Hairs on the back of my neck, we use that for appreciation for something that stands out, whether music or performance. Well that night at The Cala Gran, Fleetwood, at the Togetherness Weekend when Frank Wilson performed Do I Love You 'was one of those nights. After carving a career as a top notch record producer at Motown, he took us back to his roots as a would be Soul Singer! The Emotion in the room that night was unbelievable, it wasn't about his vocals it was about him taking a trip back to where he had started. The chorus to DO I LOVE YOU and MY SUGAR BABY with the Crowd singing along and to see Frank reduced to tears after his performance did it for me!  The time he spent chatting to people after the show put him up there with the legends  of Northern Soul. What Record or Performance does it for you?  Rod Clegg.

Dells @ Trentham. ....pretty untouchable!

Cheers,

Mark R

add The MASQUERADERS at Prestatyn the first time they come and did a saturday afternoon session and you have all 3 best performances in the last ten years, many more have come very close but IMO .....Frank, The Mighty Mighty Dells and the Masqueraders are the ones

Hairs on the back of my neck, we use that for appreciation for something that stands out, whether music or performance. Well that night at The Cala Gran, Fleetwood, at the Togetherness Weekend when Frank Wilson performed Do I Love You 'was one of those nights. After carving a career as a top notch record producer at Motown, he took us back to his roots as a would be Soul Singer! The Emotion in the room that night was unbelievable, it wasn't about his vocals it was about him taking a trip back to where he had started. The chorus to DO I LOVE YOU and MY SUGAR BABY with the Crowd singing along and to see Frank reduced to tears after his performance did it for me!  The time he spent chatting to people after the show put him up there with the legends  of Northern Soul. What Record or Performance does it for you?  Rod Clegg.

 

Agree!! Still very chatty Sunday evening too  

Dells @ Trentham. ....pretty untouchable!

Cheers,

Mark R

Hey Mark, well pissed off when I missed the Dells, at the time I heard they where together for 50 yrs, same line-up, think they reissued a EP with Run for cover & Wear it on your face + 2. They Really did do some great tunes.  Rod

Agree!! Still very chatty Sunday evening too  

They where great weekenders weren't they, them bloody seagulls on the top of caravans! Oh and Johnny Pearson's Sunday Quiz, great fun. Rod Clegg

Saw FRANK WILSON in L.A. on the KEV ROBERTS soul trip, great bloke ,and how much he loved the BRITS.  same night ....GARLAND GREEN got up just to say hello  and then did 2-3 songs ...with his jacket over his arm  cool as fook...... .JUNIOR WALKER at WIGAN in the 70s ..DELL LARKS in NEW JERSEY .... ....best moment ever,being in  the MOTOWN STUDIOS in DETROIT with MEL BRITT ...then in the MEMPHIS SMOKE restaurant with  THE  CAPITALS ....CARL CARLTON .....MARTHA REEVES and then  this best moment of my life..... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqiPbFXIBiQ....

Willie Hutch at Fleetwood and Chapter 8 at Blackpool Hilton, never ever thought I'd get to see those legends.

 

Roger

Sam Dees - Jazz Cafe

Any of the Prestatyn weekenders really, to see the singers we,ve all been dancing to for years, having breakfast with Eddie Parker and Lorraine Chandler on the next table, unreal. Dee Dee Sharp can still belt em out, Precisions were awsome, Mary Love, Sidney Barnes, me favorite has to be Dean Courtney, when he sang "love, you just cant walk away" , simply brilliant, all top acts, oh Benny Troy and Donnie Burdick too ! 

Dells @ Trentham. ....pretty untouchable!

Cheers,

Mark R

 

... a 'had to attend event'.........fan..bloody..tastic !!!

1. Mary Love Comer performing Come Out of the Sandbox at the 1993 Cleethorpes Weekender. The first live artist to make me cry (only cried to 2 other live artists & they're not mentioned here)

2. Bobby Womack at KGH, Blackburn about 3 years ago - I was stood right at the front, & his courage & determination (after battling Cancer less than a month before) shone through. His health issues meant he wasn't 100% vocal wise, but it didn't matter, his performance was incredible, lasting about 2 and a half hours without a break, his manager had to practically drag him off stage as Bobby wanted to carry on (It felt like Bobby thought it may have been his last ever performance, thankfully it wasn't !!!).

3. Debbie Taylor at The Wilton last year - Never before in my life have I heard an artist sing better than the record! She was superb, with a great sense of humour to match (not that a GSOH matters when listening to a song)

There are other artists who have moved me, and I feel mean for listing only 3, when others should be up there too, but have to draw the line somewhere, so that's where it's drawn

Edited January 19, 201411 yr by Alison H

Many of the above PLUS Sam Dees at Morecambe (Pontins) Weekender and also at Dingwalls in Camden (have a recording of that show somewhere on cassette).

