson - When You Get Right Down To It Sharon Paige & Harold Melvin & The Blue-Notes - Hope That We Can Be Together Soon Kleeer - Intimate Connection Steve Parks -Movin' In The Right Direction The Captain & Tennille - No Love In The Morning The Detroit Emeralds - Feel The Need In Me (Extended Mix) Gladys Knight & The Pips - Save The Overtime For Me https://www.sixmillionsteps.com/6MS-2008-02-24-Starpoint.mp3 Ian D

I can remember a few like that! I used to have a montage of 'ten-a-penny' stuff on my wall in those days....... Ian D

It wouldn't surprise me if Brad was there early as well. Sounds like Julian B had the local lock on it but I'd often see people from all around the North there. I was relatively late there compared to those guys....... Got some goodies off Brad over the years. Used to quite often pick up a couple of things from him on Tuesday night @ Burnley Cricket Club and play 'em the following weekend. That's where the Pointer Sisters "Send Him Back" came from for the record! Ian D

Make sure you play it before you buy! So many of those styrene presses are knackered from cueing at the beginning, especially if it's an ex DJ's copy! Ian D

Blimey, the Kenny Smith's were a result. I had to pay a fortune for it! Also I remember one of the Leeds guys finding a Candi Staton "Now You've Got The Upper Hand" (when there was just the one) in Virgin, Leeds in a box of 10p imports! There were records everywhere back then. It makes you wonder just how many came from the one source dunnit? Ian D

When did the show go defunct Nelly? And why? I might have known it'd be you being Philly n' all! Ian D

Ha! I was hoping you'd come on Dave. How's the barn conversion going? You were dead lucky with the Sid Arthur find! I seem to remember it being one of Ian Clark's regular haunts back then. I'm pretty sure I drew a zero when I dropped in there but I seem to remember finding some good albums the same day - James Mason, Lesette Wilson etc, etc so not a total bust. Talking of which, is Clarky still around? Haven't heard much about him lately...... And finding 'em in the actual main racks is always a heart stopper! I found a George Kirby in Oklahoma filed under 'George Kirby'. How weird is that? Ian D

Maybe there was a curse on all the red copies of Joe Mathews LOL? Also, it's REALLY rare! It's not like it's an easy record and between the two of us we've lost two precious copies. How daft is that? Anyone NOT had a problem with their Joe Mathews issues? You know who to call........... Ian D

Hi Julian, Oh! It was YOU that got in there ya bugger. Must have been clean up time @ the Torch. Is that where you made your fortune? Talking of Kegsy, I was nattering to Pete Mitchell from Radio 2 last year who's doing a radio documentary story on Dean Parrish and I told him the Kegsy/Dean Parrish story and he was desperate to speak to Kegsy direct. I'm pretty sure I got Kegsy's details and passed 'em on but just wondered if Kegsy had talked to him and if his memories are as accurate as mine LOL.....? If you see him tell him to give me shout - I'd like to know if he got a call....... Also, didja find any one-offs or ultra-raries there? I know Twink got his Susan Barratt, United Four and Salvadores off you but I'm wondering what other goodies you had at that time? Look at that LOL! 35 years later and I'm still asking the same questions. Weird ay? Ian D

Yep, Swish was right. Kegsy plugged "I'm On My Way" for weeks. I sniffily refused to play it the first time he brought in down to the Central on the basis that I'd seen it a few times before (probably @ Bradford Market) and figured it wasn't that rare and when I played it in the headphones it sounded terrible - almost like a rock record in those shitty cans @ the Central. I can remember seeing Kegsy everywhere that weekend - the Central, Va-Va's, the Mecca and eventually, Wigan. He'd set off on the Friday night with about £2 and a copy of Dean Parrish and, as per usual, by the time he got to Wigan he had about £30, was having problems co-ordinating his mouth and was still lugging the Dean Parrish around with a bunch of others. I'd seen him blown out by just about every DJ that weekend - no one wanted to know. I think I even took the piss and said something like "still no luck with the Dean Parrish pop track eh Kegsy" and he said, "just wait!". And then Russ played it in the last hour @ Wigan. Shock horror, we all sat up and started to hear it properly for the first time over a big system. What a record! How did we all miss it? Kegsy had a spring in his step after that LOL.... Cue the usual stampede to Bradford Market on the Monday morning........ Next time you see Swish give him my regards and ask him where he found "Love Love Love" - William Bonney.......? Ian D

