Youth Clubs & Youth Clubs Soul Top 10

[Simsy]

Hear a lot of stories about them. There wasn't anything like that round my way. Is this a northern thing? Did they play all northern?

How many of you went to them? What were the hours? What was the age group? Are they still going?

Edited April 28, 2006 by ShaneH

[vaultofsouler]

Hear a lot of stories about them. There wasn't anything like that round my way. Is this a northern thing? Did they play all northern?

How many of you went to them? What were the hours? What was the age group? Are they still going?

Ours was for the 13-17 age range from 8-10.30.... the "junior" before it was under 13 (obviously) from 6-7.30.... you had to show your birth certificate to get promoted to the senior one ....

I was 15, 1977, when they started playing Northern at it.... a fewof the 16-17 year old lads fetched records and the resident disco DJ would play 4-5 of them about 3-4 times after being pestered.... that's when me and the mates stood back and thought "wow", "wot the f*ck is this music".... the start of my "soul journey" fondly remembered....

p.s. how many, like us, then went home digging out your dad's Motown LP's to play and try to dance ....

[Guest TONY ROUNCE]

Hear a lot of stories about them. There wasn't anything like that round my way. Is this a northern thing? Did they play all northern?

How many of you went to them? What were the hours? What was the age group? Are they still going?

...Ours was fantastic -the "Welcome Club" in Stanford Le Hope. The DJ there, Johnny Styles, was fantastic - he didn't just play the hits of the day for us, he also used to play things like "Make Me Yours" and "She's Looking Good". (I actually have his old copies of both 45s...) This was pretty great as far as I was concerned, although considerably fewer people would dance to those than they would to, say, "Gimme Little Sign" or whatever was big on Motown at that moment in time...

I have to say that my own interest in DJ'ing was an outgrowth of going to the 'Welcome', which, like most youth clubs, was aimed at the early-to-mid teens (of which I was one, in the mid 60s). I don't know if this is true for all such YCs, but the Welcome essentially kept pub hours, although i seem to recall that John's sets finished before that - maybe around 10.

John was already knocking on in years then (or maybe he just seemd old, evertyone over 30 does when you're 14) and had been DJ'ing for some time. I often wonder what became of him...

TONE

[Simsy]

Ours was for the 13-17 age range from 8-10.30.... the "junior" before it was under 13 (obviously) from 6-7.30.... you had to show your birth certificate to get promoted to the senior one ....

I was 15, 1977, when they started playing Northern at it.... a fewof the 16-17 year old lads fetched records and the resident disco DJ would play 4-5 of them about 3-4 times after being pestered.... that's when me and the mates stood back and thought "wow", "wot the f*ck is this music".... the start of my "soul journey" fondly remembered....

p.s. how many, like us, then went home digging out your dad's Motown LP's to play and try to dance ....

Thanks Mark

Yeah in the South, (or at least round our way) all they had was sort of youth club during summer holidays. No northern at all - talking 1977 - 1982 school years.

Know what you mean about parents LP's though, first time I heard Pyramid, when I got home was digging through me dad's Brook Benton LP's ...

[Dave Thorley]

They were big in the 60's and 70's, mainly run by the church of England. For many people it was thier first introduction to a disco of any sort. The one I went to in Dursley, Glos, would have a visiting mobile disco on a monday and friday nite. Several of the mobiles that would come down from Gloucester, would have 2 or three dj's and one of them would do a northern soul set. The rest of the evenig would be mainly chart soul, blue beat and ska and british beat stuff like Spencer Davis Group. Funny but had I live 10 miles to the west in a small town call Wotton-under-Edge, where they maily played rock and roll, things may have been a whole lot different. Na, soul music was always going to find me out.

Ours would start at 7pm and finish at 10pm, those were the days, and every 6 months or so it would kick off big style when all the bikers from the other town would ride in. Everyone at our youth club was a skin or a smoothie. Time to go find my 2 tone suit, cherry red royals and my prince of wales check coat. "Swan lake" in Reggae me thinks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[vaultofsouler]

Thanks Mark

Yeah in the South, (or at least round our way) all they had was sort of youth club during summer holidays. No northern at all - talking 1977 - 1982 school years.

