Lifeline Lookback After First Year

Lifeline Lookback After First Year

How it started…….

21st of February 2004 saw the first night of the Lifeline Rare Soul All-nighters. Promoters Andy Dyson and Mick H tired of hearing the same old same every week decided to do something to promote the many upfront, rare, forgotten and thinking man’s (and woman’s) oldies and the 100’s of quality records, both cheap and expensive that dancers rarely get the chance to hear.

Having decided on the venue, Sheridans @ Dewsbury and having decided what they wanted the dancers to hear the next task was to assemble the finest crop of upfront dj’s the scene has to offer, so joining Andy and Mick were Butch, for many the finest exponent of the “newies” scene with a collection of unknowns and exclusives unrivalled, Tim Brown and Nick Stevenson. Guest for the first night was London’s Marco.

Any worries about selling the format to the punters were soon dispelled, as the first night was a sell out with the doors soon locked.

Here’s a selection of records played by each DJ on the first night…

Butch :

Mac Staten & Nomads - There She Is - Prelude

Mello Souls - We Can Make It - Mello

Antellects - Love Slave - Flodavieur

Temptones - That's When You Know You're In Love - Cover up

Hank Hodge - Eye For An Eye - Eye

Gerri Taylor - It's Beautiful - cover up

Rita & Tiaras - Gonna Walk Out Of Your Life - cover up

Stormy Wynters - Lifesaver - Mercury

Belita Woods - Foolish Girl - cover up

Jesse James - Love Is Alright - Unissued

Joseph Webster - My Love Is Strong - Crow

Eric Lomax - Girl You're So Good - cover up

Jean Wells - With My love alt take - Studio disc

Martha Jean Love - Old Time Lover - Cover up

Jean Carter - I Wanna Know - Decca Acetate

Johnny Howard - The Chase Is On - Bashie

:

NICK STEVENSON

Cornelius Dwyer - Steppin Too Fast - 20th Century

Rozaa - I’m Gonna Do My Own Thing - Antone

Ed Silvers - You Touched Me - Unissued

Del Counts - Don’t Let -

Googie Rene - Keep The Soul Baby -

Ed Simpson - Pinch Hitter - Gold Future

Albert George - Soul Baby -

Clyde Allen - Lil Sister - Movin

Soul Ins - Instrumental? -

Joe Valentine - I’ve Lost The Only Love - Val

Sandy Golden - That’s Where It Ends -

Voices - Crying Has Become An Everyday Thing - Blue Soul

Chris Miller - Let’s Get A Little Thing Going -

Lee Harvey - My Assurance - Kris

Don And Juan - All That’s Missing Is You - Terrific

:

MARCO

Billy Hambric - She Said Goodbye - Drum

Chosen Few - Birth Of A Playboy - Maple

Sensations - Demanding Man - Way

Four Tops - Are You Man Enough - ABC Dunhill

Magictones - Happy days - Westbound

Hytones - Good News - unreleased

Bobby Womack - Find Me Somebody - Atlantic

Calvin Grayson - Loves Just Begun -

Contacts - Your Gonna Pay - Quadran

Little Carl Carlton - I Can Feel I - Backbeat

Romeos - Mon Petite Chow - Loma

Darrow Fletcher - What Have I Got Now - Jacklyn

Casanova Two - We Gotta Keep On - Early Bird

Parisians - Twinkle Little Star - Demon Hot

King Earnest - Your Gonna Miss Me - Sonic

Cookie Scott - I Don't Care - Orr

Rose Brooks - I'm Moaning - Soul City

Louis Curry - I'll Try Again Tomorrow - MS

Ambers - Another Love - Smash

Juan Williams - I Check My Mailbox - Blue Soul

California Rock Choir - Whoever You Are - Cyclone

Tommy turner - Lazy - Elbam

Rufus Wood - Before 2001 - Espanola

The Butlers - Laugh, Laugh, Laugh - Phila

Johnny McCall - I Need You - Alteen

Regina Sherrard - Helpless Baby - King

Contemplations - Alone With No Love - Dontee

Steve Mancha - He Stole The Love That Should Be Mine - unreleased

CLIFF STEELE :

