60s RARE DETROIT NORTHERN SOUL/MOD/MOTOWN EDDIE WILSON

	£		113
	$		150

As many of you will be aware, the already overweight fat cats that run eBay have decided to introduce a free posting policy for many items - including records. They have cited over-priced postal charges as the reason for this move, but they really want an excuse to grab yet more money from the unfortunate seller. I would dearly love to continue providing my 99p start policy, but cannot honestly afford to sell items for such a low price any more. As a result, my 99p items have had to stop, and only eBay is to blame. If this policy isn't changed soon, I will probably cease selling completely, and I know of other sellers who will be forced to do the same.

I saved a few blank templates during an earlier promotion day, which is how I am still able to offer a very reasonable postal rate. I'm going to list a few of my rarer items, picked at random from my shelves. I would have reached them eventually in my alphabetical trawl - they are just appearing early.

All of them will start at a tenth of the current book value.

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 CARRY 'BORROWED' SOUND CLIPS BENEATH THE TITLE.

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

From now on, most of my items will start at just 99p, unless they are valued at £50 or more.

60s RARE DETROIT NORTHERN SOUL/R&B/MOD

TWO JOBETE TUNES

BOTH SUPERB DANCERS

EDDIE WILSON

"JUST CALL ON ME"

b/w

"TOAST TO THE LADY"

HEAR HERE! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Df8NzMJF6VE

(US: Tollie T-9033, 1964)

Vinyl

Record conditon: Excellent - (plays near Excellent +++)

Labels condition: Excellent

We have to thank  The Beatles for this short-lived Vee-Jay off-shoot. When the four lads from Liverpool created a belated storm in the States, early in 1964, several different labels found that they had the rights to issue certain songs from the group's repertoire. Capitol, Swan, Vee-Jay, and M-G-M all rushed out early Beatles material, and all virtually at the same time. This flurry of releases created Beatlemania on a mammoth American scale, such that at one point the group held all of the top five spots on the Billboard Hot 100. In March 1964, Vee-Jay set-up it's Tollie subsidiary, as a vehicle for further Beatles releases that it had the rights to. The debut single was the group's version of "Twist And Shout"; Tollie later put out "Love Me Do", enjoying it's only Billboard #1. Unfortanately for Swan, M-G-M, and Vee-Jay/Tollie, they only had a limited number of Beatles songs on their books, since Capitol Records held the rights to the groups future material. As an indirect result of spending too much on The Beatles, the others subsequently fell by the wayside. Tollie folded in 1965, followed by Vee-Jay in mid 1966, and Swan early in 1967.

Of course, mention Tollie to a Northern Soul afficianado, and the name of Sam Fletcher will immediately spring to mind. Fletcher was a black crooner, and almost all of his material was aimed at the white pop market - including early releases on Metro, Cub, RCA Victor, and Warner Bros. For Tollie, however, Fletcher recorded a true soul masterpiece, in the shape of the jaw-dropping "I'd Think It Over". Tollie (like Fletcher) mostly had a white audience in mind, and among Tollie's fifty releases, there are few soul acts. There are a few inexpensive mod movers, by the likes of Billy Joe Royal, The Rhythm Kings, and Moses Davis. Collectors pay a bit more for Northern dancers by The Daylighters, Johnnie Walker, and a post-Tamla Barrett Strong. Manship also lists "Play The Other Side" by Jimmy Cross, which is the instrumental flip to one of the strangest 45s on the label. Called "I Want My Baby Back", the A-side is a hilarious pastiche of the 'death disc' genre, where the subject of the singer's affections is killed in a car crash, and ends up splattered in many pieces across the highway ("over there was my baby!... and over there was my baby!!... and over there was my baby!!!") Tollie must have liked 'death discs', because it also picked up the rights for an American release of "Terry", by British singer Twinkle.

Who was Eddie Wilson? I don't think he was the same singer who recorded for Back Beat - that 'Eddie Wilson' had a much earthier southern approach, while the 'Eddie' here possessed a set of rich and powerful tonsils, typical of big city soul. Since both sides are Detroit recordings, there's a very distant possibility that the Eddie Wilson who recorded this single was related to Frank Wilson, but it's pure speculation, as is another theory that Eddie Wilson and Frank Edward Wilson are one and the same. Many other members of Berry Gordy's team are known to have recorded surreptitiosly for other labels, so Frank may have done the same. As I say though, it's pure speculation, and probably the work of a totally addled brain.

This single was released in October 1964. "Just Call On Me" was written by two of Motown's staff-writers, Marc Gordon and Frank Wilson (again), while "Toast To The Lady" was penned by Frank Robinson. Both sides were published by Motown's Jobete arm, or 'Jobette' as mis-spelt on the labels. The earliest side to receive Northern Soul attention was "Just Call On Me", which romps along over a rapid-fire Motownesqe rhythm. Although it was a minor spin in the early 70s, it did battle with thousands of other stompers, and has since ended up as the comparatively little-known flip of "Toast To The Lady". There's a full youtube posting of this gorgeous track provided above. It's ideal dance material for the more mature soulie of today.

A. Uptempo proper Northern; great sax break; a gem.

B. Swirling keyboard intro; echoes of Chuck Jackson's "Any Day Now"; blistering vocal performance.

This one is currently priced by Manship at £150 for a minter.

The vinyl only has a small number of light "spiders webs". Both sides play above excellent ++, with just one or two faint ticks on either side.

Both labels are in excellent condition, with no stickers, sticker marks, or writing. There are a few light dirt spots on both labels, and also a mild touch of ring-wear in one spot on the B-side label only.

I've provided a dual scan to see both labels.

The edges are completely chip-free.

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.

New postal rates:

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

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