macca

what's the average age of the average uk all-nighter goer today? 45? when I started going late 74, there were plenty of 'kids' and I was one of them and I must have looked incredibly sproggish to those big 20 year old lads chilling out on balconies and staircases, not too mention the dancefloors. Later in the 80's I began to resent their presence, and their post pubescent voices in record bars. Hypocrisy? Yes, I know, for as I've been told many times, I was once in their shoes, bla, bla, bla.... The difference is that we/they were finding out for ourselves/themselves, weren't we/they? We/They were not being 'nurtered' or 'directed' by 'Soul parents'. Dressing kiddies in 70s clobber is no different to me than the Spanish penchant for dressing 8 year old boys in lacy, 19th century garb on Sunday mornings. I find it mildly absurd. I much prefer to see them wearing contemporary clothes rather than 'paraded exhibit attire'. The scene, as far as I can tell, is still drug orientated, now with an added alcohol dimension that wasn't present in the 70s, or even the the mid-80s. I simply don't think that's a healthy environment for a parent/parents to be accompanying their children in. Somewhere like Centereparks would make much more sense.

Excellent and just proves the worth of documenting this stuff before it's too late. The part relating to Marvin Jones-Jack Montgomery is tragic. It looks like people did turn their back on him, for him to take his life in such circumstances. Like Arkwright, those records of his will take on another dimension for me now.

I wll cite the Peterborough trio of Andy 'Smudge' Smith, Gary Spencer and Paul Donnelly. They were instrumental in my formative years and without whom it simply wouldn't have happened for me. The first 60 count record box that I ever sifted through was one of theirs and who can forget how wondrous those US labels looked to 14 year old eyes. Gracias, gracias. Later on I liked John Vincent a lot, probably because he would play stuff like Matt Lucas and both sides of the Del-Larks and refused to cue out that rocky guitar solo in Taj Mahal's A Lot Of Love. He played the odd clunker too, but didn't they all? Soul Sam occupies second place, historically. An extraordinary ear for a tune and boundless enthusiam. He's a joy to watch too. In first place, again historically, is Richard Searling. I think all superlatives fall short when describing this man's input throughout the Wigan years. Finally, what about a special category award for innovation and influence? Ian Levine & Colin Curtis had them all and played them all first and I'll forever regret not making a trip to Blackpool pre-76. Jumping into this century, I think Butch deserves the ultimate accolade of pez gordo supremo (supreme fat fish). He's combined the innovation of the Blackpool team with Sam & Richard's uncanny ear for a tune and possesses an engaging style too. Not forgetting my adopted homeland, over in Spain there are some great jocks too. Edu, David, Dani, Albert and Sergio all spin some incredible stuff and certainly know how to 'read' crowds and 'apply the medicine'.

Emphatically not. I'm still trying to find an airline that refuses months old babies.

We haven't had anbyone say footsee is better yet. Can only be a question of time...

another frank wilson DILYIID thread? ain't this horse been well and truly flogged?

As long as it's gone through the machinery of negotiation and been ratified as branch level, I don't see why not. Bloody good record. Reminds me of Soul Sam at St.Ives 1977 (again)...

Great news! Get him over to Europe!

And definitely at the fleet, amongst all the other garbage. Enough to make you get into Jazz Funk!!

couldn't stand frankie & johnny when first played, but I can appreciate it today for what it is. same goes for carol & gerri, but I remember being at the 100 club in the early 90s and hearing mark bicknell spin it and came over all emotional. ain't that weird?

