"Frankie
& Johnny - I'll Hold You, came out of my rubbish bin"
I must tell you about I'll Hold You, that came out of my waste paper basket.
Mick Smith used to come and see me in the seventies after he'd been hunting for records in junk shops and I'd buy a lot of his pop stuff. He played this record by Frankie and Johnny and after thirty seconds we chucked it in the bin as we ploughed through other records.
Anyway, later on I played it again and thought fucking hell - that's great. To cut a long story short Clarkie (Ian Clark) took it to Yate and of course nowaday's it's a huge record. So the first one actually came out of my rubbish bin!
Click Record To Play
I heard you sang to Stevie Wonder
How did you know that? - that was a drunken sing song. We were in a fish and chip shop drinking beer and I sang him My Old Man's A Dustman. Stevie was very gracious though, and if I remember Doris Troy was there as well - I don't know what was toughest for Stevie, eating fish and chips or listening to me sing!
You
met Joe Evans of Carnival Records
Yes, that was in Richmond Virginia, he was retired and studying musical history. That was the catalyst for producing the Carnival series CD's. Apparently, he gave the professor taking the course a copy of the first CD and he told the class that Joe Evans should be running some of the lectures. He ended up writing a big book on Joe's life.
"Carnival Records Is A Wealth Of Great Recordings"
Rare soul fans will know that Carnival is a wealth of great recordings. Joe's story is fascinating and I believe the guys at Hitsville USA have just done a big bio on him in the latest There's That Beat! magazine
Click here to find out more about There's That Beat! magazine.
< Left : Joe Evans - Carnival records
Which
local soul nights do you like particularly?
That's easy - The Talk Of The South in Luton - it's great
What about hobbies and interests?
I play cricket and do some country walking and bird watching. Also I like reading Charles Dickens and Poetry plus of course watching Leicester City lose their matches.
Best advice you've ever had?
Don't let the bastards grind you down
********************
Below - JJ Barnes at The 100 Club CDKEND 108 - Click To Play The Metrics - Wishes
Tell us something
surprising about yourself
I can drink a pint in three seconds and not spill a drop. That won't surprise people who know me. I have done it in two seconds when I was younger
If you were taking up a new major interest, what would it be?
Writing Poetry
What's your greatest fear?
Rats
Are you a good cook and
what do you cook best?
I'm a voluminous cook and make big portions of everything. I love Sprouts
Who (living or dead) do you most admire?
Winston Churchill
Which record would you like played at your funeral?
The Smiths - that one where they all sing hang th DJ at the end
******************** Ian Clark designed most of the early Kent albums
"I'm
An Optimist"
What does money mean to you?
It's a necessary evil
What's been your greatest challenge?
Bringing Up A family
What advice do you give yourself when facing challenges or difficulties?
Always look on the bright side of life. I'm an optimist
What's your ideal day out?
Walking in the English countryside
Which deceased soul artist would you select as a fantasy dinner guest?
Jackie Wilson - Then I could apologise for being very drunk with him at The 100 club in 1975
Tell us something you're useless at...
Decorating
What do you listen to when it's not soul?
Love - a group from Los Angeles, Laura Nyro, The Arctic Monkeys and Bob Dylan
Favourite film? - Far from the madding crowd
Favourite book?
Tale of two cities
Favourite TV Programme?
League of gentlemen
What makes you laugh?
Fletch in Porridge
Contact Ady: