May 20, 2012

Posts Comments

You are here: Home / Archives for northern soul

Lonely You’ll Be – How Many Versions?

February 7, 2010 By paulsrecords Leave a Comment

Received a record the other day that I knew the title of but hadn’t seen this version before: Johnnie Mae Matthews – Lonely You’ll Be – Jam 103.
Johnnie Mae Matthews - Lonely You'll Be - Jam 103
Turns out it’s quite a rare one (books at £150) but mine is not exactly mint (the seller described it as a filler copy!) but it only cost me just short of £25 quid (thanks again )

Click here to listen.

Now, Johnnie Mae released this at least 2 more times; first on Art 002 and then on a national release on Atco 6528. The Jam and Art labels are both local Detroit labels so they may well be different versions, if so it begs the question which version got the national release on Atco? (If you know please add a comment below.)

Calvin Williams also released the tune twice. First up on the Northern Del-La Record Co label (501) and then on a national release on Atco 6399. Calvin Williams - Lonely You'll Be - Northern Del-La Record Co 501Calvin Williams - Lonely You'll Be - Atco 6399

I have both these versions (in fact 2 copies of the Del-La version so one is on my sales list) and to my ears they are different versions.

Click here to listen to Calvin on Del-La.

Click here to listen to Calvin on Atco.

This is born out by the credits on the label; the writer is obviously the same (Melvin Davis) but the producer credits are different. The Del-La copy credits it as a “Matthews and Marshall production” but on the Atco label this changes to “Produced by J. Hunter Marshall – Matthews”. I’m assuming J Hunter is an extra person and it looks like Mr Marshall has been demoted.

The Detroit music scene at the time was a pretty incestuous place and this looks like a tune that got bounced around a number of artists. Calvin Williams worked as a writer on some of Johnnie Mae Matthews labels so that’s probably how he got to record this tune after her.

On a lighter note (anorak off), All the versions I know are all excellent and I’m really please to get a copy of the Jam one as they don’t come up very often. If anyone knows of any other versions or can comment on the others by JMM please let me know.

“Lonely You’ll Be” on eBay:

jim dawson lp you’ll never be lonely with me

US $5.19
End Date: Sunday May-20-2012 12:39:40 PDT
Buy It Now for only: US $5.19
Buy it now | Add to watch list
LISTEN – POPCORN SOUL – CALVIN WILLIAMS – LONELY YOU’LL BE – IT WON’T MATTER
US $49.99
End Date: Friday May-25-2012 5:12:51 PDT
Buy It Now for only: US $49.99
Buy it now | Add to watch list
ASHLEY, Leon; & Margie Singleton (You’ll Never Be Lonely Again)
US $4.40
End Date: Saturday May-26-2012 17:30:14 PDT
Buy It Now for only: US $4.40
Buy it now | Add to watch list
Filed Under: Ramblings Tagged With: , ,

Northern Soul Floor Fillers No 1 Podcast

January 31, 2010 By paulsrecords Leave a Comment

After my last podcast where I dusted off a few LPs and selected tracks only on LP, I thought perhaps something less obscure would fit the bill for this week’s podcast.

So I dusted off my playbox, and reached for the back left where I keep those records that always do the job when you need them to. I doubt there is anything new to anybody’s ears in this bunch but if you enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed putting it together it was worth the time spent.

Now the reords in my play box are not always in the best of nick as I’m not a collector that insists on perfect condition – I’m happy if they play OK (and this usually makes them cheaper too!). So I’m not going to apologise for the odd pop and click, just think of it as adding that authentic vinyl only atmosphere.

Click [here] to download.

Track List

  • Herb Ward – Strange Change – Argo 5510
  • Jimmey Soul Clark – Sweet Darlin’ – Soulhawk 001
  • The Satisfactions – Take It Or Leave It – Smash 2098
  • The Dynamics – I Need Your Love – RCA 9084 WLP
  • The Steinways – You’ve Been Leadin’ Me On – Oliver 2002 WLP
  • Chubby Checker – No Lo Sabes (You Just Don’t Know) – London 1788 WLP (Spanish Pic Sleeve)
  • Bobby Treetop – Wait Till I Get To Know You – Tuff 6036
  • The Ambers – Another Love – Smash 2111
  • Yvonne Baker – You Didn’t Say A Word – Cameo Parkway 140 WLP
  • Ruby Andrews – Just Loving You – Zodiac 1010

Feel free to leave comments, I hope you enjoyed it.

