shelly

The original was miles better Shelly

Steve, Are you doing advance tickets? as I remember - vaguely, you'd be pushed to get more than 400 in and it'll be difficult to get there for 1pm, I don't want an 80 mile drive to be locked out. Shelly

Steve Yes you're right, between the Torch and Wigan it was er "hectic" As for good dancers being nutcases, have you spoke to Frank New aka Booper Shelly

Sorry, but many of us went to niters at a young age, but then, you kept your mouth shut and hoped you weren't noticed, at 14 you weren't anybody. By 73 it was a load of bollocks, the underground scene had disappeared and the "others" came in. We were talking about an underground scene, not one populated by the local thug etc. and not about football. So could we please keep this thread in limits and not become a pissing contest for footy thugs,who 10 years after the main event and with a number of exceptions didn't have a clue. Shelly

Not mentioned yet, but it was one of, if not the first all dayer 76 Club Burton upon Trent, straight after the Torch Shelly

A quick question, meaningfull to some, irrelevant to others, it was common to cadge lifts/hitch to niters in the late 60's upto late 70's, so what eas the best motor that you arrived /or nearly (5miles from venue)arrived in that was knicked ? But it might be fun to remember those days! 1/ Jag MK6(trueGray?) from Derby(knicked in Notts) to Wigan we got out in Bolton when we realised the shit we're were in. 2/ Nobody will believe this, but picked up by a Roller outside Manchester on way to Wigan, hitching alone, the guy turned out to be a mate of Bri 45Philips and took me round the corner to the Casino. 3/ Real style this, hitched a lift (me and Harry) from Derby to Mexborough - for "An Evening of Soul" with a old Ted in a Jag Mk2. We gave him some gear and he came in to the do and even took us back to Derby later, right off his ducktail! Shelly

In case anyone is interested, answers to the 4 questions posted previously, however, Disclaimer The information below does not mean in any way that a/ I did it, b/ took part in it and c/was a knowing party to it, so please don't pile in with self righteous comments. 1/Durophet M( Green &Browns 15mg and Red &Browns 30mg) were spansules, slow release, that is the cap was full of very small balls white with a small dark speckle, this was almost identical in appearance to soap powder. So you emptied the cap for yourself and filled it full of Persil, 8 a quid mate. 2/Roche 5 Valium, in those days I reckon most women over the age of 30 where prescribed this and it was readily available, your girlfriends' parents bathroom cabinet was usually a good starting point. And as every one who's bed time reading was MIMS knows, Roche did not make gear, but the 5mg Valium tabs where a dead ringer for non SK&F Dex ,once you scratched off the Roche 5 from the non scored side of the tab,(pencil sharpener blades where good for this) then voila 10 a quid mate. 3/ 'Course they're Filon mate, 8 a quid mate 4/ Asprin, they where identical to the white Benzedrine/Amphet Sulphate tabs, only 10 per time because of the danger of stomach bleeding, didn't want to kill anyone! 10 a quid mate So, gear paid for, entrance and sundries to niter paid for, bought a pressing of "Alexander Patton" on Soul Sounds and still got five bob in my pocket! Jobs a good un Shelly

I'm in free then Shelly

Hi Dave, Lot of true stuff said. A bit of background for those who weren't there. People forget that before the scene was blown open late '73 by the main stream music press it was an underground scene, largely transmitted by word of mouth, populated by top boys from an area going from Stevenage across to Winchester upto Preston/Blackpool , across to Leeds/York and down again, I suppose the term Northern Soul came because it was above Watford in general........ Most of the "mod" towns in this region had a dozen or so top boys, who congregated at the major allniters of the time-Wheel, Mojo, Dungeon, Beachcomber, NightOwl, UpThe Junction, Torch, Saints and Sinners, Attic, Bletsoe, Metro, Blue Orchid, Lantern, Central and Cats(not a niter, but had every other attribute). I've probably misse a few, but pre '73 these where the top clubs.But, the fact you wher efrom different towns it was separate from footy, you saw loads of guys on a Saturday afternoon on the opposite side of the fence, but at the niter, then ,that was an aside and not an issue. You didn't become a top boy just by wanting to be one, it was a mixture of Style, Muscle, Money, Looks, Intelligence and Balls, so most had this in varying degrees and the local groups of top boys would reflect this mix within the group, so you didn't get there by being nicey nicey and kept your position by ruling the wannabees! You didn't get many divs at that time, only a few from which ever town was doing the niter , they didn't travel. So with that in place, you did have a fair share of real villains-evil bastards, but not that many,what you did have was loads of "chancers" i.e. if you thought you had a chance of getting away with it you did it, this by the way didn't interfere with the fact that you where a soul fan. Why? Look at the economics, if you stayed at school for A levels, which many of us did, then it meant that you were going to niters whilst still at school and had basically no money unless from a well off family, not too many of them around; otherwise you worked, average weekly wage at that time c£20 week. Do the maths, £2 for gear(18-20 pills) gear inflation only took off during '73, entrance money for nighter coke and chewing gum , transport, then you had the rest of the week to survive/go out and pay board, so lets say we weren't the richest of people! All this peace and love that people spout about was a load of bollocks, yes you met people from all over the country because of a/ interest in the sounds and b/ in scoring gear, what was the major greeting inside a club - "what have you had?" or "got any gear"; the fact that everybody spoke or was apologetic if you bumped into them was down to the gear, which chemically made you gregarious, it was not the fact that you had a "Right On The Torch" badge on your shirt,so let's please get real. So there was a necessity to get some cash, and as I said, if you could get away with it, you did it. There was some serious stuff, I first saw a gun at the Wheel, later at the Torch, guns then weren't like today it was almost unheard of and put the shit up you, luckily, didn't see them used, but lets say there where loads of scams at the time.After the lid was opened,Wigan benefitted by being big enough to house everyone including the divs, who with the publicity increased in numbers dramatically,then it was obvious that the scams would increase exponentially as the opportinites did. It's very clear that there are an awful lot of people who really do not understand the true excitement of going to an all niter when it was undiscovered. Dodgy gear was mentione earlier, but prior to late '73, powder was not common, so cutting that with boat loads of crap wasn't an option, but 4 questions, answers on Friday 1/ Why did you sometimes foam at the mouth after taking Green &Browns and Red&Browns? 2/Why where Roche 5 Valium popular? 3/What where Haliboragnge? 4/ What was sold as a Bennie? Shelly

