Used To Be Cool, Now Crap

[Tezza]

There ain't one there I don't like. Don't understand today's pooh-poohing of intsrumentals. They remind of the way we were.

Should be a rule of DJing. Put an Instrumental on at least 3 times in a set. There are enough out there to play a full set of shear quality 3 or 4 an hour isn't too much to ask is it ??

[Jaco]

Yeah Willie Mitchell

Bari Track

Exus Trek

Ton Of Dynamite

Do the pearl girl

Don't Pretend

Same old thing

Cigarette ashes

The gallop

Right On

FRANTIC ESCAPE!

For those that don't like instrumentals it's normally because of a perceived lack of soul via the absence of vocals but to me the very best instrumentals including most of these listed, it's all about atmosphere and the creation of that unique sound that underpins most dance sounds.

They may be unfashionable now but we cannot deny the place they hold in the scene overall.

[Sheldonsoul]

Talking of instrumentals used think Harley hatcher soul hustler(discotheque alibi ) was awesome pounding out the Wigan speakers, listened to it just on you tube and its still awesome !!

[Autumnstoned]

Two great Earl Van Dyke instrumentals missing from Pete's list - 6x6 and All For You. Booker T still making great instrumentals.

Edited December 10, 2012 by autumnstoned

[Guest MrC]

Two great Earl Van Dyke instrumentals missing from Pete's list - 6x6 and All For You. Booker T still making great insrumentals.

Think Pete was listing the good ones.... I did notice there was no:

Coloured Man

Theme from the Fantastic Plastic Machine

or Joe 90 on his list!

BUT there was no Peter Hamilton 'Hey Girl' either.....

AND I used to love Phil Coulter 'A good thing going' in that big main room, always packed the floor, not many would give it the time of day now, I still think it sounds great!

[Jem Britttin]

Love Instrumentals always have..wether fashionable or not, I personally think in some cases the backing track sometimes carries a poor vocal either way essential part of any record personally. I prefer the instrumental of Betty Boo and Ronnie Mcneir Sitting in my class the latter I think is just to cute! both have great Detroit arrangements though a pleasure to listen to in their own right.

On topic "Used to be cool" distinctly rememember this being a monster tune in its day, still have a tape i recorded at Wirrina Allnighter circa 1978 with people (including me) chanting ESPERANTO! when the record pauses two thirds the way through I played it as end record at last Soul in Bowl...cleared the floor ah well you gotta try, havent given up gonna try Harry Betts, Fantastic Plastic Machine next time.........Cheese is the new cooool !

[macca]

Davis & Tyler. Cool, very cool Northern Soul back then. Great NOLA label too. Who cares if people turn their noses up? :-)

[The Tempest]

Edited December 10, 2012 by 123-motown

[jkidd]

not to keen on instrumentals but the detroit strings "in the pocket" is a belter.

[Jem Britttin]

Fantastic LOVE IT!! played to a full dance floor at a packed allnighter with all the claps in time ...back in the day ...my youth and proud of it .

Edited December 10, 2012 by GOGOPRO

[Jem Britttin]

And another one for the "dancers" not neccessarily the collectors

[Northernjordan]

I think a few select instrumentals can help underpin a set and help change direction...

A personal favourite.

[Jem Britttin]

I think a few select instrumentals can help underpin a set and help change direction...

A personal favourite.

Was this more of a Mod tune ? like it a lot, but not one i remember hearing much on the Northern scene but then i dint really get into it till late 70s

Edited December 10, 2012 by GOGOPRO

[Ian Parker]

On topic "Used to be cool" distinctly rememember this being a monster tune in its day, still have a tape i recorded at Wirrina Allnighter circa 1978 with people (including me) chanting ESPERANTO! when the record pauses two thirds the way through I played it as end record at last Soul in Bowl...cleared the floor ah well you gotta try, havent given up gonna try Harry Betts, Fantastic Plastic Machine next time.........Cheese is the new cooool !

This is what I find fascinating about the NS scene. One mans meat etc. I played Esperanto to an appreciative audience a little while ago, but at he soul bowl it cleared the floor ?? Yet Interplay gets a spin and folk go in a frenzy ! What makes Derek and Ray more soulful than The Grand piano company? Dunno myself, but one is hammered, the other ain't.

Mind you, California montage is an instr to behold, now that oozes soul, lovely.

As for cool ? little Lisa, Hang on Bill was a big tune many moons ago, but I doubt it would fill a floor nowadays!

Great thread, enjoying the input

[macca]

Cool then and now and bugger the naysayers. The video collage ain't bad either. ;-)

https://youtu.be/_yHLzDwEfTY

[Pete S]

And another one for the "dancers" not neccessarily the collectors

Baja Marimba Band - that is FANTASTIC.

As for my list above - it wasn't meant to be definitive, I was just chucking out some good titles off the top of my head.

[Len]

Was this more of a Mod tune ? like it a lot, but not one i remember hearing much on the Northern scene but then i dint really get into it till late 70s

Yes, very big on the Mod Scene mid 80's, ain't heard it in ages so enjoyed playing that clip.

