Tomangoes

For example, the Jewels 'we got togetherness' would be in my Top 10 Northern but not my Top 10 Soul, and Minnie Ripertons 'loving you' would do the opposite. Linda Jones 'Just cant live my life' and Tomangoes 'Really love you' would make both of my Top 10s. Which records would you include in both yours? Ed

Nice Keks. I bet a few on here are 42 in waist and 28 in bottoms now. Jacksons in Donny circa 75/75/76 was snided with soulies on a sat afternoon. great great days. Ed

Like so many tunes from the mid 70s, it was a floor filler in its time, but not in todays groove. Its stable mates like Rain's Out of my mind and Jeanette Harper's Pick me up, etc were massive massive anthems for us 15 years olds, but only good for a 5 year dust down now. Ed

Ok Records from 1963 to 1973 are oldies. Almost anything from 1974 up to now are modern. Hold on, a 36 year old record is modern? Yeah right. Lets lift the bar and call oldies, ancients, and modern up to 2000 are oldies, and past 2001 modern for another 5 years, then review again. Time marches on !! Ed

I think there are more who have not 'got it' than those who still have it! Just look how many have stopped recording or even touring. Old Glad Knight still had it in Manchester last year, which was a surprise, as in Vegas 94 I thought she had lost it. Pound for pound Heather Small still gets those notes and although she never had the range of the 'greats' like Aretha, she is worth the money to see her in concert. How did Marva Whitney perform in the UK recently, I missed the Leeds Central gig, and would love to know if she can still sing 'Saving my love'. Ed

I second that emotion............ The champion is the definition of a Northern Soul instrumental and over the last 35 years of my life has been one of those 'pick me up' tunes whenever Ive felt down. Nothing more spectacular than a full dance floor pounding away to this. Of course WM was more than this one record, but still, this one record is unique. RIP WM. Next chance I get I will try and dance the whole way through to it in your memory. Ed

The tourists left? They obviously came back again now. Maybe they realised what they were missing. The Golden era had one advantage and that was the number of suitable tracks to pick from. If a record dates from that period and it only started getting plays at Stafford and the like, its highly likely because it was a throwback. Ive read loads of threads on here where a 'new discovery' is well known by the 'elder statesmen'. In any case Im just glad some of those listed got a second chance to get the adulation they deserve. On a positive note theres been less pure pop records plugged over the last 20 years, so thats a bonus, but a record is judged on its quality way above when it got popular. The main worry is how long can new quality tunes be introduced? And thats been asked since 1977..................... Ed

The Doncaster cancellation must have been due to poor ticket sales. I mean who ever heard of the Funk Brothers and Chris / Connie Clark outside the Northern Soul crowd? On the other hand it was Utopia for me if it had gone ahead. It would have gone down better at the Earl, and probably sold out. Surely these acts must know without a really savi promoter, outside of London, its a failure waiting to happen and they dont deserve that. Ed

Does it count if you can go like the clappers for 30 seconds to Ton of Dynamite? Then blend into the shufflers skirting round the edges? You will be needing those Duffy boys I think, coz they have the stamina you see, just like Pans People used to. Ed

Doncaster was cancelled. Lots of unhappy punters at the Dome, who never knew. Ed

Over in the States at the mo, and its Halloween Madness everywhere (At least in WV). Can we get a few tunes listed for the American DJs looking in who may be doing a function on Saturday. Ill start with Jackie Wilsons Haunted House............. Just add one for a bit of fun. Ed

Well Tony, GUDAY Whilst blighty is asleep, I was also thinking about some toons to go with this subtopic. 24 hours a day 24 hour service All night long All around the world You know the late great Martin Buttle (Bub) used to play 'love train' at cleethorpes WG dayers, illustrating way back then that soul was reaching out across the world, and of course Martha Reeves got a few locations mentioned with her 'Dancing in the Streets'. Keep The Faith Ed

Hi Y'all I'm in Clarksburg, West Virginia. (Long Story) But where are you (or have you) logged in to this site?? The internet is everywhere, so with your ipod/blackberry/lappy no excuse not to be 'where its at'. Lets have some locations............................................ Ed

