Missing Link

Frank testifying for the JWs - never! He used to hate people like that. Can definitely confirm that his dancing was like that apart from the fact he never leaned forward. I used to hang around a lot with him but haven't seen him for 25 years as I lost touch when I moved to the Midlands.

Wigan Casino November 1974 to see Edwin Starr, don't remember the first record I heard though 'Thumb A Ride' always sticks in my mind. Memories include going in Dinks' coach from Winchester and stopping at Hilton Park services on the way, being crushed in the queue, going up the stairs and then being hit by the heat, the condensation dripping down the walls and seeing an amazing dance floor full of incredible dancers.

The Final of the UK Bboys Championships is on Channel 4 next Sunday morning at about 8.30 under the title of 'Freesport'. The qualifiers have been on for the last 5 weeks or so. These guys are top gymnasts though whetther you could call it dancing is questionable. It's certainly worth watching.

Sadly, like so many talented performers, a flawed character.

Some great label designs in a similar thread from a couple of years ago:

Thinking back, I think you're right but they moved to smaller premises virtually next door in Bell Street which only went half the width of the block. The other entrance to the older shop was in Crown Street so you could go out either side. This is now a Hope House Hospice charity shop and the newer Langlands is now 'To Let' or it was a week ago.

Langland Records was in Bell Street opposite the Music Shop and only shut down a couple of years ago. It specialised latterly in rock records. The shop now sells crafts. I only moved to Telford in 1982 but as I recall it only had one entrance then and was quite small.

Many apologies - senior moment!

If you want to save a little cash to spend down the pub - it came out in the UK on Pye International Disco Demand. Should cost considerably less than a ton.

One of the problems with commercial film and television companies is they have to put an 'angle' on their film to sell it. When someone who doesn't understand something properly the 'angle' inevitably gives the wrong impression. 'This is England' is an interesting period peace which, looking back, is important because there is very little film out there which shows how things were (even if it was staged). A good example of a documentary is the Channel 4 one about the Cleethorpes Weekender though even this had a slight 'angle'. The only way to make a film is for someone who is part of the scene to do it especially as professional standard video equipment and editing facilities are readily and cheaply available (for example, quite a few cinema movies had been editing using iMovie which comes free with Apple computers or the semi pro FinalCut express). Whether you could get it distributed or whether it would attract new people is another matter.

Liz and Becky are always out in the back having a smoke under the shelter built by Vernon's useless mates a few years back.

East Coast Connection - Summer In The Parks

Bobby Garrett - My Little Girl or the instrumental by the Bob and Earl Band were popular at one time and more than a little manic.

Considering that they are two quite different tunes they go together better than expected though both are better in their original formats. With regards the promotional aspect of the Beatles career, it was pretty much from a grass roots level - the fans rather than Brian Epstein who was very naive as a manager of a pop group. The Beatles were, as has been well documented, very influenced by Black America. Where they differed was that they took things a step further, experimenting with different sounds under the watchful eye of George Martin. Even the experimental sounds were influenced by others, Macca citing Ornette Coleman's free form jazz and Karl Heinz Stockhausen's electronic sounds as particular inspirations. What makes them unique is that they embraced all these influences and constantly progressed before finally returning to their RnR roots with 'Let It Be' before disbanding. They finished at the right time and didn't hang on churning out the same old stuff and becoming a caricature of themselves like the Rolling Stones. They were a very talented, zeitgeist, pop group.

Heard Dobie Gray 'Out On The Floor' in Tesco a few months ago amongst a random selection of chart tunes.

Pete has definitely got it right - Louis Armstrong was the first black artist who really became popular with the white audience (something which was unheard of in 1920s America). He developed a unique style of cornet playing and 'invented' scat singing when he forgot the words to the song he was singing. Paul Robeson was from around the same period and took the 'negro spiritual' to the white audience. Bessie Smith was certainly one of the first to popularise the Blues but neither of them had the same universal appeal as Armstrong. Although not an influential artist that the question poses, Berry Gordy's importance as a black businessman is immense. Without him it is doubtful whether black music would have reached such a wide audience creating a sound that had universal popular appeal. Just about everyone has heard of Motown but how many have heard of the smaller labels?

For the film buffs out there Laurel and Hardy weren't really dancing to the Isley Brothers in their 1937 film 'Way Out West' but the Avalon Boys singing a 1905 song 'At the Ball That's All'. It fits well with a bit of soul instead of Country harmony though.

Certainly not £25000 LOL!!!

Here's a couple of scans of the EMI distributed one which I bought in the week it came out. It has the same sleeve except it's the olive/ browny sleeve instead of the orange one and also has the length of both sides on the label.

Sweet Thing - huge sound way back done by the Spinners. Great by Marvin, though.

Cover-ups were done originally, back in the mists of time, to try and foil the bootleggers and maintain the life of the top sounds (they were dropped very quickly back then). This led to the situation of records being pressed with the cover-up names - Moses Smith, Patience Valentine, Eddie Parker and the Sunlovers and, indeed, Eddie Foster are ones readily that spring to mind (the real artists were Epitome of Sound, Edie Walker, the Sunlovers and, of course, the £25000 tune). I would agree that today it is merely to maintain exclusivity.

Yes, totally true. Programme on BBC4 on Saturday night at 10.45 - 'What's Going On: the Life and Death of Marvin Gaye' - one to set the recorder for. As far as his best song - impossible question, so many class tunes to choose from I single one out. Favourite albums - without a doubt the whole of 'What's Going On' and 'Trouble Man'. The latter was a huge departure from his previous material and is my favourite music for driving.

Not sure whether the thread was supposed to be the best Northern or just general soul but another of my favourite bass lines is Curtis Mayfield's 'Freddie's Dead' from the 'Superfly' soundtrack.

The Brothers - Are You Ready For This? is built around a really good nagging bassline. PLAY LOUD.

There have been quite a lot of treads about OOTP (Chris Burton not Jeff King) that you might find useful. Try this one: /Ootp-La...tml&hl=ootp