...Some of you older Sourcers will remember a time when the venerable Mr. Barnfather was not a righfully respected purveyor of quality 100% black American dance music but - to but it bluntly, a bit of a laughing stock whose playlist was based primarily on whether or not a record had a dance beat rather than for its soul quotient.

I'm not having a pop at Sam, believe me I have the utmost respect for him as a bloke and as a DJ. I just wondered if anyone else occasionally had these flashbacks to the mid 70s and to the Bizarro World Sam - and if so, what horrible records y'all can remember him playing in the name of soul (the words "Sandy" and "Nelson" always come to mind for me when this topic does...)

If you're reading this, Sam, I'm sure you will take this posting in the tongue in cheek spirit with which it's intended!

TONE

Edited January 16, 200916 yr by wiganer1

I think Classical Gas must have been played as a new release before it was a hit because whenever I buy a collection off someone who was on the scene in the early days, there's always a copy of it in there

"Classical gas" was/is a great pop record. Funny how Soul fans often also like the same pop tunes. No idea if it was played (on the scene) in 1968. I seriously doubt it, but anything's possible!

Worst Sam record played? John Schroeder Orchestra - "Soul For Sale" possibly? or The Vogues - "That's The Tune" ? "Hawaii Five-O" - covered up as The Arthur Wright Orchestra!?

(They can't all have been "only played as a joke"!)

Cant remember if it was Sam or not but someone played the music from the Gordons Gin advert at the Casino it emptied the floor

Yes, the story went that it was taped off a cinema advert and put onto emidisc!

I thought the gin advert was Mood Mosiac - A touch of velvet and a sting of brass - Columbia ??

I thought the gin advert was Mood Mosiac - A touch of velvet and a sting of brass - Columbia ??

May have been B! I knew there was one story to do with taping a cinema ad!

I thought the gin advert was Mood Mosiac - A touch of velvet and a sting of brass - Columbia ??

No it wasn't, it was an original piece of music, unfortunately the fast part only lasted for about 30 seconds, it was available on an advertising flexidisc.

"Cast your mind back many years - at the cinema - the Gordons Gin advert had a great theme tune (The Human League did a version of it on the Travellogue album) - Who wrote it, who played the original and where can I get a copy"

It was written by Jeff Wayne...

Edited January 17, 200916 yr by Pete S

Ginger played Burning Bush, first bought it off me at St Ives and it cleared the floor but he stuck with it. Great record; what's not to like.

The nearest to punk apart from Pushin Too hard by the Seeds was when Martyn Ellis started DJing punk and played the Jewels Togetherness for them to pogo to.

I also remember people tipping Lene Lovich's version of "I think We're alone now." it was on the flip of the original version of Lucky Number on Stiff which sank with out trace. Lucky Number was subsequently reissued with a different flip and charted. Clearly recall something in a soul mag (maybe one of Dave McCadden's) warning to stay away from the Rezillos version as it was crap!

No it wasn't, it was an original piece of music, unfortunately the fast part only lasted for about 30 seconds, it was available on an advertising flexidisc.

"Cast your mind back many years - at the cinema - the Gordons Gin advert had a great theme tune (The Human League did a version of it on the Travellogue album) - Who wrote it, who played the original and where can I get a copy"

It was written by Jeff Wayne...

"The Gordon's Gin Theme" was also the subject of one of Paul Weller's more clever rip-offs. Play "Happy Together" off "The Gift" and you'll hear that the chorus is sung to the same tune. Given Paul's other musical borrowings' from around the same time I doubt that it was accidental plagiarism...

Dunno about a flexidisc, but my single sided copy of "The Gordon's Gin Theme" is on a thick vinyl Lyntone pressing.

"The Gordon's Gin Theme" was also the subject of one of Paul Weller's more clever rip-offs. Play "Happy Together" off "The Gift" and you'll hear that the chorus is sung to the same tune. Given Paul's other musical borrowings' from around the same time I doubt that it was accidental plagiarism...

Dunno about a flexidisc, but my single sided copy of "The Gordon's Gin Theme" is on a thick vinyl Lyntone pressing.

If it came with a pic sleeve then thats the one I'm thinking of

Here is a chap playing the Gordons Gin Theme

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Not wanting to dampen this thread - but the name of the DJ in the threads title could be changed to any other famous (or infamous!) DJ on the Northern Scene. They have all played a few "shockers" in their time - even the best of them.

Also as bad as some of the tunes are - people other than the DJ being discussed have both danced to & bought the said tunes.