Know what you mean about parents LP's though, first time I heard Pyramid, when I got home was digging through me dad's Brook Benton LP's ...

My "senior" school years were 74-79.... we were lucky oop Norff round our way.... two youth clubs in area.... one on every Friday in a church hall.... the "better" one I was referring to in post.... and one on every Saturday in a playing fields hall that started when I was 15 that was more easily manipulated for the playing of Northern as there was now a large bunch of us "into it"....

The first visits to Wigan were after these in 79.... well we left early really with the "original" group who brought the records.... used a "borrowed" blue membership and sh*t myself in case we didn't get in but we did....

KGB and Turn Ups then became regular visits here in Sheffield....

Then there was Clifton Hall in Rotherham.... the youth club was the "meet up" when still 17 in 79-80 before getting banned for becoming 18 .... then the pub became the meet ....

The rest is history as they say....

Fond memories Ian ....

[Guest in town Mikey]

Our Youth club in Cam, Gloucestershire, was probably the first time I'd heard northern played loud. Previously I'd only heard it in Conway's flat.

I can see Dave is writing a reply. His brother and and few others Lyndsay, Wayne Yeomans, Cas Cole, all older lads were dancing around. That was also the first time I'd seen lads dancing to records not Rock or Rock n Roll.

Then we progressed onto a club called Straglers, on the outskirts of Dursley. It is one of those clubs where the under 18s tended to head as they could get in easily, so the older crowd went to Bristol or Gloucester. As it was probably 1978 there was plenty of disco and a few Northern tracks -Out on the Floor, Adam and Eve, Interplay etc. As the mod scene took hold in Dursley and most of the guys were my age, Stragglers became more 60s orientated, so Ska, Northern, The Who, Beggar etc replaced Barry White or Abba.

Actually that is one of the first places I would have seen Dave DJ. (Apart from the Marshall Suite alldayers). Ah Nostalgia.

Edited April 28, 2006 by in town Mikey

[Simsy]

So were they full on decks + speakers etc sound system - or record player type deal?

[vaultofsouler]

So were they full on decks + speakers etc sound system - or record player type deal?

Full sysemsof the day.... Cloud double decks with built in amp, speakers and the "light show"....

[Guest in town Mikey]

Ours would start at 7pm and finish at 10pm, those were the days, and every 6 months or so it would kick off big style when all the bikers from the other town would ride in. Everyone at our youth club was a skin or a smoothie. Time to go find my 2 tone suit, cherry red royals and my prince of wales check coat. "Swan lake" in Reggae me thinks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We had to watch out for the punks from Berkeley (Crick Nick) and Wootton (Chink Pearce).

Funny cos at school it was me and the punks against the world.

Talking of Chink, I saw him a year or so ago at a 25th anniversary of the Dursley scooter club. He was dancing for ages to some Northern Soul tunes. I had a chat with him, and he was waxing lyrical about Shush from Wooton dancing at their Youth Club. That is a name I hadnt heard in decades. Do you remember him?

[Simsy]

Once again it would seem the north had the best to offer the youth of the day. Spoke to a couple of people here (southerners obviously) in their late forties. Both went to youth clubs, neither had music, just table tennis, stuff like that.

[Mark B]

the youth clubs near me in old trafford manchester were a lot of the time sports clubs, it tended to be church ones where music played english martyrs in stretford had a record player and the locals used to play their own records usually soul or northern, my real introduction to soul was at my parish church disco which as 11/12 year olds we started and the dj was a friends big brother who used to play all the motown stax atlantic stuff and some blue beat and reggae, this was in from 1971 onwards he was a real mobile dj with own equipment, when i got to 15/16 my older brother had met lads from work who were into northern and it all went from there,

mark

[vaultofsouler]

Once again it would seem the north had the best to offer the youth of the day. Spoke to a couple of people here (southerners obviously) in their late forties. Both went to youth clubs, neither had music, just table tennis, stuff like that.

We just had music.... no games at all Ian.... except girls of course ....

Surprised at the difference between north and south.... surely there were some southern youth clubs that were just music or at least played it....

[Dave Thorley]

Give it up about the north, In the south we had electric light, a stage coach twice a week and a town cryer every saturday.

