David Nathan

The British Ambassador of Soul

Journal

by David

#70 – Aretha’s ‘Prayer’

Published: 01 August 1968 14:45:16
August 1968, London As noted in post #63, Aretha Franklin has performed in Britain for the first time in May to rapturous reviews and glorious audience reaction. Its been such a personal joy for me to see Aretha in person, knowing that less than two years earlier, I had written a letter to her c...
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by David

#69 – Soul City & Sly Stone!

Published: 02 July 1968 14:45:22
July 1968, London As referenced in post #62 of The Diary Of A British Soul Man, the Soul City team gets a visit from a short American man with a moustache asking for Dave Godin. The man in question, Dave Kapralik, is an executive at Epic Records who is aware of the licensing requests were making...
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by David

#68 -“Go Now – Bessie Banks, The Moody Blues”

Published: 01 July 1968 14:45:28
Summer 1968, London Soul City, the record shop I co-own with Dave Godin and Robert Blackmore, is continuing to make inroads as is our record label. Saturdays are our busiest day with customers from the North of England visiting London for football matches in the afternoon stopping into the shop...
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by David

#65 – “Nina Simone & ‘The Sound Of Soul'”

Published: 27 May 1968 14:45:47
Monday, May 27th, 1968, London No sooner has Lady Soul Aretha Franklin left the UK for the first time after amazing performances at The Hammersmith Odeon and Finsbury Park Astoria in London than I am thrilled to greet The High Priestess Of Soul, Nina Simone for whom I am still running her first ...
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by David

#64 – “She Reminds Me Of Mahalia Jackson…”

Published: 11 May 1968 14:45:54
Saturday, May 11 Sunday, May 12, 1968, London Im still reeling with meeting Aretha Franklin in person on her arrival in London. This, I remind myself, is the same young woman (having celebrated her 26th birthday in March) whose music been a constant in my journey into adulthood since 1965 when ...
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by David

#63 – “Welcome To Britain, Miss Franklin!”

Published: 10 May 1968 14:45:59
Thursday, May 10, 1968, Gatwick Airport, Sussex The day has arrived. My sister Sylvia and I are headed towards Gatwick Airport, much smaller than Londons main Heathrow Airport. Ive been given information about the flight arrival time for Aretha Franklin on her first ever visit to Britain by Ja...
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by David

#62 – “May I Speak To Dave Godin?”

Published: 01 May 1968 14:46:04
May 1968, London The team at Soul City myself, Dave Godin and Robert Blackmore are now joined by sister Sylvia, four years younger than me, who has been running the Nina Simone Appreciation Society I started in 1965 with me. Almost inescapably, Sylvia has been subjected to the music of my favo...
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by David

#61 – “Nothing Can Stop Me”

Published: 05 April 1968 14:46:10
April 5 1968, London After our first Soul City Records release (and sad to say, sales failure!), we bounce back with the UK reissue of a 1965 Top 10 RB hit for Duke Of Earl, Gene Chandler. Good news is that the Soul City team (Dave Godin, Robert Blackmore and myself) are now the decision makers ...
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by David

#60 – “Don’t You Worry”

Published: 01 March 1968 14:46:16
Recording session for 'Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood' (New York, early 1964) March 1968, London The plans to launch the Soul City Records label as an adjunct to the record shop of the same name that Dave Godin, Robert Blackmore and I own are now in full gear and, sporting the same colours as t...
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by David

#59 – “Chain Of Fools”

Published: 15 February 1968 14:46:23
February 15 1968, London Beyond being the sole source of my income (albeit still somewhat meagre, given that our Soul City shop continues to lurch from month-to-month, paying not-so-meagre rent in a Central London location with previously-noted plans to expand with our own Soul City label!), soul...
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by David

#58 – “You Better Make Up Your Mind”

Published: 02 January 1968 14:46:28
January 1968, London The plans to launch our own Soul City Records label are in full swing, despite my reservations about the finances of our shop (with its unique approach of selling only American RB and soul recordings). Dave Godin has enlisted the assistance and support of Trevor Churchill who...
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by David

#57 – “Gimme Little Sign”

Published: 01 January 1968 14:46:33
January 1968, London Soul City, the record shop I co-own with Dave Godin and Robert Blackmore is doing a little better after the move to 17 Monmouth St in the heart of Londons theatre district. Dave has been talking to Robert and I about starting our own label as a natural evolution of the shop, ...
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by David

#56 – “I’ll Never Forget 1967!”

