Is It Acceptable To Do A Soul Night With Cd's

[Guest Dave Turner]

Well I had no idea what a hornet's nest I would have disturbed! I invited your thoughts and it's been really interesting reading all of your views. I will probably leave it alone and just enjoy those sounds in the comfort of my front room and play the odd one or two as I sometimes do at my bookings, more if I get a good response!. I think I'll visit a couple of local do's aswell and see what's going on. I've obviously been a little niave about it all.

Just one question - and I'm probably gonna get some abuse here but it's genuine from someone who just likes the music purely on that basis but doesn't really know the scene: Surely it can't go on indefinitely just playing vinyl, won't the scene just diminish and die out eventually doing that if the Northern Soul crowd will only accept original vinyl? Thanks everyone for your input anyway, I didn't set out to offend, just curious and apprehensive about doing a soul night with cd's and your replys have been really enlightning. Don't think I'll do it now.

I think it's great that you're all so passionate about what you love so much. I understand now a little better when my good friend Cres speaks of the hairs on the back of his neck standing up when he hears a certain record that hits him like a thunderbolt.

Gazza

As supercorsa says, if ya want to do a soul night with CDs then if I were you I'd go the Motown, youth club sounds route. Tracks that many folks are already familiar with ie Newbeats, Tams, Elgins, Candi Staton etc etc. Advertise in the local paper and you'll get far more in and take more money. Lots of folks out there that aren't necessarily soul fanatics but just like to listen and bop to old familiar dance sounds. Northern night with CDs in Bourne will flop, you won't get the Northern crowd in and the "normal" folks won't know the Northern records which will in both cases result in a near empty floor all night. Result = duff night out.

Just my thought on it

[Billywhizz]

ame='The Golden 101' date='26 February 2010 - 03:51 PM' timestamp='1267199487' post='1273287']

Whatever Van Trevor

Nev do u dj ,looks like got some nice sounds,billy

[Guest gazza12]

As supercorsa says, if ya want to do a soul night with CDs then if I were you I'd go the Motown, youth club sounds route. Tracks that many folks are already familiar with ie Newbeats, Tams, Elgins, Candi Staton etc etc. Advertise in the local paper and you'll get far more in and take more money. Lots of folks out there that aren't necessarily soul fanatics but just like to listen and bop to old familiar dance sounds. Northern night with CDs in Bourne will flop, you won't get the Northern crowd in and the "normal" folks won't know the Northern records which will in both cases result in a near empty floor all night. Result = duff night out.

Just my thought on it

Thanks for your comment, I was never going to try a purely Northern Night it was always going to be the popular Motown and general soul sounds along with some of the 70's soul disco hits. I just wanted to play some Northern Soul aswell, how much depending on how it went, but was anxious about doing that after what I'd heard from friends. On the poster to promote the event I had put the Northern Soul logo on along with the Motown, Stax and Atlantic logos. I didn't want people turning up being dissapointed when they discovered it was not going to be vinyl so that's why I wanted to ask the question to find out just how passionate people are around this scene, and I think I've got the answer.

The thing that has really put me off doing the whole night though is the negative outlook from the people who run the Corn Exchange and the guy that I was relying on to take the money at the door. They reckon I won't be able to attract the required numbers to cover my costs for a soul night disco regardless of whether it's popular soul or otherwise or anything else I think. It's gonna cost me with promotion about £400 to put on, I was charging £5.00 on the door and after expenses donating the proceeds to the BHF. It just doesn't seem worth the bother anymore.

I may try it on a smaller scale somewhere else in the not too distant future.

Cheers

Graham

[Goldsoul]

WHAT A LOAD OF B******S..............how can you say such a thing mr roberts you should be ashamed of yourself

[/quote

leave me alone, I'm busy wrestling a lap top to the floor.

Edited February 26, 2010 by The Golden 101

[Guest Beeks]

Hang on...A debate about OVO vs Boots/CDs/Other format on Soul Source?