As to Mike's comments, I think unfortunatly for me i's talking about the same town nearly 10 years before, but yes remeber Sush, big mate of my brothers.

Sound sytems now they were something to behold, the one we had our selves was lashed together, more like reggae sound system, made from what ever you could steel or make yourself. But the mobiles that visted wher full on, it was a battle to compete to see who could build the biggest, loadest and with the most outlandish light shows, were talkin' 10k rigs and back then that was big, most were so big they took up a 1/4 of our small youth club dance floor.

[Boogaloo]

Gloucester 77-78. A hotbed of youthclub action for Northern. Went to my first night with my bro Norman at the tender age of 14, back room of some youth club in Longlevens,.Heard the sounds from the locals who bought along their boxes, was amazed at the acrobatic dancing, got my first proper (tongues) snog and the rest, as they say, is history. Can't remember the names of most of them apart from St Peter's, The Irish club, Quedely Village Hall and Wheelwrights.

Do I sound old when I say that the youth of today don't know what they're missing with MSM and downloads?

I think the answer to that is YES.

[Dave Thorley]

Following on from another string, lets be having your youth club top tens. Should give an insight to when we all grew up. Mine not an all time top ten but here's a few from way back when

Joe Simon Step by step

Formations At the top of the stairs

Prince Buster Al Capone

O'jays Love train

Millie Jackson My man is a sweet man

Parliments Don't be sore at me

Junior Campbell Sweet illusion

Edwin Starr War

Isley Brothers Who's that lady

Four Tops Same old song

[Guest in town Mikey]

As to Mike's comments, I think unfortunatly for me i's talking about the same town nearly 10 years before,

Didnt want to say anything Dave

[vaultofsouler]

Following on from another string, lets be having your youth club top tens. Should give an insight to when we all grew up. Mine not an all time top ten but here's a few from way back when

Joe Simon Step by step

Formations At the top of the stairs

Prince Buster Al Capone

O'jays Love train

Millie Jackson My man is a sweet man

Parliments Don't be sore at me

Junior Campbell Sweet illusion

Edwin Starr War

Isley Brothers Who's that lady

Four Tops Same old song

Not my top ten.... just some of the most "popular" played at our Youth Clubs....

Shake A Tail Feather

The Night

What

A Little Bit Hurt

Ton Of Dynamite

Black Power

Trypt On Love

Stop Girl

Champion

Weakspot

To name ten of them....

[Dave Thorley]

Also, what did you wear back then, what was your fav piece of clothing. Mine was a second hand crombie I got off a mate at school and then a 'Budgie Jacket', I was the dogs nuts down the local youth club

[vaultofsouler]

Also, what did you wear back then, what was your fav piece of clothing. Mine was a second hand crombie I got off a mate at school and then a 'Budgie Jacket', I was the dogs nuts down the local youth club

Soul Bags, Fred Perry, Harrington Jacket, Polyveldts ....

[Gene-r]

From the time I was at my peak at attending the local Youth Club, very little soul features in the Top 10 I can remember at the time. But based on records played to death so many times on their jukebox, here's what I can remember as THEIR Top 10 (not mine!), for what it's worth:

1. X-Ray Spex: Oh Bondage Up Yours

2. Jolly Brothers: Conscious Man

3. Real Thing: Let's Go Disco

4. Klu Klux Klan: Steel Pulse

5. Anarchy In The UK: Sex Pistols

6. If I Can't Have You: Yvonne Elliman

7. Heavy Manners: Prince Far-I

8. I Am A Cliche: X-Ray Spex

9. Wake Up & Make Love: Ian Dury

10.Because The Night: Patti Smith Group

Guesses on peak year of attendance?

[Guest TONY ROUNCE]

I can never hear these without thinking about the "Welcome Club":

Edwin Starr - 25 Miles (might have been the first record I ever danced to)

The Pioneers - Long Shot Kick The Bucket

Martha and the Vandellas - Jimmy Mack/Third Finger, Left Hand

Isley Brothers - Behind A Painted Smile

Marvin Gaye - Wherever I Lay My Hat

Sly And The Family Stone - Dance To The Music

Dandy - Reggae In Your Jeggae

The Beltones - No More Heartaches (reggae was very big locally, we had a large skinhead contingent in our 'hood - myself among them, I was the first kid to get sent home from my grammar school for having a crop, and it was only a # 2 or 3 as I remember...)

