Hitsville Soul Club Record Reviews: January 2007: Dave Greet

Hi, my name is Dave Greet, from Reading England and am married to Julie, a long time soul fan herself and I earn my daily bread as a self employed contract cleaner and window cleaner. I can only assume that Dave Moore has asked me to put up some tunes for review so that after taking the piss out of my cell phone at the Hitsville Weekender DJ Villa in September, he can also lambast my taste in music as well. Seriously, Dave asked me to do a short bio of myself, so I'll keep it short.

Moved from South London to Southampton in 1970. I was buying all the same crap spotty 16 year olds usually buy! I eventually made friends with some guys around town. Southampton's Birds Nest was beckoning in 1972 and it was there that Jerry Butler's wonderful cover of "One Night Affair" probably changed my future. That place was a real soul club playing all the latest imports and a fair amount of what I would come to know as "Northern Soul". The DJ there told me about a magazine called "Blues and Soul" and in there I used to read about all these weird records being played up North. It wasn't long before a crowd of us were checking out the Inter-City Soul Club in Bournemouth.

From there it was the weekly pilgrimages to Blackpool and Wigan and the "normal" clubbing life was now seriously put on the back burner. Over 30 years of loitering in record bars and occasionally (dis) gracing dance floors have followed and I've loved every second of it.

Our love of soul music goes without saying but almost as important, to me anyway , are the people. I've made hundreds of friends (I hope) through this music, people who's friendship I will always cherish. What 's the Maurice Jackson record on Candlelight called......Oh yeah..."Lucky Fellow"....sounds about right to me.....on with the 45s...

Dave


REVIEW #1 CLICK on RECORD to LISTEN!	Bobby Wisdom - The Handwriting's On The Wall - OutaSite From the latter days of The Casino, Richard Searling has just played Chris Bartley's - "I Go Out Of My Mind", Maurice McCallister "Whatever Happened ToYesterday" )Al Scott/Mr Soul) and you just KNOW that this gem is coming up! I've only seen one original and that was Ian Clarke's, many moons ago. The label, as I recall is a Renfro subsidiary. Mine, unfortunately is Gary Rushbrooke's old copy which is almost a plain white label. The record itself is pure magic. Bobby swoops into the song, the tempo is consistent all the way through and by the second verse a few spins and hand-claps are almost compulsory ! Now where did I leave my Brut and beer towel? Oh yes, and it was covered up as Billy Kennedy.

REVIEW #2 CLICK on RECORD to LISTEN!	Brown Bombers - Wait For Me - Amazing I remember John Manship listing this about 77/78, for about a tenner ($20). A very scarce item that which I'm led to believe is a big ticket item now. John also mentioned that it was Al Hudson's first record, although listening to the vocal l that's debatable. The record just pounds along from the first beat, stabbing brass and zipping strings propel this firmly into the "stomper" category. Probably too fast for today's dance floor but a hell of a record nonetheless.

REVIEW #3 CLICK on RECORD to LISTEN!	Betty Wilson - I'm Yours - Dayco Eddie Daye waved the baton and Donny Hathaway arranged this Washington DC masterpiece. D.H.'s arrangement turns this into a very sophisticated dance floor record. Betty's sultry vocal alongside the lush string arrangement make listening to this record a pure pleasure. I'd been chasing this record for years and eventually had to pay a lot for it. Don't make the same mistake I made, if you get a chance to buy it , sell the house and go live in a tent!

REVIEW #4 CLICK on RECORD to LISTEN!	Geraldine Curry - You're So wonderful - London House Hailing from Newark, NJ comes this superior girl group offering. Co-written by K. Ruffin,( George Blackwell amongst others), and Be n Tate, records like this are just waiting to happen at the right venue. The song is perhaps a little too predictable but Geraldine's voice and the constant cooing girls would have most people giving this the "thumbs up".

REVIEW #5 CLICK on RECORD to LISTEN!	Chuck Holiday - Just Can't Trust Nobody" - Gloria A huge record for DJ Soul Sam and others about 10 years ago. I'll be forever grateful to my old Mate John Farrell from Worcester for selling me this. Unless you've been imprisoned on the planet Zog for years, I should imagine most UK fa ns will know this. But, for those that don't, Chuck's lady has absconded with his best friend and naturally he is now a little cynical. Set at an easy dance paced tempo, with all the right bits in the right places you can see why this record is so sought after. Originally around in the Stafford days for around 30 UKP ($60), mark it somehow lay dormant for a long time. Tim Ashibende tracked Chuck down but was told all the copies ended up in a thrift shop. The flip side "I Still Love You" is almost as good and in my humble opinion this 45 is THE Detroit double sider, (And yes, that includes Darrell Banks). The kind of record that everybody should hear at least once in their lifetime as it's the kind of ecstacy you can't get arrested for!

REVIEW #6 CLICK on RECORD to LISTEN!	Rocky Gil and The Bishops - It's Not The End - Tear Drop Released on Heuy Meaux's Teardrop label, not the most soulful record you'll ever hear but once you get past the organ intro this really picks up steam. A drop in tempo halfway through and then we're off again. Obtained from DJ Soul Sam at Orwell a few years ago it's not an easy find

REVIEW #7 CLICK on RECORD to LISTEN!	Kell Osborne - Small Things - New Bag I remember having this on tape in 1977 and then Ian Clarke gave it some turntable action at the Yate Allnighters. Where it first got played I don't know but in the mid 70s this may well have gotten lost in the crowd so to speak. I recall at the Cleethorpes Weekender about 6 years ago, just about every half decent sales box had on in it for around the 650UKP ($1300) so a few must have turned up. The record itself is, for the most part great, apart from the annoying girl l chorus that slows the tempo in places. In "Northern" terms poles apart from Kell's other monster "Quicksand".

