'ere Mate - Can You Play This

[Stevie]

Was at a night a couple of months ago and noticed a slightly eccentric looking individual approaching the decks and asking the DJ to play a record out of the small box that he was carrying. The DJ declined but that didn't stop him trying again throughout the course of the night.

Most people considered this a strange phenomenon, but it took me back to the early days of Wigan when this was fairly normal behavior. Quite a few records were played in this way after the DJ had given it 30secs on the headphones first.

Anyone else remember this?

[Haydn]

I always used to take a box with me, or a couple of sevens.....half the time the dj was more than happy, at least he got me up to dance

[Keithw]

its easier if its someone you trust to have an idea of what northern is

bin asked to play some right terrible stuff - but then listening to my stuff...................

[Guest MrC]

I've done it, as a teenager on holiday in great yarmouth I got Emperor Roscoe to play Alpaca Phase III - I like to Party, Tommy Bush - I don't like it, and Dena Barnes - If you ever walk out of my life one night at a big disco somewhere near the sea front.

Used to do it at our local youth club disco and anything similar we ever went to

[Guest in town Mikey]

I've only done it once. I asked Paul McKay to play Valerie Lamar - Shame for me at Soul in the City. I'd just got it thru the post from Dave Thorley that morning, and took it to work, then onto SITC. So I was desperate to hear it. And Paul came up trumps.

Maybe if I was a bit dodgy, or funny looking he wouldnt have....hang on, scratch that.

[Gene-R]

A few years ago Trickster brought "Sweet Loving" by Art Benton on Chris to the decks while I was DJing at Solid Hit Soul. Played a bit on the headphones first, and thought "this is one of the best things I've heard in ages". Played it, but only Trickster got up to dance to it.

Got my own copy of it a week later, and a couple of months after that, the price went up from £10 to about £60!

[Tomangoes]

Once saw a dude asking Soul Sam to play a cover up at Snaith. It was Watts Line - Never stop Loving me - Bullet.

Obviously when it was identified in about 3 seconds, said dude left the venue feeling slightly mift his big discovery was in fact a soul pack special!

Ed

[Davetay]

Was at a night a couple of months ago and noticed a slightly eccentric looking individual approaching the decks and asking the DJ to play a record out of the small box that he was carrying. The DJ declined but that didn't stop him trying again throughout the course of the night.

Most people considered this a strange phenomenon, but it took me back to the early days of Wigan when this was fairly normal behavior. Quite a few records were played in this way after the DJ had given it 30secs on the headphones first.

Anyone else remember this?

Back in the day, I deffo took records up to the decks for DJ to play.

Edited October 17, 2011 by davetay

[Shsdave]

I've only done it once. I asked Paul McKay to play Valerie Lamar - Shame for me at Soul in the City. I'd just got it thru the post from Dave Thorley that morning, and took it to work, then onto SITC. So I was desperate to hear it. And Paul came up trumps.

Maybe if I was a bit dodgy, or funny looking he wouldnt have....hang on, scratch that.

Saved you buying a turntable Mikey .....how you doing mate ?

[Guest in town Mikey]

Saved you buying a turntable Mikey .....how you doing mate ?

Indeed. Got 2 now. DOH.

[Jerry Hipkiss]

Found a copy of Sweethearts-Beutys just skin deep-first time in the states ´77 took it with apile of other things to the Locarno, asked Minsh if he knew it ? he thought it was another version of Ike and Tina!!wouldn´t even listen on the headphones,

Pop stuff and disco records at that all-dayer!! No Sweethearts, later on i virtually gave Dave Thorley the pile of records and promptly "retired" from the Scene for a couple of years as because (at the time) it seemed to be losing its way!!

Steve

Not one of your better decisions mate! :-)

[Guest Nick Harrison]

Always recall Louise Goodburn - Pete Shirley's girlfriend at the time, loved all thing's soulfull. Turned up with a copy of the Pasadenas, managed to get Arthur Fenn to play The Pasadenas - Riding On A Train at 4 am in the morning. Arthur was brilliant about it and so was his introduction and the reason for playing it. It was in the UK charts at the time.