If only Koolkat! I had to virtually beg, then remortgage to get one of the first copies! But what a track! A pure old time stomper just when we needed one back then. Every time someone would accuse me of playing too much 'modern' Carstairs, Anderson Brothers, Montclairs etc, I'd put "Ain't Nothing You Can Do" on to shut 'em the f*&k up LOL! The missus managed to step on my original copy and snap one side of it when she was cleaning one day. The bitch is still in the cellar beginning forgiveness as we speak LOL..... Still, I sold it to Gary from Leeds for a couple of hundred in the 90's 'because of the history of the record'. Great record. Loved those white demos as well (mine was an issue)..... Ian D

Tons were discovered there Stubbsy. Coinicidentally, I just replied to the Christine Cooper thread in the Media forum 'cos it came into discussion:- "The "S.O.S."'s all seemed to come from Bostocks @ Bradford Market - you could buy it for 25p in the early 70's as there were loads of 'em. Other stuff, mainly from MGM/Verve and @ £1.00 each was Dottie Cambridge, Spyder Turner, The Charades, The Ambers, The Superiors, The Tymes, The Shalamars, The Triumphs, April Stevens, Alice Clark, Billy Woods, Little Eva, Clara Ward". I also found the first copies of Ronnie & Robyn "As Long As You Love Me (I'll Stay)" at the same time as "Sidra's Theme" was breaking and Lennie Curtis "Nothing Can Help You Now" down there in the general stock for 10p each. I first used to up there on my lunch break when I was working at John Laing - a clothes shop in Bradford, every Saturday. You could buy 20 U.S. imports for £1.00 and I used to buy 40 every week with my entire wage. I'd then get home and spend Saturday night and Sunday playing through 'em. Consequently I had tons of stuff just as I was really getting on the scene. Much of the stuff I got every weekend would often be traded for records I really wanted a couple of years later. Tons of other stuff came through there as well. I can remember when Levine played both Spiral Staircase "More Today Than Yesterday" and the Righteous Brothers Band "Rat Race" at the Mecca, I'd nervously look around towards the Bradford and Leeds lads, to see if anyone else had twigged that the records were at Bradford Market. Often there'd be several other vinyl hounds waiting for the market to open on a Monday morning! Kegsy found Dean Parrish "I'm On My Way" there too. The rest of us had dismissed it as being too pop with that horrible guitar at the beginning but Kegsy persevered with it for weeks before it finally broke and became No.1 everywhere. You could never really tell what would come out. I didn't get into the warehouse until the mid 70's, but boy, if I'd have got in there before I'd have cleaned up. I think John Anderson got in there and had a decent hit. But the thing with Bradford is that was there enough stuff on the stall to keep anyone going. Plus they also had branches in Leeds, Wakefield and Huddersfield too. They also had a load of Canadian Motown at one point with most titles you could think of. I'm sure others will have tales of great finds there - you had to be sharp on your toes back then but the same token, you could wander in on a pissing-down Winter Tuesday afternoon and maybe find a monster unknown on a label you'd never seen! All in all, a fantastic place to have on your doorstep. Probably more Torch sounds came from there than anywhere else at the time. The best place for records in England at the time bar none I reckon (although Global could probably be a close second)....... Ian D

The "S.O.S."'s all seemed to come from Bostocks @ Bradford Market - you could buy it for 25p in the early 70's as there were loads of 'em. Other stuff, mainly from MGM/Verve and @ £1.00 each was Dottie Cambridge, Spyder Turner, The Charades, The Ambers, The Superiors, The Tymes, The Shalamars, The Triumphs, April Stevens, Alice Clark, Billy Woods, Little Eva, Clara Ward. Torch era without a doubt. Ian D

