Mike

Cleethorpes - Aftermath First from Pilar who along with Elena was on the decks, and a view from Heikki from Finland who must have visited every venue going in that week Just to help some of you who were there to refresh your braincells, (or for those like me who couldnt make it ) aware of what we missed, here,s a couple of reports on the weekender from the halls of Soul-Talk Pilars bit A bit late I know but all though I arrived to Valencia on Monday I just really landed yesterday! Here it is the playlist Elena and me played on our set, we played together in the Spanish hour, do you remember two girls with the same t-shirt? those were us!! H.B. Barnum - It hurts too much to cry - RCA Joan Baker - Everybody´s talking - Diamond Patti Austin - You´re too much a part of me - Coral Priscilla Page - I´m pretending - Topper Freda Payne - Sad September - MGM Anna King - Mama´s got a bag of her own Susan Rewis - They say you have found a new baby - Columbia Martha Starr - No part time love for me - Thelma Ojay´s - I´ll never forget you - Imperial Jo Ann Garrett - A whole new plan - Chess Ruby Winters - Better - Diamond Jackie Wilson - Because of you - Brunswick Patti Austin - I´ve given all my love to you Billy Eckstine - I wonder why - Motown Vernon Green - Look at me, look at me - Minit Tommy Frontera - You are my leading lady - Hi- Lite Big Joe Turner - Two loves have I - Philips John Bowie - You are gonna miss a good thing baby - Merben Ruby Andrews - Just loving you - Zodiac Marv Johnson - With all that´s in me - UA Patrice Holloway - Stolen hours - Capitol Tony Clarke - A wrong man - M-S Esther Philips - Just say goodbye - Atlantic Carolyn Crawford - Forget about me - Motown Betty Swan - Kiss my love goodbye - Atlantic A strange mixture but it worked! We were really scared as the Irish guy who was playing before us made an incredible set (I don´t know his name) and we weren´t on time to hear Greg Tormo, sorry. Thanks to everybody who gave us their support and congratulations, we were very happy to make it and couldn´t believe that we could pack the dancefloor at 2 p.m.!!!! See you next time! Best! Pilar Heikki there to the finish Back to normal again after a great Weekender, my daily rhythm was a right mess on Tesday and Wednesday, kept waking up in the middle of the night and falling asleep during the day... The live acts were both a lot better at Cleethorpes than at the 100 Club, Hoagys mike technique was still poor. Sidney barnes really is THE MAN, a top performer with a very professional touch. The crowd especially liked the bits when he told us how much he appreciates the northern scene & keeping the music alive even if many of the artists are long gone. Cant really remembe what was being played on Friday, Roger Banks was good with a very different style to others as usual, Andy the feet Rix was goodalso, I was supposed to go to get some sleep after his set but Dave Rimmer kept me on the dance floor for quite a while with some of my favourites incl. Cody Black - Slowly Molding. Saturday afternoon session was brilliant, I agree that the djs can be a bit more adventurous because theres no pressure of filling the floor. I walked in during Gregs set (didnt know it was you though), really top tunes I must say! All of the international sets were good so I cant name the best one, it was weird dancing in the daylight, but it was nice to have plenty of room. Sunday day session was about as good as the Saturday one, Dave Rimmer was great, Irish Greg was brilliant but my vote goes to Jo Wallace, she played a set with balls! 8-) It was great to hear The Poets - She Blew a Good Thing, group soul doesnt get much better now does it? Sunday night was something special of course, I dont think you can get that atmosphere anywhere else, it was even better than I remembered from last year. I could just stand and watch the mass of bodies dancing to the music with a big smile on my face. The record bar was very busy all the time, it was difficult to move around! Spent more money on a single record that I have ever done, got a nice copy of Bobby Williams - Ive Only Got Myself to Blame, Manship had it for a surprisingly reasonable price. All the best to everyone out there Heikki

