3 Northern Soul Rarities on Kellmac

Continuing the theme of NS rarities, here's 3 rare ones on Chicago's Kellmac label, a subsidiary of One-derful! run by Leon Singleton. Only 9 records are listed for Kellmac 1001-1012 (minus 1002, 1004 & 1006 so I guess these were never issued or they have never appeared).  The last 3 are the rarest, two by The C.O.D.'s and one by The Combinations.

The C.O.D.'s [1966] - She's Fire [Kellmac #1010]

A stormer by The C.O.D.'s which is at least a £5k record, although one did sell for £6,307.  Only 2 listed on Popsike, the latest one was VG- and sold for £3,152 .. a bargain!

At one time (about 10 years ago) the only known copy in the UK was owned by Tim Brown (Anglo American). I think he sold it to Andy Killick.  I don't know if the situation has changed since then, but it is a very rare record.  I don't quite know why it is so rare as their other releases on Kellmac, apart from the later one on Kellmac 1012, are quite easy to find. I would guess that the label was in decline, so perhaps not many were pressed?

It was played at Wigan Casino by Richard Searling covered up as Mickey Volvano - She's Fire, My Burning Desire and 40 years later it is still an extremely rare record which would suggest that there are not many around as after 40 years of being known, if others existed they would have turned up by now.

The C.O.D.'s [1966] - It Must Be Love [Kellmac #1010]

The flip side is also quite sought after, although it did appear on Kellmac 1012 on the flip to 'Coming Back Girl' which was the last release on the label.  

The Combinations [1966] - What' Cha Gonna Do [Kellmac #1011]

Ignore the prices on Discog as someone must have sold a pressing (reissue/bootleg) as these are dog rare and command well into 4 figure sums not £14.99!  I'd also take the number of users on Discogs claiming to 'Have' it with a pinch of salt too, as only a handful of copies are known to exist.

Only one has ever been listed on Popsike in 2012 and sold for £6,619 ($8,500)

The flip side is 'Good Bye' and as the record is so rare I can't find a label scan of it never mind a sound clip! 

The C.O.D.'s [1967] - Coming Back Girl [Kellmac #1012]

Not as rare as the two above but still hard to find and will now cost at least £350-£500

The C.O.D.'s [1967] - It Must Be Love [Kellmac #1012]

The flip side was previously released as flip to She's Fire on Kellmac 1010.

Bottom & Company / The Patterson Twins - Gonna Find A True Love

From recollection, Bottom & Company became big in the late 90s, or at least that's when I first became aware of it and acquired a copy for around £100. I believe that The Patterson Twins version was already known on the modern soul scene before Bottom & Company's version. It has become popular again in more recent years and copies are now fetching up to £350.  It's not as rare, or as hard to find, as The Patterson Twins version which was released on a promo 45 (only), but is also on their highly sought after 1978 album 'Let Me Be Your Lover' which sells for more than the 45.  There's one currently for sale on Discogs for £1,500.

Personally I prefer Bottom & Company's original version from 1974 as it's more soulful and not as 'frantic' as The Patterson Twins version. It was written by one of the group members John Helms and Terry Woodford who wrote loads of songs recorded by many well known artists such as Esther Phillips - Catch Me I'm Falling, Carl Carlton (etc.) - You Can't Stop A Man In Love, Sandra Wright - Wounded Woman, Gwen Owens - You Better Watch Out to list just a few and several major artists have recorded his songs including Temptations, Supremes, Commodores, Millie Jackson, Bobby Womack, Carl Carlton, Thelma Houston, Joe Tex, William Bell, Ann Sexton, John Edwards, G.C. Cameron.

Bottom & Company [1974] - Gonna Find A True Love [Motown #M 1291F]

Bottom & Company were a 7 piece band who released 4 singles and an album 'Rock Bottom' for Motown between 1974-76.  The singles appeared on Motown with the album being released on Gordy in 1976. Only the sides on the last 2 singles appeared on the album, hence the only way to acquire this track is on a 45.

Guide Price: £250-£350

Patterson Twins [1978] - Gonna Find A True Love [Commercial #CDC-00042]

Estus & Lester Patterson, from Mississippi, started out as the Soul Twins in 1972 (not the same group as on Karen). They changed their name to The Patterson Twins in 1973 and recorded up to 1988.   As well as this track, they had a big modern soul tune 'I Need Your Love' released in 1976 on Malaco.

This track appeared on their album 'Let Me Be Your Lover' in 1978 and got a promo 45 issue but was never released.

Guide Price: £450-£550

Bold Breed Featuring B. G. [196x] - Mood For Love / Let Me Down Easy [Bold Breed #10026/27]

Here's an 'off the wall' tune, a more funky style Northern Soul track very much in vogue these days, as we missed them first time around in the hunt for 'four on the floor' stompers!

