Amsterdam Russ

Not at all. It's relatively odour free. You should head on to your local DIY/hardware shop. PVA/wood glue is also known as carpenter's glue and white glue. A decent art supplies shop should also be able to supply it. A quick look on the Elmer's website shows that they supply a range of PVA/wood glues... https://www.elmers.com/products/glues-and-adhesives/

Ok, found the 'before and after' clip I made when using the wood glue / PVA for the first time. The results are pretty impressive considering the grooves on this disc were absolutely packed with crud. Oh, and before anyone has a pop about the music, I like Miguelito Valdez - OK? https://soundcloud.com/harveysoulfinger/valdezmexicobeforeafter

I use a plastic card to spread the glue evenly over the surface. When it comes off, the layer of dried glue is an inverse of the grooves. You can actually feel them and I'm sure you could almost use the layer as a stamper (ok, not quite).

I recall a thread on a Facebook group not so long ago about ultrasonic cleaners and the consensus was that they were pretty effective. So, I'm surprised at the results you got. Perhaps they're overrated?

It's PVA, also known as wood glue. Conveniently for me, Bev my partner uses this stuff professionally and so usually has a gallon drum of the stuff in her workshop. I have it in an old washing up liquid bottle from which it can be poured through the nozzle. Basically, you cover the surface in the stuff and leave it to dry. You know when it's done because the glue goes transparent. Then you just peel it off - carefully, of course. I think I might still have a 30 second before/after recording of the first test, which I did on what I considered a trashed LP. The improvement is very noticeable. If I can find it, I'll post it to Soundcloud.

I became a convert to the glue treatment after reading about it some months ago on here. I've had some amazing results with it. Funny, Bob, that you mention Craig Moerer. A vg 45 I bought from him transformed into an amazing near-mint after the glue treatment - and that's no exaggeration. In other cases little or no improvement has been heard. Certain models of ultrasonic jewellery cleaners are supposed to be good, and I would quite like to try one. For the moment though, I'll stick with the glue...

Never had a problem with 45s coming out of Belgium. Bought something last week, in fact, and it arrived in just a couple of days.

My experience of the French postal system has been excellent. Items coming from there to where I am - the Netherlands - arrive very quickly indeed. In fact, regular post appears to travel faster than 'signed for' items. Bought two 45s on the same day a couple of weeks ago, both from different sellers in France. One was sent signed for, the other wasn't. The 45 that wasn't registered turned up in two days whilst the signed for item took a week. Now, post from the States, that's another thing. Normally very good indeed, I've currently got three items outstanding; the most overdue having been bought a month ago.

Paul, I take my hat off to you for the work, effort and dedication you've put into these and all the other releases. The value in making these tracks available to the public at large seems to have been forgotten, overlooked and/or disregarded by those who are blinkered by the narrow confines of the 'Northern Soul' genre. Soul collectors abound world-wide, and probably 95% of them have never attended an event in the UK. But then why should they?

On one of Richard Domar's lists c.84-86, he described a particular 45 as a being a "Catacombs secret sound". I'd only discovered Northern Soul a couple of years earlier and had no idea what that actually meant. But, it sounded exciting and so I bought it for probably £3 or £4, which was about my spending limit back then. The record was Harvey Averne Dozen - Never learned to dance.

Now, I heard about this 'other version' (my words) on here a few years ago and have tried to track it down ever since. Not one of the collectors in Germany I have contact with have heard of it. One did suggest that it could be found on the compilation "Soul Message". Having got hold of a copy of that LP recently, I'm disappointed to report that alI it contains is dodgy stereo remixes of the original 45 cuts. Please tell me that the hunt was not in vain and that this alternative version of Ben Aiken's classic still eludes us. Until found, I can't be satisfied...

I always thought that OVO was an inferior grade of OXO...

I really find it difficult to understand how the frequent calumny/slagging off that is allowed on this site goes on unabated. Slander: false and damaging statements made verbally or transiently about someone and/or their character. Libel: statements that are recorded with some degree of permanence. Includes statements made by email and on-line bulletin boards. It looks bad, feels bad, tastes bad, and by golly it smells bad...>

Really, no one can ID it? Wasn't expecting it to be a mystery...

Got an acetate through today. Any idea of singer, song and label? Thought I'd give Soundcloud a try and have posted up a sample (hope it works!). https://soundcloud.com/harveysoulfinger/split-personality

I agree with you completely about Loma and WB, Paul. Also, I cannot disagree with you that the Loma website is amazingly impressive, but then I would. It is mine (and ultimately how/why I have the UK WB/Loma items above). Thanks for the kind words - they're very much appreciated...

Before...

Thelma Houston - Mixed Up Girl (WB acetate). Not sure if this got a UK 45 release or not. Anyone? https://youtu.be/c848aE4Om5E

Presuming it to be the same guy, maybe he's just out of the country...

Don't know if it's much help to you, but there is someone on Facebook with that name in that part of the world: https://www.facebook.com/adam.a.bedawi If it is the same person, having a trawl through their friends list may prove useful. Who knows, there might be a name or two that you or others here recognise.

After winning an item, I often ask sellers to clarify costs if their rates are too high. It's amazing how many of them suddenly find that "the postage costs weren't as high as I thought they were now that I've checked. What I'll do is charge $xx instead." After winning an item the spectre of negative feedback looms large for sellers and I think many back down on postage costs when they know that they're deliberately overcharging. However, where someone states that postage will be something stupid like $29, then I always approach the seller nicely and ask them to clarify why the cost is so high, and if there are other options. If the seller doesn't want to discuss the matter then, well, you know they're looking to rip you off plain and simple.

There's one on eBay at the moment for 49 euros courtesy of a seller in the Netherlands. Pic sleeve is a bit tatty looking though. >>> 220938918260

I find it difficult to entirely accept it when people label 45s as being a Wigan/Mecca/Stafford/My Living Room sound. If records must be "Sound of...", make it Chicago, Detroit, Philly, etc, etc, and not the name of the disco it got played in. It's a very parochial perspective and give continued credence to the cult of the DJ (blah, blah played this one first) when the spotlight should instead be on artists and those associated with making the tune.

>>>onder 'n lamp kijken is ook niet alles<<< It is in Dutch and roughly says - just looking under a lamp is not enough. That seems pretty self explanatory...