Stevie Wonder - Angie Girl (always the record where the 30 or so blokes there would try to cop off, usually unsuccessfully and especially so in my case, with the 15 or so girls...)

Booker T and the MGs - Soul Limbo

etc. etc.

TONE

[Gene-r]

Sound sytems now they were something to behold, the one we had our selves was lashed together, more like reggae sound system, made from what ever you could steel or make yourself. But the mobiles that visted wher full on, it was a battle to compete to see who could build the biggest, loadest and with the most outlandish light shows, were talkin' 10k rigs and back then that was big, most were so big they took up a 1/4 of our small youth club dance floor.

Sound system culture always overwhelmed me.

Being a student at Hackney Tech (Stoke Newington branch) between 1980 and 1982, we had the pleasure of a sound system playing there at end of year or Christmas parties (usually a local sound system known as Humanity Hi-Fi). First time I attended one of these parties, the very first thing I noticed was that the requirements were basic; one Goldring Lenco turntable, and a cassette deck! I also wondered why, during the first 10 seconds of a record (usually just after the intro), the DJ would stop the record and start it all over again. I later found out that this was to give time for the dancers to get to the dance floor.

The next thing I noticed was that it wasn't worth trying to raise conversation with your classmates, as you couldn't hear anything for the sound!

I never experienced the atmosphere of a Sound System competition, but from various accounts I gathered during this era of my life, I was led to believe that they would almost always end up in large fights, mainly between the supporting gangs and friends of the competing sound system DJs.

Edited April 28, 2006 by Gene-R

[Guest Bernadette]

The first time I heard Northern played out properly was about 1976/77 aged 13/14 at a Youth Club ran by the YWCA in Gateshead - went there for a few years before progressing onto grown up places! It was open every week night for games & the like but every Tuesday they had a disco & the lady who ran it was into soul music - NS, Funk, Disco! Some of the older ones who went to Wigan would bring records for her to play. Have very fond memories - was a fun time

[grant]

Cheadle Hulme Youth Club (Stockport, Cheshire) - c1977-ish all-time top 10 (mainly because we took them and mitherd the dj to play them (and usually pressings I amy add!) :-

1. Mr Floods Party - Compared To What

2. Shakers - One Wonderful Moment

3. Judy Street - What

4. Mistura - The Flasher (aaaargghh)

5. Evelyn Thomas - Weak Spot

6. Jerry Fuller - Double Life

7. Willie Mitchell - The Champion

8, Edwin Starr - Time

9. Michael & Raymond - Man Without A Woman

10. Mello Souls - We Can Make It.................................. only kidding Butch!

[SteveM]

Soul Bags, Fred Perry, Harrington Jacket, Polyveldts ....

At the youth club, not now

[Guest markmtfc]

ox blood brouges, with three million segs in the soles

[Guest Soultown andy]

Your ready now,frankie valli

reachin for the best,exciters

out on the floor,dobie gray

heaven must have sent you,elgins

turn the beat around,vicki sue robinson

i,m on my way,dean parish

theres a ghost in my house,r dean taylor

love you baby,eddie parker

i spy for the fbi,jamo thomas

get ready,the temps

favourite clothes,electric blue parallels red docks utd scarf [tied round wrist of course]red harrington,attended elton youth club in bury,and the sacred heart church discos 74/75 great days.I think a lot of the problems to do with todays youth is a direct result of there being no youth clubs anymore,when teenagers have f*** all to do they usualy end up in bother.

[vaultofsouler]

I think a lot of the problems to do with todays youth is a direct result of there being no youth clubs anymore,when teenagers have f*** all to do they usualy end up in bother.

Probably true Andy....

Although I remember one or two "scuffles" at ours with a large police presence called for when rival Youth Club/School kids used to venture in ....

At the youth club, not now

Hold on .... tw*t ....

Gotta re look at summat else for tonight now ....

