Be it strange, awful , chart hits, wrong genre... 

  My baby just cares for me - nina simone.   (Peterborough,  early 80s), I sat there thinking 'what the?' .. but have since grown to love it 

 Any more ? 

In the mid to late 60's, lots of strange tracks got played. Some died & were quickly forgotten, but others caught on. "Scratchy" by Travis Wammack being one of these. I seem to recall  "Groovin' With Mr. Bloe" getting niter spins before it made the UK pop charts.

Of course, in the Casino era, loads of tracks were played that you wouldn't dream of putting on the decks at a soul nite these days.

Ender tracks were also a bit out of ordinary but were played at most soul clubs -- at the Mojo from 1966 it was the Artistics "I'm Gonna Miss You" .. too slow to dance to but just the right type of soulful offering to let the crowd know that it was time to go.

Nev Wherry played The Ovaltineys - We Are The Ovaltineys at Loughborough niter in 77. He told me it’s just a joke and not the first time he had done it. 

When I first heard George Benson's On Broadway (I think it was at the Casino) I was initially taken aback, partly because it was already fairly well known generally. 

But one of the interesting things about the changing music that flows through the scene is that it often helps you to be less rigid in your sense of what is or isn't Northern, and to just tune into whether it's good music and if it gets your feet going.

GYPSY ,BY THE MOODY BLUES .at the casino

Maisonettes "Heartache Avenue" - 80s chart hit played I think by Dave Evison at Hinkley.

My very first allnighter at Vavas aged 15. And was surprised to hear the Rolling Stones version of Under My Thumb.

 

 

Paul

some surprises here,   thanks all .   The Ovaltinie's takes it though 

1 hour ago, Seano said:

When I first heard George Benson's On Broadway (I think it was at the Casino) I was initially taken aback, partly because it was already fairly well known generally. 

 

heard this in the Bali Hai, Nottingham.    my Dunlop green flash were soon in action .  love it !

5 hours ago, Ian Parker said:

Be it strange, awful , chart hits, wrong genre... 

  My baby just cares for me - nina simone.   (Peterborough,  early 80s), I sat there thinking 'what the?' .. but have since grown to love it 

 Any more ? 

We had been to a Friday night do at The Railway in West Hampstead (60ts). It was mainly late 50s and early 60s R&B. Nina Simone was played and I bet Tony Warot he wouldn't dare play it out at a nighter. He did, at The Fleet the following night. That was late 79.

6 hours ago, Ian Parker said:

Be it strange, awful , chart hits, wrong genre... 

  My baby just cares for me - nina simone.   (Peterborough,  early 80s), I sat there thinking 'what the?' .. but have since grown to love it 

 Any more ? 

I'm pretty sure that Tony Warot was responsible for first playing and making popular the Nina Simone track.

It became quite a big play at the time particularly at The Fleet.

Loved Tony but hated the record.

Rob

i may have dates wrong,  sounds feesible,   Tony was EASC stalwart, back then.

How about Ian Dury 'Hit me with your rhythm stick ' at Yate. 

6 minutes ago, Robr said:

I'm pretty sure that Tony Warot was responsible for first playing and making popular the Nina Simone track.

It became quite a big play at the time particularly at The Fleet.

Loved Tony but hated the record.

Rob

Not quite the first to play it. It was big at Ady's 6Ts does. Tony introduced it to the nighter scene as described previously. 

Other plays Tony got minor success with at The Fleet in that period were Peggy Scott-You've got it all and New Censation- I've got nothing but time. He wasn't scared to be a bit different......on many levels 😄

Spencer Davis Group keep on running about sometime 76/77 near closing time  daylight thro windows main room near empty

Martyn

You are so right about Tony being " a bit different on many levels ". 🥴🥴

26 minutes ago, Robr said:

Martyn

You are so right about Tony being " a bit different on many levels ". 🥴🥴

You obviously knew him well. 😅

33 minutes ago, Olivernorth said:

Spencer Davis Group keep on running about sometime 76/77 near closing time  daylight thro windows main room near empty

Mr M's,  more than once,  for me 

FWIW - Frankie Crocker used to regularly play Nina's "My baby just cares for me" on his WBLS radio shows back in the mid-70's. 

6 hours ago, Merve said:

How about Ian Dury 'Hit me with your rhythm stick ' at Yate. 

I remember Mr Thorley playing that......

I also recall, Spencer Davis-Give me some lovin at Whitchurch all -dayers mid 70's.

L.J.Johnson , Your Magic Put A Spell On Me , played at the Casino in 76 ( pretty sure but most Saturday Alnighters becoming a little bit hazy , it's an awful long time ago ) when there was so much animosity towards anything Levine , and it packed the floor at the time , copies on discogs today from .50p  

7 hours ago, Daniel Nooger said:

FWIW - Frankie Crocker used to regularly play Nina's "My baby just cares for me" on his WBLS radio shows back in the mid-70's. 

Like I said Tony never claimed to have discovered it. He just brought it to the wider audience. 

8 minutes ago, Merve said:

Like I said Tony never claimed to have discovered it. He just brought it to the wider audience. 

After Tony Ellis , had introduced it to the 6ts crowd , probably Hampstead & the soul nights at Le Papillon in Brighton, where it fitted in nicely , & later on he used to finish off at the 100 club with it & occasionally , and depending on how many where left standing ( in those days it was an 8 am finish ) he had to empty the room , the theme to " Coronation Street" not sure which version , we where gone before the end lol 😂 

Ian Dury ?    we have a winner !  

21 hours ago, Ian Parker said:

some surprises here,   thanks all .   The Ovaltinie's takes it though 

heard this in the Bali Hai, Nottingham.    my Dunlop green flash were soon in action .  love it !

Still got my Dunlop green flashes.   But how do you dance in them??🤣

On 29/12/2024 at 08:10, Ian Parker said:

Be it strange, awful , chart hits, wrong genre... 

  My baby just cares for me - nina simone.   (Peterborough,  early 80s), I sat there thinking 'what the?' .. but have since grown to love it 

 Any more ? 

I was there, I remember thinking the same as you. It was a big sound in King's Lynn too for some reason! I guess it does have a nice bassy R&B Jazz mid-tempo beat to it.

Edited December 30, 2024Dec 30 by Soul-slider