The Carstairs [2022] - It Really Hurts Me Girl [Outta Sight #BMV004]

A seminal and iconic record in the history of Northern Soul is The Carstairs "It Really Hurts Me Girl" which is being reissued once again by Outta Sight with The Tom Moulton Mix on the flip (remix originally released by Neil Rushton's Inferno label in 1979).

I've posted and waxed lyrical about this track previously so you can read the full story HERE, but don't need an excuse to re-post it as this would probably have to be in my all-time top 10 Northern Soul list as I must have worn my Soul Bowl copy out with so many plays! 

Blackpool Mecca DJ Ian Levine discovered the record around 1973/74 and managed to track the group down for an appearance in The Highland Room in Nov 1998 for a Blackpool Mecca Reunion and posted a video with clips from their performance and had this to say in the comments:

"This was the biggest record EVER at Blackpool Mecca. Back in the day, despite many attempts, we could never locate the group, what with there being no internet. In 1998, for the unique one-off Blackpool Mecca reunion, I was just determined to find them, and after four months of searching, I did. Twenty five years after they thought their single had never even been released, they were on stage at Blackpool Mecca, singing it on the Saturday night in front of over a thousand people, in the Highland Room which was only supposed to hold seven hundred. They were moved to tears, especially Cleveland Horne, and founding member Ervin Langley. Tragically, within two years, those two of them had passed away. But at least they got to stand just once in the limelight. It could never ever happen again, it was a one time moment in history, and because of the iconic nature of the record, this footage is priceless beyond belief."

Details

Rating:	9.5
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Northern Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	7"
Label:	Outta Sight
Cat No:	BMV004
Date:	02/2022
Key/BPM:	8B/131
Value:	£11.99

The Carstairs [1973] - It Really Hurts Me Girl [Red Coach #RC 802]

An all-time classic from The Cartairs. Arguably the record which split the Northern Soul scene when this was first played around 1974/75 by Ian Levine at Blackpool Mecca's Highland Room. The traditionalist hated it as it started a move towards 'modern' tunes.  

I loved it then and still love it to this day and to me is one of the most soulful NS records ever, listen to the pain in Cleveland Horne's vocals, he is living that song! The flip side 'The Story Of Our Love' is a sweet soul ballad which has become a lowrider classic. Another song by them has surfaced over the years, 'Girl Have Pity' which I posted some time ago and for some reason is getting lots of views this week which is what has prompted me to do this post.

I had the privilege of seeing them perform the song (probably for the very first time?) on 28th Nov 1998 at The Blackpool Mecca reunion in The Highland Room. They performed three songs, 'It Really Hurts Me Girl', a version of The Salvadors 'Stick My Me Baby', and 'He Who Picks A Rose' which was the only other record they released, in 1969 on OKeh (the flip was a version of Lennon & McCartney's 'Yesterday'). Sadly only two years after the performance all three members (Cleveland Horne and Ray A. Evans (who co-wrote the song) and Ervin Langley) had died.

Cleveland Horne performed vocals on the flip side ('Crime') to The Innocent Bystanders 'Frantic Escape' instrumental in 1968. In the mid 70s he became a member of The Fantastic Four when they were signed to Westbound where he also did some session work for other artists on the label (e.g. King Errison, Mike Theodore Orch. and  Dennis Coffey Band) and wrote/co-wrote many songs released by the label. It is claimed that he was also a member of The Exceptionals who released a solitary 45 on Red Coach in 1975 (Gotta Let Some Sunshine Into My Life / What Is Living). He died of a heart attack barely a week after his 58th birthday in April 2000.

Legend has it that Ian Levine first heard the record played on radio station whilst on holiday in Miami in 1973 and contacted the station to find out what it was. The radio station only had a promo copy and told Levine to contact the label (Red Coach). The label had just lost their distributor (Chess) so decided to shelve the release, meaning that only copies already sent out as promos existed. It was another year before Levine got his hand on a copy from John Anderson's Soul Bowl who had received a shipment of 100,000 promos from US radio stations. Apparently three copies were found in this haul (I assume Andy Hanley and Bernie Golding who were with him got the other two). Ian 'Frank' Dewhirst was the next to obtain a copy which he states is his favourite record of all time and built his career as by having the record his bookings increased dramatically. 

Source: Red Bull Academy Ian Levine interview  Red Bull Academy Ian Dewhirst interview.

The original is a white label promo on vinyl with a machine-stamped STERLING stamp in the runout. It was legally reissued by Gene Redd on his Red Coach label (pink label) in late 1974/early 1975. These copies were styrene not vinyl. All subsequent copies are bootegs or reissues. Neil Rushton's Inferno label reissued a Tom Moulton remix in 1979 on 7" and 12".

I don't know how many original copies there are claimed to be but, surprisingly, an original is not that expensive in the scheme of things as the seem to consitently sell between £150-£250, although somebody, who obviously hadn't done any reasearch before buying, paid £600 for one on Discogs!

Below I have posted the original version and three other versions that have since surfaced, two different Tom Moulton mixes released by Inferno in 1979 and a later (2012) previously unreleased version.

