Let's Move On To Cleethorpes Weekenders - How Long Have They Been Running?
That's about fifteen
years now, I think we started in 1990/1 and thinking about artists that have
appeared there, I particularly remember Little Ann, she was ever so nice and
a really obscure Detroit singer.
We found a load of old master tapes and she was knocked out to perform in front of over a thousand fans.
Dean Parrish was excellent a skinny sixty year old white guy with a booming black voice!
Right - a packed Cleethorpes dance floor >
"Sidney Barnes Was Excellent"
Then there was Bobby Hutton. When he went into Lend A Hand and felt the crowds response you could just see how he enjoyed it. It was like he was reliving the moment - magic performance.
Sidney Barnes was excellent and a really professional singer
This year the
weekender is the second
week in June (8th, 9th and 10th) and we haven't finalised the acts yet. Be
sure though I'll let you know very soon.
Above - Sidney Barnes
For full details of the Cleethorpes Weekender and 100 Club dates plus stacks of photos from previous years go to the 6t's web site
Right - Ady with Dean Parrish, Maxine Brown and Tommy Hunt
Tell Us How The Kent thing started...
I've been a soul music
consultant to them since 1982 on the reissue business with access to the
Kent / Modern catalogue.
Ted Carroll approached me. He owned Rock On Records which was the first ever oldies shop in the UK - originally he operated from a market stall on Portabello market. The first album For Dancers Only sold over 20.000 copies.
I suppose it developed from my love of soul music and although it hasn't been the great money earner you might think - I've really enjoyed it.
Don't forget I started out as a record dealer travelling to the USA to find records and then flogging them at Wigan for a few shillings.
I must tell you this
story - I was up in Portabello Road one morning with Tony Rounce and we went
into this record shop. It had 45's all over the walls and ceiling, they
were stuck on with drawing pins.
There were Slade singles and all sorts of crap, then I spotted this Vala Reagan - Fireman on Red US Atlantic. I asked the shop owner how much he wanted for it and he said if you can get it down you can have it. Well, Rouncey was up on my shoulders in two seconds flat and we had the record. I haven't seen one since.
< Left Ady and Tony Rounce
Just going back to the 100 Club for a moment I remember one night this young black girl Karim came down and she seemed to know alot about Northern Soul. After we'd been talking for a while she showed me the tattoo on her arm with her mothers name and photo Ty Karim. That was a surreal experience.
How about some of your
all time favourite tunes?
Frankie Beverly - If That's What You Wanted and Motown dancer has to be Kim Weston's Helpless. I still think The Williams and Watson LP Two For The Price Of One takes some of beating. On the recent discoveries it's The Sensations - Demanding Man on Way Out.
My all time favourite singer is Lou Johnson and Reach Out For Me is one I love. On the unreleased side it's Kenny Carter's - You Better Get Hip Girl and my favourite discovery remains Ben E Kings Gettin' To Me
Gettin' To Me - A Vinyl Experience, tell us about that one...
Yeah - I guess you
might know
the story. I found the record, well 8" acetate to be exact, in the basement of
Vinyl Experience in Hanway Street.
"I Gave It A Quick Spin and liked It"
I was a regular at their shop and have trawled through a couple of thousand acetates down there. Anyway, I went through a box of really naff records and came across Gettin' To Me. I gave it a quick spin and liked it, but as there was no artist credited on the label so I chucked it on a pile of records to deal with later.
It was really strange finding one of the rarest records a few streets away from my flat and a few minutes walk from The 100 Club.
Gettin To Me CDKEND 181 Rare Collectable & Soulful CDKEND156
An
even stranger coincidence, was
the next weekend I bumped into Rob Hughes who is a soul music specialist
from New York, he was at Camden record Fair in North London.
I told him about the find and quick as a flash he said "Oh, that's the unreleased Ben E King recording from his Where's The Girl session. So it's really weird how it all turned out.
"That One Takes The Biscuit"
I've spent years searching for rare records, but that one takes the biscuit.
What about other Great Finds or Discoveries?
A personal favourite is Sharon Scott - I'm not afraid, that's on the RCA Rare And Collectable CD