Hang on...A debate about OVO vs Boots/CDs/Other format on Soul Source?

Hang on...A debate about OVO vs Boots/CDs/Other format on Soul Source?

[Guest JIM BARRY]

JUST READ EVERY POST FROM START TO FINISH AND FOR WHAT ITS WORTH MY OPINION IS ,IF I WAS DJING AT A RARE SOUL NITE I WOULD BE DISGUSTED IF CDS OR LAP TOPS WERE IN USE, FULL STOP. THE SAME IF I WAS A PUNTER,ISN'T THAT WHERE A DJ GETS HIS KUDOS FROM ? HOWEVERIF I WAS ATTENDING A FEELGOOD SOUL NITE THAT WAS ADVERTISED AS SUCH WITH NO BIG NAME DJS I REALLY WOULDN'T BE BOTHERED COS I KNOW I'D BE GETTING IS WHAT IT SAY'S ON THE TIN.THE PURISTS CAN SIMPLY ATTEND THE VENUES WHERE OVO IS IN FORCE AND BE HAPPY. THE "HAND BAG BRIGADE" CAN GET THEIR KICKS AT FEELGOOD EVENTSAND VENTURE TO THE RARE EVENTS IF THEY FEEL THE NEED TO BE EDUCATED BY THE PURISTS JUST MY OPINION....JIM

[Billywhizz]

I'm playing to 700 right now and the floor is packed. Next week it's Stoke with vinyl and the floor will be packed again. Different nights demand common sense.

honestly kev u nt joking billy

[NEV]

I'm playing to 700 right now and the floor is packed. Next week it's Stoke with vinyl and the floor will be packed again. Different nights demand common sense.

Kev.....how come most of your posts/replies are edited??

Damn i wish i was a bit quicker ..curiosity killed the cat

p.s

To be honest Kev....your a better sport than Levine ...on a hiding to nothing but no rattles outta the pram

[Dave Thorley]

The end is nigh.....

https://www.youtube.c...h?v=vJhRMrFORNI

Thank you so much

[Citizen P]

Ok, so I was a regular "on scene from '73 to '81, every weekend and a few week nights. Lived it, breathed it and had a very good collection of originals. Regular mates on the scene started dropping off, got married etc and so did I. Life took on other priorities, work, mortgage, kids etc etc. The rut of life took over. Always been into the music from "71 onwards and am even more into now than I ever was, but not the scene itself. It no longer interests me stopping out all night, being a "scene" player. Go along to a few local soul nights, have a few beers, chat with a few mates, re sounds, records, old times etc etc. Might even pick up a kebab on the way home before tucking up at 2am. Do I go out to listen to CD's, boots, laptops --- do I fook. I could do but I don't as I still like to listen to the real deal.

You do sum up some of those that just go to local soul nights who haven't a clue or a care whether its CD or vinyl, know perhaps 10 Northern records including Frank Wilson, Night Owl and The Snake. As you say, their choice. It may be just how I interpret it but I just get the feel from your post that anyone who don't do niters and just enjoys a few local soul nights is a tosser, believe me you couldn't be more from the truth.

Dead Right,

I don't attend many allniters these days, maybe a coupla year.Frankly, folk whizzing off their tits and talking more sh*te than I normally do, bore me.

The so called local soul nites I do attend could give many of them a run for their money on the quality of the music.

AND they play OVO-!!

Tony

Tony

[Goldsoul]

Kev.....how come most of your posts/replies are edited??

Damn i wish i was a bit quicker ..curiosity killed the cat

p.s

To be honest Kev....your a better sport than Levine ...on a hiding to nothing but no rattles outta the pram

I'm editing one right now, otherwise the usual suspects will be offended.

Edited February 26, 2010 by The Golden 101

[Tabs]

I don't normally bother with these type of threads as it's been done to death before.

But imo there is a huge gap between the niter scene, soul nites and what the topic starter was proposing.

