Reforee

Mines yellow /multi coloured, can't recall seeing the pink one. Always assumed the multi coloured is original release as never heard anything to change that. Dave H

Yours truly is a guest spinner on Shaun Evans "The triple S soul show" from midday on Sunday 15th December. It's gonna be Deep digging into those soul crates for the slower side of things up to mid tempo methinks from the 60s to current....just gonna go with the flow, all vinyl. www.365soul.com is obviously an internet station so you can have it in the background while doing other things. Dave Halsall

Now here's a question........has only one turned up or has that mystical box count of 50 been found?????? If so it begs the question as to how much the first one at auction will go for and how low will subsequent ones sell for???? You have the option of being in at the top end or wait.......OR.......you can either phone a friend,ask the audience or 50/50?

Mines grey and white Dave H

Mines fine, perhaps a pressing issue for some of the copies? Dave H

I would say that the label is Soul Pot and NOT Soul Spot. The letter(s) between the Words Soul and Pot are actually a combination of the S -and the P which look like the letter S but if you look at it more closely is actually an S and a P. Just and an idea........There was another Eastern label ( Juggy Murray owned) albeit out of New York and probably not that active there might of been a clash, but more closer to home is the logo on the Eastern issue it is very similar to the 70s Eastbound logo which was active in Michigan! So a law suit may well of made Willie reissue on Soul Pot.....Or it could be the other way round and was using the E logo and play on similar name to Eastbound ?................I love a label mystery!

Top tune, reviewed it in Soul Up North some issues back. Don't think I have ever seen the demo, but Demo Dave (lol) seems to pull them out from somewhere! Hope your keeping well Dave, Dave Halsall

Great post. Sometimes you need a debate/discussion about a subject, wether your for or against whatever the subject matter is. Most of the posts on this topic I can agree with because they are all valid whether collectively or individually. I think that when someone or a body attack/diss something you love you can get very defensive and one sided attitude can spring to the fore. I was there so I can comment, but The Casino had its good and bad points both musically and as memories, it does not stand alone for good and bad...........but like remembering when we were kids, we always remember hot summers, but I'm sure it rained sometime, but can't remember for sure if it did or not! End of sermon Dave H.

I will throw in Spice of Life..... "I hear a melody" on Reforee. My god it's that bad I haven't played it since winning it on a Moerer auction about 20+ years ago, it was bloody awful considering the quality and variation of styles on that beloved label. Heaven knows what they were thinking......was there a "worst release on the label" prize from the music industry at that time? Can't even remember what it's like.....my memory has wiped it from my recall.... Will have to dig it out it may be a rare pshyco funk/garage/house style dancer. Ummmmmm! Dave

John Don't you ever dare put this on a CD compilation and hand them out at Soul Essence or any other Soul venue, otherwise you may be tar and feathered. lol. Hope your well mate as this post has me worried about you! lol. Interesting topic though. Dave H.

That'll be great news...............you can now look forward to hearing him shout....."dance yer bast#*ds" down the mic at a venue near you!

Malayka Don't know about that specific record but I think they may be the same group as on Rocky Road & Carousel labels. The Carousel 45 is a Northern thing while the Rocky Road is in the funk vein. These might give your more leads and info Regards Dave Halsall

I find this talk of the Balance Town 45 being a bootleg a bit strange, as it is I believe on Genes own record label, don't have discography of Genes or the label so don't know where it fits in with the numbering. Including the Crazy Beat issue (which I do have) Gene has one other release, that is known, beside then Balance Town one. If a third party pressed it up without Genes permission then it flies in the face of what was said about it back in the 90s. Indeed if this were the case then why didn't they appear here in any quantity, small or large? Don't think even I've got one of the 45s as we didn't get any, which is strange if someone was trying to make money. I don't actually remember being offered any at the time, having said that we must of shifted some LPs at £30 a pop. Can't recall exactly how many but may have some old paperwork on it somewhere, it's just a question of where. What is it with records from LA, California area................more mysteries than the Bermuda Triangle......anyone want to discuss Sandy Golden? lol. Dave H.

