Amsterdam Russ

Eagle and owls seen at a mediaevel fayre here in Amsterdam...

For sure I must be an imbecile. Please, I suspect that a list of the top [insert number here] "most wanted 45s on the planet" would be very useful to a lot of us. Could you start with a top 10, perhaps?

He's not alone. Look out for Belgian music racconteur Eddy de Clerq and delve into his blog. He's not just limited to 'soul', but also covers many styles and has put together some outstanding compilations recently of what people here might appreciate as 'underground' music! https://soulsafari.wordpress.com

Who are the "big lads"? Please do tell... Are there enough of them to make a "Top 1/2/3/4/500" list?

Yes, I know. And my post says that I wondered about it back then.

Know anything about the label at all, Bob? Got a copy of the brilliant Johnny D 45 about 25 years ago and wondered back then if the label might have some connection to the General Motors Corporation. https://youtu.be/4JQ4qzm_4Dg

You're welcome, and yes, some great photos!!

Nice photo gallery on the BBC News website this morning showing readers' photos of Spring wildlife. http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/26628076

These puffins we saw on a boat trip to the Isle of May, which is off the coast of Fife in Scotland. The place is alive with lots of different types of sea birds and is well worth the visit. Herring gull - also Isle of May

From what I've seen, I think they're all in the woods of Amsterdam!

You're welcome

The answer is in the lyrics that you have...

Nice. Interesting that someone added a snippet of this to refosoul in 2008 with the following text: /more/soul-library/billy-vera-people-thats-why-private-unissued-promo-cd-r45509

That's exactly what I thought after multiple listens. Thing is though, the 'lonely hour' doesn't match up to the 'won't stand in my way'. Not certain that I'm right at all, but after continual listens - with and without headphones - that's all I can make it to be. Maybe a fresh pair of ears will hear something different. Brilliant, brilliant tune. Absolutely sublime lyrics - sheer poetry.

I moved from Maidstone to London in something like May of 1984. God, that's 30 years ago! Went to see Graham in Strood a couple of times after, but that was it. Never went back. In late 2007, I moved from London to just outside Amsterdam. Jo spent a weekend with here us last year and dj'd at the Amsterdam Soul Club. Life's funny, isn't it? If you'd told that young wannabe soulie that 20-odd years later he'd end up living 'abroad', and in Amsterdam, he wouldn't have believed you! Back on topic - the 80s were my formative Northern Soul years - and they were great... 100 Club, Hinckley, Peterborough, Leighton Buzzard, Bradford, Blackburn, Sheffield, Great Yarmouth, Herne Bay (!), Chesterfield (the place with the wonky church?), Brighton, and wherever else. Lost years, I don't think so!

Yes, Bogarts was early 80s. My first real experience of going to soul nights. I must have been 15-16. It's interesting that people often talk about the fights. Undoubtedly there were some, but I don't recall seeing any, and I was going up there just about every Sunday until it closed. Perhaps I was too busy enjoying myself on the dance floor and missed all the kerfuffles! KG Promotions: Keith Rylatt and Graham Sage, and Graham's lovely wife Liz on the door. As well as Bogarts in Strood there were plenty of other soul nights in the Medway & Kent area. Kev Griffin and Kim Styles, for example, held regular nights down in Tonbridge, and Jo Wallace held events down in Margate now and then. There was a lot going on for a young, naive, wannabe soulie. Happy days indeed.

"Roads beyond, once dark and long, won't stand in my way now."

According to the interweb, a previous trumpet sample used by the group came courtesy a James Last recording! https://www.whosampled.com/sample/170360/Active-Member-Στον-ΚαιÏÏŒ-Του-Αλλόκοτου-Φόβου-James-Last-Passion-Flower/

Thought about asking Active Member themselves? Their official Facebook page can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/ActiveMemberOfficial Being Greek, they might appreciate the money.

Snap!

I've quite a number of books which I mainly collected when I was an enthusiastic kid and eager member of the Young Ornithologists Club. That must have been late 70s, I suppose. The one I use as a field guide is The Hamlyn Guide to Birds of Britain and Europe (author Bertel Bruun, published 1975). No idea if that's still available today. Because it covers Europe as well it's handy to take it on holiday - very useful when encountering all those unfamiliar species. Had a quick look on Amazon and this book is still being published with the most recent edition being June of last year. Here's a link to it if anyone's interested: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0753725274

Investing in a dslr is well worth it. Mine's a 2nd hand Nikon D80, which is pretty antiquated now if you believe all the techno-gadget hype. However, it'll do me for a while yet. My first digital camera was a compact Canon that took 3mb photos - tiny by today's comparison - but it was enough to get me hooked, and I like to think that I took some cracking pics with that If you do buy a camera, I absolutely recommend that you buy one of the unofficial manuals. They go by the name of the "Digital Field Guides" and tell you all the things that the manufacturers manual either tells you in terrible English or doesn't tell you at all. I'd also recommend a practical 'how to' book or two so that you can start to get to grips with basic techniques. I particularly like a a guy called Bryan Peterson. His book "Bryan Peterson's Understanding Photography Field Guide" is a favourite. He also has loads of quick and easy photography tutorials on YouTube. he's well worth checking out. Buy a dslr and you'll be in for hours of fun!

Some more pics from me. These were taken through a window at home last winter (not had a winter over here in the Netherlands this year, I'm delighted to say! Result ) Blackbird Hedge Sparrow/Dunnock Robin

Can't he post for himself, bearing in mind his membership here?

Pharrell Williams' routine at the Brits... https://youtu.be/WW6Khk0MG68