One of the exciting things about going to a Northern Soul dance is the participation of the crowd.

Some records just lend themselves to more than just a few steps on the dancefloor and clapping in time to the beat or the break becomes part why that particular record is popular. so much so that many Northern tracks "lose" a certain excitement when played at home even loudly.

Did this clapping start at the Wheel? It was certainly well established by the time of the Torch.

Whats your favourite participation record then?

Epitome of Sound "You dont love me" does it for me, the clapping bit is not so obvious but sounds fantastic echoing around a venue.

Dave Banks

I've said this before but at Yate, Epitome of Sound, and Gene Woodbury, there would be the three quick claps, follwed by another three (echo) and than an almighty one. I've not heard that happen anywhere outside of the West Country when those tunes have been played.

I guess my fave would be an unpopular one. Interplay. Again, some parts of the country used to clap the once. in the West there would be 2 claps.

Also loved the clapping to Wake Up To The Sunshine Girl at the Capitol Soul Club nights. Awesome clappage.

Hi Dave.Im a big fan of clapping.There's been a couple of good threads on here about the subject. Maybe archived now?

Cheesey tune but 'double cooking' always work well for the claps. When I first whent to the wheel revivals in the mid 8ts It really stood out these sharp, loud claps echoing around the painted brick of the, then, place mate 7.

the jewels we got to getherness. 5 or 6 claps in the break.

Holly St James-That's Not Love

Gloria Jones, Jades, and loads more. Bring back the clap I say.

This Beautiful Day..Solomon King/Levi Jackson...Hey hey hey!!!!....xxxxx

I Walked Away...Bobby Paris

Long After Tonight Is All Over

Long live clapping may it never end

Stemmons Express Woman Love Thief at the Casino, now that was clapping.

you lot like some right ole poop

Duke Browner--crying over you

Earl Wright---thumb a ride' nobody claps during the breaks any more.

I thought the taking of drugs was to prevent the clap?

^{andre brasseur the kid ...clap clap clap}

The Outsiders - Lonely Man . The break left room for two massive claps , Whereas The Jewels - WGT break left room for 8.

I can remember a time at St Ives when it was the done thing( amongst us hipsters) to air clap... go through the motions but not actually make any sound...My God we were cool

Time for the arrival of the clap police methinks perhaps it could be mentioned on flyers, clap friendly. Or some forward thinker could start Clap lessons .

Joking apart, 100's of soulies in a venue, clapping in unison sounds Brilliant!!

Barbara McNair - You're gonna love my baby. This record has always been a great one to clap with, it gives the low-level beat a bit more 'bite'.

I think hand-clapping is great, it really adds to the atmosphere. It doesn't seem to be quite as prevalent these days though, maybe because it hurts more after a while as you get older.

Freddie Chavez at the Fleet in 85'..

Ah they don't clap like they used too .

I remember the trinity hall,bristol 1983.clapping to the right track absolutely echoed around

the place.

I remember the trinity hall,bristol 1983.clapping to the right track absolutely echoed around the place.

Was that the one Vince Ayers ran? I think Brian Rae might have been the guest? Cracking venue, but they only held one niter there, that I can remember.

well done, a positive thread!, i was expecting someone moaning about people clapping!

don't forget the smiles its the atmosphere that makes any club.

Whenever I get over to UK and go to an allnighter I automatically go for a big clap at the appropriate moment only to find that usually I'm in a small minority. Then I feel like a bit of a prick as if it went out of fashion ages ago.

At nearly all dos in Australia we clap like 17 year olds.

BTW "clappage" - fantastic term whoever said that.

Cheers

Pete

Clapping is a funny one isn't it, very enjoyable but you really do look and sound like a prick if you get it wrong...hard to make it look like its the person next to you as well...

Pete Smith did some podcasts on tapes from Wigan with some great hand clapping, which some other soul had posted on You tube,

and some nifty Double clapping to footsie and all that..........

https://www.youtube.c...u/0/1XIyl0U0eGI

enjoy.

Mal.C.

Edited November 9, 201113 yr by Mal.C.

Would love to clap but never quite get in the right place and look/feel a total twit!!

you lot like some right ole poop

yes, there's some poop mentioned, though not all is 'excremental'. epitome of sound, stemmons express/precisions, gene woodbury/bernie williams were great records then and now.

Gloria Jones, Jades, and loads more. Bring back the clap I say.

We're a big bunch of clappers in Southampton, always have been, we clap inside hundreds of recordsI I drive my Mrs mad as we are driving up the motorway and I pierce our eardrums with a deafening bullet like special and after a while when she'd met most of my mates she said 'oh my god, you all do it down there!'

