By kevin (81.101.22.243) on Wednesday, June 04, 2003 - 12:09 pm:

has anyone else seen this 6 disc set?
the first disc is very good by interviewing the djs, promoters, fans as well as some of the artists that have had northern soul hits. I skipped to disc 4 all about the motor city sessions and couldnt believe what I was hearing from Damien Roachfords mouth. For a celibration of the music and to see very rare clips of these motown legends I was appauled at how rude he could be, and the fact that Ian Lavene could let these comments be broadcast for some of the artists as well as the fans to hear is very upsetting.I have not seen the rest of the discs, I decided to take it back to the store as I would rather have seen the footage and heard a fans point of view instead of hearing someone taking the mickey out of these motown legends. So please be warned...

By Common (209.2.55.170) on Wednesday, June 04, 2003 - 12:22 pm:

Hello,

This DVD sounds interesting. Is this only being marketed in the UK? And who is Damien Roachford & what did he say about our Motown legends?

Peace!

By Ritchie (81.102.250.42) on Wednesday, June 04, 2003 - 02:52 pm:

I have just acquired the 6 DVD set and it's pretty amazing. I'm not a fan of Ian Levine, whose brainchild it is, but I'm looking forward to viewing all the 24 hours of the set! He managed to tarck down nearly 150 original artists, and the history of "Northern Soul" is well documented.

Damien Rochford was the publicity guy for Levine's Motorcity label. Hmmm... Watching his reminiscences about the former Motown artists, I have to say, I took an instant dislike to his supercilious, patronising attitude. Suffice it to say, he appears to have very little respect for the artists, and takes any opportunity to find a cheap laugh. When he recalls asking Ian Levine why he "can't work with normal people" and suggests that all the artists were "let out" to record, I feel he and I would not get on very well.

By Eli (141.151.1.101) on Wednesday, June 04, 2003 - 03:47 pm:

In the Philly segment it was Weldon and I who tracked them down!!!
All Ian did was call me on my cell a million times.

By Ritchie (81.102.250.42) on Wednesday, June 04, 2003 - 03:54 pm:

Credit where it's due, Bobby. I salute you! - Spotted you last night on disc six ;o)

By Eli (141.151.1.101) on Wednesday, June 04, 2003 - 03:56 pm:

Is that like SPOTTED Dick????

By Ritchie (81.102.250.42) on Wednesday, June 04, 2003 - 04:03 pm:

Incidentally, I had to smile at the irony of one of Ian Levine's comments about the ultimate failure of his Motorcity label. He partly attributed its demise to poor promotion. Having now seen the guy whose direct responsibility was to promote the label and its artists, I can well understand!

By Eli (141.151.1.101) on Wednesday, June 04, 2003 - 04:06 pm:

Ritchie, do you remember what else is on disc six and also how much does the set go for???

By Ritchie (81.102.250.42) on Wednesday, June 04, 2003 - 04:17 pm:

Bobby - the final disc is "the Making Of" - with unused footage, and talking heads sections explaining how the original video set was put together. I managed to find a fair price for it - £40 - the RRP is £50.

By Ritchie (81.102.250.42) on Wednesday, June 04, 2003 - 04:19 pm:

PS - this link goes straight to the relevant page on the Wienerworld (the publishers) site:

http://www.wienerworld.com/northernsoul.html

By Sue (63.85.105.20) on Wednesday, June 04, 2003 - 04:46 pm:

I recently heard a few of the cuts, and the music was atrocious -- I have to wonder what he thought he saw in Motown, because Levine not only brought nothng to these artists, he desecrated what they do.

By Sue (63.85.105.20) on Wednesday, June 04, 2003 - 04:49 pm:

The obvious contempt and patronizing attitude toward these vulnerable artists is just the capper.

By Keith Rylatt (217.137.89.33) on Friday, June 06, 2003 - 12:49 pm:

Guys. I too had / have reservations about Ian but lets face it, Ian is a doer not a watcher & he went out and did it. He got loads of Soul legends on perminant visual & audio record, he sank a great deal of his own money into a project that was doomed to financial loss and he brought a great tour over to the UK. When the film was in the making I called around to his place and he was LIVING the project. May be Berry Gordy was a similarly motivated person? Keith

By Rico (12.65.151.179) on Friday, June 06, 2003 - 02:24 pm:

There is a term that was used back in the seventies known as Black Exploitation and this is sure the case when it comes to these artist. They will never see a single penny, while someone else lives off of their blood, sweat and tears. These artist have not been informed that these DVDs have been issued let alone get paid. A copy of the set of DVDs would be nice, but I know for a fact they will not even get that courtesy. This man has been licencing the Motor City catalog on countless CD collections thru out the world for years and these great artist do not get receive a single cent. A lot of them are down and out while someone else profits off of their names and hard work. Please do not support yet another project where the artists are ripped off, let's put a stop to this once and for all.

