Just cracked my wife Jacqui up with an impression of the local Top Rank/Crumpets DJ in Reading circa 1975/76, his name was Bobby Gee groomed himself on Noel Edmonds with the tight cut beard etc. it went something like this in the typical Smashie and Nicey style of the day..."This one goes out for all the Northern Soul gang in the top left hand corner before they go off to dance the night away....here's Penny McClean - Lady Bump" lol he then went into his bit of Motown selections, can see them dancing now, mainly tourists at the time who spent five minutes on the scene but they used to hit the dance floor on mass when Bobby Gee did his bit, I bet every town had a Bobby Gee at that time and I bet there is a million and one stories out there.

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

I used to work with a Bobby Gee in Newbury, 1984/85'ish, big gingerish fella, well into his darts at the time, played for the county etc. Is this the same man?

Was screen printing for MEC then, my boss Brian Powers used to go to the Casino on a coach (back in the day) and my mate & fellow apprentice Paul 'Olly' Hyland loved 'that northern soul stuff' too - especially Freda Payne's Band of Gold

'Tis a hotbed of soul

Never bothered with Reading too much then, far too many boneheads to chase us around. Speaking of whiuch Mark, would you know a Vic Hausten, old bonehead from Reading back then?

Edited October 15, 200915 yr by wolfie66

I used to work with a Bobby Gee in Newbury, 1984/85'ish, big gingerish fella, well into his darts at the time, played for the county etc. Is this the same man?

Was screen printing for MEC then, my boss Brian Powers used to go to the Casino on a coach (back in the day) and my mate & fellow apprentice Paul 'Olly' Hyland loved 'that northern soul stuff' too - especially Freda Payne's Band of Gold

'Tis a hotbed of soul

Well he was a slightly built chap back in 75/76 and I suspect Bobby Gee was his stage name but I could be wrong, might be the same guy lol???? I guess the point of this thread is the perception of what Northern Soul was/is to general night club DJ's of the day, pretty sure there will be people on here who worked the general commercial clubs alongside the real deal Northern venues way back.

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

Wasn't only nightclub DJ's mate, that's why I mentioned the Freda Payne; this was always on Radio 1 then, and usually mentioned alongside the phrase 'northern soul'

Gives me the shivers just thinking about it - Baby Love, There's a ghost in my house, The in crowd - all great tracks but ruined forever

Yes Mark, we in Edinburgh were spoilt for choice with dance venues. Youth clubs, discos, and by far the best church halls! The churches in Gorgie and Dalry were especially special places for us. I even have fond memories of the one black glove, i used to wear my mums leather glove as that was all i had!!! I remember one d.j. who was similar to your fellow. He was the only person we knew who had a copy of the Poppies- "pain in my heart" which was massive back then- he ended up giving the record away to a very pretty girl who asked him for it! We were in a state of shock- imagine just handing this special record away!!!

We used to dance next to the punk rockers also, then give them a kicking after the disco... happy days. Top 5 records from the youth club were:

Dobbie Gray- "out on the floor"

Murial day- "nine times out of ten"

"lightening strikes"

"cracking up"

"im on my way"

The kids nowadays dont know their born- the government should be getting the kids of the computer and the streets and get them back dancing, although, admitedly, how do you dance to the garbage in the charts? anyone for Snoop Dog?

I guess the point of this thread is the perception of what Northern Soul was/is to general night club DJ's of the day, pretty sure there will be people on here who worked the general commercial clubs alongside the real deal Northern venues way back.

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

He he...yes, me...I remember being told by one club manager "you'd be a good dj if you stopped playing all that soul stuff" - and here I am still doing it thirty odd years later. Will I never learn?

He he...yes, me...I remember being told by one club manager "you'd be a good dj if you stopped playing all that soul stuff" - and here I am still doing it thirty odd years later. Will I never learn?

Tell me your stage name was not Jerry St.John lol

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

Tell me your stage name was not Jerry St.John lol

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

No way did I have a stage name pop pickers! ...in Cheltenham we liked even our commercial dj's to be down to earth, I well remember one out of towner coming in to cover for one night and wearing tight leather trousers to impress da ladeez - suffice to say he didn't and never came back!

Edited October 15, 200915 yr by Jerry Hipkiss

No way did I have a stage name pop pickers! ...in Cheltenham we liked even our commercial dj's to be down to earth, I well remember one out of towner coming in to cover for one night and wearing tight leather trousers to impress da ladeez - suffice to say he didn't and never came back!

Reckon that was Gerry Henry the other resident DJ at the Reading Top Rank lol now he was weird.

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

One Mecca/Top Rank club dj's most worthy of respect has to be Bob Peacock who plied his trade at the club in Ilford. He was the consummate 'Palais' dj and on one occasion was even voted Mecca dj of the year. He was a genuine soul man although he concealed it pretty well on most Friday and Saturday nights from the late sixties right throughout the seventies. Bob's cv also includes an editorial contribution to Blues & Soul from May 1970 up until September 1971. We became close friends and he could regularly be seen at record fairs all over greater London. I recall one occasion in the seventies when he knocked at my door and I asked if I still wanted his tmg issue of Barbara McNair! I have not seen him for many years now but I hope he's well and still thank him for letting me look through a box of unwanted 70's records he'd kept in a bedroom at his mum's. I've still got most of them, Corey Blake, Vivian Reed, the Topics, J.B. Bingham, Heywood Cash etc etc.

we were spoiled a bit as the local one for us was the Village/hard rock and the Dj was andy peebles.

Mark

In 1972 I ended up in Southampton for six months and worked as a barman at the Top Rank during most of that time. A huge stand alone building with the TR ice rink just over the road.

I don't recall that rare/Northern soul had made it to the south coast by then. If it had our paths didn't cross!!

Sorry if it's a bit cheesy but my abiding memories of that summer are all tied up in one record.

No I'm not really sorry - it's a great song by anyone's definition.

MB

Edited October 15, 200915 yr by MBarrett

a few years later used to dance to this at grab a granny night in pompey

kev

I vaguely remember Andy Peebles doing some Northern Soul Wednesday nights at the Village in Stretford in 74ish:tumbleweed3:

Reckon that was Gerry Henry the other resident DJ at the Reading Top Rank lol now he was weird.

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

Blimey Mark, had forgotten all about Gerry Henry!! All the town pubs had cheesy-named djs - remember Bobby Gee, also Steve Whale? Down the Peacock Sat lunch time before heading off from there about 6pm on coach, minibus, train, hitching etc!!! Happy days pal!!

Al

He he...yes, me...I remember being told by one club manager "you'd be a good dj if you stopped playing all that soul stuff" - and here I am still doing it thirty odd years later. Will I never learn?

I worked for Mecca at Leeds Merrion Centre Locarno in 1970 , but was " released " by the manager for playing " too many " soul and Motown records .

I was told by the manager that he had a bar profit to maintain , and " that sort of music " prevented people from drinking .......

Malc Burton

I was told by the manager that he had a bar profit to maintain , and " that sort of music " prevented people from drinking .......

Malc Burton

Oh yes Malc, I'd almost forgotten that classic line!

In 1972 the Southampton Top Rank opened 4 nights a week - Tuesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday.

They had a house band that played on the "long evenings" - Thursday and Saturday. So only about 50% of the evening was records. I am sure all the band members were technically very competent but they made everything they played sound the same.

On Tuesdays and Fridays they opened later - 9.30 - and it was records only.

But all in all I remember the TR music policy as bland, bland, bland.

MB