100 Club Allnighter

Was an excellent night. Was good to see Joel back behind the decks. Butch's second set was sublime 6t's and just what was needed. Geoff, I'm pretty sure that the track that Soul sam played before the Poets was Jimmy Delphs - Where There Is Love . 

“Barnstorming night by Barnfather and Co.” That's the headline I'd write if I was working on a tabloid newspaper and reviewing last Saturday's allnighter at the 100 Club. A superb night of soul music, mainly of the rare variety but some classics too.

I went up a bit earlier than usual and met friends in the Blue Posts. While waiting at the bar Matt Bolton came in with Soul Sam. Matt popped off, presumably to the gents, so I chatted with Sam, got him a drink and after a few minutes we sat down. We had a long and as far as I was concerned a most interesting and informative conversation. Then we walked around the corner to the club, I carried one of Sam's record boxes and he kindly took me into the club as his guest, that was most decent of him, unexpected too. Thank you.

When we went into the club proper the lights were still on and the guys were doing the sound check. Than Joel started his first set which I'd describe as oldies but not the usual ones, I do remember Cover Girl and I've Only Got Myself To Blame.

Each DJ's set lasted 45 minutes, and Joel was followed by Dave Rippoles, who was on his first guesting at the 100 Club which surprised me. Previously I'd seen Dave DJ at Boomerang, Prestatyn, Barcelona, but had missed his previous visit to London for Masters Of Soul. He opened his set with the Four Dynamics' Things A Lady Ain't Supposed To Do. Much of both his sets were not known to me, nothing new there then, but he played the Hill Sisters' Gonna Get Even in his first set, I've liked that since first hearing it a few years ago.

Butch followed Dave, can't remember what his opening track was but the second one was the great cover up as Chuck Jackson, always gets me, and everyone else dancing. Others played in this set included the Jax Transit Authority, Love's Company, Salvation, Stormy's The Devastator, and Satan Let Me Sleep Tonight. Plenty of others I should remember but as usual my memory has let me down again. Suffice to say I danced a lot so did enjoy them, he ended with the Imperial Wonders' I Love You So.

After his set my memory gets a bit hazy. I think it was Soul Sam next and I do remember that he included Boulevard's I Still Feel The Same towards the end of his set.

Joel returned and continued filling the floor, including Eula Cooper's Let Our Love Grow Higher, Ton Of Dynamite, and the instrumental version of World Of Happiness Bird Walking.

Ady Croasdell had by then turned up after joining in the celebrations of Leicester winning the Premiership. I think he'd had a drink or two and was wearing a Leicester T shirt. He started his set and included Voodoo Mademoiselle, He'll Be Leaving You, I Wanna Be Good To You, Why Can't It Be Tonight, and Can't Shake It, all big favourites of mine, and going by the dance floor of nearly everyone else too.

Mr 100 Club, as Ady should be known, was followed by Soul Sam. His first record was a 70s type tune that I'd heard the previous week at Quality Of Soul, Cliff Steele told me the title but can't think of it now, anyone remember please? Then it was Wrapped Around Your Finger and a bit later Joseph Webster, two of my favourites. I do remember the Zodiacs' Ruff Nut being played at the request of Trickster and The Mark IV's If You Cant Tell Me Something Good About My Baby. A great record but a bit too long for me to dance to nowadays. Sam ended his set with Can't Get Over These Memories.

Then it was the second set by Butch, and it was mainly a 60s extravaganza. Starting off with Mr Soul's What Happened To Yesterday, which has a very recognisable intro, he followed it with Girls Are Against Me by the Utopias, coincidentally I'd played that at home in the morning, off a CD not vinyl I must add. Then it was I Wanna Know by Jean Carter, everyone was up for that one it seemed. A couple of records later he played Diane Lewis' You Ain't Got A Chance, then it was Esther Grant's Let's Make The Most Out Of Love and Ramona Collins' You've Been Cheating. A track he played before the end of this set sounded very familiar with a title like You're Too Good For Me or something similar. Does anyone remember it? I was certainly hot and bothered at the end of this set, had to sit down.

Dave Rippoles then took over for his second and final set again playing upfront records like Gangster Boy, Right On For The Darkness, and Attica Massacre (I was told that Cliff Steele made the trip to the club particularly to hear that one) but also including older favourites like Heartaches And Pain.

For the final half hour Ady did his usual sterling job. Tracks like Never Learned To Dance and Let Me Give You My Loving always keep the floor full, I hope Maxine Brown sings this at Cleethorpes. Don't Bring Me Down and I'll Never Stop Loving You never fail to please and before we knew it Baby I Need Your Loving was on the decks and it was time for a last dance. I've had the records since 1964 and still love it, so many memories, both personal and of nights at the club.

When the lights came up we gathered for the final photo of the hardcore people who stay until the end, more and more in this photo each time. What a great crowd of soul lovers. Then off we went, I was given a lift to King's Cross for which I am most grateful.

The dance floor was very good, in fact I had to be careful early on not to slip over. And it didn't get sticky later on either so well done to whoever cleaned and polished it. Talc was put down but I don't think it was really necessary. There was a good crowd in, some had come quite a distance, e.g. Manchester, and the dance floor was busy nearly all the time. For me it was good to see so many of my friends there, you know who I mean.

I did suffer a bit when I got home though, my back was hurting which affected my legs, had some nasty pains, but how can you not dance when you hear records like I Wanna Know and Wrapped Around Your Finger? The music just gets inside you and it's one of the best feelings in the world, or it is for me, perhaps I'm odd. My apologies to all the DJs for not remembering more of their plays but I did enjoy all the tunes played, blame my memory these days.

Well done to all concerned in organising and running this nighter, it was excellent, thanks to the DJs , it truly was a rare soul bonanza. Keep up the good work.