Rafa Club Newton Aycliffe Charity Night - 1973 Re-Unioun

[Soulboyslim]

4^th October 2014 and the RAFA soul club played host to a charity night for the children’s hospice — Zoe’s Place in Middlesbrough. This night also celebrated the re-union of people who attended the Newton Aycliffe Youth Centre all-nighters from the 1970’s.

An all ticket do saw the tickets sold out in 48 hours and the original dj’s who kick started the all-nighters off were there to dust off their records and play them out again — LOUD....

First guest DJ was Rafa Soul Club supporter and all round good guy Don Thompson, Don was asked by the other dj’s to fill in as he had an influence on so many dj’s and record collectors in the North East of England in the early 70's.

7.30pm the doors opened and the queue went along the corridors and then outside as people filed through the club to gain the best seats they could and Don started the evening’s soul session as it was meant to go along by playing records from the Youthy all-nighters.... Don is more likely to DJ at Rare Soul Nights rather than playing “oldies” per say but the boy done good.

DON THOMPSON — 7.30 — 8.30PM

1. PRECISIONS-IF THIS IS LOVE
2. VOLCANO'S-LAWS OF LOVE
3. INSPIRATIONS-TOUCH ME, HOLD ME,KISS ME
4. NANCY WILSON-THE END OF OUR LOVE
5. EDWIN STARR-BACKSTREET
6. SUPREMES-LOVE IS LIKE AN ITCHING IN MY HEART
7. JACKIE LEE-DARKEST DAYS
8. OLYMPICS-SAME OLD THING
9. MITCH RYDER-BREAKOUT
10. J.J. BARNES-PLEASE LET ME IN
11. GENE CHANDLER-MR BIG SHOT
12. DEE DEE SHARP-WHAT KIND OF LADY
13. BOBBY WELLS-BE'S THAT WAY SOMETIMES
14. GARNETT MIMMS — LOOKING FOR YOU
15. BUTCH BAKER — THE FAT MAN
16. PARLIAMENTS — DON’T BE SORE AT ME
17. EARL WRIGHT — THUMB A RIDE
18. MORRIS CHESTNUT — TOO DARN SOULFUL
19. CHECKERBOARD SQUARES — DOUBLE COOKIN’
20. EPITOME OF SOUND — YOU DON’T WANT ME.

8.30pm and next up was Dave “Brownie” Brown. Dave a long time supporter of Northern Soul and now dj’ing locally in all of the soul nights in County Durham and Darlington.

 DAVE “BROWNIE” BROWN   8.30 — 9.30PM

1. WILLIE KENDRICKS--CHANGE YOUR WAYS
2. INVITIONS - SKIING IN THE SNOW
3. EARL GRANT--HIDE NOR HAIR
4. DUKE BROWNER-CRYING OVER YOU
5. JACKIE DAY - BEFORE IT’S TO LATE
6. BARBARA MILLS - QUEEN OF FOOLS
7. CLARA WARD- RIGHT DIRECTION
8. LEVI JACKSON-BEAUTIFUL NIGHT
9. VAN DYKES-SAVE YOUR LOVE
10. LYNNE RANDELL-STRANGER IN MY ARMS
11. CHRISTINE COOPER - HEARTACHES AWAY
12. FRANKIE AND JOHNNY-I'LL HOLD YOU
13. GERRI GRAINGER- I GO TO PIECES
14. FIVE HEARTBEATS-ANYTHING BUT LOVE
15. JERRY COOK -- I HURT ON THE OTHER SIDE
16. LOU COURTNEY-- TRYING TO FIND MY WOMAN
17. JIMMY THOMAS - THE BEAUTIFUL NIGHT
18. LUTHER INGRAM- IF IT’S ALL THE SAME TO YOU BABE
19. DALTON BOYS --I VE BEEN CHEATED

Ok, so down to the main 3 DJ’s of the night and the guys who kick started the whole thing off in Newton Aycliffe 40 years ago. The smooth radio presenter, smooth delivery, smooth operator — the one and only Dave “Rocko” Brown.

 

DAVE ROCKO BROWN  9.30 — 10.30pm

1. LOVE YOU BABY - EDDIE PARKER
2. BETTER USE YOUR HEAD - LITTLE ANTHONY
3. HERE I GO AGAIN - ARCHIE BELL
4. YOU JUST DON’T KNOW - CHUBBY CHECKER
5. UNSATISFIED - LOU JOHNSON
6. YOUR LOVE CAN SAVE ME - MARVELETTES
7. IF YOU ASK ME TOO - JERRY WILLIAMS
8. YOU DONT WANT ME NO MORE - MAJOR LANCE
9. RIGHT TRACK - BILLY BUTLER
10. BABY HIT AND RUN - CONTOURS
11. FANTASTIC JOHNNY C - DON'T DEPEND ON ME
12. I GOT A FEELING - BARBARA RANDOLPH
13. LOVE LOVE LOVE - BOBBY HEBB
14. LANDSLIDE - TONY CLARKE
15. NIGHT OWL - BOBBY PARIS
16. VELVELETTES — THESE THINGS WILL KEEP ME LOVING
17. R DEAN TAYLOR — GHOST IN MY HOUSE
18. BOB RELF — BLOWING MY MIND TO PIECES
19. IMPRESSIONS — YOU’VE BEEN CHEATING
20. MARTHA AND THE VANDELLAS — ONE WAY OUT
21. BARBARA McNAIR — YOU’RE GONNA LOVE MY BABY
22. LEE ROYE — TEARS
23. HAROLD MELVIN — GET OUT
24. DEVILS DRIVE - BIG BORIS