LIFE & SOUL IV FRIDAY 15 JUNE 2001 - ROZEL HOTEL WESTON SUPER MARE A few words on fridays event from promoter Mike L. Mike L says... As usual quality sounds were played all night from the popular, to the rare and some just a little bit different All DJs did excellent and varied sets and maybe they will send me there playlists for me to post. Thanks to Dave Farrell for his debut set standing in for Simon Green at late notice, Ross with his usual expertise for hitting the right spot, John Nightingale for his brand of 70s Northern, a surprise (and sadly short - due to time) set by Phil Merrell - who actually djed at the Twisted Wheel -and Mark for a stonking ending. Big thanks to all who came - (and Im bound to miss people here, my apologies) - especiallyPaul OBrien from deepest Devon, and his mates from Cheltenham and elsewhere, Neil Selffrom Cheltenham, Phil and Dawn from Barnstable, All those from Cornwall - Falmouth and Newquay - good on ya for travelling so far, it is much appreciated.. My two short sets included:- Ballads - I cant see your love Bobbie Brown - I gotta have you OV Wright - Love the way you love Three Karats - Yes I Will Variations - Yesterday is gone Geraldine Hunt - Just believe in me Inez&Charlie Foxx - No stranger to love Third Guitar - Sad Girl Johnny Sayles - I cant get enough Temptations - I gotta find a way Smokey&Miracles - Soulful Shack Soul Children - Were getting too close Johnny Copeland - Suffering City TSU Toronados - What Good am I Patrice Holloway - Thats all you got to do Buckner Brothers - A change is gonna come Al Greene - Dont leave me Johnny Taylor&Carla Thomas - Just keep on loving me Second set:- Irma Thomas - What are you trying to do Kitty Clark - Big Wheel Moses Smith - Girl across the street Jesse Boone - I got to love you Billy Butler - Cant live without her Barbara Mercer - Hey Capreez - Soulsation Bobo Mr Soul - Hitch hike to heartbreak road Otis Redding - Demonstration Despite our biggest promotion exercise numbers were unfortunately a bit down, although there were sufficient through the door to have a good time -thanks to them. We posted details on about 8 web sites, were on 2 Northern chat groups, we dropped flyers at Cheltenham, Cardiff, Gloucester, Barnstable, 100 Club, we advertised in local press, and put posters up all around town, plus Blues and Soul. We also spread the word by talking to people, emailing and telephone - feedback received was promising generally. We had good reviews on several websites and Soul Up North magazine. We didnt clash with anything nearby, we co-operated with local promoters but hey, we all had a good time. Weve set up this venue on the basis of what people have told us they want. However, if Weston is wrong or the venue is wrong or the format please let me know. Were taking a break now until the Autumn because venues are difficult through the summer, and then well be back. Our residences at Brannigans in Bristol and Neptunes Nook will continue, as will our Summer Soul event in Bordeaux in August. Mike www.lifeandsoulpromotions.co.uk

More new stuff - Here is quick report inc playlists on last Fridays soul nite at the Ritz in Brighouse, thanks go out to Dave M Dave M just dashed a quick report on last nites Brighouse, so here you go Yes - I went to Brighouse Carl Willingham and Soul Sam were the guest DJs and it was a typical oldies session although Soul Sam can still clear the dancefloor with some of his plays!. Carl W played things like; Spiral Staircase - More Today Than Yesterday - Columbia Eddie Bishop - Call Me - Abc Soul Bros Six -Ill Be Loving You - Atlantic Ramsey Lewis - Wade In The Water - Cadet Checkerboard Squares - Double Cookin - Villa Invitations - Whats Wrong With Me Baby - Dynovoice Love,Love,Love - Bobby Hebb - Phillips Landslide - Tony Clarke - Chess Rose Batiste - I Miss My Baby - Revilot (Have you listened to the Revilot story on href="http://www.wfmu.org/Playlists/Finewine/">http://www.wfmu.org/Playlists/Finewine/ ? - brilliant!) Duke