60s NORTHERN SOUL CHAUMONTS 2-SIDER ORIG WIGAN CASINO

	£		41
	$		55

I've made the decision to sell some of my very large collection of 7", 12" and LPs.

ALL THE ITEMS I AM SELLING COME FROM NEARLY FORTY YEARS OF COLLECTING.

I AM NOT A DEALER.

There will be some real gems, so make sure you keep your eyes open.

SOME OF MY LISTINGS NOW CARRY 'BORROWED' SOUND CLIPS BENEATH THE TITLE.

I AREN'T QUITE ADVANCED ENOUGH YET TO PROVIDE MY OWN!

MOST OF THE IMPORTANT INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE.

THE MIDDLE SECTION CONTAINS ALL MY LENGTHY WAFFLE, WHICH YOU DON'T REALLY NEED TO READ (ALTHOUGH I WILL BE ASKING QUESTIONS AT THE END).

POSTAGE RATES ARE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE.

ALL MY ITEMS START WELL BELOW BOOK VALUE

SOME FROM AS LITTLE AS 99p.

60s GROUP NORTHERN SOUL/R&B/MOD

REGGAE-FLAVOURED WIGAN CASINO B-SIDE

PLUS VERY SAXY A-SIDE, ALSO A STOMPER

VERY COLLECTABLE LABEL

ORIGINAL ISSUE

CURRENTLY BOOKED AT AROUND £100

THE CHAUMONTS

"LOVE IS THE THING"

HEAR HERE! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5PDZ3kOcXM

b/w

"I NEED YOUR LOVE"

HEAR HERE! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wXSaSOSmS4

(US: Bay Sound C-67001/C-67002, 1967)

Vinyl

Record conditon: Excellent (plays Excellent +++)

Labels condition: Excellent (A); Excellent + (B)

As you can see from the above piccy (taken from a recent CD cover), The Chaumonts were a mixed-race outfit of no less than ten members - and that doesn't count the female backing singers, heard so effectively on this single. The group were initially called The Caravelles, and cut a demo of "Love Is The Thing" for Milton Dugger, who then decided to form a label to release the track. His venture was based in Baltimore, Maryland, and initially called Caravelle. Unfortunately, Caravelle had already been patented, so almost immediately the new enterprise changed it's name to Bay Sound, in reference to Baltimore's situation on the shores of Chesapeake Bay. Consequently, the first release can be found with both varieties of the label, although the only difference between the two is the actual insignia - and the current asking price, which puts Caravelle copies at about £200.

As far as rarity of Bay Sound singles goes, "Those Good Times" by Nicky C. & The Chateau commands the most pennies, while there's plenty more to please the Northern Soul buff among its dozen singles. Clay Hunt, The Fuzzy Kane Trio, and The Soul Clinic (an admirable cover of Dyke & The Blazers' "So Sharp") - all had one-off singles on Bay Sound; while the four by The Bleu Lights (particularly "They Don't Know My Heart" and "I Guess I'm In Love") are all superb. Likewise, The Chaumonts had four singles released, ranging from the storming instrumental "Now You've Gone", to the much mellower finger-clicker, "Loving Soft Soul". After shutting down in 1969, Bay Sound belatedly reappeared in 1972, put out one more single (by Crystal), and then disappeared for good.

The most obvious feature on hearing "I Need Your Love" for the first time, is it's almost reggae-flavoured rhythm, provided mainly by some hypnotic keyboards. This made it quite a novelty as a Wigan Casino spin back in the day. The Jamaican ambience hides one hell of a stomper, which still sounds amazing today. Its second attribute is the neat use of call-and-response between the lead singer and the ladies on backing. The track was written by Don Ryer, who was possibly a group member.

"I Need Your Love" was 'reissued' on a facsimile Bay Sound bo?!leg in the mid-70s. These were of dubious sound quality, and given a fictitious number (RI 2470), plus an alternative flip - "When You Love Someone" (another of the group's Northern titles). That meant that these pressings missed out on the original single's outstanding A-side, "Love Is The Thing", which has an outstanding saxophone ending. This side was penned by the group's guitarist, Martin Hebron, who also wrote "They Don't Know My Heart" for The Bleu Lights. You can pick up twenty-one Bay Sound titles on the above-mentioned CD, but there's really no substitute for the real thing, in solid black vinyl.

LATE ADDITION:

The latest Manship guide makes an error with one of it's Bay Sound numbers. The second entry under The Chaumonts should read 67004 multi-coloured label, NOT 67002 multi-coloured label. The record in this auction is an original copy of the first record listed in Manship's Chaumonts' section. It didn't come out with a multi-coloured label, just the plain Caravelle or Bay Sound design.

Both sides have full youtube postings for the uninitiated - not my copies.

This is a lovely original issue, with a stamped Nashville matrix.

The vinyl has just a few light "spiders webs"/surface scuffs, and the sound quality is close to perfect.

Both labels have some very light age signs around the centre, and three specks of dirt on the A-side label only.

This record has been played on both sides to verify condition, but there's a full money-back guarantee on all my sales, and I'll refund anyone who isn't totally captivated.

Domestic postal rates (sent recorded delivery, unless the winning bid is under £5):

One 7" single: £1.80; 30p per 7" afterwards.

One 12" single/LP: £2.80; 50p per 12"/LP afterwards.

YOU ARE ALWAYS WELCOME TO PICK UP THE ITEM IN PERSON.

Overseas postal rates (all sent recorded delivery):

One 7" single: £7 or £10; 50p per 7" afterwards.

12"/LPs at a cost to be determined later.

DUE TO A NUMBER OF LOSSES/CLAIMS RECENTLY, ALL OVERSEAS WINS WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE CHARGED £10, WHICH I WILL THEN ADJUST, ACCORDING TO THE SALE VALUE.

OVERSEAS BIDDERS WHO WIN AN ITEM UNDER £30 WILL BE CHARGED £7 FOR A FULLY INSURED PACKAGE.

OVERSEAS BIDDERS WHO WIN AN ITEM OVER £30 WILL BE CHARGED £10 FOR A FULLY INSURED PACKAGE.

THIS IS NOT TO DETER PROSPECTIVE BIDDERS, BUT TO ENSURE PEACE OF MIND.

PLEASE DON'T BID IF YOU DISAGREE.

IF YOU ARE AN OVERSEAS WINNER, PLEASE WAIT FOR ME TO AMEND YOUR INVOICE BEFORE PAYING.