Filed Under: Podcasts Tagged With: ,

Willie Small – How High Can You Fly – Jessica 401

January 27, 2010 By paulsrecords Leave a Comment

Something a little bit different for today’s featured 45; this is Willie Small – How High Can You Fly – Jessica 401, evidently this was a Stafford spin in the 80′s for Keb Darge. The Stafford connection is probably why I like it; although I never went, nearly all the tunes I hear that are known Stafford sounds seem to be really good.

Willie Small - How High Can You Fly - Jessica 401

It’s hard to find out much about the label or the artist, but the track is written by Eddie Silvers; presumably the well known Chicago R&B personality who was involved in One-Der-Ful records. The label says it was distributed by Dot Record Dist of St Louis, Missouri. I wondered if Willie Small is a pseudonym of Little Willie John but maybe I’m reading too much into the name!

Anyway, its a really good uptempo dancer that has been a mod favourite as well as a Stafford play. Thin on lyrics but with an urgent drum beat and a great horn break I reckon it would suit both an R&B room or a main room playing other than oldies.

Click here to listen

Price wise it books at £25 but it has been seen recently between £30 and £50. It isn’t an uncommon record but with a few plays it could be popular again.

Willie Small on eBay:

Filed Under: Featured 45's Tagged With: ,

Scraping the eBay Barrel!

January 25, 2010 By paulsrecords Leave a Comment

Yesterday I had my usual trawl through ebay to see what I could turn up and it seems the weekend just gone has been the one where everybody has unloaded their mountains of trash records!

Normally it’s failry easy to find a few badly listed bargains or sleepers that are worth leaving a snipe on but not this weekend. Pages and pages of wading through stacks of bootlegs, James Brown records, Supremes records, bad doo-wop listed as Northern soul, I even found a copy of Spyder Turner – I Can’t Take It Anymore” listed as “his rarest record and priced at about $200 (a great record but £5 – £10 all day long).

I had another look this morning but it isn’t much better so here are the things I thought I’d point out before they disappear into the swelling ranks of dross that is ebay.

First up is a proper bargain; a good bit of R&B that isn’t too easy to turn up, books at £300 and has gone for over $600 according to popsike. Tiny Topsy – Just A Little Bit – Federal 12357. Now the listing doesn’t actually grade the record and the description is a bit vague but at a $3 start it is still a fair price.

Next is a superb piece of detroit with 2 good sides; The Fabulous Peps – My Love Looks Good On You – D-Town. Not the rarest of the rare but hard to prise away from people and quite sought after, booking at £100 for the rarer 219 mix (which this is). This one is graded Ex+ from a known German dealer and starts at $0.99. As I said, it isn’t massively rare, in fact I found a second copy, not in as good condition, starting at $5.99. Sound files are available on both of these listings.

Next is another bit of R&B, this is again quite a hard record but it isn’t in good condition. Fay Simmons – Please Tell Me I’m Yours – Senca. It books at £100 and isn’t really my cup of tea but at $3 for a VG copy it is worth looking at.

Last is another not too rare but very nice tune that is right up my street; male voice, mid-tempo with kettle drums! Roy Hamilton – The Panic Is On – MGM. The nice thing about this one is that it is a demo, there are loads of issues about but not too many demos so at $9.99 start this looks worth a punt.

From last weeks tips; I won the Dust My Broom demo for a piddling sum – it will go on my sales list when it arrives, The Caroline Franklyn went for an unbelievably low $10.49 – I’m kicking myself for not bidding! Zu Zu Man rocketed up to around $550 which is barking considering there have been three copies on ebay in a week. The bobby Paris went for around $350 which is about right.

As always, make you’re own mind up before bidding, I’m just having a blog!

Filed Under: Ramblings Tagged With: ,

Record Cleaning – From VG to VG++

January 21, 2010 By paulsrecords Leave a Comment

So someone asked on one of the Soul-Source forums recently if skimming records was a good thing to do. This is the practice of taking a very thin layer of vinyl off a record in an attempt to reduce surface noise by removing scratches. It does do this but it can also introduce more noise because it reduces the depth of the grooves.