Browner - Crying Over You - Impact Velvelettes - These Things Will Keep Me Loving You - Soul Patti&The Emblems - Im Gonna Love You A Long Long Time - Kapp Johnny Caswell - You Dont Love Me Anymore - Decca Major Lance - You Dont Want Me Anymore - Okeh Marvelettes - Ill Keep Holdin On - Tamla Supremes - Back In My Arms Again - Motown Jackie Wilson - Because Of You - Brunswick Jimmy Burns - I Really Love You - Erica The Du-Ettes - Every Beat Of My Heart - Mar-V-Lus Carstairs - It Really Hurts me Girl - Red Coach Soul Sam tends to play a strange mix of classic oldies and more modern stuff in batches of three records. He played things like; Dells - Run For Cover - Cadet (Opened with this - he knows how to get the Brighouse crowd on side!) The Ringleaders - Baby What Happened To Our Love - MPac The Group - I Dont Like To Lose - Prophonics Bobby Hutton - Lend A Hand - Abc Willie Hutch - Love Runs Out - Dunhill (You dont think he played these two off the same 70s reissue on ABC do you?) Christine Cooper - Heartaches Away My Boy - Parkway Bobby Hutton - Come See, Whats Left Of Me - Phillips (One of my current home listening faves!) Al Williams - I Am Nothing - La Beat Eddie Foster - I Never Knew - IN Mr Soul - What Happened To Yesterday - Genuine Temptations - Truly Yours - Motown Jimmy Ruffin - I Got To Let You Go - Motown Jimmy Ruffin - He Who Picks A Rose - Motown Jimmie Bo Horne - I Cant Speak - Dade Bernie Williams - Ever Again - Bell Ann Sexton - Youve Been Gone Too Long - Impel (A BIG Brighouse fave) Terry Callier - Look At Me Now - Cadet Wade Flemons - Jeanette - Ramsel (Play this if you want a Ritz instant floor filler!) Betty Wright - Man Of Mine - Alston Im not that au fait with a lot of the modern stuff that Soul Sam plays. He did play - Bull - Let Bygones Be Bygones - which was a first airing supposedly, after being played by Tim Brown on Jazz FM Tony Banks is the resident DJ and host and usually plays stuff from his current playlist; A C Reed - My Babys Been Cheatin (I Know) - Cool The Vibrations - Cause Youre Mine - Epic Gloria Jones - Come Go With Me - Uptown Millie Jackson - A House For Sale - Spring Junior Walker - Tune Up - Soul Junior Walker - Aint That The Truth - Soul (Believe it or not - a couple actually line danced to this - and they didnt look as stupid as you might have expected!) Tommy Navarro - I Cried My Life Away - Dejac Etta James - Seven Day Fool - Argo Ace Spectrum - Dont Send Nobody Else - Atlantic David Ruffin&Eddie Kendricks - I Couldnt Believe It - RCA I think Ive credited most of the tracks to the relevant DJ, but one or two may be mixed up and perhaps I imagined I heard some - I didnt take notes! Just listening to Kev Roberts on the Big AM - we dont get much feedback on this show do we? - its a good 2 hour soul show . Hes just playing Channel 3 -The Sweetest Thing This Side Of Heaven - Dakar Whilst Ive been typing hes moved on to Ernest Moseley - Stuborn Heart - La-Cindy Not bad eh! David M

Friday 15th June, just been to one of the best Northern Soul nights ever. Its funny but having been out of the (scene) for more years than I care to remember, I was overwhelmed at the East Midlands Soul Club abillity to find a venue that has everything perfectly suited for a stomping night. The place was easy to find with a large lit car park, a warm welcome on the door and drinks at 1/2 what I normally pay. The music started with a mixture of r&b, old soul and crossover which was a pleasant mixture and started the feet tapping. After about 9 the music really started having an effect, the quality of the sound system is one of the best I have heard and I made my way to the floor. Here I found a not only polished wood, but sprung floor, I was going to enjoy this. The music variation for the rest of the night was mainly requests and the people voted with their feet as to the acceptance of the sounds, I can honestly say that for the next 4 hours I only heard one duff 45. Although at midnight I stifled a yawn, I was on the floor till 1 with almost all of the crowd who were so friendly, held every month, guess where youll find me on 20th July.