Published: 04 December 1967 14:46:45
December 1967, London What a year 1967 has turned out to be! Reflecting on how soul music has morphed from bringing me comfort, joy and solace as I move through the challenges of my mid-teens to the cusp of young adulthood, I realize how the recordings of Dionne Warwick, Nina Simone and Aretha Fr...
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by David

#55 – “Gladys Knight Is Round The Corner!”

Published: 03 December 1967 14:46:50
December 3, 1967, London From the memorable day when Dave Godin first plays me the ultra soulful Giving Up by Gladys Knight The Pips in 1965 a year after its original release in America to my purchase of the hard-to-find Maxx LP by the family group and hearing tunes like Either Way I Lose and Ma...
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by David

#54 – P.P. Arnold…

Published: 03 November 1967 14:47:01
November 1967, London So much is happening in this amazing year for soul music in Britain. In addition to my personal challenges (with boyfriend #1 Franklin and then boyfriend #2 William who is still around as the year winds down), working at Soul City, Britains 1st record store to sell only Amer...
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by David

#53 – “A Natural Woman”…

Published: 04 October 1967 14:47:08
October 1967, London The month ends victoriously! Aretha Franklin who has been a real presence in my life since the Saturday morning in the spring of 1966 when I got a letter from her in reply to the one I sent to her c/o her fathers church in Detroit and then in December of the same year, bein...
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by David

#52 – “That’s How Heartaches Are Made”

Published: 03 October 1967 14:47:13
October 1967, London Following that old cliche, what you dont know wont hurt you in matters of fidelity, I struggle with whether to let boyfriend William know about my one-off rendezvous with the visiting American tourist Edward that happens when William is away on holiday in Spain with mystery f...
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by David

#50 – “Piece Of My Heart”

Published: 01 October 1967 14:47:24
October 1967, London Soul City seems to be thriving after the move to Central London. Were getting regular shipments of US imports and Im particularly excited when we get a 45 by Arethas older sister, Erma Franklin. Shes begun recording for producer/songwriter Bert Berns Shout label and her 3rd ...
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by David

#47 – “Soul City And A Blues Queen”….

Published: 01 September 1967 14:47:42
September 1967, London Ive agreed to return to the newly-relocated Soul City now in the heart of Central London at 17 Monmouth Street and the three years that follow will be full of activity as the shop is established as one of the prime go to locations for the growing legion of dedicated soul mu...
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by David

#48 – “Big Maybelle Sings The Blues”

Published: 01 September 1967 14:47:36
September 1967, Bayswater, London Blues great Big Maybelle is in London for the first time promoting her new LP, shes visited Soul City record store and my boyfriend William (in this pic) and I have been to see her perform at a club in Dalston. Maybelle is in the UK accompanied by a six-foot ama...
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by David

#49 – “Oh Lord, What Are You Doing To Me”

Published: 01 September 1967 14:47:31
September 1967, Bayswater, London Im hanging out with Big Maybelle, my boyfriend William Caper and my dear friend Enid at Maybelles hotel during her 1st (and sadly only) visit to Britain, five years before her passing in 1972. While shes a blues mama of the 1st order, shes also been aiming reco...
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by David

#46 – “Aretha Arrives”…

Published: 01 August 1967 14:47:47
August 1967, London More than ever, the soul music that is my passion is reflecting my life-as-lived. If whatever I experience with boyfriend #1 Franklin is mirrored through songs on Aretha Franklins first Atlantic album I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You), her 2nd LP for the label, Aretha ...
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by David

