Your Very First Exposure To Northern Soul And Decided This Is For Me

[manus]

That Instrumental you are talking about might have been Mike Vickers - On The Brink,

I know Martin loved that record and it did go massive sometime later.

It could be although I've got a memory of it being played off an LP and it being guitar led - But 36 years is a long time and my main recollection is of Martin Ellis' enthusiasm when he was playing it so I think you might be right.

Cheers

Manus

Edited March 30, 2010 by manus

[Guest proudlove]

Ah yes Martin Ellis, a very old and good friend of mine.

God rest his soul, i miss him a lot.

Actually it was a stall run by Tony Juste from Manchester.

I bet a lot of people will know me on here, when i say i used to help him out on his stall quite a lot after that.

got to play all the great Northern sounds all day,can't be bad.

Talking about it makes it seem like yesterday,can you believe that is 36 years ago.

Was that Steve Glovers stall origionally?

Alan Smith used to have a clothes stall in the u/g market------------Alan used to dj at the Cats,the Oasis was bouncing at times on a Saturday............................

[MartynJJ]

great thread

my first exposure to Northern Soul was at comprehensive school in about 1974/5. We used to have a white stereo which came out at lunchtimes and everyone bought records in to play. I remember clearly hearing Footsee and watching 4 of my mates dancing. Now in those days I was more into prog rock and just thought "what a bunch of......" . But it was a tune that stuck with me.

Fast forward to 1977 and I started going down the local youth club after being badgered by a few mates. Friday nights 7 til 10 and all for 10p entrance and an ink stamp on the hand. I couldn't believe the stuff I was listenig to and after hearing Andre Brasseur's mad hammond organ belting out "The Kid" and this lad stomping like I had never seen before and possibly ever since, that was it...I was hooked.

After that I did the works around Nottingham, Colemans on a Friday night, getting my Coca Cola and Mars Bars downstairs while the ceiling pounded up and down to the beat of everyone stomping to Bill Purcells Heartbeat, Sunday nights at Gedling Miners welfare, mixing with the Rockers, Punks and Teds waiting for our 30 minute soul session when the floor became ours. We owned it and we danced

Monday nights was straight from work down to the Palais after getting changed in the works bogs and then getting the bus into town, calling in at Wimpeys for a burger and chips and possibly a knickerbocker glory. Roxy Threads and a black Harrington were the uniform for us. None of those Spencers trousers for us East Midlands soulies

About 1980ish I remember drifting into the Mod scene for a bit, but for me the scene was starting to lose something and I finally left it behind for a while in about '82.

But you know you can take the boy out of soul but you'll never take the soul out of the boy and after a few years flirting around the scene I feel like I'm back home. Got a lot of catching up to do......and you know what?........I never ever could get the hang of stomping!!!

[murgs]

Didn't think so at the time but looking back it was the most unlikely place run by a very unlikely person. The Princess Ballroom Halifax, known to al as 'Pailings' was run by a lovely middle aged lady called Pearl Pailing.

Started going there in 1965 and over the next 12 months I was exposed to what later was dubbed Northern. Arttists included Miracles, Isleys Four Tops, Temptations, Impressions, Darrell Banks, Homer Banks, Garnett Mimms, Mitch Ryder, Willie Mitchell plus Atlantic and some Ska.

It was also a venue for live acts and amazingly as early as 1966 there was an excellent local band doing Temps and Impressions cover, can't for the life of me remember their name, does anyone out there remember them?

Thankyou Pearl for introducing me to uptempo (northern) soul, never left me!

[Guest JIM BARRY]

Ah yes Martin Ellis, a very old and good friend of mine.

God rest his soul, i miss him a lot.

Actually it was a stall run by Tony Juste from Manchester.

I bet a lot of people will know me on here, when i say i used to help him out on his stall quite a lot after that.

got to play all the great Northern sounds all day,can't be bad.

Talking about it makes it seem like yesterday,can you believe that is 36 years ago.

tony juste ran his stalla couple of years after the one dave evvison worked at,some other stalls in later years were ran by davewithers and a guy who also had a stall in blackpool, i spoke to tony's daughter a couple of years ago and she told me he had passed away,, derek orme was the guy with the stall in there and blackpool.

