Agentsmith

went to a couple of youth clubs in my time, the latter being st giles y.c. in willenhall. the mobile disco was a regular friday night feature...through this and encorperating the dj's, an all-nighter was eventually organized ( use of equipment you see! ). really, i suppose this grew from 74 onwards until sammies nighters started in 75....however, from about 72, i started going to monday nights at willenhall baths ( it shut down in the winter and a dancefloor was laid over the pool...empty of course! ).....there are a good many on here who will remember this.......with reference to hoards of music-of-the-day kids, standing round watching as a group of youngsters about the same age, did something totally different, dance wise. the dj's would slip in a few tunes every now and then...gradually, over the years...northern soul took over the playlist, almost completely, apart from 70's disco as it was simply referred to then...and more kids got into it. willenhall baths lasted for about 8 years, although the two dj's who started out had also grown older and progressed to putting on a saturday night event there, but by this time, 1980, it was lost on them...much in the same way that the scene was about to hit a rocky period...they used to pack 600 in the building on monday's though and over those years, lots of stuff that became big at the casino, could be heard there.....not just because they invested in the sounds theirselves, the regulars used to bring along tunes for them to play as well...something you wouldn't dream of doing or see happen now!........it really was a conceptual era.......

dave, i'll admit that i'm just a little surprised that linda had not been admitted from day one of this prestigious page, however, matters have now been rectified, so....i'll stick my neck above the parapet...and say it for all to hear...... LINDA JONES IS WITHOUT DOUBT.....THEE GREATEST FEMALE SOUL SINGER...OF ALL TIME.... apologies to the devotees of aretha franklin, but the queen of soul as she is referred to, would have been PERMANENTLY IN THE SHADOWS had linda lived.....such tragic cirmcumstances, contrived to rob the world of a truly unique talent. i pull no punches in making such a statement...linda was the embodiment of a vocal range, a vestige so few are, or have been blessed with...and for the purpose of emphasizing the fact, i have such admiration for others such as doris troy, tobi lark, kim weston, tammi terrell, ty karim & barbara macnair. LINDA was unlike anyone else for her age, showing a maturity before her time...i'm of the opinion that the record companies she dealt with, simply didn't get a grasp of what they possessed.. the 70's would have been her breakthrough era, for sure...she would have been a global superstar.. alas, for the populus of our northern soul scene, her endeavours were not to be witnessed here,she departed this earthly life whilst it was still fledgling..perhaps our only saving grace is, we may all receive fulfillment in heaven's rapture, courtesy of one god given angelic voice....

my cousin, sharon berry and her mates from school got me into the cats,...she badgered me for ages to come along with them, so you can guess we were basically, all under age. we used to hop on the bus and by the time it had departed willenhall town centre, there would probably be between 20 & 30 of us going there.....this was on a wednesday night of course, which logically, was the most popular night. i then frequented the venue from january 74 until it's sad demise. i guess most people at the time, other than the dj's responsible for the music, would buy the latest "sounds" in the form of pressings, but then we didn't know anything different in those days...well, at least not at first!....so i ended up purchasing my first tune off max, that being eddie foster "i never knew"......he always had a sales box with him. ive probably related this story before, but i distinctly remember when max first acquired the "fused" lp ( mike post coalition ), levine was already playing it at the mecca, so it was a massive sound....as a result, on that particular wednesday night..it got played 6 TIMES!. deana barnes was huge, as were the velvets, volcanoes, dean courtney, paul anka ( dean courtney c/up ), baltimore & ohio marching band & connie clark to name a few....oh, and of course the imfamous saxie russell and max's signature tune, the fabulous emotions "funky chicken/your number one fool" ). he also wasn't adverse to blue eyed soul either, especially mr. bloe's instrumental version of "land of a thousand dances". my vision of the venue is approaching it from the top of temple street from snow hill, usually people milling about, waiting for it to open..the most obvious thing signifying it's presence was the overhanging flourescent sign, in purple and white. i didn't attend the last all-nighter sadly, but i know many who did....apparently dustbins where stacked on top of one another. to dismantle it from it's moorings to save it for posterity......it was theft really! a while later, it ended up in the rear of max's shop in wednesfield...well, most of it did. the cats was part of a complex that was an old victorian building and i'm pretty much sure that within the cobbled courtyard, some of the building was actually factory units of a sort....an archway lead to it's access. correct me if i'm wrong scholars, as it's been over 40 years since it's closure, but i think there were 2 entrances to the building, i always used the side entrance inside the courtyard. i can't remember his name now, but the manager was a short, stocky guy who always wore a red shirt. he checked for your membership card and you paid in, (sorry, i don't remember it being a free night on a wednesday ). he took over at the lafayette club in thornley st after the cats closed. immediately in front view was a changing room/firstaid, bear left and along the dimly lit corridor the bar was on the right, window arches to the left were blacked out and were lit by roadworks lamps. there were lots of little nooks and cranny's hence the club's name. the cyber image is correct as at the end of the corridor, the dancefloor was to the left...but actually it was centrally located as it was possible to walk down the other side as well. there was a small stage for bands, with a low slung ceiling and a gable overhanging the dancefloor. the dj booth was compact and faced the dance floor, with a side door/swing doors and a serving hatch out front which people could pop their heads through, generally to ask for requests. i cant remember the seating arrangements set against that front wall of the dj booth, but i guess chairs. i never witnessed pep djing there on wednesday's, only on a saturday when the lesser known stuff got played, but he was a regular attendee during the week along with helen...they used to sit in one of the alcoves, other than if they got up to dance...she was one of the stand out dancers, god bless her...along with graham, jethro, paul derby...one other girl i remember who would always be on the floor, i think her name was diane king...she was a hairdresser? or so i was told at the time...i got to know steve and kath a few years later...i genuinely wasn't aware that he was amongst this crew who went on to blow the casino crowd away with their dancing skills, but he was there as well. one or two dodgy characters frequented the cats as well, usually dealing in the drugs side...wolverhampton is well known for it's "chapter" and the bailey brothers were a name to conjure with..i got offered stuff by billy there...never ever interested me, but many did. the friday night prior to the last all-nighter, the club put on a party with a huge spread..max let me play some records whilst he was having a drink..that was a privilage! i used to have the embroidered badge and the membership but, they are long since gone.... it would be great to see any other pics that people have perhaps put away and forgot their true potential for stirring the memories...i'd be very surprised if it turned out to be true that there were, in reality, only 7 in existance...but what price a camera in those days??...it's as intriguing a mystery as the "super 8" footage, taken at the casino on the same night as the "this england" recording. one thing is for certain, the catacombs was part of my upbringing and i still remember it as clear as yesterday.... to revise an old proverb..you can take the boy out of the club, but you can never take the club out of the boy.