It would appear to be a self-pressed on Bold Breed as the only 2 listed releases on the label are from Bold Breed.  This release features B.G. who I would guess is the writer Robert L. Graham?  No date for the release, but sounds like late 60s or early 70s (1968-72).

Recorded at Galaxie III Studios, Taylorsville, North Carolina owned by Harry & Jim Deal. The same Harry Deal of Harry Deal & The Galaxies, a blue-eyed soul group, who had a big tune with 'I Still Love You' on Eclipse (recorded at same studios and was the official label for the studio). I 'suspect' that there may also some 'blue-eyes' in Bold Breed, certainly Frankie Turner who features on their other 45 release sounds white, but the backing is tight.

Bold Breed Featuring B. G. [196x] - Mood For Love [Bold Breed #10026]

Bold Breed Featuring B. G. [196x] - Let Me Down Easy [Bold Breed #10027]

Bobby Rich [1974] - There's A Girl Somewhere (For Me) / I Can't Help Myself (I'm Just Dreamin') [Sambea #SBS-101]

Yet another great and rare double-sider, this time by Bobby Rich from 1974.  Both sides have been reissued on Grapevine in 2003, but the original on Sambea is still pretty rare, only 5 listed on Popsike since 2003 and all fetched four figures, the last selling in 2017 for £1,756, however I've seen one sold on Soul Source in 2017 for £2,250!

This is the only listed release for Bobby Rich and for Sambea (Sam presumably taken from writer/producer Sam Gary?). Recorded at Reflection Sound Studios in Charlotte, North Carlolina whilst the label is addressed at West Columbia (W. Cola), South Carolina.

I have come across a couple of other singers of the same name, one a country singer and the other a UK reggae artist.

Bobby Rich [1974] -  There's A Girl Somewhere (For Me) [Sambea #SBS-101]

This is a 'modern' (70s) Northern Soul. I don't recall when this was first played on the scene, but it's been around for many years.

Bobby Rich [1974] -  I Can't Help Myself (I'm Just Dreamin') [Sambea #SBS-101]

The flip is a wonderful soul harmony ballad much loved by the 'Lowrider' scene which may explain the value of the record as there are two 'scenes' hunting for the same record but for different sides.

Bobby Shannon [1973] - You're An Uplift / I Get My Groove From You [To-Mar #0011]

Another double-sided crossover beauty, this time a bargain £500 record!  The flip side is a version of Bobby Patterson's - I Get My Groove From You released the same year on Paula that's been played in modern rooms for decades. Both versions were released in 1973, I would assume that Patterson's is the original version, given that he wrote the song, but that is not always necessarily the case.

I'm not sure (or convinced) that this is the same guy as a lot of the blues/country records that are linked to him on 45Cat released in the early 60s, but it could have been a comeback release in the early 70s?

This is the only listed release on To-Mar.

Bobby Shannon [1973] - You're An Uplift [To-Mar #0011]

Bobby Shannon [1973] - I Get My Groove From You [To-Mar #0011]

Bobby Patterson [1973] - I Get My Groove From You [Paula #P-386]

Bobby Burn [1968] - I'm A Lonely Man / I'm A Dreamer [Chant #522]

Staying with the theme of rarities, here's a superb double-sided 45 by Bobby Burn (aka Wilburn) with two great crossover sides. 

A four figure rarity (approx. £1,500) on the original Chant label owned by Bill Hanley in Atlanta Georgia (Kent have released a couple of CDs full of Haney's productions: Atlanta Soul Brotherhood Vol. 1 & Vol. 2).  

It got a national  release on Gamble in 1971 under his real/full name Bobby Wilburn, and has recently (Sep 2020) been reissued on Sean Hampsey's Diggin' Deep  label adding the twelfth issue to their catalog in 2 years, these are limited edition vinyl represses which sell out very quickly so grab one before they sell out.

This is the only release for Burn/Wilburn.  There's a story on the Diggin' Deep site if you want to learn more. Interestingly Discogs credits a track by Tim Taylor (We Were Fallin' (on a 1992 Canadian album 'Big Plans') to him (Bob Wilburn) but it's not registered to him on BMI, so I suspect it's a different Wilburn.  BMI has the two titles above and another 'He Said It With Flowers' under him but the latter is registered to Robert Charles Wilburn whilst the other two are Bob Wilburn, so again I wonder if it's the same Wilburn.  So, unfortunaetly we'll have to make do with the only two tracks he wrote and recorded.

Bobby Burn [1968] - I'm A Lonely Man [Chant #522]

Bobby Burn [1968] -  I'm A Dreamer [Chant #522]

Al Christian [1972] - I'm A Lonely Man [Chant #C 527]

I'm A Lonely Man was released again on Chant in 1972 by Al Christian.