[Guest dicklincoln72]

In 1966 I was a scooter riding mod in Plymouth into Spencer Davis & Small Faces, when I heard an instrumental version of "The In Crowd" and found out their was a vocal version and I was hooked, found out that their was more to it than just Motown so started buying Soul & Ska stuff, my first soul record Gene Chandler "Nothing Can Stop Me" first Ska record Skatalites "Guns Of Navarone" but not a lot of good soul played out locally, but in 67 joined RAF and posted to Lincoln. Started buying B&S and buying imports mail order, Formations "Top Of The Stairs", Artistics "I'm Gonna Miss You", Tommy Neal "Going To A Happening" and Bob Brady & Conchords "Everybody's Going To A Love In" were big back then. With Dave Godin as my guide to the sounds to look out for my collection grew. Early trips to Nottingham and the Brit as well as early Wigan and then Cleethorpes just up the road, things were great and then I got posted to Gibraltar for 2 & half souless years listening to Santana in every club and when I got back in 1976 the scene had changed, I was posted to Cornwall and lost touch with the scene up north. Only now that I am starting to dust down my collection and transfer it to digital am I discovering just what I missed, great times.

[Davetay]

That Instrumental you are talking about might have been Mike Vickers - On The Brink,

I know Martin loved that record and it did go massive sometime later.

"On The Brink" was played in the 80s, it was even booted under it's cover up name.

I can't remember what it was covered up as but it was put out on s.o.s. with Major Lance on the other side.

P.S. It has just come to me covered up as "Boo-ga-loo Investigator"

Edited March 30, 2010 by davetay

[Davetay]

Hello Dave

I remember going to the Oasis stall once and as we were leaving a big riot kicked off with a group of rastas and the security guards and the police it all got a bit heavy but all part of growing up I suppose and I wouldn't have missed those expereinces for anything.

Cheers

Manus

Hi Manus, yes it was a great time to be a teenager.

Also used to buy clothes from Stolen from Ivors, Justins and in the market.

Dave.

[Chris L]

When did you receive your first true real exposure to northern soul and decided this is for me and what was the 1st record if you can remember.

Rob

Cats early '72, they were playing "Groovin' at the go go" next week to the Mecca and it was Cracking up over you

[Guest spudmurphy]

youth clubs in stockport brinnington, harrogate rd reddish, alec in edgerly, all these were knee deep in northern soul in 77 78 and 79

[SOULCENTRAL]

When did you receive your first true real exposure to northern soul and decided this is for me and what was the 1st record if you can remember.

mine was wakefield tiffs circa 71/72 they used to have a side room the nocturne bar where we weere not allowed to go in due to age but you could here it......... AND IT WAS AWESOMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE , better than all the pop sh#te played in teenie disco.

Rob

HI ROB,

Glad i was able to tickle your ear drums enough to get you hooked on the greatest music there has ever been.

ROY

[Guest Dave Turner]

Round mate's house in '72 listening to stuff like Philip Mitchell, Furys etc and other Jay Boy stuff. First night down a local club watching the older Torch guys walkin, talkin' and dancin'. J.J Barnes "Please Let Me In" and Dee Irwin "I only get This Feeling" and that was it. Out of the mainstream and none of that glam rock shite. I knew then it was exactly what I wanted to be involved with, just felt natural. It either grabs ya or it don't.

[wiganelli]

Round mate's house in '72 listening to stuff like Philip Mitchell, Furys etc and other Jay Boy stuff. First night down a local club watching the older Torch guys walkin, talkin' and dancin'. J.J Barnes "Please Let Me In" and Dee Irwin "I only get This Feeling" and that was it. Out of the mainstream and none of that glam rock shite. I knew then it was exactly what I wanted to be involved with, just felt natural. It either grabs ya or it don't.

as a 16 year old feb 1974 walking into the pink elephant club in aspull nr wigan on a wet thursday night and heard franki valli im gonna change and boy did i CHANGE that was it for me and still on the scene some 30 plus years later and ive luved every minute off it and wish i could do it all AGAIN !!!!! KTF nb we all started there i think ste whittle ian wills kev murphy oh memories

[Paul R]

My sister being 3 years older than me mixed with some of the crowd in the late 60s, early 70s. I remember at a party she had listening to "Ain't Nothin' But A Houseparty" and "Love Eye Tis"(B side to Private Number) and all the tracks of Motown Volume 3. She also used to come home with JayBoy & Mojo releases. I think she worked at NEMS record shop in Southport at the time. Also my cousin used to go to the Mecca & come back with tales of "Little Ol' Man" & "The Fife Piper".

