bought a couple of Mod cds and was surprised at some of the tunes listed, some northern and some sounding very northern. My older brother was a big mod and motown fan and then later in life got into northern. Do you think the mod scene played an important role as a fore runner to the northern scene?. the reason I ask is that it seems lots af credit is given to the black music scene in the early mid sixties, motown and R&B, but little is mentioned about the mod scene and its role. Would love more info on the mod scene.

Edited February 25, 200718 yr by bridget

Mikey, not too sure if I would welcome an Imber revival, look what happened when the LP "Imber Born Imberbread" was released in 97, some of the best soul acts in the country collaborated on this superb album but most people (soul source included) concentrated too much on comparisons to Ian Levine's productions.

Some people forget that acts like Driza Boneon emerged at Imber and the Mod scene at Imber was exactly the same as the Mod scene in London apart from the farm smocks and customised tractors.

Will I have one of my testicles gnawed off now by Pete Smith for high jacking the thread? Sorry Bridget, the fookin devil makes me do these things!

bought a couple of Mod cds and was surprised at some of the tunes listed, some northern and some sounding very northern. My older brother was a big mod and motown fan and then later in life got into northern. Do you think the mod scene played an important role as a fore runner to the northern scene?. the reason I ask is that it seems lots af credit is given to the black music scene in the early mid sixties, motown and R&B, but little is mentioned about the mod scene and its role. Would love more info on the mod scene.

you will find mods have a very varried and wide taste in music,all black or black influenced. I love

50,s 60,s R&B, northern,ska,Booker T, early small faces,jim Hendrix,Doors,lesser known Motown.

not a big lover of Funk,crossover,modern,but i know mods who are.

Dont think mod played a roll, the music played the roll..ie: blues,R&B motown,northern,crossover,funk,disco,

modern. Rocker billy,mod,suede,s,skins,soulies are all off- shoot fashions of these and most of stick with what we like and feel most comfortable at being.

I am comfortable with being a Mod...and am what ever i listen to or where ever i go

I have had some fantastic CDs of Mod style RnB, Funk, Ska, Soul and Beat from people who are members of this forum and very much into the Mod scene. I am very intrested in what has and is being played on the Mod scene.

Thats all I was getting at, no need to be offensive!

Reading back my post I can't see where I was offensive?

bought a couple of Mod cds and was surprised at some of the tunes listed, some northern and some sounding very northern. My older brother was a big mod and motown fan and then later in life got into northern. Do you think the mod scene played an important role as a fore runner to the northern scene?. the reason I ask is that it seems lots af credit is given to the black music scene in the early mid sixties, motown and R&B, but little is mentioned about the mod scene and its role. Would love more info on the mod scene.

i was a mod at school, which led straight on to scooterby-dom, and NS.

so there you go! i owe it all to paul weller

I have had some fantastic CDs of Mod style RnB, Funk, Ska, Soul and Beat from people who are members of this forum and very much into the Mod scene. I am very intrested in what has and is being played on the Mod scene.

Thats all I was getting at, no need to be offensive!

I think perhaps you misunderstood my comment, By asking about divs I wasn't refering to mods etc, it was that at the time (early 70s) anybody outside the Northern Scene were generally referred to as divs. it was a second though and out of interest as to where the term originated from.

Mr Bridget.

Geoff, I am so jealous mate! It sounds as if you where present at a very important time in British music and youth culture, wish I could have been there as well.

I don't think "Mod" music gave much to the soul scene but I do think the "Mods" pulled out a genre of soul music making it more accessible or at least played to a wider audience just as blue beet n ska went from underground to over ground.

The "Mod" sound was a very clean, limp wristed almost "poppy" sound in its own right.

The copyists who tried to recreate RnB and soul where exactly copyists. The Stones, Georgie Fame, and a host of artists who we now refer to as "Blue eyed soul", Dusty Springfields springs to mind.

There are two distinctive sounds here, take for example what is British born "Mod" Freddy and the Dreamers or Gerry and the Pacemakers and of course The kinks, very British and very "Mod" and not very soulful indeed.

