First of all, thanks to Martin who has inadvertently projected me into a kind of High Fidelity-esque wank-fantasy by asking me to list the 10 records that changed my life. In an attempt to rudely disappoint, I’ve decided that such a quest is nigh on impossible and probably not quite as interesting to others as listing the ten 45s that I’m most into at this present moment in time.

My all time faves would begin with Linda Jones “Just Can’t Live My Life” which is quite simply the best record of all time and would also include Marlena Shaw “Woman of the Ghetto” – the record that got me into funk in the first place. For dancefloor appeal there’d have to be Larry Ellis, Johnny King etc etc. However I anticipate some repetition of these titles in other lists and, besides, its always more interesting to write about a few things other people might not know about. So here are the 10 tunes that I find difficult to take off my deck at this moment in time…

1: Leon Gardner “You Don’t Care” (Igloo)
an almighty HipHop backbone of midtempo drums and rumbling bass underpin a fantastic R&B vocal and horn stabs. Never seen it before and possibly wont ever again.





2: Marva Lee “If You Can’t be True” (Atco)
a fantastic female cover of the Gene Chandler classic. Straight up Northern that seems to have dried up.





3: Little Mary Staten “Steppin’ Stone” (GME)
moody, atmospheric femme souler. Has all the right ingredients – pleading vocals, great key changes and understated instrumentation. Watch out for it because its going to go big.





4: Lynn Williams “Don’t Be Surprised” (Suncut)
an even moodier affair, with doom-laden beats and eerie strings. Suitably masochistic lyrics and yearning vocals set this very much in that 2am, drunk and melancholic vein. “Don’t be surprised if you see me laying on a railroad track” – suicidal funk at its blackest.





5: Soul Patrol “Don’t Knock The Cop” (Zuma)
thought I’d drop in a few dancefloor tracks, just in case you thought I only like it slow and moody. Its basically Chocolate Sugar by 6 Feet Under on LeCam (or Dusty on Zuma by Soul Patrol, depending which issue you have) minus the intrusive Hammond, but with heavier drums and male vocals. Only got it relatively recently and I think this is one that needs re-airing.





6: LA Carnival “Color” (Pacific Avenue)
recently comped by Stones Throw, I originally heard this from Dante Carfagna in Chicago (a scholar and a gentleman). Only a handful of copies known about and utterly unique sounding. Forget your 100mph Hammond instro’s, this is what its about – musicianship, invention and an almighty groove.





7: Hamilton Movement “Love Circuit” (Look-Out)
a relatively poor relation to the magnificent “She’s Gone” (which I also have) but still a great club record. It kicks off with a break and then moves into a fantastic disco-funk get-down. It’s only a matter of time before the hordes pick up on this one, so check it out while there’s still a few around.

8: Burning Desire “Why She Had To Go” (Charisma Sound)
probably my favourite out of the lot. This is my sound encapsulated in four minutes of heart-stopping soul perfection. Falsetto group vocals over a velvety beat, tinkling piano and throbbing bass. This is just one hell of a record.





9 : Pure Pleasure “By My Side” (QC)
drifting into the more modern stuff, this is a fantastic female stepper. Hefty beat and bass syncopation with quality soul vocals. Rare out of Detroit and destined for great things, with the kind of disco flip that Darge-ists lose hair over.





10: Sophisticated Ladies “This Aint Really Love” (Reflection)
still relatively cheap, but snap it up quick because this is going to be huge. Considered relatively rare by a couple of old soulies, this midtempo female 80s soul gem gives it everything including the kitchen sink. In a kind of “Ladies of the 80s” vibe.





11: Madeline & The Monticellos “Binding Ring of Gold” (De-Vel)
shit got carried away and included an extra. This is in a similar mould to the previous 45 - euphoric female soul with a phenomenal groove. You should still be able to find this for under £30.

city you live in?
Manchester, England

how long you have been collecting?
I've been collecting records for 16 years - however a fair bit of this was dedicated to underground guitar music. For funk & soul music - the last 12 years (there were overlaps). Started on the comps (as everyone did/still does) and then figured out that it was all about finding your own tunes, not buying what people tell you is good. Record buying is the ultimate expressive art and discovery is the metric by which we should all be judged.

most heart stopping find on a digging session?
Salt - Hung Up on Choctaw for $10.

Top spots for record hunting?
Beatin Rhythm, Manchester (still turning things up). Vox Pops also turn up a few pieces. Northern do's in general have always been good digging territory. I'm not going to give you any US names...

ebay. good or evil? good for buying, lousy for selling

motown or stax? Motown

sneakers or shoes? I wear pumps in the main and shoes for weddings.

creole or gumbo?
I've tried neither (I live in Manchester for f**ks sake). Steak and Kidney or Meat and Potato would be more apposite.

favourite tipple?
bitter if I'm out drinking. Gin and Tonic if I'm feeling like a fancy Dan. Whiskey and Coke at the arse end of debauchery. Tequilla when close to death. Tea in the morning. Its a daily experiment in pepetual motion.

where can people see/hear you play?
Inner City Blues at Sofa in Manchester town centre (not the Fallowfield venue). Its the first Saturday of every month. I also do the odd 1 or 2 gigs here & there around the country.

anything to add?
For all the sad, sheep-like, status-symbol buyers who have no real ear, just remember - you can spend your whole life trying to impress others, but at the end of the day the number of people who turn up at your funeral is still largely determined by the weather. To put it bluntly, there is little merit in spending £10,000 trying to recreate Ian Wright's set of 18 months ago. The scene stagnates, prices over-inflate and your own tumescent sense of self-worth and infamy is probably not shared by that many other people. Get digging and make your own sound.