Stormer, Floater, Stomper

[Premium Stuff]

Reading through various threads on here and stuff elsewhere it struck me that the staple descriptions of our beloved records such as Stormer, Floater, Stomper didn't always match up with what I thought they meant.

Can anyone shed any light on what these terms actually mean and any differences to set them apart - it's obviously not just about speed of the record and the associated dancing style that goes with it - or is it?

Cheers

Richard

Edited April 12, 2011 by Premium Stuff

[Guest Matt Male]

This is always subjective, but here's my twopennuth...

Stormer - Uptempo high quality sound that makes you dance, dance, dance like a nutter e.g. The Combinations - Watcha Gonna Do - An absolute Stormer in the truest sense of the world.

Floater - Sometimes mid-tempo, but not always, melodic, lyrical, lots of strings e.g Celest Hardy - You're Gone - A beautiful record.

Stomper - Classic uptempo to which we used to that dance that involved flicking your legs out to the side while in one spot (stomping) e.g. Frankie Crocker - Ton Of Dynamite

That's what they've always meant to me.

Edited April 12, 2011 by Matt Male

[Dave Abbott]

two of them flush?

[manus]

Stomper - Classic uptempo to which we used to that dance that involved flicking your legs out to the side while in one spot (stomping) e.g. Frankie Crocker - Ton Of Dynamite

That's what they've always meant to me.

Hello Matt

I think the term 100mph stomper originally meant anything fast and furious and mainly on the fours - I think when the dance you mention started to appear around 76/77 ? people began to equate the name of the dance "stomping" with the tunes they danced in this style ie faster funky style tunes - but it was definitely in use before this to describe the faster more traditional sounds being played.

Cheers

Manus

Edited April 13, 2011 by manus

[Pete S]

Hello Matt

I think the term 100mph stomper originally meant anything fast and furious and mainly on the fours - I think when the dance you mention started to appear around 76/77 ? people began to equate the name of the dance "stomping" with the tunes they danced in this style ie faster funky style tunes - but it was definitely in use before this to describe the faster more traditional sounds being played.

Cheers

Manus

That's correct Manus, the dance Matt is describing was originally called 'shuffling', no idea when it started to be referred to as 'stomping' but it was definitely after I packed in going to Wigan (78). A stomper is something like Adams Apples.

[Guest martyn]

That's correct Manus, the dance Matt is describing was originally called 'shuffling', no idea when it started to be referred to as 'stomping' but it was definitely after I packed in going to Wigan (78). A stomper is something like Adams Apples.

Agree with you both , the 'shuffling' dance seemed to start evolving from side to side gliding to on the spot dancing that adopted the name 'stomping' therefore confusing everyone after the dance done to The Flasher '........ if I remember right

[Guest Matt Male]

That's correct Manus, the dance Matt is describing was originally called 'shuffling', no idea when it started to be referred to as 'stomping' but it was definitely after I packed in going to Wigan (78). A stomper is something like Adams Apples.

I remember it being all the fashion to certain records up until around '81 and then suddenly everyone stopped doing it... not sure why.

I have heard stomping was called shuffling as well, but shuffling around here was a different dance again. Shuffling to us was the dance the modern soulies did to things like Circles - Atlantic Starr and Jeffrey Osborne - Don't You Get So Mad, both feet on the floor shuffling and twisting the feet but keeping contact with floor, unlike stomping which was jumping around all over the place in one spot.

Maybe a regional thing?

Edited April 13, 2011 by Matt Male

[Douglas]

I do know my eyes glaze over and i feel sleepy when i hear the term Cross-Over, what a bag of bollocks all that talk is.

[Guest Byrney]

I remember it being all the fashion to certain records up until around '81 and then suddenly everyone stopped doing it... not sure why.

I have heard stomping was called shuffling as well, but shuffling around here was a different dance again. Shuffling to us was the dance the modern soulies did to things like Circles - Atlantic Starr and Jeffrey Osborne - Don't You Get So Mad, both feet on the floor shuffling and twisting the feet but keeping contact with floor, unlike stomping which was jumping around all over the place in one spot.

Maybe a regional thing?

I started in 78 and like you Matt always viewed stomping as the dance all used to do (or tried to) to Ton Of Dynamite.

shuffling was side to side - a bit like the Major here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_W0QqSi9-ME

Edited April 13, 2011 by Byrney

[Premium Stuff]

One of my fave clips - and how 'soulful' a dancer is the Major - what a superb under-stated mover - proper Northern dancing - and a genuine 'shuffle' too IMO

[manus]

One of my fave clips - and how 'soulful' a dancer is the Major - what a superb under-stated mover - proper Northern dancing - and a genuine 'shuffle' too IMO

Agreed

[Pete S]

I do know my eyes glaze over and i feel sleepy when i hear the term Cross-Over, what a bag of bollocks all that talk is.

