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Northern Soul Memorable Moments.


Len

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47 minutes ago, Michael V said:

Just a couple that spring to mind-one of my earliest nighters,at Keele- 1989,I think; remember  Bill Black's Combo- Little Queenie being played and among the dancers was a guy nonchalantly spinning with a lighted cigarette in his mouth-remember looking at the lighted tip of the fag revolving in the semi-darkness and thinking it -and the guy- was pretty cool. Of course, a sight we'll never see again now ( smoking on a dance floor, that is,not dancing at an all-nighter-I sincerely hope)  Always think of that on the rare occasions I hear Little Queenie .

Sounds bizare this, but I know exactly what and who you mean - I remember a guy called 'Andy', who used to 'spin with fag' - I bet it was he......

Thanks for input thus far guys :wink:

Len :thumbsup:

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Went to the Raven nr Whitchurch, Soul Sams local venue at the time (early 70's) the week before he had played Bob Relf Blowing my mind. First time we had heard it. Pretty sure it was one of the first plays in the country but others will know better than me. Anyway we take along a cassette tape player to record said song.

We ask Sam first if we can and he says a generous yes after seeing the crappy cheap recorder we have. We set it up on a table and when the record comes on we press play/record and fill the dance floor. 

Listening to the tape on the way home we can clearly hear in the "quiet bit" in the middle two voices loudly discussing a drug deal for contraceptive pills !!!!!. 

I can't hear Bob Relf now without smiling at the juxtaposition of that deal over the track "Blowing my Mind"; you couldn't make it up. 

Dave Banks

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9 hours ago, Winsford Soul said:

Where do I start 🤔.  Getting a taxi from Widnes to Morecambe nighter because no one would give me n my mate Al kinsella a lift because everyone said that we were mad.😇🤔😇 Not once but twice. 🤔😂. How very dare they.  

Coming out of Wigan  maxines  nighter when there was a Robin Reliant on its roof and we all just walked past it as though it was normal 🙃

Hitched to Dunstable nighter and when I finally got to the Queen Hall at 7.30am a  sign on the door said it was double booked and had moved to wherever it was, finally got the venue and heard the last 3 records. Got home 3.30am Monday morning. 

Spur of the minute decision went over to Dublin for a soul night.  Got to the venue at 10.30pm only to learn that it ended at midnight . First Ferry back to Holyhead was 9.30am Sunday.  

That's just a few . Omg  Len what have you started 😳 

Gospel Bob dancing hard, now there’s an image I won’t be able shift easily...

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10 hours ago, Tricky said:

Chipping in to buy an old wreck of a van to legally as opposed to going in a nicked car to various all nighters.

Invariably broke down and with no license or insurance just as illegal. 😳

Not my era as you know Trev, but to me it seems Wigan must have been full of parked nicked cars when the All-nighter was on :D

I did go in a nicked car on one occasion though - I remember this 'permed hair bloke' (It was the 80's) who was a freind of a friend (Who had just got out of prison) picked us up.  I noticed all the wires hanging out below the steering wheel - I immediately pulled my sleeves down over my hands so I didn't leave any finger prints.

10 minutes later we ended up in a ditch, then running like the clappers because we were convinced 'the car was gonna blow!' But that's another story...... :D

Len :thumbsup:

P.s - The car didn't blow.

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1 hour ago, Mike said:

 a similar situation, when on our way to a Dublin soul night and started thinking about customs check at the other end, decided to take evasive action

think we got to Dublin 6 hours before the ferry... 🚀

 

Mike. Dublin again.  We all decide to get changed on the ferry to save time when we got to the nighter up at the commercial rowing club.  Once we got to O Connel Street there where no buses going that particular way up past phoenix park along the River Liffey and trying to get a taxi in Dublin City centre on a Saturday night is near impossible so me with a bright idea  said come on let's walk its not far. Its a straight road.  1 hour 20 minutes late we finally got to the venue.  Did I get some abuse 🤔.  

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Think maybe 1970/71 possibly spring/spring bank. Me (youngest by at least 18 months), Judith, Ash, Paul + 2 more (they did the Pontins booking), Train to squires gate, holed up at Pontins. Long walk up to Central Drive & Mecca. Back to Pontins, still 'up' at 3-4am in the chalet only to hear a knock on the door and 2 x 30yr old guys "saying" they were security. In they came, they stayed for at least an hour and we we're Shi**ing ourselves. But we just talked them silly bored, and they left. None of us got any sleep.

In 70/71 it was just called rare soul not Northern Soul, so maybe it doesn't qualify.

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(It was that time of night) I remember sitting next to Keb Darge at The 100 Club, ‘Alphie Davidson - Love Is Serious Business’ was being played. A while in to the record I turned to Keb and asked….”Have you ever heard the 12” of this?”…… (Scotch accent of course) “Nor, I canna say I have”……There was a pause…….(Queue me) “Well…It’s very much like this…but longer”….......Another pause………”Well thanks for sharing that”……. We both cracked up - Doh!

I did say no matter how trivial they may seem - You can’t help the things that stick with you :D

Len :thumbsup:

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On 24/01/2021 at 14:59, Winsford Soul said:

Mike. Dublin again.  We all decide to get changed on the ferry to save time when we got to the nighter up at the commercial rowing club.  Once we got to O Connel Street there where no buses going that particular way up past phoenix park along the River Liffey and trying to get a taxi in Dublin City centre on a Saturday night is near impossible so me with a bright idea  said come on let's walk its not far. Its a straight road.  1 hour 20 minutes late we finally got to the venue.  Did I get some abuse 🤔.  

I remember that night Steve, what a walk that was, freezing cold  too 🥶 think I’ve got some pics somewhere 🙄😊 Kaz

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