venue being, llandudno labour club, on conwy road. great turn out, for which everyone concerned must be thanked, supporting this charity night and adding to the takings with a raffle as well. details will be announced on fb. my slot - 10:30 - 11:20 jean carn - was that all it was drizabone - pressure phyllis hyman - you know how to love me al hudson & soul partners - when you're gone phil perry - love don't come no stronger carla thomas - i'll never stop lovin' you timebox - beggin' marvin gaye - sweet thing funk brothers - nowhere to run isley brothers - my love is your love - alt version kim weston - you hit me funk brothers - get ready dee clark - that's my girl micky champion - what good am i dottie & millie - talkin' bout my baby epitome of sound - you don't love me doris troy - face up to the truth many thanks to paul & mandy rockey for letting me spin a few and great to see a packed dance floor!.

hi there, is this still up for sale?

i like fish n' chips!

REALLY???......

correct karl

had a look at images and robert thomas, men from macon & rita lee are there..no cressa watson though. probably have to ask andy to post it up, or whoever else owns it.

karl, has this subject been up on here before, always an interesting one...i know young dyson has it, but isn't it the record, where the artist name has been erazed and another written over the top ( in other words, it's supposed to read cressa watson but it says rita lee ).

what an absolute vindication!, most of us were aware something was up, a short while ago. this really does the "soul" good. elaine constantine is an honest-to-goodness woman with an up close and personal perspective of the northern soul scene. she could quite easily have been ridiculed by the glitterati in general,..instead having embraced her vision and generated a close up, as close as it gets to most of our memories of what it was like to live the dream back in those almost hazy days now..against all adversity...she has emerged triumphant, with a celluloid production, steeped in unswerving devotion, but with realism and cold light of day. PEOPLE,...it has taken a woman's belief to deliver a testament to our united passion for our music......a woman...can we now all hold our heads high...we have no need to feign embarrassment ....it simply dosn't exist. She deserves all of the plaudits bestowed on her...and to a man or woman...should she receive the glittering prize she so eagerly anticipates, we should ALL raise a toast to her...the person who perhaps, stood alone, when others doubted, but achieved what no one thought possible...a near as damn it representation of a by gone age, so revered and still cherished...done with justice and love. now the curtain call awaits....let it be righteous...

NO TALC STEVE....WE'RE BRITISH!!......or shall we all have a lovely argument about this contentious subject on here as well???...

