Amsterdam Russ

Great thread here looking at foreign releases. Quite a few Argentine 33rpm 45s in there, too.

On the subject of being bird-brained...

A little scratching at the surface of starling murmurations reveals this interesting article. It's a lay perspective of a study conducted by theoretical physicists at the University of Rome. http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/stories/the-incredible-science-behind-starling-murmurations Anyone with an interest and understanding of higher mathematics can read the full paper here: http://www.pnas.org/content/107/26/11865.full While the article and source paper provide an explanation as to why, relative to the laws of physics, murmurations work, little scope is given to why they take place at all beyond it being a defensive phenomenon. I'd put money on there being some sort of social value beyond the defensive, but couldn't say what or why.

I think we could all do with a bit more "postulating", especially in some of the "discussions" that take place on Soul Source.

I've also wondered as to whether there is some defensive value in these swarming displays. They give the idea of there being a single entity - and a rather enormous one at that! There's logic in what you say about it also being a pre-slumber warming up exercise for a species that isn't far enough up the evolutionary ladder to appreciate a hot water bottle. Like all birds, though, they are naturally very well insulated - and starlings happily roost in trees and other structures as well as metal ones such as piers. Also, energy is an extremely valuable commodity - it's life or death, so what value in burning up so many of the precious calories they've spent the whole day accumulating? No idea if anything I'm saying here is "right" in any way - just postulating. Perhaps I'll have a look into the topic if I get the time later today as it's fascinating.

In many respects, whether people agree with the sentiments expressed in editorials by interviewees is irrelevant when considering the article from a journalistic perspective. It's the writer's job to ask pertinent questions and to communicate in an interesting, informative and entertaining way the opinions given by interviewees. Readers who question Andy Smith's statement about Northern Soul's resurgence being a '"backlash" against "computer-made music…"' or Elaine Constantine's comments about the song "Happy" need to take it up with them personally and not the writer. That's presuming the writer has accurately quoted both sources in context. Claire's done a pretty good job at providing an overview of the topic she's written about. She's grasped the subject well, provided a good narrative flow and a time line that's easy to follow. She's obviously a competent writer. The article could have been improved further in the hands of a skilled editor who would have sharpened up the writing overall and ensured that incorrect statements, such as the one about Elaine having two books, didn't make it into print. Alongside the actual words themselves the next most important aspect is the design and layout. Attention to detail is the magazine editor's mantra as is consistency of style. There are lots of things that the editor appears to have been overlooked or ignored here. As examples: - the 2nd paragraph on the first page finishes with a "widow", ie, a single word left stranded by itself on a line. Every editor knows that widows are to be avoided. However, widows can be found throughout the layout. - after the 4th paragraph on the same page there is a line break. This is inconsistent as the magazine style shows a carriage return to be the convention for separating paras. If the line break - and there are a few of them - is meant to convey a break in the story, then it should be accompanied by a sub-head, which we see are also used throughout the story. - the text doesn't finish at the bottom of the right-hand column of the first page. Nor does it at the end of the article. It should! - the left-hand column on the final page ends with a string of "orphans" - a number of words separated from the main body of the article. Likewise, the top of the next column shows a line of orphans followed by a widow. This is one unhappy family! - photos are not captioned. Northern Soul fans will be able to identify most of the photos without too much difficulty, but what about non-fans? The opening pic, for example, is that from the film or a real-life scenario? And what about those images that aren't clearly identifiable as being taken at the Wigan Casino or the Twisted Wheel - where are they from and what are they conveying? Ultimately, it's the responsibility of the editor to maximise the readability of an article; to ensure that the story is as easily accessible to readers as possible. This is done though great visual presentation and consistency of style. From an editorial perspective, many improvements could have been made here. The words deserve better.

So has any reasonable explanation been offered as to why starlings swarm in this way? It seems to have a direct association with roosting as it often happens as a precursor to that.

That's a shame. Would be an incredible experience to witness, I'm sure.

Got a video camera?

I was fortunate to see murmurations when I was a kid - absolutely magical things to behold; a real marvel of Nature. Great video here. Best watched in HD.

I think this whole scenario is another great example of the schism that exists on "the scene" today - and I don't believe there's any going back. There's the "rare soul scene" and the "nostalgia Northern scene". One continues the traditions of the original Northern scene - the search for rare vinyl, the desire to play originals only - while the other is simply about reliving those great days all over again. The people attending the nostalgia scene very probably don't give a toss whether something's played on original vinyl or not. All they're interested in is having a dance to their favourite Northern sounds. I think it's time that people on the other scene, ie, the majority of people who frequent Soul Source, just accepted this reality; that there are two scenes with different needs and values in respect to how they hear those great tunes and what they want by way of entertainment. Either way, the music gets the exposure it very much deserves.

What started off as a fairly simple question has developed into a fascinating and informative discussion that in some respects has become something of a voyage of discovery, one that's resulted with the man at the heart of the mystery - your good self - popping up as if a musical genie from a bottle! Welcome to Soul Source, Mr Howard Collins aka Skip August. Always been a huge admirer of the recordings of the Unlimited Four on Chanson, by the way. Now I'll let the more knowledgable folks on here resume their discussion.

What a combination - Larry Clinton and Buddy Smith! If only…

Love it. Don't recall seeing this one here; must have missed it.

I think there's a touch of the exotic about them - similar to bullfinches and kingfishers in that their colourings are very rich and distinctive, especially with the deep orangey-ruddy colourings.

Nicely caught!

Will definitely be wanting the vinyl releases. Have played "Just say you're wanted…" and "What's it gonna be" at the Amsterdam Soul Club recently and both went down famously with the crowd!

How????

First time I ever saw a nuthatch I was sitting quietly in an elder tree watching for birds and it landed on a branch right in front of me. I was perhaps 13-14 years old then and maybe a couple of years into birdwatching. I was so excited at seeing one - and especially as it was so near to me. For me it was a really magical moment.

Nuthatch in the woods of Amsterdam - taken earlier in the year, of course.

A worthwhile read for anyone interested in the Preview label... https://www.soul-source.co.uk/articles/soul-news/my-obsession-with-the-preview-label-a-feast-of-teris-r2639

A very timely tribute as the 30th of October was Jim's birthday. He would have been 47 today. Will look forward to giving the show a listen.

Known in the Netherlands as a Slechtvalk, with "valk" meaning falcon and "slecht" meaning bad, evil, malign, wicked... Pigeon fancying is very popular over here. At least it is in our small corner of the country. So it's easy to imagine that the damage peregrines might cause to a flock of treasured birds gave rise to their name.

More colours of autumn still life images as photographed on the dinner table. This macro of hazel nuts is from the same table-top session as the earlier one I posted. Sweet chestnuts - foraged in the woods of Amsterdam.

Now that you say that - if I take my specs off and step back a bit from the screen - so that the blurry image becomes even more blurry because of my bad eyesight - you're absolutely right. It is a fried egg!