As a generalization there are 2 distinct scenes running in parallel, and generally different people attending both.

The niter OVO upfront venue is true to the original ethos of the scene.

The soul nite is where familiarity is the key. Once a month to relive a lost youth.

And what the poster inquired about is a general soul handbag night.

All have the right to exist.

They will succeed or fail on their own merits.

And the general disco soul night can play whatever format it wants. No one will query it.

Lets be honest the majority of people on this site would not attend that anyway.

And the format played at a lot of soul nites isn't questioned either.

A good oldies blast I don't have a problem with.

But it has to be genuine.

I'm off to Lifeline tomorrow so I know what I prefer.

[Guest daz mycroft]

sorry m8 your onto a loser.

akin to being a Stag in a stand of Spire,ites:hatsoff2:

Edited February 27, 2010 by daz mycroft

[Guest Paul]

Personally, I don't really care if a DJ plays good music on any format including acetates, CD, CDR, MP3, WAV, dub plates etc.

But I understand and respect the "rare soul" views and I agree it would be wrong for a DJ to play the 100 Club (or wherever) with a box full of CDs, dub plates or MP3 files.

There isn't a single view or answer to this question, there will always be different "rules" (...oh no, I hate rules) for different events and different venues.

I'm terrible (and a bit sad) for having multiple copies of the same tracks on various formats (original issues, promo copies, UK issues, LPs, CDs, WAV files etc) so I need therapy as much as the next man. I'm hooked on musical nostalgia and I like it to be as authentic as possible.

But if we have too many "rules" there is a real danger that bad music may sometimes be played in preference to good music (too much emphasis on "rarity" and "exclusitivity" can cause that) and I'm not at all comfortable with the thought that only rich people can afforde to be DJs these days. No way.

If a new, young or poor DJ cannot afford original vinyl but he has the right musical spirit, let him play good music on CD or whatever format he has access to ...the louder the better.

We're all a bit sad and obsessive but let's not insist that everyone else has be the same.

[Guest Gogs]

We recently had a similar "soul" nite up here in Edinburgh as what you are proposing , I understand that it went quite well, but none of the "usual" northern soulies attended so this information came about 3rd hand from a distant cousin to a mate who might have been there. Personally i would say if you are looking at making this a regular occurence and can stand to make a loss at the 1st - 3rd event try going for it after that if still not working give it up. If you can't afford to take some losses don't.

gogs

[Guest Dave Turner]

I don't normally bother with these type of threads as it's been done to death before.

But imo there is a huge gap between the niter scene, soul nites and what the topic starter was proposing.

As a generalization there are 2 distinct scenes running in parallel, and generally different people attending both.

The niter OVO upfront venue is true to the original ethos of the scene.

The soul nite is where familiarity is the key. Once a month to relive a lost youth.

And what the poster inquired about is a general soul handbag night.

All have the right to exist.

They will succeed or fail on their own merits.

And the general disco soul night can play whatever format it wants. No one will query it.

Lets be honest the majority of people on this site would not attend that anyway.

And the format played at a lot of soul nites isn't questioned either.

A good oldies blast I don't have a problem with.

But it has to be genuine.

I'm off to Lifeline tomorrow so I know what I prefer.

Generally agree with ya apart from the highlighted bit. I get out a couple of times a month on average to localish soul nights. It's about the only time I go out but in no way do I consider myself living a lost youth. If I wanted to relive a lost youth I'd get back on the niter scene. Not an oldies fan at all but there again I'm not too bothered about hearing the latest cutting edge tracks as I'll hear a lot of them eventually anyway, some worth hearing and some not. Will only go to OVO soul nights though. Not interested in hearing CDs out (unless only a CD track) where anyone and his granny can get a hundred quids worth of CDs and think they're a Northern jock. Just no integrity in it IMO. Not interested in the disco soul nights as I have nothing in common with much of the music and most of the punters. The fact is that in my youth NS was the be all and end all of everything in my life at the time. Now many years later, although it is a consuming passion, there are other things and priorities in my life. When I do go out I like to enjoy mesen, listen to tracks many of which I know and the odd few I don't, have a few beers, chat with mates about records, who's doing what nowadays etc etc. That has nothing to do with reliving a lost youth.

