Liverpool's Lack Of Soul?

[Derek Pearson]

Now at the risk of sounding scousist I've always wondered why Liverpool hasn't had a major impact on our soul club scene. For a major city it defined youth music culture during the sixties with the emergence of the Beatles & the Cavern Club. When punk spat its way into the late seventies 'Erics' was the place to be. 'Cream' became one of the first super clubs on the house scene throughout the nineties. On a football point of view they've got 2 major premiership teams and their followers took football hooliganism onto new levels during the eighties. So youth wise Liverpool and the merseyside area has really marked its place out on UK street culture. But why no northern scene as such within the L postcode? I mean given its close proximity to Wigan Casino (yawn) and all the big clubs in Manchester you'd have thought it would have spawned loads of venues of its own.

Alright there's The Sink nowadays and I'm led to believe its been going from the sixties in one way or another. Baz Maleady and his gang ran the much respected Saints Club in St Helens throughout the 90s. But of all the books and magazines I've ever read the city gets few if any mentions.

Maybe I'm reading the wrong books, maybe I'm talking shite (and thats why my breath smells) but I'd like to read other peoples thoughts on this matter.

Maybe somebody from that area will post up and say I'm talking rubbish and give evidence to shoot down my ideas?

derek

In all my years I've never actually been to a soul cub in Liverpool the nearest has been the afore mentioned Saints and the Viaduct in Newton Le Willows.

Has there been any funk clubs in Liverpool Town?

[Guest in town Mikey]

In the qualifying tournament for allnighters liverpoo finished 5th in the table.

We were far too scrupulous to allow them to hold a niter, and awarded the nites to the first 4 in the table

Does the Wirral count by the way??

Maybe Andy BB can think of a place there??

[Guest Andy BB]

Spot on.

The only thing I can come up with (and I've had loads of drunken chats about this with scouse and woolie mates) is that if anyone else, anywhere in the world likes it then scousers will go in completely the opposite direction. And that's especially true for anything that is big in Wigan, St Helens and god forbid Manchester.

Liverpool had loads of RnB clubs in the very early days but as soon as word reached Rainhill it was on to the next thing.

Wasn't a barrel of laughs being a Mod in merseyside either and while Saints club and other Soul and Mod nights in St Helens (Haresfinch, Parr, East Sutton etc) were well attended by lads from all over the North West and Wales you'd only ever get about 2 scousers. Even now you can count Liverpool's Mods on one hand whereas Manchester and Leeds have big scenes.

I've no doubt kenny will be along any minute with some great anecdotes about his times as a souly in scouseland... Tell us about the white socks Ken!

[Guest in town Mikey]

Spot on.

The only thing I can come up with (and I've had loads of drunken chats about this with scouse and woolie mates) is that if anyone else, anywhere in the world likes it then scousers will go in completely the opposite direction. And that's especially true for anything that is big in Wigan, St Helens and god forbid Manchester.

Liverpool had loads of RnB clubs in the very early days but as soon as word reached Rainhill it was on to the next thing.

Wasn't a barrel of laughs being a Mod in merseyside either and while Saints club and other Soul and Mod nights in St Helens (Haresfinch, Parr, East Sutton etc) were well attended by lads from all over the North West and Wales you'd only ever get about 2 scousers. Even now you can count Liverpool's Mods on one hand whereas Manchester and Leeds have big scenes.

I've no doubt kenny will be along any minute with some great anecdotes about his times as a souly in scouseland... Tell us about the white socks Ken! 

link

Do you think this is because Liverpudlian's are similar to Americans in respect to wanting everything to be bigger and better than anywhere else, and if they arent the best at something, then its not going to be pursued? I'm thinking of things like beat groups, football, punk (as mentioned) Liverpool is held in high esteem in these areas.

[Guest Richard Bergman]

Now at the risk of sounding scousist I've always wondered why Liverpool hasn't had a major impact on our soul club scene. For a major city it defined youth music culture during the sixties with the emergence of the Beatles & the Cavern Club. When punk spat its way into the late seventies 'Erics' was the place to be. 'Cream' became one of the first super clubs on the house scene throughout the nineties. On a football point of view they've got 2 major premiership teams and their followers took football hooliganism onto new levels during the eighties. So youth wise Liverpool and the merseyside area has really marked its place out on UK street culture. But why no northern scene as such within the L postcode? I mean given its close proximity to Wigan Casino (yawn) and all the big clubs in Manchester you'd have thought it would have spawned loads of venues of its own.

Alright there's The Sink nowadays and I'm led to believe its been going from the sixties in one way or another. Baz Maleady and his gang ran the much respected Saints Club in St Helens throughout the 90s. But of all the books and magazines I've ever read the city gets few if any mentions.