Dug this out when revamping content, reckon worth yet a other "bump" up as enjoyed re-reading it Trivia of a vinyl kind Posted on Wednesday, April 25 2001@ GMT Standard Time by mike h Vinyl trivia as you may have spotted get quite a bit of vinyl trivia and info, most of it was thrown up on main page and as it gets updated a lot may get missed, so have thrown all bits up here, not going for a well smart layout just a online scrapbook of fascinating facts!! info on jimmy radcliffe acetate once featured on sounds page from chris That Is Indeed A Very Cool Jimmy Radcliffe Track. I Beleive It Was Recorded In 1966. In fact The Producers Of The 1997 Film "Eves Bayou" Starring Samuel L. Jackson And Lynn Whitfield Liked The Song So Much The Included It The Film And On The Films Soundtrack Album The Featured Tracks From: Erykah Badu, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Ray Charles, Johnny Ace, Sugar Boy Crawford, Geno Delafose, Etta James, Louis Armstrong With Velma Middleton and A Score From Terence Blanchard. Eves Bayou Movie/Soundtrack Actually The Film Had Two Of Jimmys Recordings The Other One Was A Song Called "Sit Down Sunshine" But The Producers Of The Album Thought That It Was To Close In Feeling To Ray Charles "Dont Let The Sun Catch You Crying" so It Was Left Off The Album. Info from andy rix on the robbie lawson acetate featured on site its a 7" acetate that simply says "Mr Misery"...when Pat played it at Stafford he called it Robbie Lawson as nobody knew what/who it was.....the copies that surfaced by the Padded Cell are the same vocalist etc...but its the finished track, slightly different vocal take, with strings which ruins it for me cos it makes it real girly and as its a record of despair the sparce backing on the acetate is spot on.... I still call it Robbie Lawson to differentiate the acetate from the vinyl but in reality it is Padded Cell dave flynn gives the gen on current floorfiller "Baby Yes I Do" recorded at the Virtue Studios at 1618 N.Broad St, Philadelphia on Dec 7th 1966. produced by Jimmy Bishop. band members were Barry Glazer, Ken Halpern, Brian Utain and Daryl Hall. (note John Oates was not in the group at that point). Ive got a few takes of it, but the one I play is the most complete - shame they never got around to adding brass or vibes. Ive always thought that the piano in it is very reminiscent of Damon Foxs classic "Packing up". Ive also got an earlier "bar bones" take both as an instrumental and vocal, of one of their released Arctic discs, "Girl I Love you", which I might play at the next Dome. Other sleepers from the same source include alternate takes of house hold favourites by Moses Smith, Kenny Gamble and The Kayettes! Hope that was of interest, and Im glad you like it. However, you wait till you hear the unissued September Jones Kapp tracks - ouch theyre hot!!! more from andy rixs keyboard..... bit of info on andys current spin, Jimmy Radcliffe - The thrill of loving you - Jaysina its a 10" Jaysina Publishing acetate and as far as Im aware its the only known copy...I found this on my USA trip last year in Rose Marie McCoys basement...when I took it upstairs for its first play I instantly thought "this is ace..lovely mid-tempo New York production...and that voice". The voice was so familiar (no label credit) but I just couldnt place it....Rose couldnt remember either but it was a guy that used to cut lots of demos for people....this track was a demo for the Drifters but I dont think they ever recorded it. I get back to the UK and ring a friend of mine in London who is a long-time New York collector...before the first line is finished he says Jimmy Radcliffe...so obvious really. (new 2003 bit since then Colin Wood found another version of "The Thrill is Gone" on Smash that was unknown even to Rose M) Just as a point of interest anybody who has a copy of Chubby Checker You cant lose something you never had on Kent given out at one of the 100 Club Anniversaries should note that this is also Jimmy...listen to it again and youll see mikes bit on subject of jimmy radcliffe, have a great track by him called Ill pretend Im loving you - Jimmy Radcliffe - acetate its up on site hit play to hear it, anyone any info as does a lot for me email me please if you have ought on it back to andys overheated keyboard When in New York in 98 i met up with Edward Lewis who co-wrote Love slipped through my fingers....he told me that he wrote this song whilst in a jungle in Vietnam and sent the lyrics over to his brother and Marion Farmer to finish off the music and tidy up. I asked him about Sam Williams and the name meant nothing at all to him...as far as he was concerned the version he knew was the one they did on Nate Adams...he had no idea that Sam recorded it, nor the Ohio Players, and had never heard the songs until I sent him a tape...he did tell me they recut the song for Brite-Lite Records in the early 80s on that group who did If you cant tell me something good...my mind has gone a complete blank on the group name...I think that version remains unreleased...was it Major IV... Talking of sam there is a long held belief that Tony Williams of the Platters is Sam Williams but there was another NY based singer called Sam Williams who moved to the West Coast in the ?early 70s so there may be room for confusion here...anybody have any thoughts on this...Ive listened to their voices