manus

I'm slightly confused here I thought mid tempo tunes had always been around from the early days with things like Gene Chandler - Nothing can stop me , Brooks & Jerry I got what it takes , Willie Tee Walking up a one way street and moving on to stuff like Nolan Chance Just like the Weather and later things like Eloise Laws Love Factory , Bobby Hutton Lend a Hand and loads more. Even a lot of the "bad "records played over the years were mid tempo Barbara Mills , Carmel Strings , Peggy March etc Some great Soulful records posted on this thread by the way.

Very Sad News RIP Mr Blue is one of my all time favourite recordings.

Very Sad News RIP Mr Blue is one of my all time favourite recordings.

I remember DJing for the North East Soul Club in the 70s and turned up one night and the promoter/ DJ Alex had developed a way of setting the records without using record middles - so he hadn't brought any. I spent the whole set trying to centre the records so they played properly ( and wasn't entirely sucessful). On the rare occasions I do a spot these days I always take middles with me - just in case.

If you can't get any - check with the Komedia in the week leading up to the nighter - they normally have some returns - I got one last year that was a return. Cheers

Got to be James Phelps for me - first heard this in Micky Powney's house in 1975 and thought it was brilliant - but didn't hear any of the versions played out until around 87/88 ?

Hello Manus - hope things are well with you - great music from the youngsters All the the best Manus ( the other one)

That made me chuckle too Swifty - brilliant mate

Well I think they are great - but I'm a bit biased as Adrian is a good friend - I got my 17 year old son to listen to the recent single On our front doorstep/Hangin on and he really liked them. Young , British and the cool sound of summer - fair play to them. Cheers Manus

This is Adrian Corbins sons group - Adrian does the Monday night Soul show on Radio Uckfield and is an all round top fella and big Soul fan and has passed this on to his son. Cheers Manus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtXd9lF6CJ8 One from Eddie - skipping work was certainly on my mind this morning but work won out sadly

Such sad news RIP Bobby Bland

Such sad news RIP Bobby Bland

Paddy Shevlin recently ran an event underneath Brighton station - the dancefloor was cobblestones and concrete and the place was wet with condensation but it was a great event. Bit heavy on the old knees but people just got on with it and had a good dance and the atmosphere was buzzing and a good laugh. Cheers Manus

Very sad news RIP Mary Love

Very sad news RIP Mary Love

It'll most likley be the same set he played in the main room Pete as he did both rooms didn't he - there are only so many times you can listen to Too Late as good a record that it is Cheers Manus

Unfortunately Tezza a lot of the bad records found their way up to Ms ( without Barrys map) as Esperanto , Phil Coulter and other bad tunes that were being played downstairs were also played upstairs. Also I heard great records like Frankie Crocker more often in Ms than the main floor and I spent time in both rooms. Records that will always remind me of Ms include Willie Tee Walking up a one way street and Mood Mosaic Touch of velvet - great vibe in there as there was in the main room. Cheers Manus

Yes that would have been it Paul - 1987 I think - great night. Cheers Manus

He most likely was they were always together - Ion was promoting some nights down here (Brighton) a few years back at the Sussex Arts Club - really good craic with a great mix of Black music - Keb was on the decks once or twice. Cheers Manus

I think I've still got a membership card for the Southside Soul club although I think I only went once or twice. Was the Jamaican club in Edmonton? as I remember going to an allnighter there - Sean McClusky was involved and Sue ( Henderson) was taking the money on the door - it was an upstairs venue. Paddocks rings a bell too and also the Dome was used as a venue late 80s too or maybe early 90s. And I remember an event in one of the function rooms at Chelsea football club with Ian Clark and others DJing. Cheers Manus

Totally agree Kev - the Up North weekenders were bursting with great Soul tunes and visiting artists like Sam Dees , Mary Love , Charles Walker and many more. And living in London there was some fantastic Soul nights mainly for some reason in the Farringdon area and EC district and also Dingwalls - not forgetting the 100 club and walking into the toilet to see Tony Middleton getting ready to go on stage isn't easily forgotten.I bought some great Soul records during this period from places like Record Corner by singers like Rufus Hunter , Debbie S, Billy Always , Willie Hobbs , Sandra Wright and a recall a real open attitude to tempo and an emphasis on good Soul music. Cheers Manus

Ms was a strange mix of music as I remember - although oldies focused I do remember a lot of current sounds getting played up there too. I think you were more likely to hear Sam Williams LSTMF up there when it was first being spun than in the main room also Frankie Crocker TOD. I remember the O'Jays I Love Music getting spins in there concurrent with it being played at the Mecca and tunes like Don Covay ( Although a 74 release was unknown to many) IBTH first getting spins up in Ms which was surprising but welcome to those of us who had bought it on release. And a lot of the bad tunes that were big downstairs were played in Ms concurrently like Police Story , Esperanto and the Phil Coulter thing. I think Ms had a bit of an anything goes policy and could be a break from downstairs - I spent most of my time downstairs but would try to get up to Ms for an hour or so and on occasions stayed there longer and on other occasions never went up there at all. Cheers Manus

Fair enough - tis the strange world of Northern Soul indeed and many differing opinions as I would have thought Melvin Davis , Denise Lasalle and Soul Bros Inc could be played at anytime in a set and have been but to each their own. Cheers Manus

So you would only play records like Melvin Davis I must love you , Yum Yums Gonna be a big thing, Jackey Beavers I need my baby, Denise Lasalle A love reputation et al as enders ? My favourite period would be 1964 through to around 75 but I'm happy listening to good tunes from any period - as for the future as long as it's Black music and imaginative DJs I'll be happy. Cheers Manus