By TD (216.118.68.117 - 216.118.68.117) on Thursday, July 18, 2002 - 01:17 am:

The first Motown song that I remeber was Cannery Love.
I was in 5th grade and I can remeber how cool the song was. Must have been the bass playing, now that I look back on it.
Well when I finally was able to buy the Supremes greatest hits- I was looking forward to playing Cannery Love. Much to my surprise, it was not on the alblum.
Boy was I happy when the song You Can't Hurry Love came on my record player.
TD

By Vickie (152.163.189.129 - 152.163.189.129) on Thursday, July 18, 2002 - 07:53 am:

Great Topic!!!
I'm sure the first Motown song I heard was a Jackson 5 song, but the
first song I remember making an impact was "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" (both versions)
I heard Diana's first then Tammi & Marvin's ..
not realizing that theirs came first...

Vickie

By John Lester (213.122.201.58 - 213.122.201.58) on Thursday, July 18, 2002 - 08:02 am:

TD.

I love that!!!!!!

It reminds me of problems I had for years with the lines in "Some Things You Never Get Used To"..when Diana sings "Just Like A Childs first step, I had to learn to walk all, all over again.." I will not tell you what I thought it was!!! sort of err sh umm sh err ahh.....again

HA HA HA HA

By LeVan45789 (166.107.74.71 - 166.107.74.71) on Thursday, July 18, 2002 - 04:24 pm:

The first Motown song I recall is Dancing In The Street by Martha & The Vandellas
the radio station at that time played it every
morning. I had to be three or four even now
when I hear it. It still has that power!!!

Le Van

By Steve Litos (209.100.86.4 - 209.100.86.4) on Thursday, July 18, 2002 - 09:55 pm:

I was born in 1971, and when I think about it now, it was a world with a scant ammount of classic 1960's Motown on the radio. (Oldies stations hadn't been invented as a format until the 1980's). 3 songs really made an impact when I really listened to them: "Reach Out" by the 4 Tops
(Which I heard while watching Cooley High at age 10), "This Old Heart of Mine" Isley Brothers(Which
I know for certain I never heard until I saw it on
a Moonlighting Ep), & Mercy, Mercy Me Marvin Gaye(Which was featured on a TV commercial about 1990...it was an unsucessful commercial because I was never able to figure out what they were selling). After listening to Marvin Gaye's greatest hits, I sold my soul to Soul for good & it became my music of choice after that.
-Steve Litos

By soulboy (213.105.242.198 - 213.105.242.198) on Thursday, July 18, 2002 - 10:22 pm:

I swear that i can remember hits like 'my guy' and 'where did our love go' allthough i was only the age of 3 or 4 at the time. I grew up in an envoironment were music was played quite often on record players or maybe a jukebox. I was also aware of the beatlemania of that time. as i became somewhat older i did not forget what i had heard, but i went along with whatever the musical fashion was of the time,losing interest in music altogether at one point.
This brings me to my next point that whenever you hear a motown record you will never forget it.
The impression that those records made on me as a small child never really went away when i became an adult.this is what started my interest in Motown.

By mhc (172.165.193.32 - 172.165.193.32) on Friday, July 19, 2002 - 12:46 am:

The first one that grabbed me was "What's So Good About Goodbye" by The Miracles. I fell in love with that record and would wait for it to come around the rotation on WJBK. Then a short time later "Playboy" by The Marvelettes had a similar effect on me. THEN came "I'll Try Something New" by The Miracles, and that was it. I was hooked, and so proud that these records I loved were coming from Detroit. I remember finding Hitsville USA in the Detroit yellow pages and flipping 'cause the address was 2648 W. Grand Blvd. The house that I grew up in and lived in then was at 2648 Phillips Ave. in Berkley, Mich.