The American Black influence on music didn't become "Mod", it was liked by "Mods" but I think it always remained labelled RnB or Motown, I think most "Mods" would have said I like this and I like that, that's "Mod" but I also like Motown, RnB and Jazz.

Of course it is a mine field when we start to label music; it's like trying to explain the taste of food, difficult and some times impossible.

I do know that there was a separation, slight as it may have been but a separation none the less. Geographically and genre wise, I am of course having to stereo type and refer to the "North South Divide".

"Mod" existed oop North as well but gravitated more towards a separate genre and that was of soul later to become what we know and love "Northernsoul".

The Marquee, The 100 club, The Flamingo and the Shepherds Bush music where all important but faded for a long while after fashions and taste changed. "Mod" lost its credibility when it was dropped like a hot potato by the South as fashions changed and the music changed.

The North of England held "Their" music a little more closely to their hearts and Northern soul became ingrained into the culture oop North. Of course the 100 club and Drummonds and RSG and the like get a big nod of respect but lets face it they where started by Northerners who had moved down south.

"Mod" British pop music.

Sorry to stir the north south thang.......... Honest. :-)

P.S. little disappointed that The Imber Beat hasn't been mentioned? :-(

Freddie & the Dreamers and Gerry And the Pacemakers "Mod" ?

Me thinks you're talking out of your arse mate!

A good read for the youngsters in todays northern scene which relates fairly well to this thread has been written by a guy on the scene who is about my age and who's time on the scene has followed a very similar pattern to mine.

His pen name is Maxwell Murray and the book is titled CRACKIN UP and is published by Moonshine Fiction.

Freddie & the Dreamers and Gerry And the Pacemakers "Mod" ?

Me thinks you're talking out of your arse mate!

About as mod as my dog.........

About as mod as my dog.........

Freddie and the dreamers and Gerry and the foooooooooooking pacemakers

Freddie and the dreamers and Gerry and the foooooooooooking pacemakers

no Steve - Shite!

This has been a fantastic thread and to read those Mod reminiscences from those that were there over 40 years ago is just amazing, particularly from Dr Bob Jones - great to see him on here. These would make an absolutely brilliant book project.

Does anybody remember Randy Cozens' Mod Top 100 in NME from about 1979 or 1980? NME ran an article looking back at the original Mod scene in the light of what was in 79/80 of course the massive revival. Randy was asked to compile a "true" Mod 100 faves and the list was superb and, at least for me and my mates, a shopping list of what to get! Some of us had the bloody thing stuck on the bedroom wall for reference!!

As I recall, it was all authentic soul, r&b etc, by which I mean no English bands like the Who or Small Faces etc. The list covered all the top black music spectrum of the time (except the more commercially successful stuff, like Otis Redding, Tamla etc) from Howlin' Wolf and John lee Hooker to what now gets referred to as "club soul", i.e your gritty Howard Tate etc right across to what became (and still is now) regarded as evergreen "Northern" classics. Examples on the list as I recall included

Sapphires - Gotta Have Your love

Invitations - What's Wrong With Me Baby

Fascinations - Girls Are Out To Get You

Doris Troy - I'll Do Anything

Candy & The Kisses - The 81

Bob Kuban & The In Men - The Cheater

All were quoted as being on British labels, though as we all know, the clubs back then pushing soul music were already pioneering the import of more obscure stuff.

Love to hear more fom Bob Jones about some of the sounds he was dancing to back then.

Yeah .... took me about 10 years to track down a copy of Rancid Polecat on Liberty.

Yeah .... took me about 10 years to track down a copy of Rancid Polecat on Liberty.

Always wondered why it wasnt spun at sneakers

But we did have Birdlegs and Pauline lol

Al H

The "Mod" sound was a very clean, limp wristed almost "poppy" sound in its own right.

My personal Mod top three are:

Sh'mon - Mr Dynamite

Just You And I - Guitar Red

Yield Not To Temptation - Bobby Bland

In what way are they limp wristed compared to, for instance, Touch of Venus?

