Oracle – The Full Story

This is an article about the Oracle Flying company run by one of the rave scenes faces Ralph. It details some of the history behind the company its high point and low points during 92-93. Flying companies were one of the main ways the scene expanded nationwide and promoters were able to get their flyers into the hands of people. This article was done by Eternity who were good friends with Ralph at the time:

Outrage as the country’s leading promotion company becomes victim to vicious rumour. We give you the exclusive truth behind the company that are perhaps not such a fake after all.

Why the hell are they doing an article on a flying company?

You may ask yourselves, and yes normally we would agree, how boring. This however, is more than an excuse just to fill space. There has been internal problems within Oracle for some time now, and plenty has been rumoured around the scene, well out of order. Recently the company that Ralf E P thought he was the director of, went into liquidation. This article has been written to ensure that people realise the operation he is now running, is nothing to do with Camey and Sarah. Read on to learn more about the troubles that have faced Ralf since he began, and how he nearly lost everything he has worked for.

Back in 1990 Ralf Purcell, better know to many as Ralf EP, was helping to set up the flying network for Kinetic, with a guy called Erol. Although things were going well, Ralf decided to leave his post as co-ordinator and agent for the West Midlands, and pursue his hobby as a driving instructor. Ralf handed over responsibility to his then, right hand man, Julian, who now runs Club Kinetic at Stoke. Shortly after Ralf left Erol, took on Julian to work full time in the office, but that’s all another story.

The expertise that Ralf had gained through his military experience included administrative skills, his musical entertainment qualities, can also be associated to his part from arranging balls and then he obviously gained a large deal of experience whilst working with Errol at Kinetic.

After pursuing his driving hobby for a while, he decided to go back and work for Errol at Kinetic as an agent. Later it transpired that the Kinetic network had fallen down, Julian asked Ralf if he wanted his areas back.

After consideration he decided that he would like to take it back on and after phoning every one involved, successfully managed to get a team back together, this was around August 1992.

Around the time all this was being set up, Ralf received a call from some one called Kim, an agent and co-ordinator for Oracle down near Slough.

The agents around London orbital, had decided to stay with Kim and remain loyal, so Ralf simply bowed to their loyalty to her. Later Kim approached Ralf and told him she had 2 good friends who had an idea. They considered an idea where Ralf, along with his people in the Midlands and North, Kim with hers, would join with her 2 friends Camey and Sarah who run South Coast Connection. They would run from one HQ and the company would be called Oracle, they met at Ralf’s in Birmingham to discuss business and sort things out.

The four sat round a table and discussed how it would be done and who would be responsible for what. After another meeting in Bournemouth they registered, they traded as a company and started trading as Oracle.

Things continued and to Ralf, seemed to be going well. Until he received a call from Kim, who was complaining that Camey and Sarah were operating in an unprofessional manner not at all the professional set up at Kinetic. Ralf thought they were simply naïve in running a business and thought with help it would work, but Kim thought not, so pulled out with her agents.

Now that Kim had left, there was no longer a four way split, so the company had a share, Ralf, Camey and Sarah, all three company directors. Ralf points out that he never did take anything out of the company, all he did was plough money and effort in. The next thing to happen was Camey and Sarah introduced an accountant to the company. It was thought, if he became more closely involved, they would cut down some of the costs.

All was going well, as far as Ralf thought, until a meeting with Camey and Sarah. They expressed that it was too much work and there were a lot of problems with the, what was, Kinetic Agents, which Ralf had brought to Oracle. Camey and Sarah turned round and said they wanted the Oracle name and Ralf obviously said NO! He pointed out that he had put in just as much work, probably more, if the truth be known. Ralf was a director and has as much of the company as any one else. After discussion, they decided to agree that the country would be split. A line was drawn just above Oxford, and the name of Ralf’s operation was slightly changed so they could distinguish themselves.

Ralf continued with his business, he had a much more positive attitude, now he was on his own, although by rights, both parties were still part of the same company. Ralf did a lot of work and was always praised but he started receiving phone calls of complaint, about Camey and Sarah, people never being able to get through. “It was embarrassing,” says Ralf. He realised that Kim has been right, they didn’t have a clue. He knew he had to continue with a positive attitude, and hoped it would shake off some of the negative attitude toward Oracle, still at this stage Ralf was obtaining work for Oracle and informing the girls.

After securing a deal with Dreamscape for Woodstock 2, Ralf was accused of under cutting, Camey and Sarah were used to getting more money than Ralf thought. All the time Ralf had been under the impression a certain amount of money had been going in to the company. He tells us, “it was now in doubt.” After verbal abuse from the girls he received a fax stating he was no longer part of Oracle and if he continued to use the name Oracle, they would take legal action, but he was a director, or so he thought.

Next, Camey and Sarah informed Ralf that he was not a director, which was incorrect, or so Ralf thought. He had signed all the paper work which had been previously sent to Camey and Sarah, but on checking with Companies House it seems that they had never been in the papers. Ralf realised that he had been rather foolish in sending them to Camey and Sarah, but what the hell could he do now?

Ralf tells us, “It seems Camey and Sarah had simply took my knowledge, squeezed it out of me and threw me out,” and because Ralf had been naïve and trusting, he had let it happen to him.

Ralf with positive attitude soldiered on, and registered a new company called Oracle Promotions Nationwide (UK) Limited, of which he’s the only director. He lost a lot of money but had learned a lot, and at least he still had his agents, who were loyal and knew what he was like.

Since all this happened, Ralf has received nothing but threats and bad mouth from the other party, but now is the time for all this to come to light. His business is doing well and going from strength to strength.

Ralf comments “Being deceitful doesn’t pay, those who are bad people have bad things happen to them.”

Camey and Sarah carried on but have recently gone in to receivership, things have now turned round, not only has Ralf saved money by not taking them to court, he also will be nothing to do with the companies liability – don’t forget Camey and Sarah were right, he wasn’t a director after all.

Ralf continues to build up his business. His employees are soon to be given shares in the company and they all receive a full company portfolio. Ralf knows communication is always paramount. He is quite right that “What comes round, comes back round.” If you’re hones and nice to people then you get the same back. Ralf’s initials are REP and his reliability, efficiency and professionalism reflect this.

Ralf would like to say, thank you to all the people who had belief and faith in him, when the things that have been said by Camey and Sarah were unfounded. “I’m in it for the right reasons, the music, the scene and all the people.” It seems Camey and Sarah couldn’t run a business, let’s face it they couldn’t run a bath.

Respect to Ralf and the Oracle crew, the promotion is in the proof of the party.