Tee Time

The “big” record fair was in town last weekend. I am starting to frequent these more regularly now, driven in part by the fact that lately I am not finding much I want (at a price I can afford) on-line. I am not sure frequenting them is a good idea though. I usually get carried away and end up spending more than I really want, and come home with records I had no idea I really wanted. That is OK if they are cheap but when they are “going rate”, which they are more than likely to be at a fair, I end up feeling a bit guilty at spending the money. When I get home and play the records properly for the first time it is often with a certain amount of trepidation as I wonder if they will still grab me once the “fair fever” has subsided. This is all very silly really, and is just another symptom of my collector addiction.     

Anyway, I can report that I am happy with all my purchases this time around. Very happy with one: I now have all Candi Staton’s Fame output (big ones and little ones) as I finally bagged an original copy (at a fair price) of her 1971 album Stand By Your Man. All but one of the tracks on the album I already have on 45, but it was worth getting the album on so many levels: the album has a lovely picture of Candi and some “word up” sleeve notes, nice quality sound on a vinyl LP, and of course it completes the collection!

I also bought a few 45s, some of which may feature here along the way. While I was sifting through a sizeable stack of soul 45s somebody else was playing 80s Disco Boogie 12s on the dealer’s system. I have always had a soft spot for the genre, and have been exploring it more on YouTube recently. I’m especially drawn to anything released between ‘81 and ’85. I hung up my DJing headphones sometime in ’81 (from memory). This was a difficult decision for me and I think I have forever since had a yearning for those records I would have been undoubtedly playing had I not stopped spinning those wheels of steel.

So it was I came away from the Fair with two 12” singles I had never (knowingly at least) heard before. Both, it turns out, are mixed by a legend of those Boogie days Tee Scott who was best known for his residency at Better Days in Manhattan. Here is one of them in its full 12” glory. I can pick out little touches of other records in this mix, but can’t put a name to them at the moment. There is something insanely infectious and uplifting about this sort of music, especially with the volume turned up, and although over 7 minutes long I don’t think it gets  boring either.

Michelle Wallace – It’s Right  1982