#45 – “Take Me In Your Arms & Love Me”

Published: 01 July 1967 14:47:53
July 1967, London Im having a great time working at the small record department located in the John Menzies bookstore on Cheapside near St. Pauls Cathedral in the City Of London. Although I share the space with a cranky woman named Mrs. Banks who runs the greeting cards section and who wastes n...
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by David

#44 – “Going Down Slow”…

Published: 01 June 1967 14:47:58
June 1967, London My passion for Arethas first Atlantic LP, released in Britain in April is expressed in an article I write for the UK Atlantic newsletter, Uptightanouttasight (edited by Janet Martin, who works at Atlantics London office) which provides some background on her career. I have no ...
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by David

#43 – “A Whiter Shade Of Pale”

Published: 01 May 1967 14:48:04
May 1967, London Ive written a letter to Dave Godin and Robert Blackmore at Soul City to let them know Im going back to my previous job working in the record department of John Menzies in the City of London. As it turns out, its a wise move since Soul City is going through a challenging time fin...
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by David

#40 – “I’m not singin’ that piece of s**t!”

Published: 23 April 1967 14:48:09
Sunday, April 23, 1967, Brixton, London As her UK appreciation society founder, Ive let Nina Simone know that the audience at the The Ram Jam Club is primarily going to be West Indian. Nina is sitting at the piano, begins the show and about five songs in, the crowd starts calling out, My baby jus...
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by David

#42 – “Some Of Your Lovin'”

Published: 01 April 1967 14:48:32
April 1967, London Ive agreed to meet William, my first blind date at the Hammersmith Odeon cinema on a Saturday afternoon and I choose the location since its a 10 minute bus ride to where I live in Fulham! I figure if it doesnt go well, I can get home quickly. William is charming and funny and...
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by David

#39 – “On The Bus With Nina Simone”…

Published: 01 April 1967 14:48:22
April 1967, London Moving my focus away from the challenges in my young love life, Im continuing to champion Nina Simone as the founder of her UK appreciation society. Ninas brilliance as a unique, distinctive and peerless artist is gaining recognition in Britain, indeed in Europe and with the n...
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by David

#41 – “Can I Speak To David?”

Published: 01 April 1967 14:48:15
April 1967, London After Nina Simones UK tour which bodes well for the building of her British audience, one of my primary goals as her 19-year old UK fan club founder, my focus is now on getting a job. Im still not up for returning to Soul City record shop with Dave Godin and Robert Blackmore ...
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by David

#35 – “I Never Loved A Man…”

Published: 01 March 1967 14:49:00
March 1967, London Ive left Soul City record shop (at least temporarily) even though Im a partner in it with Dave Godin and Robert Blackmore! When I refuse to go back, Dave G threatens to out me to my mother. I sit my mum down on the edge of her bed. Whats he talking about? she asks nervously. W...
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by David

#36 – “Save Me”

Published: 01 March 1967 14:48:55
March 1967, London Arethas I Never Loved A Man LP is on full blast in my bedroom above the fish chip shop my Dad manages in Fulham where we live. I discover that being in a relationship is very different from the romantic love songs that have fueled my teenage years: Arethas new album is closer ...
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by David

#37 – “The Memphis Sound Comes To Town”….

Published: 01 March 1967 14:48:49
March 27, 1967, Croydon While my relationship with my first boyfriend Franklin continues to be challenging, I invite him to come to see one of the final performances of the Stax/Volt review, undoubtedly one of the most exciting shows for the growing number of soul music fans in Britain, indeed i...
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by David

#38 – “Are You Breaking Up With Me?”

