News: BBC 2 - Northern Soul at the Proms - Tv Broadcast Saturday Night

[Mike]

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[Rick Scott]

1 hour ago, Mike said:

BBC TWO this Saturday 26th August at 19:45 -21.45 hrs, a 1 hour, 30-minute show.

Just to be clear the above time start and Finnish according to TV Schedules is 7:45 Start and 9:15 Ending

[Mike]

16 minutes ago, Rick Scott said:

Just to be clear the above time start and Finnish according to TV Schedules is 7:45 Start and 9:15 Ending

good catch, article edited to reflect this

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/guide/bbctwo/20230826

thanks

[Happy Feet]

Let's hope they over run again ,,,,, 

[Seano]

Just flicked through this week's Waitrose 'Weekend' newspaper and surprised to see a 2 page spread where Stuart Maconie normally has a column featuring Northern Soul, focussed on the up coming screening of the Prom.

[Roburt]

Looking forward to watching this TV show tonight.

[Paul H]

Is this bringing the longest underground scene, our beloved Northern soul, into the mainstream public eye ?

Watching it now, and the singers and musicians are presenting the music very well and good choice of sounds to a packed Albert Hall.

But i wished it would stay underground, under the radar, off the screens, or am i just getting too old.......

[Roburt]

90 minutes of great TV ....   . . . good songs, good musicians, good singers.

Best thing on the box this year.

[Owd Codger]

Indeed

Just enjoy the music as it was intended, not how it relects on YOU .

[Soulman58]

Having given up after 3 songs on the radio, I have now watched it.  Enjoyable yes, but I enjoyed the tribute to Aretha and the Dee Dee Bridgewater concerts more.

 

 

[Frankie Crocker]

54 minutes ago, Paul H said:

Is this bringing the longest underground scene, our beloved Northern soul, into the mainstream public eye ?

Watching it now, and the singers and musicians are presenting the music very well and good choice of sounds to a packed Albert Hall.

But i wished it would stay underground, under the radar, off the screens, or am i just getting too old.......

In the words of Williams and Watson, it’s far ‘Too Late’. The music’s not been underground for decades so just go with the flow, discover your own obscure sounds and support venues where progressive DJ’s work hard at exposing the rarest of the rare.

[Scooterboy]

It was a great show, thoroughly enjoyed it.

 

[Soulof]

We really loved it! Brilliant singers and orchestra  it sounded amazing even on our really ole TV without surround sound.  Read in the other thread some songs did not make the cut hope they release another longer one with them included as well  

[Mike]

If missed or want to rewatch the current BBC iPlayer link is below

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001q211/bbc-proms-2023-northern-soul-at-the-proms

[Neil Austin]

Really did enjoy the show , nice glass of wine  what a treat .

well done Stuart ️️️️️

[Colsoul]

A fitting tribute to the original artists and musicians, Col.

[Kenb]

Sing-along-a-Northern.

Maybe you had to be there. Glad i wasn't.

[Roburt]

Wish I'd known about it early enough to have gotten a ticket & been there.

[Tazhoughton]

I personally thought the Royal Albert Hall represented our Passion for soul music really well ,  

Everyone there looked like they had an amazing time,  the atmosphere must have been electric, 

I do love the Proms so for me it was a perfect match,  

Edited August 27, 2023 by Tazhoughton

[Neil Austin]

Yep , if Stuart did again I would go 100% 

 

[ulyssees]

Enjoyed the prom,  my only gripe …..no instrumentals, imagine Festival Time, Bari Track or Double Cooking played by that orchestra.

[Neil Austin]

A little Ramsey Lewis too ️

[Tazhoughton]

Holly st James, 

Imagine the kettle drums at the beginning ♡ , that would be a choice from me , 

[Hooker1951]

That was a bloody good effort to get it right

ML

[Carty]

Didnt  work for me .

[Kathryn Magson]

16 minutes ago, Carty said:

Didnt  work for me .

Me neither - sadly it's all becoming way too commercialized for my liking 

Edited August 27, 2023 by Kathryn Magson

[Frankie Crocker]

On 25/08/2023 at 20:08, Seano said:

Just flicked through this week's Waitrose 'Weekend' newspaper and surprised to see a 2 page spread where Stuart Maconie normally has a column featuring Northern Soul, focussed on the up coming screening of the Prom.

Thanks for the heads-up. I just walked to central London via Waitrose to pick up a copy. Boy, does Maconie write well. I’ve just started his book, The Pie At Night, and am enjoying it tremendously.

[Mick Reed]

1 hour ago, Carty said:

Didnt  work for me .

Snap

[45cellar]

19 hours ago, Soulof said:

We really loved it! Brilliant singers and orchestra  it sounded amazing even on our really ole TV without surround sound.  Read in the other thread some songs did not make the cut hope they release another longer one with them included as well  

I hope so too. 

