Amsterdam Russ

Now you tell us!

Got one eye on the sky... Would be great if people could report in when they see the first of the summer swallows, swifts and martins.

Not long after the film came out, I was djing at a soul/ska/reggae night in a typical Amsterdam brown cafe. One of the locals came up and said that he'd just seen the film and really enjoyed it - and could I play the Tomangoes, Rita & the Tiaras and the Salvadors!

Very sorry to hear that indeed. I do hope that he had the opportunity to read the many heartfelt comments posted here and that he got a sense of just how loved he was. RIP, Billy Butler.

Haha! Let's hope they don't make a hash of it!

Same thing going on over here in the Netherlands - unless it's Martyn's pair on a weekend getaway! This pic was taken early evening looking out from the front of our apartment.

That's the link to the very same story Seano used to open this thread!

Morning, Kim! Nice to see an old bit of kit still working. I mean the decks, not you! Hope you managed to show all those youngsters a thing or two on the dance floor.

30-second TV slot here:

Full ad here courtesy of Levanna's own YouTube channel:

Ah, Peterborough and not Hinckley! Thanks for clarifying.

He also failed to turn up at a Hinckley allnighter c.1983. That would have been something like my 3rd nighter ever. I think Eddie Holman & Jr Walker were also on the bill. Perhaps someone can confirm or correct?

A photo of last night's sunset taken with my iPad.

Well explained, Nev, and I know exactly what you mean. Over here (the Netherlands specifically) there's none of that baggage. If it sounds good, the crowd, mainly made up of people who have no affiliation with this narrow thing called "Northern Soul" will lap it up. If it's good music, it speaks for itself and no one looks for it to have a Northern-sound-a-likey style. And Amen to whatever it is that converts paying punters into regulars.

From memory, I'm sure there's a thread on this from three or four years ago...

Which crowds? I guess you mean the set-in-their-ways 55-60 yr-olds that make up the crowds of the UK as opposed to the youthful, enthusiastic and open-minded crowds of mainland Europe.

Nice. It's got that "Hallelujah" feel to help the spirit move you.

The Age recording reached #20 in the Billboard R&B chart and #126 in the pop chart in 1963.

I wouldn't call 100+ missing packages bad luck, I'd call it an absolute nightmare. Still, got to agree that better communication with customers would have helped soothe them. At the same time It might even have helped alleviate some of the pressure a little. Got to feel for the guy regardless.

Terry Cole posted the following on the Colemine Facebook page earlier today: Happily for you, you won't have to deal with them again. <added> Guess it'd make sense to link to the Colemine FB page… here: https://www.facebook.com/Colemine45

It's quite incredible to contemplate how sometimes music touches the hearts and lives of so many people, not just at the time the music was created, but across generations, decades and continents. Billy, you're a man whose music has done exactly that. Sending you best wishes and positive thoughts from the Netherlands.

Great shot. Had no idea that Northern Soul hand/arm gestures had become so widespread.

I hear exactly what you're saying about the Jimmy Webb feel to the lyrics. That said, with the lack of sophistication they sound more Webb-wannabee than Webb himself. Rather than this being Chris Clark (?!), maybe whoever was in charge of the pen and the destiny of the recording at the time thought that this song demo might be worth sending in her direction.

Sky News has put parts of both songs side by side so that you can see the similarities - or not. https://news.sky.com/video/1442791/listen-blurred-lines-give-it-up Have to admit I'm struggling to hear any real sense of copying at all. It sounds like $7.3m worth of stupidity to me.

One thing I can say for sure, I've never tried to clean a record with a car windscreen washer!