Len

[Len]

......As was this -

Len

'Frank Foster - Harlem Rumble'

Edited December 11, 2012 by LEN

[Swifty]

Earl Wright - Thumb A Ride , still sounds awesome

[Northern Soul Uk]

Don't see how anyone can dis the instrumentals, they have been a staple diet of the scene since it began.

The Gallop BRILLIANT!, Exus trek, BRILLIANT! The Champion, BRILLIANT! Thumb a ride, BRILLIANT!, and even Little Queenie filled the floors back at the Torch and still fills the floors and gets Whoops of joy when it's played today!

Edited December 11, 2012 by Steve Luigi

[KevH]

Davis & Tyler. Cool, very cool Northern Soul back then. Great NOLA label too. Who cares if people turn their noses up? :-)

Parlo,Macca.Great storming instrumental.

[Northernjordan]

Yes, very big on the Mod Scene mid 80's, ain't heard it in ages so enjoyed playing that clip.

Len

I think it was also big in the 80s as a northern track on the scooter scene?

[Len]

I think it was also big in the 80s as a northern track on the scooter scene?

Yes it was.....Mod Scene first though

All the best,

Len

Edited December 11, 2012 by LEN

[macca]

Parlo,Macca.Great storming instrumental.

Indeed, Parlo is a corking NOLA label. A lot the Meters stuff is on it too.

[KevH]

Indeed, Parlo is a corking NOLA label. A lot the Meters stuff is on it too.

,Indeed you are right Macca.

Didn't realise Parlo was part of Nola.In fact only just made the connection with location/label name.Thanks for making me dig out this info,live and learn.Cheers.

[Northernjordan]

Another stormin' instro'

[Guest Mart B]

Most tunes that have been metioned do sound average,but put into context "full on in your face when heared at The casino"they all sounded pretty Good - wether they was cool & now crap those days they was neither. As a late casino attendee 1977/81 my mates & I was on a steep learning curve for tunes etclooking back we had great times.

[Steve L]

Another stormin' instro'

Now thats a corker!!

[Godzilla]

Indeed, Parlo is a corking NOLA label. A lot the Meters stuff is on it too.

Actually the meters records recorded for Josie initially and later Reprise. Maybe you're getting mixed up with Sansu where they were the house band.

Parlo was in fact gone a couple of years before they formed. The label only put out a handful of 45s before going under and - ironically - it was Aaron Neville's huge hit "Tell It Like It Is" that sunk it. I recall the story from the John Broven book Rhythm and Blues in New Orleans (although my copy is titled Walkin' to New Orleans). Well worth a read.

[macca]

well mixed up! maybe I'm confusing the neville brothers with the meters. good lord. dementia sets in. thanks godzilla!

[Guest Torch55]

Before he became a regular DJ at the Catacombs, Max used to do a Friday night at the Connaught Hotel on the Tettenhall Road in Wolverhampton. He played a lot of stuff from the charts, as well as some classic Northern; the crowd was not the most discerning I've ever encountered. Nevertheless, he would push sound like "Festival Time" and "What about the music" to the extent that they became regular dance floor fillers, along with whatever was top of the Hit Parade in the summer of 1971. One night he played, "Charge" by the Dreams Band, on Shout, the Jay Boy issue had not been released at that time, three times. With each airing the crowd reaction became more pronounced,even shouting out, "Charge!" at the appropriate moments and all this with a strobe light creating a visual effect akin to looking through a photograph album of frenetic dancers.

Not strictly speaking an instrumental, of course,and I wouldn't rate it against a Duke Browner or an "Exus Trek" but still......

[Andyj]

For those that don't like instrumentals it's normally because of a perceived lack of soul via the absence of vocals but to me the very best instrumentals including most of these listed, it's all about atmosphere and the creation of that unique sound that underpins most dance sounds.

They may be unfashionable now but we cannot deny the place they hold in the scene overall.

I wasn't 'dissing' instrumentals, just that I prefer a vocal track, however there are certain instros that are atmospheric and have great 'danceability' such as the Champion, Exus Trek etc, and these I'm sure are still cool on the scene today but what about Afternoon of the Rhino etc?

[Pete S]

what about Afternoon of the Rhino etc?

Totally brilliant Northern Soul!

[Geeselad]

whats people opinions on the fife piper? Never heard it played out, so dont know how it goes down. I know it was a classic, im tempted to play it out. But wondered what people thought.

a great quircky wheel classic, there's another version that Johnny b played at the torch revive a few years back too.

[Guest]

Proper inst..

[Andyj]

Getting back to the thread topic use to be cool now crap what instrumental tracks are still loved or hated or should I start a new thread!!

[Guest Matt Male]

I think a few select instrumentals can help underpin a set and help change direction...

A personal favourite.

Covered up as Boogaloo Investigator for a while.

[MartynJJ]

I love coming across great threads like this every once in a while a joy to read

Burning "fooking" Bush, always had a bit of a soft spot for this as it reminds me of Sunday nights at Gedling Miners welfare (Notts) in the late 70's where the floor was shared with the punks, teds and rockers in the evening. Each "tribe" would get two 30 minute sessions by the resident DJ and when this came on we knew it was our turn to own the floor for a wee while.

Boch to "fooking" Bach, now there's a tune that brings out the irrational hatred in me, hate it to the very core of my being and then some