By Scratcher (65.238.172.248) on Friday, June 06, 2003 - 03:16 pm:

The Motorcity stuff is pretty bad. But at least Levine gave us albums by Hattie Littles, Sammy Ward, the Andantes, and a few others who never had an album/CD release before. Levine should have known that people were going to compare the stuff with Motown and that it wasn't going to measure up.

Some of the tracks are good: "Cloudy Day" by Bobby Taylor & the Vancouvers and "Man In the Sky" by Chuck Jackson; also some of Ward and Littles' stuff is nice.

As for exploitation, few of the reissue labels contact the artists and give them copies or pay them anything. They contract with the people who owned the masters, which in most cases are not the artists. It's up to the masters' owners to pay the artists, which they almost never do. I know the Motorcity scenario is different. The artists were actually signed to the label by Levine so Levine should be paying them. But with sales so slim, you wonder if there's anything to pay.

By SisDetroit (68.42.209.170) on Sunday, June 08, 2003 - 09:09 pm:

OMG! Ian Levine must be quite horrible for that to be wished upon him. :o)

By RD (63.188.33.25) on Sunday, June 08, 2003 - 11:06 pm:

Don't bite your tongue SoulfulRudy tell us how you really feel about Ian Levine. Maybe Ann Bogan was lucky nobody told her about the Motorcity project. It doesn't seem like she missed anything except headaches and grief.

By Ritchie (62.254.0.9) on Monday, June 09, 2003 - 02:58 am:

To Rudy - it is possible to make your point without resorting to offensive and racist remarks. Your posting is not what I'd describe as "Soulful" in the least.

By David Meikle (81.130.211.124) on Monday, June 09, 2003 - 05:30 am:

Ian Levine has quite correctly complained to me about this posting.

I have asked Ralph to delete it as a matter of urgency.

The conditions are clear at the side of this screen. Abusive postings, personal attacks will not be tolerated.

Please abide by these conditions at all times.

By RD (63.188.33.25) on Monday, June 09, 2003 - 07:45 am:

I replied to Soulful Rudy's posting sarcastically, but it's definitely racist and should be removed. It did reveal something though...that Ian Levine visits this forum.

Levine: I talked to Barbara Pennington about a year ago and she had nothing but nice things to say about you and appreciates what you did for her.

By Wonder B (81.248.163.47) on Monday, June 09, 2003 - 09:39 am:

Like Ian Levine or not, is there another way of seeing all these talented singers anywhere else today?
No... so maybe the quality is not what some people would expect but I must say as a frenchman living in a country where very few of these artists ever perform (and most of them never even came over when they were at their peak) at least it gives me the opportunity of catching a glimpse of their talent... I received my DVD set two weeks ago and I still haven't finished yet the viewing since there is so much stuff in there...
Seeing the Carstairs almost brought tears to my eyes... I had never seen them before and their song is just one of my all time favourites...
Criticizing is one thing but what else is out there? And since many of the artists featured in that DVD box have died since the taping, so there lies their testament in music...

Thanks Mr Levine for providing what could be, to soul fans who didn't have the opportunity to see or hear those people the first time around...

Wonder B

By Ralph Terrana (ralph) (209.240.198.62) on Monday, June 09, 2003 - 10:55 am:

I woke up this morning to see an e-mail from David regarding Soulful Rudy's offensive post. Rudy: We all have opnions on this forum but you crossed the line. Mr. Levine, whether one agrees with him or not, deserves to be treated with respect, just as all people that are discussed here. We don't need your hateful prejudice on ths forum and I think it best you take your opinions elsewhere.

Ralph Terrana
Moderator

By Leann Miller (67.126.131.191) on Monday, June 09, 2003 - 05:19 pm:

What did the post form Soulful Rudy say?

It has already been deleted sin I was on here?

By Leann Miller (67.126.131.191) on Monday, June 09, 2003 - 05:24 pm:

Can somebody please post how I can buy these CDs?

I am in Detroit, Michigan.

What is the name of them?

Who is the ditributor?

Is there a website I can buy them at?

Please post this infomation Kevin, Ritchie, Sue, Wonder B, on where I can buy those DVD? Please.

By David Meikle (62.252.128.6) on Monday, June 09, 2003 - 05:24 pm:

Subject closed Leanne.

Sorry.

David

By Wonder B (80.14.145.197) on Monday, June 09, 2003 - 05:31 pm:

Leann here's where I ordered the thing!!!!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000087I1I/qid%3D1055194408/202-6830278-3875029
But remember if you are in the US that you need an all zone player to play it...because it is a ZONE 2 release... I had my DVD player modified to ALL ZONE so I can buy DVD's wherever I want to and it is a very common practice in Europe, in fact I almost wonder if you can buy a zone 2 DVD over here because they are already de-zoned by the stores...
But in the US I am not so sure people do this very often... (which is a shame because there are some great DVD's which come out over here as well as in Japan...)
For instance I bought a great DVD of HEATWAVE the UK band (with the great Rod Temperton) in Germany and there is no other place where you can find this one... go figure...

