Barry

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/parrannie32/m.html?item=231010028223&ssPageName=STRK%3AMESELX%3AIT&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562 Thanks for looking.

First Love's a beaut.

Not seen it yet but saw the furore in the music press over his resurrection. I believe he was found in New York and was a construction worker - and when taken back to South Africa in '98 to perform was amazed at the crowd knowing his songs word for word and better than him(remind you of anything?). It seems to be a theme with film makers of late to find the stories behind the unsung hero.

I posted it on my FB page and Brian Rae's too.

Sorry?

I've had this conversation before and I think it was left as I was mistaken - but as my memory serves me there was two weeks on the run where the crowd was so low that only M's was opened. The doors to the Main Room were left open and it was very odd to see a silent and empty Main Room.

Bob on

I've always thought that it's Ike on True Image - too similar.

I'm interested.

My mate Des Mooney used to have his Puffa jacket on in there all night

It's been recorded straight through the M's system and not on a Pifco cassette recorder stuffed at the side of the speaker.

I've sent it to Brian on FB - I hope you didn't mind - I told him that you had put it up.

...and there's the faux wood panelling Bazz - big one, small on, medium one

Evening Bazil

Can see the usual negative comments already getting thrown to an innocent thread. ;0)

Apologies for sketch, at work - did me best given.

Downstairs Main Room Plan Balcony Plan: My shit editing skills have cut off the Soft Drinks Bar - The Coffee, Tea an Pie Bar and the Leathers & Sheepskins Cloakroom at the back of the balcony. I've missed the 'shop' out near M's too.

Get to the top of the stairs - turn and face the back of the staircase looking at the back wall with the stage down and right - the doors were on the left.

M's entrance was situated up on the balcony to the left of where you see the stage in the main room - the room actually would have run above and behind the stage area in the Main Room. Walk up the (gents bog) staircase and turn back on yourself the double doors into M's 'foyer', a carpetted area about 30 foot by 15 (which would have been above the Gents bog) were on the left. The foyer walls were covered in faux wood veneer panels - big one, small one, medium one kinda thing - people usually sat about on the floor chatting. On the right hand foyer wall were two sets of doors (one either side of the small stage that housed the dj area on the othe side of the wall) that led to M's dancefloor - and facing you on the back wall to the left was the small staircase to the balcony that ran up and right. On M's ground/dancefloor we used to try and get one of the booths through the left hand door (dj's to your right) and generally facing where Wayne Hackett from Leigh would dance - you could get about four or five in a booth seat. If you managed to get through the generally locked doors at the back of M's it brought you out at ground level, which was a bit of a headf*ck - we nicked in that way on occassion and hid in the bogs til we heard the music come on. The balcony was quite a tight area at the sides (people would crash there making it more difficult to get by), prob five foot from balcony to the wall but there was a fairly decent spacious area at the back which would house carpet dancers. It was a real sweat-box when at it's height.

Went to watch a playback (small live appearance for record shop buyers) in the 90's for Omar in Manchester. The bar was in a basement with a spiral staircase leading down from entrance to dancefloor. The lighting was low and smoky and a raised curtained stage was at the back with a piano and stool on it - a stage-light trained on them. The place was bustling with industry types (free bar you see at all these playbacks ;0), an easy couple of hundred. Me and Alex Bad Ass were propping the bar up and as showtime approached Omar appeared from behind the bar and headed toward the stage - the place hushed somewhat. As Omar pushed his way through the crowd, me and Al noticed a little old bloke appear at the top of the spiral staircase and begin to make his way down to the floor. Omar and his manager disappeared behind the stage as the old bloke followed them - everybody was like 'WTF'? Omar appeared at the back of the stage, walked to the piano and began to settle himself on the stool....as the little old bloke appeared at the back of the stage and headed unflustered toward the man that was the main event. He approached Omar and tapped him on the shoulder - the both of them now in the stage lights - Omar turned and the little old bloke bent down and whispered in his ear. The whole gaff was now silent. Omar turned to the crowd, tapped the mike, cleared his throat and said.... "Taxi for Jones!" the place fell apart.

https://www.raresoulman.co.uk/d/176473/RUSHTON,_NEIL

Ya grumpy git!

Remember getting this ablum when I was a lad and wanted an OR ever since https://www.discogs.com/Various-The-Record-Collector-Vol-1-20-Legendary-Northern-Soul-Classics/release/3192781