[Guest Soultown andy]

I think most of us up north went to youth clubs,i went to elton youthi it had 2 rooms in one snooker table pool tables and a couple of table tennis tables,and in the back a set of double decks a home made overhead flashing light consel[how the f*** that never fell on anyone]great days.As someone has already said the occasional set to with the heavy rock mob over music policy but as myself and most of bury amateur boxing club were all in their most nites and all into soul not much rock got played.

[Guest Baz]

I was playing hardcore Drum & Bass, in my youth club years, hardly in tone with the thread

Is it me or do youth clubs seem non existant nowadays, i mean they were hardly about 10/12 years ago when i was a young un, they are great places for kids, ours was only run on a monday, and thrusday, but when you hear you all talk about them seems like they were every where, maybe it'll do the kids some good now if they were to start them back up again

[Steve G]

Sam tells a great story if you buy him a bottle of J2O.

As I remember it when he told me...... he had this residency in Wrexham in the middle of a big estate and the music was all soul / motown and reggae. Anyway one night they book Radio 1 DJ Peter Powell to do a turn. This was quite a common thing in the 70s where the Radio 1 jocks would turn up, do a set, sign autographs then go home. Anyway Powell turns up in I think it was silver platform boots, "Star" jumper, big perm etc. and is about to go on when he tells Sam to dig out "some Quo" for his first record. Sam tells him he'll get lynched if he puts anything like that on, and proceeds to feed PP a series of Motown / soul and reggae records, which Powell is forced to spin. Sam reckons Powell didn't know what he was playing, but went down a storm with the locals for playing all the right kind of stuff. I am sure he'll tell it better than that, but that's the jist of it.

Down south we had things like the "Teen & Twenty club" - they had a roster of DJ's - although they played some soul they also played pop / disco and even R&R for the wanabee teddy boys. I guess it was different oop't north

[Godzilla]

10 from St Lukes in Chadderton, Oldham. This may span a couple of years but they were all biggies

Andre Brasseur - The Kid

Staples Singers - I'll Take You There

Jackie Lee - Shotgun and the Duck

Disco Tex & Sexolettes - Get Dancin'

Paul Humphries - Cochise

R Dean Taylor - Ghost in my House

Arthur Conley - Sweet Soul Music

Dave & Ansil Collins - Double Barrel

Velvelettes - Needle in a Haystack

Hamilton Bohannon - South African Man

[Eamesy]

I can never hear these without thinking about the "Welcome Club":

Edwin Starr - 25 Miles (might have been the first record I ever danced to)

The Pioneers - Long Shot Kick The Bucket

Martha and the Vandellas - Jimmy Mack/Third Finger, Left Hand

Isley Brothers - Behind A Painted Smile

Marvin Gaye - Wherever I Lay My Hat

Sly And The Family Stone - Dance To The Music

Dandy - Reggae In Your Jeggae

The Beltones - No More Heartaches (reggae was very big locally, we had a large skinhead contingent in our 'hood - myself among them, I was the first kid to get sent home from my grammar school for having a crop, and it was only a # 2 or 3 as I remember...)

Stevie Wonder - Angie Girl (always the record where the 30 or so blokes there would try to cop off, usually unsuccessfully and especially so in my case, with the 15 or so girls...)

Booker T and the MGs - Soul Limbo

etc. etc.

TONE

Like it Tone!! Didnt go to many youth clubs round our way - pretty unfriendly places, did go to Top Rank, Reading, Saturday mornings though - much cooler than Sat morning pictures. Big tunes mostly Motown, lot of reggae, Wet Dream, Big 5 always popular with the 12 year olds. Fave reggae record still from those days is Pat Kelly - How Long Will It Take.

Alan

[Guest ShaneH]

i went to youth clubs from '84 to '89.

in the early years you were either into the mod revival stuff listening to the jam etc or breakdancing. i was into both. one of the youth clubs was run by the scouts and the other seemed to be religous nuts. tell the lady on the door that you believe in jesus and she would give you a panda pop and a table tennis bat - result!

i remember having my first smoochy dance with joanne jackson aged 11 whilst they played the style council - you're the best thing

would often get banned for 7 days for writing my 'tag' on the toilet wall

great days indeed. didnt have a fraction of the worries we have now

Shane

Edited April 28, 2006 by ShaneH

[Guest ShaneH]

youth club topics merged

Shane

[SteveM]

would often get banned for 7 days for writing my 'tag' on the toilet wall

I've seen that tag around Sheffield. So you were ' knobhead ' then ?