Maybe I'm reading the wrong books, maybe I'm talking shite (and thats why my breath smells) but I'd like to read other peoples thoughts on this matter.

Maybe somebody from that area will post up and say I'm talking rubbish and give evidence to shoot down my ideas?

derek

In all my years I've never actually been to a soul cub in Liverpool the nearest has been the afore mentioned Saints and the Viaduct in Newton Le Willows.

Has there been any funk clubs in Liverpool Town?

link

I remember djing in 98 above a pub at James Street station. This was a more mod orientated do.Think if memory serves me correct they had some god awful psych band playing live and a fight broke out can't remember what over possibly who had the tightest hipsters and who looked most like Sky Saxon

[Guest]

I remember djing in 98 above a pub at James Street station. This was a more mod orientated do.Think if memory serves me correct they had some god awful psych band playing live and a fight broke out can't remember what over possibly who had the tightest hipsters and who looked most like Sky Saxon

link

Any Liverpool players get shot in the arse ?

[Guest in town Mikey]

Any Liverpool players get shot in the arse ?

link

Actually I have mentioned it on here before, but Michael Robinson, the former Liverpoo player, has visited the 100 club on more than one occasion, when back from presenting the football shows in Spain. I didnt look at his arse tho. honest

[Guest]

Actually I have mentioned it on here before, but Michael Robinson, the former Liverpoo player, has visited the 100 club on more than one occasion, when back from presenting the football shows in Spain. I didnt look at his arse tho. honest 

link

Mikey,

You've opened the door for a Chris Waddle story from Shane now. Probably including arses

(You might just remember Shane, he left the site a while ago, vowing never to return )

(Told you Mr Higgins )

[Guest in town Mikey]

I remember him.

Now the Wendies are big time charlies again , he doesnt bother posting anymore.

[pikeys dog]

hook line and sinker

[Guest ShaneH]

I remember him.

Now the Wendies are big time charlies again , he doesnt bother posting anymore.

link

the mighty Owls are back!

'for over ten years we have been controlled by evil corporate sourcerers...then along came a magician from Scotland. It is now time to BELIEVE'

Going back to the topic I have talked to people about the lack of soul in Liverpool before. The only guy I know from out that way is from Southport (forgot his name but he can be seen at most nighters in the north...he looks like a young Clive James ).

Didnt Kev Roberts do an event in Southport recently?

I wonder if that was well attended by those lovable rogues from Liverpool?

ps Have you heard about the scouse prostitute who asked a guy in the street if he wanted a blow-job? Will it affect my benefits he replies

Shane

[Guest woolie mark]

alright shane, good to have you back bruv - have i told you i'm dating a dee-dah?

anyway, back to the thread, i've always wondered this too

i think you mean gary from southport - he'll be at cleethorpes (i'm not going )

[Guest Richard Bergman]

Any Liverpool players get shot in the arse ?

link

I thought It was only Greame Le Saux and Sol Campbell who got shot in the arse

Edited June 8, 2005 by Richard Bergman

[Little-stevie]

Been knocking around Liverpool on and off for a long time and like you say,soul don't come easy...I do hope Mr Pearson and others can give the sink a try,its a good little club with a lot of history...I think liverpool kept more of a hook on the white 60s stuff with lads i knew and still do....

[Guest dundeedavie]

the mighty Owls are back!

'for over ten years we have been controlled by evil corporate sourcerers...then along came a magician from Scotland. It is now time to BELIEVE'

Shane

link

i find this a real quandry ....... when i lived in skem a neighbour of mine used to take me to hillsborough and i've followed the mighty owls from afar since ...BUT .... i am also a dundee fan and therefore i have a natural problem with paul sturrock .... tis a quandry indeed

Davie

[Guest]

the mighty Owls are back!

The only guy I know from out that way is from Southport (forgot his name but he can be seen at most nighters in the north...he looks like a young Clive James ).

Shane

link

Do you mean Nigel (Babybird) from Chester? I'm sure he'll be thrilled that we have another nickname for him!

Bex

[Guest ShaneH]

Do you mean Nigel (Babybird) from Chester? I'm sure he'll be thrilled that we have another nickname for him!

Bex

link

no its not him Mrs Dutton. You will have seen who I am talking about though.

Shane

[Dave Rimmer]

Has there been any funk clubs in Liverpool Town?

link

Used to be loads back in the Seventies.

I remember going to a club in Hamilton Square, funny that, I can remember the address but not the name of the club.