Jackie Beavers - Love Come Back - Jaber

Chuck Cockerham - Have I Got A right - Mala

Earles - Everybody's Got Somebody - Tee Tie

Volumes - I’ve Never Been So In Love - Garu

Shirley Wahls - King -

King George - I Need You - Audio Arts

Hamilton Movement - She's Gone - Look Out

Vee Gees - Talkin’ - Jump off

Norris Vines - Luv Lines -

Precisions - I Wanna Tell My Baby - D Town

Adorables - Ooh Boy - Golden World

:

TIM BROWN

Contours — Jealousy - unissued -

Joe Jama - My Life - Optimum

Doris Delorenzo - When I First Met You - Cover Up

Linda Jones - You Can't Take It - 45 Mix

Ivy Joe Hunter - Don't Stop Lovin' Me - Unissued

Charles Mintz - Running Back - Uplook

Derek Martin - Flashback -

C.O.D.'s - She's Fire - Kellmac

Fred & The Turbans - Bernadine - Cenco

Vanguards - Good Times, Bad Times - Lamp

Kell Osbourne - Law Against A Heartbreaker - Highland

:

MICK H

Volumes - Ain’t Gonna Give You Up - Karen

Trannells - Blessed With A Love - Flo Jo

William Cumming - Make Our Love A Hurting Game - Bang Bang

Jimmy Soul Fingers Arnold - Chain Of Love -

Kenni Lewis - What’s Her Name W - Buddah

Springers - Nothings Too Good For My Baby - Wale

Young Brothers - Baby - Soul Power

Tim Harris - Don't Say - Timco

Chico LaMar - What Do You Think I Am - Fuller

Joe Hinton - Got You On My Mind -

Benny Sigler - I Can Give You Love - Phil La Soul

Don Gardner - Cheating Kind - Sedgrick

Kenny Gamble - Jokes On You - Arctic

Sharon McMahon - Got To Find Another Guy - Karen

Lovetts - I Need A Guy -

Sinceres - Girl I Love You - Pzazz

Pat Lewis - No One To Love - Solid Hit

Appointments - I Saw You There - Delite

Anthony Delsonic - Everytime - Emerge

Topics - Hey Girl - Chadwick

Young Brothers - I Need You - Cover Up

Pat & Blenders - Just Because - Fast Eddie

Betty Wilson - I’m Yours - Dayco

:

ANDY DYSON-

Percy Stone - Stoned - Ram

Homer Banks - Sweetie Pie - Genie

Tommy Soul - I'll be Right There - Gaslight

Honey & The Bees - Dynamite Exploded - Arctic

Creations - Take These Memories - Virtue

Sensations - Demanding Man - Way Out

Betty Lou & Bobby Adams - Dr Truelove - Trax

Larry J Reynolds - Sweet Tooth - Tri Spin

Robert Tanner - Sweet Memories - Megatone

JJ Jackson - Too Much Love - Cover up

Mixed Emotions - Gold Of My Life - Rockway

Saints - I'll Let You Slide - WigWam

Dennis Edwards - I Didn't Have To - Int. Soulsville

Teddy Pendergrass - We Got Love - Unissued

New Sounds - Don't Take Your Love - Turbo

Tommy Knight - Baby My Love - Abtone

Future guests include Soul Sam and Kitch who complimented the regulars with their collection of rarities and obscurities.

Soul Sam :