I come from Peterborough originally and one of the area´s most popular venues in the late 60 was the Boston Gliderdrome which hosted all the major black acts from Atlantic/Stax and of course the Motown Review in its day. I'll always remember my brother in law telling me about the night he saw Otis Redding (with me in awe) but didn't recall much of the evening 'cos he'd necked bombers for the first time. This brings me to the point that many out & out soul fans like him and my sister didn't get' the Northern Soul thing, even though some of their peers were starting to go to midlands/northern clubs like the Mojo and the Night Owl around 1967. To me it seems clear that one group of Soul fans valued obscurity and commercial failure and the other didn't, preferring to buy the records of established artists/labels. My sister loved practically everything that came out of Motown but if I play her The Tomangoes today she just shrugs and says yeah, but no, but yeah. I guess it must be familiarity or the lack of it. She recently attended a Soul & Motown night in Peterborough, billed as a reunion of sorts for people that had attended Peterborough's Cloud Nine club in the late 60s. She told me it was invaded by mainly blokes aged around 50 dancing very oddly to records she couldn't begin to 'relate to'. Fair enough. I always thought that people up north stuck with the Motown 'It's The Same Old Formula' beat because they couldn't stand Funk. In 1973 I'm Satisfied With You sounded far more appealing to my young ears than 'Me & Baby Brother' and all that bumping nonsense. So yes, Motown for me is a cornerstone of the early 'nothern sound' which later evolved into a far more eclectic animal with the incorporation of 70s material. Sorry for rambling...

The same all-dayer probably webby. A bank holiday perhaps?

Funny how different sounds mean different things to different folks. I remember all those records from later on, at The Fleet. I went to one all dayer at St.Ives, but it was crap in comparison to the all-nighters 76-77...

I can't say that the traditional 12-8 option holds that much of an attraction for me these days. I'm not into the traditional all-nighter stimulants anymore and I find alcohol in excessive quantities kills it for me, mentally and physically, so doggedly 'staying the course' till 8am seems rather pointless. I very much like having a hotel room I can crash in, if it all becomes too much (tiredness and/or apathy) so the weekender events here in Spain suit me fine. I can combine the music and socialising with the awesome cultural treats that spain has to offer, so I'm euros in.

Si, recuprate pronto Ricardo, as they say here...

Kind of sums up the quirkiness of this scene. It certainly wouldn't have been out of place on Winstanley's playlist circa 1976 and there's the irony of it . This period is now dissed by most Soul fans yet the people who decided to plug it obviously though it was valid. I can only imagine it must have been its rarity 'cos I for one don't 'get' it. As Mark says, I'll have to get over it.... Each to his own etc...

wasn't the robert banks torch classic 'mighty good way' gospel?

I saw the immense 'Do You Believe It' Jack Montgomery clear the floor 4 years ago in Peterborough, the dj, miffed, flipped it over and cued it up and there was a stampede. As much as I love Dearly Beloved, there are other records out there. He then cleared the floor with the sublime My Sweet Baby by The Esquires. Some people just don't like being dragged kicking and screaming out of their comfort zone.

It's wrong to assume that people outside the UK 'will dance to anything you throw at them'. They're just as knowledgeable as UK attendees and know what they like and what they don't like. As far as UK crowds go, could it be that British feeling of awkwardness/inhibition? Years ago, people on gear would literally dance to anything and we've all seen it. Today, some people have to be beered up to venture onto the floor, let alone dance to a record that's unfamiliar to them. Hasn't ever been a problem for me, thankfully. At the last 'do' I attended here, Steve G & Sam had me movin' and a groovin' to all sorts of stuff, admittedly, stuff like Frank Beverly and Jimmy Burns were greeted joyously, but I loved hearing and dancing to some of the other stuff too. The mahou 5 estrellas also helped if I'm honest.

Ref Spring Rain. Dunno about Wigan, but it was very big at St.Ives and Cleethorpes for sure...

I thought the out and out disco records were hand picked by Ian Levine on his forays to NYC clubs, broken at The Mecca, after which they crossed over to the mainstream UK discos. I'm referring to Crown Heights Affair, Brass Construction, NYPA and stuff like that. I think the porn taches were a northern thing. We certainly didn't sport them down our way...

Jeez let's not go down that road again...

she must have been over two summers on the trot then, 'cos it was definitely 1975 when she did her memorable wigan gig...

So that's three promotors hussling for business in a town of, what, 100,000 in 1976? The Mindum Brothers, John Anderson and Ken Cox. The Phoenix Soul Club, The Peterborough Soul Club and the East Anglian Soul Club. This town ain't big enough for the three of us...

26th April 1975.