Published: 01 March 1967 14:48:39
March 1967, London While Im in the glow of the Stax/Volt show from earlier in the week, I know that dealing with Franklin, my first boyfriend is taking a toll. In the weeks before, wed been to a party at the same house where we first met. He had ignored me for most of the evening until I started ...
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by David

#32 – “Tell It Like It Is”…

Published: 01 February 1967 14:49:20
February 1967, Manor House, London Soul City is starting to get going with more customers finding out about the only record store that sells only American RB particularly since weve now got a regular supplier of US imports, Mr. Shapiro from Miami, Florida. Meanwhile, my personal life is slightly...
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by David

#33 – “Voice Your Choice”

Published: 01 February 1967 14:49:14
February 1967, London At Soul City, were doing well with the growing number of UK releases of great RB albums and one in particular, Sing A Song Of Soul through Chess Records (issued by Pye Records) is a best seller at the record shop and a personal favourite of mine. With tracks by Johnny Nash...
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by David

#34 – “Walking Up A One Way Street”…

Published: 01 February 1967 14:49:09
February 1967, London Now that our record shop Soul City is getting more well known, some of our local customers, many who have immigrated to the UK from the Caribbean are asking for what were then quite obscure imported singles that had been popular in Jamaica, notably Willie Tees Walking Up A O...
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by David

#31 – “Your Name Is Franklin?”

Published: 01 January 1967 14:49:26
January 1967, London The week after attending the New Years party at which I meet Marion, Im invited back to the home of Bob (the Irma Thomas UK fan club founder) and Jack, his Jamaican partner. It is more than a little eventful. I arrive as a boy on Friday night, January 6th and I leave the next...
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by David

#27 – “21 Deptford High Street”

Published: 01 December 1966 14:49:55
December 1966, London The big day is here! Dave Godin has hired a friend Henry Giles to design the colours (mauve and blue) of the shops distinct exterior. Dave has cobbled together the money for the rent, Ive helped us open accounts with UK distributors (EMI, Decca, Pye, etc) so we have some 45s...
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by David

#29 – “Aretha, phone call from England…”

Published: 01 December 1966 14:49:48
December 1966, London What a way to end my year, speaking to Aretha Franklin who has signed a new contract with Atlantic Records in November. Using my Christmas bonus at Soul City is to call a favourite American RB artist, I dial the overseas operator who dials the Detroit number at the bottom ...
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by David

#28 – “The Christmas Bonus”

Published: 01 December 1966 14:49:38
Christmas week, December 1966, London Soul City has been open for a few weeks and the word is out among the dedicated lovers of American RB which is all we sell! Local residents wont find the latest Rolling Stones or Who records in our shop! Dave Godin, Robert Blackmore and I have worked hard i...
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by David

#30 – “My First Kiss..”

Published: 01 December 1966 14:49:32
December 31, 1966, London Im invited with my Soul City shop partners Dave Godin and Robert Blackmore to a New Years Eve dinner at the home of Irma Thomas UK fan club founder Bob Nessling and his Jamaican lover Jack I was naively unaware that two men could live as a couple at that time. Jack has...
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by David

#26 – “Soul City”

Published: 01 November 1966 14:50:03
November 1966, Bexleyheath The plan to open Britain 1st record shop selling only American RB is hatched. Inspired by a 45 on Cameo Parkway, a true deep soul tune Who Knows by The Soul City, our shop is to be called Soul City! Dave Godin and I are partners in the venture and he brings Robert Black...
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by David

#25 – “That’s Not Aretha, That’s Erma!”

Published: 01 September 1966 14:50:16
September 1966, London Earlier in the year, my thirst for collecting every one of the Columbia albums by Aretha Franklin is quenched! Im forever hooked by the majesty of her voice and Im moved to write to let her know. Without a way to contact her, I send a letter expressing my love of her music ...
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by David

#24 – “Stay With Me”

Published: 01 September 1966 14:50:10
September 1966, Bexleyheath Im now staying at Dave Godins home and were trying to figure out how to make inroads with the Rhythm Soul magazine Dave gets review copies of 45s from UK record companies. One memorable morning, Im in my room and Dave puts on one of the 45s hes just received. He plays...
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by David

#23 – “Rhythm & Soul USA”