The Carstairs [1979] It Really Hurts Me Girl (Re-mix 1) [Inferno #HEAT 7A]

The Carstairs [1979] It Really Hurts Me Girl (Re-mix 2) [Inferno #HEAT 7B]

The Carstairs [2012] It Really Hurts Me Girl (Previously Unreleased Mix) [Inferno #HEAT 1001 A]

Details

Rating:	9.5
Genre/Style:	Northern Soul
Format:	Single
Media:	7"
Label:	Red Coach
Cat No:	RC 802
Year:	1973
Key:	8B
BPM:	131
Value:	£150-£250 (approx.)

Carstairs / Fantastic Four / Steve Mancha - Girl Have Pity

Carstairs, The [1973] - Girl Have Pity [South Union #SU 0210144]

Apparently, this was recorded at the same session as the classic 'It Really Hurts Me Girl' released on Red Coach in 1973, which was a record discovered by Ian Levine and played at the Blackpool Mecca, Highland Room around 1974/75 which changed Northern Soul which up until then had predominantly been 60s soul only.

This is a marvellous piece of music,  written by Gene Redd Sr., George Clinton,  Jimmy Crosby & Terry Lane and originally recorded by The Fantastic Four on the legendary Ric-Tic label (RT-119) in 1966.   Gene Redd Jr. owned Red Coach records which is perhaps why he decided to record his father's song with The Carstairs whose only other recording was on another legendary label Okeh with 'He Who Picks A Rose' (previously recorded by The Temptations (1968) and Edwin Starr (1969) and later by Rare Earth (1976) and a previously unreleased version by Jimmy Ruffin was released 2001) with a cover of The Beatles' Yesterday on the flip.  The B side to 'It Really Hurts Me Girl' is another soul harmony song 'The Story Of Our Love'.

The Carstairs verson of 'Girl Have Pity' has never officially been released, it was pressed on bootleg 45 on South Union with Al Jones - Let Your Heart Be Your Guide on the flip side, a superb soul harmony / crossover tune.  I believe that this is the only vinyl pressing. The only other way to obtain it is via Old Schoool Harmony Volume 1 CD released around 1995, I 'suspect' that this is where the bootleg was 'ripped' from, the compilation also has 'The Story Of Our Love' on it.

The Fantasic Four [1966] - Girl Have Pity [Ric-Tic #RT-119]

The original version recorded in 1966.

Steve Mancha [2014] - Girl Have Pity [Hayley #NR 018]

Another, previously unreleased, version was issued on Hayley by Steve Mancha (real name Clyde Wilson) in 2014.

NS527 Jimmy Ruffin [196?] - He Who Picks A Rose [Soul Unreleased]

527 Jimmy Ruffin [196?] - He Who Picks A Rose [Soul Unreleased]

b/w:	Who's Leading You On
Format:	45
Label:	Soul (Bootleg)
Cat No:	S-20661
Year:	196?
Value:	£25-£45

Originally recorded, but unreleased, by Jimmy Ruffin.  I understand that during 80s/90s unreleased Motown tapes were discovered by Chris King and Pat Lowry and I assume that this was on the tapes and was probably played 'out' on an acetate.  It was bootlegged on a counterfeit white promo Soul label around 2002/03.  If anyone has further more accurate info please leave a comment.

The song was released on Motown by The Temptations in 1968 on 'Wish It Would Rain' LP, Edwin Starr as flip to 'War' in 1970 on Gordy and appeared on his '25 Miles' LP, and Rare Earth did it in 1976 on 'Midnight Lady' LP.  The Carstairs recorded a version on Okeh in 1969.

Jimmy is the elder brother of ex Temptation David Ruffin.  He is best known for his 1966 Motown hit 'What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted' which was originally written for The (Detroit) Spinners.  He was never able to repeat it's success and was more popular in the UK than US. He left Motown in 1974, had a hit on Chess / Polydor with 'Tell Me What You Want'  and another on RSO 'Hold On To Love' 1980 and eventually moved to the UK in the 80s.

This track is available on a white label Soul bootleg or on Jimmy Ruffin The Motown Anthology CD released in 2004 and various Motown/Northern compilation CDs.

Since the original posting made in 2010 this side has been released on a Tamla Motown 45: The Motown 7's Box Rare And Unreleased Vinyl Volume 2 box set in UK in 2014 with Gladys Knight & The Pips - If You Ever Get Your Hands On Love of the flip.

Biography

Jimmy Ruffin Discography @ soulfulkindamusic

Edwin Starr [1970] - He Who Picks A Rose [Gordy 7011]

Released as the flip to his US Pop #1 and world-wide hit 'War'

Carstairs [1969] - He Who Picks A Rose [Okeh 4-7329]

The Carstairs performing 'He Who Picks A Rose' live @ Blackpool Mecca 1998

Video footage of The Carstairs at Blackpool Mecca Nov 1998.  The audio is not live.

I attended this event and have some VHS footage which I'll try to digitise.  Also appearing was Frank Wilson who did  a live version of 'that' record!  He also signed one of the 2 known copies for the then owner Kenny Burrell at this event.

The Carstairs performing The Salvadors 'Stick By Me Baby' live @ Blackpool Mecca 1998

Video footage of The Carstairs at Blackpool Mecca Nov 1998.  The audio is not live.  You can safely assume that The Salvadors will not lose any sleep over this version!