By LTLFTC (12.245.225.79 - 12.245.225.79) on Friday, July 19, 2002 - 01:24 am:

The first that got to me was "Please Mr Postman". My father was a mailman at the time and even at 6 or 7 years old, I remember being kind of impressed to hear something that related to everyday life on the radio. The first i actually bought was a couple years later; "Castles In the Sand" by Stevie Wonder-I still think that's a stellar vocal performance.

By TD (64.12.97.11 - 64.12.97.11) on Friday, July 19, 2002 - 01:45 am:

John L

We could probably start a topic on what we thought some of the motown songs were actually saying.
The Four Tops- Without the One You Love.
I thought for years when they sang like a dark soul needs a kin was like a bar of soap needs a kid- it made sense to me.
TD

By Philadel Mike (205.188.209.48 - 205.188.209.48) on Friday, July 19, 2002 - 01:54 am:

I don't know for certain what was the first record Berry Gordy/Tamla/Motown released but I think that their first hit was MONEY by Barett
Strong.

MONEY was a hard-driving, guitar-driven rock
& roll record not characteristic of what
became the world-famous (callin' out around
the world: Are you ready for a brand-new
beat?) Motown sound.

SHOP AROUND by the Miracles came out about
the same time ('62) so I would say that
MONEY and SHOP AROUND were probably
Tamla/Motown's first two hits.

By John Lester (213.1.131.64 - 213.1.131.64) on Friday, July 19, 2002 - 07:52 am:

TD....

HAHAHAHHAHHA

I LOVE IT, I LOVE IT.....

By Livonia Ken (136.1.1.33 - 136.1.1.33) on Friday, July 19, 2002 - 07:54 pm:

Good story, MHC. That Miracles song must have really made an impression. IIRC, "I've Been Good to You" was the B-Side to the single and you did it in concert in the 80s as evidenced by the bonus track of the Rhino remaster. You get extra points for youthful courage for going for those high notes on the you-oos.

Regards,

By willy (209.142.215.13 - 209.142.215.13) on Friday, July 19, 2002 - 08:01 pm:

The first record released by Berry Gordy was Marv Johnson's Come To Me.

By padgburyman (195.93.49.184 - 195.93.49.184) on Saturday, July 20, 2002 - 06:19 am:

My Guy - Mary Wells, plus James on a 'real' bass. Wow.

By recordboyusa (208.61.5.193 - 208.61.5.193) on Sunday, July 21, 2002 - 03:51 am:

"Love is like an itching in my heart" - The Supremes. I was nine years old. I bought my first Motown record a few months later -- "Little Darling" by Marvin Gaye!

Jeff Lemlich
http://www.limestonerecords.com

By rovereab (195.92.194.15 - 195.92.194.15) on Sunday, July 21, 2002 - 09:12 pm:

Baby Love by The Supremes on the Stateside label. I believe the paper sleeve was blue. I had seen the group on the television programme Ready, Steady, Go; kissing Keith Fordyce while they mimed to the song. They also sang their previous hit, Where Did Our Love Go, on the show. Great memories!

By John Lester (213.1.128.62 - 213.1.128.62) on Monday, July 22, 2002 - 06:36 am:

Eamonn....

I can't believe someone else remembers that show too...that is my earliest TV memory of the Supremes...and it was what made me fall in love with Florence

Florence seemed kind of bashful on that show and I found that kind of appealing. But I found out later, she wasn't that bashful - she had a voice that could make a grown man weep!

By diamond8 (65.129.156.192 - 65.129.156.192) on Saturday, July 27, 2002 - 03:39 am:

I agree with you Willy, I think the first Motown/Tamla hit was Marv Johnson's "Come to Me," but I think "Needed" by the Voicemasters might have been released first(side one was "for lovers" and the B side was a "chalypso" beat). Can't remember the label, but it was black. The Voicemasters were comprised of singers from different groups, i.e., Otis Williams, Barrett Strong, Eddie Holland, Ty Hunter, etc...I think. Not sure if those were the artists on that particular record, but Berry used to do that a lot in the early days. Please, correct me if I'm wrong about which came first, but I recall skating to both records at the Arcadia around the same time. (And what about "To Be Loved" & "Reet Petite" by Jackie Wilson?)