I then started going to St Maries Youthclub in Southport, this was September 1971, and I was 13 and about to get a education. It was not a normal youthclub, if you wanted table tennis, then Sunday afternoon was OK. If you wanted to hear good music, then Friday & Saturday nights were great. As well as playing the chart sounds like "Maggie May", we were also treated to "Little Piece Of Leather", "The Snake", "Scratchy", "Cool Jerk", "Barefootin'", "Backstreet", "Six by Six" and "Hey Girl Don't Bother Me" &" Why Don't I Run Away From You", the last two had just been in the charts. I was hooked. Although I didn't mind some chart stuff, particularly soul, I was after the obscure stuff. I stopped going to St Maries, due to a misunderstanding amongst mates.

During 72 I didn't really get too much involved in the obscure soul stuff although I used to get Blues & Soul regularly, and my sister was still coming home with reissues like "That's Enough", "She Blew a Good Thing", "Sufferin' City" etc. In early 1973, the family moved from the big town of Southport, to the smaller village, 8 miles out, Burscough, and my life changed for ever. By this time my sister had started going to the Torch,(she was there for the Dec 9th 72, Major Lance Gig"). and I was reading about the records played at various clubs in the adverts in B&S. At my first day at Burscough Secondary School, I was sat next to a lad with long hair, who had a pile of records sat on his desk. I pointed to the records and asked if I could look. There were things like "Times A Waistin'", "Sliced Tomatoes" etc. These were tracks that I had heard of but never heard. THe lad in question, is Revilot on here, John Orritt, a collector and record dealer, now based in Croston. We entered into a great friendship, during our time at school. He introduced me to the Tuesday night discos at Burscough Football Club with the Soul Spinners 4 at the decks. Within days we were planning a trip to the Torch, although we were only 15. Unfortunately the Torch closed down the week before we were going to go. We went to our first real Northern do at Whitchurch alldayer in August 1973, and within 2 months, had done my first couple of allnighters at Va Vas in Bolton, and had become a regular at Wigan Casino, Whitchurch alldayers, Burnley Cats Whiskers, Leyland Public Hall, ST Helens Court School of Dancing & Geraldo Club and many other places(Leeds soul festival in April 74 anyone). After 2 and a half years of non stop northern soul, and the things that went with it(for many of us), I decided that I will probably end up in jail or dead!. I decided to join the Navy, in 1976.

I still continued a love of Northern, DJing round Plymouth in the late 70s and 80s, but did not get too involved in the nighter scene.

I'm not really involved in the scene anymore apart from Soulsource & a very intense love for the music, which I believe will never die.

Paul

Edited April 1, 2010 by Paul r

[Naughty Boy]

HI ROB,

Glad i was able to tickle your ear drums enough to get you hooked on the greatest music there has ever been.

ROY

Eh is was you was it you did more than ticle my drums, you have a lot to answer for ill tell ya .

Rob

[Guest bazabod_downunder]

Oakdale Boys Club, Johnson Rd, Oakdale, Poole, Dorset......1976.....this was the epicentre from which was spawned most of the areas soul crowd......missen hut style buliding, sadly not there anymore replaced by houses....heathens!!!...here's a pic of the beloved place.

KTF

Baz

Edited April 2, 2010 by bazabod_downunder

[Guest]

Oakdale Boys Club, Johnson Rd, Oakdale, Poole, Dorset......1976.....this was the epicentre from which was spawned most of the areas soul crowd......missen hut style buliding, sadly not there anymore replaced by houses....heathens!!!...here's a pic of the beloved place.

KTF

Baz

[manus]

Somewhere i have a cassette with Martyn on, only a short while but the enthusiasm he put into his dj spots i could never forget................"so this is the last one from me Martyn Ellis ..hope to see you down?here next week SHINGALING!!. and one of his mini spots(deservedly) at wigan RB Freeman I´m Shaft..fade "and I´m ELLIS"" brilliant

without doubt Martyn Ellis was THE best dj showman on the scene at the time.tried to model myself on his style but the best i could do was the garbled nonsense top man.