and Im not that convinced that Sam & Tony are one and the same....anybody ever seen an issue of Sam Williams ? yet another snip of info from your man I was thrilled to get the new Marvelettes CD that has just come out on Spectrum..compiled by our cuddly friend Chris King and ably supported by a Motown trainspotter mate of mine called Chris Jenner this is a CD that I strongly suggest you all purchase...details from where later. From a Northern point of view it has some crackers.....I just cant let him down..On the other side of town (a Lowrie spin)...Because I love him ( big for Ginger)....Sugars never been as sweet as you (in stereo)...Boy from Crosstown (Brill)...and my fave Finders Keepers Losers weepers. There are other previously unreleased tracks of a more melodic, as opposed to four-beats-to-the-bar driven, which are great plus some standard stuff like Reaching for something...Danger heartbreak...I need someone etc... I can recommend this CD and the best bit is it only costs £5.50...you can order i tfrom Jim Stewart at jim@soulsearchingplus.co.uk my bill including P&P using VIsa came to £6.69...bloody bargain Andy first bit to start off is a brief history of all those unreleased motown tracks, then a bit on vala reegan, from andy rix The first batch was from the acetates Tom DePierro got when researching the From the Vaults LP...following his death a tape of part of this find arrived in the UK...this was the first significant collection of unreleased Motown to surface...top tunes from those tapes were Marvin Gaye - This loved starved heart & Lonely lover Originals - Suspicion Gladys Knight - Its too late Temptations - Forever in my heart & Angel doll Martha/Vandellas - Spellbound Marvelettes - Boy from crosstown & Sugars never been as sweet as you Kim Weston - Absent minded lover ....the following were part of that batch but didnt make anthem status Stevie Wonder - I gave up quality for quantity Holland & Dozier - In the neighborhood a.k.a On the avenue Velvelettes - Love is good & Let love live & Beating around the bush Kim Weston - Build up my baby & Any girl in love & After the rain & Look my way Eddie Holland - Twin brother & Welcome back Creations - In the dark ...another tape arrived a little while later...sounds on this were Downbeats - You say you love me Hattie Littles - You got me worried Creations - Say say baby Martha / Vandellas - Keep stepping & Im willing to pay the price Kim Weston - I got a weak heart Shorty Long - A woman just wont do right Velvelettes - Somethings happening & Thats a funny way & Twilight time ... I think I got the order right but it was a long time ago Then Pete Lowrie scored in Detroit but he wasnt the only one I have to say...these acetates were apparently from out of the Woodward building which had been closed down and had found there way to a local record dealer...in addition there were tapes and that is where the biggest of all came from.. Brenda Holloway - Think it over (before you break my heart)...the original working title of this was Ill meet you halfway...Pete called it Reconsider ..over a period of time Pete got more stuff so the goodies were...note that other people got some of these titles as well, there appeared to be multiples of some tracks... Jimmy Ruffin - I know how to love her Ivy Hunter - Where were you Tommy Good - I gotta get away Sidney Barnes - safety zone Marvelettes - Because I love him & The other side of town Brenda Holloway - Lonely boy & My world is crumbling & Im on the right track Norma Jenkins - Try love (one more time) Liz Lands - Midnight Johnny...alt take Jimmy Ruffin - I gotta let you go Saundra Edwards - True fine boy ..inst ... the next good batch were first played by me..these were Monitors - Crying in the night Kim Weston - You hit me where it hurt me & Gonna make it up to you baby Brenda Holloway - Ill be alright Marvin Gaye - Lucky lucky me Brenda Holloway - Dont turn your back on me Miracles - My business your pleasure Monitors - I cant get along without you that was it until Chris King hit the vaults and as much of that stuff are monster plays at the moment I wont bother to list them Andy next bit was a reply by andy to a message claiming barbara banks and vala reegan are the same person, as "living in past" was b side of fireman and river of tears I talked to Herb Bernstein about this a while ago and he said that living in the past was one of his fave tunes/compositions...he said something like "when we put that record out we decided to use LITP again cos it was such a good tune". Id always assumed he meant they re-recorded the song with Barbara.. Ive never compared the two versions...he was obviously being literal meaning they used the track again. Vala was actually lead vocalist with a group called the Hi-Fashions and was spotted by Herb at a Laura Nyro recording session...Im fairly confident that they are not the same person as Herb talked about Vala and Barbara as seperate individuals and never said/suggested they were one and the same. Andy pat brady just gave me some info on one of the sounds that made my "jaw drop": Regarding The Chandlers, I was always credited as the guy who "discovered" it & it was me who first played it at an all-nighter but in fact, a guy called Andy Riding played it at The Irish League in Nelson for a couple of months before I prized it out of him for 20 quid! (quite a lot of money then in 1976...)