It would have been nice to see the full version. Surely they could have allocated extra time for this event.

I enjoyed the program.

The singers and orchestra covered the songs well.

5 hours ago, ulyssees said:

Enjoyed the prom,  my only gripe …..no instrumentals, imagine Festival Time, Bari Track or Double Cooking played by that orchestra.

If they do revisit in future and with such an orchestra at their disposal the Instrumentals should definitely feature.

[Leicester Boy]

For those who enjoyed it.. great. Is it what we were got into when we were young and stupid, I think not but each to their own.

[Mush]

Young and stupid, maybe, but it was our passion, and nothing can take that away, we are Soulies.

I absolutely loved it, yes it was all main stream stuff, but the point is the BBC recognised our passion and put it out there, yes we are are a niche group of people but putting it out there can only be for the benefit of us, I didn't even know it was on. Until last year I lived in a small village in Oxfordshire for 5 years, nobody had even heard of Northern Soul there, I got a text this morning to say watch it on catch up from my mate Dave(75), he absolutly loved it, never too old to enjoy our passion!!!

 

Now living back in my home city, Southampton

 

[Stephen Houghton]

Nice one mush ,I agree with everything you have said

[Thinksmart]

Once underground, Subculture is now becoming the newly accepted mainstream culture whether Northern Soul or orchestral House music. It has more cultural relevance for most than ballet or opera by now.

Edited August 28, 2023 by Thinksmart

[Epic]

On 26/08/2023 at 20:51, Paul H said:

Is this bringing the longest underground scene, our beloved Northern soul, into the mainstream public eye ?

Watching it now, and the singers and musicians are presenting the music very well and good choice of sounds to a packed Albert Hall.

But i wished it would stay underground, under the radar, off the screens, or am i just getting too old.......

That ship sailed in 1977 with the Granada "This England" programme on Wigan Casino !!

[Soul-slider]

On 26/08/2023 at 23:26, Soulof said:

We really loved it! Brilliant singers and orchestra  it sounded amazing even on our really ole TV without surround sound.  Read in the other thread some songs did not make the cut hope they release another longer one with them included as well  

One was Jimmy Beaumont's 'I Never Loved Her Anyway'.

[Stevesilktulip]

Haven't seen it and probably won't but can't get exited either way. Regarding Stuart Maconie, on a northern soul show on radio 2 a few years back, he said he loves the music but doesn't like the politics. To illustrate this he told the story of when he tried to play 'the Night' but found himself on the wrong side of a compilation so played 'Grease' on the basis they'd know it. He just likes every pop music fad deemed 'cool' by the telly since he saw the Beatles aged about three.  

[Stephen Houghton]

Same as a awful lot of northern djs 

[Tykebike]

The singers and the orchestra did an excellent job but I hate the way that its seems that history has been re written so that Wigan Casino is the be all and end all of Northern Soul but its' predessor The Twisted Wheel has been airbrushed out. Other clubs of the late 60's contributed to the type of soul music that became known as Northern Soul long before Wigan Casino.

I wouldn't class Hold Back The Night by the Trammps as Northern Soul as it's the type of sound that we Wheelers rebelled against in much the same way as those super smooth productions by  The Stylistics, Chi-lites, Commodores, Harold Melvin etc. 

Let battle commence...

[AlanB]

On 27/08/2023 at 13:36, ulyssees said:

Enjoyed the prom,  my only gripe …..no instrumentals, imagine Festival Time, Bari Track or Double Cooking played by that orchestra.

Exus Trek and Sliced Tomatoes were on the radio (full) version.  I think your suggestions would have been better choices .

[Owd Codger]

5 hours ago, Tykebike said:

The singers and the orchestra did an excellent job but I hate the way that its seems that history has been re written so that Wigan Casino is the be all and end all of Northern Soul but its' predessor The Twisted Wheel has been airbrushed out. Other clubs of the late 60's contributed to the type of soul music that became known as Northern Soul long before Wigan Casino.

I wouldn't class Hold Back The Night by the Trammps as Northern Soul as it's the type of sound that we Wheelers rebelled against in much the same way as those super smooth productions by  The Stylistics, Chi-lites, Commodores, Harold Melvin etc. 

Let battle commence...

The Wheel closed in January 1971  I think.....quite a few years before the type of smooth productions as above. And things like "Hold back the night" and "Heaven must be missing an angel" were probably played at Rare soul venues before crossing over.

When I went to The Wheel, as I recall, there was no  "Title" attached to the type of club playing rare soul....it was a place that attracted you because they played "IMPORTS"...wow!!

Edited August 28, 2023 by Owd Codger

[Bourne Fox]

Regarding “Hold back the Night “, the instrumental “Scrub Board “ was/is popular and still gets plays on the scene to this day. 