Tommy Ridgely - My Love Gets Stronger - International City

Robert Tanner - Sweet Memories - Megatone

Hamilton Movement - She’s Gone - Look Out

Jerry Washington - Don't Waste My Love - Glades

King Moses - I Got This Feeling - Pet

Margaret Little - Love Finds A Way - Genebro

Cashmeres - Don't Let The Door Hit Your Back - Hem

Cameros - We're Not Too Young - Dar Char

Celebrities - I Choose You Baby - Boss

Gentlemen Four - You Can't Keep A Good Man Down - Wand

Bobby Kline - Say Something Nice To Me - MB

Tolbert - I've Got Love - Rojac

Bill Brandon - Whatever I Am I'm Yours - Moonsong

Combinations - I'm Gonna Make You Love Me - Kimtone

Cynthia & Imaginations - Why Weren't You There - Blue Rock

Kenny Carlton - Lost And Found - Blue Rock

Joseph Webster - I'll Let Love Grow Stronger - Crow

Wee - Try Me - Owl

Earnestine Eady - Lets Talk It Over - Phil-LA-Soul

Eddie Whitehead - Just Your Fool - Blackjack

New Wanderers - Ain't Gonna Do You No Harm - Ready

Chuck Holiday - I Still Love You - Hemisphere

Out Of Sights - For The Rest Of My Life - Saru

Kitch -

Freddie Butler - Save Your Love - Wheelsville

Johnny Summers - I'm Still Yours - Yorktown

Locations - Mr Diamond Man - Ron Paul

Bobby Angelle - To Much For You - Money

Fabulous Impacts - My Baby -

Other Brothers - I'm Gonna Find Love - Modern

Poets - Wrapped Around Your Finger - JV

Unknown Sailor - Little Girl - Acetate

Primers - How Does It Grab You - Hale

Buena Vistas - A Go Go - Acetate

Bernard Williams - Tears Tell The Whole Sad Story - Virtue Acetate

Reggie Lamont - Can't Get Along Without You - ?

OC Tolbert - Shooting High - Acetate

Other guests to appear at lifeline included Kev Featherstone, Tony Smith & Dean Anderson.

Cliff Steele, one of the countries most underrated DJ’s with a vast knowledge of the scene and a great collection was soon added to the line up of regulars as was Soul Sam. The promoters now with themselves, Butch, Cliff and Sam and Chalky and sometimes Nick Stevenson opening proceedings feel they have a team of DJ’s that cannot be beaten when it comes to pushing the music policy that Lifeline offers.

Mick and Andy would just like to thank all involved at Lifeline, Chalky, Heather, Claire, Mandy & Wendy, the DJ’s for making it possible, Chris and Rodz at Sheridans and last but not least the paying customers who have made Lifeline what it is.

Here’s to a successful 2005!

Two reviews from two happy punters, John Pugh and Steve Phillis!!

Despite the travelling making me really rough for the last 3 days ( and probably at least the next 3 as well ) I wouldn't have missed Saturday for the world. It's kinda hard to top the Right music, the Right venue, the Right people in attendance and run by the Right people, etc., but I'm sure they won't rest on their laurels and that it'll go from strength to strength.

Speaking to one or two who don't get as far south as even Manchester very often, I think they'll really get the benefit of having interesting guests like Marco & the forthcoming Steve G. One comment I read said "1000 pound rarity after 1000 pound rarity", and of course that's the basis of the rare soul experience, but for me I thought the 4 Tops** track was an absolute master stroke (as well as some of the other well thought out, superb but relatively available tracks, and forgotten oldies) I know this might seem at odds with some folks ideas, but the way I look at it is that you've got to have some punctuation, otherwise some of the less well known ( but brilliant) tracks can sort of blend into one another and they can lose their impact. " You gotta have a slice of plain bread every so often to appreciate how wonderful cake is" was how one person described it and that's how I see it too. If one punter can go home and dig out some cheap but wonderful track and give it another listen then that's another type of success to judge the night by. After all most of us can never hope to own a copy of lots of the tracks that will get aired, so it's nice to have a few dotted throughout the night that you can go out and track down without paying a kings ransom. I think that's why I enjoy Andy D's sets so much because he generally digs something out that fits into this category (I've probably played 'Laws of Love' at home more times in the last few months than I have in the last twenty years, purely because I'd heard and enjoyed hearing Andy play it in his set)

Having said that the main thrust of the nite for those who weren't there, was wondrous obscure soul that downright deserves to be heard, because it's just too good to be kept as a hidden gem.

At one point in the nite Max and I sat and listened to Butch's set and just melted !!!

He had two runs, think the one was five records and the other four, where it was as close to soul music perfection as you can get. Each tune just flowed perfectly into the next and it's virtually impossible to put into words the feeling they generated, the emotional experience, the sheer joy of it, in my very humble opinion it was Northern Nirvana.

I'd have gone if it had just have been Butch and Andy on their own, but I understand that other folk have their favourite dj's too, and the other dj's on the line up all 'bought something to the dance' as it were. The idea of piping the music through is a winner for the old farts like me and watching folk dash off in the middle of a conversation reminded me of myself in happier times. You know how it goes, the opening bars hit you, the drink goes on the table, fag in the ashtray, quick mumbled apology to whoever you were talking to as you zip off, literally dragged onto the floor by the time the first word of the song comes in :-)

Often tho' at most run of the mill doo's you can tell when the dj's change without looking by the music, but with this piped through idea, and the high quality maintained by ALL the dj's it had me scratching my head at times wondering who was on. Thinking about it now, that makes me realise just how good all the sets I heard were.

