Ady Croasdell
Ady's Top 10 All Time Albums
Love - Forever Changes (Elektra)
Millie Jackson - Caught Up (Spring)
Lamont Dozier - Out Here On My Own (ABC)
The Members - At The Chelsea Nightclub (Virgin)
Mose Allison - Mose Allison Plays And Sings (Prestige)
The Beatles - Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band (Parlophone)
Otis Redding - Otis Blue (Stax)
Larry Williams & Johnny Watson - Two For The Price Of One (Okeh)
Arctic Monkeys Whatever People Say I Am (Domino)
The Impressions - A Young Mod's Forgotten Story (Curtom)
I first became interested in black American music through my dad's 78s of Paul Robeson, Fats Waller and the Ink Spots. An interest in rural blues developed throughout the early 60s and from there I found John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf.
The need to attract girlfriends led me to soul music, as there weren't many lookers who were into country blues. It was the standard Stax/Motown/Geno route that so many late 60s mods took. In 1969 I went, by chance, to an "Old Soul" all-nighter and things were never the same again. I fell in love with the music that was later to be named Northern Soul by journalist Dave Godin and listened to it, collected it, talked about it and danced to it for the next ten years.
A degree in International Relations at University College, London only served to give me more time for my hobby and a job on a record stall on Soho's Rupert Street market set me up as a rare record dealer for the next ten years.
In 1979 my favourite soul club folded and necessity caused me to start the 6Ts Rhythm ‘N’ Soul Club with friend and fellow enthusiast Randy Cozens. That club is still running today at London's 100 Club and is the longest-running Northern Soul night ever (and almost certainly the longest-running club night). A DJing career was forced upon me around this time and I now get to DJ all around the UK. I have recently played guest spots in Germany, Spain, Italy and Ireland.
My start in the record biz proper came when I suggested to Ace co-founder Ted Carroll at his Golborne Road record stall that I could compile a soul LP from the Kent/Modern catalogue that Ace was currently working with. The resulting "For Dancers Only" record was the disc to be seen with in 1982 and went on to sell over 20,000 in its various guises. 96 more LPs were issued and in 1992 a series of CDs was started that has now reached around the 400 mark.
The Kent job entails finding and negotiating with US label owners, tape research (and hopefully finding unissued gems), compiling the CDs, writing the sleevenotes and assisting with memorabilia for the artwork.
The last string to my ukelele was added in 1994 when I started the Cleethorpes Northern Soul Weekender, which is the scene's longest-running event, annually attracting 1000 participants from all over the world and presenting some of the best 60s and 70s soul acts ever to appear in the UK. We are about to celebrate our 25th annual event. The 100 Club still packs them in and the 38th anniversary of the 6Ts R&S Society will be held there on Sept 30th 2017 www.6ts.info.
Kent Records is in its 35th year and, along with the rest of the music industry, we are back to vinyl in an appreciable way; though the CD is the ideal format for the zealously documented histories of the great soul labels, producers, writers and acts.
Ten Vital UK Kent only Soul Sides
Carla Thomas - ‘I’ll Never Stop Loving You’
Paramount Four - ‘Sorry Ain’t The Word’
Little Ann – ‘Who Are You Trying To Fool’
Sharon Scott - ‘(Putting My Heart Under) Lock And Key’ Kent 6TS Anniversary 45
Sandra Richardson - ‘After You Give Your All’
Luther Ingram - ‘Oh Baby Don’t You Weep’
Darrow Fletcher - ‘Love Is My Secret Weapon’
Eddie & Ernie - ‘A Man To Love A Woman’
Rita & The Tiaras - ‘Gone With The Wind Is My Love’ –full long version
To come
Aaron Neville - ‘Something’s Gotta Be Done’- Vocal to ‘Hold On, Help Is On The Way’