Loads of the acts at the Cleggy & old Prestatyn Weekenders + some that put in appearances at the old NS Weekenders in Yarmouth.

.......... must also say Chuck Jackson, anywhere I have seen him perform.

Pulled these out yesterday, this is the perfect thread for them!!

 

We were lucky to get some time with Hoagy Lands when he played the 100 club, just as he arrived, would have been 2001/2 sometime about then...

 

Picture of Hoagy on stage, and tricksters head there below.. He was on with Sidney Barnes of course, so a nice Promo pic with signatures from both brilliant singers, Great night that was...

 

Malcolm

Edited January 20, 201411 yr by Mal C

Sam Dees, Terry Callier Jean Carne and Sounds of Blackness @ up north weekenders, Debbie Taylor @ Wilton

JJ Barnes @ music hall Aberdeen purely because this was first time I'd seen a proper live soul act

Impressions @ Northampton

Chuck jackson@ Northampton superb

H.B.Barnum.

Chuck Jackson

Yarmouth Weekender, 1990

All the acts were great but these two stood out for me. Can't remember seeing J.J.Barnes, must have missed his performance....

Edited January 19, 201411 yr by Soul-Slider

They where great weekenders weren't they, them bloody seagulls on the top of caravans! Oh and Johnny Pearson's Sunday Quiz, great fun. Rod Clegg

 

Happy days Rod!!

Hairs on the back of my neck, we use that for appreciation for something that stands out, whether music or performance. Well that night at The Cala Gran, Fleetwood, at the Togetherness Weekend when Frank Wilson performed Do I Love You 'was one of those nights. After carving a career as a top notch record producer at Motown, he took us back to his roots as a would be Soul Singer! The Emotion in the room that night was unbelievable, it wasn't about his vocals it was about him taking a trip back to where he had started. The chorus to DO I LOVE YOU and MY SUGAR BABY with the Crowd singing along and to see Frank reduced to tears after his performance did it for me!  The time he spent chatting to people after the show put him up there with the legends  of Northern Soul. What Record or Performance does it for you?  Rod Clegg.

 

Thought the Volumes/Magnetics at Prestatyn were excellent    also Benny Troy at Prestatyn great!! sounded just like the record!! what a voice!

Johnny Bristol at the Orwell followed closely by Dean Parrish and Little Ann at Cleggy all very special for me...

Three Degrees.   (with  Richard Barrett on guitar /  Conducting  the band.     Liverpool Empire

 

Gladys Knight and the Pips     Southport Theatre    Magnificent. !!!!

 

Philly Review. Southport Theatre        Never been topped 

featuring

The Intruders

Billy Paul

Harold Melvin And The Blue Note

The O Jays 

 

 

For me the best performance was Souls Sources Lorraine Chandler at Stafford. Emotional and dripping in soul.

 

Another highlight was a short P.A. by Dean Courtney at the 100 club. When he sang  Love You Just Cant Walk Away it was spellbindingly beautiful. I felt like my body had frozen and I was compelled to savour every note. That sounds a bit melodramatic but I was paralysed with joy. A bit like the church scene in the Blues Brothers when Jake asks have you seen the light. But without the handstands. Or James Brown

Edited January 19, 201411 yr by in town Mikey

 Who could ever forget Richard Searling's 50th bash at the Ritz Manchester, The Originals. Marvin Gaye's favourite group and I think they Where Richards as well. It wasn't too long after that trip that Freddie Gorman passed away, I think Freddie's daughter sang with the group that night. One word, Brilliant. Suspicion has to be in everyone's top 20. that wasn't ten years ago was it ?   Better ask Richard" Rod

thought frank at fleet was good, marvin /Edwin b`ham odeon 79? 80? superb, actually edwin was always a great live performer,

Volumes/magnetics and the precisions were awesome at prestatyn,and really nice guys.Tavares were good as was chuck Jackson, and in arena 2 t turner and jimmy james did really entertaining professional sets.Have seen some interestin bands at the scooter rallys but that's another story.

The originals at manchester Ritz stands out for me.

Edited January 20, 201411 yr by geeselad

Carolyn Crawford , Bobby Taylor @ Q Club, Birmingham.  Circa early 2000.

Tommy Good , Chris Clark @ ??? Hotel, Northampton.  Circa 200?  

Also, a few more great Motown artists, Groups @ the Q club about that time.  Think there were 3 of them.

Nearly a bust-up at one when the "bouncers" closed the Niter early.

Also Northampton do's - many a great artist / group there too.   The Impressions WOW!

 

Cheers..........        Tom.  Banbury.

Johnny Bristol at the Orwell followed closely by Dean Parrish and Little Ann at Cleggy all very special for me...