[Guest Dave Turner]

Personally, I don't really care if a DJ plays good music on any format including acetates, CD, CDR, MP3, WAV, dub plates etc.

But I understand and respect the "rare soul" views and I agree it would be wrong for a DJ to play the 100 Club (or wherever) with a box full of CDs, dub plates or MP3 files.

There isn't a single view or answer to this question, there will always be different "rules" (...oh no, I hate rules) for different events and different venues.

I'm terrible (and a bit sad) for having multiple copies of the same tracks on various formats (original issues, promo copies, UK issues, LPs, CDs, WAV files etc) so I need therapy as much as the next man. I'm hooked on musical nostalgia and I like it to be as authentic as possible.

But if we have too many "rules" there is a real danger that bad music may sometimes be played in preference to good music (too much emphasis on "rarity" and "exclusitivity" can cause that) and I'm not at all comfortable with the thought that only rich people can afforde to be DJs these days. No way.

If a new, young or poor DJ cannot afford original vinyl but he has the right musical spirit, let him play good music on CD or whatever format he has access to ...the louder the better.

We're all a bit sad and obsessive but let's not insist that everyone else has be the same.

Paul, I have said elsewhere that I generally attend OVO dos only. However what you say above hit the right note and made me think and I agree with you. Can't be doing with hearing the same old same old top 500 on CD but as you say someone without the financial means but with the right spirit, integrity, imagination and good taste to play rarely heard but great tracks, scarce or common then I'd be for it as long as I knew that up front. So many great £5-10 records out there that never get played because they are just that, £5-10 records.

Edited February 27, 2010 by Dave Turner

[Guest Ollie Lailey]

No cd´s!

I like the thought of a charity- do though.

So how about yourself stepping back as a DJ and doing the promotion, there might even be a few people with some records on here stepping in as DJs for a good cause...

Just a thought

I think this is the best suggestion so far. I am a punter but i don't want to hear a DJ spinning CDs.

This whole CD thing is just silly, lets all just agree and play proper records.

[Mark S]

The Itallian restarant across the road from me does a regular dine and disco type thing , this week they are doing a northern soul one . a hotel up the road is doing a soul and Motown dinner dance and the other day I watched in horror as a guy played a northern set off a laptop with a big screen behind him showing label scans of the sounds he was playing .

Its grim up north

[Guest Gogs]

The Itallian restarant across the road from me does a regular dine and disco type thing , this week they are doing a northern soul one . a hotel up the road is doing a soul and Motown dinner dance and the other day I watched in horror as a guy played a northern set off a laptop with a big screen behind him showing label scans of the sounds he was playing .

Its grim up north

ouch, On second thoughts i wonder if i could get away with this, save me playing my originals out

Edited February 27, 2010 by Gogs

[Guest Ollie Lailey]

The Itallian restarant across the road from me does a regular dine and disco type thing , this week they are doing a northern soul one . a hotel up the road is doing a soul and Motown dinner dance and the other day I watched in horror as a guy played a northern set off a laptop with a big screen behind him showing label scans of the sounds he was playing .

Its grim up north

Thats not right.......

[Guest WPaulVanDyk]

well he woud be hard done by to advertise Northern soul night and people turn up to find it's all CD's and not vinyl. I don't go to much of these nights anyway as i prefer venues i am familar with who play vinyl although the odd DJ's Brian Rae and Colin Curtis still play CD's.

talking of which made think of a thread

[Guest Carl Dixon]

This is an interesting thread.

