macca

I live in Spain Ian. As you know, they had a fascist government here for nearly 40 years, ending in 1975, when you were setting in motion the 'new order' that would result in the wholesale burning of 'pernicious' dvds in 2008. I can already smell the pyres. Some people need to get a life...

I see nothing wrong with Soul & food, especially where I live. If you attend a weekender in Spain, a big, long drawn out lunch (or dinner) is an integral part of the event. Ice is broken, friendships are made with people getting to know each other prior to the event, with much quaffing of wine & beer. I think it's highly civilised. It has nothing to do with age either, given that the average Soulboy/girl in Spain is around 30. I've always thought the UK punter could learn something from it. It doesn't have to be chicken-in-a-basket any more than it has to be Leibfraumilch. UK people prefer to go to warm up events. I prefer the 'community' of a good restaurant, but then I live in Spain, not Peterborough. It's all culture.

A divergence of opinion as to what constitutes NS is one thing, but calling someone a nazi, a traitor etc, etc, especially someone with Ian's heritage, is a bit over the top in my book. NS changed our lives admittedly, but is it really that important? I love this music, but I wouldn't pretend to 'die' for it any more than I would die for Bob Dylan.

The tapes going to Australia story is interesting. It'd be nice to hear them. What about digitalising them Andy?

Jackey Beavers 'Love That Never Grows Old'. Amaaaaaaaaaazing!!

JOE MATTHEWS - AIN'T NOTHING YOU CAN DO...

Sandbach & Knutsford (Canute's Ford), two places steeped in NS lore & another indication of how weird this scene is. How many other cults/sects could boast motorway services as points of reference? I don't think I've been up the M6 since 1981.

Stanley Mitchell - Get It Baby Tomangoes - I Really Love You as gritty/dirty as they get!

That refo clip doesn't do it justice either. Perhaps I can lend you my 'His Band & The Street Choir' album & you can listen to it in all its glory Steve. The Caledonian Soul Orchestra, si se±or!!

It was also played at the Torch, I'm told. It's pure R&B, nowt to do with hippies or folk. We'll have to agree to differ on this one amigo. :-) M

Moses & Joshua? Great record. I would never have made that connection. Only M&J track on refo is My Elusive Dreams, another corker. M

Well said that man!!

I'd take Domino over Al de Lory any day. His version of Ain't Nothing You Can Do is a killer too. He & BB did a show together in London a few years back. Not overrated for me, but then I like Pete's other fave white artist, Bob Dylan

Domino is still a staple of Van's live shows. 'Don't wanna discuss it, think it's time for a change, you may get disgusted or start thinkin' that I'm strange'. A good lyric I reckon. There's a Robert Banks on MGM special products on Ebay. A re-issue?

The neighbour problem could be sorted fairly easily Malc. Invite them. Free pints (vouchers presented at the bar?) & a nice commemorative glass, beer festival style. It'd be extremely rude of them to turn you down. The place you have in mind (I think) is an entirely different egg, untainted by 'authoritative film documentaries' and corporate record labels pushing titles by artists with names like 'The All Night Band' (I shudder)... I was born 2 or 3 years too late, sadly. M

Film making is a long, drawn out, boring process. Anybody that's seen a 'the making of' programme knows that. I'd like to think they'll get their cash in the end, especially if it's a small, right on, independent film company, which it appears to be. At the end of the day there are those who are going to more or less enjoy the end product and those who are going to reject it for all the reasons we've been debating. Andy, don't feel too traumatised about the flat cap ban mate. The wardrobe chap was right about the beret though, plenty of those about, but later on, with badges sewn onto them. Riding the gauntlet of Betty taunts in town centres at chucking out time was an integral part of being an all-nighter goer. :-) M

Naah, I trust your memory more than mine. I attended very few all-nighters in 1979, due to teenage love & its pitfalls. my 1978 experience boils down to the odd visit to the Casino & Peterborough's Fleet All-Nighters. I associate that venue not with The Delites, but with a lot of crud (to my ears) like Teddy Vann, Phil Coulter, Holly St.James, Barry St John, Helen Shapiro, Peggy March etc, etc; Pity's there's not any play lists out there to settle the matter.

I must be suffering from dementia then, but I swear I remember the delites AND gene woodbury in Sam's hands at st.ives that year. definitely 1977. it's also a record I associate with him for some reason.

I would respectfully dispute that Pedro. I remember it clearly from St.Ives thru 1977.

Edited

Thanks Dave. I've seen the Mekong, a truly impressive creek it is too. M

I think I saw it this morning in the frozen foods gaff. It was called panga & the label said it was an 'acuicultura' product, country of origin: Vietnam. There were large white fillets. Is it better than Nile Perch?

That's the second time you've a mentioned Bolton working men's club. Why is Bolton being singled out? Do you feel it's somehow representative of the grassroots NS scene? You know, the tired old clich of clothcaps and pigeons flying over terraced roofs that the media likes to project.... My grandfather was from Bolton, a Stanley, a veteran of the Somme & Suvla Bay. His grandfather came over from Irish midlands in the wake of the Great Famine. Nowt wrong with Bolton. Did you know that Newton Aycliffe was also synonymous with Soul Beeks?

I was going to ask you if you had anything you might want to confess Steve but thought it a tad cheeky of me. :-)

I own two pressings, one I've already mentioned, the other is james bounty 'prove yourself a lady' on compass. I can't bring myself to get rid of them due to their sentimental value. I acquired them from ken cox's record bar at the wirrina in 1975/6. Two other pressings I bought back then but no longer have sadly are ede robin 'there must be a love somewhere' & ann d'andrea 'don't stop looking', an awful record. I bought them blind with that week's dinner token money, bless. This is getting a bit too confessional.