In 1973 Pete Waterman opened his new shop (with his mate Tilly) - The Soul Hole - in the basement of I AM - a hippy boutique in Hales Street Coventry. It specialised in rare soul imports not available in this country. Pete had connections through his DJ work and had apparently supplied imports to the Beatles on their first visit to Coventry c 1963. The basement was very cramped and soon the Soul Hole moved to upstairs at Virgin Records. I knew Pete from the GEC and the Walsgrave. Pete supported Hobo by giving us an ad, a Soul Hole Singles Chart and the article
below published in issue 4 of Hobo - August 1974.
As you know by now our small shop (The Soul Hole) has now moved to the top of Virgin Records in the City Arcade. Our new shop will, we hope, bring more people into the faith. We had a good time at the shop in the I AM boutique but the stock was getting too big for our small shop. The move will not, we hope, change the service that we are so proud of. The new shop will give us more room to serve and talk. Also you can stand up! (The Soul Hole was originally in the cellar of the I AM boutique with a low ceiling!!)
Anyway, down to business. As most of you know by now, I spent the 5th and 6th of March with the Three Degrees.
Sheila, Fay and Valerie. On Monday the 5th I went to the Mayfair Hotel in London to see the girls do their own thing. The girls got on and did When Will I See You Again. The first thing that took our breath away was their see through dresses, but they are from just good looking foxes. At dinner I sat with Peter Winfield (for all those who don't read sleeve notes) Peter is the cat who played keyboards for BLODSTONE on both Natural High and their new album. For all the foxes and cats not into our faith, Pete also plays for COLIN BLUNSTONE, and writes for a National rock paper.
Pete is soul freak, like myself and we both agreed their harmonies were the tightest we'd heard for some time. The voices were fantastic, Sheila takes the lead most of the time. The next in line was Dirty Old Man, this was fantastic, with the girls showing they can handle the audience with fun and firmness. Then they did "A Woman Needs Love" proving they can sing ballads as well as up tempo Nos. Their footwork was as god as any I've seen before, and if any in the audience weren't sold on that, the next was they're single Year of Descision. I t had everybody on their feet shouting for more. But it was all over, Pete and the Colin Blunstone band went off to record the Old Grey Whistle Test, and I went to the girls bedroom to have a chat.
Just as a boost to our egos, David Bowie was there to pay homage to the
three ladies of soul. It seems that Rock stars are getting back to their roots with Bowie telling me that he is soon to be recording with top black acts in the states and John Lennon saying Ann Pebbles I can Feel the Rain is the best record for two years.
New Sounds to Look Out For The Ojays new single is a track off their latest LP (as are all the new Philly singles) and
is called For the Love of Money. The Intruders - I’ll Always love My Mama (2 Pts)
Trammps new single is a track off the 1970 British Motown company picking the slower track. USA Marvin Gaye scores with his controversial single You Sure Like to Ball taken from the Let’s Get it On album. A new single soaring up the American charts from the M.F.S.B. band on Philly International is called Tsop, taken from the TV series Soul Train. The end five bars feature the 3 Degrees.

LP of the month - too many really to pick one but look out for Blue Magic and import Out Here on my Own Lamont / Dozier. Superb LP’s. Next Billy Paul single The Whole Town’s Talkin’ .
Also check out - Rock me Baby - George Mc Crea / Help Yourself - Undisputed Truth / Dancing Machine - Jackson 5 / I Lied - Bunny Sigler / Mighty Mighty - Earth, Wind and Fire / Be Thankful For What You’ve Got - William Devaaughn / Chameleon - Herbie Hancock / Sagittarius - Eddie Kendicks / If You’re Ready - Staple Singers / Got To Get You Back - Sons of Robin Stone / Pepper Box - The Peppers
See ya soon. Keep the faith right on
Pete Waterman (1974)
DAVE SIMMONS DJ of Radio Ones Saturday soul programme, dedicated last weeks program
exclusively to the Philadelphia Sound, thanks to the efforts of our own Pete Waterman, who has just returned fromt he very place with a hoard of interviews and information about the music. Pete was interviewed throughout the program by Dave and his interviews were also aired. Next issue, providing Pete gets it together, we'll have an article on the Philly sound from the expert!
(Note - this didn't happen, apart from anything else Hobo folded owing to increasing difficulties in affording the cost of printing)
SOUL HOLE ADVERT FOR HOBO (AS SUBMITTED BY PETE)
BLACK MUSIC IS OUR BAG
WHAT’S YOURS
SOUL HOLE RECORDS
UPSTAIRS IN VIRGIN RECORDS
CITY ARCADE
PHONE 58004
ALL TOP 50 SINGLES AND LPS
BEST SINGLES SERVICE IN THIS CITY
SO COME AND SEE US.
Pete Waterman’s Soul Hole Top 14
(First published in Coventry’s Hobo Magazine by Trev Teasdel - Issue no 2 August 1973)
1. Bok to Bach – Father’s Angel
2. Oh Pretty Baby – Al Kent
3. Queen of the Go Go – Rex Garvin
4. Blowing my Mind to Pieces – Bob Ralph
5. This is the House – First Choice
6. What you Gave Up – Continental 4
7. Lets have a Lovin’ – Windgate Strings
8. Queen of Fools – Barbara Mills
9. Times a Wastin’ – Fuller Bros
10. Love on a Mountain Top – Robert Knight
11. Groovin’ at the Go Go – 4 Larks
12. Satisfy me Baby – Sweets
13. Count Down (Here I Come) – Tempos
14. Little Togetherness – Young Hearts
(All of these were imported records not normally available in the UK)
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