The Sharpees - Go On And Laugh / Tired Of Being Lonely [Anorax Records]

Format: 7" limited edition of 500 copies.

There are very special records that achieve mythical status among collectors and vinyl seekers. THE SHARPEES' GO ON AND LAUGH is at the top of that list.

Welcome to the strange world of Northern Soul...

The story began some years ago when legendary British record dealer John Anderson discovered an acetate in Chicago with the title GO ON AND LAUGH scrawled on it, but no artist name.

He sold it to innovative Northern Soul DJ John Vincent, who, when playing it, credited it to THE JUST BROTHERS.

The acetate, by then popular among Rare Soul connoisseurs, returned to John Anderson's hands, who passed it on to Mark Dobson, also known as Butch. His DJ sets around the world made it a dancefloor hit and the subject of much speculation for years regarding the identity of the mysterious artist who had recorded this masterpiece. It was not only an ultra-exclusive rarity, but also the epitome of Nu-Northern Soul cool.

Fast forward to 2016, when American label Secret Stash gained access to over 200 master tapes recorded in the 60s by the Chicago collective ONE-DER-FUL.

They were sent to British soul entrepreneur Mark Bicknell, who, to his astonishment, found GO ON AND LAUGH among the batch. Finally, the mystery was solved: the artist was THE SHARPEES, who, far from being unknown, are well appreciated in soul circles for their beloved singles DO THE 45 and TIRED OF BEING LONELY. Secret Stash quickly released GO ON AND LAUGH in the United States, but demand far outstripped supply, selling out quickly and reaching prices of over £150 per copy.

ANORAX—true to its #eatsleepcollect mantra—has secured the rights and is delighted to release it as a limited edition of 500 copies on a 7” single.

GO ON AND LAUGH is accompanied by the timeless classic TIRED OF BEING LONELY. This release follows ANORAX's previous successes with gems from DRIZABONE, JAY J feat. BIG BROOKLYN RED and DON CARLOS.