Twoshoes

yes most definitely a mix done by someone else, From memory there was nothing added from any other source it was all done from the original though whoever did it could have used the album version as a starter, i dont know if it was released but Robbie V said due out in the next two weeks.

Just out of interest I have a tape somewhere from an old Robbie Vincent show from the early eighties I would guess , on it he plays an extended version of the Temptations Papa Was a Rolling Stone , in his preamble he says it was/is the first time Motown had officially sanctioned anyone messing with their product, he also questioned what Norman Whitfield would have to say about it, sorry can't remember who did the remix.

A timely thread for me, having not played anything for more than 20yrs I now listen as most have said on the pc, over those 20 yrs I've sold or given away probably anything of any worth from my collecting days, still have a few nice things, nothing of any great value mostly sentimental stuff from my early days learning about this great music of ours. That was until last week when in conversation with a mate we talked of looking over one another's records plus other collecting interests so I thought I better dig out the old record deck. To rediscover the joy of that little piece of plastic going round and round and flicking through the boxes rekindled a lost youth but what surprised me was the records I chose to play. I 've never been more active on the scene than I am now but in the early days I tried every genre of soul going from sweet soul to funk and everything in between. Most of the Northern has been cherry picked by trusted friends as I always let them take what they want without looking as I never played the records anyway I just trust them to give me a fair price which makes me happy to know they are being played rather than sitting under my stairs lying silent so looking through the boxes I don't know what I've got and what's gone half of which I don't remember. A few plays from last night , Erma Franklin Never Again, Soul Makossa Manu Dibango, Fabulous Counts Lunar Funk, a left fielder Al Martino Spanish Eyes, Latimore Let's Straighten it Out, one from my days before the soul bug bit deep Jim Capaldi Eve, as I said surprised me no end what I chose to play but then again I hear enough Northern out and on the pc. Sorry for the ramble, back to the deck..

didn't get the chance to speak to you before we left just after your second set, really enjoyed your contribution to what was a great night

As has been said there are far to many great Motown songs to choose from so I guess I'd have to go with the one that made the most impression on me as a fledgling soul fan after time spent being influenced musically by older brothers . I've always loved music from and early age and to this day still sing along to tunes from the sixties imagining my voice is akin to Scott Walkers or Roy Hamilton rather than someone unsuccessfully setting a mousetrap. All that changed the night in the local church hall when the Dj dropped the needle on the Contours Little Misunderstanding , I was already well on the way to a lifetimes passion but up until that moment I'd never heard records played anywhere other than on the radio and through the old Dansette (one of which nearly killed me but that's another story). Can't remember what preceded said record probably some chart hit of the day but the feeling of awe and wonder that swept over me that night remains with me still, just everything about it continues to give me immense pleasure from beginning to end I could have others have quoted more than the one but as the song goes, first impression are lasting impressions.

Reading recent replies on here I don't know whether I should feel happy or sad or just plain lucky or maybe I'm easily pleased, I seem to be able to find everything I need within a ten mile radius of home. Maybe I should have got out more in the early days and my views might be a bit different but I still manage to hear plenty of new tunes at least to my ears most weekends. That's not to say I like everything I hear but I'd far rather go to a night and hear two or three cracking new tunes amongst a lot of ok stuff than spend a night listening to tunes I could listen to at home or have been played to death regardless of the classic status . As for dancing , much as I would love to firstly have the energy to and then actually be able to do that stomping thing I have to be in the mood so it's mid tempo and feeling the urge to get up to something I don't know make for a good night. In answer to Len's initial question I stay local due to circumstance but if asked I'll go anywhere where there is a promise of a good night if someone takes us.

I heard an absolute belter yesterday that might find its way into chav town, my partner bless her watches trash tv one of which is those bloody Kardashians, full of super awesome etc ,I usually make the tea or surf the net while she watches but my ears pricked up yesterday when one of them came out with a a corker "I'm so feckin lubricated" ,now what did that mean

Always wary of anyone who says "to be honest", my stock reply is why do you normally lie

Short notice just looking what's on tonight and there is a documentary on Sky Arts about the life and career of Mavis Staples tonight at quarter past seven.

Berry was in interviewed on Radio Four this morning Johnny, don't know if you can access it on iplayer, once again only a short interview,I didn't catch the interviewers name but she asked a couple of good questions one of which the answer was new to me though probably common knowledge to most on here, the growling Do you love me bit on the Contours song of the same name was actually Berry himself, not a Michael Caine moment probably the reverse but it was new to me anyway.

Although I appreciate the constraints of such programmes re time allocated to guests what an opportunity missed by J Ross for and forgive the pun some soul searching questions with Berry Gordy, thanks for the heads up enjoyed the albeit short interview.

