When I was at school my local St Heliers barber was the very hip Brit Barry Earle, who had cool vinyl imports and also managed local band Le Freme. I had joined the Atlantic Soul Appreciation Society in London and could not understand why I couldn't put my bright orange "UPTIGHT AN' OUTASIGHT" (name of fan club) sticker on the back of the family car. Anyway, Barrie put it on the rear window of his ultra cool mini for me.
I was in Melbourne ten years later (circa 1979) and I was informed that their punk label Suicide (that signed Nick Cave's Boys Next Door, but did not sign The Marching Girls, alas) was run by a "Barrie Earle", and I said, "That'll be my barber!" The Aussies said, "No, he's from London." I secretly thought, "No, he's from St Heliers!" That evening Barrie turned up at the Mushroom offices and barely said hello, but communicated: "Still into soul?" and in his low-key 'have I got a deal for you' manner took me to the boot of his car. He had some USA Hi Records pressings of Syl Johnson and O.V. Wright that he wanted to sell, so I paid him cash and we both lived happily ever after, I presume.
Written by Murray Cammick
Read more from Murray over at the excellent Audioculture site.
Listen to Murray's excellent radio show, Land Of The Good Groove, Fridays 1pm on 95bFM.
*this excerpt taken from Issue #4 of the Soultearoa Shakedown fanzine. Check out the whole issue here.
(Pictured is Johnnie Walker, President of the Uptight An' Outasight Fan Club)
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