Steve

Oasis saturdays(all the way up from Gloucester) where did we go next?Rowntree sounds? was there a pub called the Bear in Corporation street? Fu´´ing big coppers on the station after the football(Manc Coppers were always big monsters) that dodgey train journey to Wigan,swapping blues for caps with Steve Glover getting Billy Joe Royal(issue) for THREE QUID after the swap!! as Mary Hopkin said"Those were the days my friend"...............got carried away i think!! thing is it all seems just like yesterday!!

Yes Steve onto Rowntree Sounds for a few pints and a little someting to keep you dancing. I remember coming down to Manchester once and getting off the train at about 5pm - Man Utd had been playing Walsall at home in the FA cup and Newcastle (my team) were away at Man City. I hadn't gone to the game I wanted be up for it for the niter - the police had made Man U kick off an hour earlier in the hope this would help avoid clashes but all this did was give the Man U fans a chance to get down to the station and wait for the Newcastle fans after the City game. So I got off the train and the station was packed with Man U fans looking for folk with Geordie accents Later that night I was talking to some Man Utd fans in Rowntrees and they said they Geordies had stood up for themselves and I had a few pints with these blokes and a good laugh. Great days indeed.

Gonna be offline for a bit now - have a good Easter everyone

Cheers

Manus

Edited April 3, 2010 by manus

[Guest Imogen]

My first soul nighter was at Dave Thorley's Aston Villa Football club night. Still the best nighter I've ever been to and memorable for Brummie Mick's knee cap poping out mid back drop aswell as the great music I heard. Wish there could have been more there.

[Guest JoJoW27]

Mine was at the Web Youth Club, Dawley, Telford in around 1977.I was a mere babe. x

[Steveh73]

My first all-nighter was a solo trip to Yate Stars and Stripes in early 1982. Not having a car, I took the train from Chippenham to Bristol, the bus from Bristol to Yate, waited in a local pub till closing time aand then made my way to the nighter. To say I was staggered would be an understatement - I recall only knowing 3 tunes all night - Fontella Bass - Rescue Me, Ramsey Lewis - Wade In The Water and Marvin Gaye - I'll be Doggone but I was amazed at the the music, the dancing and the fact that people clapped at the DJs choice of record. I remember taking to someone and saying how much better this was than getting pissed in my local. Hitched a lift back to Bristol in the morning and got the train home. Yate closed shortly after that (I managed to get to a couple more). I came into the norrthern scene only really liking sixties sounds, Mowtown and the like and initially dismissing the modern sounds of the time (I'm sure I heard Gwen Macrae - Keep The Fire Burning played at Yate subsequently) as run of the mill, commercial trivia. That kind of attitude soon changed and I learnt to appreciate the modern side of the scene as much as, if not more, than the traditional sixties sounds. Which took me all the way into rare groove, jazz, hip-hop and house but thats another story at the other end of the eighties!!!

Have a great weekend!!!

Steve.

Edited May 8, 2010 by steveh73

[funkyfeet]

Grew up in a small village with a little youth club, the disco was run by two local wheelites, Tams, Willie Tee, Formations, Tammie Lynn, Motown and Stax were the records of the day, by the time I was 14 I was behind the decks, pop music never got a look in.

[John Elias]

1969/70 Paynes Cafe Royal Llandudno North Wales,was still at school being only 15!,used to lie togfet in as age limit was 16 ,

tunes played then before Dave Godin's phrase were WAR Edwin Starr,THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO KNOW,James Carr,Johnny Johnson's Bandwaggon and so on....

Lambrettas parked outside and plenty of spins,backdrops and puchups,happy days!,few members on here went there too.

[Anais nin Carms]

My first northern moment was early seventies I guess.

I had always liked club soul and staxy type stuff along with motown . But pure northern was new to me until my then partner Brian ex Brazenose street wheelie purchased a load of tapes off John Manship around 74 i think ? and then it all sort of started .

I remember not liking Frankie and the classicals What shall i do because it sounded so corny , loved on a magic carpet ride though , thats how it sort of started for me.

I still cringe when i hear Frankie say is that a guitar you are playing ? lol

I used to do the city clubs then Rafters & Carolines in Manchester recall Malc Alisons in place was Tramps ? Never did Wigan ... trying to recall what the name of the night club was above rafters I saw Ben E King there..aaaaaaaaah FAGINS !

Never forgave Brian for not taking me to Spring Gardens .. I do wonder if the underground market is still there .....spooky

[Anais nin Carms]

..

Edited May 9, 2010 by Carms

[Anais nin Carms]

..