[Winnie :-)]

Once again it would seem the north had the best to offer the youth of the day. Spoke to a couple of people here (southerners obviously) in their late forties. Both went to youth clubs, neither had music, just table tennis, stuff like that.

==========

Whilst Bedford isn't exactly the south, it's more south than Yorkshire. Remember various youth clubs, Westfield, Ampthill, Clapham (beds) Flitwick allowing their youth clubs to be taken over by those favouring northern soul. That was around 74/75. There was also 5 aside football and table tennis, but different nights were 'disco' nights.

Winnie:-)

[Simsy]

==========

Whilst Bedford isn't exactly the south, it's more south than Yorkshire. Remember various youth clubs, Westfield, Ampthill, Clapham (beds) Flitwick allowing their youth clubs to be taken over by those favouring northern soul. That was around 74/75. There was also 5 aside football and table tennis, but different nights were 'disco' nights.

Winnie:-)

Ah well that's good to know. Bedfordshire youth clubs playing northern eh. Wonder if there were any others in the south?

[Steve G]

Ah well that's good to know. Bedfordshire youth clubs playing northern eh. Wonder if there were any others in the south?

We had a bit of northern but only things like "My man a sweet man" and "The Kid" and what we took for the DJ to play.

Remember when I got Kim Tolliver "I don't know which foot to dance on" at Wigan for 50p - took it along the following Sat to the youth club, and they had some flash fly from London down - tons of lights, big hat etc. Anyway I kept asking him to play Kim Tolliver, eventually he gave in. He played one and a half verses and then took it off announcing "that's enough of that sh*t". Think when he got back to his van he might have found a flat tyre or two

Youth club music was influencial though - personally it was things like "Give me just a little more time" and the one everyone forgets "Breaking down the walls of heartache" that got me to explore northern soul.

[SteveM]

We had a bit of northern but only things like "My man a sweet man" and "The Kid" and what we took for the DJ to play.

Remember when I got Kim Tolliver "I don't know which foot to dance on" at Wigan for 50p - took it along the following Sat to the youth club, and they had some flash fly from London down - tons of lights, big hat etc. Anyway I kept asking him to play Kim Tolliver, eventually he gave in. He played one and a half verses and then took it off announcing "that's enough of that sh*t". Think when he got back to his van he might have found a flat tyre or two

Youth club music was influencial though - personally it was things like "Give me just a little more time" and the one everyone forgets "Breaking down the walls of heartache" that got me to explore northern soul.

Saw Johnny Jonson and the Bandwagon at Baileys in Sheffield around 1972. One of the best live acts I've ever seen.

[Cheapsiderecords]

Pete French (moths in wallet) used to set up full equipment and we had northern nites at the Elm Tree Youth Club, probably 76' - 78'.

Also used to do "away" trips to Tewkesbury Youth Club to their Northern nites.

Big at the time would have been what ever was big at Wigan.

[caseoftyme]

Saw Johnny Jonson and the Bandwagon at Baileys in Sheffield around 1972. One of the best live acts I've ever seen.

Johnhy Johnson & The Bandwagon, Paynes Cafe Royal, Llandudno

www.paynesreunion.co.uk

Edited April 28, 2006 by caseoftyme

[Dayo]

A few guaranteed floorfillers from Worcester City Youth Club, circa 1972:

Most Mitch Ryder hits including Breakout and devil with a blue dress which was the biggest for weeks and weeks.

One wonderful moment - Shakers. Knew it was a big torch record, can't ever remember being more disappointed upon actually hearing a so called monster. Funny enough, I like it now in a trashy kinda way. The girls did a sort of line dance to it!

Love train - O'Jays

Man like me - Jimmy James

Wade in the water - Ramsey Lewis

Al Capone - Prince Buster (of course!)

Hey America - James Brown

Beatin' rythmn - Richard Temple (still give you a chill?)

One minute every hour - John Miles

That's roughly ten then!

Colin

[Guest]

Streetly youth club, West Midlands 69 - 71.

Great days, table football etc. in the week and disco on Sat. night

Motown, reggae, soul, big lads on their scooters ( god how we envied them ).

