Zed1

Jerry by a mile - much better dancer.

Presume this was playing on the Radio then Steve?....

Beautiful part of the world Ste. Went down to Tenby last year and remember watching all the Red Kites on the way down.

Musically the best of my 3+ years at Wigan, with uncle Dickie playing some of the finest Northern tunes ever!. Thanks for listing Pete.

'Stop Girl' is a great Northern Soul record, but not a 'Soul' record. A distinction many seem to struggle with.

Clearly I must be "embarrassing" as well then given I think the 7 Dwarfs is a fab 'Northern' tune.

Just finished a bit of a refresh jobbie on this 1971 Kawasaki H1A. Only 3 owners from new and old MOT's going back to 1979.

Always slightly puzzled me the number of people who say they only ever listen to Soul. The Very fact that Northern Soul is such a broad church means you'll always hear something 2 or 3 times removed from the 'Soul' pigeon hole. Listening to this music down the years has taken me down all kinds of side roads to other genre's which on the face of it you wouldn't remotely link to Northern Soul but all share that 'Blues' heritage going all the way back to Robert Johnson.

Not Arsed'. Bit Too much Willy Waving in the past with playlists aimed at other DJ's, not punters. And why do people who post their playlists feel the need to say if a track was a 'Request?' What difference does that make?.

Late 76 Was the start of my Journey so I was hearing all these tracks for the first time.... FABULOUS.

Top 500 2017..... 1: Ruby Andrews 2: Moses Smith 3: Bob Sinclair 4: Pharrell Williams 5: Anything off a TV advert 6: Anything by Gareth Gates 7: Ruby Andrews 8: Moses Smith 9: Bob Sinclair 10: Pharrell Williams 11: Anything off a TV advert 12: Anything by Gareth Gates 13: Ruby Andrews etc..........

This speaks volumes for those now attending your average 'Soul' Nite.

Our own Tommy Hunt was a pretty mean Dancer in his day....

A Northern soul DJ in 2017 is a very different animal to the Northern Soul DJ of 40 years ago given the huge change in the demographic of those attending your average 'Northern Soul & Motown Night', ie a bunch of young Kids eager to learn and experience new music as opposed to a bunch of Pensioners looking to get pissed and pull. These days many DJ's are little more than Jukeboxes, ie they only hold a few of the popular tunes and you put in a request and out pops Ruby Andrews and Dobie Gray. Quite literally M8.

The Grand Piano is alive and well today and often makes guest appearances at local Soul nights and Shopping Arcades around the North-West. It even came Runner up in the World Northern Soul Dancing competition at Blackpool last year, It's Castor movements in particular impressed the Judges.

That's how I remember it Ste, although there was a spell were Bobby Paris - I Walked Away seemed to be getting played near the end as well...... although this may just have been coincidence and my pickled memory.

One of the great things for me about putting up these old playlists is there is always the odd track you've forgotten about. And to my shame I'd forgotten just how good the Sapphires track is , A PROPER Northern Dancer. I shall now go away and rectify my above crime and listen to it right now.

Less Hair - More Fat.

MUCH less about returnees in recent years and more about people joining the scene for the social side. Most had/have little, if any interest in the music, it's more about a night out and late drink with people their own age. To many wanabee DJ's and not enough bookings means the only way they can get to play out their expensively put together ebay collections is to start their own venue, but given the 'Northern Soul' scene most of us signed up for only ever had a limited appeal then the best way to get new punters through their door is to target these Social Soulies. Hence all the Flyers with 'Cheap Bar Prices' and 'Friendly atmosphere' in bold type but little or nothing said about the actual music policy.

Divs, Pi55heads, pi55takers, Pensioners on the pull and a million and one wanabee DJ's have turned the scene into the VERY thing I joined it to get away from in the first place........ an interesting irony. Anyone remember those badges at Wigan 'Push Divs off the Balcony'?.....

Most DJ's on the scene have long standing day jobs Pete because they keep being told not to pack them in.

In 78 we had Derek & Ray. Today of course we've moved on from that all that pop crap and now have quality sounds like Bob Sinclair and DJ Genitals filling the floors..... Think I'll stop in tonight and listen to Interplay.

Station Rd, 1978, 4am and I'm on a full dance floor clapping and dancing to 'You Better Believe it Baby' - Joe Tex. Didn't get any better really. ........ and No, the ending never caught me out, Honest.

I'd think you've got more chance of catching the Clap than hearing a clap on todays scene.....

Hardly our finest hour, but still hugely preferable to much of the crap todays DJ's try and pass as Northern Soul.