By diamond8 (65.129.157.149 - 65.129.157.149) on Monday, July 29, 2002 - 02:46 pm:

Hey,
The fog in my brain cleared for a minute, and I remember that the first Motown songs I remember besides Marv Johnson's "Come to Me," were "Merry-go-Round" by Eddie Holland (Tamla, recorded in Berry & Raynoma's home/studio on Gladstone Street) and "It" a cute little song by Ron & Bill (aka Bill "Smokey" Robinson & Ronnie White, of the Miracles). All great skating records.

By John Lester (213.1.137.54 - 213.1.137.54) on Monday, July 29, 2002 - 09:53 pm:

David....I have a picture of Gladstone...just as soon as Ritchie comes and sorts me out with this "hard to work" scanner I have got at work

So David. - it's all Ritchie's fault...dont blame me!! LOL

Diamond8.......keep on talking....just keep on.

By Ritchie (62.254.0.6 - 62.254.0.6) on Monday, July 29, 2002 - 09:57 pm:

John - you might have a long wait. The last time I was in London was 1994!

By david, glasgow, scotland (62.252.128.5 - 62.252.128.5) on Monday, July 29, 2002 - 10:00 pm:

John

That would be fantastic.

David

By supremeross (155.229.206.119 - 155.229.206.119) on Tuesday, July 30, 2002 - 04:30 pm:

When I was growing up we had a radio system in our house with speaker in all the major rooms and bedrooms. Well one day I was walking mindlessly through the basement when I heard this weird, hypnotic sound coming from the radio. The music started with this ticking sound and built into this explosion and then I heard this amazing voice sing to me..."Through the mirror of my mind, time after time, I see reflections of you and me...". I stopped in my tracks and was glued to every word that came from this singer's mouth. I felt her pain and anguish and could have swore she was sing to me. I remember thinking, who could have done this to someone with such a beatuiful voice. When the song finished playing the DJ didn't announce who the singer or group was and I started to panic because I had to find out who this woman was singing. I searched frantically through the phone book to find the number to the radio station and when I finally called the line just rang and rang and rang before someone finally answered and was able to tell just who it was who had sung that song. And that was the day I fell in love with Diana, the Supremes and Motown. That was the day that I really began to listen to music, and a day that changed my life musically as well.

By Frankj (212.159.70.184 - 212.159.70.184) on Thursday, August 08, 2002 - 02:52 pm:

I'd guess a lot of British people of a certain age got their first first experience of a Motown song courtesy of a cover version during the Merseybeat boom. Ironically coming from Liverpool this was not the case for me as a young uncle who lived with us had a musical sense of adventure and already owned things like Barrett Strongs "Money" and "Shop Around" by the Miracles
on London American before the Beatles et al stepped in. Even as a kid I could clearly see the difference in quality and perhaps somewhat sadly was not subsequently over impressed with my own citys efforts.

By Steve Litos (209.100.86.4 - 209.100.86.4) on Friday, August 09, 2002 - 10:38 pm:

Frank,
I think The Beatles do pretty fine versions of "Money", "You've Really Got A Hold On Me", &
"Please Mr. Postman" that hold up quite well compared to the Motown artists. I read somewhere
that Smokey Robinson was even impressed with The Beatles version of his song when it came out.(It made him money!)

By acooolcat (211.78.28.72 - 211.78.28.72) on Saturday, August 10, 2002 - 05:07 am:

I think they used to buy Oriole 45s - which at the time was the UK label leasing Motown product. Another Detroit record off their second album is Devil In Your Heart - originally recorded by The Donays and released in the States on Brent. It's a Correc-tone recording though, and as you may know - it's Yvonne Vernee leading.
Graham

By Ritchie (62.254.0.6 - 62.254.0.6) on Saturday, August 10, 2002 - 06:27 am:

It's quite possible that the Beatles may even have heard or owned original US issues. Liverpool as a sea port frequently saw visiting US sailors, some of whom would bring over records which - I'm told - they would sell to local fans. I've even heard stories of guys selling records on the docks!