REVIEW #8 CLICK on RECORD to LISTEN!	Barbara Jean and The Lyrics - Why Weren't You There - Big Hit Well know for being the other side of Thelma Lindsay "Prepared To Love You" (Magic City). The quality of the song is obvious having been released twice. Typically uptempo Detroit all the way through. The Lyrics contribute great harmonies. This is a quality soul record.

REVIEW #9 CLICK on RECORD to LISTEN!	Barbara Jean and The Lyrics - Any Two Ca n Play - Big Hit Yes, it's the flip side of the one above and equally worthy of a review. Twenty seconds in Barbara goes acapella with no beat for about ten seconds which could kill a floor for a DJ but that's a small price to pay for the quality of this record. Once the musicians return to the song, then nor mal service is resumed, the drummer keeps the whole thing cooking and you can't help but sing along with the chorus...hard to choose between the two sides of an awesome double header!

REVIEW #10 CLICK on RECORD to LISTEN!	Shame Shame Shame - Classic Sullivans - Masterkey I recall Tim Brown writing that Ginger used to play this at Cleethorpes back in the 70s. You can see why. Catchy breezy Chicago dancer with falsetto lead not unlike the Impressions. Started climbing pricewise on lists I see, so get one while you can.

REVIEW #11 CLICK on RECORD to LISTEN!	Emory and The Dynamics - Let's Take look At Our Life - Peachtree I haven't heard every release on William Bell's label but I'd be willing to bet that this the most "traditional" Northern release on there. Twanging guitar intro then the beat kicks in helped along by great brass work throughout. Tight harmonies and interchanging lead vocals make this a peach of a record. The cat # is 107 so I'm guessing an early release , probably 69/70.

REVIEW #12 CLICK on RECORD to LISTEN!	Cynthia and The Imaginary Three - That's What I Am - Big Hit Quite simply, yet another beautiful record from the Detroit label. Midtempo quality dancer that floats along, Cynthia's voice and the backing are spot on and that gets you to wondering about the injustice of it all when records like this, probably don't sell in more than handfuls.

REVIEW #13 CLICK on RECORD to LISTEN!	Skip Jackson & the Shantons - I'm Onto You Girl - Dot-Mar This record epitomizes a Blackpool Mecca record. Compulsive dancer, easy to dance to finger snapper, a great chorus and back ups, this winner has it all. Perhaps we've all been spoilt for choice over the years when records this good are forgotten.

REVIEW #14 CLICK on RECORD to LISTEN!	Flash McKinley - I'll Rescue You - Bombay Big ticket collectors item from Chicago. Been well known for many years, but always stayed elusive. Luckily, well known Essex boy and reasonable record dealer "Shifty " held this for me a few years ago. For our worldwide friends who may not know this classic it's not a "typical" Northern soul record. Wailing girls in the background, some laid back (almost jazzy) piano and a subdued mid tempo beat make this a "little different". It certainly works though! Incidentally the writer credits are Wilfred McKinley so unless it's a relative of his you can imagine why he went with his somewhat more dynamic nickname he? Can't imagine "Wilfred" cutting it with the ladies? Can you?

REVIEW #15 CLICK on RECORD to LISTEN!	Bobby Hill - Tell Me You Love Me - LoLo Tucked away on the other side of the awful oldie -"To The Bitter End" this shows Bobby in a much better light. Strong girl chorus and an excellent production has seen this disc slowly climbing price over the years.

REVIEW #16 CLICK on RECORD to LISTEN!	Differences - Five Minutes - Mon'Ca Staying with that Northern cum Crossover feel this was always a difficult record to find, and even harder now that it 's become sought after. From 1971, lush strings and some nice guitar work illustrate how soul music had become more sophisticated than eve n 5/6 years earlier.

REVIEW #17 CLICK on RECORD to LISTEN!	Serena Johnson - All Work And No Play - Big 2 Stafford regulars will no doubt remember the Vivalore Jordan version on Task. More lightweight and certainly faster (to my ears anyway), but this has a rather "Souther n" feel to it. I bought this record years ago from an old Mecca regular so I guess it must have had plays there at sometime as it seems perfect for that time. The song revolves around the fact that Serena's hacked off with her domestic chores and wants a little physical activity that night. If her physique is anything like her voice then her old man better step up to the plate!

REVIEW #18 CLICK on RECORD to LISTEN!	Joseph Webster - My Love Is So Strong - Crow From Detroit I believe and probably the biggest record in the UK a couple of years ago. Prominent guitar and brass drive this along to create a record perfect for anyone's dance floor. I first heard this off one of the Scottish guys who was DJing in London at least ten years ago. My old partner in crime, Dave Thorley, sold me this for 60UKP ($120), but the good news is he's still talking to me!

REVIEW #19 CLICK on RECORD to LISTEN!	Detroit Sound Of Friction - I'm Leaving You - Heavy Sound Another Ex Cleethorpes spin, heavy brass presence throughout and a lead voice not unlike Jerry Butler. Changes of tempo might make this a little tricky for some dancers, perhaps that's why it has stayed an underground collectors item so long. The last copy I saw for sale was at Cleethorpes when John Anderson had a green stock copy for sale at 500UKP ($1000), although that was a few years ago now.

REVIEW #20 CLICK on RECORD to LISTEN!	Liberation - Love Looks Good On You - SOA The label says The Sound Of Atlanta, but you would swear this was a Carolina beach record. The lead singer sounds white but what the record lacks in blackness it makes up in feel good factor!

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