Edited May 9, 2010 by Carms

[Anais nin Carms]

... sorry about all these duplicates?

Edited May 9, 2010 by Carms

[Ian Dewhirst]

When did you receive your first true real exposure to northern soul and decided this is for me and what was the 1st record if you can remember.

mine was wakefield tiffs circa 71/72 they used to have a side room the nocturne bar where we weere not allowed to go in due to age but you could here it......... AND IT WAS AWESOMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE , better than all the pop sh#te played in teenie disco.

Rob

Yep, that Nocturne Bar was rockin'!

I can remember hearing the Human Beinz "Nobody But You" booming out of there and thinking what's all this about then.......?

Ian D

[Guest ronaldis]

Ah the web youth club, mine was at Malinslee "youth club" which was 2 council house knocked togther around the same time, 2 lads Allan Baily and Anth Lord brought along some records, memory tells me it was Adam and Eve and some other tunes, but the beat caught me and the 2 lads who became friends had me hook, 2 years later and i made my way to Wigan, 30 odd years later and i am still loving the sound.

[Guest roggert]

my first (northen soul ) allniter listening to the sounds that would eventually become NORTHERN SOUL WAS 1965 AT THE AGE OF FOURTEEN it was only around 1971 did i realise that the records i had been listening to for the previous 6 years were now northern soul !!!! but the only thing that had changed from when i bought these records when first released were now the super massive inflationary prices -35pence became £5 and upward as did the price of bombers etc. what used to cost 2pence went to far greater prices! and seeing tina turner for 40 pence would never happen again ,as to when i decided this is for me was standing outside in the queuefor the club listening to fontella bass 's new release -rescue me . i never looked back -except when someone tried to sell me a record that cost pennieswhen i started ,for the price of a second hand car!

[Guest JIM BARRY]

My first northern moment was early seventies I guess.

I had always liked club soul and staxy type stuff along with motown . But pure northern was new to me until my then partner Brian ex Brazenose street wheelie purchased a load of tapes off John Manship around 74 i think ? and then it all sort of started .

I remember not liking Frankie and the classicals What shall i do because it sounded so corny , loved on a magic carpet ride though , thats how it sort of started for me.

I still cringe when i hear Frankie say is that a guitar you are playing ? lol

I used to do the city clubs then Rafters & Carolines in Manchester recall Malc Alisons in place was Tramps ? Never did Wigan ... trying to recall what the name of the night club was above rafters I saw Ben E King there..aaaaaaaaah FAGINS !

Never forgave Brian for not taking me to Spring Gardens .. I do wonder if the underground market is still there .....spooky

rafters was my hang out along with pips and the piccadilly club, saw a t v special at fagins, called colour my soul,....starring jimmy helms and madilene bell, about 74...great days.

[Guest roundtree]

Blazes Portwood Stockport then the Junction Torch etc

[Gilly]

Some of the tunes here take me back,remember some others ie Out on the floor,Queen of fools,Stop her on sight.Dig your act,Real humdinger,Girls are out to get you,Unsatisfied/Magic potion,You get your kick/Breakout,Playing both ends,Prove youself a lady,Furys,6x6 and god knows what else.When youve had a tast of those things 70/71/72 no wonder i stuck around and still love the unknowns that keep turning up.

[Naughty Boy]

Yep, that Nocturne Bar was rockin'!

I can remember hearing the Human Beinz "Nobody But You" booming out of there and thinking what's all this about then.......?

Ian D

Ah small world , indeed it was Ian

Rob

[Naughty Boy]

my first (northen soul ) allniter listening to the sounds that would eventually become NORTHERN SOUL WAS 1965 AT THE AGE OF FOURTEEN it was only around 1971 did i realise that the records i had been listening to for the previous 6 years were now northern soul !!!! but the only thing that had changed from when i bought these records when first released were now the super massive inflationary prices -35pence became £5 and upward as did the price of bombers etc. what used to cost 2pence went to far greater prices! and seeing tina turner for 40 pence would never happen again ,as to when i decided this is for me was standing outside in the queuefor the club listening to fontella bass 's new release -rescue me . i never looked back -except when someone tried to sell me a record that cost pennieswhen i started ,for the price of a second hand car!

Do you remember pickin me up around Scunnie one Sat whilst i was thumbing it down to cleggie......

