Harrythedog

Very sad news. Knew Clive from the early days, and whenever we bumped into each other we always shook hands and had a quick word. As has been said before a nice , gentle bloke who will be sadly missed.

Here we go again, head down in the pub, deny you ever went anywhere or had anything to do with it. Please just leave us alone(been saying that for 40yrs)

One record that turn me into a jibbering wreck every time i hear it- Broken Hearted-Barbara Hall on Tusker. This record absolutely kills me.

Quite simply the best there has ever been, and the only one i would get off my arse and travel to listen to. A decent bloke as well.

Mid 70s my old mate Johny Phillips used to equate a decent rare record costing a weeks wage, i dont think there is much difference now.

For Millionaires only series, quite simply the best cd releases ever. Limited release some years ago now but you will not be disapointed with every release.

Only one Dj i would travel any distance to hear & that is Butch. If you are wondering what a great DJ is, then go a listen to the greatest Dj the scene has ever known. Ive been going consistantly for nealy 40 years and no one past or present has come close to him. A really genuine bloke as well.

Been on the scene for 38 yrs and i can honestly say very few DJs i have heard should be behind a deck. Most are part time collectors who suddenly class them selves as a DJ. Not many can put together a set or use the mike to good effect. Bub never had big ticket records but had a genuine feel for the music and put together a good flowing entertaining hours spot, his use of the mike was second to none. Saw James Trouble some years back giving it large and shouting and f ing over the mike -he was clueless because he just didnt get it,no matter that he had big ticket records, he had no genuine love of the music and couldnt put a spot together if he tried. Butch and Andy Dyson have a genuine feel for it and can entertain and suprise in equal measure, they understand how to dj which very few seem to grasp. PS. as a cheap proper northern record you cant go far wrong with Cash McCall- SOS. Mentioned that to Andy some time ago and was raving about it, because he GETS IT, as i say.

I can remember the hole being just in front of the DJ area, maybe there were 2 holes-what a bomb shell. Best laugh i ever had in M,s was when i was there with Shaun Pawsey & Gaz Hepworth when a girl spinning spewed up and every bit ended up on Gaz,s new patchwork denims. What a place, what characters, loved every minute and would do it all again tomorrow.

Very very sad news. Had some laughs with Carole over the years, and she was never afraid of calling a spade a spade even it upset someone, and never one for saying it behind their back, face to face was Caroles style. Remember watching Bobby Bland with her one Wednesday night at Blackburn i think, when one voice called from the crowd- Bloody rubbish, get off, yes it was Carole and do you know what, she was spot on but no one had the bollocks to say it. Very sad time and our thoughts are with Leon. RIP Carole. John & Jackie Hurst

Bloody hell Barry, ive had a good run at it over the years, hence ive still got a mortgage, but no kids-i bet youve really dipped your bread in.

Married 28years and 2 kids, mortgage and dog

On a monday morning take a look in the gallery for the weekend that has just gone, and then tell yourself that 90% of this is the underground cool scene that you got into all those years ago. No wonder we started calling it rare soul, Northern Soul is just an embarresment i would rather not admit to or even begin to discuss . Why have all these fancy dress lovers come back on the scene, not for the music i can tell you that, or they would never have left in the first place. My first allnighter was in 1975 and ive never had a break since that day. No excuse about kids, mortgages, divorces etc, i travelled wherever and whenever i could for a music fix. Wigan shut, great lets find somewhere else. No the reason they have all come back is for the social side and a good piss up, and thats the reason the majority got into it in the first place, it was never about the music for the majority. I have no problem with enjoying themselves and having a great social scene, but please dont begin to link it to the scene i have loved and supported over the years.

Only just heard this sad news. Our thoughts are with Piddy and family at this time.

If i ever went to a venue with merchandice for sale, i would blame no one but myself for getting it so wrong, and not doing the home work as to what type of night this was going to be. Were supposed to be an underground scene for gods sake, remember when it was all so cool to go to a Northern night, what a joke weve become.

Right thats it - Ive got the rope and iam off in the loft. Ta ra

Spot on Russ. What a FXXXXXG mess we are in. A discussion regarding if it right or wrong to play pressings. This would have never been broached in the day, because every one knew the answer. Never never never. Its was an unwritten rule. No discussion was necessary. So sad weve come to this. The things we all held dear are being ripped up and trashed, and iam afraid this is by the majority.

Brilliant-Now why didnt i think of that. The great Northern soul swindle- ever get the feeling youve been cheated.

What disappoints me most is the total blinkered intransigence of the oldies only brigade. Ive been to nights where there has been a mix of oldies & underplayed oldies and new discoveries. Iam quite happy to put up with to spots of hammered oldies, so i can also listen to other varied sets. But the revival mob will not put up with anything but the oldies they know, ive them rush up to the DJ shouting and screaming at the first sign of anything not familier. Ive had first hand experience of this when ive done a spot of DJ ing- "Play some oldies or were off,whats this shit, we want oldies" But it is an oldie it was played at Stafford etc " Well we dont know it & its shit". Even when the DJ spots are half an hour each they are not prepared to listen to something not familiar. Personally i started with the Oldies at Wigan but could not wait to move on and listen to other stuff at other venues. How in gods name do they think the oldies ever got played in the first place.

Year zero has been before and it will come again. Dont worry the revival brigade will destroy it and leave again in their droves. Bring it on, the sooner the better. Seen this happen in 77 and it will happen again.

Russ is spot on with his thread, but iam afraid hes wasting his time. The rare soul scene today which carries forward the ideals when we started all those years ago makes up around 20% of the venues today. This is made up of a crowd which believes in moving forward and listing to underplayed and new dicoveries on vinyl, and generally supported by people who have always supported the scene through the years, never had a break due to marriage, kids, mortgage etc. The other 80% is a revival, fancy dress piss up, who want everything to be just how it was when they last went in 1980. Get dressed how they think we used to dress, get the badges and listen to the same 60 records they knew back then-and they always spout the same old line that they Kept The Faith. If it wasnt so tragic it would be funny. One thing though the rare soul scene at present is as near to an underground movement as it was all those years ago.

Cringe time again. Keep a low profile and dont look anyone in the eye at the pub. Those immortal words across a packed bar - "Hey youre into that Northern Soul thing arent you, saw your mob on the teli the other night, what a set of w+++++S."