Richard Searling Book - Setting The Record Straight

[ImberBoy]

Richard Searling Book - Setting The Record Straight - Music & Memories From Wigan Casino 1973-1981

Before I start my review I dip into a cup of sadness and remember the funeral I attended of local legend Dave Owen who for some reason passed the time of day with me and I started thinking about the people who I feel have made an impact on so many and I have no idea why some of them suffer this fool but I am glad they do, Brent Howarth and I managed to sort a charity Allnighter for BLESMA the Limbless Veterans and in doing so I get to hear from Brent some amazing stories of what I will read in Richards book but onto that in a moment, back to the funeral and I am sat talking about music and the evolution of Northern Soul with John Manship who I hope will publish his book soon, I want to “name drop” a few people because Richard references the many characters who all pushed this music along and he is right and does capture the , dare I say love, in this book without over egging the pudding. The book oozes respect and I kind of want to acknowledge a few things that may be widely known and may not, Stafford and the “Stafford Sound” gets given the lion’s share of changing the impact and delivery of Northern Soul but it was Richard Searling who dared to be that little bit , no that big bit of different at the last part of the Casino giving a different slant and one that certainly made me go “oooooooh!” and I wanted to get that out there and also credit Richard for being The Godfather of Modern Soul.

The book… Richard has managed to pull a trick , he has accomplished taking what at first glance could be a boring list and turned it into a personal , emotional account of not just matrix numbers and price tags but what the record meant to him and it is here that I am charmed and impressed , it is sweet and innocent as the love of music is , he also includes the cold facts but does so without losing the “spirit” of the music and that is often lacking when faced with a cold calculated list of records , you honestly want to hear those track as you read and tap into Richard Searling and it is here that I think this book stand taller than most.

I know that Wigan Casino also came with a cup of pain for Richard and you can read between the lines but there is also great restraint without leaving the reader to guess, I shall leave you, the reader to find this yourself, you will not be disappointed, and the intrigue is justified I promise.

I keep going back over and over some of the vignettes Richard writes about his records and marry them up to my own list of favourites and it is a joy to understand how he felt when hearing that track and deciding if to play what was going to become so precious and I felt it an insight to the heart and soul of Richard Searling.

The book can be purchased It’s available now in soft back at £24.99 plus P+P from www.raresoulvinyl.co.uk

I can’t see any lover of music not enjoying this be it a Northern Soul fan or not, the approach and intelligent detail along with the emotion makes it a must have read

Simon Cuerden Imber Boy