Dayo

A nice game for the weekend I hope: Name this song by title and artist from the lyric. If you spot it first, then you set the next question - geddit? It won't be much fun if the songs are mega rare and obscure, so play fair! Here's an easy one for starters... "I'm as proud as any fella could be..."

You've touched on one aspect of the scene that is probably never mentioned. I'll come clean and admit; if ever I knew the words to to a monster sound, I was an insufferable git showing off and singing along. "I'm smokin' more and enjoying it less, I get a whole lotta sleep but I don't get much rest...." Now that's an idea for another thread....

Damn! Where's Dave Godin now we need him!?

Some songs take time to grow. Great DJ's like Richard Searling stick with them till the crowd catches on. But sometimes a song comes along that is just so instant, so right, that it's an immediate monster. Can I offer Mike Post's Afternoon of the Rhino for a start? I'll never forget the buzz on this the first time out at Wigan. Massive much requested dancer from the very first spin. And Paul Anka too. That track went blazing within seconds. Which ones stick in your mind?

Some random thoughts... Check your early copies of Blues and Soul and you'll find the Osmonds' "One Bad Apple" riding high in the R&B charts. Does anyone else find the lead vocalist on the Mello Souls slightly ridiculous? Reminds me of Al Jolson. Ironic isn't it that the two greatest Northern Soul records of all time are by Dean Parish and Paul Anka? Forget about skin tone; vocal tone is all that matters. Right, I'm off to start a non controversial thread!

Since when did price of a record have anything much to do with quality? I've got just one word to say on that matter; SHRINE.

Have a look at the B side; the one that Levine played was called something like "Can't turn it loose, Can't say no" I'm pretty sure it was an album track. It's eons ago, but I remember it put me in mind of "Cool Off". I'm sure you're right though, it will be shite!

Thanks Blade. Now what was that bloody SSO track... Think the album was called Tonights the Night.

Funny you should say that Craig, but the only time I took my wife to Blackpool Mecca, it must have been Dr. Buzzard week coz Queen Levine was spinning 3 tracks all bloody night. She loved 'em and made me buy the album. I'm proud to say that, whilst it is still in my collection, it has not been played in almost 30 years. Long may it stay that way!

I don't get around much, but you don't often hear any Doctor Buzzard, do you? Were those the campest tracks ever played on the scene? That prompts me to mention a couple of other Mecca faves I haven't heard in yonks: Pierre Hunt - Got to have all your love Look lets make love (Crikey, minds gone blank - who did that? -Sydney Someone?) Also recall an album track by SSO (?) "Can't say no" (?) All sounded good at the time, possibly considered crap disco now.

Wynder K Frog did a wicked version of the Spencer Davis thing; "I'm a man". Used to be a Wheel spin, as of course did "Green Door". Searling was the first DJ I heard playing Landslide (Va Va 73). Suspect that Levine had it earlier though. I've always loved the Casualeers track. Made a huge an immediate impact when it first hit the scene. Just like "Rhino", it was no grower - instantly massive. Ooooh - that's an idea for another thread perhaps? Instantly massive records? Which one went biggest fastest?

Cracking idea. Wonder who owns the copyright to Dave's early B&S stuff? Dave Godin Right On Now Sounds like a project...

That was a lucky find Hotwaxx. Hope you got them nice and cheaply. I've kept all my copies from 1970 onwards (sad, I know) Think the first issue I had was number 44 or thereabouts. If the newsagent was ever late with delivery, God help him! The excitement of opening a brand new B&S was insane. The funny thing now is looking back at the record reviews - how many times could John Abbey get it sooo wrong? "Let's stay together; obviously not as strong as Tired of being Alone, but perhaps will be a small hit for Al Green" (or words to that effect!) He also struggled terribly when reviewing anything on Mojo - must have been hard to be impartial. He usually failed! The letter pages are hilarious too in retrospect. I cringe now when I read the odd ones that I got published. The righteous indignation just because EMI had failed to spot a certain Stevie track as "an obvious hit". We thought we knew it all, bless us. But the high spot was always Dave's column. Just now and then he could be a bit flowery and "deep" for a 14 year old. I was never quite clear as an SKF munching teen what his attitude to "gear" was - lol. But overall Dave was my personal guru. As many others have said, if DG said it was good, well, enuff said. Straight down to Boots record counter and get it on order. The mag lost it's way for me when it became a weekly issue for a while. I think I dropped it not long afterwards. Seem to recall it got an American distribution deal for a while under the name of Stars and Stripes, or somesuch. Is it still bi weekly? If so, that would be quite odd in this day and age. Getting misty eyed again. Would love to hear other thoughts on B&S, and Dave's columns in particular. Colin

