soulfulsaint

Not sure it is entirely true Steve, although like you I have heard it several times from sources. Suspect it could be a myth that has grown legs due to their intense relationship and to Ruffin's bad boy image. Tammi Terrel's sister denies it all but has no great reason to defend Ruffin. In her book she describes only one incident - in Las Vegas - when Ruffin hit Tammi Terrell with a motorbike crash-helmet, after an enormous row. Her collapse was several months later and according to the neuro-surgeons in Philly unrelated. Good book and worth a read at $27 https://www.amazon.com/My-Sister-Tommie-Tam...l/dp/1904408168

He was the guy that handed me the flyer at the EICC - wish I'd seen that.

...sounds like that could have been Maureen from Pontefract she was a Mecca and Wigan regular, lives in London now and goes to 100 club events. Mum was Mayor of Pontefract if its the same girl.

More intrigued by the avatar Jocko - gota flyer of a show in EDinburgh on life of Esther Philips - is that it, did you see the show? Would the Soul Police have give it a licence. Started thread becasue I think a bit of policing of standards is no bad thing. Originals even smell better.

Several posters on SS Forum use the term the Soul Police when they refer to those that would pass judgement on others. But what exactly does the term 'Soul Police' really mean - and who is willing to admit that they pursue constabulatory duties. I admit I hate those irritating pop records that Russ played at Wigan especially the Sharonettes 'Papa Ooh Mow Mow'. A mere trainee traffic warden I admit - are their any chief constables out there that want to come clean about what they would ban, caution or arrest? Who are the soul police?

Broken at Mecca and yet pure street funk I hope it unites Ian and James in unadulterated love. I'm off to bed.

Yes brilliant sound. Summer in the Park is the annual DC funk festival. It was the first Washington Go Go record played on northern scene and at Wigan. Listen for refernces to DC's own Soul Searchers. Brilliant but divided opinion as much as Boby Franklin.

Is on Reprise Records and books at £200 for issue copy played at Wigan in early 70s. One of thsoe stranger sounds that is worth more on release than demo. A side is 'Tell Me Why'/ B side is 'Funk' and is collected by funk fans in US and Japan. So A and B side both collectable.

Right that's it. No more Dr Who. It stops now. I love the last hour of the Mecca, stompers, crossover, rare dobbers, proto-disco, street funk but most of all those unadulterated soul classics. I'm a friend of Ian and Simon and James Trouble all on Facebook. Rhod makes me laugh on SS especially when he's having sly digs at Ian Dewhirst. But unlike Ian D I have never seen Ian Levine thrown out of a car at Knutsford although I did see him sleeping inside one at Soul Bowl when I was inside doing John Anderson's dishes. And unlike Pete Smith I love the Carstairs although I do concede that the group shares their name with Scotland's biggest state mental asylum. I danced to all Ian's sets at Wigan and seriously regretted the so-called division between Mecca and Wigan, which helped send the scene down the road of crass tribalism when it was uniquely poised for a deeper exploration of great music. Nothing else since, not even jazz-funk, or rare groove etc have a fan base as passionate and obsessed as the northern scene. Ian you are a one-off I have defended you often in the past. But I always prefer it when you are inside, adding knowledge and passionate friction rather than outside being persecuted. Whatever northern soul is, it is has always been an academy of very serious passions. One of the passions that I have always harboured is 'authenticity' loving rare independent music that had been unearthed in a US city and unkown to anyone beyond the scene. This has been my one abiding holy grail. When you began producing from inside the persepctive of the scene, Ian, it challenged that 'authenticity' and broke a spell for many people. Some could not forgive you, some could not understand, and others could not move on and embrace music that was changing around them. When your first batch of records were played it was with a mix of awesome power and originality but also some doubt. Both power and doubt - equal in measure. It was one of the biggest innovations to hit the scene, but like many forms of change left people confused and clinging to the familiar. What I can't square even until this day, is that a record like James Wells is a phenomenal piece of music, and it completely annihilates my search for 'authentic' rare soul. Had it been discovered by a collector in Chicago in a yard sale, on a small US label and played at Stafford as a cover up it would be an all time, stonewall classic. What does that really say about the northern scene and 'authenticity' that myself and many on the forum believe in. Maybe that in some cases we would prefer the rarity to the quality, or deliberately pass over great music becasue it has not come through the specific and obscure route we demand. Demanding authenticity when so many great performers were being unrecognised is hypocritical. How many times on this forum have we bemoaned the passing of a soul great, and two clicks on are salivating at the prices being paid for the music of a soon-to-be-dead legend. That makes me squirm to this day. And I am one of the forums biggest hypocrites in that respect. The northern scene has shaped my life and I'll always love it and defend it. But it is a mass of unresolved issues and the role of the 'self-produced' record is high among them. This is ironically in contradiction to other great soul sub-cultures, like dancehall, house and hip-hop where the the DJ/Producer is king. What must be really hard to take Ian is that you are a producer connected to a scene that has not shown the same level of respect to the DJ/Producer as reggae or house, and we can be brutally judgemental on those that try. Welcome back Ian never lose your passion or your unique personality. I like some of your videos (if you delete them, take them off you tube, and hide them in a vault in Philadelphia I may even b encourged to like them even more....but that is my sad problem not yours) Stuart Cosgrove PS. To all the Hibs and Dundee fans that have been PMing me about Saints being shit, get a grip. We have a new player called Nick McKoy, who if my spies are right is related to one of Ian's artists. Soul and Saints I'll take a bit of that.

its available on album too, play it a few bpms faster, crank up volume and shout loud in your kitchen and the neighbours will think its Frankie 'Love Man' Crockers' 'Ton of Dynamite' .. you've just saved a few quid too......