Edited August 28, 2023 by Bourne Fox

[Sutty]

11 hours ago, Stevesilktulip said:

Haven't seen it and probably won't but can't get exited either way. Regarding Stuart Maconie, on a northern soul show on radio 2 a few years back, he said he loves the music but doesn't like the politics. To illustrate this he told the story of when he tried to play 'the Night' but found himself on the wrong side of a compilation so played 'Grease' on the basis they'd know it. He just likes every pop music fad deemed 'cool' by the telly since he saw the Beatles aged about three.  

Was it him, I can’t remember, it was at the 100 club and it was a celebrity radio guest who was playing off CD and selected the wrong track and did indeed play ‘grease is the word” instead of the night… great hilarity ensued… it was def not intentional as he apologised over the mic (whoever it was)

[Mgm 1251]

8 hours ago, Sutty said:

Was it him, I can’t remember, it was at the 100 club and it was a celebrity radio guest who was playing off CD and selected the wrong track and did indeed play ‘grease is the word” instead of the night… great hilarity ensued… it was def not intentional as he apologised over the mic (whoever it was)

I think it was Andy Davies,Johnathon Ross’ sidekick on Radio 2,whom Stuart had on his Northern Soul show,also on Radio 2...

Edited August 29, 2023 by Mgm 1251
addition

[Frankie Crocker]

21 hours ago, Tykebike said:

 

I wouldn't class Hold Back The Night by the Trammps as Northern Soul as it's the type of sound that we Wheelers rebelled against in much the same way as those super smooth productions by  The Stylistics, Chi-lites, Commodores, Harold Melvin etc. 

 

Me neither. Trammps were pure disco fodder when I was in Manchester during the mid to late 70’s. Rather like the Tavares, another decent outfit with tunes that grace any wedding celebration as they are accessible to anyone who can handle  pop music. I think Maconie must have included Hold Back The Night to make the Prom a bit more populist and to cow-tow to the ultra-Woke layers of management at the BBC. Inclusion of the tune also reflects his very limited knowledge of Northern Soul.

[Chalky]

7 hours ago, Frankie Crocker said:

Me neither. Trammps were pure disco fodder when I was in Manchester during the mid to late 70’s. Rather like the Tavares, another decent outfit with tunes that grace any wedding celebration as they are accessible to anyone who can handle  pop music. I think Maconie must have included Hold Back The Night to make the Prom a bit more populist and to cow-tow to the ultra-Woke layers of management at the BBC. Inclusion of the tune also reflects his very limited knowledge of Northern Soul.

There is far more to Tavares than their pop hits, some great 70s soul

Edited August 29, 2023 by Chalky

[Eddie Hubbard]

2 minutes ago, Chalky said:

There is far, more to Tavares than their pop hits, some great 70s soul

Exactly ,albums like Hard Core Poetry and Madame Butterfly are great examples of 70’s Soul at its best .

[Eddie Hubbard]

8 minutes ago, Frankie Crocker said:

Me neither. Trammps were pure disco fodder when I was in Manchester during the mid to late 70’s. Rather like the Tavares, another decent outfit with tunes that grace any wedding celebration as they are accessible to anyone who can handle  pop music. I think Maconie must have included Hold Back The Night to make the Prom a bit more populist and to cow-tow to the ultra-Woke layers of management at the BBC. Inclusion of the tune also reflects his very limited knowledge of Northern Soul.

To be fair ,Hold Back The Night was massive at Wigan ,played by John Vincent off the new Zing album .The tune was only previously known as the instrumental Scrub Board ,from The Torch era etc 

[Steve G]

Ha!  "Hold Back The Night" - it just so happens I finished my set Sunday evening with this. Floor rammed more so than any other northern classics and oldies. Make of that what you will.  

Edited August 29, 2023 by Steve G

[Kenb]

16 minutes ago, Frankie Crocker said:

Me neither. Trammps were pure disco fodder when I was in Manchester during the mid to late 70’s. Rather like the Tavares, another decent outfit with tunes that grace any wedding celebration as they are accessible to anyone who can handle  pop music. I think Maconie must have included Hold Back The Night to make the Prom a bit more populist and to cow-tow to the ultra-Woke layers of management at the BBC. Inclusion of the tune also reflects his very limited knowledge of Northern Soul.

Tavares With Freda Payne :I Wanna See You Soon. Cheap as chips and v.g (IMO)

[Owd Codger]

4 minutes ago, Eddie Hubbard said:

To be fair ,Hold Back The Night was massive at Wigan ,played by John Vincent off the new Zing album .The tune was only previously known as the instrumental Scrub Board ,from The Torch era etc 

Which is what I said above...

A record never changes, only a person's viewpoint as to that record's reflection on their ever changing tastes and self image.