PRESIDENT

A lesser known but very long-lasting record label, President began in 1967 and was still issueing records in the late 80’s in one form or another.  Although not exclusively a soul label, President was pretty on the ball when it came to discotheque demand and you’ll find many classics here.  The label was owned by Ed Kassner and was the parent label to Jayboy, issuing material from, by the looks of things, mainly West Coast labels, although there was a good supply of records leased from Chicago labels such as Mar-V-Lus.  In line with many of the labels looked at in this book most of the releases can be picked up for a few pounds whereas one particular record is very hard to locate. More on that later. The label was yellow with a large logo at the top, with black lettering. Demos use the same label but with a large red A. Another President affiliated label, Joy, issued many of the singles listed here on their Keep The Faith series of albums in the early 70’s. Here are some discs to look out for:

109   Johnny Wyatt - This Thing Called Love. Fabulous dancer from L.A. which was a monster in the early 70’s.

118   Jimmy Robins - I Can’t Please You.  A real mystery record.   This is nigh on impossible to find on UK President, whereas almost every other release is very common.  In the mid-80’s, President still had several copies in their warehouse and were offering them at 750 each. What happened next isn’t known, but the record suddenly became popular and all but disappeared. Copies have been seen on sale at over £100, but this is a ridculous price.  As for the record, it’s a stunning, gritty Chicago dancer and comes highly recommended by just about everyone.

136   Young Folk - Lonely Girl.  This discography contains many records with prices running into
three figures which, in all honesty, are awful - just very rare.  At the other end of the spectrum there
are many records which are relatively cheap and easy to find but which are absolutely brilliant.  This
is one of them.  Immaculate girl vocal from the One-Der-Ful label out of Chicago (where it was also released with the artist given as Miss Madeline), this must surely be the best cheapie of the lot.

139   Barry White - All In The Run Of A Day.  Barry’s first UK release and a fairly hard to find beat ballad which is growing in popularity.

317   Darlettes - Lost.  A sublime Van McCoy production which, while not being out and out Northern Soul, still possesses enough of the right ingredients to make it a popular choice for beat ballad fans.


