Nobody can select like Richie Clarke . okay . so that's a bit of an exaggeration. But really, there are very few selectors who have the experience, the knowledge, the dexterity on the turntables, and the vast collection of records - both albums and 45s - that Richie Clarke has.

An ace selector and avid vintage record collector, Clarke has been spinning discs since 1970, when he controlled the then popular New World Sounds. It was an exciting period, and, as he recalls, "the sound gained popularity so rapidly, that it eventually caused its demise".

According to Clarke, New World was contracted to play all over at various venues, but there was one date in particular that they just couldn't meet, and that, Clarke explained, was the beginning of the end. This resulted in the selectors getting death threats. So, shortly after, he and his partner officially disbanded New World Sound and went their separate ways.

Clarke, who is now a part-time disc jock with Kool FM - and also occupies the Tuesday and Friday slots at the Deck - has been in radio since the days of reel-to-reel. "My friend Arnold Wedderburn had a contract with JBC FM and we used to provide a lot of the programming for the station. Those days, FM was a bit more laid-back than it is now," Clarke recalled, with a hint of nostalgia.

Those days, he also played at the very popular Tropics Club, where he was rated among the best.

Surprisingly, during the 80s he took a hiatus, but by the start of the new decade, Richie Clarke was back where he truly belonged, behind a turntable. It was at this time that he started hanging out at Woodbury Inn on East Road and his passion for collecting vintage records was ignited. A former first- place winner of the Appleton Vintage Collectors' Spin, Clarke has an impressive collection of vintage classics of all genres.

"I have about 4000 45s and the same number of LPs," he told the Observer, adding that he was working on putting together a CD collection.

Clarke will be one of the selectors at the highly-touted, pre-Mother's Day dance party billed Collectors Spin, Selectors Swing set for the Deck on Sunday.

The event is a feature of the Vinyl Record Collectors Association Jamaican Chapter (VRCAJ) in association with Louis Owens, Donald 'Pinchie' Campbell, Phillip Howell, Kirk Douglas, Lanny Walters and KOOL 97FM.

Among the other master selectors will be Errol (from the Rock Club), Peter Phillips (Kool 97FM) and Tony Owens (RJR 94FM) with guest selectors Louis Owens and 'Pinchie' whetting the musical appetite from 6:00 - 8:00pm.

Clarke, who will be playing on the selectors' side - "Selectors play party music, while collectors play rare music," he explained - promises that on Sunday "everybody's musical appetite will be satisfied."

Anita Baker gives the best she's got at St Lucia Jazz Fest

VP Records scoops up Mighty's Cornerstone

Two more parish queens crowned