Batman's copyright was breached company theratened to sue so it was reissued as Working at Go Go. That was the one that was played on scene originally the rarer batman showed up a bit later. Hey Rids did you see BBC doc on Marvin gaye it featured his sister in law (Frankie Gray's wife) she's from Aberdeen and used to be soul girl in '70s.Lives in LA now I think. It will still be on iplayer.

I remember talking to him in the record bar at Wigan and he told me he also had a business selling hoovers. May have been an elaborate con. Anyone hwo has ordered a hoover that didn't arrive, or a bootlegged Ronnie DYSON it may be Simon.

Great find Malc. Can't add to what is already known but another curiosity was that by the time Earl van Dyke and the touring Motown band reached Glasgow later in 1965, they had not been paid and wen't on wild-cat strike. Only cash-in-hand from Berry Gordy saved the Glasgow gig which was on the verge of being cancelled. The tour alone is worth a book.

...I agree jocko great term...from Paradise Garage. Now when the term is used it tends to be about scuzzy indie junk from just about any two-bit town in america....I love quasi-northern insiprational house...which is why i'm back sneaking away back to work too....

Sorry guys i'm in an internet cafe in sri lanka and not back in Uk until 5th Jan then I can post at length. we did three numbers with Sam at Black cat studios in Springfield Road Glasgow in 1990. Have all three on a high quality video tape abd multi-track they are in my mate's garage in Cromarty. Promise I'll get them in 2008. Happy New Year. This one was b'cast on Channel 4 the other two weren't we also recorded Willie Clayton and Jean carne. Thanks for PM John se you at Nu Caley Soul late January.

very sad news RIP to a great singer.

Got another thanks to the man known as modernsoulsucks which is code for he loves modern soul really he just can't dance for more than 2mins 45 seconds.

Yes Ian the copy of Othello Robertson's 'So In Luv' (Baby Luv) I got at Soul Bowl, Richard played it at Wigan that night, you borrowed it a few weeks later to play at Cleethorpes, and closed the lid on it chipping the record. I've forgiven you now. No doubt your MP3 version is not chipped. Stuart Cosgrove

I think the band were called the Tallahasees - it was prodcued by a guy I was at college with but to be honest it was a bit bland.

Fine thread Ian and can see many of the points you make - some areas I'm less sure about. First is the displacement theory, I'm not convinced that all physical forms will be displaced by MP3. Radio is more successful now than ever and has not been replaced by either cinema or TV or the web, some may even say radio has been enhanced by their arrival. Forms are more reobust than that. Second, i'd listen to great soul by any means necessary so happy with laptop DJs. But never forget, MP3 technology has one serious drawback, you can't prize open a brown cardborad wrapper to get into it, you cannot careess its warm surface, or hold it up the light to check the matrix, and then rush to the toilet to sexually molest it for three hours. MP3 is efficient but utterly sexless. As for a rarity that you've just won, priceless. My greatest worry in life reamins VD - vinyl dementia. (PS Dave Moore - new Burnley manager today Owen Coyle from da supa saints, wish you all the best)

Not as miserbale as he looks as Kojak on the Oliver Christian LP. Now I know what Russ was doing when he should have been advancing the cause of naval history in Norfolk, Virginia.

Remember several guys at Wigan having SKF tatooed on their wrists. It was the initials of the drug company Smith Kline French, now Beechams I think. A Scotland fan got a tatoo in the far-east. He said he wanted Made in Scotland on the tattoo and the national emblem - a Thistle. The tattoo artist had no concept of what a Thistle looked like, and was told it was a plant with a jagged head, the guy ended up with 'Made in Scotland' on his arm - and a Pineapple.

Maybe its the 'singing waiter' Ernest Jackson who is a blues and soul singer out of New Orleans area. He does blues clubs and restuarants. Try this link https://studio1songs.com/ernest%20jackson.htm

Sounds like your talking about Ernie Johnson's 'Big Man Cry' (Steph &Lee). Working away from home so can't post soundfile but someone will help.

Hi Ian Still at C4 and collecting like mad as ever. Run C4's out of london operation so only in Victoria one day a week usually Monday, more often in Manchester, Glasgow and Leeds. Ceasar is working in a record shop in Edgware Road now, not seen him for a while, but he still DJs a bit let's try and grab a drink? I'll PM you. Back on topic - the trip you made in '76 was at height of Wigan and Cleethropes what top sounds did you track down then?