Hope this thread is somewhat "tongue in cheek" as I think Sam has rightly earned a lot of respect on the soul scene & for every bad record he has played he has also played a helluva lot of gud uns.!!

I also remember people tipping Lene Lovich's version of "I think We're alone now." it was on the flip of the original version of Lucky Number on Stiff which sank with out trace. Lucky Number was subsequently reissued with a different flip and charted. Clearly recall something in a soul mag (maybe one of Dave McCadden's) warning to stay away from the Rezillos version as it was crap!

it was dave McCadden he also loved siouxsie and the banshees hong kong garden he played them both at the black bull in salford where rod and dave withers used to run a sunday night do in the 70's.

mark

I only have pleasant memories of his sets from the mid 70's, except perhaps for 'Baby Sugar I Love You', which is most definitely not a white pop sound.

Didn't Tony Cummings (an unfortunate surname) play a large part in this 'black legend' surrounding Sam, with weekly hatchet jobs in Black Music?

Sam has always been the man for me.

Phil Coulter - good thing going

Was that his? Truly awful.

Was that his? Truly awful.

dunno but i specifically remember him playing it at an all dayer around 79 at the world famous 'painted lady' , kirby bellars (melton)

on a side note, i seem to remember the mighy 'Bub' and his anti static jumper doing a spot at the same venue

Edited January 17, 200916 yr by IanP

Worst record ever played by Sam - in the 70's anyway - has to be Heartbeat by Bill Pursell

Oh I see. Never seen one. Don't know anyone who's got one. Does it actually exist as an issued record?

I thought you had one for sale last year or so (Camp on Scepter, I mean)

I thought you had one for sale last year or so (Camp on Scepter, I mean)

I did, but the post you quoted from me was from June 2006!

=======

HEARTBEAT IS one of the worse records ever played imo...that s coming from me...lol

yeah but get it into context a bit. c/u as sons of moses it was fooking massive.God there were a hell of a lot of dodgy records played back then by all dj's, john m, sam , richard, arthur, pat,most of russ's!.

i suppose at the time as a youngster, i didn't know any better. some may say i still don't!

I did, but the post you quoted from me was from June 2006!

Ha ha ha! Didn't notice the date Pete, HTF did that get in there!

does anyone remember theadore life orch- nightime shadows inst c u he played ? twas fantastic.....but king moses ' i got the feeling' on pet..i know its really rare but that awful really awful guitar solo really kills it dead..sam is kickin it at the mo with some awesome tunes but king moses should stay dead in egypt;;;;;

that was richards to start with, then sams,

what about alan reuss "zorba"! now that was shite! and still is.

and all top jocks played tim tam and turn ons as well as belmonts and newbeats

was like gonig to a heroes of white american rock at some venures!

Heartbeat - Bill Pursell.

Definitely one of his because I bought his emidisc off him as it had "Marching" on the other side!

i was going to say "marching" by the camp, just awful!!

If it came with a pic sleeve then thats the one I'm thinking of

i thought the gordons gin was a jon vincent play, back in the day at samanthas.

could be wrong, usually am.

that was richards to start with, then sams,

what about alan reuss "zorba"! now that was shite! and still is.

and all top jocks played tim tam and turn ons as well as belmonts and newbeats

was like gonig to a heroes of white american rock at some venures!

Say what you like about that Belmonts record but it's got one of the most brilliant intros you'll ever hear!

that gordon gin theme sounds like the motors airport to these ears

dave

loving this thread,just to alter it a wee bit and ask anyone who has ever dj in any capacity worst track they've ever played.mine is dink perry between hello and goodbye.sorry if its been asked before only 2nd post

loving this thread,just to alter it a wee bit and ask anyone who has ever dj in any capacity worst track they've ever played.mine is dink perry between hello and goodbye.sorry if its been asked before only 2nd post

I've never played a bad record....

I've never played a bad record....

good for you

Say what you like about that Belmonts record but it's got one of the most brilliant intros you'll ever hear!

not knocking the record mate,i've danced to it a few times,same as newbeats"don't turn me loose"

big in the day but hardly soulfull!

good for you

yeah...

On 04/07/2006 at 19:21, Stuart Bower said:

CHERRY PEOPLE- AND SUDDENLY- HERITAGE..the worst record played by anyone IMO

WIN 

Calleen  Anderegg fools paradise was Sams.

A right shocker even back then. 

Fools Paradise - Sam first play was at Cleethorpes Winter Gardens In 77. 
Not the best record of the day.