[Guest roggert]

fooks sake me memory just back flipped 35 years to a dark ening night was it a white bag over your shoulder with the badgesand leather overcoat, ?yeah i was driving a ford corsair metallic pink black roof ,. always stopped whenever i could for peeps as spent many hours hitching and nobody seemed to stop. jesus but these forums keep bringing sudden shocks as people i havent met for decades seem to appear from nowhere!!! how you going on well i hope !!

[Wicked]

my first exposure to soul was paynes in the summer of 1970, I remember them playing Tammi Lynn, Frankie Valli and all the Invictus / Hot Wax stuff, couldn't understand what it was all about at first but here I am 40 years later still lovin' it.

[Naughty Boy]

fooks sake me memory just back flipped 35 years to a dark ening night was it a white bag over your shoulder with the badgesand leather overcoat, ?yeah i was driving a ford corsair metallic pink black roof ,. always stopped whenever i could for peeps as spent many hours hitching and nobody seemed to stop. jesus but these forums keep bringing sudden shocks as people i havent met for decades seem to appear from nowhere!!! how you going on well i hope !!

yeh Rog. thats it Long leather coat yeh ....

and yes you are right trying to thumb from donny to cleggyanf was a bitch but a bloody laff one twat dropped us off in goole,

all is well too and you

Edited February 7, 2011 by Naughty Boy

[Kenmidgley]

first got into the music late 60s . remember our steve (midgley) going to places like BIN LID, WHEEL,CATACOOMBS, MOJO, then later on GEORGES. AND THE HUB IN BARNSLEY, and bringing back these sounds. for me to listen to and telling me what a great time he had with all his mates. ROB SLATER. BUB.COL EVERSIDGE. PHIL STABLES . JOHN & TOMMY LITHERLAND and many more friends from around the country. He would never take me with him.said i was too young and would cramp his style lol?, stil listening and loving the music and getting to the odd venue forty years on. our steve would be amazed lol,

[Guest bankhallman]

Hello everyone,

just reading the posts on where and when folk found their taste for northern and in general I was amused,I can appreciate the older guys and some of them being on the scene for yonks.In my own case its over 4 decades I started illegally back in the early 60 going to Mr Smiths in manchester before the other clubs were there and my initiation was into blues and deep soul with occasional dance feature heading the bill.

it stood me in good sted though as this set my facet of my heart for the soul of real class soul it ingrained itself into my personality to continue to this day yeah I went to the big name clubs pendulum wheel etc but at a very early age the seeds were set for me and my fire lit at that quirky club in the industrial heartland manchester and Mr Wonderful Smith's club. I was 15 years of age and dodging the feds to get in great days and the music is still my scene and will always be thankyou you Mr Smith's ever in you're debt. Pat Allen (Burnley & Pendle Soul Club)

[Naughty Boy]

seeing Footsee on Top of the Pops in 1975

cause

oooh dear mind you it did create a fresh wave

[Naughty Boy]

first got into the music late 60s . remember our steve (midgley) going to places like BIN LID, WHEEL,CATACOOMBS, MOJO, then later on GEORGES. AND THE HUB IN BARNSLEY, and bringing back these sounds. for me to listen to and telling me what a great time he had with all his mates. ROB SLATER. BUB.COL EVERSIDGE. PHIL STABLES . JOHN & TOMMY LITHERLAND and many more friends from around the country. He would never take me with him.said i was too young and would cramp his style lol?, stil listening and loving the music and getting to the odd venue forty years on. our steve would be amazed lol,

some scallies there

[3 Before 8]

For me it at Meynell Youth club in 1977 I saw these older boys dancing in their own room with the girls looking on. I think the first record was Interplay but I like I say I never heard it before. It became cool for boys to dance,

[Garswood]

suppose my first experiance of NS would have been local youth clubs especially cantilever youth club near stockton heath in warrington, i would have been about 15, there was a lad from our school called "wacker" i think , a year older than me and was a fantastic dancer and i used to watch in awe to his spins and backdrops ect, he told me once that he used to go to Wigan Casino,which i hadn't heard about, anyway fast forward 6 months ish, mum and dad get divorced, dad lives in warrington, mum lives in Leigh and i,m on the bus with my mate going to stay at my mums in leigh, halfway there we have to swap buses in culcheth, as we are waiting for the bus to leave 2 girls get on it and come to the back where me and my mate are sat, these 2 girls are off there faces, whizzing there t*ts off and one of them ,JANICE THORPE lives behind my mums house in a bedsit. they were going to janice's to get ready and then onto wigan, me and my mate "Butch" then went to wigan with them, remember first record i heard "larry houston"-lets spend sometime together, fantastic, this was in july 81 and sadly only went another 4 times, but still had such an impact i,ve never been interested in any other music, went to wgan tiffs after casino closed, stafford,rotherham parr hall,morecombe pier ect and nearly 30 years later whenever i hear Larry houston i think back to the exact time place and even how old i was ,15 years and 8 months old

