George G

Based on my short conversation with Art Blakey (when I saw the reconstituted Hesitations last year) and from other talks he has given, this is about it. They were on Kapp through the Pied Piper connection (and they had that probably through the Cleveland connection with Shelly Haims). They were not interested in being the soul music answer to the Velvet Underground, they were a singing/performing group that was interested in making records and having hits and listening to those around them who had more experience in the recording industry. Art (and the others) started out in pre-soul vocal groups, where the MO was street corner singing and getting the attention of girls......the way to get there was out-singing the competition, not inventing new musical forms, and all the old vocal groups -going back to the Mills Brothers and the 'bird groups' - did a lot of standards, it was a given.

I still have a few of these that I bought from a Boston (US) record store c. 1990. Might be interesting to know how many US stores were selling them. They were somewhat influental on me - I was well aware of Northern Soul but had no idea what most of the records sounded like, it was cool to match stuff on want lists to the songs on the LPs. Crediting people, labels, publishers without doing anything about the actual legalities was the MO for Bomp records and the Pebbles/High in the Mid 60s garage comps. It gave the appearance to a casual snooper that it was somewhat credible.

Are there copies of this record that are a bit off center? I got a copy on Dunhill, promo/demo, the vinyl pressing, and it is a bit off center. I was wondering if this is a common problem with this record or not? Wondering if I should bother looking for an on center copy or be happy with what I have. Thanks

the Nazz - loosen up https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVirwnskCtw

There was probably 100+ copies of this from the label owner back in the 1990s, along with their other 45 (just as good IMO), and the Intentions - I'm losing your love, and all the records on the label. I don't know about the history of the record in the Northern Soul scene but I knew about it in the early 1980s. In a word, yes or mixed, you used to be able to pick up copies from from ex-band member quite cheaply.

This is (was?) Garnicks...it is an old store but I have no idea how long in business, probably since the 1930s. I lived in Lowell during the late 1980s. Occasionally they would put out stacks of 45s for sale and I got some good records, especially local 45s like Little John and the Sherwoods. I tried the list on them and surprisingly they took the time and had a couple things. There were two really good places to buy records around the corner, Record Lane, a store in business since the 1950s and that kept most of the unsold stock, and Harvey's Bookland that had 1000s of 45s including the complete library of a local radio station.

I always got on well with DJ Beans - he even let me go through the back room and buy multiple copies of titles for cheap. One of my better scores came at the expense of a Northern Soul guy from the UK - I showed up one morning and in the reject box was a rare garage 45 - he told me that someone from the UK passed on it the night before - bought for $10 or about 5% of what it was worth. Don Parker - been a long time since I bought from him, what a pain in the ass he was. He may have blocked me from bidding on his ebay auctions just for spite. Used to make tapes of stuff for preferred customers i.e. people who he could get to compete against each other.

A few soul hits that were recorded and released on small labels before getting on a big label I can think of immediately are Dyke and the Blazers - Funky Broadway Intrigues - In a moment O'Kaysions - Girl Watcher (and this came with a pic sleeve) All of these were done for cheap, no doubt, by local people. The original Jerden release of Louie Louie is not that rare. The first pressing may have been 600 but there were repressings using the same plates so no way to tell which is original. There's a blue vinyl one - same stampers, I think, hard to say when that was done. This is apart from the obvious boots that don't have the correct delta number.

This label was owned by Jay Ward, the super creative mastermind behind the Bullwinkle and Rocky cartoons. He started the label after the R&B cartoon series was ended. At the time he was also producing the George Of the Jungle cartoon (for which I got teased about). You could contact his daughter who seems to be running the operation (he died a long time ago). The record logo was drawn by him, it's supposed to be a caricature of his real mother....

I would start at $30. It's sold for less and more but that's about average. I am assuming that these are without the pic sleeve. It's not that rare, MGM did a lot of promotion for the record and pressed up a bunch. I'm not sure if there is much of a demand in the UK for the record though, you may have to sell worldwide which could bring down the attainable price.

Used copies have been selling in the 1000 range. A M- one got nearly 1300. I got one a while ago from a well known collector/dealer on this site after wanting one for years. I first heard the record 20+ years ago when I got the comp "tear stained soul" on (forgot the reissue label). Blew me away - both sides - even with the misguided stereo mix. I didn't know that it was a Northern Soul record at the time. It blows up the club when I play it out here in Seattle...worth every $ or quid I paid.

MODERATOR - Please delete this thread, I was wrong in the original post

yes, I see that now

Huh? seller claims original. (EDIT....My mistake, I only read the part where it says 100% originals no reissues and didn't read the rest. The top line about 100% originals is wrong, though) https://www.ebay.com/itm/DON-VARNER-Tear-Stained-Face-Mojo-Mama-MEGA-RARE-NORTHERN-SOUL-Quinvy-45-Hear-/400533158324?pt=Music_on_Vinyl&hash=item5d41a2f9b4#ht_1515wt_1399

I think the reissue and changing tastes have reduced the demand for the funk flip side. I was high bidder (around 500 quid) for a VGish copy on Tim Browns auction last year, up to the end, but didn't win it - I never got a response saying I was outbid or anything, just crickets, so idea what it sold for (if it did). I'm still interested in a copy

I'm not Boba, but if we in the US receive packages that require import tax from the UK we throw bags of them into the Boston Harbor (while disguised as Indians)

I used to have few of these, junk shop / Jamie's flea market staple back some years ago as were a lot of their records. I can look to see if I have any left, could take me a while though. Last one I saw went for $50-$75 in VG shape. IMO this is the best record they made.

The only record I've bought from John Manships website (set sale). I don't suppose he has any more.....that was several years ago and I presume that you've already looked there.

5 - Romulus YEP 7 - Dig YEP 8 - Sepia YEP Nice one.

Well, this is not a rare record compared to some of the rare soul records discussed here. Probably not the right place to look. I suggest the '45 trade and sell' group on Facebook. I have one but its NFS (and cracked)

Herman Lewis on Stone Blue is a one off - the flip (Right Direction, not released on Mercury) is credited to HL and Gerri Jackson. I remember when the producer of the 45 called me (back in the 1980s) he said he was from "Stone Blue Music (or Productions)"!

Several other records on Westwood, most notably the Soul Toranadoes Does anyone think the Franciscans, Nora Lee, Antwans are "classics"? I thought the idea for this topic was to include consensus all time great soul, or Northern Soul, records.....don't think any of these would be so.

Huh, nothing that comes to mind. It sounds a little like "Nobody" by Three Dog Night but they are definitely different songs. I can be sure that Paul Revere and Raiders didn't have a hit with it. They did some remakes/covers of R&B songs but nothing that was a big hit. Their huge hit "Indian Reservation" was a remake of a record by x-Sorrows member Don Fardon (but written by John Loudermilk).

I don't get this, I can't recall a PR&R recording of this song unless it's an LP cut that I forgot about. Besides, they had their first mild hit record in 1961, 6 years before the Masqueraders record. By late 1965 they were stars. Their breakthrough hit "Just Like Me" was written and recorded first by the Wilde Knights, a band from the Longview, WA area.

No, but I think one of the people behind this record did something else on a different label later - It was too modern for me to pay close attention. BTW the street name is mispelled on the label. It should be Dorr Ave. A few blocks down on the same street was Clarks record store and the Clarks/Glass City label - Romona (sic) Collins, Casuals, Jimmy Holloway.....