Published: 01 May 1966 14:50:22
May 1966, London Im having a great time introducing soul music LPs released on Atlantic in the UK by Barbara Lewis and Esther Phillips and others to customers in the City of London record shop. As the Nina Simone Appreciation Society founder, Im still in the mix with the fellow Brits running fan ...
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by David

#22 – ‘When A Man Loves A Woman’…

Published: 01 March 1966 14:50:28
March 1966, London Ive decided that its time to leave school. My parents arent thrilled and after a few weeks of attempting home study, my mother says if Im not going to complete my education, I have to get a job. I land one, working at the Cheapside branch of a then-popular bookstore chain John ...
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by David

#21 – “Strange Fruit”…

Published: 01 February 1966 14:50:34
February 1966, London With my focus very much on the exciting events of the past six months starting the UK Nina Simone appreciation society, meeting Nina, Esther Phillips and Stevie Wonder Im starting to feel restless. Going to Kilburn Grammar School is proving tough. My thoughts of becoming ...
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by David

#20 – “Meeting A Boy Wonder…”

Published: 01 January 1966 14:50:40
January 1966, London Over the holiday season of December 1965, Im busy working at Musicland, the local record store where Im earning pocket money and spending it all on rare US imported LPs! The new year begins with an invitation from Dave Godin, still running the Tamla Motown Appreciation Soci...
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by David

#19 – “That’s my wig, sugar!”

Published: 02 October 1965 14:50:46
October 1965, London The Nina Simone UK fan club/appreciation society Ive started is getting a few members and one of the early newsletters lists the great Esther Phillips as a favourite among Ninas fans. Esther is visiting London at the invitation of The Beatles for a TV special since they love ...
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by David

#18 – “Yeah!!!”

Published: 01 October 1965 14:50:53
October 1965, London My quest to find as many of the Columbia albums that Aretha Franklin released between 1960-1965 begins with the rare UK release of the LP, Yeah!!! None of Arethas six previous albums and only two 45s have been released in Britain until CBS issues the magnificent Yeah!!! I LOV...
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by David

#17 – ‘The Godfather Of R&B’…

Published: 02 August 1965 14:50:59
August 1965, London Since Ive now been ushered into the hallowed circle of young British RB enthusiasts who have formed fan clubs for American artists, its time for an audience with the man whos dubbed The Godfather of RB in Britain. Gloria Marcantonio of the Dionne Warwick Shirelles Fan Club w...
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by David

#16 – “Ar-eth-a Franklin!”

Published: 01 August 1965 14:51:08
August 1965, Littlehampton, England Im now in with in crowd of young Brits whose love of American RB artists is expressed through fan clubs created for for Irma Thomas, Otis Redding, Don Covay, although Nina Simone, for whom Ive started an Appreciation Society is not exactly an RB artist. Im stil...
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by David

#14 – “Nina At Annie’s Room…”

Published: 02 June 1965 14:51:20
June 1965, London Nina Simone is performing for the first time in London at an intimate jazz club, Annies Room in Soho, owned by jazz singer Annie Ross, known as part of the trio Lambert, Hendricks Ross. Even though Im her UK fan club president, Im underage. I can only go if my father comes too ...
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by David

#13 – “At The Airport With Flowers…”

Published: 01 June 1965 14:51:26
June 1965, London Im excited and nervous! Im taking the day off school to go to meet Nina, her husband/manager Andy Stroud and their 4 year old daughter Lisa at Heathrow airport at 6:30am! I greet Nina with flowers and as the founder of her newly-created appreciation society/fan club, she wants t...
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by David

#12 – “Forbidden Fruit”

Published: 01 May 1965 14:51:31
May 1965, London Eagerly anticipating the arrival of Nina Simone in London in June, as the founder of her newly-created UK appreciation society, I had just one or two of her early Colpix LPs missing from my collection. One Saturday I was checking different record stores in Central London for what...
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by David

#11 – ‘I Love You Porgy’