Couple of the dj`s were well into what became known as northern and thats where my love of this scene started.

Turned up Levi`s,checked Brutus button down shirts, braces, Harrington or jean jacket and for us youngsters monkey boots cause my mum would not let me have a pair of DM`S.

Every week at the Sat night disco the rumour was always that the grebo`s were on their way for a ruck but they never appeared.

Todays teenagers do not know what they have missed.

[Dayo]

Streetly youth club, West Midlands 69 - 71.

Great days, table football etc. in the week and disco on Sat. night

Motown, reggae, soul, big lads on their scooters ( god how we envied them ).

Couple of the dj`s were well into what became known as northern and thats where my love of this scene started.

Turned up Levi`s,checked Brutus button down shirts, braces, Harrington or jean jacket and for us youngsters monkey boots cause my mum would not let me have a pair of DM`S.

Every week at the Sat night disco the rumour was always that the grebo`s were on their way for a ruck but they never appeared.

Todays teenagers do not know what they have missed.

I know exactly what you mean! Good post - it was just the same in Worcester.

Constant threat of Grebo's - constant piss taking of the Freaks (ie anyone who liked 10 Years After, Groundhogs, Led Zeppelin, family etc). Kids, especially girls, who were into glam rock were only pitied - and you didn't dare go out with one - unless you managed to convert them to Major Lance or JJ Barnes.

God, how I wanted an SX 200. And I'd have given anything for ten minutes up the alley Lin Perry... even if she was into Slade!

Ten No.6 and a box of matches please...

you old enough son?

Yeah.

12 pence then and don't tell yer dad. And get away from those magazines on the top shelf .....

Edited April 28, 2006 by Dayo

[Guest Netspeaky]

I hogged the record player in our youth club 1968-1972 (Mostyn - North Wales) only played Soul with a little reggae, never let anyone near the record player if they had Garry Glitter, Slade, T-Rex or Bay City Rollers or any rock records, remember getting in a few fights over this, managed to hold the fort though. Some of the guys who attended the youth club were Wuffer (Russ Taylor), Dai Hamilton, Pete Newtown, Dewi Thomas, Bonson. For a little village we had a whole lot of Soul.

Top tunes from that period.

Tams - Hey Girl Don't bother me

Tams - Be Young Be Foolish Be Happy

Willie Tee - Walking up a one way street

Formations - At the top of the stairs

Mohawks - The Champ

Wynder K Frog - Green Door

Swinging Soul Machine

Anything Motown/Stax

Great memories.

Edited April 28, 2006 by Netspeaky

[Guest Paul]

We had two youth clubs in our town, 'The Youthie' and 'The Meth' which had an off-license nearby. Here are ten (or eleven) discs which always packed the floor...

My Man, A Sweet Man - Millie Jackson

Give Me Just A Little More Time - Chairmen Of The Board

I'm Gonna Run Away From You - Tammi Lynn

Band Of Gold - Freda Payne

Breaking Down The Walls Of Heartaches - Johnny Johnson & The Bandwagon

Step By Step - Joe Simon

Love Love Love - Bobby Hebb

Heaven Must Have Sent you - The Elgins

Saturday Night At The Movies - The Drifters

Jimmy Mack - Martha & The Vandellas

You're Ready Now - Franki Valli

Paul Mooney

Young Offender

[Winnie :-)]

Ah well that's good to know. Bedfordshire youth clubs playing northern eh. Wonder if there were any others in the south?

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things played at that time

I've got a feeling

Tell me it's just a rumour

Uptight

Keep on running

You're ready now

The joker

Remember one night at the Addison Centre (Bedford) someone turning up with the Pointer Sisters, the 3 degrees, Johnny Bragg and getting Dave Lee Travis (guesting) to play them

[Guest]

Ten No.6 and a box of matches please...

you old enough son?

Yeah.

12 pence then and don't tell yer dad. And get away from those magazines on the top shelf .....

We all smoked no.6 or embassy in those days.

20 pence got me an 8 pence bus ride into town, then 10 no.6 and a box of matches from the kiosk at the bus station.

I doubt my kids would bother to pick up 20 pence today if they saw it on the floor.