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Billy Ocean red light, Northern soul?


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Just heard Eddie pillar and keb, debating on this apparently thorny issue, on the excellent mod cast radio show. I've always thought it's just a pop tune that might get requested by a certain type of less discerning punter at a soul/ Motown night. Surely it wasn't played at nighters as a new release, was it?🧐😩🥺🥺🤯.

Edited by Geeselad
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3 hours ago, Tobytyke said:

It is a pop/soul record yes.But it's a lot better vocally and easier to dance to than a lot of "rare" northern/modern/popcorn that go for hundreds of pounds on a daily basis. 

No it isnt a soul record. Just a crap pop record that happens to have the right beat and, to make it worse, a haunting chorus. I loathe it.

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As the Pursuaders  wrote...its a fine line between norvun and pop...so to speak.

Most of Williams songs are great pop records. Going gets tough...always good for a wedding or the later divorce party:)

Had the pop madness just started to wain in 77? 

RLSD certainly has undertones of "the night"

I also hope I never hear it at a norther soul night...but with across the board anything goes....who knows!

In March 2018 I did hear December 63 played out, which I was totally shocked!

Ed

Edited by Tomangoes
Spello
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11 hours ago, Lambrettagp200 said:

It was played regularly at scooter rallies in the eighties when I was travelling all over the place.

 

10 hours ago, Soul-slider said:

I remember hearing it out, in fact I bought it as a 'Northern Soul' tune, probably around 1980.

Likewise, I heard it out frequently around that time and also bought it. And I’ve also heard it played out here in NL, although no comment about that. 🤨

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It's not even soul - in my opinion of course.  At the time it came out all you could hear on the radio was an unremitting stream of utter tripe - peddled mainly by the knuckle dragging cretins on radio 1 et al.  So frustrating that at a time when so much brilliant soul music was being made all we could hear was Mud, Abba, Q***n etc.  Never heard the likes of Latimore, Dramatics, Leroy Hutson for example just crap and more crap.  Been boiling my piss for almost 50 years now - time for a lie down!

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A great record of its time that helped bring alot of people onto the scene, me included as an 11 year old, along with Motown chartbusters vol3, Mr Bloe, Soul Limbo and Chairmen of the Board 45s...these were the only 45s and lps available in the early 80s for spotty soul lovers starting out.....so beggars couldnt be choosy.

 Ive heard far worse but varying opinions are what make it all such fun eh?

Give me Billy over Bill Bush anyday😉

Stay safe all

Jim

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Surely his “love really hurts without you” is more “northern” than the red light! I recall youth club days and at the local disco if someone said “put some northern on” it was “love really hurts without you” invariably came on!

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Apologies in advance if it looks like I'm name dropping but my Wife has met Billy several times via a very close friend who always drives his coach when he tours in the UK.
She asked him this very question & he was flattered to hear of the interest.
He said it was released as a Soul record for the UK market as was Love Really Hurts Without You & he never expected them to be the massive hit that they were.
He also classes himself as a Soul singer (rightly so IMO) so there you have it from the horses mouth so to speak.

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Was out last Saturday at a small 5Oth outside party(all correctly sat at our tables I might add) and the singer during his stint shouted "Now for some Northern Soul" as he sang this. Loads saying "Hey Sandra singing  this for you!" Soon had them stand corrected as I quickly sank into my chair. 🤣

 

Edited by Wayoutgirl
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2 hours ago, Roblufc said:

A decent pop record but never a Northern tune, not in a million years for me.

Never heard it played out at any Soul Night or Nighter I have attended since 1979.

Rob

Totally agree.  Nice record to listen to on radio in the van driving around.  But definitely not a niter tune. Even at a  soul nite I'd be cringing lol 

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1 minute ago, Geoffp said:

Why exactly ?

11 minutes ago, Tomangoes said:

Instead of making a perfectly good NS record like Tainted Love into a pop tune...maybe somebody could make RLSD into a good NS tune...

Ed

 

I bet there's someone playing around with an edit as we speak. 😩🙄😉

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1 hour ago, Tomangoes said:

Instead of making a perfectly good NS record like Tainted Love into a pop tune...maybe somebody could make RLSD into a good NS tune...

Ed

Oh I really hope not.

There's been far too much interference from the outside media world as it is and it never does the scene any justice and generally makes us look or sound dimwits.

Rob

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14 hours ago, Petered said:

It's not even soul - in my opinion of course.  At the time it came out all you could hear on the radio was an unremitting stream of utter tripe - peddled mainly by the knuckle dragging cretins on radio 1 et al.  So frustrating that at a time when so much brilliant soul music was being made all we could hear was Mud, Abba, Q***n etc.  Never heard the likes of Latimore, Dramatics, Leroy Hutson for example just crap and more crap.  Been boiling my piss for almost 50 years now - time for a lie down!

You missed out Showaddywaddy and Darts. They were my meat and potatoes until I was 11yrs old and could go to the Youth club in 1978. Then my eyes got opened.....

.

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As mentioned before this is a classic on the scooter scene. It's been a huge record at least since my first scooter run in 1989. Infact, along Melba Moore's Magic Touch this is a "in case of empty dancefloor break the glass and play this" type of record.

Can we move on to another record please?

Edited by Benji
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