Dean

Not slagging off white dance tunes, just don't like Magic Carpet Ride much. As with most discussions it's not metaphorically, or in this case literally, a black and white deal. Nobody has wanted to address the point I was making about (in my opinion) superior sounds like I Dig You Baby not picking up plays. That's ok, happy to provoke discussion. I think Kiki was still white when she cut this

See how many Kitchen promoting sounds you can squeeze in Paul (had a look at the website by the way, looks good). Otis Reading - You Left The Water Running?

Hope I didn't come across as trashing her. She does it, I just listen, easy to see where the greater effort and skill lies in that relationship. NS is such an odd collection of music over the years. I don't like Magic Carpet Ride (I do prefer Gabriells's version to Kiki Dee's, perhaps that's because I'm not trying to see it as anything other than happy pop). For me its probably simply tainted by association wih a nighter record I never got being played. To reveal my own contradictions there are many more "poppy" records I've enjoyed attempting to dance to over the years and enjoyed, I have a liking these days for 60s punk garage psyke, perhaps because I like those terms in a sentance together. Historically and currently I really like Dry Well (one of Spots favourites ) but it's a job to find the soul in it. What I was doing was pondering the thought of Magic Carpet Ride being picked up by the NS dancefloors (prompted by hearing Gabriella) whilst I Dig You Baby was mostly ignored, which I think is quite a soul sound. Interesting to hear Kiki Dee's MCR well thought of by some people, I can't hear it but at least it shows a healthy diversity across opinions.

I think I prefer it to the Kiki Dee track, but it just makes me shudder at the memory. Hope all's good Pete.

Heard Gabriella Cilimi do a live 'Magic Carpet Ride' on Radio 2 Sunday whilst driving family around. Didn't know she released this back in March, thank god it didn't get many plays. Just reminded me of some of the popsoul tosh played at nighters (particularly wigan) in the 80s. Struggled with memory but then dawned on me it was Kiki Dee . . . . . . . . . . I remember only too well Magic Carpet Ride (it was Kiki Dee wasn't it) gettin' plays, but don't recall hearing much of the far superior Motown sound-a-like 'I Dig You baby' on World Pacific. Obviously my opinion, but some of the nighter sounds then jeeeeeeesus, compared to some sounds that didn't see much of the decks. Tastes change over the years and perhaps they were better sounding on the floor with lots of clapping to hide the tune. Mind you, I'll give gabriella being fit! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHt38RgWhe8

I'm aware this has turned into a 2 party discussion that we could do by pm, but hell I think it's interesting. Sean - absolutely fascinated that the image is from Vogue in '68. Gonna start a fan club up. Probabaly only about 70 years old if they're still going, could be well fit still and looking for a younger man . . . . . . . . . . . spotlight on me

Thanks Sean, great art work. There isn't a similar one, as part of a set, for autumn when the leaves fall is there? They do look the part of debs don't they. I wonder if they ever supported live or any footage of them with The Beatles?.

Can't believe you haven't had this; Eddie Parker - I'm gone. .........................."I don't want no woman always telling me what to do" I was on holiday two years ago, just a family holiday in Menorca, the hotel were hosting a wedding and mum wanted to look at the dresses (no honest!) so we had a stoll over, the happy couple's first dance was to Queen - I want To Break Free. Don't know how it translates into Spanish. I bloody can't abide Queen too.

The one played in Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz's was the faster and messy 2nd issue on Muppet with the triangle "ding" at the end.

A friend of mine's cousin knew this old girl who's daughter used to knit those indian dream catcher things that people use as random decorations. She got one in a soul bowl bargain pack together with a Salvadors white demo signed by Rob Marriott. Back in the day of course. Wasn't it played in Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz's

Sound clips are crashing mine very often.

You'll regret selling that Freddie Scott, one of the best tunes you've ever introduced me to (and you've introduced me to several), wonderful tune, deserves a big room spin.

I think familiarity has led a lot of us into being more critical (I include myself in that), ........ "I'll dance to this" ......... "I'll dance to this"........"I aint bloody dancin' to that!" That critical approach can in my opinion go a step too far with the alignment of different tribes, only dance to oldies, only dance to modern, only dance if nobody else knows it. Age, mood and agility also paly a part. For KevH it's if he's moved a piano recently or not. For Steve L there's a link to lager. My memory tells me that it was common at nighters, for a DJ to introduce a new play, then play it again later in the set. This could sometimes take weeks to establish. I seem to remember Paris Blues by Tony Middleton clearing the floor at Cleethorpes before becoming an established nighter floor filler. I think I probabaly dance so similar to most records that I'm quite comfortable dancing to something i don't know. I often find myself dancing to something I don't know only to realise after 40 to 50 seconds "Oh, I know this!"