 

Did Johnny Bristol really sing at the Orwell? When was that?

thought frank at fleet was good, marvin /Edwin b`ham odeon 79? 80? superb, actually edwin was always a great live performer,

I saw Marvin Gaye/Edwin Starr on that tour, Southport theatre in early 80s. Edwin was warm up! He did hell of a job with Soulies dancing in the Aisle, did all his top numbers: Double O Soul/Back street/SOS/War/Etc. He was brilliant. Marvin Gaye came on and you could have heard a pin drop.He played a great set, so laid back but a polished performance ,but only a bit disappointed he didn't do his 60s stuff. It Was great to see two Motown Soul Legends in my home town in an intimate venue. they where BRILL.  Rod.

Edited January 20, 201411 yr by Rodders22

H.B.Barnum.

Chuck Jackson

Yarmouth Weekender, 1990

All the acts were great but these two stood out for me. Can't remember seeing J.J.Barnes, must have missed his performance....

yarmouth 1990 flyer.jpg

Still have some unsold Official t shirts and patches/ badges of this event somewhere sealed and packed away, another job to do when I reach those boxes, list them up and put them up for sale,

 

far too many acts live to pick real favourites but Maxine Brown at Cleggy and 100 club will stay with me till the day I die.

 

throw in , Barry White, Debbie Taylor, The Dells, Sam Dees, Gerald Alston and David Peaston, Prince Phillip Mitchell, Jesse James, Terry Callier, Randy Brown, Ben E King, Richard Caiton, et al. 

 

I have been really fortunate to of seen so many live acts it seems a shame to list them in any order really, 

 

Dave H.

Saw FRANK WILSON in L.A. on the KEV ROBERTS soul trip, great bloke ,and how much he loved the BRITS.  same night ....GARLAND GREEN got up just to say hello  and then did 2-3 songs ...with his jacket over his arm  cool as fook...... .JUNIOR WALKER at WIGAN in the 70s ..DELL LARKS in NEW JERSEY .... ....best moment ever,being in  the MOTOWN STUDIOS in DETROIT with MEL BRITT ...then in the MEMPHIS SMOKE restaurant with  THE  CAPITALS ....CARL CARLTON .....MARTHA REEVES and then  this best moment of my life..... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqiPbFXIBiQ....

Yes we were there as well, the video doesn't do it justice, the atmosphere was electric, the Motown people had no idea who he was but they soon entered into the spirit & there wasn't a dry eye in the house, almost as good was when we all insisted The Capitals sing "Cool Jerk" & they said only if we sang along, even Mel Britt came to the stage & joined in, as you say the Del-Larks in New York runs a close second, mainly because it was my Brother in laws 50th and they sang Happy Birthday to him, wonderful memories, lots more tucked away.    

Spot.  

Edwin Starr at Preston Guild hall was an excellent night he must have had half the audience back to his dressing room for a chat

Still have some unsold Official t shirts and patches/ badges of this event somewhere sealed and packed away, another job to do when I reach those boxes, list them up and put them up for sale,

 

far too many acts live to pick real favourites but Maxine Brown at Cleggy and 100 club will stay with me till the day I die.

 

throw in , Barry White, Debbie Taylor, The Dells, Sam Dees, Gerald Alston and David Peaston, Prince Phillip Mitchell, Jesse James, Terry Callier, Randy Brown, Ben E King, Richard Caiton, et al. 

 

I have been really fortunate to of seen so many live acts it seems a shame to list them in any order really, 

 

Dave H.

 

 

Do you mean these ones Dave ?

 

Excuse the @rse ...

 

 

Excuse the face ....

 

 

 

Eeh, life was fun when I was a little lad 

Do you mean these ones Dave ?

 

Excuse the @rse ...

 

003.JPG

 

Excuse the face ....

 

004.JPG

 

 

Eeh, life was fun when I was a little lad 

Hi Alison 

 

There the ones, with perhaps a few of the others including the Motown weekender hopefully.

 

Dave

Did Johnny Bristol really sing at the Orwell? When was that?

Johnny Bristol sang live at the Orwell circa 1991/92 to his own backing tracks awesome night !

prior to his performance he joined us on Boat from Wigan pier touring the canals of Wigan he was was very excited by this being a fan of George Orwell no less and taking many photos en route.

Triode

God, Who could forget the great Barbara Lynn at the 1999 Togetherness Weekender, Dave Godin faverette female singer"who he presented a lifetime Achievment award to: ( I think ? Or was it the other way round ) also the is a Barbara Lynn live at Cala Gran CD that was released some time after. 

To see Barbara strutting her guitar to some of them class tunes was just BRILL ! and I've got to give a shout to Snake Davis and the Suspicions for there excellent backing as always. Rod Clegg

Willie Hutch at Fleetwood and Chapter 8 at Blackpool Hilton, never ever thought I'd get to see those legends.

 

Roger

 

I was particularly taken with Willie Hutch's impromptu backing singer and Empress of the Dance that night.........