PT  WITCHES & the WARLOCK  Behind locked doors /   5/6

108  VIOLA WILLS   I got love / Lost without the love of my guy 5/6

109  JOHNNY WYATT   This thing called love / To whom it may concern 6/10

110  PAT HERVEY &THE TIARAS  Can’t get you out of my mind / Givin’ in 5/6

115  ALVIN CASH    No deposits, no returns / The philly freeze 5/6

118  JIMMY ROBINS   I can't please you / I made it over 60/75

119  ALVIN CASH   Alvin's boogaloo / Let’s do some good timing 4/5

120  FELICE TAYLOR   It may be winter outside / Winter again  4/5

123  CASINOS    I still love you / Then you can tell me goodbye 5/6

124  TWO OF CLUBS   Walk tall like a man / So blue is fall  5/6

129  ALVIN CASH    Doin' the Ali shuffle / Feel so good  3/4

136  YOUNG FOLK    Lonely girl / Joey  6/8

139  BARRY WHITE   All in the run of a day / Don’t take your love from me 10/12

142  LONNIE MACK   Snow on the mountain / Save your money 5/6

147  ALVIN CASH    The charge / Different strokes for different folks 4/5

148  OTIS CLAY   Show place / That’s how it is  6/8

150  VIOLA WILLS   Together forever / Don’t kiss me hello 5/6

154  VIOLA WILLS    Anytime / You’re out of my mind 5/6

155  FELICE TAYLOR   I feel love comin' on / Comin’ on again 4/5

171  WILLIE PARKER   I live the life I love / You got your finger in my eye 3/4

193  FELICE TAYLOR    I can feel your love (coming down on me) / Captured by your love 4/5

215  BETTY EVERETT   Getting mighty crowded / It’s in his kiss 3/4

221  WATSON T. BROWNE   Crying all night / I close my eyes 4/5

232  TERRY LINDSEY   It's over / One day up one day down 5/6

234  GENE CHANDLER   Stand by me / Duke of earl  2/3

253  BETTY EVERETT   You’re no good / Hands off  3/4

263  BILLY PRESTON   Billy’s bag / Goldfinger  3/4

311  BELLES    Don't pretend / Words can’t explain 5/7

317  DARLETTES   Lost / Sweet kind of loneliness  6/8

322  WILSON PICKETT   I can’t stop / Down to my last heartbreak  4/5

351  ALVIN CASH   Twine time / Twine awhile 4/5

372  BETTY EVERETT   Trouble over the weekend / The shoe don’t fit  5/6

373  DONTELLS   In your heart (you know I’m right) / Nothing but nothing 5/6

382  DU-ETTES   Every beat of my heart / Sugar daddy 5/6

398  DU-ETTES   Please forgive me / Lonely days  4/5

399  SHARPEES   Tired of being lonely / Just to please you  5/6

PLANET

This short-lived mid-60’s label was owned by noted American producer Shel Talmy, best known for his work with The Kinks and The Who.  It was manufactured and distributed by records and is certainly one of the most attractive looking UK labels.  It features a logo at the top being chased by shooting stars with a spinning globe in the centre of the record with an orbiting satellite nearby.
Most releases were white with black print, though some are black with silver never seen or heard of a demo - any pre-release copies are probably date stamped. Most of Planet’s releases were by UK beat groups, most notably The Creation who nearly charted with their classic Painter Man.  John Lee’s Groundhogs cut a storming version of Bobby Freeman’s I’ll Never Fall In Love Again and this was played briefly during the mid-70’s.  The single was co-produced by Bill Wyman of The Rolling Stones.  The ‘John Lee’s’ element of the band’s name came about while the group played back up band to bluesman John Lee Hooker in 1964/65, and went on to become hard/blues rockers The Groundhogs who released many albums for Liberty and United Artists.  Another nice release on Planet was a cover of The Carrolls’ Surrender by Perpetual Langley, a Belfast group featuring Mary Langley.  This is a fairly hard to find outing. That leaves us with the baffling UK Planet release of The Orlons’ Spinning Top, which came out in 1966.  As to why Planet should have leased this track (from US Calla) is unknown, but it’s poor sales assured it of instant collectability.  This is Northern Soul of the old school, 100 mph and almost impossible to dance to, but a fine record all the same.

PLF 104  JOHN LEE'S GROUNDHOGS  I'll never fall in love again / Over you baby 40

115  PERPETUAL LANGLEY  Surrender / Two by two 12

117  ORLONS    Spinning top / Anyone who had a heart  35

PYE  INTERNATIONAL

One of the great collector’s labels, Pye International first appeared as far back as 1958 with the release of  Come On Let’s Go by Ritchie Valens (beaten to the charts by a Tommy Steele cover version).  A total of 4 singles were released in 1958,  42 in 1959, just 19 in 1960 but 51 in 1961, including the labels’ first UK chart-topper, Blue Moon by The Marcels.  Up to this point, International had licensed material from such diverse sources as Del-Fi, Vogue (France), Palette (Belgium), Colpix, Laurie, Metronome (Denmark), Triple-X, and even issued a handful of UK recorded product for reasons unknown. In April 1961, the first release from the giant Chicago-based Chess group appeared in the form of Clarence ‘Frogman’ Henry’s smash I Don’t Know Why But I Do, a record which reached number 3 in the charts and began a long string of successes on International for the
Chess set-up. The label lost some of it’s most succesful licensing deals in the following two years.  Colpix left the label in June ‘63 to set up it’s own imprint through Pye, as did Red Bird in July ‘64 and eventually Chess in January ‘65.  Some of the label licensing deals gained in the mid-60’s included Scepter, Wand, Dot, Autumn, Moonglow, A & M, Charger, Bounty, King and Buddah. The original Pye International label was a very dark blue with gold lettering (often difficult to read). This format was used up until May 1962 (7N 25137).  Next came the famous red and yellow label, red top with yellow logo, yellow bottom with black lettering, which was used up until January 1965, the last release being Chuck Jackson’s mighty Hand It Over (25287). Thirdly, a dark red label with black lettering was used until December ‘67 (25441) when red was replaced with pale blue.  This label was eventually phased out over a period of months in 1972. Demonstration copies were white with black lettering, small A in the centre and ‘Advance Promotion Copy’ on the left hand side. 1967 demos are yellow with black top, followed by all yellow with small black A in the centre.  70’s demos revert back to the ‘67 style yellow and black design. As Pye International released over 800 singles in the UK, a complete discography would be futile as 75% of releases are of little interest to Northern Soul collectors.
Problems arise when you have to define the genre; and should important rhythm and blues records be omitted? Due to these factors, and that of space, the listing here features discs which I feel will be of interest to Northern collectors, including many examples of uptempo R & B.