 

 

By now the dance floor was packed with supporters of the night, some even leaving their walking sticks by their seats and then to miraculously dance, stomp and spin???? Rocko had them eating out of his hands and handed over the mic to Derek “Del Boy” Boyden. Derek shared the next 2 hours with the guy who was responsible for the charity side of things for the night — John “Pottsy” Potts and the pair of them had the crowd short for breath as each record had the floor buzzing and paramedics edging the dance floor like hungry vultures waiting for the first one to drop from exhaustion. Here’s how it all panned out — not in any order but it went something like this from 10.30 — 12.30am

 

DEREK BOYDEN

1. Times a Wasting, Fuller Brothers
2.  Our Love Is in The Pocket. Daryl Banks
3. Tell me it is Just a rumour Isley Brothers
4.  I ant going Nowhere, Junior Walker
5. Last Minute Miracle. Shirelles
6. You Hit Me . Alice Clark
7.  Can't Lose My Head. George Blackwell
8. Ever Again. Bernie Williams
9. Just Another Heartache. Little Richie
10. Never know Why. Freddie Chavez
11. I've Got to Have Your love. Mill Evans
12. Temptation is Calling My name. Lee David
13.  I Still Love You. Superlatives.
14. She'll Cone Running back. Mel Britt
15.  Cool Off. Detroit Executives
16.  Hung  Up On Your Love, Montclairs
17. You Don't Care anymore. Jodi Mathis
18.  Let Our Love Go Higher. Eula Cooper
19. A Love Reputation. Denise LaSalle
20. I Really Love You. Tomangos
21. I Thought You Were Mine. Natural Four
22.  If You Ever Walk Out My Life. Dena Barnes
23. I Just Can't Live My Life. Linda Jones
24. More Today than Yesterday, Spiral Staircase
25. And Suddenly, Cherry People

 

JOHN”POTTSY” POTTS

1. THE SALVADORS STICK BY ME BABY
2. DANA VALERY YOU DON’T KNOW WHERE YOUR INTEREST LIES
3. FRANKIE BEVERLY IF THAT’S WHAT YOU WANTED
4. FRANKIE VALLI THE NIGHT
5. THE COMMODORES THE HUMAN ZOO
6. THE ADVENTURERS EASY BABY
7. POINTER SISTERS SEND HIM BACK
8. GIL SCOTT HERON THE BOTTLE
9. ILA VANN YOU MADE ME THIS WAY
10. JOHNNY HOWARD THE CHASE IS ON
11. SAXIE RUSSELL PSYCHEDELIC SOUL
12. SHANE MARTIN I NEED YOU
13. ELOISE LAWS LOVE FACTORY
14.  ANN SEXTON YOU’VE BEEN GONE TOO LONG
15. BOBBY HUTTON LEND A HAND
16. THE BROTHERS ARE YOU READY FOR THIS
17. YVONNE BAKER YOU DIDN’T SAY A WORD
18. SISTER SLEDGE LOVE DON’T GO THROUGH NO CHANGES ON ME
19. MVP’S TURNING MY HEARTBEAT UP
20. G DAVIS & R TYLER HOLD ON, HELP IS ON THE WAY
21. DON THOMAS COME ON TRAIN
22. THIRD TIME AROUND SOON EVERYTHING IS GONNA BE ALRIGHT
23. RICHARD POPCORN WYLIE ROSEMARY WHAT HAPPENED
24. VOICES OF EAST HARLEM CASHING IN
25. THE WORLD COLUMN SO IS THE SUN
26. JAMES FOUNTAIN SEVEN DAY LOVER
27. JOBELL & THE ORCHESTRA DE SALSA NEVER GONNA LET YOU GO
28. GEORGE CLINTON PLEASE DON’T RUN FROM ME

 

The night progressed to about 1.00am and finished with Tobi Legend and Dean Parrish to rapturous applause with everyone loving the night, so many friends meeting up for the first time in 40 / 35 years and such a good cause too. We couldn’t get people out of the club! and hopefully it will all happen again, bringing together Iconic DJ’s from the early part of the Northern Soul Scene in Newton Aycliffe. Final thanks to Geoff Miller who made it all happen.

Want to read the whole story about how it all came about? Check out the events page for October 4^th 2014 — rafa club. 

 

 

BACK AGAIN WITH THE FIRST SATURDAY OF EVERY MONTH — THE RAFA CLUB, SERIOUS SHADES OF SOUL RARE SOUL NIGHTS KICKS OFF AGAIN WITH SPECIAL GUEST DJ SEAN TASKER — 1^st NOVEMBER 2014. SEE YOU THEN FOLKS......

Edited October 6, 2014 by Soulboyslim

[Dave Bishop FM]

This was a great night, and was fantastic to see many old friendships re kindled.

Well done and thanks to all for the memories.

You have to do it again!!

[Jim G]

It was a fantastic night and it was great to see so many old pals, some I didn't get chance to speak to but will find them with facebook!

 

40 years ago the Aycliffe all nighters became a place to go, glad I was young enough to be part of it