I have a question about my mp3 Detroit cuts (I know 2 are on vinyl and still available etc). Should they have been only mp3 downloads and qualify to play say at soul gigs because of the music (chords/melody/arrangement/artists etc), would it be appropriate to play off that format and bear in mind they were recorded in 2008 so the original release format was mp3 (the medium of the day)? I have had some enquiries regarding some of my other material and am being asked if they are on vinyl, because that is only what they will play at the club in Milwaukee. It's a paradox with new songs/recordings because the format is now dictating whether the tracks get played in discos/clubs which is a shame. I know pressing up vinyl is expensive and frankly I thought I would have moved at least 50% of my Detroit tracks by now, so I realise the demand for my particluar 45's is not as high as I expected and my PR crap. Nevertheless, it still means that exposure is limited due to format requirements.

[Stubbsy]

On the nostalgia scene I'd guess you're right.

Any real event like the 100 club, Lifeline, Burnley etc is a different thing. I'm a punter not a DJ and I want the real deal.

Me too

[Mak]

The Itallian restarant across the road from me does a regular dine and disco type thing , this week they are doing a northern soul one .

Its grim up north

That is so fcukin wrong , if I was in the restarant at that time I would have asked for chips with my pasta

Edited February 27, 2010 by MAK

[Tabs]

Morning,

My reply was a bit of a generalization though.

Just trying to make the point there are 2 different scenes running in parallel imo.

I regularly attend Move On soul nights for example.

One of the few totally upfront soul nights where you are guaranteed to hear something unknown with the wow factor.

But totally understand your viewpoint.

At the end of all these debates nothing will alter.

And people will continue to attend the events that float there soul boat.

Best

Tabs

And that is

Generally agree with ya apart from the highlighted bit. I get out a couple of times a month on average to localish soul nights. It's about the only time I go out but in no way do I consider myself living a lost youth. If I wanted to relive a lost youth I'd get back on the niter scene. Not an oldies fan at all but there again I'm not too bothered about hearing the latest cutting edge tracks as I'll hear a lot of them eventually anyway, some worth hearing and some not. Will only go to OVO soul nights though. Not interested in hearing CDs out (unless only a CD track) where anyone and his granny can get a hundred quids worth of CDs and think they're a Northern jock. Just no integrity in it IMO. Not interested in the disco soul nights as I have nothing in common with much of the music and most of the punters. The fact is that in my youth NS was the be all and end all of everything in my life at the time. Now many years later, although it is a consuming passion, there are other things and priorities in my life. When I do go out I like to enjoy mesen, listen to tracks many of which I know and the odd few I don't, have a few beers, chat with mates about records, who's doing what nowadays etc etc. That has nothing to do with reliving a lost youth.

[Guest Simon]

Back in the day, in the early 70's all my mates used to travel from the North East over to Wigan Casino for the all-nighters. At the time I had no interest in Northern Soul, I liked soul music but as there was generally no wider release of these records they were unknown to me. I was 17 and more into what Roxy Music, David Bowie and the like were doing at the time. I never really got the Northern Soul thing and couldn't see the attraction of a 3 hour bus ride to Lancashire to take drugs and dance all night. When I went to the local discos at the time and they put on things like Skiing in the Snow and The Bandwagon's Breaking Down the Walls of Heartache I would see my some of my mates doing some of the most amazing acrobatic dance moves. It always intrigued me. I did a disco in the late 70's and was occasionally asked to play some Northern Soul, I only had Fathers Angels and Robert Knight and a couple of others perhaps, plenty of other soul though but the Northern stuff just wasn't widely available, my mate lent me 3 of his records, he emigrated and I've still got 'em (sorry Andy if you're out there you can still have 'em back!!). Disco was popular at the time though and most people i played to just wanted to hear Donna Summer, Trammps Disco Inferno, Parliament, Herbie Hancock and the like, oh and Lynyrd Skynrd!. Skipping forward to now I have been doing a disco again for the last 6 years, in that time after hearing some of the Northern Soul that is now so widely available on CD I have fallen completely for this music and wished so much I'd made that trip to Wigan all those years ago to see what the fuss was about. I have quite a large collection of Motown, Atlantic, Stax and especially Northern Soul on CD now. I would like to do a Soul Night, too this end I have a venue booked with a large wooden dance floor, Bourne Corn Exchange in Lincolnshire. However, after talking to one of my old mates who is still into the Northern Soul scene in a big way he reckons Northern Soul fans won't come and dance to it if it's not vinyl and I'm not known on the scene, which I'm definitely not. After taking some advice from the people also who promote events and run the Corn Exchange I am on the brink of pullling the whole thing as they reckon I'd be lucky to cover my costs. I wasn't intersested in making money from this event, I just wanted to do it and try to make a success of it and make a donation to the British Heart Foundation after covering my expenses. I'd be interested to hear anyone's s thoughts on this.