Main DJ there from memory was Terry Lennaine (Spelling ?) who used to do the Soul show on Liverpool's commercial equivelent of Manchester's Picadilly Radio.

Roger the dodger should remember more, he's a scouse git

Dave

[Guest ShaneH]

alright shane, good to have you back bruv - have i told you i'm dating a dee-dah?

anyway, back to the thread, i've always wondered this too

i think you mean gary from southport - he'll be at cleethorpes (i'm not going )

link

hi Mark

nowt wrong with dee dahs mate

I think Mike the moderator knows some Liverpudlians. I am sure there is a guy who went to New Century who was a scouser. A real character who wore an hanky on his head. He may have been from North Wales. He would buy and sell vinyl usually wearing some kind of Liverpool FC merchandise.

Shane

[chrissie]

Now at the risk of sounding scousist I've always wondered why Liverpool hasn't had a major impact on our soul club scene. For a major city it defined youth music culture during the sixties with the emergence of the Beatles & the Cavern Club. When punk spat its way into the late seventies 'Erics' was the place to be. 'Cream' became one of the first super clubs on the house scene throughout the nineties. On a football point of view they've got 2 major premiership teams and their followers took football hooliganism onto new levels during the eighties. So youth wise Liverpool and the merseyside area has really marked its place out on UK street culture. But why no northern scene as such within the L postcode? I mean given its close proximity to Wigan Casino (yawn) and all the big clubs in Manchester you'd have thought it would have spawned loads of venues of its own.

Alright there's The Sink nowadays and I'm led to believe its been going from the sixties in one way or another. Baz Maleady and his gang ran the much respected Saints Club in St Helens throughout the 90s. But of all the books and magazines I've ever read the city gets few if any mentions.

Maybe I'm reading the wrong books, maybe I'm talking shite (and thats why my breath smells) but I'd like to read other peoples thoughts on this matter.

Maybe somebody from that area will post up and say I'm talking rubbish and give evidence to shoot down my ideas?

derek

In all my years I've never actually been to a soul cub in Liverpool the nearest has been the afore mentioned Saints and the Viaduct in Newton Le Willows.

Has there been any funk clubs in Liverpool Town?

link

DOn't know anything about the 80s and 90s but in the 70s they were all over the border harrassing us in North Wales.

QOF

XX

[BlueWail]

There was a monthly soul night in liverpool that never got off the ground properly

so ended up getting binned last year

The soul academy

Not enough punters turned up,so the managment pulled the plug

there are the odd nights that pop up from time to time

but there is no big support for northern soul in liverpool for some reason

probably something to do with it being classed as a woolyback ting like la

[Mike]

Used to be loads back in the Seventies.

I remember going to a club in Hamilton Square, funny that, I can remember the address but not the name of the club.

Main DJ there from memory was Terry Lennaine (Spelling ?) who used to do the Soul show on Liverpool's commercial equivelent of Manchester's Picadilly Radio.

Roger the dodger should remember more, he's a scouse git   

Dave

link

terry lennaine show was great western express or something wasnt it ? on radio merseyside

used to have a 15 min northern bit each week on monday, forgot guys name who did it, but always a listen still got tape of one somewhere

radio city used to also have regular soul show as well

on football/soul/liverpool thing, a chance to mention local hero again and also pass on details of a new book out, can remember him trying to explain to echo/post what the right on salute meant

Its here at last - the book all Wrexham and Liverpool fans have been waiting for! Joeys autobiography!

WST are offering you the chance to be amongst the first to read it!

The Kop has had its heroes over the years - Billy Liddell, Kevin Keegan, Kenny Dalglish ' but not many have been taken to the fans hearts quite like Joey Jones. His trademark clenched fist salute as he ran from the tunnel signalled the arrival on the pitch of a living legend.

https://www.wst.org.uk/wst/index.php

[Mike]

hi Mark

nowt wrong with dee dahs mate 

I think Mike the moderator knows some Liverpudlians. I am sure there is a guy who went to New Century who was a scouser. A real character who wore an hanky on his head. He may have been from North Wales. He would buy and sell vinyl usually wearing some kind of Liverpool FC merchandise.

Shane

link

going by memory, reckon you are on about Gary Beattie Shane, african type hat at a new century last year

has to be

mike

[Guest]

i think you mean gary from southport - he'll be at cleethorpes (i'm not going )

link

[Dave Rimmer]

i think you mean gary from southport - he'll be at cleethorpes (i'm not going )

link

Gary Farrington, he lives in Southport, but grew up in the same village as me in Warrington....Culcheth.

[Guest]

the mighty Owls are back!

