Epic

In those days where I lived the postman arrived before I went to work - used to number the tunes in order in which I wanted them - my mum would then do the phoning for me whilst I went to work - she would often talk to a Scottish chap (Mr Anderson I believe) who would usually say to her "Och - that's gone" - we were all after the same records each week. Around about '76 it became a great place to get new release jazz/funk & soul albums on demo for about 2 quid - happy days!!

Why this record has never got the recognition it truly deserves is beyond me - wonderful (& cheap!!) tune.

Welvcome Ray - two pieces of work you were invoved with which I have enjoyed over the years. The Street People album on Vigor - as good an example of a 70s disco soul group you will ever find - brilliant album which I have recommended to many many people & a 12 inch single which you yourself sang - "Stepping Out" on Polydor from 1978 - quality disco tune.

Yes it was It's All In The Back Of Me Now - Linda Perry You Take My Love For Granted - Hodges James & Smith Sex Trip - Crown Heights Affair Has Love Been Here Before - Fabulous Determinations I'll Always Need You - Len Barry Strange Book - Gorgeous George I Don't Know - Bobby Womack That's How Much I Love You - Art Wheeler It's Not Like You - Lydia Marcelle Happy Without You - Ann Byers Whatever Happened To The Love We Knew - Jimmy James & The Vagabonds

Anybody mentioned Admirations - Heaven Is In Your Arms Dushons - You'd Better Think It Over Ruby Andrews - I've Got A Bone To Pick With You Sandy Hadley - Since I Found A Love Don Renaldo - Fiddlin' Around Apologies if they have.

Thought the review of the Motown tour was good - TOTP videos left me cold I'm afraid - thought the guy (Tony Hall - old DJ) who said Stevie Wonder was "blindingly brilliant" might look back at that & cringe. Frankie Valli - "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" - was that a Motown record ?

Let's not forget that in all the time they were there Colin & Ians playlists were evolving every week - they didn't fall back on "oldies" which have realistically been the backbone of the scene since about 1977.

Think you should aim that statement at Richard Searling, Kev Roberts, Russ Winstanley, Ginger Taylor etc. - I strongly suspect they would disagree with you!! Take it you haven't looked that closely at Ian Dewhirst's list of Mecca tunes - is their not enough "Northern" in there for you to see the venue deserving its place as one of the top clubs ever. It is no coincidence IMO that between 75 & 78 the standard of Northern tunes played at other venues dropped dramatically once The Mecca influence was no longer there. Benny Troy was not a Mecca record - it was a tune you could pick up for 30p back then. I know it has risen in value since then , but to me it is still a 30p record - both in quality & value.

Vernon Burch - "Frame Of Mind" - Cracking tune & a big Les Cokell fave - still sounds great today.

Problem with a "Mecca Revival" is that records like Carstairs - Eloise Laws etc etc are EXPECTED to be played - if the DJ waivers from this path the attendees ask him for the bleedin' obvious because they find it hard sometimes to think "outside the box" or they question the choice of music - usually because they don't know or believe it was a Highland Room spin. People have a pre - concieved perception of what Mecca music is - it is not just Gil Scott Heron & James Fountain - just as Wigan music is not just Frank Wilson & Judy Street. Like everybody else I embraced the "big" tunes back in the day, but I was always drawn to the quirky "left field" tunes that Colin & Ian used to drop now & again. I can remember emptying my pockets on a Sunday morning & finding old beer mats or slips of paper with all manner of weird & wonderful tunes written on them. Some went on to bigger & better things & some sunk without a trace or even many years later made a huge impact at some other club.

Know it deffo has a "Mecca feel" to it but Iam reasonably sure it never got a spin there - as much as I like it I think its lyrical content lets it down slightly.

No - it was a Richard Searling spin at Wigan - as you say top tune !!

Mo Claridge also slaughtered Bo & Ruth - "You're Gonna Get Next To Me" - dismissing it as pop disco of the worst kind. Think people who frequent modern soul weekenders would disagree - it's an anthem - & it was very popular in The Highland Room.

Seem to think Ian was supplying some "Northern" records to Richard around 75/76 when sixties soul had ceased being played in the Highland Room - may be wrong but I heard that Jay D Martin came from Ian Levines collection - Don Gardner - Cheatin' Kind definitely did. Also Colin Colin Curtis's copy of The International GTO's ended up with Soul Sam in a swap deal - without it ever being played up The Mecca.

There were played fleetingly because of the huge turnover of records that were coming out as new releases - records were not dwelt on for any length of time. 1) "big" with whom? - we liked it & bought it - it was "big" with us!! 2) Does a record have to get a seal of approval from a NS Nighter to be considered as acceptable ? 3) Can't really get more modern than being played as a new release !! & one last point "Who is Mark ?

They were "big" for us when first spun at The Mecca - the fact that certain clubs & individuals didn't cotton on to those tunes until many years later just adds more credibility& impact to the Highland Room playlists of the mid seventies. Records like Corey Blake & Jesse James were played & then we moved on to other things - the current modern/crossover scene has played them on & off for the last twenty or so years. The tunes you list above were mainly Colin spins - he played 'em & then moved on - that is how it was & that is what kept us coming back for more.

I have always said that most of the people who criticised The Mecca for its musical policy after 1975 never actually went - think this thread goes someway to vindicating Colin, Ian & the Highland Room regulars for the stance they took. 1975-77 was an amazing time for music - what a treat it was to be there every Saturday night - the people who were there will know exactly what I mean - it really was "Livin' For The Weekend".

Margo Thunder & Paul Humphrey weren't released until 1974.

Great list Steve. - All those in Red are so special to me. Now then, where are my tapers, mohair jumper & plastic sandals ? Cheers Andy

Great record - a fantastic piece of "slip & slide" soul - one of my fave tunes ever from The Highland Room.

It was - some 3 years after The Mecca first played it.

Believe me it took quite a time to be generally accepted after its initial spin at The Mecca.

Sums it all up for me with Gil Scott Heron - "The Bottle". Think everyone will agree that it is now accepted as a Northern Soul anthem. It can also be called Jazz - Funk & even Disco classic. No other club (or DJs up north) apart from The Mecca would risk or "break" a record like that back then.