How about, Sandy Golden had say a thousand made for selling at her gigs and she sold 995 of them to people in and around LA, because THEY liked it as much as we do. The loose 5 ended up floating out to the rest of the world. Now those 995 copies are sat in people's house, garages ,lofts etc in the LA area, as they can't bear to part with them because they are part of their record collections, and like us lot, bloody hoard stuff let alone our precious 45s. As those people get older and pop their clogs or go into a care home, their possessions are cleared out and the odd one will trickle out, heaven forbid they all go at once otherwise the markets gonna be flooded with SGs ,(that's Sandy Golden not Steve G). So bide your time gentlemen, the markets gonna be flooded and the valuation is gonna plummet! Or it's gonna remain RARE either way your gonna have to wait? TMIB

Steve As a footnote a lot of people at the time didn't consider it a "proper" release as it was issued out of demand some years after the LP was sold out. In fact Gene was accused of cashing in on its popularity, which is a bloody joke considering the love, hurt and passion that went into the album, only to basically fail when it originally came out some years before. Don't forget the album was released in 1978 and remained basically undiscovered till the late eighties early 90s Soul snobbery was quite rife back in the early 90s and some of them knowledgable people may well of been in the brigade. It was certainly not a secret about the release of the 45. In fact after they dried up some years later though, Crazy Beat brought it out in the UK on a 45, Dave

Steve Yeah I'm fine mate. we had the Lps but when they dried up Gene put the 2 big tunes out on one 45. Most of the Soulies had got it on album so there was no interest in it really. Don't know how many he did , suspect they may of ended up in Japan as I heard it was in demand out there, but couldn't swear to it. Richard Carrington tracked him down originally, after a few copies of the LP surfaced. It was a bit like sending your wants list over and Richard would try and source, along with the 12" tracks that were sent over by various artists. Dave

Gene pressed up a limited amount of 45s as the album had sold out (Bill Shannon & me had the stock early 90s) and after the two tracks became popular he thought why not? He owns the rights and the album is truly a masterpiece of Soul, so he deserved it. To my knowledge Gene has only 2 known 45s. He had a Gospel record shop in California if my memory serves me right. Dave

I have a cunning plan............. Sell me record collection to the owner for 300k, then buy said shop and stock (including said record collection) !!!! What could possibly go wrong?

Russ Depends on the venue and type of event your at and what time your on in my opinion, the aim at most is to get them dancing but if your at an out and out Northern gig probably 3 to 4 of those tracks might receive a positive response if you dropped 2 in somewhere. If you've got bottle drop em in! You might or might not clear the floor? Personally I like a bit of both when I'm out, new , unknown, underplayed tracks and then ones I know. Went to an Oldies Northern night some months back and to be honest it took me back to the mid 70s and some of the tracks I have not heard in 20 years while out, as they are old school northern classics. Still great music but not every night out! Dave H

Steve I hear what your saying and if your right, there were 3 labels with the same name out of California, one being a gospel label which had the same or similar logo, which may of added to the question/mis info. Talking of numbers I wonder what was/is on THE PHOENIX label number 312 as it's a missing release, considering the numbering on the 4 known are consecutive..................? .............Sandy Golden............Your love is everything ....now that would be rare! Dave

Hi Steve If the THE PHOENIX label is out of LA and the one Ian posted is correct how come the yellow label one only has PHOENIX with the THE missing? As I previously posted there are 2 different labels in this debate and while my info is the reverse of yours how do you explain the yellow label copy without the THE in the label name, surely not a mistake as the other consecutive release numbers from the Great Expectations release have THE included and have a different logo. It is all very muddled but something has gone on whether in the past or not. I only have info on 3 releases on THE PHOENIX numbers 313, 314 & 315 so while limited and the SG release on 311 it seems odd that the yellow one has part of the label name missing? It may be the case that reference to LA on the label was binned when Jamie/Guyden took over distribution or even they bought the label out right? Just asking a few questions while not pointing any fingers! Not gonna fall out over this as yer bloody bigger than me lol. Dave

N Pete I don't disagree but something has gone one way back then, with everything all tying in together somehow and the Great Expectations 45 ties LA with PA and with all the credits etc, back into a link with the Sandy Golden 45 in one way or another. Two labels (Phoenix) one out of LA and one out of PA and all the integration just makes for great research us record hounds thrive on. Dave H

You can use the following observations and info to argue both camps with regard to the Great expectations 45 Firstly (as far as my info goes) the California PHOENIX label ran from 1949 to 1958 and has the standard lettering as per the one posted by Ian Dewhirst. However, the one posted is not on that label it is on THE PHOENIX label which ran out of Philadelphia from 1973 to 1975. Now THE PHOENIX label had a more 70s type face (akin to what the old TV Magpie logo was/is). So the Great Expectations 45 posted by Ian might be what he deems it to be,.......but then again they may well of had permission to press it in California and used their own type face to replicate THE PHOENIX even though the label is out of Philadelphia originally? Hence not in the same style as The Philly releases. Don't you love a bit of intrigue? Unless my info is wrong in which case I might be throwing a bonfire night party!!! Where's the headache tablets? Dave H