7N 25107  VIBRATIONS   The watusi / Wallflower  8/10

25126  JAMES RAY    If you've gotta make a fool of somebody / It’s been a drag 5/10

25159  DAVE ‘BABY’ CORTEZ  Rinky dink / Getting tight 7/10

25164  BILLY STEWART   Fat boy / Reap what you sow  8/12

25174  STEVE ALAIMO   Every day I have to cry / Little girl (please take a chance on me) 15/30

25182  JAN BRADLEY    Mama didn't lie / Lovers like me 8/12

25191  SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON  Help me / Bye bye bird 8/15

25205  ETTA JAMES   Pushover / I can’t hold it in anymore 8/12

25212  MEL CARTER   When a boy falls in love / So wonderful 5/8

25231  KINGSMEN    Louie, louie / Haunted castle 6/20

25238   TOMMY TUCKER   Hi heel sneakers / I don’t want cha 8/20

25239  TIMMY SHAW   Gonna send you back to Georgia / I’m a lonely guy 8/12

25241  DIONNE WARWICK  Walk on by / Any old time of day 4/6

25245  DIXIE CUPS   Chapel of love / Ain’t that nice 4/6

25246  TOMMY TUCKER   Long tall shorty / Mo’ shorty 8/12

25247  CHUCK JACKSON   Beg me / For all time  8/15

25248  ALVIN ROBINSON   Somethin' you got / Searching 8/15

25249  SUGAR PIE DESANTO  Soulful dress / Use what you got  8/20

25250  JOHNNY NASH   Love ain't nothin' / Talk to me  15/25

25251  TONY CLARK   Ain't love good, ain't love proud / Coming back strong 10/20

25259  JACKIE ROSS   Selfish one / Everything but love 30/50

25260  BOBBY FREEMAN   C'mon swim / Part II  10/20

25263  LITTLE WALTER   My babe / You’d better watch yourself  8/15

25265  DIONNE WARWICK  Reach out for me / How many days of sadness  5/8

25267  SUGAR PIE DESANTO   I don't wanna fuss / I love you so much   7/12

25272  MAXINE BROWN   Oh no not my baby / You upset my soul  8/15

25276   CHUCK JACKSON    Any day now / The prophet  8/20

25278  KOLETTES   Who's that guy / Just how much (can my heart take) 8/20

25280  BOBBY FREEMAN   S-w-i-m / That little old heartbreaker me 10/20

25281  NELLA DODDS   Come see about me / You don’t love me anymore 8/15

25284  LARKS    The jerk / Forget me  12/25

25287  CHUCK JACKSON   Hand it over / Since I don’t have you  25/50

25291  NELLA DODDS   Finders keepers losers weepers / A girl’s life 10/20

25297  RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS  Bring your love to me / Try and find another man 6/10

25299  MAXINE BROWN   It's gonna be alright / You do something to me 8/12

25301  CHUCK JACKSON   I need you / Chuck’s soul brothers twist  6/15

25303  UNIQUES feat. JOE STAMPLEY Not too long ago / Fast way of living 40/60

25304  RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS  Night owl / Something’s got a hold on me  6/10

25307  DOBIE GRAY   See you at the gogo / Walk with love 10/18

25308   CHUCK JACKSON & MAXINE BROWN Baby take me / Something you got  6/10

25317  MAXINE BROWN   One step at a time / Anything for a laugh  8/12

26321   CHUCK JACKSON   If I didn't love you / Just a little bit of your soul  6/12