A review from 2001 by Katrina Dixon about souling it in Oslo and Berlin Oslo, Berlin and Scotland - Katrina 2001 A short, few words (NOT) about souling it in Oslo and Berlin last week, of interest to few probably but Ill witter on anyhow, so hit delete now if you dont want to scroll thru an essay Friends in Oslo took me along to a club with the cool name of the Beat Basement held in the small back room of a very fine bar called Mono. Even tho theyre not into the garage punk, soul sounds played, they knew itd be right up my street, so they kindly put up with me going on about every single garage punk sound played during the first hour or so when there was only us, a few other bemused Oslo scenesters and about five mods huddled near the elevated djing area (who, when I got talking to them later, turned out to be almost the entire local mod scene) and then me diving off to dance to the unexpected avalanche of northern soul, including the Metros and Charles Sheffield (later discovered from the guy spinning Charles Sheffield that hed bought it from Irish Greg - small world ) - and that the guy spinning the Metros had a picture cover version issued in Germany that he got for about £20 - swine ). The place got pretty packed out, mainly, in fact almost all normal punters just out to dance, but it was a really friendly atmosphere, even if there were drinks on the dancefloor (no talc needed, just slipping around in the puddles ) and the sounds moved between northern 6ts, 7ts (but some nice 7ts have to admit) and funk) till 3am. A solid nights dancing basically. On to Berlin, after a 17 hour train journey (soul all the way thanks to tapes by AlanH - thanks loads) through slabs of Swedish countryside (counting the red barns) via Gothenburg and Malmo (time for a swift taste of the Swedish national schnapps in a bar and a chat with a local about the Swedish drinking culture - ie drinking to get drunk and no other reason). Thanks to my mighty hosts, Max (huge thanks too...) and Franz, I got a solid taste of Berlin soul, from watching them djing (and pulling faces at each other ) a couple of nights at the Dom De Lion bar (wall-attached lava lamps, leopard print bar stools, soul albums on the walls, cone-shaped dj box in the centre of the bar, again decked in leopard print). I nbetween getting quizzed by Marc Forrest (pleasure to meet you, sir) about my top 5 rnb and current fave sounds - arrrgh, failed anorak, my mind goes blank and Ive just remembered another I didnt mention - The Phonetics: Just a Boys Dream! - and chastised by Max for not remembering labels (good grief ) there were hours of great sounds: Barbara Mason: Aint Got Nobody, Irene & the Scotts: Im Stuck On You Baby, Some Other Guy by, ah, you wouldnt believe it if I told ya , Tony Middleton: Till The Ends of the Earth, Nancy Wilcox: My Baby, Tommy Navarro: I Cried My Life Away (aaaaah, soooo good), Del-Chontays (up the DCDL!), Thee Midnighters - Evil Love. More Berlin soul at Marc Forrests Hip City Soul Club on Saturday via a strange night at Ankerklause on Thursday with Max, where we came in to Charles Sheffield (a track that seemed to trail me across northern europe) and left to the strains of MC Hammer. Huh? Hip City has a dancefloor about the size of TOS, and usually just as busy, but that night numbers were down - we all reckoned because of the disaster in America. Im not sure if it was the same over here or in other countries but it seemed like, fewer people were out or up for dancing - understandably. Still, those that turned up made the most of it and both Franz and Marc played cracking sounds from 10 till just before 5 (Marc "just two more and then Ill finish"... yeh sure ) Marc, Id forgotten Dr Truelove is such a great tune (real cha-cha-cha...) and that Curly Moore is truly el magnifico, as is the Four Tops: Cant Seem To Get You Out of My Mind (right title?). Hopefully I can get back to Hip City at a time when life is a bit more normal, and experience it at its more typical busy best but I had an excellent time - fantastic rare soul sounds all the way (plenty of rnb, and plenty I hadnt heard before), lovely wall-hangings of soul stars, Marc singing along to records like a karaoke pro (if they come out, the pictures are going up online ;)). Lots of chat (only a little in German tho - apologies for my pathetic school standard German-speaking), laughs and dancing, all with great people. Cant ask for more, really. Katrina Dixon The place to be if you wanna talk about soul!