Had a reply from Bob at Blues and Soul. He says they are preparing a tribute to Dave for the next issue and it will feature on the website too. Curious now, does anybody buy B&S these days?

They say old habits die hard; just written a pompous email to the B&S editorial team.

Is it expecting too much that the magazine he put on the map should mention his passing on their web site? Had a scout around, but couldn't find a reference to Dave. Maybe I'm a little too idealistic. In fact, I'm smiling because 30 years ago this is the kind of omission that would have prompted me to write an outraged letter to Daddy G himself. God bless him, he would have found time to reply too.

These tributes are very moving. I hope that those who were close to Dave draw comfort from posts like this. I wrote earlier but I wanted to re-inforce something: Dave actually changed people's lives for the better. Thousands of people who never met him were touched by his idealism, his humanity and his exquisite good taste in music.

This is awful, awful news. I feel awkward and clumsy trying to write anything of value. I guess it may be enough to say that Dave, through his writing, changed my life; I am certain I am not the only one. I joined Grammar school in 1969 and it was all peace and love and progressive music. As the only soul boy in my year, it was hard to "keep the faith". Dave gave me ammunition to justify my musical and lifestyle choices. I hope he knows how many people he touched in such a positive way. I would love to have hung out with him, but the only chance I got to meet him I was so star struck that I just mumbled incoherently and nervously. Nevertheless, I always felt that I "knew" him, and regarded him as an ally and friend. I think that there will be many more eloquent and well written tributes from people who knew the guy so I'll just close with a post script that I suspect would please him more than anything; Dave, last year, at last, I became a vegetarian. Yep, you made a difference that way too. Rest in peace Soul Brother Number One. Colin

This question has ben bugging me forever; How many demo copies would the record company press? My interest is in the British stuff. Take Cameo Parkway for example. Or the Okeh releases on Columbia?

Yes you are a tad sad. Happily though Mrs. Dayo has a broad liking for Toy Boys too, so life has a nice way of balancing the scales :-) Trouble is you're more likely to spot her at a Moneypennys or Hed Kandi night!

Mikey Can't help you with those venues, I was living abroad at the time -sorry! There was a lot of activity around Worcester from around 1970 onwards, although Gloucester may have had a slightly bigger following. Used to be a good record shop in Gloucester too. Was it called The Wax Machine? Run by Richard Someone-or-Other? It was around 1973. I bought a demo of Patti Austin "Are we ready" on CBS there for 50 pence. He reckoned it was crap! Still got it. On the downside, I did sell him a UK demo of the Prophets for a quid coz it had just been re-issued!! Win some, lose some...

TonyP I think I get your drift and if I'm right, my conclusions are the same. The original scene was pretty much the height of UK cool. Then we got old, stopped taking drugs and chasing women... The badge of cool passed to another generation.

Great idea for a thread! So many forgotten clubs... How about The Bankhouse and The Coppertops, both Worcester. You'd hear almost all the top Wheel sounds and then some (as we used to say). The Chateau Impney was a legend at around the same time. Sunday afternoon "sessions" with "Farmer" Carl Deane spinning the likes of Baby Reconsider when it was a (gasp!) £40 record! Does anyone else recall these venues? If so, you are very old!

I'm pretty certain that Mojo never issued demo's as such. Any pre-release stuff probaby just had a sticker saying "factory sample not for sale". There was some dross on the label, and a massive amount of good stuff too. Lots of good reissues like the Formations, Tammi Lynn etc. The funny thing was always reading John Abbey's reviews of his own releases in Blues and Soul. It must have been hard to be unbiased; not that he tried!