Don't do a Northern do, especially with CDS as it's a real no no, also you haven't earnt your stripes on the scene so noone is gonna take you seriously.

You could however keep the booking and do an across the board Soul/Disco/Motown kinda do & throw in a bit of NS, i'm sure you'd get plenty of punters in for that & CDs wouldn't be an issue.

Good luck

Simon

[phillyDaveG]

No, not another ovo/CD thread.

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Stop it now!

[Ian Parker]

In my local village at Woodhall Spa, i saw a poster up for........................Northern Soul Disco with live cover's band, ticket price £10

I could not tear it down quick enough!

I doubt very much that they would of been playing record's

Debbie x

[Supercorsa]

also you haven't earnt your stripes on the scene so noone is gonna take you seriously.

With comments like that, is it any wonder why there's so few youngsters getting involved in this scene.

[pikeys dog]

ask yourself this question to get my answer:

Is it OK to French kiss my Gran?

If you can put up with the shame then go for it...

[Supercorsa]

Is it OK to French kiss my Gran?

Well that depends, what does she look like?

[pikeys dog]

Well that depends, what does she look like?

Dessicated, she's been dead ten years....

[Guest nubes]

I don't normally bother with these type of threads as it's been done to death before.

But imo there is a huge gap between the niter scene, soul nites and what the topic starter was proposing.

As a generalization there are 2 distinct scenes running in parallel, and generally different people attending both.

The niter OVO upfront venue is true to the original ethos of the scene.

The soul nite is where familiarity is the key. Once a month to relive a lost youth.

And what the poster inquired about is a general soul handbag night.

All have the right to exist.

They will succeed or fail on their own merits.

And the general disco soul night can play whatever format it wants. No one will query it.

Lets be honest the majority of people on this site would not attend that anyway.

And the format played at a lot of soul nites isn't questioned either.

A good oldies blast I don't have a problem with.

But it has to be genuine.

I'm off to Lifeline tomorrow so I know what I prefer.

I knew there was a reason why i luvved ya....u speak soo much sense hunny...xxxx

[Soulsider]

Why bother with old fashioned, bulky CDs when you can take an Ipod with thousands of tunes to a night and stick it in a docking station?

Even that seems a little old fashioned for 2010. A USB stick for about £10 off ebay should do it. You can attach it to your keys nowadays.

Why bother with a couple of lovingly cared for 200+ boxes of beautiful,shiny vinyl and gorgeous labels with history?

[Guest Simon]

With comments like that, is it any wonder why there's so few youngsters getting involved in this scene.

Plenty of youngsters down my way getting involved & they understand that you need to earn people's respect before jumping in head first.

I had to do the same, build up a collection, build up my knowledge, hours & hours of chats & discussions on NS with peeps, no point in jumping in there all fresh faced & green & looking like a twat.

Simon

[Daved]

Do what you want mate. It doesn't matter and you don't need anyones approval.

[Guest BintofSoul]

I don't normally bother with these type of threads as it's been done to death before.

But imo there is a huge gap between the niter scene, soul nites and what the topic starter was proposing.

As a generalization there are 2 distinct scenes running in parallel, and generally different people attending both.

The niter OVO upfront venue is true to the original ethos of the scene.