A couple of people (including me) shared our methods of cleaning records as an alternative to making them thinner! One way was to purchase a machine for £2K, mine is a bit cheaper. I’m going to demonstrate by using a sound clip from a record I cleaned recently

I bought a copy of “Gerri Taylor – Empty Arms And Bitter Tears – Constellation 154″ off ebay and when it turned up it looked disgusting. I checked the listing and the seller had graded it VG which was fair enough, but it had some rough looking scratches and was covered in some sort of grimy film

Gerri Taylor - Empty Arms And Bitter Tears - Constellation 154

So here is what I do:

  • Put a small amount of washing up liquid in fairly warm (but not hot) water.
  • Immerse the vinyl (not the label) and watch the sh*te float off.
  • Hold record in water and slowly turn. (Mind that label!)
  • Wet a record cleaning cloth (a proper one!) in the soapy water and wipe the record in a circular motion to get the soapy water into the grooves.
  • Immerse the vinyl (not the label!) in clean warm water and slowly turn to get most of the soapy water off.
  • Rinse the soapy cloth in clean warm water and wipe the recod again.
  • Dry with a different (dry) record cleaning cloth.
  • Repeat if necessary

The immersion takes any gritty muck off and loosens the grime, getting the soapy water into the grooves helps get the grime out and wiping with a wet cloth gets the water into the grooves clearing the soap. Drying with a record cleaning cloth gets the last of the grime and the water off.

Cleaning obviously doesn’t remove scratches but it does seem to remove a lot of the static and noise. If the scratches are not deep they generally can’t be heard over the music anyway.

To hear a sound file of the cleaned record click here, I don’t have a before because I wouldn’t risk my stylus on the record before cleaning it.

As always, you do this at your own risk. Don’t boil your records!

Record Cleaning Products on eBay:

3 pc Record Cleaner Kit : Cleaning Fluid & 2 Brushes

US $12.40
End Date: Sunday May-20-2012 9:08:37 PDT
Buy It Now for only: US $12.40
Buy it now | Add to watch list
VINYL RECORD CLEANER – Cleaning Fluid and Velvet Brush
US $9.99
End Date: Monday May-21-2012 19:23:41 PDT
Buy It Now for only: US $9.99
Buy it now | Add to watch list
Euphonium 238 Non-Radioactive Record Cleaner Isotope by Analogy Audio
US $125.00
End Date: Tuesday May-22-2012 12:03:42 PDT
Buy It Now for only: US $125.00
Buy it now | Add to watch list
4 pc Record Cleaner Kit: Cleaning Fluid 2 Brushes Cloth
US $19.40
End Date: Tuesday May-22-2012 17:01:12 PDT
Buy It Now for only: US $19.40
Buy it now | Add to watch list
Filed Under: How To ..., Ramblings Tagged With: ,

This weeks ebay bargains …..

January 17, 2010 By paulsrecords Leave a Comment

As normal on a Sunday, I added a few records to my sales section, packaged up the ones to post out tomorrow and then spent some time rummaging round eBay.

I still haven’t worked out if people start records low because they don’t know that they are normally expensive or because they believe that they will eventually reach their true price.

Anyway, here are some things that are starting cheap and may get lost in the thousands of rubbish records en ebay:

Zu Zu Blues Band – Zu Zu Man – A&M 790 Probably one of the biggest R&B records of 2009, I’ve normally seen this on demo but this is an issue. The seller states it is VG+ to NM- (US sellers don’t have an Ex) and has started it at $9.95, which isn’t bad for a record that books at £250 and I’ve seen go for more than £300. There’s a demo on ebay already over $300 with a couple of days or so to go and this is only a 5 day auction so don’t hang about!

Next is one of the best Motown records ever; Carolyn Crawford – My Smile Is Just A Frown – Motown. This is rated VG but looks really clean, I have a trashed copy that plays perfectly ($2 well spent!) so it should be OK. Anyway $9.99 start for a record that books at £125 and is hard to turn up must be worth a punt?

An all time classic next; Bobby Paris – I Walked Away – Capitol 5929 Demo Booking at £200 and sometimes going for more, this one sits at a start price of $29.99.

Last up, not too rare but always nice to see on a demo; Ike & Tina Turner – Dust My Broom – TRC 1019 a quality classic Northern Soul/R&B tune that is a steal at just $0.99!