I didn't know Ian personally but like many had the pleasure of hearing him Dj which was always something to look forward to. Someone once told me you can measure a man by the reputation given by his friends so judging by the thread he was in every way a gentleman and someone it was a gift to know. Condolences to his family and friends .R.I.P Ian

Drifting slightly off topic and prompted by Mellorful's mention of Brian Rae please indulge me here, I know this would never happen but lets just say it did , could it ever be a case of not what but who, say a Nighter was advertised with a roster Dj's including say Butch, Ginger Taylor, Ted Massey ,Richard Searling , Nige Brown etc and at the bottom of the flyer it said All on Laptop, would the reputation of the Dj's sway people into attending whatever the format, just a thought and again I know it would never happen or at least I hope it wouldn't.

Good point, none of my children have shown the slightest interest in Northern despite exposure since birth except for enquiring when I dispose of records often giving them away "is that our inheritance going down the pan", little do they know anything of any value and there was never much went long ago. You can't impose your own taste on others so yes let them find it for themselves, some good points in your post.

None as it happens and I tend to agree with you regarding the actual numbers of young uns on the scene or maybe it's just the nights I attend, I see the same dozen or so quite regularly but like the threatened influx of handbaggers , tourists call them what will you each time Northern hits the telly or as with the film the invasion in my experience never happens. I would like to think I'm wrong and there is somewhere a growing number who will carry the torch for the future.

For what it's worth we had a Friday night middle of last year, no plans nothing on locally and on a whim decided to go to a night about twenty minutes away that we had always shied away from due to lack of info on Dj's and it being advertised as a Soul/Motown/Northern night. First impressions were not good the door was manned by a couple who you could not believe would be within a million miles of a Northern night, room was ok and nicely set up, sounds from the speakers was fine and it being early there was maybe half a dozen at most in there. Stood at the bar we were approached by a very friendly guy who introduced himself as the Dj, he explained what would be played during the night, said he loved Northern but he had to play general soul stuff, Barry White, Luther Johnny Bristol etc to keep the regulars happy but his true love was Northern and if we had any requests to just ask. He seemed in no rush to return to the stage and when the record ( I use the term loosely) changed I thought he had perfected remote cuing but no it was laptop, we found a table and had a discussion as to whether we should stay or go but as we were there we decided to give it a chance. To say it was not your normal Northern night laptop aside would be an understatement, disco lights, glitter ball and worst of all at one stage Lou went missing in action on the dancefloor as the smoke machine kicked in ,I half expected the words Tonight Matthew I'm going to be Mary Wells to come over the speakers. There wasn't many people in but those that were were having a great time, and there appeared to be several tunes that he played every month as everyone got up and danced. I found it very odd seeing a group of people who with the exception of one couple I had never seen at any other Northern night obviously loving the music, singing along to the records and began to wonder if you are enjoying it so much surely you would want to try another night somewhere else or did they think this was the norm listening to everything from a laptop. Next funny moment came as the room obviously suffered from lack of air conditioning there were two enormous fans on the stage that would not have looked out of place in a wind tunnel, an old couple and I still feel guilty about being amused by them they must have been in their late sixties and she was wearing a dress far too short for her years and he looked like a few beef dinners would work wonders were dancing close to the stage where lay a bottle of talc and yes she did, she proceeded to talc the floor in front of one of the fans which combined with the turning on of the smoke machine created a cloud of biblical proportions. So the night was jollying along, one of the regulars came and chatted to us and he apparently had a long history on the scene stretching back to Wigan and seemed to have no problem with the laptop arrangement, as the dj had told us he would play anything Lou asked for Gene Toones and oddly returning to the table she said he hadn't got it to which I replied technically he hasn't got anything but everything is within his reach and lo and behold from not having the Gene Toones he must have nipped out to Lidl and bought one as over the speakers it came. Low point of the night and just when I was thinking well fair play to the lad he obviously loves Northern and is doing what he thinks is right and he has a regular crowd who have a good night once a month he goes and plays Third Finger Left Hand, nothing wrong with that other than if you use Motown in your advertising literature why play a crap version by the Pearls . So my overall view on it all, it didn't sit well in a club listening to Northern from a laptop, different kettle of fish if you stumble across it in a pub somewhere or a bar abroad in my view , I did actually enjoy the night for all I've written, the people were friendly and clearly loving the music, it was nice to hear some of the general pop soul from my youth that you never hear which brought back some happy memories, we have not been back as I would hazard a guess and say that at least 80% of the tunes he played would be repeated. I never asked and should have done I suppose did he actually own any records, whether that would have changed my views I don't know. If the future in some form or another is going to incorporate the use of laptops be it for the younger generation or the playing of one off's unreleased stuff etc I don't see a change in the quality of nights offered, the music choice would still be down to the person playing the music, I have seen some of the so called big name dj's play what to me were quite ordinary predictable sets only to be blown away by Joe soap doing a mate a favour or a resident little known name doing a first spot, there's more to being a dj than a few big ticket records and 10'000 tunes on a laptop aint going to make a great dj if you have no imagination. If listening to Northern on laptops is the way young people get into the music and they grow to love it and keep it alive so be it, I think we maybe do them a disservice assuming they will not progress to wanting to own the actual records and for those holding large expensive collections surely it is in their interest to promote and encourage wherever possible that love for Northern.