On a related tangent, I'd love to know if the Beatles were aware of the Mike & the Modifiers 45. The first time I heard it, I thought it sounded like the early Beatles, but its release in the UK actually pre-dated "Please Please Me" by a few months. It's an interesting thought to wonder if the guys heard it and thought, "hey - we could sound like that!"

By acooolcat (61.222.95.58 - 61.222.95.58) on Saturday, August 10, 2002 - 09:49 am:

Ritchie, It's a while since I read the book - The In Crowd - but I think the authors dismiss, with reason, the story about US sailors selling 45s in Liverpool. Do you have the book?
Graham

By Ritchie (62.254.0.6 - 62.254.0.6) on Saturday, August 10, 2002 - 10:13 am:

Actually, that's quite funny.... My father's family came from Liverpool. Though I don't have the book to hand, I do have an uncle who's an ex- merchant seaman. I'll have to tell him that his his stories about bringing records back from the States are not true!

By MEL&THENSOME (195.219.7.34 - 195.219.7.34) on Saturday, August 10, 2002 - 09:33 pm:

THERE CERTAINLY IS SOME TRUTH IN THAT RECORDS DID GET BROUGHT BACK FROM VARIOUS SAILORS OR WHATEVER.NOT JUST SOUL,BUT YOUR WEST INDIAN,JAMAICAN,OR WHATEVER.AS FAR AS I KNOW,LIVERPOOL WAS WELL INTO THE VARIED TYPES OF SOUNDS THAT ENDED UP BACK HERE.BE IT UNKNOWN OR WHATEVER.EVEN THE CHANTS/REAL THING,MADE THIS KNOWN,ON A PROGRAMME SHOWN A FEW YEARS AGO LOCALLY.AS WELL AS OTHERS.IT AMAZES ME,THE KNOW-ALLS,OUT OF TOWNERS,THAT SEEM TO KNOW ALL ABOUT THE HISTORY OF LIVERPOOL.MEL(A FERVENT EVERTONIAN).

By David Meikle (62.252.128.6 - 62.252.128.6) on Sunday, August 11, 2002 - 12:12 am:

Mel

Who was the Liverpool deejay who had the same name as one of our heroes? Billy Butler?

I'm unsure.

Whatever happened to him?

Liverpool is the only British City I still need to visit.

By Frankj (212.159.70.184 - 212.159.70.184) on Sunday, August 11, 2002 - 09:50 am:

It's only relatively recently that I have come to appreciate what a vibrant scene soul and R&B wise Liverpool of the early sixties actually was. DJs like the locally famous but now sadly recently deceased Bob Wooler were apparently light years ahead of their time and Bob was known to cover up his latest US R&B/soul discoveries long before northern Soul djs similarly attempted to preserve exclusivity. Bob was the man at the Cavern and it seems likely that he was influential on many of the beat groups of the time. The Beatles were also hero worshippers of the great Lord Woodbine.A great character from Toxteth which is the home of Liverpools black community. Woody played the then popular calypso at white working mens clubs but also had a hard R&B set which seemingly entranced Lennon in particular. Like so many black artists Woody never recieved his due but carried on chain smoking his Woodbines until his relatively recent death. The clubs of Toxteth poured out a steady stream of soul and R&B and being as cosmopolitan as Liverpool is, racism and segregation was a problem but perhaps not so great as elsewhere to the point that my own mother and father(white folks) attended an all night session at a Toxteth club in the fifties and loved the atmosphere and music. This undoubtedly had a knock on effect into the white community. You only have to look at the early output of Merseybeat to realise what the kids were dancing to. Motown and R&B played a significant part and things like Richie Barrets "Some Other Guy" were not only big records. One of the Searchers told me a while back that everybody had to do it in their set as it was so popular. The Searchers had soul fan Chris Curtis in their band and looked to cover soul stuff as quickly as possible. Later Chris was a source of unissued acetates even from Detroit and people like Jimmy Radcliffe. Yes it appears I underestimated my home town badly and I have been trying to find out all I can since I wised up.