Wonder B

By RD (63.188.32.170) on Monday, June 09, 2003 - 05:37 pm:

Two members of Heatwave the Wilder Brothers are actually from Dayton, Ohio. I think they formed in Germany when Johnny Wilder, who was in the service, was stationed there, and hung around after his tour of duty ended.

By Ritchie (62.254.0.9) on Monday, June 09, 2003 - 05:47 pm:

Don't get me started on DVD "zoning". It's a consumer restriction artificially created by the US movie industry to control the sales of DVDs by territory, and prevent pre-viewing unreleased US movies overseas. As movie releases are staggered - US first, then elsewhere, the purpose was to prevent non-US consumers from importing the US DVD in preference to going to their local cinema to see the just-released movie. Only when the movie has exhausted its box-office potential, is the 'local' DVD version released. That's the theory. But - someone outside the US cracked the region code, and invented the multi-region player. I have one, so I can watch what I choose from whatever country of origin. Sorry, Hollywood :o)

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Monday, June 09, 2003 - 06:10 pm:

RD:
Right on about Heatwave - one of my favorite bands of the 1970s.

Johnnie & Keith Wilder moved to the UK after serving in the Armed Forces and being stationed in Germany. First they met Rod Temperton (keyboards), then Mario Mantese (bass), Ernest "Bilbo" Berger (drums) Eric Johns (guitar) & Roy Carter (guitar) and the band was formalized in 1976.

Later members included Derek Bramble (bass), Calvin "Just Duke" Duke (keyboards), J.D. Nicholas (vocals - he toured in place of Johnnie Wilder after a fatal car accident left Johnnie paralized from the neck down) & Keith Harrison (keyboards).

I loved their first three albums (Too Hot To Handle, Central Heating & Hot Property) & own their 45s. Heatwave created a great balance of funk, soul, jazz, pop, disco & ballads that sound - to me - as great now as they did in the late 1970s.

I heard that Keith Wilder has a new version of Heatwave that he tours with.

Kevin Goins - KevGo

By Wonder B (193.252.46.41) on Tuesday, June 10, 2003 - 02:23 pm:

Yes Richie that zone thing pissed every consumer in the world... not only do we still have to deal with TV standards, NTSC, Pal and Secam but they imposed this stupid zoning on the DVD players... needless to say nobody here in France buys a zone 2 only player...
So the thing that they found to counter attack (since France is one of the largest DVD markets in europe), is to put out the american DVD's with only english and spanish languages or subtitles...
Ha... I don't care because I always watch my movies in original version... don't need no subtitles either so...

Yes KevGo Heatwave was baaaaad! As is confirmed by this DVD I talked about before, which was shot in 1976... they don't have too much original material yet so they include in the playlist some standards from back then like Walking In Rythm (Blackbyrds) or Fly Robin Fly (Silver Convention) but with some serious changes which make those tracks even funkier... plus the dance moves from the two Wilder brothers are something to be seen! LOL great DVD with a great image quality and more than acceptable sound...

Wonder B

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Tuesday, June 10, 2003 - 04:07 pm:

Wonder B:
I'm sure the Heatwave DVD is funky. I'm buying a DVD player this week so I'm definitely gonna hunt this disc down. What originals did they play? I would love to hear Johnnie sing "Walking In Rhythm"

I've always maintained that Michael Jackson may have had Rod Temperton's songs later on but it was Johnnie Wilder who showed Michael those jazzy R&B vocal harmonies you hear on "Rock With You" and "Thriller".

Favorite Heatwave tunes - "Happiness Togetherness" & "Birthday" (b-sides of "The Grooveline" & "Eyeballin'" respectively).

Kevin Goins - KevGo

By Wonder B (217.128.156.70) on Tuesday, June 10, 2003 - 06:53 pm:

OK KevGo Here's the complete list of songs from that DVD :
Walking In Rythm
Fly ROBIN Fly
Living For The Weekend
Sing A Song (EWF)
Girls
Rollercoaster (Ohio Players)
Always & Forever
Super Soul Sister
Too Hot To Handle

all recorded live in 1976 in the German TV studio

Bonus track (from a couple of years later)
Boogie Nights (playback track)

And you can only get this DVD in Germany. Here's the link where I bought it from :
http://www.amazon.de/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005Y1PN/qid=1055285907/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_8_2/028-5146975-0508526
If you already have an account with amazon.com it'll be easy as 1,2,3...!

Wonder B

By Scratcher (65.238.127.88) on Tuesday, June 10, 2003 - 07:10 pm:

I was lying in bed half asleep the first time I heard Heatwave's "Sho Nuf Must Be Love" on the radio. Eddie Kendricks had left the Temptations and the first thought to hit my mind was that it was his new solo recording.

By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Wednesday, June 11, 2003 - 05:19 pm:

Wonder B:
Thanks for the info.
Kevin Goins - KevGo