The soul nite is where familiarity is the key. Once a month to relive a lost youth.

And what the poster inquired about is a general soul handbag night.

All have the right to exist.

They will succeed or fail on their own merits.

And the general disco soul night can play whatever format it wants. No one will query it.

Lets be honest the majority of people on this site would not attend that anyway.

And the format played at a lot of soul nites isn't questioned either.

A good oldies blast I don't have a problem with.

But it has to be genuine.

I'm off to Lifeline tomorrow so I know what I prefer.

Well articulated balanced response Tabs ! I hope you enjoyed Lifeline. See you soon. XX

[paultp]

Do what you want mate. It doesn't matter and you don't need anyones approval.

Hurrah! 3 pages of drivel followed by some sense.

Well said that man.

[paultp]

If a competent DJ played Northern Soul off CDs (or anything for that matter) to a wider audience, IMHO that would be a good thing. It might get more people interested and cross to a new generation.

There are two reasons why asking this forum about CDs v OVO will allways get a negative reaction.

1. Most people have collections of original vinyl and if this is no longer revered the value of it might drop

2. The majority on here seem to want this to be a limited scene, a closed shop - you can only play if you have records that you can't get.

So Gazza/Graham you have two options:

1. Sell your house if you have one (and possibly next door) and spend the money on something that you've managed without for years.

2. Do what you want without asking for anybody else's approval

Cheers

Paul

(Still buying records)

[Guest Heartnsoul]

Mmmmm, you make them sound so sexy, I feel like getting naked right now and covering myself with lovely white demo's!

[Mark Bicknell]

About 15 years ago I used to do a lot of DJ/MC work with local and national Soul Bands which ran side by side with DJ'ing and running Northern nights/allnighters etc. the band nights were more general public type nights and the most important factor was having a good time, I took 45's/Albums and CD's more based on having a large selection of tunes to select from, sometimes I used CD only it depended on the gig really, in the band sitation my job was to supply music before the band took to the stage, during their break and party time after they finished, for about four years on the trot I did a New Years Eve gig in Buxton with a soul band playing to well over 500 people and not once did anyone question me using CD's as to them it did'nt matter, however it would have been a problem if I was unable to play a Sam And Dave or Otis Redding request due to not having it on vinyl oh and before you say something here the next weekend I could be guesting at The 100 Club or some other hardcore Northern gig where Eddie Parker, Jimmy Burns, Brooks Brothers, Cashmeres etc. would feature all from authentic original USA first generation records so it's basically horses for courses, I was asked a few years ago to DJ for a guy at Stockport Football Club a Northern Night, the gig paid well was pitched at the Northern crowd but he only had or put in CD decks, the night was rammed with hardcore soulies and a mixed Motown type crowd, I did the whole night myself and the floor was buzzing, from a music perspective did it matter? did it bollocks again not once did anyone kick off about the CD format being used.

Yes of course there is something special about doing the DJ thing with authentic records and I can do both, I think the fundimental point here is that from an entertainment perspective does format really matter? and my opinion is no and certainly not for a charity night as the original poster here was trying to do, the I want to listen to a bit of Motown brigade could'nt care less what format it's played to them on, how rare it is, how much it costs or anything to do with this stamp collector mentality, their only concern is what time does the bar shut? and to have a good night out.

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

Edited February 28, 2010 by Mark Bicknell

[Chalky]

At Ellie's 13th t'other week the kid...(well say kid he'd be in his early 20's) was djing from a laptop, virtual dj the program. Got talking to him mentioned I still dj'ed with vinyl...."too f*cking expensive that" was his reply

[Tabs]

Thank you ladies.

Lifeline was excellent.

See you both soon.

I knew there was a reason why i luvved ya....u speak soo much sense hunny...xxxx

Well articulated balanced response Tabs ! I hope you enjoyed Lifeline. See you soon. XX

[Guest]

At Ellie's 13th t'other week the kid...(well say kid he'd be in his early 20's) was djing from a laptop, virtual dj the program. Got talking to him mentioned I still dj'ed with vinyl...."too f*cking expensive that" was his reply

Compared to getting a collection for free off the internet it is ......

