Ok, so we know that Kojak ran the first lot of Yate niters, first at the Stars and Stripes/Sterling Suite, later at the Baths, until Spring '77 when Dinks of the Southern Soul Club took over and instigated the glory years....BUT...flipping through some old B & S over the weekend (yeah, sad I know ) I found a half-page ad for the SSC niters at the Stars and Stripes in May '76 - a year before they actually started. Now, due to work etc. I wasn't there at that time, so can anyone tell me if they actually occurred - the billing was Tony Ellis, Shay and friends - or did Dinks come to some arrangement with Kojak?

Hippo.

P.S. Typing this listening to those Yate clips - thanks to Simon T. for a great listen!

Jerry

I'm sure I would have taken legal action if someone had advertised me to dj without actually asking me (hoho) and I've lost my diary for 1976 (it would have made good reading tho), so it must have taken place. Although on the other hand I was a bit out of it sometimes (can't think why though). Agree with you about the lost Yate tapes, they were a lorra fun although I didn't I was such a cockney in those days!

Tony Ellis

Agree with you about the lost Yate tapes, they were a lorra fun although I didn't I was such a cockney in those days!

Tony Ellis

link

Yes, but it's funny how I knew it was your spot on the tape before I heard the voice...must be the fact that "She's just a pretty thing" was playing!

Hippo.

In those day it was common for some promoters to list DJs they had no intention of booking.

Remember giving Clarky a lift to Stroud one snow filled day & he was bemoaning the fact that he was (according to ads placed on B&S and Echoes) supposed to be in 4 other places that night. The promoters hadn't even bothered to contact him.

Col.

In those day it was common for some promoters to list DJs they had no intention of booking.

Remember giving Clarky a lift to Stroud one snow filled day & he was bemoaning the fact that he was (according to ads placed on B&S and Echoes) supposed to be in 4 other places that night. The promoters hadn't even bothered to contact him.

Col.

link

What puzzled me was that Kojak at the time hadn't packed it in - never mind, I'm sure there are more important things to worry about...

Ahhh...Yate in the snow...never seen thunder and lightning during a blizzard before! Having to follow lorry tracks back up the M5, and inevitably losing the silencer on the mound of snow between them...and the time that Pete French had to leave early and had to act as a trailblazer removing fallen branches from the road all the way back to the motorway...great fun

Hippo.

I am pretty certain I have a ticket to the opening night (so I must've gone!!!!!), which I seem to remember was april or may 76. I found this in a pile of stuff a bit back and i actually put a scan on my website. The page is not now 'up' but I will dig it out again to confirm.

I seem to remember attending if not this allnigther but certainly a very early one at the baths, always remember Dave Thorley in a pin stripe suite and trilby hat playing The Pointer Sisters - Send Him Back, i was 16 years old and it must have been one of my first allnighters, as i said on here before there should be some attempt at a Yate one off reunion type thingy, get Tony, Clarky and all the original boys together, now that would be a blast.

Regards - Mark Bicknell

Found th eticket - I'll scan it in somewhere when I've got time -

Southern Soul Club present 1st Allnighter at the Stirling Suite Yate 2am to 9am 4th April 1976

Ok, so we know that Kojak ran the first lot of Yate niters, first at the Stars and Stripes/Sterling Suite, later at the Baths, until Spring '77 when Dinks of the Southern Soul Club took over and instigated the glory years....BUT...flipping through some old B & S over the weekend (yeah, sad I know ) I found a half-page ad for the SSC niters at the Stars and Stripes in May '76 - a year before they actually started. Now, due to work etc. I wasn't there at that time, so can anyone tell me if they actually occurred - the billing was Tony Ellis, Shay and friends - or did Dinks come to some arrangement with Kojak?

Hippo.

P.S. Typing this listening to those Yate clips - thanks to Simon T. for a great listen! 

link

Hippo, Tone & all, if I remember rightly Dinks did the one -off nighter to see if he could get it running better than Kojak. As it was a good night - I think - he then set up the regular nights the following year, we all know the rest of the story, great nights, great Sundays after, till we got barred from every pub in Yate!! Will post up some photos when I can work my scanner. Tony will love them!!

Alan.

I seem to remember attending if not this allnigther but certainly a very early one at the baths, always remember Dave Thorley in a pin stripe suite and trilby hat playing The Pointer Sisters - Send Him Back, i was 16 years old and it must have been one of my first allnighters, as i said on here before there should be some attempt at a Yate one off reunion type thingy, get Tony, Clarky and all the original boys together, now that would be a blast.

Regards - Mark Bicknell

link

You'll have to put Clarky on first, as these days he has to get away early to get the breakfasts sorted.

Col

I seem to remember attending if not this allnigther but certainly a very early one at the baths, always remember Dave Thorley in a pin stripe suite and trilby hat playing The Pointer Sisters - Send Him Back, i was 16 years old and it must have been one of my first allnighters, as i said on here before there should be some attempt at a Yate one off reunion type thingy, get Tony, Clarky and all the original boys together, now that would be a blast.

Regards - Mark Bicknell

link

Mark

A little birdie tells me there could be some kind of reunion in the offing.

Whether Ian Clarke can make it is open to question, but it would be great if he could.

Mark

A little birdie tells me there could be some kind of reunion in the offing.

Whether Ian Clarke can make it is open to question, but it would be great if he could.

link

That would be fantastic but if Ian was not able to attend then i feel there would be no point to the reunion if we wanted the authentic real deal......just a thought and respect to Ian.

Can you imagine if it did come off, it would be a blast and a sell out, Yate was a very important venue yet often gets overlooked for one reason or another.

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

Mark

A little birdie tells me there could be some kind of reunion in the offing.

Whether Ian Clarke can make it is open to question, but it would be great if he could.

link

We shouldnt forget Shay in all of the Yate talk either.................still influential on the South Coast to this day & one of the very first champions of what we now regard as Modern Soul, still DJing still finding tunes. (& refuses to sell them for more than they are worth even when you point out that it had maybe gone for twice as much recently....top bloke).

Russ

Couldn't agree more, Russ

Tony

The nearest to the complete line-up was at Ady Pountain/Dave Greets joint 50th last year - Tony, Greety, Thorley, Shay, Ady P., myself and a few more that are a blur, what a gathering of the great and not-so-good

But when talking of Yate we mustn't forget the "backroom boys" - Ady C., Roger Stewart, Pete Widdison etc. - unsung but made many a contribution to the card school...sorry, overall atmosphere

Hippo.

thumbed a lift there in 1976 early summer i think and it was closed either being refurbed or trouble with the locals not sure.ended up at kojaks botley alldayer next day[sunday]

just to add that it was advertised to be on in blues and soul