Hi Martyn. That's where and when I remenber it from. Sort of record that slips under the radar these days, think JM guide (mine may be getting out of date now) has it at £50/£75 for issue demo (not at home to check but was looking the other day). I picked up a vg+++ pink DJ a couple of years ago on ebay for around £10 (in pic above), sold my blue issue (no centre, vg- label, vg+ record) for about £25 I think. May not see too many but would think not too pricey when you do. Great builder of a tune imo, subtle start building to a passionate haunting tune after quiet intro.

I don't know how widely Where is He was played. Think I have it on a tape from St Ives around '77 (could be '76). A substantial slice of "northern" could be argued to be not much of a soul record, feels different from the floor. The tape I have (somewhere) has the substantial unison hand-clapping that was a part of dance floor reaction at this time. Like your early comment, I'd always presumed Flamma was a female solo name not a group name. I'd be interested to hear anything out there under The Sherman Sisters. Might try to have a look at old Beatles footage too. All intersting to me Sean, quite often the story is bettr than the record, which just adds to the record. The Saatchi on-line site that has the pic of Corina Sherman on also has her daughter Zo Koko Flamma-Hill, also an artist. Funny thing site says she lived / studied in St Ives for a while, but I presume this is St Ives Cornwall not Cambridgeshire, given the artist community there. By the way, nobody played Eddie Parker 'Spotlights on You' at North Wingfield on Sat, definitely an underplayed (non)sound. Thanks for posting, enjoyed the info. Dean

Interesting to hear Brian Mathew on SOTS this weekend, "Written and performed by four sisters from Liberia as Flamma Sherman, they were in fact the daughters of that countries ambassador in London, George Flamma Sherman". BBC iplayer 41min.30 Didn't know that. Googled Flamma Sherman to find info on The artist Corina Flamma Sherman: "She later developed as Musician and song writer(as part of the 4 sister act group called the 'Sherman Sisters'wrote songs such as Bassa love, and became Englands first all black girls pop group who worked with the Beatles) documented and photographed by Vogue." Didn't know that! You could fill a library with what I don't know. Still love Where is He and play it out sometimes, remember it from East Anglia Soul Club St Ives and Phoenix at Peterborough (76/77?). Any other recommended tracks by Sherman Sisters or Flamma Sherman known and played?

Thanks Steve, interesting regarding Just Can't Get Enough of you. Not sure if it wasn't album only? Thought I recalled flip to No Matter What You Do was ok, just checked to see it's I Won't Love You Anymore, which I now notice is the A side of UK Mercury 889.

Played this out a few times to mixed responses. I do recall it getting a thumbs up from Karl Heard at an Attic night. Both sides are good (can't remeber flip title on uk mercury, not at home at moment) but No Matter What You Do shades it as a potential dance floor tune. I beleive that Her version of I Just Can't Get Enough Of You was a played sound way back in the day. There's a credible version by the Apollas on Loma but Lesley's version has a lot more 60's thump. I'm too young to to rembember this being played but at the age of 15 I picked up an EMI with this on that had seen a lot of wear before I owned it. Owned previously by Eric Hetherington if anyone remebers that esteemed name.

I'm gonna start asking Djs at local nights to play this ............. "haven't you heard it, it's a big Sean Hampsey play (in his head)"

I'm rubbish at who played what, where, first, but my memory of Dry Well was as a Cleethorpes sound. I think I knew about Dry Well before I heard of the Ellen & The Shandells title disc, but think that was the first press. I'm sure other's can fill int he gaps. I recall it played frequently at Warrington Parr Hall after Wigan and the pier. When I've played it, it's one of those records that gets as many positive comments as negative ones. For me a great dance record to loose yourself in the mood of the floor.

Sorry all, not been around much, missed last weeks thread. Dean

https://cgi.ebay.com/LINDA-JONES-My-Heart-Needs-Break-NORTHERN-SOUL-HEAR-/370377285281?cmd=ViewItem&pt=Music_on_Vinyl&hash=item563c34dea1 Turkish issue of My Heart Needs A Break, any info on just how scarce? Dean