Ian Dewhirst

Haha this one will run and run..... We never called the Carstairs, Montclairs, Anderson Brothers newies 'cos they weren't! They were actually older records from a couple of years before which had only just surfaced. They were relatively rare too and never turned up in any quantity apart from a bunch of Montclairs. Newies were actual new releases which you could obtain from any import record shop at the time - George 'Bad' Benson, Gil Scott-Heron, Marboo, Ronnie Walker etc, etc. Ian D

I don't think they were still classed as Northern records in '75/'76 to be honest Sean. I can remember having countless arguements back then about when the Anderson Brothers, Carstairs, Montclairs etc were classed as 'Modern Shite' LOL..... I usually had boxes of sale records @ the gigs in those days and quite often you'd have to give a verbal description of what the sound was like, so if you had a diverse box you'd be using terms like Modern all the time. In fact, you'd often have to preface a more contemporary track with sentences like, "it's modern but really brilliant" if only to differentiate from more traditional Northern stuff from the 60's. So I'd say the term crept in around '75 or therabouts. I'm hoping someone can back me up here LOL..... Ian D

Gloria Jone's "Tainted Love" or Judy Street's "What" weren't obvious by any means when Soft Cell covered 'em. They were Northern Soul oldies by then, but they certainly weren't known to the general public and had only been released either on bootleg or Northern reissue labels like Inferno and Grapevine and certainly weren't ever conceived by anyone to be pop hits. Apart from Soft Cell who loved both the original records and had graced Northern Soul clubs in their youth. David Ball from Soft Cell is still a participating soul fan and has actually deejayed out @ a couple of Motown type nights just lately....... Best, Ian D

There's a huge business in supplying stuff that some of us can easily get to others who cannot get stuff quite so easily. Plenty of people now live in towns with no record shops and many shops no longer stock vinyl so it seems like a good idea to me. Also, we're now living in an age when it costs more to go to the shops with petrol, parking, queues, traffic violations, parking enforcement plus the time, so for many people it makes more sense to just stay at home and get the stuff delivered to their door. Less stress all round. Best, Ian D

The term Modern Soul was used long before '79 Sean. I was using the term at least as far back as '75 to differentiate the more contemporary material from the more traditional Northern Soul. I even seem to remember using the term on a list I printed up circa '77-'78 - the Vinyl Junky list if someone can confirm. Best, Ian D

Sugababes doing "Do It To It"? Ian D

Carl - my 5mb version was downloaded of the net 'cos that was the only version I could find apart from the trusty vinyl 7". Plus that was a struggle too and took me a few weeks to find one - I don't believe it's available anywhere on CD along with the majority of JJ's recorded output which is why Tony's package will be more than welcome when it arrives. Best, Ian D

Everything's out my range these days mate! I was perfectly happy with the 1975 prices LOL.... Hope you and the missus are well! Boy, we had some wild times back then ay? Dunno how I lived through it all..... Ian D

Yep, me too. I can even see simularities between "I Wanna Be Your Dog" and "Ain't Nothing You Can Do" LOL.... Ian D

He sure is. A massive loss. What's cheesed me off a little bit, is that they used a whole hunk of the same footage from the Soul Deep programme also for the "Motor City's Burning" programme just an hour later, which meant that I watched vast swathes of the same footage twice in the last 3 hours! I guess the Beeb needs to economise all it can but frankly I think it's taking the piss to nick the same footage and interview clips from one programme and then thwack 'em on another completely different programme on the same channel within an hour of each other. Which dickhead scheduled this? Still, shouldn't moan really when the rest of terrestrial TV is moron city LOL.... "Standing In The Shadows Of Motown" is still a delight to watch for the interviews and original footage but I could do without Joan Osbourne and Ben Harper doing their thang. It's a shame virtually all of the original acts declined to go on. Pressure from Berry maybe? Ian D

So stand by for an EMI issue of "Now That's What I Call Johnny Johnson" right off the back of yours LOL... Also, I don't believe this but I just found a version of "Sweet Inspiration" by Samantha Jones on You Tube! How weird is that? It's awful but check this....... Best, Ian D