As always, these are not my listings so please make up your own mind before diving in.

Filed Under: Ramblings Tagged With: , ,

Betty Everett – Nothing I Wouldn’t Do

January 12, 2010 By paulsrecords 2 Comments

Todays offering is a lesser known cut from soul diva Betty Everett. I first heard this played by Dale, early doors at The Riley Smith Hall, Tadcaster. Jo Wallace and I had spun some tunes at the earlier warm up and were sitting on the balcony having a listen when this one made us sit up and applaud. Dale told us later what it was and despite Jo telling him we’d both got it – Oh no we hadn’t!

Betty Everett - Nothing I Wouldn't Do - ABC 10829

Betty’s backing singers tell us “She can work a miracle, she can do the impossible” and then Betty tells us in no uncertain terms that she cares so much there’s nothing she wouldn’t do for her man.

Click here to listen

Lyrically, this is really good; the first break comes with “I’ll work 8 days a week, work 99 years and still be yours; draw my old age pension at 21!” – she certainly is serious! Later the lyrics highlight the obsession of the time with the space race; “I’ll make the sun shine every night, fill your days with moonlight, we can take a ride to the stars, spend our vacation on Jupiter and Mars!“

A nice mid tempo dancer with tinge of R&B this one is definitely worth seeking out. To me it sounds like a late 50′s to early 60′s sound when R&B merged with Doo-Wop before going to Soul but it was actually released in 1966. Perhaps it was recorded earlier as it is the b-side to the more commercial and typical of the mid-sixties “In Your Arms”.

If your looking for it “In Your Arms” is the side to search for as that is what it gets listed under in the States. Pricewise; JM books it at £75; that seems a tad high though unfortunately US dealers who have bought his guide believe it. I paid $45 for my Ex demo (in company sleeve for those that appreciate them) and they come up regularly on eBay.

Hope you like it and best of luck finding one.

Betty Everett on eBay:

BETTY EVERETT W/ IKE PERKINS ALLSTARS- YOU LOVING ARMS

US $39.99
End Date: Thursday May-24-2012 4:40:23 PDT
Buy It Now for only: US $39.99
Buy it now | Add to watch list
Betty Everett R & B 45 (C J #619) Your Loving Arms/Happy I Long To Be VG+
US $6.95
End Date: Monday May-28-2012 16:21:53 PDT
Buy It Now for only: US $6.95
Buy it now | Add to watch list
Filed Under: Featured 45's Tagged With: , ,

Some eBay Bargains

January 11, 2010 By paulsrecords Leave a Comment

Its getting harder and harder to find records at good prices on ebay these days as more and more people splash their money about like there’s not tomorrow ….. err …there is .. isn’t there?

Anyway, I used to post up eBay bargains on the old site so I thought I’d start doing it again. Please bear in mind that they are bargains when they start but might not always end up that way!

First up: Bernard Smith – Never Gonna Let You Go – Spectrum 111 – Really nice crossover that books at £400 – this guy is starting it at $1. His youtube link doesn’t work but if you head over to YT and search for Bernard you’ll hear something really nice.

Next is a record that books at £200; 5 Royales – Catch That Teardrop – ABC – this starts at $2.99 but before you rush in it does have a crack, but the guy says it plays “a strong VG”. Worth a fiver to find out?

Not the most expensive or hardest to find but a near mint issue of Bobby Sheen – Something New To Do – Warner Brothers for a start price of $9.99 can’t be bad can it?

Finally a record I know very little about, don’t know what it sounds like but it books at £250; JM has one on his site for £200 and CM had one for $400; Sophelia Carlisle – How Come – Jarda – got to be worth a punt for a $5 start?

Have a look your self you might find other bargains, there was a really nice bit of R&B that I’d not heard before but I’m keeping that to myself!

Please make up your own mind about these records, they are not my listings so I’m not responsible for the description or grading. Always take care when sending money to people for things bought on ebay – not everyone is honest!

Filed Under: Ramblings Tagged With: ,

Detroit Soul Podcast – Episode 1

October 14, 2008 By paulsrecords Leave a Comment

I’ve been meaning to put together a few podcasts for some time as it is a fairly easy thing to do with the right tools. So after spending yesterday tiring myself out with some emergency plumbing, I thought I’d have a rest today and play some records.