[Guest]

In the old days Steve they were normally new discoveries not a played out oldie

I was there too !

[Koolkat]

Remember taking Perigents, "Lets Get Into Something" up to Searling to play at the Casino with some Clitheroe mates. Circa 74. He played it but said he didnt like it.

[Irish Spinner]

I remember it well my gud friend Tony Dellar a Cambridge Dj did that a few times Colin Curtis who was so impressed with wot he heard he offer to travel to the Mallett in Cambridge to do a set here wot we wher dancing to as many early wigan knowen sounds where brought to the casino by the punters who attended. Also seen it happen more than once to Russ and Serling behind the decks.

Yours in Soul Irish

[Harry Crosby]

Although i never witnessed this ive been told by many reliable sources. At the Oval ball in york, that was run by Alan rhodes on a thursday night, there were allways coaches outside from newcastle, north east etc. Anyway apparently one night a lad bugged the hell out of alan to play a record all night, so at the end of the night he played it, loved it that much he took it to wigan with him on the saturday......................The record.............BOBBY PARIS-I WALKED AWAY. As i say i wasn`t there but been told this by loads of people who apparently were.

[Guest MrC]

Although i never witnessed this ive been told by many reliable sources. At the Oval ball in york, that was run by Alan rhodes on a thursday night, there were allways coaches outside from newcastle, north east etc. Anyway apparently one night a lad bugged the hell out of alan to play a record all night, so at the end of the night he played it, loved it that much he took it to wigan with him on the saturday......................The record.............BOBBY PARIS-I WALKED AWAY. As i say i wasn`t there but been told this by loads of people who apparently were.

Alan told me that story that night H, but it was because when he played the record he recognized it, "I walked away" had been played already but was covered up at the time.

[Harry Crosby]

Alan told me that story that night H, but it was because when he played the record he recognized it, "I walked away" had been played already but was covered up at the time.

Cheers Paul, thats another one put to bed

[Guest MrC]

Another alan rhodes story.

In the record bar at Wigan there was a red & white stateside demo in a tatty paper cover at the back of a kids box, it was there for weeks, kept wondering if I should take a punt on it (think it was £5), but kept finding other stuff I wanted more, Alan had seen it too, then about 6 weeks after spotting it, he decided to ask the kid if he could borrow it, and have a quick listen on the headphones during his set, he listened, sent me to pay the kid the £5 - then played the record a couple of minutes later - Charlie Gracie "He'll never love you like I do"

Bugger! Taught me a lesson, always worth taking a punt!

[Ion T]

Hi,

I remember DJing at Tony's Empress Ballroom in it's 80s heyday when a guy approached the decks with a request. Pete Lawson was on the stage and intercepted the 'requester'. Pete sent him away having told him I didn't have the record (It may have been "Soulful Strut', memory is vague but an obvious oldie). Anyway, the guy goes to the record bar and reappears on stage brandishing a newly purchased copy of requested tune). Pete took the record off him and threw it off the stage. Pete always had uncompromising views on played out oldies.....

I wish Pete had been at my side when DJing at The International Students Centre in the late 90s in it's pre Crossfire days. A big Scandinavian guy came up to the decks and asked "Can you play some rock?'. I asked him if he had noticed all the DJs had been playing rare soul all night to which he replied with a certain degree of logic "Time for a change, eh?'

All best

Ion

[Jumpinjoan]

I wish Pete had been at my side when DJing at The International Students Centre in the late 90s in it's pre Crossfire days. A big Scandinavian guy came up to the decks and asked "Can you play some rock?'. I asked him if he had noticed all the DJs had been playing rare soul all night to which he replied with a certain degree of logic "Time for a change, eh?'

All best

Ion

Pretty sure I was there that night Ion. They had a good offer on curried goat if I remember rightly. Possibly the same night Mick Summers teeth went flying across the floor

Edited October 23, 2011 by jumpinjoan