Great live version of If I Could Only Be Sure, couple of other tracks there as well from the session

Great read and I would imagine a real labour of love, much enjoyed thank you for taking the time.

Thought this might be interest to a few on here. https://youtu.be/GC6LdIcmDQs?list=PLwHPz88lriWbiL7-uj6oQFzeQ-H5RngbY

Got to be Phil Upchurch You Can't Sit Down

As a rule myself and my partner will dance together once during a night not always to something slow, a kinda jive thing at which admittedly we aren't very good but we enjoy, I only know personally of maybe two other couples who dance together also just the once often near the end of a night and not in a smoochy last dance at a wedding way, we all have different ways of enjoying a night and my ONE dance with my partner is integral to mine. That said I would not like to see couples dancing together become the norm . As to the original question there have been some very valid opinions expressed so for me the Scene is what you want it to be, I don't care whether people dance ,chat, drink scratch their chins as long as they have respect for the music, their fellow Soul people and enjoy , the bottom line is we are all brought together by the music whether it be top 500 ,rare ,underplayed rnb whatever though sadly in too many cases what brings up together also too often divides us. I respect the fact you have a problem with couples dancing together , we all have aspects of the scene that annoy us, mine being Pork PIe hats where I happen to think the only place for a Pork Pie is on a plate with a decent relish. I'll continue with my one dance as is my right in the certain knowledge that you are not the only one who disapproves but as long as it makes me smile feel free to keep shaking your head it's your right

Came across this on YouTube thought it might interest a few on here https://youtu.be/auaz8x1Jepk

Purely as a punter no one method of promoting on its own would get me to a venue, flyers are good I guess from a promoters point of view for at least you know you are reaching people who actually get out and attend nights though by the amount of flyers I see left on tables not many seem to be taken home, word of mouth by someone you know and trust and who knows your taste in what kind of night you like to attend is the best as you can get the full picture of venue, quality of dancefloor, music policy even down to bar prices though that would not be my number one consideration. I think a little more thought by promoters starting up new nights when they know the catchment area , the numbers attending the nights already on should deter them from putting on something on the same night but it doesn't seem to. The events page on here is great for getting an overall picture of what is going on both locally and further afield though due to circumstances I rarely travel more than a 15 mile radius from where I live but still manage to find enough variety to fill my needs, the much maligned across the board policy works for me as long as it is truly across the board without an over emphasis on the top 500 kinda stuff. First hour is often where I find the most enjoyment and quite often its the lesser known Dj's that entertain me the most, Sad to say I have been disappointed many times by lazy big name Dj's who must have incredible tunes at their disposal playing the same old stuff time after time........sadly you can't argue with a full dancefloor

Doris Duke I'm A loser Doris Duke Legend in her Own Time Sam Dees Show Must go On Marvin Gaye What's Goin On Soul Children Friction Kool and the Gang Wild and Peaceful Issac Hayes Hot Buttered Soul Bobby Womack Understanding Bobby Womack Facts of Life O'Jays Ship Ahoy Millie Jackson Caught up / Still Caught Up Esther Phillips From a Whisper to a Scream Ohio Players Fire

We went to the Printworks, saw plenty of people we knew from the scene, was it a Northern event, my own personal view probably not a popular one is not in the conventional sense as there were as you would expect given the main venue a very large proportion of people not off the scene. Other than the All Stars none of the acts we saw sang any Northern songs just the popular Motown and stuff like the Drifters. Bonus of the day if you can call it that was a surprise guesting with the Casino Allstars of Wayne Fontana who can still belt out a tune. Plenty of people seemed to be having a great time so maybe we were in the minority ,we'd had enough by about eight o'clock. Most of the music we heard played was of the top 500 variety but I would guess other stuff was played elsewhere in the various venues within the Printworks. All for a good cause but if they were to make it an annual event I doubt I would be moved to go again. In this case it was billed as a Soul Festival and I guess it was that.