[SHEFFSOUL]

..Sometime in '71...i became friends with 2 sisters from Boston, they took me to the Boston Gliderdrome..first heard 'thats enough' RR and SB6 'thank you baby'...after that it was Torch sounds..bok to back, landslide,sam and kitty..great days and sounds..

[Guest Mark Coyle]

Early 80s, there was a disco in a Catholic school in Clifton Nottingham where Mods, soulies and scooter boys used to go in the week. Some Mod mates said to go along so after building up courage to go 'up the top end' of the estate I went in. This place took its music really seriously with visiting DJs and people coming from out of the area to attend. Being the early 80s it was a curious mixture of soul, scooter boy music (psychobilly, punk etc), Mod pop and electro. When I went in there was a DJ known as 'Psychedelic John' in a paisley shirt who played this deep, uptempo music that sent dancers mad. It was strange and enticing in a way that went beyond 'Baby Love'. It was of course Northern Soul and I was hooked. Next Saturday I was up at Pendulum Records stall in Victoria Market spending my saturday boy earnings on Goldsoul and Kent LPs. Those Kent LPs became like buying the ten commandments in weekly installments. Then some older Mods took me to an allnighter at Peterborough Wirranah when I was about 15 and smuggled me in. Soon I wasn't called myself a Mod anymore and was focusing solely on soul. That was it. I was hooked. I still am thirty years later.

cheers

Mark

[MartynJJ]

Early 80s, there was a disco in a Catholic school in Clifton Nottingham where Mods, soulies and scooter boys used to go in the week. Some Mod mates said to go along so after building up courage to go 'up the top end' of the estate I went in. This place took its music really seriously with visiting DJs and people coming from out of the area to attend. Being the early 80s it was a curious mixture of soul, scooter boy music (psychobilly, punk etc), Mod pop and electro. When I went in there was a DJ known as 'Psychedelic John' in a paisley shirt who played this deep, uptempo music that sent dancers mad. It was strange and enticing in a way that went beyond 'Baby Love'. It was of course Northern Soul and I was hooked. Next Saturday I was up at Pendulum Records stall in Victoria Market spending my saturday boy earnings on Goldsoul and Kent LPs. Those Kent LPs became like buying the ten commandments in weekly installments. Then some older Mods took me to an allnighter at Peterborough Wirranah when I was about 15 and smuggled me in. Soon I wasn't called myself a Mod anymore and was focusing solely on soul. That was it. I was hooked. I still am thirty years later.

cheers

Mark

I was in Nottingham the other week paying a visit to the family and went in Viccy Market, sadly the hot pea's stall has gone but Pendulum Records is still there going strong. I used to get my records from Fox's records up in Viccy Centre, every Fraiday after work, get the bus into town loaded with my wage packet and come away with aminimum of two vynils. Happy days

[soulsalmon]

"On The Brink" was played in the 80s, it was even booted under it's cover up name.

I can't remember what it was covered up as but it was put out on s.o.s. with Major Lance on the other side.

P.S. It has just come to me covered up as "Boo-ga-loo Investigator"

Guys Matt Parsons C/U,theme from bbc's thursday night play

[Citizen P]

Thought it was, I went out with a lady from Dukinfield in thseventies(kinell that makes me feel old) and went to Druffies a few times.Bird cage in Ashton on (I think) Thursday night...............

Cheers Steve

Yes, you did...

T

[Guest Shax]

The first I heard of Northern Soul was at the age of 11 at the Holbeach Junior School disco in 1973. The teacher anounced "someone had come to show us how to dance especially the boys" - Andy Rix ( yes the Andy Rix) who had left for the Spalding gramma School 2 years earlier showed us how to dance to "Footsie", "We Go Together" and "Like Adam & Eve" quality !!

I was hooked from then on- the music never leaves your soul