Years ago I used to pigeon hole sounds as to when they were discovered/first played (wheel, torch, early/late wigan, cleethorpes etc) as I suppose alot of people do.

As time went on I realised I didnt know as much as I thought I did and was wrong in a lot of cases.

Recently someone told me that Ray Pollard - The Drifter was played at the Torch which surprised me, can anyone confirm?

...yes it was and it was played by a Manchestre DJ called Barry Tasker in the big midweek clubs

in north west too...

...I agree that cataloguing by club is fun but flawed, so many last hour sounds at the Mecca resurfaced at Stafford, so many big 100 clubs 6Ts sounds were long buried oldies from places like Catacombs etc. What it proves is that the scene is always borrowing from itself.

Years ago I used to pigeon hole sounds as to when they were discovered/first played (wheel, torch, early/late wigan, cleethorpes etc) as I suppose alot of people do.

As time went on I realised I didnt know as much as I thought I did and was wrong in a lot of cases.

Recently someone told me that Ray Pollard - The Drifter was played at the Torch which surprised me, can anyone confirm?

I hadn't known about it when I picked up copies round 75 or 76.With the success of the slower tunes like Jimmy Radcliffe, beat ballad I guess although not called that at the time. I sold the first spare demo to Dave Alcock from Stoke for a £5 and then to lots of others, also in Stoke. Was quite common-ish at the time, along with the Long John Baldry version. However not as common as the Jimmy Radcliffe, Lou Johnson and Garnet Mimms. Could pick them up most weeks around the second hand shops.

Don't remember it being played out anywhere, it was just a collectors record having been issued on UK label. In the 70s, collecting UK releases was the alternative to the imports being played. Things like Bobby Coleman were spun and as soon as you realised there were UK copies, you'd get twice the price of the import. Strange times.

Thanks for that, I suppose that there is a difference between the record knocking about in peoples collections and being widely known by the majority of people attending nighters.

So a slightly different question - would the drifter have been a record known to the majority at the torch?

Come on all you veterans out there did you know it back then? Or even later say mid 70s, I think I first remember it from around 81/82 having been on the scene since 74

Thanks for that, I suppose that there is a difference between the record knocking about in peoples collections and being widely known by the majority of people attending nighters.

So a slightly different question - would the drifter have been a record known to the majority at the torch?

Come on all you veterans out there did you know it back then? Or even later say mid 70s, I think I first remember it from around 81/82 having been on the scene since 74

Possibly not Steve - it wasn't a stratospheric pop-soul Torch sounds like say 'Slow Fizz' nor 'Ski-ing in the Snow'. Nor was it one of those import sounds that were more generally played even in mainstream clubs. Things like Jay and Techniques 'Apple Peaches Pumpkin Pie,' Bobby Hebb 'Love Love Love' etc.

To use current parlance it was a 'chin-stroker's' sound

Possibly not Steve - it wasn't a stratospheric pop-soul Torch sounds like say 'Slow Fizz' nor 'Ski-ing in the Snow'. Nor was it one of those import sounds that were more generally played even in mainstream clubs. Things like Jay and Techniques 'Apple Peaches Pumpkin Pie,' Bobby Hebb 'Love Love Love' etc.

To use current parlance it was a 'chin-stroker's' sound

No way was The Drifter a Torch spin. I was there and never heard it once.

Calling Nige Brown or even Tony Jebb(where the hell are ya)

No way was The Drifter a Torch spin. I was there and never heard it once.

Calling Nige Brown or even Tony Jebb(where the hell are ya)

Only went once never played wen i was there

HB

The Drifter was never played at the Torch!!!! Believe me I too was a regular at the Torch!!! It was Les Cokels fav record and he was a man who knew and loved his music!!!

sue bushby

...Almost certain it was played at the Torch and at other NW venues at same time. Don't know if it was played in Settle where Les C. lived but convinced it was played at Tunstall.... Convinced....

...Almost certain it was played at the Torch and at other NW venues at same time. Don't know if it was played in Settle where Les C. lived but convinced it was played at Tunstall.... Convinced....

The Drifter was not a Torch play at all. I went every week and it never got played. End of story.