By Frankj (212.159.70.184 - 212.159.70.184) on Sunday, August 11, 2002 - 10:14 am:

Billy Butler (the Liverpool version)could probably command a book in hs own right. An immensely popular local character these days via radio he earned his early sixties spurs feeding R&B and soul into the local scene and apparently bands too as the quest was on to be first with the new soul releases. While it is true that many Liverpool seamen did bring back records Billy had other connections at a local US airbase. Billy was front line DJ at the fabulous Mardi Gras club that hosted so many great US acts in the mid/late sixties before its untimely end in the early seventies and was a top record hound. He used to feature a lot of soul on his show but sadly these days has found his biggest local audience amongst country fans with a taste for mawkish tunes although he does spring the odd surprise and still includes some soul.

By Ritchie (62.254.0.6 - 62.254.0.6) on Sunday, August 11, 2002 - 10:25 am:

Frank

Nice piece! BTW, like your email address ;o)

David

Happily, the Scouse Billy Butler is alive and well and still at BBC Radio Merseyside. He's a great guy that I had the pleasure of working with in the 70s, so I'm pleased to see he's still spinning the tunes.

Little story about Billy: when local commercial radio came to Liverpool and Manchester in the mid-70s, they made a big thing about the fact that they were on FM stereo. Billy made some promos for BBC Merseyside, proudly proclaiming "in glowing Mono" - or something similar. The station manager was not pleased and advised B.B. to stop pointing this difference out, as people might stop listening! Back then hardly anyone had a stereo radio anyway.

You can find the good Billy on the BBC website at:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/england/radiomerseyside/butler.shtml

By Frankj (212.159.70.184 - 212.159.70.184) on Sunday, August 11, 2002 - 10:36 am:

It does seem likely the Beatles, or at least one of them, bought the Oriole American series as they came out. The songs covered seem too much of a coincidence. The Donays for example was not a Motown record but came out in this series. George Harrison was known to be a bit of a collector and the famous photo of him coming back from the States with a pile of albums with Major Lance on top would seem to bear this out. Local seamen in fact did bring back quite a lot of US records and it is often quite a shock such as when visiting my wifes uncle and shuffling his vinyl. The discovery of various VJs, Atlantics, Motowns and a whopping amount of his favourite Jackie Wilsons on Brunswick said a lot about how astute these guys were. Apparently the best sailors haunts in the US always had R&B/Soul on the jukebox and anyone with an ear for such things would find out more, even to the point of black radio stations where they could listen at leisure and take it up with the local record store.

By Frankj (212.159.70.184 - 212.159.70.184) on Sunday, August 11, 2002 - 10:42 am:

I'm with you Richie.Billy was one of my early heroes but has remained the same down to earth character he always was and I think this is the reason for his continuing popularity.

By Ritchie (62.254.0.6 - 62.254.0.6) on Sunday, August 11, 2002 - 11:08 am:

Frank -

Billy was - and I'm sure is a great guy, with a lovely sense of humour. We used to roll about laughing in the studio while the mic was off!

As we're on a temporary Beatles kick, I thought I'd just upload this little gem from my archives. This is part of one of the four contracts issued by Granada TV in Manchester for the group's appearance in a film clip, playing Live at the Cavern. It's dated April 1962, and this one is made out to Paul McArtney. By the way, the song chosen for inclusion in the programme was Some Other Guy, and the fee agreed was £12 for each member. The fourth contract is addressed to Mr Richard Starkey.

By Ritchie (62.254.0.6 - 62.254.0.6) on Sunday, August 11, 2002 - 11:10 am:

Sorry - for "April" read "August"

By MEL&THENSOME (195.219.7.93 - 195.219.7.93) on Sunday, August 11, 2002 - 11:35 am:

Frankj,glad you logged on to the Billy Butler piece,will bell you later,MEL.(P.S.)Ive got your Evie Sands for you.

