Boomerang@thorne ...a Soul Sam Summer Special

[Maria O]

A note from the man himself:

Thanks to everyone who came last night and made it a great occasion. Thanks for all the cards and presents - some of which are not yet opened. A great way to celebrate 40 plus years on the soul scene.

Remember: it's the music and the people who are important

- Soul Sam -

For those who wish to see Sam play later today, he's DJing in the Doncaster area, the details of which were posted by Andy Dyson and copied here:

" there's a afternoon session on sunday with myself ,soul sam,cliff steele and speedy at the lord conyers pub ,conisbrough,dn12 3Lz. (only a short drive from thorne)starts at 4pm thru till late,upfront music all the way,all welcome and free entry,food ,reasonable bar and rooms for the nite..if sam can do it so can you ! see you all tonite.thanks A.d"

Click here for <MAP>

Soul Sam is loving all his birthday parties, which started last week thanks to SamE & Andy. Last night at Boomerang was only number two in the series and we wish to send our thanks to everyone who helped make it special.

Hopefully everyone will get a chance to see Sam this month.

On Saturday 20th August, Sam is celebrating at the venue which he runs with Brian in Broughton (near Chester). Details are posted on Soul Source in the Events section.

m

[Julie Moore]

We had a ball Great venue, great company

You, Karen & co should be very proud of yourselves

Julie & Kev xx

[Chalky]

Brilliant night and a great celebration for one of the scenes greats.

Music outstanding from all the jocks but Butch for me showed why he is top dog once more. His first set, I was knackered keep going to the decks to have a butchers. The acetate version of Man Of Value, very good and the Joe Adams "Stop" on acetate was fantastic!!

Well done Maria, Karen and all involved for another top night, especially with all the headaches of the flood and finding such a great venue so close at such short notice. Looking forward to the next one already...hope they have some Great Heck though behind the bar at the soon to be refurbished Tavern!!

[Steve G]

Excellent night, great crowd, fabulous music and Sam obviously enjoying himself very muchly. Think I might have had a bit too much to drink

Thanks to Maria & Karen for doing the occasion proud.

[Len]

What a great tribute to a man that so deserves it. As everyone knows, Soul Sam is so unassuming - He just does what he loves doing and we all get the benefit of his ‘Hobby’

The first time I heard of Sam was way back when I was still trying to work out what ‘Northern Soul’ was (Yes I know, still trying!) contemporaneously dropping out of the Mod Scene. I got given The Destiny Album called ‘The Record Collector’ (The cover has a picture of a Record Dealer in a Cellar with Dollar signs on the walls) Anyway, I read about him on the track listings. I remember being intrigued as they stated who played what record first and (if my memory serves me right) at what venue, Nev Wherry (R.I.P) was also mentioned (As was others) On a personal level, I am genuinely honoured to have got to know Sam over the years and to be at his

70^th Birthday Party was just amazing for me.

Our gang really enjoyed ourselves, the music was fantastic all day. We also thoroughly enjoyed dancing to Sam’s final set, apologies if I bumped into anyone on the boards (We did get there at 4.22p.m, so glad we were all still standing let alone dancing!)

Thanks to Karen, Maria and everyone else involved, I can’t begin to imagine how stressful last week must have been (I won’t even try or I would actually implode) - Great ‘Scrat’ by the way - mmm ‘Pie ‘n’ Peas’… :O)

All the best,

Len - (At 40 years old, still ‘Starry Eyed’ - But hey, I like it this way ;O))

P.S - Gawd knows why I took a camera after moaning about camera’s on two occasions previously!…It’s now safely back in the second drawer - I got the ‘Shot’ I wanted - One of me and Sam for my record room! :O)

P.S - Roll on Sam’s 80^th!…

Edited August 14, 2011 by LEN

[Scotters]

Blimey..what a night that was! Thanks so much.

Despite being "designated driver", it's fair to say I was giddy from the music since arriving (4.23 I think it was Len!) rather than from any alcoholic related assistance.

Such an amazing range of records played, lots of which I'd never heard but which I absolutely loved listening and dancing to, all played alongside some well known / accessible floor fillers....which is exactly how a soul night should be I think.

Having only started going out to various soul nights across the country this year (a life-long soul listener but a VERY late starter in terms of going to any events!) I was well and truly blown away for over several hours at this one. I was confidently told I would be on the way up!

Sam is clearly a living legend whom I've read about over many years, but this was perhaps only the 3rd time I've witnessed him playing records, with the whole room truly entertained throughout the afternoon and evening.

A great little venue and well done Karen / Maria under what must have been a very stressful situation so close to the event. The odd electrical hiccup aside, I thought the sound was of amazing quality. it was very good to meet you both.

