Epic

Yes Brett - that Eric Knowles has done alright for himself!!!

https://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=WJMPS4uCQdU Written by Stevie Wonder Performed by JJ Barnes Recorded for Motown 'NUFF SAID!!!!

Think we are batting on the same side Tony - my list of tunes illustrates to the "Stevie Wonder is rubbish" crew that he patently is not. Whilst contemplating that let us not forget the incredible handicap the guy has lived with all his life!!

I disagreed with the following (your words) If we are talking SOUL, and not Northern, then i have to agree Stevie is GENIUS. I was pointing out that Stevie Wonder does have a place within "Northern Soul" as you seemed to make out he didn't.

I disagree................ Angel Baby Just A Little Misunderstanding All I Do Tears Of A Clown Everybody Needs Somebody (I Need You) My Love Is Your Love Can You Love A Poor Boy It's A Shame .............just a few of the tunes that Mr Wonder had a hand in - think there is definitely a bit of "Northern" interest in these & that is without listing some of his own "Northern" recordings ie :- Uptight Nothings Too Good For My Baby Castles In The Sand Contract On Love I Want My Baby Back Please take a bow Mr Wonder because IMHO you are not too shabby at all. PS - "Songs In The Key Of Life" - f there ever was a Desert Island Disc - that is it !!

My pet hate - people who insist on clapping OFF the beat

Think I have heard a tape of one of the "last nights at Wigan" with the three before eight being played - large dose of the clap in all those tracks - particularly impressive on Tobi Legend.

Is Motown Any Good? Of course it is - warts & all. Think just about everybody on this site discovered soul music via Motown & it's influences on the music we all love is immense & should never be underestimated.

Not sure about the writer - sold my copy many moons ago.................. at the end of the record Mr Stansbury is wailing - "she took my shirt, she took my tie & said bye bye bye..........she took the whole thing" etc.

Yea was/is a good tune - kind of funky floater - not heard it played out for a long time.

Sorry to say that Derek & Ray was played at a time when "anything with a beat" became acceptable to the Northern crowd & any quality control on the scene had long gone. A dreadful piece of music & definitely one of the worst records ever played - if you want to hear a good instumental then listen to G Davis & R Tyler "Hold On Help Is On The Way" - now that's what I call an instrumental.

Looking at some of the postings Ian I think the answer to your original question is a resounding NO!!

It was played for a long time - but it was not played every week - it was "mothballed" every now & then. Just when you thought it may have been dropped Colin would play it again as an unexpected treat. It was the same for records like George Wydell, Major Harris, Leroy Britten, John Stansbury, Earnest Mosely etc. BTW Betty Lloyd is just such a brilliant record & evokes so many happy memories for me & all that "last hour" generation from The Highland Room.

Was a Colin Curtis "last hour" Blackpool Mecca spin way before Stafford played it!

It's not that I don't get it - I just don't think it's that good.

"There's a job opening for an experienced male vocal group" Think I'll stick with Sammy & the boys - now that is quality!!!!

Is it just me or does antbody else find the record a bit of a mess really? The intro is great but then I think the tune goes all over the place - the vocal harmonies are just not there - bit of an "Emperors New Clothes" record to me - rarity over quality IMHO.

The points raised on here are the same ones that rear their ugly heads on similar threads over the last couple of years. The conclusion I have reached is that as much as I love modern dance music it is NOT Northern Soul & never will be - yes there are similarities but people who love dancing to Dobie Gray, Moses Smith etc. are never going to want to listen to the likes of Blaze, Byron Stingily etc. There will be small groups of people who will accept "newer" music but this will be a minority. Who knows - perhaps the next generation may embrace 90s dance records & discover them just as we did back in the 70s with Northern Soul - but they may look at it without the "Northern" angle on it.

I can assure you that the modern dance music I listen to & play bears no resemblance to the stuff that kids listen to on any given high street on a Saturday night. People of a certain age dancing to modern dance music, is it any more or less cringeworthy than their peers dancing to old dance music? - 'cos over 2000 of them seemed happy enough to do it at Blackpool Tower a couple of weeks ago & not many of them suffered from acute embarassement. BTW Quentin Harris has released a shed load of tunes which are far better than the one featured in this thread - artists like Melba Moore, Patti Labelle, Joi Cardwell etc. & we all know their SOUL pedigree.

My missus bought me some boxer shorts off a street trader in Blackpool once - they said KEVIN KLINE round the waistband - do you think they may have been copies!!!!!!

Better still - it would make a great name for a female vocalist or a C/U name Vera Simillitude

Try fitting that word into one of your songs - now that would be impressive!!!!!! Whilst on the subject of Ronnie Mcneir - a question for you - who discovered "Sitting In My Class" - I know CC played it at The Mecca but was it one of your discoveries? I think it is one of the best records ever played.

Ian would have to play himself - however everybody else would be played by second rate actors with just a passing resemblance to the original people.

Could be called "Hit & Run" - 'cos that's what he did - the best sales thread on Soul Source ever!!!