There are two distinctive sounds here, take for example what is British born "Mod" Freddy and the Dreamers or Gerry and the Pacemakers and of course The kinks, very British and very "Mod" and not very soulful indeed.

You're confusion of Gerry and The Pacemakers with mod clearly illustrates why you should have kept this opinion to yourself! Personally I don't think any of your examples are actually "mod" and I haven't got any of their records in my collection, even from when I was 13.

The American Black influence on music didn't become "Mod", it was liked by "Mods" but I think it always remained labelled RnB or Motown, I think most "Mods" would have said I like this and I like that, that's "Mod" but I also like Motown, RnB and Jazz.

Isn't that the whole point? They liked certain genres of music, its didn't have to have mod stamped all over it.

"Mod" existed oop North as well but gravitated more towards a separate genre and that was of soul later to become what we know and love "Northernsoul".

So you're saying that mods down south didn't like black American music? Instead they liked bands from up North like Gerry and the Pacemakers? Ferk me sideways. I rememebr someone writing in Record Collector about Scottish mod bands years ago repeating a similar slight, naff English mods never liked soul music, they only ever listened to pop records.

Yeah .... took me about 10 years to track down a copy of Rancid Polecat on Liberty.

Best on a British demo

There are two distinctive sounds here, take for example what is British born "Mod" Freddy and the Dreamers or Gerry and the Pacemakers and of course The kinks, very British and very "Mod" and not very soulful indeed.

You're confusion of Gerry and The Pacemakers with mod clearly illustrates why you should have kept this opinion to yourself! Personally I don't think any of your examples are actually "mod" and I haven't got any of their records in my collection, even from when I was 13.

You mean you havent got a copy of "you were made for me" Stuart? Come now - I bet you spent years in front of the mirror perfecting the Freddy Garrity leg kick move....

You mean you havent got a copy of "you were made for me" Stuart? Come now - I bet you spent years in front of the mirror perfecting the Freddy Garrity leg kick move....

Didn't he sing that on Blue Peter once? Was it the episode where the elephant dumped on the floor?

Didn't he sing that on Blue Peter once? Was it the episode where the elephant dumped on the floor?

I beleive so! Infact it must have been seeing a repeat of that clip as a lad that got me into the mod thing in the first place.....

I beleive so! Infact it must have been seeing a repeat of that clip as a lad that got me into the mod thing in the first place.....

Yep, better than that Ready Steady Go nonsense, saw some of that once, this black bloke was on whingeing away in a funny voice, some people think thats called singing. The dog started howling along. Anyway, onto the good stuff, "How do you do what you do to me..." who sang that?

Classic mistake chaps.

Just because I was born in Liverpool doesn't mean everyone born in Liverpool is a Mod.

We can lay claim to a Scouse Northern Soul record in I Stand Accused, a mersey classic from Tony Colton released by The Merseybeats and Elvis Costello. Beat that Surrey!

I used to have a Pacemaker gearbox on my Lambretta too. It's all starting to stack up...

Geoff, I am so jealous mate! It sounds as if you where present at a very important time in British music and youth culture, wish I could have been there as well.

I don't think "Mod" music gave much to the soul scene but I do think the "Mods" pulled out a genre of soul music making it more accessible or at least played to a wider audience just as blue beet n ska went from underground to over ground.

The "Mod" sound was a very clean, limp wristed almost "poppy" sound in its own right.

The copyists who tried to recreate RnB and soul where exactly copyists. The Stones, Georgie Fame, and a host of artists who we now refer to as "Blue eyed soul", Dusty Springfields springs to mind.

There are two distinctive sounds here, take for example what is British born "Mod" Freddy and the Dreamers or Gerry and the Pacemakers and of course The kinks, very British and very "Mod" and not very soulful indeed.

The American Black influence on music didn't become "Mod", it was liked by "Mods" but I think it always remained labelled RnB or Motown, I think most "Mods" would have said I like this and I like that, that's "Mod" but I also like Motown, RnB and Jazz.