I look forward to attending all future Boomerang nights where I can, and in the meantime I raise a glass (actually, a cup of tea as it's 11am!) and wish you many happy returns Sam.....I hope we can all enjoy many more years of your insight, entertainment and enthusiasm. Cheers.

All the best, Steve

[Bearsoul]

Brilliant night and a great celebration for one of the scenes greats.

Music outstanding from all the jocks but Butch for me showed why he is top dog once more. His first set, I was knackered keep going to the decks to have a butchers. The acetate version of Man Of Value, very good and the Joe Adams "Stop" on acetate was fantastic!!

Well done Maria, Karen and all involved for another top night, especially with all the headaches of the flood and finding such a great venue so close at such short notice. Looking forward to the next one already...hope they have some Great Heck though behind the bar at the soon to be refurbished Tavern!!

Totally agree on that first set !!!!!!!!! Brilliant day n night, Top Company , Wonderfull Occasion .....Sam your a Star and a Top Bloke (Stretford Lad too) . Take a huge bow Maria & Karen !!! Really missed Thorne hopefully be back very soon!

Chris & Carlos

[Guest Brian Ellis]

Glad everything went well Maria - sure the man had a ball.

If anyone wants to drop a birthday message for Sam, which I'm in the process of collecting and incorporating into a mega message/birthday card to be presented to him on Saturday night, please feel free to PM me with your message or add it to the thread in the Members section of the site.

Only a few days left to leave your own personal message to Sam - please append your name so Sam knows who it's from.

Cheers

Brian

PS - Maria, thanks for what you laid on for him last Saturday (also to Sam E for the same the week before) - what a memorable month for him....... to be continued at Broughton on Saturday coming.

[Geoff]

I guess there were loads of people looking forward to Soul Sam's birthday celebration at Thorne on 13 August. And I'm sure it lived up to their expectations.

Having read on Soul Source about the change of venue and all I can say is "hats off" to Karen and Maria and the Canal Tavern staff who helped to sort out a very difficult situation. The replacement venue was great, good slidey dance floor and cheaper drinks.

I left home at about 10.40 to walk up to my local train station to make my way to Welwyn Garden City where I was meeting Rbman to commence the drive up to Thorne. On arrival at WGC I met up with the two ladies that Maria had asked Martin to give a lift to. We strolled round to the car park where Martin was waiting and off we went. The drive up there via the A1M took roughly two and three quarter hours, just one hold up in a traffic queue for which there was no apparent reason.

After we had arrived at the guest house we normally stay in at and were shown to our respective rooms, I popped out and got a couple of hot pasties, we were a bit peckish by this time.

Our lady passengers were ready so we then strolled to the new venue, The Coronation Private Members Club, about 15 minutes walk and arrived there at about 3.50 pm. On entering the bar we met Arthur Fenn who kindly bought us all a drink After sitting and chatting for a few minutes we went into the function room. In exchange for our tickets we were given a wrist band, "I love Soul Sam" on it. There were two birthday cakes on display, both baked and decorated by the girlfriend of Arthur's son. I do hope some pictures of it are posted, it was great with a model of Sam behind the decks on the top. There were also pictures of Sam in younger years scattered around.

Martin and I requisitioned a table, dropped off our jackets and niter bag, and strolled around and chatted to the early arrivals. While all this was going on Soul Sam was doing his first set. He played some lovely Crossover tunes, don't think I'd heard any before, they were all ones you could dance to, not like some of the two step stuff I've heard lately.

Maria was next on the decks, some nice tunes but I was busy drinking and chatting so can't remember what was played. Then Arthur took over, he played quite a lot of Modern Soul (70s/80s), a little similar to his afternoon sets in the Modern room at Cleethorpes. I went up and made a couple of requests, I'm Sure and Gotta Get Even. Next thing I'm Sure came on and I had to dance to it. Just a little later he slipped on Ruby's Feminine Ingenuity, don't know if he played it for me, but he knows it's one of my favourites. I just love dancing to that one.

We had been pondering what to do about eating, the Canal Tavern dinners are one of the highlights of our trips up to Boomerang, good food and plenty of banter, but it would have taken about 25 minutes to walk to it. The two Boomerang Babes (Maria will just love that expression!) had thought of this, and had arranged a buffet from the Canal Tavern. That was such a thoughtful thing to do, I'm sure everyone there was very happy with that. Lovely small Yorkshire Puds filled with meat, a meat pie, chips and mushy peas, plus pork pies, sausage rolls, etc. Thank you Karen and Maria, that was great.

The next DJ up was Butch, and he played an entire set of Crossover. I've never heard him play this type of Soul before, an eye opener. Some great tunes, I knew Eddie Whitehead's Just Your Fool, and one other that I danced to, but don't know title or artiste, all the rest unknown to me. An ear opener for someone like me who's only heard his sets at the 100 Club, Lifeline, previous Boomerangs and other primarily dance focussed nights.

