Tony Middleton/Chuito "Spanish Maiden" RARE LATIN SOUL

$

285

Please read ALL the details, including bidding, payment, shipping, return and grading policies:

Up for sale is a Tony Middleton / Chuito & The Latin Uniques 45 RPM single.
    A side: Spanish Maiden
    B side: Aqui Llego

RARE single from the early 70's. A "must-have" on most Latin DJ's list...Original label.

You can here it here from on youtube (this is not my recording): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9SVTlws_Is&feature=related

Label/Number: Storm Records SP 1005
Country - US
Condition: VG+  A couple of light paper marks keep this from being M-. Outstanding copy!

Here's some info:

Taken from the liner notes of the reissued LP on Fania:

In the late 60s, Latin New York was dominated by the boogaloo and Latin Soul. From the music’s first flowering with Johnny Colon’s “Boogaloo Blues” and “Joe Cuba’s ‘Bang Bang” it was clear that this sound of the 2nd and 3rd generation New York born children of Puerto Rican immigrants was bringing a new fervour, mixing traditional Latin music with the sounds of the soul music that was in the air of the city. For the next few years, until it was blown away by the juggernaut of salsa this was the sound of Latin New York.

In the wake of its success independent labels and producers dominated the scene. Richard Marin with his production deal with Decca, George Goldner’s Cotique and of course the fledgling Fania Records, a label that would eventually come to dwarf all of the labels. One of the most vital, but smallest was Speed, run by Stan Lewis, with producers Morty Craft and Bobby Marin, the younger brother of Richard. The label released a handful of singles and LPs but the quality was consistently high, and today every release is sought after by collectors. The most in demand of them all is the one that you now hold in your hands, Chuito and the Latin Uniques “From The Street”.

According to Bobby Marin, Jesus ‘Chuito’ Santiago was a kid from ‘Brooklyn or the Bronx’ who had a hip band that Bobby thought would be worth recording. They were in fact similar to scores of other groups on the scene and would have remained so, but for the fact that they got a chance to record. The album mixed up straight Latin cuts such as “Ponte A Sonar” and “Aqui Llegó” with soul cuts, and band originals with specially written tracks by Lewis, Craft and Marin. When the album appeared it came housed in a sleeve showing Chuito looking sharp, smart and cool, standing on a New York street by a manhole cover. However despite the release of the album’s one single on two separate occasions on two separate labels the album disappeared without leaving much of a trace.

In recent years the album has become a sought after item by fans of Latin soul, but it’s initial afterlife came courtesy of that very single. The opening track on the album was called ‘Spanish Maiden’, and was voiced by a singer called Tony Middleton whose voice was a kind of supper club RnB. As Bobby Marin explains it: “I was walking along the street with an engineer friend of mine, explaining to him that I needed a soul singer to sing on a song I was producing. Suddenly he pointed at a guy across the street and said ‘That’s him, Tony should be your singer’, he was standing at the stage exit of a theatre, he was in ‘Hair’ or something’. Middleton sang the song and it was released as a single on both Storm and Speed, the double release presumably because of had some local success. It was also released on a 12 inch single on Disco International in the mid 70s. It was from this release that it was initially picked up by the UK’s northern soul club scene, where Middleton was a cult hero, and it became a dancefloor hit. Middleton would record another single with Marin, the non-album “Return To Spanish Harlem”, also a collector’s item today.

Here's some recent feedback from my customers:
The best transaction I've ever had - great communication - fast - well pkged. A+
item EXACTLY as described , packaged well and shipped quickly !!! Thanks !!
Perfect!! Nice item, fast shipping, good communication. Thanks!!
Excellent transaction! Accurate grading,great packing.Quick,low cost shipper too.
As described and sturdy packing - worth the price - thank you !!!
Item better than described, excellent seller. A++
Record is in great condition and plays perfect! Packed very well! Thanks!
Perfect business transaction. Fast Shipper. Would buy again from Seller.
Excellent seller. Prompt answer, fast delivery, items received as advertised.
Recommended eBay seller/Accurate grading/Solid packaging/Thank you
Rec'vd record today.WOW mint condition as described, Speedy transaction:)Thanks
Great Record! Accurately graded!!! Thank you very much!!!!!!!+++++++++++++++++++
perfect transaction ,an expert in grading! Thanks very much!
Wow! Record in mint cond. Very safely packed. Excellent Seller. Will buy again!
Great seller. Just as described and shipped promptly. Packed very well. Thanks
AS Advertised. TOP Condition. SAFE & SPEEDY Shipping. THANKS ! ! !

BIDDING:
Unfortunately, I have had non-payers so IF YOUR FEEDBACK SCORE IS ZERO, I WILL CANCEL YOUR BID - DO NOT BID IF YOU DO NOT HAVE ANY FEEDBACK.