Of course it is a mine field when we start to label music; it's like trying to explain the taste of food, difficult and some times impossible.

I do know that there was a separation, slight as it may have been but a separation none the less. Geographically and genre wise, I am of course having to stereo type and refer to the "North South Divide".

"Mod" existed oop North as well but gravitated more towards a separate genre and that was of soul later to become what we know and love "Northernsoul".

The Marquee, The 100 club, The Flamingo and the Shepherds Bush music where all important but faded for a long while after fashions and taste changed. "Mod" lost its credibility when it was dropped like a hot potato by the South as fashions changed and the music changed.

The North of England held "Their" music a little more closely to their hearts and Northern soul became ingrained into the culture oop North. Of course the 100 club and Drummonds and RSG and the like get a big nod of respect but lets face it they where started by Northerners who had moved down south.

"Mod" British pop music.

Sorry to stir the north south thang.......... Honest. :-)

P.S. little disappointed that The Imber Beat hasn't been mentioned? :-(

Freddy and the Dreamers, Gerry and the Pacemakers - Mod???? Surely a wind-up!?!?

A good read for the youngsters in todays northern scene which relates fairly well to this thread has been written by a guy on the scene who is about my age and who's time on the scene has followed a very similar pattern to mine.

His pen name is Maxwell Murray and the book is titled CRACKIN UP and is published by Moonshine Fiction.

A fantastic book.

Bleedin' eck!! Why did i have to start putting in new computer furniture while this thread was hotting up? Freddie and the dreamers???!!! Gerry and the 'kin Pacemakers???!!! There is absolutely no way you can be serious.

Go on, tell us you were joking-'cos it was really funny.

Magoo

Yep I was a Mod around 1979 from there I discovered the UK all-nighter scene . Probably the most fascinating British youth culture for me ,because of the many cosmopolitan influenzas it embraced .Thanks to this forum I have this picture of me from that year ***** Any more Mod pictures anyone ?

Bet you don't look like that now Simon! Do you remember giving a little mod, the year below you in school a lift down the A2 on the back of your sportique to Bogarts back in the day?

Bloody friends reunited or what!!

Magoo

Bet you don't look like that now Simon! Do you remember giving a little mod, the year below you in school a lift down the A2 on the back of your sportique to Bogarts back in the day?

Bloody friends reunited or what!!

Magoo

Bloody hell Magoo , this forum is amazing ..PM'd you

Bet you don't look like that now Simon! Do you remember giving a little mod, the year below you in school a lift down the A2 on the back of your sportique to Bogarts back in the day?

Bloody friends reunited or what!!

Magoo

Laughing, remember everyone having Bogarts badges and the Police lining us up by Maidstone Station and wanting to know what they were all about.

Bloody hell Magoo , this forum is amazing ..PM'd you

I'm wellin' up.

Laughing, remember everyone having Bogarts badges and the Police lining us up by Maidstone Station and wanting to know what they were all about.

I only managed to get a Zodiac Scooter Club patch on the jacket .Now that is a seriously rare patch for scooter types !! Wheres me Taffspeed now ( or even that Lime green SS with tiger skin) , hehehe

Edited March 20, 200718 yr by Simon M

I'm on the front cover of the Kent CD 'In the Beginning' with a number one crop in the top right hand corner sporting one of the first 'F*ck Art, Let's Dance' Tshirts....It was given to me by Chas Smash's brother and I was cautioned for wearing it in public by a policeman on the way to West Hampstead the night that photo was taken....happy days Jo

OH..........the recklessness of yoof

Hope you are well JO

Dukesy

Laughing, remember everyone having Bogarts badges and the Police lining us up by Maidstone Station and wanting to know what they were all about.

And as they thrashed you with their truncheons you never told them anything..... The secret of Bogarts remained safe...good man lol

Edited March 22, 200718 yr by vinylvixen

OH..........the recklessness of yoof

Hope you are well JO

Dukesy

Very well thanks mate I still have the Tshirt but sadly I could only squeeze an arm in where the body fitted before Time marches on Jo