Malc Burton

[paultp]

Compared to getting a collection for free off the internet it is ......

Malc Burton

But what is wrong with that?

If I was 20 (and I wish I was ) given the choice of getting music I liked for free or paying thousands for tunes on a retro format it would be a no-brainer.

If you could have got free records in the 70's would you have turned them down insisting on ......

...... what was the format before records?

Oh yeah! The human voice.

"No thank you, keep your new fangled record thingys - I prefer my artists to be in the room with me"

[Chalky]

Compared to getting a collection for free off the internet it is ......

Malc Burton

thing is Malc the kids don't know any different, most youngsters weren't born when cds were introduced and have never had the option of vinyl. The actual format has always changed/evolved over time.

[Guest Heartnsoul]

I got rid of all my original US 45s years ago as I felt that they weren't truly authentic and that my 'kudos' on the scene was in jeopardy. Instaed I decided to collect the original lyrics as penned by the songwriter. As you can imagine this has proved difficult but worthwhile as I get hours of pleasure trying to decipher the scrawled handwriting on the back of beermats and tea stained envelopes etc. My favourite is the lyrics to 'sister James' written on the back of tram ticket.

Unfortunately some of the harder pieces are proving impossible to find, si if anyone on SS can help i'm desperate to get the original lyrics for the following:

thumb a ride

double cooking

bok to Bach

....and please no photocopies!

[Maark]

Back in the day, in the early 70's all my mates used to travel from the North East over to Wigan Casino for the all-nighters. At the time I had no interest in Northern Soul, I liked soul music but as there was generally no wider release of these records they were unknown to me. I was 17 and more into what Roxy Music, David Bowie and the like were doing at the time. I never really got the Northern Soul thing and couldn't see the attraction of a 3 hour bus ride to Lancashire to take drugs and dance all night. When I went to the local discos at the time and they put on things like Skiing in the Snow and The Bandwagon's Breaking Down the Walls of Heartache I would see my some of my mates doing some of the most amazing acrobatic dance moves. It always intrigued me. I did a disco in the late 70's and was occasionally asked to play some Northern Soul, I only had Fathers Angels and Robert Knight and a couple of others perhaps, plenty of other soul though but the Northern stuff just wasn't widely available, my mate lent me 3 of his records, he emigrated and I've still got 'em (sorry Andy if you're out there you can still have 'em back!!). Disco was popular at the time though and most people i played to just wanted to hear Donna Summer, Trammps Disco Inferno, Parliament, Herbie Hancock and the like, oh and Lynyrd Skynrd!. Skipping forward to now I have been doing a disco again for the last 6 years, in that time after hearing some of the Northern Soul that is now so widely available on CD I have fallen completely for this music and wished so much I'd made that trip to Wigan all those years ago to see what the fuss was about. I have quite a large collection of Motown, Atlantic, Stax and especially Northern Soul on CD now. I would like to do a Soul Night, too this end I have a venue booked with a large wooden dance floor, Bourne Corn Exchange in Lincolnshire. However, after talking to one of my old mates who is still into the Northern Soul scene in a big way he reckons Northern Soul fans won't come and dance to it if it's not vinyl and I'm not known on the scene, which I'm definitely not. After taking some advice from the people also who promote events and run the Corn Exchange I am on the brink of pullling the whole thing as they reckon I'd be lucky to cover my costs. I wasn't intersested in making money from this event, I just wanted to do it and try to make a success of it and make a donation to the British Heart Foundation after covering my expenses. I'd be interested to hear anyone's s thoughts on this.

Bet you wish you hadn't asked now!

[Guest gazza12]

Bet you wish you hadn't asked now!

On the contrary Mark, it's been an education. I'm fascinated!

Gazza