Meant Pete, if you see him, ask him the location of a chicken shed outside Crewe and what is/was buried underneath- not a body I may add!

Hi Pete, Found 20 in a junk shop, and I mean junk shop, in Derby along with same quantity of the Younghearts and Walking the Duck on Nerve! That would be early 1974 all 10p each. Shelly

Just checking libel laws and copyright before I start, Mecca Village Trowell would be a good starting point if anyone can remember. Rob, I take it you're on about Brendan and Tiny(deceased) from the really old boys in Mansfield, or Studgy Pete from the newer lot? Gray, as the other half of the soul twins, you where there on many of the occasions that you can't remember. Think we need an afernoon in the Brunswick et al to discuss this book! Shelly

Pete Remember you from a long time ago after I saw your photo, last saw Dave Thom around '92 living around Surbiton with Anne. Mary, haven't seen for 35 years! - lived abroad alot(me), she was the love of my life back then , though she didn't know it! Another name from that era, Graham from Hull I think I'll have to try and make this reunion as there's so many names coming back. Shelly

Have you contacted Rogert from Sheffield, he's on here am sure he would have been at the Northern Venues Sheely

Some names frome the past there, Alan Stevenson, jesus remember him and Dave Thompson from Pudsey,always at the Old English Matlock on a Friday to score, Mary Robertson from Halifax also there. Dave Thom, great guy and great mate. Mousey, he is still alive? Arounfd 72/75 where in contact all the time happy memories Shelly

Godzilla, Ignore my rambling above, had about a zillion + 1 pints yesterday watching that shower of shit that is supposed to be Englands rugby team. No offence meant. Shelly

Last went in early 1973, with some great lads from Donnie/Rotherham, sadly a number are no longer with us, and as part of the excitement was on the train from Sheffield crunching dex, then haven't been since, but am curious again. Bob Parker, Steve Goodison Russ Davey all good lads at that time Shelly

It used to be a Sunday Night venue around 1968 As a yougster then it was shit hot Shelly

Mr Godzilla First of all apologise for my typo, it should read ethnicty's I understand your comments to some extent, but as you weren't at the all nighters when the said records where first played; they didn't let people in the Torch in short tousers( you birth year is 1959 according to your profile) so lets not get too agressive here and your comments about selling into Libya/Japan are misguided irrespective of politics.. This was a thread to awaken all to the amount of white recorded sounds we danced too and in reality didn't realise it. There are c 100 different sounds mentioned so far , and as this is prior to 1973 then it is of interest to some of us. Wigan increased this by a factor of N+ ,hence it's general omission. However, given the quality of most of the contributions, I'd say this was an anorak devoid thread and one of interest to those of us who discovered sounds a long time after we danced to them. Andre Brassuer - The Kid Shelly

Malc Story was that back in 73 when it was first played by Alan Day and no info was available, reliable sources who had recently been to the US came back with this story, and without seeing their pics and listening, it's not that too far off! but again, depends on the acoustics where you are. Plus Alan was up yo all sorts of tricks! Personally. glad you've cleared this up. Shelly

Lada Edmund Jr is white, The Larue was released under her name on Decca 1966, if she actually recorded it then that's a new thread, "who recorded under false names or took some one elses work" me thinks she actually sung it on the Andy Williams Show, will consult with Jack Bollington, he's ace on trivia. There's nothing like us getting our priorities in the right order, I mean, Japan is in meltdown, we're off for another regime change/war because we backed the wrong horse in Libya and yet we're discussing the ethenticities of Lada Edmund Jr!

That's a first, story was that it was recorded by the Beatles as they where in the States at that time and had visited Motown and asked to do a number. Owing to contractual obligations they couldn't use the name the Beatles etc. Listen to the Oh Yeahs and almost a Mandolin in there....., I didn't know they did scouse in Detriot. Anyway, a total lack of information about the "Dalton Boys", not suprising then that it was Alan Day who first played it. Shelly

That should wake Swish up, I spent half of one night at the Torch with him telling me over and over again how he'd he'd discovered it at his sisters boyfriend s house, or was I more smashed than him? Shelly

Off topic sorry, I think we knew each other years ago although you are a bit younger,you're post re Arthur Dudly brought if back, Dave Peacock used to knock around with us in 74/75, did you go to the Old English Matlock? Shelly Derby or Ripley!

A few more Beggin -Time Box and the Four Seasons, is this the only white sound covered by other white artists? I know you're going to prove me wrong. Evie Sands - Picture Me Lonely Bob Brady - More, More More of Your love Lastly, the absolute worst , any dj who played this massacre of Darrell Banks ' immortal "Open the Door To Your Heart", should hold his head in shame or as Larry Lightning used to say - Hanging Offence!!! Shelly