Amsterdam Russ

Two summers ago I started a photo project. The idea being to take photos across a year of the changing weather, light and seasons in central Aalsmeer where we live. I finished that last summer, put the project to one side and eventually forgot about it until recently. So, I spent a few hours today compiling the images and uploading it to YouTube. Have to say I'm somewhat disappointed with the amount of compression YouTube has done during the upload process. The actual images - although taken on an iPad - are far superior. Hope that doesn't spoil anyone's enjoyment and that you get the gist of what I was wanted to achieve. One important lesson I learned in doing this - next time take the pics landscape instead of portrait!

Friday afternoon trip to the goat farm in the Amsterdam woods. A bit rainy, but nothing to stop us from enjoying ourselves. Have to say though that for mid-August there was a real autumnal feel in the air.

Rather sadly, the swifts in our locale departed about two weeks ago. Don't think I've ever known them to leave so early. We had a small number of swallows take their place in the skies, but in many respects that just showed they were flying further to find food as normally their domain is the nearby lake. Wish they'd stayed because for the last week we've been absolutely plagued with mosquitos, a problem that's affecting not just us locally, but also the Netherlands as a whole thanks to what's been a rather rainy summer.

Larry, it's a real privilege to be able to communicate with you! Wow, the marvel that is the Internet! You mention an "initial" pressing of 10,000 copies, and that most of those sold. That must have been incredible at the time. What of the second run - how many, and... did you get to a third?

Standing just now at Hoofddorp station waiting for a train into Amsterdam and heard the unmistakable cry of a peregrine. Looked up and spied two of them. Most unexpected!

Since starting this thread I've been surprised at just how commonplace the word "banger" has become in describing a certain types of tunes. It's pretty much mainstream now, to my mind, so is sure to become ubiquitous. Seems about the only place it's not being used with any great frequency is Soul Source. Perhaps that has something to do with membership demographics.

Not so much the name, but the tag line – "Our bombs are direct hits" – is pretty bizarre and in rather poor taste considering the lasting damage the attack on Pearl Harbour did to the national psyche of the US.

£200 about right these days.

Billy Storm...

Others seen using the term "banger" to describe tunes are Colin Law and Chris Anderton. Dave Thorley mentioned previously... Possibly much more widely used than first thought. And possibly not used by old-timers with walking sticks - as referred to by Wood Butcher - because of the implicit risks to health of anything involving a bang.

A tune that has an "explosive reaction" on the dance floor is what I was thinking, so you're pretty spot on.

So, four useful points of view on what a "banger" might be. Thanks for those. The consensus of opinion (from those not obsessed by sausages) is that a "banger" is an adjective used to describe a "top tune" and can mean great/good/fantastic and any other superlative you care to think of. There seems to be no association with a specific musical style or genre. An upbeat tempo appears to be a factor in whether a tune can be a "banger" or not. To my mind "banger" appears to be replacing "stomper" in certain circles, possibly by elements of those who have moved beyond the frequently strict signature tempos of "traditional" Northern Soul tracks and have embraced the broader spheres of funkier tempos and crossover grooves that have expanded the nature of the scene over the last ten years or so. Like it, dislike it, or couldn't care less, I reckon the word "banger" is going to become even more widely used in the future than it is already.

Back when would you say?

Depends on your definition of a banger. Which is...?

Just spotted another well known record dealer applying the term "banger" to an uptempo track - this time to The Traditions, Twinkle little star... Tempo seems to be everything...

Exactly what I'm trying to find out. Never seen a sweet soul tunes described as a banger, so tempo seems to be a factor. It also seems that an unhealthy number of people on here have an obsession with sausages.

"Banger" certainly does appear to be widely in use out there. Just seen Dave Thorley post up a tune on Facebook and describe it as a "banger". The tune in question? The C.O.Ds - She's fire. A banger stomper if ever there was one!

Hmm, having read the article I'm sceptical about the claim that they'll be playing vinyl in space. Apparently a "space-proof" turntable will be sent up attached to a high-altitude balloon. A quick check reveals that high-altitude balloons go only as far as the stratosphere, the "second lowest layer of Earth's atmosphere" (so says Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmosphere_of_Earth), above which lie the mesosphere, thermosphere and, ultimately, the exosphere. So, exactly as you say, all bit of a PR stunt. To keep with the theme though, this one might be appropriate...

Well, you'd have thought so. But never seen anyone doing that at an event… yet.

I initially though so, but someone over here - Dutch, and not directly associated with "Northern Soul" - used the word recently to describe a funk/soul tune. Also seen it extensively used by the likes of Greg Belson. Now I see it all over Facebook, and not just through you guys in Scotland.

A quick search on Soul Source for the word "banger" shows that it is commonly used by people on here. The screen grab here shows a few examples... https://www.soul-source.co.uksearch/?type=all&q=banger In fact, looking through those results for the earliest use of the word "banger" to describe a tune, I see it's KeithW, who used it extensively in sales posts in 2005. The next independent use of the word is by Sebastian, whose makes it his choice word of description in 2006. There is also an unidentified "guest" - presumably from Stateside - who also uses the word in sales posts. Ezzie Brown is then next to use it on this site - in July 2007. Others start to use the word after, and by 2010/11, it's being used increasingly, but only by a handful of people. Thereafter, it starts to enter the general lexicon and appears to be almost (but not quite, bearing in mind that you, Len, haven't heard of it) in the mainstream.

Over the last 18 months or so, I've been aware of the rise of the word "banger" to describe uptempo soul sounds. In more recent months it seems to have overtaken "stomper" as the defining word for fast tracks. But what exactly is a "banger", and who can lay claim to the introduction of the word into the Northern Soul lexicon? Is a "banger" just another name for a "stomper" or does it embrace broader styles - "funky Northern", or gospel/soul tunes, for example? Can something be a "banger" but not a "stomper" and vice versa? And while people can stomp to "stompers", what do they do to "bangers"? I think we should be told!

Wonderful - it must be incredibly heavy! Does it get lugged around much?

They're very good boxes. I bought 10 of them from Protected.de a couple of years ago and there's no real signs of wear and tear on them at all. Also, the company itself is very professional to deal with. Recommended...

This type of box? Not available in white, I don't think, but if this is sort of thing you're looking for you can find them courtesy of the link below. https://protected.de/de/aufbewahrung/single-pappbox-lagerkiste