Wow! Did anyone just see the Detroit Motown episode of "Soul Deep" on BBC 4 just now? Absolutely brilliant. One of the best programmes of it's type I've ever seen. Also TONS of clips which I've never seen before including early promo videos for the Supremes, Martha & the Vandellas, the Impressions, the 4 Tops plus great interviews with Lamont Dozier, Martha Reeves, Mickey Stevenson, Etta James, Fontella Bass etc, etc. Truly exceptional. Plus coming up later @ 11.00pm, same channel, is another documentary "Motor City's Burning" about the impact of Detroit music on the world and then @ 12.00pm, the excellent film "Standing In The Shadows Of Motown". Whatta Night!!!! Now this is value for the licence fee. Great stuff BBC! Ian D

Course it is Chris! It's an Ashford & Simpson co-write, a Mark Ronson production and the Dap-Kings on the backing - the only thing not to like is the fact it's that it's drug-slut-whore AMY LOL. The best song Tammi Terrell never recorded......... Ian D

Funny you said that 'cos I just played "All The Way" and it's a great 'lil mid-tempo pounder..... Ian D

Great track - b side to their also GREAT version of the Four Season's "Let's Hang On". I've just checked my Johnny Johnson section of UK 7"'s and found the following besides SI and BDTWOH which are all there for one reason or another: "You"/ "You Blew Your Cool And Lost Your Fool" Direction 58-3923 (1968) "Let's Hang On"/ "I Ain't Lyin'" Direction 58-4180 (1969) "Mr Tambourine Man"/"Soul Sahara" Bell 1154 (1971) "Sally Put Your Red Shoes On"/"Gasoline Alley Bred" Bell 1185 (1971) "Give Me Your Love Again"/"All The Way" EMI 2011 (1973) "Music To My Heart"/"Lookin' Lean, Feelin' Mean" Epic 3458 (1975) - cover of Patti Austin A fabulous vocalist who had the misfortune to have a few hits. It's usually the other way around LOL..... Ian D

Uh oh. I don't like the sound of that so much Ed. But here's a taste of what can happen with the right producer, song and band behind you. Just listen to this and tell me that if this had been recorded in '68 and was by Roberta 'Ms Soul' Hightower on Flying Tumbleweed records from buttf**k USA, that this wouldn't have been a monster everywhere? I'd have played it in a second! My fave 'pop' song from last year....... Ian D Amy_Winehouse___Tears_Dry_On_Their_Own.mp3

Where's ANYONE who has any info on this Top 20 Wigan smash. LOL? I think we can safely say it didn't stick around long. It's not some horrible instrumental is it? Like "Theme From Spiderman" by Ron Grainger & Orch.........? Ian D

Can't see 'em being the Alessi Brothers - earlier releases under another name would have been dug out by now I think (as with Barnaby Bye). But I CAN see 'em being Stefan and brother. That would make a bit of sense....... Ian D

Yeah right, Toad. And the check's in the mail etc, etc... How about, like, the name of the artist, label and song? You'll be telling me that the vocal of "6X6" by Tony Turner on Musicor really exists at this rate LOL..... Ian D

Cheers Tony. But "Spiderman"?????? Ian D

Doh! Thanks Dancingcollector.... Anything definitive on Spiderman yet though? Someone must know it - it was a Top 20 hit @ Wigan LOL..... Ian D

Never mind that, what's "The Notice" by the Fidels and "Spider Man" - Will Power? I don't seem to know either of 'em unless my brain's finally turned to mush LOL....... Ian D

"Manifesto" - Dexy's Midnight Runners "Hung Up On Your Love" - Rod Stewart "I Never Knew" - UB40 Ian D

Oh, GREAT call Tony. Put me down for one of them wouldja? Would be good news because hardly any of JJ's stuff is available on CD. In fact I was going to include "Sweet Inspiration" on a 70's Soul Hits type thing I'm doing with Sony-BMG but it didn't really fit with the rest of the stuff on there, so if you're doing it I'll leave it off for sure. It sounded kinda daft in between Friends Of Distinction and Main Ingredient anyway if the truth's know LOL.... And yep I caught the Artie Fullilove connection in a previous thread.... I feel a Johnny Johnson revival on the horizon...... Is he still around? Ian D

I've tried 'em all and I think the Anderson Brothers is the best production by a long chalk. Great performance too. Who were the Anderson Brothers and did they ever make another record? Ian D