'for over ten years we have been controlled by evil corporate sourcerers...then along came a magician from Scotland. It is now time to BELIEVE'

Going back to the topic I have talked to people about the lack of soul in Liverpool before. The only guy I know from out that way is from Southport (forgot his name but he can be seen at most nighters in the north...he looks like a young Clive James ).

Didnt Kev Roberts do an event in Southport recently?

I wonder if that was well attended by those lovable rogues from Liverpool?

ps Have you heard about the scouse prostitute who asked a guy in the street if he wanted a blow-job?  Will it affect my benefits he replies 

Shane

link

How do you get scoucers to wendies i`ll never,and why scoucers are not soulies might have something to do with Liverpool being the gateway to america,so drawing in its music fashion sence!!!!i remember working on docks seeing skips full of magerzines all about soul,and loads of water damaged records,probberly used as balast for some big ship?

PS,L Henry made that fukc shite film,proclaiming Liverpool being the centre of the soul universe,and drive a icecream van.

[Guest]

There was a monthly soul night in liverpool that never got off the ground properly

so ended up getting binned last year

The soul academy

Not enough punters turned up,so the managment pulled the plug

there are the odd nights that pop up from time to time

but there is no big support for northern soul in liverpool for some reason

probably something to do with it being classed as a woolyback ting like la

link

Living there when i left school,used to wear 50"bags white socks,did look a right twat!!!,this cant have been it can it the reason i mean!,they had night fever,we had the real thing

[BlueWail]

punk never got a big hold in liverpool along with being one of those sweatie type heavy metal chaps

When i was a young mod running around the mean streets of wavertree i always got loads of trouble off the resident scalls

But that was nothing compared to the punks and grebos who used to get webbed all over the place on a regular basis by liverpools wedge haired yoof

I think its easier in liverpool to go with the flow

than stick your had over the parapit

[slimharpo]

What about Billy Butler's Mardi Gras? - a great place with top live acts. I saw Al Green there on his first visit at the time of Let's Stay Together. Billy was and probably still is a champion of Soul Music and I used to see him regularly at venues in North Wales and the North West playing Soul in the late 60s and 70s

SLIM

[Guest]

What about Billy Butler's Mardi Gras? - a great place with top live acts. I saw Al Green there on his first visit at the time of Let's Stay Together. Billy was and probably still is a champion of Soul Music and I used to see him regularly at venues in North Wales and the North West playing Soul in the late 60s and 70s

SLIM

link

Our Mick,went to see M Gaye,still got the program!,and heard F Wilson on B Butler`s show on radio mersyside,the girl i was snogging at the time,thought i`d lost the plot!!,as i ran round the proclaiming to all and sundry this is N/Soul,they just didnt get it!...

[chrissie]

going by memory, reckon you are on about Gary Beattie Shane, african type hat at a new century last year

has to be 

mike

link

Definately ar Gary!! but usually has a shirt with a Wlesh Dragon on and he's originally from Rhuddlan

QOF

XX

[Bazm]

Nice one Derek! You are right about Liverpool being a 'Black Hole' for Northern Soul since the late 70's, in fact it's been a topic of debate many times between myself and L35'er Brian 'Flanny' Flanders.

In fairness to some of the guys from Liverpool on the scene at the moment, there has always been a small and passionate contingent breaking out of the 'L' post codes onto the Northern Scene for years, in fact going to the Casino a group of about ten would already be on the last train to Wigan when we got on at St Helens (come to think of it does anyone remember 'Scouse' aka Mark Baxendale, a regular at the Casino). Later the 'Saints Club' did become a bit of a mecca for many scousers who had a trace of 'Northern' in their blood and the bus fare from Walton.

In liverpool itself as far as I can remember the only club to really make it's mark and last more than the lifespan of a moth, was Livingstones in Stanley Street (I think!). A venue which at the time was spinning tunes like Sam Nesbit 'Black Mother Goose', Fred Hughes 'My Baby Came Back' and was mentioned quite regularily in Frank Elsons column in Blues and Soul. Other than that, Liverpool was a 'Funk with a capital G' town! Ohio Players, Funkadelic, etc but with a really soulful undercurrent and appriciation for real, new soul ala Lamont Dozier, Michael Henderson, Jean Carne to name a few. With some great (cheap) tunes coming straight off the boat and into Silly Billies record emporium in Whitechapel it was a great place to pick up some suberb music, I got Charles Johnson for £1.25 from there as a new relaese.

If anything, I think it was the supply of good new Black Music into the city, combined with the efforts of the likes of Terry Lennaine with his influential weekly radio show that kept Funk on the dial and Northern at the door in Liverpool even though my mate Nick did try his best by playing two Northern Records at the end of every show.........Pearls before swine