I feel the same when I actually hear Crossover....

[Douglas]

I feel the same when I actually hear Crossover....

LOL same here, 99% of it is pure garbage, how anyone can rate it against traditional Northern & Modern Soul is beyond me, i have lost interest on the scene because of too many styles, ie. Crossover,Popcorn etc, and hearing more garbage will result in me losing the will to live.

[Winnie :-)]

I started in 78 and like you Matt always viewed stomping as the dance all used to do (or tried to) to Ton Of Dynamite.

shuffling was side to side - a bit like the Major here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_W0QqSi9-ME

What the Major is doing is surely what we'd see as a familiar northern step? Shuffling was the forerunner to what became known as stomping, that's how I remember it anyway. There was a slidey style step that I used to do, dependent on the direction, so left, left foot slid stroke twisted, right foot, hit the floor in a downward motion, to push and increase your speed, was then done visa versa, think it may have originated at the Mecca?

[manus]

I feel the same when I actually hear Crossover....

Yeah but it's not worth getting Cross Over it Pete

Sorry been reading Tony Blackburns bumper joke annual 1979

Off to play Lamount Doziers Fish Ain't Bitin

Cheers

Manus

[KevH]

two of them flush?

[Guest Byrney]

What the Major is doing is surely what we'd see as a familiar northern step? Shuffling was the forerunner to what became known as stomping, that's how I remember it anyway. There was a slidey style step that I used to do, dependent on the direction, so left, left foot slid stroke twisted, right foot, hit the floor in a downward motion, to push and increase your speed, was then done visa versa, think it may have originated at the Mecca?

I think as Matt says - depends where you live on what dances are called. This style of dancing in the East Midlands within my peer group was called shuffling - and later (early 80s) seemed to become a dance favoured by modern fans, quite different to the normal Northern Dance you see on say this England etc.

Also remember a lot of non scene Disco fans dancing like this too, my first Girlfriend for one (I

I've always considered it a Mecca dance for some reason and what we in the East Mids called stomping a Cleethorpes dance. Don't know why though.

[Guest Byrney]

What the Major is doing is surely what we'd see as a familiar northern step? Shuffling was the forerunner to what became known as stomping, that's how I remember it anyway. There was a slidey style step that I used to do, dependent on the direction, so left, left foot slid stroke twisted, right foot, hit the floor in a downward motion, to push and increase your speed, was then done visa versa, think it may have originated at the Mecca?

I think as Matt says - depends where you live on what dances are called. This style of dancing in the East Midlands within my peer group was called shuffling - and later (early 80s) seemed to become a dance favoured by some modern fans, different in my view to the normal Northern Dance you see on say this England etc.

Also remember a lot of non scene Disco fans dancing like this too, my first Girlfriend for one.

I've always considered it a Mecca dance for some reason and what we in the East Mids called stomping a Cleethorpes dance. Don't know why though.

[spike1]

Try this is it stomping? shuffling ?

Still try an do this now @51 an a half years old !!!

[Guest Matt Male]

Try this is it stomping? shuffling ?

Still try an do this now @51 an a half years old !!!

They are stomping in my opinion, but they aren't stomping to that track, it's too slow. That's just over the top of the video.

[spike1]

Yes I agree someone on here or YouTube once said what the tune is

Dont quote me on this cos my recollection of records and artists is crap but frankie crocker ton of dynamite seems to ring a bell but I could be way off the mark but it's defo not willie mitchel

Think it must be from the footage shot for this England but was nit used for the tv show ?

Being a stubborn 18 year old at the time and still thought that the soulscence was for us that went week in and week out for years I refused to go that night they filmed!

Looking. at it now with older ( not wiser) eyes it was a good thing that they filmed the casino stirs some great memories of the place where I spent nearly 4 years every weekend growing up??? Haha

What an education !!

[spike1]

P s your right about the speed of the tune it must be to slow for back then cos I can just about stomp to it now!!!!

Edited April 28, 2011 by spike1

[spike1]

Here we go

That's the tune!!

[Ian Dewhirst]

Here we go

That's the tune!!

I wonder if that was my copy being played!

Ian D

[Guest]

I wonder if that was my copy being played!

Ian D

It was ...... I was stood behind you when you put in on the deck

I thought you would be at TRW Ian , not on SS .........

Malc

[Ian Dewhirst]

It was ...... I was stood behind you when you put in on the deck

I thought you would be at TRW Ian , not on SS .........

Malc

Nah Malc. I made it to Will's stag night but there was no way I was getting up @ 5.00am to sit in Westminster Abbey all day. I shall wander down to the party in my street in about half-an-hour with a magnum of Uluvka vodka and start spreading some cheer around the neighbourhood.

Did I pre-announce "Ton Of Dynamite" by saying "here comes the Loveman" by any chance?

