UK produced tracks

[garry77]

In the sleeve notes of "The Northern Soul Scene" (UK tracks, 1998), John Reed describes "I'll hold you" by Frankie & Johnie as one of the top 3 UK produced soul records ever.

I know this is subjective but... what would be 1 & 2 (and 4 & 5 for that matter)?

[leigy]

Hmmm...I would say "Nothing But A Heartache" by the Flirtations would be my #1.
I also love Spiral Starecase "More Today Than Yesterday."
"Everything's Gonna Be Alright" by P.P. Arnold
"Lost Summer Love" by Lorraine Silver

These are UK-PRODUCED tracks, not neccessarily UK singers/artists, though.

[ashley]

J J Jackson - Come See Me

Chris Jackson - I'll Never Forget You

Bobby Wells - Lets Copp a Groove

Don Fardon - I'm Alive

Chapter 5 - You Can't Mean It
lovely 6Ts UK stuff

[s0ul45]

As far as U.K. produced tracks go you need look no further than the phenomenal 'I Feel So bad' by Jackie Edwards.

One of my all time favourites and I believe the administrator shares my appreciation.

And for something a little different why not try the Gladiators version of 'As Long As I Live'.

[afcgotsoul]

Hello everybody - I got one of the last planes in last Wednesday (as it turned out) to make sure I didn't miss the Wigan game and then suffered one of the worst drives back down the M6 I've ever had.

As far as the topic is concerned I agree with Chris about Jackie Edwards (+ Come on home).

From a "mod/club" 6ts perspective don't forget A Band of Angels - 'Invitation' and the Carrolls - 'Surrender your love'.

As far as the Angels are concerned remember that the Piccadilly label was responsible for an extensive home-grown "soul" catalogue.

And Polydor had 'But it's alright' by JJ Jackson of course.

And there are one or two instrumentals that had big followings.

[s0ul45]

Good to see you back Brian, things might have been a whole lot better had you left the ground 15mins earlier

You're right about the Piccadilly label and Jimmy James version of 'Ain't No Big Thing', although not released on 45, really is commendable and personally my favourite version. The bulk of that Piccadilly stuff were uk cover versions of us originals.

Can you think of any worthwhile releases that were not covers?

[afcgotsoul]

As far as worthwhile goes, and making that slight distinction into mod/club I mentioned, I think 'Invitation' is worthwhile (Mike D'Abo). Tony Colton's 'I stand accused' is worthy and he wrote that.

But for the most part you're right.
When I was a lad there was the odd play for some self-written Alan Bown Set material - 'Emergency 999' comes to mind but I really can't remember it.

Chris Blackwell though.
Was 'Help me' - Owen Gray recorded here? A real club classic.

And there was good old Errol Dixon too.

And yes I should have left earlier, just as I should've left early at Birmingham and West Ham....

[s0ul45]

In all honesty I could never take the Piccadilly label seriously and have only ever owned less than a handful of 45's.

The Tony Colton of course did not come out on Piccadilly but on its parent label Pye. I inadmissably overlooked this Brian because you know I love it and consider it as one of the finest UK written and produced records coming about as near to a white soul record as is possible. It's so good that when I first heard it I couldn't believe it wasn't the cover of a US original. It did also get a US release but I wonder how many of those Piccadilly covers ever did.

Seem to remember buying Peter Jay & The Jaywalkers 'Tonight You're Gonna fall In love With Me' in '64 unaware it was a cover of the Shirelles song. It's long gone!

Owen Gray and Erroll Dixon come into the Jackie Edwards category of West Indians who made both soul and ska recordings and with 'Help Me' being on Island I'd be pretty sure it is a UK production. The other side was a cover of the phrenetic 'Incense'.

[afcgotsoul]

Plus ca change, plus ca reste.

You're right of course on more than one fact - as ever.

I found a link
rtr.moonfruit.com/#/piccadilly-uk/4517112068
to quite a few Piccadilly releases and as you say it was like a mirror to the US. I hadn't realised just quite how much.
But so many UK groups looked that way in the early sixties didn't they?

The Merseybeats did 'I stand accused' faster and with guitars. Perhaps that was on Piccadilly.

[s0ul45]

Well spotted Brian. I'd completely forgotten about that Merseybeats version. It was probably their last single.

It came out on Fontana. That was a funny label wasn't it.
Those four Motown releases that appeared on it, three of which are stunning.
Please Mr. Postman - no comment needed.
What's So Good About Goodbye - one of smokey's cleverest lyrics
Jamie - what a collectors gem!

Confession time. I didn't buy any of them at the time, instead I bought 'I Think Of You' by the Merseybeats when it was released and I still love it, so much I even bought it again!
Also bought Fred Hughes, Jackie Lee and the Olympics in those far off days, but sadly, not Sandy Wynns!

Funny that because both Jimmy James and Geno Washington were UK based I could never quite take them seriously!! Blame it upon the ignorance of youth.

[afcgotsoul]

Sandy Wynns - that was a triumph to have.
Was playing my mp3 of Fred Hughes only yesterday. A classic. Look out on Youtube for him (on American Bandstand perhaps).

I have to say I never quite took to 'Jamie'.

As for Jim/Geno - as I said a while back I was a Flamingo goer so I saw them (+ Ronnie Jones & Herbie Goins & Georgie of course) all the time. But I didn't buy their records.

Michael remains one of my favourite songs - so Geno could pick a tune, but of course he could never replicate it.

Back to Tony Colton. What a wonderful thing Google is. I thought I remembered him with the Crawdaddies - and sure enough he was.

The days of live music in every pub eh??

[s0ul45]

We appear to have hijacked this thread Brian but of course would welcome other contributors.

As for live music in every pub.

I can't remember now which club I frequented in central London, I think it was downstairs in Wardour Street and I recall being completely switched off when the group came on. Might well have been Geno washington but it didn't impress me, I wanted to hear the vinyl.

At sixteen I do recall going to the Blues Room in Edmonton. It's gone now but was opposite the Regal cinema on Silver Street and was where I saw the Stones in '65. It seemed to me that every group that played there warmed up with 'Heatwave' or was it 'Gimme Some Lovin? and then across the front of the stage was a line up of Neanderthal's in leather gear feigning headbutting. The rest of us, calling ourselves mods, looked on in despair and even had the nerve to dance on our own.

Halcyon days and it would be interesting to revisit them.