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The Philly Sound - Dave Moore

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The Philly Sound - Dave Moore

This week we have Dave Moore, author of The There's That Beat Guide to The Philly Sound telling us about the origins of his musical interests and the long journey which led to the colossal work documenting the history of soul and R&B in Philadelphia; a true 'must have' for any collector of the genre: "The record collecting gene has been part of my DNA for as long as I can remember. Having discovered soul music in my teens in the mid '70s, I fell hook line and sinker for the lush productions of Van McCoy, the sweet arrangements of...

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It's Better To Cry - E. Mark Windle

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It's Better To Cry - E. Mark Windle

Over the last couple few weeks I've asked the likes of Dave Rimmer and John Lias to give us some insight into what the drive was for them to undertake their respective writing projects. This week I thought I'd give other authors a break and provide some background to why I started writing about the music I love. Admittedly I already have some previous publication experience, albeit in a genre quite separate to music, through clinical research as a dietitian working in critical care. Certainly a different style of writing, but also a job which suits my underlying inquisitive nature...

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Dave Rimmer - Soulful Kinda Music and the Rare Soul Bible (Volumes 1 and 2)

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Dave Rimmer - Soulful Kinda Music and the Rare Soul Bible (Volumes 1 and 2)

Author and website owner Dave Rimmer gives us the low down on his literary contributions to the rare soul scene, including the undertaking of some of the biggest soul label and artist vinyl referencing projects to date:           "...I’m an anorak ! There, I’ve admitted it, Not just an ordinary anorak, but a full blown hooded, zipped up to the top anorak.          Why else would I spend years compiling discographies and label listings. Well, it’s simple really. I’m a soul music fan of some forty five years standing now, and it’s what...

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Spinning Around: A History of the Soul LP - John Lias

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Spinning Around: A History of the Soul LP - John Lias

Author John Lias gives us a summary of his entry into the soul world, his drive to write Spinning Around: A History of the Soul LP and a hint of what else is in the pipeline: "I first became passionately interested in soul music round about 1972 or 1973 (thanks to radio and youth club discos) when I was sixteen or seventeen years old. At that point I bought singles and albums fairly equally. By 1978 I was buying more and more albums. I also read a great deal; Black Music, Blues And Soul, Echoes from a soul perspective, but...

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The beginning...

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The beginning...

Well, a very hearty welcome to A Nickel And A Nail, which I know for many will be a long overdue new independent book-store experience for lovers of soul music, R&B and related fields. Our purpose is to source literature for those wishing to explore the historical development of black american music. There is much to tell beyond the already well documented stories of the major record labels.  The original driver for this book store venture was my life long interest in collecting rare soul / northern soul (call it what you will), blues, R&B and Motown records. Some while...

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