Finally it was great that so many true rare soul fans had made their way from all points of the compass. It makes such a difference to be able to enjoy the company of those who share a similar interpretation of this music of ours. With so many venues going on all around the country hopefully this will become the one place that every rare soul fan decides to make the effort to support ( tho' I don't think many more folk could have been fitted in ?)

Congrats Andy & Co, more power to ya !!!

John Pugh

SATURDAY 17th APRIL

2nd LIFE-LINE ALLNIGHTER — SHERIDANS - DEWSBURY

O.K. just how do you try and write a review on what’s probably the best upfront niter since Stafford, a venue the scene as been crying out for, for the past 10 years or more. A venue where the dj’s aren’t afraid to play something new and different well here we go.

Arriving early with Mick H the doors were due to open at 9.30pm but many people arrived early as it was a sell-out, by 10 pm the place was buzzing; the record bar was crammed to capacity with both dealers and punters, the main dance floor was jammed solid and the atmosphere was electric.

This reminded me of the same atmosphere you got as you walked through the casino doors, we even had the condensation dripping from the roof, the floor was packed too capacity with dancers from every corner of the country, London, Edinburgh, Norwich, Manchester, Notts, Leicester, Wales etc. Everyone there all to listen too what can only be classed as the best and rarest new sounds in the Country, The dj’s on the night where Nick Stevenson, Mick H, Andy Dyson, Kitch, Butch, and guest Soul Sam. There must have been near on a million £’s worth of vinyl behind the decks the music policy upfront new 60’s 70’s and rare and underplayed oldies, and that’s just what we got.

What followed was a true soul fan’s dream come true, 9 ½ hours of pure soul the crowd knowledgeable and appreciative gave every dj and record the recognition they deserved, for those people who haven’t been I say open your minds and visit this venue, as the records that are played here are the oldies of the future. The atmosphere on the night was the best I’ve sampled at a niter in many a year.

Not one person I spoke to had a bad word to say about the music or the dj’s, some people may think me bias as I’ve known both Mick and Andy for more years than I can remember, special mentions to Gilly ,great to see you out again mate also to Dallas daughter of Fran who gave me her top 5 and with both mellow souls and Mac Staten in the top 2 there’s a future for the scene yet, also a special mention to Mandy and Wendy who greeted on the door, these girls worked tirelessly on the door also Chris and Rodz whom without their cooperation the night wouldn’t have been possible.

The spot’s where brilliant one after the other big sounds, unknowns, rare oldies, each received with enthusiasm from the floor, which was packed solid right up till 7.30am then we moved too the record/chill out room until 9.30am. This is by far the best niter in years get a ticket for Junes event and see for yourselves, what is the dj’s play list’s the calibre of which you’ll never see at any other niter in the country. Thanks to Mick and Andy for the sight the inspiration and the guts to put on such an excellent night. This venue is a breath of fresh air too the scene as there are far too many niters you go to play the same old time tested top 500 played out oldies I say too everyone open your minds and ears visit this brilliant venue as it really is the scene’s life line

Rating 100% pure soul

K.T.F. Steve Phillis

---------------------

THE LIFELINE SOUL CLUB

present

It's First Anniversary

Real Deal Rare Soul All-Nighter

@ Sheridan's, Huddersfield Road, Ravensthorpe, Dewsbury (M62 Jnc 25 - M1 Jnc 40)

FEBRUARY 19th 2005

9.30pm till 7.00am

Resident rascals are the Countries TOP Rare Soul DJS : -

BUTCH

ANDY DYSON

MICK H

CLIFF STEELE

SOUL SAM

CHALKY

& Special Guest

CARL FORTNUM

Be early as this is fully expected to be a sell out!

Future guests to include Ginger, Alex Jones & Rob Thomas

Record bar with some of the top dealers in attendance.

Tables are free but must be booked prior to the night.

Club capacity 250

£10 gets you in, no ticket required.

Andy Dyson @ Dysonsoul@aol.com or telephone 01302 744927

0r Mick H @ Trentsoul@aol.com or telephone 07968 030464