No, it was purely the fact that I was young, innocent 21 year old at the time with a particularly baby-type face I presume LOL.... Ian D

Work's no excuse mate. Please re-adjust your work/leisure balance and get the stories down! No rush. I don't think this thread'll go away in a hurry. There's at least half-a-dozen monster hits and several hundred bust-outs still to come from what I hear LOL....... Ian D

Also, forgot to mention, we will be having Jeff Young on the show as a special guest next week. Very appropriate with Froggy passing away so expect a few remiscences along the line! It's the first time Jeff's ventured into a radio studio for years! Should be good, so join us for the session. Ian D

And he hasn't PM'd me yet, the bugger! I'm DYING to know this story. Also, one of the funniest ones is when Simon broke into the Reddington's Rare Records warehouse through the skylight but we really need Kev Roberts to tell that one. Funny as hell.......... Ian D

Yep, that could be his angle LOL He was one of those guys who kept going on about his religion. Everytime he left his apartment he'd kiss an obviously religious framed picture on the wall. Every conversation was littered with comments like "Neil Bogart. He's Jewish...blah, blah, blah", "Clive Davis. He's Jewish.....blah, blah, blah etc, etc". I didn't need to know 'cos I generally knew already. I haven't got anything against anyone's religion but some people just try and ram it down your neck all the time and it could get on your nerves after a while. Amazing really that someone could be so apparently religious but not think twice about ripping people off. Or maybe the whole orthodox Jew thing could have been a result of the trouble he got in which John Manship mentioned earlier in the thread! Ian D

and produced by Ian Levine no doubt! Ian D

It didn't help him much that's for sure, LOL. Plus he didn't give a toss either. There are a certain brand of people who tend go through life believing that are 'the chosen ones'. Simon was one of those. I've seen the type many times and now know to avoid them like the plague. I find it fascinating that according to Chris L, he's now become an orthodox Jew. I wonder if he'll now repent his sins and refund all the dosh he's ripped-off people over the years? You couldn't make it up could you? Ian D

OK, the usual line-up of irreverent chatter and lots of Soul from all eras on this week's Original Mastercuts show...... We're particularly happy with his week's show and had a phenomenal response whilst we were on air! It's a goody folks with lots of beautiful stuff and plenty of Soul!!! Six Million Steps Presents The Original Mastercuts Show with Ian Dewhirst & Alan Champ - Sunday 30th March 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 get 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 1st Hour The Brothers Johnson - Stomp (Froggy Remix Exclusive) Was A Bee feat Mario Bondi - This Is What You Are Sterling Void - It's Alright Chuck Jackson - No Tricks Loleatta Holloway - Dreaming Lorraine Johnson - The More I Get, The More I Want Jesse Franklin - Don't Turn Your Back On Love Network - Cover Girl Zalmac - What's In It For Me Julius Brown - Never Too Late J.P. Rogers - All My Lovin' 2nd Hour The Ebony's - I'm So Glad I'm Me Clyde McPhatter - Please Give Me One More Chance Al Kent - The Way You've Been Acting Lately Edwin Starr - I Have Faith In You Wingate's Love-In Strings - Let's Have A Love-In - Inst Rick Sheppard - Can We Share It Curtis Anderson - The Hardest Part Stevie Wonder - Knocks Me Off My Feet The Sons Of Champlin - Here Is Where Your Love Belongs BeBe & CeCe Winans - Heaven Ray Parker Jr & Raydio - More Than One Way To Love A Woman Donny Hathaway with Roberta Flack - You Are My Heaven Roberta Flack - Don't Make Me Wait Too Long https://www.sixmillionsteps.com/6MS-2008-03-30-Starpoint.mp3 Best, Ian D

LOL. Amazing. But what are these John Madara instrumentals he's on about? Has anyone ever heard 'em or, more to the point, is anyone now bothered? Also wouldn't mind seeing some scans of his old lists if anyone has any. There were some amazing titles on 'em. Brian Hobson's got all my old lists so I can't scan any myself right now.......... Ian D