Keb Darge Words So I started a scene going there, and eventually it got to the point where we had all-nighters in Aberdeen, around 77, with about 800 people. And they wanted to hear what theyd been hearing at Wigan. So I had to get the tunes that were played there so you know, I remember going to The Mecca. And there was this record, Ron Holden, in this guys box for 7 pounds. And I remember thinking Shite! Thats a weeks wages for christs sake! And it was then! - I must have it. So I walked away, then I saw some other cunt going up and pulling it out, so ran back - 7 pounds. So on the way back, I thought my motherll kill me. But when I went to this club in Aberdeen and I played the fuckin thing, and the response was like Fucking hell, hes got Ron Holden! I thought hmmm, I like this feeling. So from then on I was going to Wigan and I got to meet all the big dealers and Right, I want all the big tunes, and that was after I was into it for about three years. And then I sussed that if you really want to get noticed, youve got to find tunes of your own, youve got to find new discoveries, ken. And I started talking to folk, and finding out Oh, we go to Detroit, and theres this guy called the Coachman, who used to be a gangster in the sixties, a fucking drug dealer and pimp and all that, and he knows all the fuckin folk whove got all the records. So I thought Ill go to Detroit and meet this Coachman, ken, so I got all the numbers and I went out there, and I found records, and I did Chicago, all the fuckin places, ken, and then I was playing stuff from there." "All Northern, aye. Funk, when I went out I didnt know much when I started. And you would look at labels, and the fuckin title, and the artist, and think yeah, cos there were no Soundburgers, no portable record players in them days, which makes it so much easier because otherwise youre just buying blind. But everything was 50-75 cents. So anything that looked good, youd buy it. And youd get home and listen to the fuckin thing: Shite. Shite, shite, funk, shite, shite, funk, shite, Ooh, Northern! And I got a great buzz when I played my first discovery, you know, boom. First time out in Britain for this thing. And it was the Scottish crowd that heard it first, I just got the buzz. Im making this big, this is my tune! And that was it, whoom, I must find new discoveries, ken." "And the DJs, Winstanley and the likes at Wigan were playing absolute shite, there was only a few playing good stuff. But because Wigan had such a hold, every club started playing shite cos of the Mods, and so the shite was played. About 1980, I met this guy Guy Hennigan, and we said Fuck it, no ones doing anything about this, wed better do something. So me and him made this decision. We said Look, were going to play nothing but new discoveries, sixties and that, and if people dont like it were gonna tell them to fuck off, get out the fuckin scene." "So wheres your rare stuff? That is my rare stuff. No, you know, the obscure ones. I thought What the fuck are you on about? I was limbing over these things trying to get to the good stuff in America. Whatre you on about, son? So I said look, whats the biggest tune on this Rare Groove scene. And this was like at the start of it, 1982. He says Oh, you wont know it. Just tell me what it is. Oh no, Ive got the only copy. He says its a tune called "Gwan". I said Oh, on Wingate, number 106 He pulls it out the back of the shop, and he was like Fuck Me! I says how many copys do you want? And it was a bit of a fluke cos my mate had been over in Detroit with fuckin Popcorn Wylie and his mates who had owned this label, and they had about 800 copies that they didnt know what the fuck to do with. So I gave the number to fuckin Roy the Roach, and he was like Oh my Fuck! So from then, he was coming round here every week, and Norman Jay used to come round here, ken, and I didnt care, I was just looking for Northern. All this funk, seventies soul, I didnt care for it at the time, because I didnt listen to it properly, so I was A pound; fifty pence and they were going fuck, whats this, Leroy and the Drivers, fucking hell. And away they went.