Good Morning Soul Lovers

Oh yeah, up early this morning and feeling good. Off to Faversham first, and to that bookshop with the train books. Then i have options, some charity shop visits, such as Sheerness, Whitstable and Paddock Wood plus and what was going to be a food visit but now just a drinks visit to The Bedford in Tunbridge Wells.

I have some travel agent shop visits too. It really depends on what order i put them in, plus an eatery visit to Margate at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Choices choices?

So still in a politico mode here is the morning song, a deep soul classic from the Dave Godin compiled CD, Deep Soul Treasures Vol. 3 (Kent Records), Syl Jonson and "Is It Because I'm Black" from 1970.

Peace be with you brothers and sistras.

Syl The Man

Oh my , being a bit of a soul junkie and lover of vinyl i have discovered vie Amazon m a complete box set of vinyls with CD's and a full discography, and a 52 page booklet, i am drooling.




This is how it is described -

"**6xLP AND 4CD BOXSET** In the 40 years since Syl Johnson exited Chicago's Twinight label for Memphis Hi Records concern, the world has been struggling to grasp and package the early years of this legendary soul man's career. Endless compilations, botched bootlegs,and shabby two-fers litter his section card, ear and eyesores all. Four years in the making, Complete Mythology is by far the most exhaustively researched and meticulously presented work from The Numero Group to date. Encompassing he first fifteen years of a career that spans half a century, Complete Mythology not only covers his obvious hits but shines a light into the dark corners of a true musical visionary. Born Sylvester Thompson in Holly Springs, Mississippi, Johnson sang and played with blues artists Magic Sam, Billy Boy Arnold,Junior Wells and Howlin' Wolf in the 1950s, before recording with Jimmy Reed for Vee-Jay in 1959. His break was to come recording for Twinight Records of Chicago in 1967. Johnson dominated the label as both a hitmaker and producer, providing such hits as 'Come On Sock It to Me', 'Different Strokes' (one of the most heavily sampled songs in the history of recorded music paid homage by N.W.A., Kid Rock, Michael Jackson, J. Dilla and dozens others), 'Is It Because I'm Black' (which reached Number 11 on the Billboard R&B charts in 1969), among many more. Included on the 81 track, 6LP+4CD box (both formats included) are re-mastered versions of no less than twenty eight singles from the Twinight, Federal, Cha-Cha, Tmp-Ting,Special Agent, and Zachron labels, facsimiles of the Dresses Too Short and Is It Because I'm Black albums, ten previously unreleased tracks and detailed track by track notes from acclaimed music historian Bill Dahl. The fifty-two page booklet contains a thirty-five thousand word essay, scores of previously unpublished photos, a sampling index, and complete discography all presented in a lavish hard bound box. For the uninitiated this is history, for those familiar this is respect for one the greatest musical artists of our time."

Yeah, but at  over fifty quid out of my league - yet i do covet it !!!

Oh Blast!

Oh blast, oh bloody blast .. just took out some rubbish and it is raining. A case of sod's law. Complained that i was stuck in the Office on such a warm sunny  yesterday , and now when i am not in the Office , it is overcast.

I remain hopeful that it will improve , and if not, that drinks only visit in Tunbridge Wells becomes more attractive for today.

EDIT - 0900 am it is sunny now!

Paddock Wood And Tunbridge Wells Visit

This has been a splendid day, a frolicking satisfying day in essence, Helios was in fine fettle, and despite being a long day, a thoroughly good one.

Started the day in Faversham in which i picked up a book for my brother, and bought some cherry flavoured pipe shag. I popped into Wetherspoons tom try some of the ciders in the current festival. The two i tried today were good but not as flavoursome as the ginger and chilli cider i tried previously.

Time flew by, so unhesitatingly, i caught the bus going towards my two visitations for the afternoon. The first stop off was Paddock Wood, a sleepy village twixt Tunbridge Wells and Maidstone, and full of charity shops. I was only interested in one.



Across this road is a Red Cross chazzer, and it is that one i perused, and bought the following for a fiver -



plus two CD's -

Leonard Cohen- I'm Your Man (CBS)
The Waterboys - Fisherman's Blues (Ensign)

Then it was off to Tunbridge Wells to my second visit of the day.

This was meant to be a food visit but as they do not do food except for Sundays it was converted to a drinks only visit. The fee was increased and the expenses for food or drink renamed  the same, so i took advantage of it and sampled, nay imbibed, four pints of the best English Ales available here -



With ten hand pumps there was an excellent choice available -



So £14 quid spent on beer in which i shall get paid for on the next pay run in August. Using reverse psychology on my erstwhile cousin.

I have more pics for tomorrow.

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