Bollocks to the 'gone out of fashion' bullshit...

'They who follow trends and fads can never do great things' JACK KEROUAC

You've either got the 'clap' or you havn't as they say....errrrrr...

Edited November 9, 201113 yr by rich chorley

Would love to clap but never quite get in the right place and look/feel a total twit!!

Refer to the above post preceeding this one...

You either have the clap or you don't...

Trusser from Wolves was "King of the Clap"

Was that the one Vince Ayers ran? I think Brian Rae might have been the guest? Cracking venue, but they only held one niter there, that I can remember.

Yes,i believe they only held one niter there which is a shame but it was a cracking night to remember for a great atmosphere.

I like eating Blue Cheese while listening to Northern, do you think I have a problem ???

I've said this before but at Yate, Epitome of Sound, and Gene Woodbury, there would be the three quick claps, follwed by another three (echo) and than an almighty one. I've not heard that happen anywhere outside of the West Country when those tunes have been played.

I guess my fave would be an unpopular one. Interplay. Again, some parts of the country used to clap the once. in the West there would be 2 claps.

Also loved the clapping to Wake Up To The Sunshine Girl at the Capitol Soul Club nights. Awesome clappage.

Hi Mikey,

I'm pretty sure it was the Stroud Crowd who started that double clapping at Yate. At the time I couldn't get my head round it - probably because I had a Wigan head on - but I'd like to hear it now. Budgie - where's my Yate '78 tape?

Best

x

HI ALL And a big hand for Mr Clap?.There is only a few real great NORTHERN SOUL RECORDS that it does not matter who you are! it's like chocolate irresistible and infectious to doing a double hand clap, Miss LL a massive ALL-NIGHTER HAND CLAPPER DAVE

Pete Smith put a Cleethorpes tape on here with great clapping, especially on Exciters - Reaching For The Best (double clap), which sounded much better with clapping than without.

Alan

Some of my favourite " clappage " over the years !!

Edited November 9, 201113 yr by 123-motown

Have to be the Brothers "Are You Ready For This" for a good old hand clap or Ramsey Lewis "The In Crowd" two infectious tunes that always get me every time out of many others.

Jackie Wilson - Sweetest Feeling gets claps here in NZ

Duke Browner "Crying over you" for me!

got the last night of wigan somwhere the clappage on the tobi legend at the end was immense

Edited November 10, 201113 yr by SONBERT

"clappage" - I love it, a new word has entered the English language.

The Breaks in Johnny Sales Can't Get Enough and Carla Thomas Never Stop Loving You always seem to get the room clapping.

Gloria Jones, Jades, and loads more. Bring back the clap I say.

Unclean...Unclean!!!!..ha ha haaaaa!!!!! :P :P ...Delxxxxxx

you lot like some right ole poop

Some people never miss an opportunity to decry the records played in the past in an attempt to show how upfront they are.

A decent thread with some good contributions, then someone has a pop because others like something they don't.

My eldest daughter was in the car with me, she said to me 'dad i dont mind you singing out loud to your northern soul songs when youre driving, but you frighten me we you do the clapping bit to them!' :ohmy:

Great memories of Crystal Motion - Youre my main squeeze

From the first beat

Bam bam, bam bam, bam bam,, ba ba CLAP CLAP CLAP !!!

Original 64 clapping

You said you liked it when I was dirty. :wicked: :P

Unclean...Unclean!!!!..ha ha haaaaa!!!!! :P :P ...Delxxxxxx

You said you liked it when I was dirty. :wicked: :P

Behave yerself!!!!!!..cya Saturday..got some new choccies nibbles i think yer will enjoy.... ..ha ha haaa...Del...xxxx

Some people never miss an opportunity to decry the records played in the past in an attempt to show how upfront they are.

A decent thread with some good contributions, then someone has a pop because others like something they don't.

nowt to do with upfront.........years ago l had a battered old mini,took us 8 hours to get home from yate once...you could see the road through the floor....used to love that mini,but with time l knew it was a shite car.........thats how it is with tunes back in the day,with time you recognise the shite for what they were and also embrace superb new to you (whilst still loving the best of the back in the day SOUL TUNES )............good soul is always good soul.......and pop shite is just that pop shite....recognise it!!!...and for f**k sake pack up with the clapping.....atb upfront oldies tezza

Are you like this in real life or just on here? To Peggy B

Are you like this in real life or just on here? To Peggy B

Timmy Terrier!!!!!!!!..... PMSL x

Edited November 10, 201113 yr by ritchie

Are you like this in real life or just on here? To Peggy B

just tell it how it is............rather than how plenty would like it to be

Hey Im all for that but you seem so angry and pissed off about it; oh and superior to us mere mortals