Published: 01 April 1965 14:51:37
April 1965, London In anticipation of Nina Simones first European tour in June, I use all of the money I earn working at a record shop on Saturdays to buy every US imported LP by Nina! As the founder of her UK appreciation society, I have to have all of her albums before we meet! Her 1st Bethlehe...
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by David

#10 – “In With The ‘In Crowd’”

Published: 01 March 1965 14:51:43
March 1965, London Completely smitten by whatever music I can find by Nina Simone and wanting to be a part of the in crowd of the small but dedicated group of fellow Brits who love American RB artists like Doris Troy, Otis Redding, James Brown, Don Covay, Irma Thomas and more and who have started...
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by David

#9 – ‘How Many Days of Sadness’

Published: 15 February 1965 14:51:49
February 1965, London My birthday coincides with the U.S. release of The Sensitive Sound Of Dionne Warwick LP. I love the LP and Dionnes wistful look on the cover photo and I can sing along with every song! I have a crush on Bernice, the girlfriend of John, one of the young Greek Cypriot guys wh...
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by David

#8 – ‘Black Is the Colour of My True Love Hair’

Published: 01 February 1965 14:51:55
February 1965, London Age 17, I start working at a record shop on Edgware Rd. near Marble Arch on Saturday mornings to earn pocket money. I want to know more about the-then mysterious Nina Simone and ask the a-little-too-free-with-his-hands manager Mr. Green if we have any LPs by her. We have on...
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by David

#7 – “Uptown Soul”

Published: 01 January 1965 14:52:03
January 1965, London I somehow manage to get copies of Billboard magazine and Im so excited to see full page ads on new LPs like Esther Phillips And I Love Him! which no idea that by the time the year ends, I will actually meet Esther in person. My expanding collection of albums and singles is de...
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by David

#6 – “Championing Dionne & Dusty”

Published: 02 November 1964 14:52:12
November 1964, London As well as joining the Dionne Warwick Shirelles UK fan club I write to Record Mirror and Im excited (aged 16) to see my letter published, the beginning of my lifelong mission of sharing my passion for soul music which continues to this day! They even print my address (201 K...
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by David

#5 – ‘I’m Just a Soul Whose Intentions Are Good…’

Published: 01 November 1964 14:52:19
November 1964, London Avidly reading the UK music papers like New Musical Express, Record Mirror etc., I read an interview in which Dionne Warwick mentions Nina Simone as one of her favourite singers Ninas original of Dont Let Me Be Misunderstood is released in UK and Im captivated by her voice a...
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by David

#4 – “Right Next Door…The Beatles & Mary Wells”

Published: 01 October 1964 14:52:25
October 1964, London I attend my 1st ever concert (with my younger sister Sylvia) at The State Cinema in Kilburn right next door to where we live, above the fish-and-chip shop my Dad manages. A real plan hatched by the cinemas manager to have John, Paul, George Ringo climb a ladder in our backya...
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by David

#3 – My First Motown 45

Published: 03 June 1964 14:52:30
June 1964, London Time to be play catch up with American RB records! After Walk On By, and the Presenting Dionne Warwick LP, Im hooked and then buy my 1st Motown single, (released in Britain in 63 on Stateside) Heat Wave by Martha The Vandellas! I never look back and before I know it, my record ...
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by David

#2 – ‘Can I Have Money To Buy An LP?’

Published: 04 January 1964 14:52:36
June 1964. London Presenting Dionne Warwick Walk On By (original copy) David with his mum Frances and friend Frances, backstage, 1983 Me to my mother, can i have money to buy an LP? I begged. My mother thinks t 27/6d is a lot of money to buy it! The photo in this post is of the original co...
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by David

#1 – “Walk On By”

Published: 03 January 1964 14:52:42
March 1964, London My journey into the sacred world of soul music or Rhythm Blues as its known back then all starts when I buy Dionne Warwicks 45 Walk On By.still my favourite record ever! My discovery of Dionne comes after the UK singer Cilla Black had records a cover version of Dionnes previ...
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