By David Meikle (62.252.128.6 - 62.252.128.6) on Sunday, August 11, 2002 - 12:54 pm:

Thanks for some great detail folks.

I'm becoming more and more impressed with your archives Ritchie.

BTW I've never seen a pic of George Harrison with a Major Lance album. I'd love to see that.

Yes, Liverpool must have been a vibrant place.

By acooolcat (211.78.28.80 - 211.78.28.80) on Sunday, August 11, 2002 - 02:23 pm:

Frankj, Mel and Ritchie,
I've delved into "The In Crowd" book and here's what's on page 71....

A myth that has been perpetuated for years is that the Beatles, and others behind the Mersey Beat, obtained their early R&B and rock 'n' roll records from merchant seaman coming into Liverpool docks. This early exposure to American vinyl has been said to have been the spark that ignited Liverpool's musical prominence in the Sixties.
Aside from the fact that many of the examples often cited were issued by British companies, Liverpool's days as a centre for transatlantic shipping were long gone by the Fifties. By this time transatlantic cargo was likely to have been unloaded down the Ship Canal, through Cheshire and into Manchester. The area around Trafford Road is known as "The Barbary Coast" - a reference to the variety of goods dropped off there.
(end quote)

Graham

By Davie G (213.251.162.249 - 213.251.162.249) on Sunday, August 11, 2002 - 03:27 pm:

Talking about George Harrison - his last hit
"Got My Mind Set On You" was originally the
b-side of an old James Ray single ( that's the
guy who did the original of "If You Gotta Make
A Fool Of Somebody") I think Harrison said in
an interview that he was a big James Ray fan
and had his album.

By MEL&THENSOME (195.219.7.117 - 195.219.7.117) on Sunday, August 11, 2002 - 06:46 pm:

TWO POINTS,the James Ray track is a nice sound,although G.Harrisons isnt a bad version.PointTwo,regards the above quote,about the sixties and Liverpool docks I can tell you that this has not been my experience as the merchant navy was a very popular job for young scousers but perhaps Frank J can better fill you in on that as I know a lot of his family worked both at the docks and as sailors. I know Frank has also mentioned that imports turned up in second hand shops there before they were generally available here. You can only really know by asking the people that went to the venues and worked in the city but the claim that more goods went up the ship canal is patent nonesense. hopefully Frank will come back on this. In fact I will get on the phone to him now and insist he gets to his keyboard.MEL.

By Ritchie (62.254.0.6 - 62.254.0.6) on Sunday, August 11, 2002 - 07:02 pm:

My tuppence-worth, as the son of a Scouser...

The big problem is, historians are notoriously difficult to argue with, as they have the carefully researched facts, while the average guy only has memories and hearsay.

Perhaps Lennon and co did indeed learn their trade from UK pressings of relatively-obscure American music, but in the final analysis, the exact origin is really not important. At a time when Cliff Richard, the post-army Elvis and a watered-down Rock'n'Roll were dominating the British pop charts, the more adventurous kids in Liverpool were definitely listening to and learning from harder-edged US-recorded sounds, including the early Motown on London, Fontana and Oriole.

Maybe the "selling records on the docks" story is indeed a myth, or a garbled half-memory from another place and time, but the inference seems to be:
Liverpool was no longer a major seaport
therefore no merchant seamen were arriving with records,
therefore no-one in Liverpool could have heard any of this music - Q.E.D.

But, my uncle - the merchant seaman - and Frank's uncle-in-law (?) were not myths. I well remember my late father telling me about the records his elder brother brought back for him from his travels. Verifiable historical facts are of course an ideal base for informed speculation, but blanket over-simplification can lead to perfectly logical, but totally inaccurate conclusions being drawn.