PAYMENT:
PayPal only, please. NO CHECKS!  PAYMENT IS DUE WITHIN 7 DAYS OF THE AUCTION END. IF PAYMENT IS NOT RECEIVED WITHIN 7 DAYS,  I WILL RE-INVOICE YOU  ONCE,  WAIT 24 HOURS AND THEN FILE A NON-PAYMENT DISPUTE.

SHIPPING:
Your product will be packed appropriately. 45's are sleeved, wrapped in bubble wrap and shipped in a pizza box-style mailer. Check my feedback - I have lots of happy customers!

In the US, ONE SINGLE will ship FIRST CLASS MAIL.  I will combine multiple purchases and provide the cheapest cost based on weight and delivery location. DELIVERY CONFIRMATION IS INCLUDED IN SHIPPING RATE. 

INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS:  SORRY, BUT INSURANCE IS NOT AVAILABLE FOR INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS WITHOUT A BIG INCREASE IN SHIPPING COSTS. I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR NON-DELIVERY OF UNINSURED ITEMS. 

SHIPMENTS TO ITALY ARE NOT GUARANTEED. ONCE I SHIP IT TO ITALY, IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. 

RETURNS:
Records are visually graded unless noted. I have graded conservatively.  I guarantee what I sell to be as described. Any returns must be approved before shipping and must be returned within 14 days of approval. ITEMS DAMAGED IN SHIPPING ARE NOT GUARANTEED - YOU MUST BUY INSURANCE TO PROTECT YOUR ITEM FROM THE POSTAL GORILLAS.

IF YOU HAVE AN ITEM DAMAGED IN SHIPPING, YOU MUST SAVE THE ORIGINAL PACKING MATERIALS AND THEN CONTACT ME IMMEDIATELY.

GRADING GUIDELINES:

Mint (M): Absolutely perfect in every way - certainly never played, possibly even still sealed. (More on still sealed below). Should be used sparingly as a grade, if at all.

Near Mint (NM or M-): A nearly perfect record. Many dealers won't give a grade higher than this implying (perhaps correctly) that no record is ever truly perfect. The record shows no obvious sign of wear. A 45 rpm sleeve has no more than the most minor defects, such as almost invisible ring wear or other signs of slight handling.
An LP jacket has no creases, folds, seam splits or any other noticeable similar defect. No cut-out holes, either. And of course, the same is true of any other inserts, such as posters, lyric sleeves, and the like. Basically, Near Mint looks as if you just got it home from a new record store and removed the shrink wrap.

Very Good Plus (VG+): Shows some signs that it was played and otherwise handled by a previous owner who took good care of it. Record surfaces may show some slight signs of wear and may have slight scuffs or very light scratches that don't affect one's listening experience. Slight warps that do not affect the sign are OK.
The label may have some ring wear or discoloration, but is should be barely noticeable. The center hole is not misshapen by repeated play. Picture sleeves and LP inner sleeves will have some slight wear, lightly turn-up corners, or a slight seam-split. An LP jacket my have slight signs of wear also and may be marred by a cut-out hole, indentation or corner indicating it was taken out of print and sold at a discount.
In general, if not for a couple of minor things wrong with it, this would be Near Mint. All but the most mint-crazy collectors will find a Very Good Plus record highly acceptable.

Very Good (VG): Many of the defects found in a VG+ record are more pronounced in a VG disc. Surface noise is evident upon playing, especially in soft passages and during the song's intro and fade, but will not overpower the music otherwise. Groove wear will start to be noticeable, as will light scratches (deep enough to feel with a fingernail) that will affect the sound.
Labels may be marred by writing, or have tape or stickers (or their residue) attached. The same will be true of picture sleeves or LP covers. However, it will not have all of these problems at the same time, only two or three of them.

Good (G), Good Plus (G+): Good does not mean bad! A record in Good or Good Plus condition can be put onto a turntable and will play through without skipping. But it will have significant surface noise and scratches and visible groove wear.
A jacket or sleeve has seem splits, especially at the bottom or on the spine. Tape, writing, ring wear or other defects will start to overwhelm the object. If it's a common item, you'll probably find another copy in better shape eventually. Pass it up. But if it's something you have been seeking for years, and the price is right, get it.

Poor (P), Fair (F): The record is cracked, badly warped, and won't play through without skipping or repeating. The picture sleeve is water damaged, split on all three seams and heavily marred by wear and/or writing. The LP jacket barely keeps the LP inside it. Inner sleeves are fully seam split, and written upon.
Except for impossibly rare records otherwise unattainable, records in this condition should be bought or sold for no more than a few cents each.

Still Sealed (SS) : Let the buyer beware, unless it's a U.S. pressing from the last 10-15 years or so. It's too easy to reseal on. Yes, some legitimately never-opened LPs from the 1960s still exist. But if you're looking for a specific pressing, the only way you can know for sure is to open the record. Also, European imports are not factory-sealed, so if you see them advertised as sealed, someone other than the manufacturer sealed them.