25336  MOJO MEN   Dance with me / The loneliest boy in town 10/15

25340  ROY HEAD   Treat me right / Just a little bit 8/15

25343   PACKERS   Hole in the wall / Go ‘head on  8/15

25347   BOBBY FREEMAN   The duck / Cross my heart  8/15

25350  JAMES BROWN   I feel good (I got you) / I just can’t help it 6/20

25355  SAM & BILL   Treat me right / Fly me to the moon 6/10

25365  BOBBY COLEMAN   Pleasure girl / (Baby) you don’t have to tell me 40/60

25379  JAMES BROWN   Money won't change you / Part II 8/20

25384  CHUCK JACKSON    These chains of love / I keep forgetting  20/40

25385  ROSCOE ROBINSON   That's enough / One more time 15/40

25386  SHIRELLES   Shades of blue / When the boys talk about the girls 6/8

25389  DYNATONES   The fife piper / And I always will  40/60

25392  RONNIE MILSAP   Ain't no soul / Another branch from the old tree 15/40

25404   TRAITS    Harlem shuffle / Strange lips (start old memories)  8/12

25410  MAXINE BROWN   I've got a lot of love left in me / Hold on I’m coming (with Chuck Jackson)6/8

25413  DYKE & the BLAZERS  Funky broadway / Part II  8/10

25420  TOUSSAINT MCCALL  Nothing takes the place of you / Shimmy  8/10

25427  PETE TERRACE   At the party / No no no  8/10

25434  MAXINE BROWN    Gotta find a way / Since I found you 8/12

25439  CHUCK JACKSON    Candy / Shgame on me  8/12

25440  PETE TERRACE   Shotgun boogaloo / I’m gonna make it  8/12

25453  JOHN FRED & his PLAYBOY BAND Hey hey Bunny / No letter today  4/6

25463  OTIS REDDING   She’s all right / Gama lama  8/15

25471  CAMEL DRIVERS   Sunday morning 6 o'clock  7/10

25480  KASENETZ KATZ   Latin shake / We can work it out  5/6

25492  JESSE LEE FERGUSON   New shoes / Puttin’ it on, puttin’ it off 5/6

25493  WINSTONS   Colour him father / Amen brother 12/20

25537  CISSY HOUSTON    I just don't know what to do with myself / This empty place 15/30

25546  INEZ FOXX    You shouldn't have set my soul on fire / Live for today 5/6

25550  JOE WILSON   Sweetness / When a man cries  5/6

25559  PLATTERS   Sweet sweet lovin' / Going back to Detroit  5/6

25561  INEZ & CHARLIE FOXX  Tightrope / Baby take it all  5/6

25564  GENE PITNEY   Run, run roadrunner / Rainmaker  6/8

25569  PLATTERS    Washed ashore / With this ring   4/5

25613  FIRST CHOICE   This is the house where love died / One step away (Unissued) 150

25614  JIMMY RADCLIFFE   Long after tonight is all over / What I want I can never have 4/5

25677  LIQUID SMOKE   Dance, dance, dance / Where is our love  1/2

25698  MAGIC NIGHT   If you and I had never met / Instrumental  3/4

25704  TYRONE ASHLEY   Feet start moving / Movin’ on  1/2

25705  MAJOR LANCE   Nothing can stop me / Follow the leader  2/3

25719  D.C. LARUE   Ca-the-dralls / Ca-the-dralls (long version)  2/3

25731  GENTLEMEN & their LADY  Like her / Like her (long version)  4/5

25736  JOBELL & ORCHESTRA  Never gonna let you go / version 2  2/3

25751  DORIS TROY I’ll do anything / Heartaches 5