Then Maria took over, playing records like Betty Wilson's I'm Yours, Hamilton Movement's She's Gone, Karmello Brooks' Tell Me Baby and Third Eye by the Universal Cosmos Band and She Went Away by Natural Impulse.

She did an hour's set and was followed by Arthur who opened up with Jesse James' Are You Gonna Leave Me. Later in his set he did play my request for Faye Hill's Gonna Get Even but I was by the bar talking to one of my friends whom I only see at Boomerang and so missed dancing to it, apologies to Arthur.

Arthur did an hour and then Butch came on for his second set, opening with the record I'd requested him to play, Shake Sheri by the Hopkins Brothers, the first time I'd actually heard it in a club. Great dance record I think. As usual he kept the dance floor full playing a great set including My Salvation (Cressida Watson), Don't Bring Back Memories (Tommy Knight) and The Hurting Is Over (Arthur Willis). His set was roughly an hour and a half.

As Butch said "the lad himself" came on for the last hour and half or so. Sam was in great form playing loads of his favourites from the sixties up to now. He included Joseph Webster, Mixed Feelings, Tiarras, Margaret Little, Jackie Wilson's I Only Get This Feeling, UBP's We Are One, Modern Soul classics like Beres Hammond's Do This World A Favour and Tolbert's I've Got It. He went back to the latter days of the Wigan Casino with Z.Z. & Company's Getting Ready For The Get Down and Al Williams' I Am Nothing. Also he played Mark IV's If You Can't Tell Me Something Good, which I think he said was his favourite record. I Need You by King George is one of his recent purchases and he played that to a full dance floor. He finally finished at about 1.15 am to applause.

It certainly looked as if he'd thoroughly enjoyed the whole afternoon and evening, a great tribute to one of the soul scene's best and most innovative DJs, and also a very nice guy. Long may he continue.

We made our way back to our guest house and I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. Next thing it was almost time to get up. After showering and dressing we had breakfast and then we were on our way home. A fairly uneventful journey to Welwyn Garden City, no real hold ups, then got the train home.

It was a great soul night, nice to see friends, some of whom I don't see that often. The music was top class, and there was the usual friendly atmosphere that is a Boomerang trademark. My thanks go out to the DJs, the staff from the Canal Tavern who did a tremendous job behind the bar, Martin for doing the driving (cheers mate), and to Karen and Maria for organising a very memorable event.

[Maria O]

There were two birthday cakes on display, both baked and decorated by the girlfriend of Arthur's son. I do hope some pictures of it are posted, it was great with a model of Sam behind the decks on the top.

Karen and I have seen some of Jodie's amazing work before and so we commissioned her especially for this cake. She delivered every detail exactly as we requested, down to the tiny record box, decks, individual wood panel flooring and Sam's clothing and gesture . Some of the many photos taken of the cake are below, these are by Mick Cooper and Etsu.

We are collecting photos of the night and plan to start updating the Boomerang website / Facebook group next week with any provided. Forgot to ask Butch for his playlist yet, so will also post up at least three playlists next week > Sam wrote his out in his best handwriting on Sunday!

I am currently distracted with a deadline, so please forgive me if I miss anyone right now. Karen may wish to add to this when she gets a chance, but I need to thank a few people for their help :

Canal Tavern who provided decorating help and extra food on the day at no extra cost (plus for everything they did beforehand), guest DJ's Butch and Arthur and off course young Sam (each of them helped out on the day as well as playing their Boomerang sounds), Pete (helps us both more than anyone else, but especially for giving up hours of valuable bar time distracting Sam elsewhere before the start, just to work on the venue), Graham & Julie (for leaping into action when required), Clare and Malayka (for honouring our request that they present the cake and for the extra's brought), Nicola (for buying cameras we needed desperately) and for my partner Karen for putting up with me and for finally getting on the stage with a mic after years of begging (I thought I was dreaming!).

We know there are lots of others who did special things on the night and to them and for everyone who made Sam so happy, please accept our thanks on his behalf. He really was overjoyed to see you all there and mentioned this again in a call earlier this week.

I think the birthday parties are overwhealming him and he finally realises why we wanted more than one party to celebrate this man's special birthday > it's because we all love Soul Sam!

m

ps. As always, please give Karen or I your Boomerang feedback - whether here, elsewhere or face-to-face. We cannot please everyone and karma sometimes works against us (like that powerboard tripping out), but we seriously do appreciate all comments and consider everything in lengthy detailed discussions ...as only we can .

Edited August 18, 2011 by Maria O

[Guest karen b]

"lengthy detailed discussions"...........................oh my!

After a week of good intentions of doing all my usual 'thanks' lookback, I have been distracted by work evey time I have opened the

laptop.!

And this morning is no different...............................

to be continued........................................................................

Karen x

Edited August 19, 2011 by karen b