Ian D

[Guest]

Nah Malc. I made it to Will's stag night but there was no way I was getting up @ 5.00am to sit in Westminster Abbey all day. I shall wander down to the party in my street in about half-an-hour with a magnum of Uluvka vodka and start spreading some cheer around the neighbourhood.

Did I pre-announce "Ton Of Dynamite" by saying "here comes the Loveman" by any chance?

Ian D

No - you introduced it with " HERE'S ANOTHER LOVEMAN "

Malc

[Ian Dewhirst]

No - you introduced it with " HERE'S ANOTHER LOVEMAN "

Malc

Even I wouldn't have been that presumptious!

I always got a kick out of announcing it though. My kinda rekid...........

Ian D

[SOULCENTRAL]

Hello Matt

I think the term 100mph stomper originally meant anything fast and furious and mainly on the fours - I think when the dance you mention started to appear around 76/77 ? people began to equate the name of the dance "stomping" with the tunes they danced in this style ie faster funky style tunes - but it was definitely in use before this to describe the faster more traditional sounds being played.

Cheers

Manus

HI ALL,

Its difficult to say that everyone who has passed a comment on this thread is either right or wrong as there is elements of truth in all comments. One thing is for sure is that the terminology applied to the music ie stormer, floater, stomper largely depends on regional perception of how the records are danced to.

As far back as 1971 onwards, stompers were regarded as those with a driving dance beat eg Lenis Guess-Just ask me/Danny White-Cracked up whereas a stormer would be the likes of Younghearts-A little togetherness and similiar. The floaters came into the catagory as previously described by Matt.

As Manus has stated above the so called stomping/shuffle style of dancing became prevelant post 1976 to records like Frankie Crocker and Gill Scott Heron, those records with a bit of a funky edge.

In gods county of Yorkshire, the term given to the now on the spot dancing where the feet and legs move from font to back or side to side at speed is known as shuffling!.

I can understand it also being called stomping due to the noise generated when a few people are dancing in time with each other.

regards ROY

[spike1]

Got to agree there mate 1976 was my first nighter and it was at sammys which was in Yorkshire just over the border from the socialist republic of north east Derbyshire and it was there that I first saw and then tried to copy the shuffling style to tunes like summer in the parks, the flasher!!! The bottle, contact (3degrees) and many more think the fast on the spot shuffling style was adopted to suit the small packed dancefloor ??

When I went Wigan later that year bigger dancefloor gave us more room so a mire expansive style developed think that us what is on the clip stomping or shuffling? Who knows it's good though!

Ian hope you did not mind me using the YouTube clip just thought it could show the starter of this topic how it used to be

Ktf spike

[Guest]

Try this is it stomping? shuffling ?

Still try an do this now @51 an a half years old !!!

Does anyone know who the black guy is? Great dancing!

[Russ Vickers]

Does anyone know who the black guy is? Great dancing!

Theres 2, Winston is the first guy spinning & the second is Sparky........back then everyone seemed to dance well, but these guys were really summat else.

Hope you are well bird.

Russ

Edited April 30, 2011 by Russ Vickers

[Guest JJMMWGDuPree]

 Hooo... Faskinatin'. This is like seeing things from the other side of the record.

To me as a musician the instruction "Storm it" would mean to throw everything you've got at it, as such it could even apply to ballads. Floating was anything that had the feel of 'Float on' by The Floaters. Sort of drifty. If you've ever heard Julie London's version of 'Louie Louie' you'll know what I'm getting at. And stomping was a drummer's thing. It meant to hit the beat on all four corners, rather like (Gulp) The Dave Clark 5's 'Bits and pieces', only better.

A bit of a tangent here, but that 'Bits and pieces' reference has reminded me of something. That riff was nicked straight off 'Your ma said you cried in your sleep last night' by Kenny Dino. In my head that was a bit of a stomper as well, but it would take me on average 5 hours to find it now, so I'm not going to check... 

Edited May 2, 2011 by JJMMWGDuPree

[manus]

HI ALL,

Its difficult to say that everyone who has passed a comment on this thread is either right or wrong as there is elements of truth in all comments. One thing is for sure is that the terminology applied to the music ie stormer, floater, stomper largely depends on regional perception of how the records are danced to.

As far back as 1971 onwards, stompers were regarded as those with a driving dance beat eg Lenis Guess-Just ask me/Danny White-Cracked up whereas a stormer would be the likes of Younghearts-A little togetherness and similiar. The floaters came into the catagory as previously described by Matt.

As Manus has stated above the so called stomping/shuffle style of dancing became prevelant post 1976 to records like Frankie Crocker and Gill Scott Heron, those records with a bit of a funky edge.

In gods county of Yorkshire, the term given to the now on the spot dancing where the feet and legs move from font to back or side to side at speed is known as shuffling!.

I can understand it also being called stomping due to the noise generated when a few people are dancing in time with each other.

regards ROY

Good post Roy