Tomangoes

BUY A WINNING LOTTERY TICKET, BUY A TICKET TO THE STATES, TRACK THE GUY DOWN, ASK HIM FOR A REFUND FACE TO FACE, AND IF HE DOES NOT AGREE, GET AN IRON A TAKE THE WARP OUT OF HIS FACE THATS HE GOT FROM THE PAIN OF YOU CUTTING HIS TADS OFF. A BIT EXTREME BUT WHEN WORD SPREADS, OTHER CHANCERS LIKE HIM WILL THINK TWICE. ALTERNATIVELY I THINK IF YOU USE PAYPALL YOU ARE COVERED FOR £500 FOR SUCH INCIDENTS. ED

Come on guys go back to the mid 70s and Northern Soul fashion was a major industry. You had to have a made to measure suit (spencers were a wigan thing if I remember, like wigans ovation) individually designed including pleats open, double, part open, inverted, even on the sides. Back pockets with seriously fancy flaps, some times side pockets with as much detail on the flap. Jackets with 4 or 5 pockets each side with flaps, small lapels, loads of buttons up the sleeves etc A pair of cherry shoes or those posh ones with the multi coloured panels. We are talking serious fashion, looking good, spending a fortune,and looking original whilst showing off. We were the ACE long before 'sting' got the part in Q. Changes went from high waisters, wide bottoms, turnups, zip /button side fasteners short waiter jacket style, double / single back flaps, box style, pegs, two tone, denim, etc You name it somebody had it. Burtons and Jacksons made a fortune. Then it died at the end of the 70s and the 'jazz funk' nutters took over in drainpipes and mohair jumpers. Today is all casual as you would expect, but 30 years ago it was a uniform, even the gals used to get stuff m. t. m. There you have it. Pity I did not keep many photos, maybe some folks did and can post em up for nostalgia. Ed

Cheers guys for the info. It still looks the poshest venue at least from the outside. Its amazing how the scene jigsaw fell into place. Ed

Drove by this place yesterday (hope the spelling is right) and it looks like the poshest soul venue possible. Heard it was a good venue. Anyone elaborate? Ed

Motown Cafe at Universal is quite good with all the old 45s up the stairs. Soul cafe New Yak another drop in centre. Ed

At this moment SLY GIRL Derek Martin. On a weird CD Comp. Ed

A Dollar a Gallon?? Try $7 over here. 'Only so much oil in the ground' and 'when the fuel runs out' springs to mind!! Is Mansfield Ohio as shit as Mansfield Nottingham? (The soccer team I mean). Ed

1. The USA dancers at the LA gig in 2004 did look a bit like a mod style and quite a few had come on scooters to the gig. Nevertheless they stayed on the dancefloor all night and held their own. They all looked like they took image seriously and were well heeled. A few could have got a job in the cast of quadraphenia, especially the girls. (Not sure why they have tattoos on the ankle, and was too scared to ask). 2. I got into the scene in 1975 via stuff like exciters - reaching for the best, dobie gray - out on the floor, the flasher, ghost in my house etc. BUT about a year or so later there was a massive influx into the scene via the mod revival and in turn a great chance to commercialise it even more. 3. Again around the 1977/8 mark the jazz/funk element split from the mainstream and in some ways the mod revival influx kept the traditional scene alive whilst the progressive element went there own way. 4. It was quite funny going to a soul night with a Northern and a seperate Jazz Funk room just to see the difference in clothes, dance styles, and music. You would not think there was any connection. Ed

I've sold a few records via ebay back to the good old USA, and noticed a few flyers for soul events all over the states. Is this the start of those chaps reclaiming US Vinyl? Ed

Not the worst but for me the strangest. About 1975 a dancefloor monster called Cats Eyes - Life. Just could not get into this. Was it just to see how far DJs could go with oddball sounds or am I on my own here? Whats your view? any others for consideration? Ed

Does anybody get a divorce and not come out screwed over something? Its time pre nuptial agreements were compulsary, especially with a blokes 45s. Ed

I must admit tha Cats Eyes - Life, is the strangest record I ever heard. Im not saying its bad or anything, just that it seems completely out of place in our scene. I remember it being first played around 1975, and heard it recently and nothing has changed IMO. What record gets your vote. Ed

BEST RAP RECORD - COOL OFF - DETROIT EXECUTIVES, AND ALSO MINNIE THE MOOCHA. ONE THING FOR SURE RAP SINGERS TODAY ENJOY A BETTER LIVING THAN THE SOUL SINGERS OF YESTERYEAR. JUST LOOK AT THE HOUSES THEY LIVE IN ON THE MTV SHOWS ABOUT IT.

Looks like the Windmill (Tivoli) at Rotherham may also be a gonna go, because it looks like the Millers are out of business by March, so the club will deffo come down. Ed

You must have a big conservatory. Ed

No offence taken, its all about opinions in this free world, but I am not sure I could tell the difference at 14 between quality soul and pop as I could now. The point was the compilation was made up of stuff that you never heard at the youthy or other soul nights, and stuff like Jack Montgomery and Billy Thompson were so different to the flasher/falbala/afternoon of the rhino etc. Ed

For me it has to be the solid soul sensation lp with all the scepter/wand stuff, back in 75/76 it was inspirational to listen to these tracks from wayback. Ed

Dick Turpin - Highwayman - Stand and deliver records?? Blue eyed disco deffo a bit like bros. Ed

Are you one of the euro lotto winners? Ed

First person in my school year to: Go to an all nighter (CWG 76), get a made to measure suit, get up and dance to the flasher at the school disco, have a northern soul patch on my yellow fred perry, own a copy of out on the floor, and finally substitute getting o'levels for becoming a proper northern soul fan. You've either got it or you haven't. Ed

I think the Temptations DVD paints a true story of who made the money in those days, for sure it was not really the artists. Its a bit like an apprenticeship, you get paid low money until you wise up and pass the test. Gwen Owens was flogging her record collection at the LA gig 04, so not really very flush I would presume, and to make it worse the lady did not have much worth anything anyway. Still, she was a Queen for the day and made a few bucks flogging photos etc. Ed

Maybe someone has a copy of the right picture they could post. Ed

Thanks Being a FB, is the snap still on, or do we have bring sarnies. Ed

Robert Parker - Barefootin. Tracks the vocals brilliantly. Ed

Cleethorpes WG niters went through a phase in about 1976 where loads of these type of tunes ruled the roost. Pick me up and put me in your pocket(JH). If he were mine, Your not my kind(PD). Little darling, Stronger than her love(F). Pain in my heart(P) etc etc. My fave was always Donna King - Take me home. Ed