The result is the first episode in what will become a series of Detroit Northern Soul podcasts. It will become a series because I can only fit around a dozen tunes in each and ended up sitting surrounded by records when putting this one together as there are so many Detroit soul records to choose from.

In this podcast I’ve deliberately not included any Motown tracks as I feel Motown hogs the limelight a bit (for obvious reasons) and a lot of the other records are just as good, if not better, but didn’t get the same exposure. I’ll put a couple of Motown tracks in the next one though.


Tracklist:

  • Jimmy Soul Clark – I’ll Be Your Winner – Soulhawk 003
  • The Arabians – (Please) Take A Chance On Me – Le Mans 002
  • Johnny Bartel & The Soul Masters – If This Isn’t Love – Solid State 2514
  • Rufus Wonder & The Additions – Under The Moon – Lando 181
  • Falcons – Love Look In Her Eyes – Big Wheel 1971
  • The Fabulous Peps – My Love Looks Good On You – D-Town 219
  • The Falcons – Good Good Feeling – Big Wheel 1972
  • Jock Mitchell – Not A Chance In A Million – Impact 1023
  • Joe Matthews – She’s My Beauty Queen – Thelma 104
  • Brothers Of Soul – I’d Be Grateful – Boo 1006
  • Cody Black – Mr Blue – D-Town 1057
  • Tony Hestor – Just Can’t Leave You – Karate 523

Detroit Northern Soul on eBay:

Detroit Emeralds I Bet You Get The One Northern Soul 45

US $9.99
End Date: Sunday May-20-2012 6:45:45 PDT
Buy It Now for only: US $9.99
Buy it now | Add to watch list
DETROIT NORTHERN SOUL 45 THE PARLIAMENTS WHAT YOU BEEN GROWIN’ REVILOT
US $9.99 (0 Bid)
End Date: Sunday May-20-2012 8:46:57 PDT
Bid now | Add to watch list
Dennis Coffey & The Detroit Guitar Band – Taurus / Can You – northern soul 7″ 45
US $3.99
End Date: Sunday May-20-2012 12:45:04 PDT
Buy It Now for only: US $3.99
Buy it now | Add to watch list

Filed Under: Podcasts Tagged With: , ,

Patti Austin – He’s Good Enough For Me – Coral 62455

October 6, 2008 By paulsrecords Leave a Comment

Just back after a refreshing holiday touring the churchyards of Cornwall researching my family tree and to my wife’s dismay there is a sizeable pile of 7″ square brown parcels behind the door (plus a couple of cards from the post office) welcoming us on our return.

One of the cards produces a box which is 7″ x 6″ x 3″ and contains across the diagonal (ask Mr Pythagorus) this beautiful record wrapped in newspaper with no other packing! Quite how it has survived a transatlantic crossing in this flimsy packaging eludes me but thankfully it has.

Patti Austin - He's Good Enough For Me - Coral 62455

As beautiful a mid-tempo female voice dancer as you could ask for, Patti’s as ever gorgeous voice describes how despite him treating her rough and everyone telling her how wrong for her he is; he’s good enough for her. Aww! hold that thought!

Click here to listen

Though it won’t appeal to the stomper crowd it certainly has dance floor appeal and is really professionally arranged and produced. This is not one for my sales box but one to add to my small but perfectly formed collection.

So what’s it gonna cost you? Another tricky one this as this is a good record that is quite hard to turn up but isn’t really an “in demander”. John Manship’s 3rd edition guide rates a mint copy at £125; this one cost me just short of £50 and I would grade it Ex although it does have “Good record” written across it as you can see from the scan. As it is a promo I like to think that this has been done by a radio station DJ in the 60′s to remind him which side to play, thus giving it some history, but it is just as likely to be some bozo who thinks it is a good thing to write on record labels.

Incidentally the track has also been covered by Mary Wells and this is just as good if at a slightly slower pace. It is an LP only track from a self titled LP, with a great picture of Mary on the cover, on the 20th Century label and is packed with good tracks. When I find my camera again I’ll put a scan of it up here (I might even sell my copy now I’ve got Patti’s single!)

Click here to listen to Mary Wells

Filed Under: Featured 45's Tagged With: ,
« Older Posts
Newer Posts »