TO ME.........TO YOU!

get ready for another 3 hour installment of northern soul for the weekend, with richard on BBC RADIO MANCHESTER on 95.1 FM DAB or log onto www.bbcradiomanchester.co.uk more interviews plus a special 1 hour feature on the music of MR. M's ....it's all happening on: FRIDAY, 20TH FEBRUARY, 2015 - 10:00PM - 1:00AM

live on 95.1 FM dab or go to www.bbc. co.uk/radiomanchester for 3 hours of northern soul memories between 22:00 and 01:00 featuring guests: IAN DEWHIRST, BRIAN "45" PHILLIPS & PAUL DAVIES covering the TWISTED WHEEL era and all things uptempo for 66 through today's big tunes!. for requests and dedications contact richard on: 0161 228 2255 email: richard.searling@bbc.co.uk text: MANC81333 TWITTER: @bbcradionmanc or via the bbc radio manchester facebook page

yep...definitely sister lee backing track

wow!..is an understatement, but also not meant to be patronising either...because there are, as is quite easy to believe, some very intuitive ladies out there, who seriously dig the music and have the inclination to get behind the decks and show the men that they can cut a mean groove as well as anybody.....quite a few of these all female line-ups every year, but surely this has to be one of the best for you guys......and that's coming from someone who didn't witness it and has yet to visit the place....which would probably require me to have a monday off work! hope to maybe grace the playlist myself one day keep up the good work!!

enough to leave anyone speechless there, awesome sets..got a lot of miles to cover to listen to these, let alone play a set as well!,.....but for anyone else who reads this and is of the same mind as me, it's definitely got to be a must do in 2015...bold letters on the calender peeps so you don't forget!

not unless he's really uma thurman and knows how to kick his way out of a coffin!

hi bri,..no i don't have one sadly however, on a different note, it dawned on me that there is a similarity in the musical structure of this tune, to the invitations "watch out little girl" in as much as the emphasis on the piano breaks in carol & gerri are reflected in the invitations tune, only difference being the instrument in question is a marimba or xlyaphone...and taken at a slower tempo...just my observation, you might disagree....maye they were recorded at the same session or either of the musical arrangers heard something they liked in each others productions...am i bonkers?

correct again pete, catacombs, va-va's, mecca...people like blue max & pep in our neck of the woods were responsible for a lot of stuff that went on to go stellar at the casino, before it gained it's own identity via richard and john anderson.

hi rob, correct of course...always an opportunity for roll reversal and you guys have certainly done that in recent decades, after us from over here, came and started robbing you from over there, of your heritage!! ....there is a point of course to the discovering of the sounds, when they did....if, for instance, this process had not begun until say, 2 or 3 years later, mid seventies....the oil crisis would certainly have claimed them, with the distinct possibility that the hoard we garnered when we did, would not exist AT ALL. however, these records back then, were hung out to dry, unwanted goods, as has been stated down the years...and the pioneers from the u.k. came along, like good samaritans,..took pity and rescued them hey,...we're still buddy's, only now we ALL have that deep appreciation for what these artists, songwriters, musicians and producers gave in the quest to find a hit......the "misses" gave us this wonderful scene we have and that will endure and amaze people for years to come.

exactly right........anyone who thinks it's done and dusted, is fooling theirselves....there are some high rollers out there who haven't even entered the ring yet..the bidding has a lot more energy in it yet...i'm confident of that, basically because it's a global market....."another one" of these is pure pie in the sky,..what we see is a genuine gold plated, holy grail...one of the most breath taking revelations of many of our lifetimes...thought to be myth...the irony is, the guy who hoarded it, is deceased, but what a fascinating story that would have made in it's own right, totally unconnected as it is to the soul scene..the very fact there is a story to this record's existence, is enough to guarantee the realization of a staggering winning bid, and well deserved....proof of why our music endures, decades on. i've already stuck my neck out with what i believe it will achieve....but the end game will ensure it reaches a world record price for a british release alone, even if it dosn't top frank wilson.

early doors: 8:00 - 9:15 the chessmen - why can't i be your man - chess roscoe gordon - you got my bait - jomada tamiko jones - spellbound - golden world shane martin - i need you - epic cookie jackson - find me a lover - uptown capitols - i feel alright - atco lp arthur conley - keep on talking - atco lp georgie fame - sweet thing - columbia lpembers - aware of love - ee lp dennis coffey - blackbelt jones - wea lp larry harlow - mess around - fania the fabulous dimensions - i can't take it baby marva whitney - saving my love for my baby kelly st clair - hear that beat - amm lee williams & the cymbals - lost love - carnival l allen - can't we talk it over - green dolphin ritchie adams - i can't escape from you - congress precisions - if this is love - track keymen strings - try a little harder al kent - the way you've been acting lately instr. - ric-tic epitome of sound - where were you - sandbag the embers - watch out girl - mgm big don's rebellion - it was true - ethon paramountfour - sorry ain't the word belles - words can't explain - mirwood irene & the scotts - stuck on you baby - smash vicky baines - country girl - parkway patrice holloway - stolen hours - capitol jeanette williams - something good's got a hold on me - back beat

having read the list, as he did and then contemplated "yes i'm gonna do this on my show", i;'ll bet he had a hairs on the back of the neck experience and got pretty excited about it, which i'm sure , anyone would from a purely mostalgic point of view.