By frankj (212.159.70.184 - 212.159.70.184) on Sunday, August 11, 2002 - 10:16 pm:

Well I suppose it's all a question of scale. At the start of the sixties Liverpool docks was still very busy. True, it had closed some of its older facilities that became unsuitable for the deeper draughts of modern shipping but as the dock covers the waterfront between Crosby/Seaforth at the extreme North end of the city to Garston down in the deep South this was a relatively small contraction and still left a huge capacity. Garston still flourished due to a good deepwater channel but others just to the South of the town centre closed. The North city docks flourished into the early seventies until the onset of the all conquering container ships meant plenty of volume but not employment. The selling of records at the dock seems far fetched as dockers and sailors would want to get their loot as far away from the efficient dock police as possible. However I know many local people whose family members brought home the soul and R&B from stints to the US as merchant seamen. We lived with my grandmother at this time and my grandfather worked the docks and still got loads of overtime and my great grandfather had been the union convenor there. The Manchester ship canal had mainly been a way for Manchester manufacturers and entrepreneurs to circumvent the heavy tarrifs levied by the unscrupulous dock owners of Liverpool. However as the heavy industry and textile mills of Manchester were themselves in decline by the sixties and I find it difficult to comprehend that many would choose by preference to dock there and the evidence of my own memories of river traffic as a frequent visitor to the Pier Head as a child would bear this out. I would guess by then the only advantage would be proximity of the end user as Manchesters road links were not the greatest either before the onset of the motorway network. At the start of the century Liverpool was officially the second wealthiest city in the UK and using this as a base it is fair to say things were not as they once were yet that is starting from a massive base and even a fraction of that volume is a considerable amount. It still is very busy to this day but mainly as I say with container ships although cruise ships have now started to see it as a desirable destination and the local tourist office is well clued up as are the organisers of several different music festivals that take place yearly. As a post script to this history lesson I can tell you that last year the University ran an evening course examining the influence of black music both local and external on the Merseybeat scene which was run by one of The Chants. I was ill last year so unable to attend but am making enquiries for this year so I'll keep you posted. And I thought our Jack plucked Barrett Strong and the Miracles from a clear blue sky. How wrong I was. By the way Richie the exustrek.co address belongs to my son as it's one of his big favourites. Last year it was Revilot.co.uk. Kids eh.

By Steve Litos (209.100.86.4 - 209.100.86.4) on Sunday, August 11, 2002 - 10:31 pm:

I'm surprised Marshall Crenshaw hasn't piped in about this topic. After all, he covered a Beatles bootleg recording of a early Southern Soul non-hit(Soldier Of Love) on his first album.
-Steve

By acooolcat (211.72.121.66 - 211.72.121.66) on Monday, August 12, 2002 - 08:16 am:

An excellent point Ritchie; I forget where I read this, but it seems about right - It's What's In The Grooves That Counts.
What I remember about buying old 45s from older Mods at the tail-end if the Sixties is that they were pretty contemptuous of "imports." They always wanted to have the UK issue.
Frankj - thanks for a great response. It's always best to hear things from people with direct experience of the events.
Graham

By Ralph Terrana (209.240.222.130 - 209.240.222.130) on Monday, August 12, 2002 - 02:07 pm:

To ANON,
I deleted your posting. As moderator I have that option. You apparently didn't agree with something Mel said. That's fine. I have no problem wih that. The idea of a forum is to exchange ideas. However your posting served no purpose other than to antagonize, and that is unacceptable here. If you have something constructive to say or debate, then state it and don't hide behind the name Anon.
Ralph Terrana

By MEL&THEN SOME (195.219.7.104 - 195.219.7.104) on Monday, August 12, 2002 - 06:13 pm:

Well said Ralph,so Anon,whatever you want to say,get it said,what did i say you dont agree with?MEL.

By Ralph (209.240.222.130 - 209.240.222.130) on Monday, August 12, 2002 - 06:32 pm:

There you go Anon,
Mel is opening a door for you for some honest debate.