Well as a technical answer, since the 'Northern' tag got added and adopted then it has to be up North. That was then, and this is now, so today it probably a bigger debate than ever with 'Northern Soul' events all over the world. I'm just glad that we've still got it here in the UK, and also its growing in the USA where it really all come from. Ed

Back in the day, the instrumentals ruled OK, but today you dont hear much 'new/modern' pure instrumentals. Its always great to hear any tune that youve not heard in years, especially if it meant something, instrumentals included. At Cleethorpes WG you could hear Strut in time, Love music, Right on, and loads of other instrumentals every dayer and nighter and they were popular. There was a shift in the early 80s to bring back the soul into the scene as an integral part of Northern Soul, and so the instrumentals were pushed away. Nevertheless Little Queenie/The Champion/The trip and ilk are still much loved. Hold on help is on the way, was always my fave, just gets the toes tapping. Ed

Its the Diversity of the music from stompers to floaters and everything in between that makes it fantastic. 35 years of listening to it, and still so much I dont know. When John Manships rare soul record book came out, I only ever heard half of the listings, at most! so to say there's a fair few titles still to hear is an understatement and that stops at about 1975. Im lucky in that I can get to listen to at least 2 hours worth of SOUL a day on average and try and mix it up to cover 60s/70s/80s and the odd 90s/00s. I have a hard drive with 25000 tracks and an IPOD with a further 5000 on, so no shortage of material. Now and again I will put some vinyl records on and hear some albumn tracks that really never get aired. Ed

I remember as an over keen 15 year at Cleethorpes WG around 1976 asking for 'Long after tonight is all over' about 5 times until it got played. Thinking back, this was a venue that played newies mostly, and I must have really got up the DJ's noses. Sorry for that....................... Whats your worst request and why. Ed

2nd time round I will add FALBALA, along with 'the flasher' it was a youth club anthem. Never heard it since 1977, not sure I want to now!! Ed

I remember as a teenager going to one of the 'Scarborough' weekends in the late 70s and whilst in the Salisbury pub one afternoon, got sat next to this geezer telling the tale. None of us knew who it was, and as 'Cleethorpes goers' had never heard of Martyn Ellis anyway so treated him just like all the rest of the crowd and we traded piss taking etc. After a while we noticed some of the 'bigger boys' were almost bowing to him but he just kept talking to us the same and never let on who he was. We met him several times over the weekend and the penny dropped that he was one of the 'originals' but he still kept acting the same and now as I think about it, what a great guy he was. The truth is he loved being 'one of the boys' and had a real sharp sense of humour. Never met him after that again, but the mark he made stayed with us for years to come. Its only a while ago I read he had passed away, and was sorry to hear that. Im sure his son knows how much of a legend he was on this scene and should be proud. Ed

It also had many great soul nights midweek and followed on from the Assembly rooms soul nights that bred many hundreds of soul fans. Great memories. Ed

Well, lets make some rules to have a sytem of eliminations. 1. It cant really be a good seller (the rareity value) 2. Better not be an established artist at the time of release (No big time Charley for us) 3. Has to have mad/obtuse lyrics (tired old ladies kissing dogs, kind of thing). 4. Cant be too popular with the general public (we like to keep it in house). Sooooo Ghost in my house/Loves gone bad/Your loves amazing And of course DILYIID without a shadow of a doubt the definition of Northern Motown Soul, before it got out!!!! Ed

A great venue, great people, great sounds, great times. Superstar Lady, Torture, Over the top, and many more previously mentioned. Cider drinkers delight in the afternoon. The sexy Goole girls............. God Benson as the driving instructor. So much new material I suppose it was the closest to the mecca format for years. Ed

In any case this guy should be proud that his Mother sang on one version of what has been a revelation as far as newly found material (at least many years after Bird Walking was beeing played at Cleggy!).Ed

Just read the articles about how many rare soul tunes got released in Australia, and wondered what other countries put out rare soul. I know Greece / Spain / France etc has a fair few, but any soul-sources know of other strange countries that distributed rare soul on its own labels? Ed