Why Do We Dislike Al Wilson's The Snake So Much?

[Dekka]

I'd say a large percentage of Scooter events do play the Snake. Soon as you see a beer towel just know it's on the cards.

What is your point and why are you constantly sniping at scooter events,

scooter events by definition are not soul events, they cater for a wide variety of music genres.

by the way are you the soul police?

'I like the tangeers and you don't therefore I am better than you'

smacks of pretentious p***k

Edited January 13, 2013 by dekka

[Guest gordon russell]

Bloody hell,get you Marje Proops.!!

just relating the stories you told me....of this practise constantly happening to you lol

[Guest]

What is your point and why are you constantly sniping at scooter events,

scooter events by definition are not soul events, they cater for a wide variety of music genres.

by the way are you the soul police?

'I like the tangeers and you don't therefore I am better than you'

smacks of pretentious p***k

hahahahaha not at all.. It's the we love northern soul cos i've got a beer towel and a fist of fun patch brigade i'm laughing at. They think that the Snake is what Northern Soul is.. But when you play them a really great track they've not got a clue. A great record is a great record no matter how rare it is.. You play the same people Show and Tell and i'd say the majority would turn their noses up at it.

[Guest]

thats just what we do , the sands hotel on the front in Sandown , we first got the invite from some wolverhampton lads about 5 years ago and we have done it ever since , there are a number of people who dj and they just come and do a spot , on cds mindst but we have a cracking w/end .

we dont bother going into ryde of an evening now .

I always stay in Sandown, mate of mine runs The Tap, Kev James. If you do it this year remind me and i'll pop in. Don't think there's any Hipshaker again this year. TBH Last IOW was one of the best i've ever had for laughs wise. Had a cracking time just with old mates.

[sir cumference]

Was at a wedding last year,when(as they do) the dj told us all he was going to play some "northern soul".He played The Snake and nobody danced and when he played Maxine Nightingale people got up to dance.It said it all to me!

[hipshaker 05]

I always stay in Sandown, mate of mine runs The Tap, Kev James. If you do it this year remind me and i'll pop in. Don't think there's any Hipshaker again this year. TBH Last IOW was one of the best i've ever had for laughs wise. Had a cracking time just with old mates.

Never say never, we're still hoping to be there again this year!!

I was over last year and did a few do's for a change .... had a great time. never got over to Kev's nights at the tap ...... i'd imagine them to be good though, he knows his stuff (mod end of the spectrum). and, as you said on another post ....... plenty to choose from on the island.

as for the snake ........ i actually still quite like it. i was very late in getting into some northern soul and it was one of the first i heard i think. i have played it, not for a very long time. it goes down well enough with a mainstream crowd that probably haven't heard it before .... catchy and upbeat enough for them.

[hipshaker 05]

but i didn't hear it anywhere i went last year either.

[barney]

I always stay in Sandown, mate of mine runs The Tap, Kev James. If you do it this year remind me and i'll pop in. Don't think there's any Hipshaker again this year. TBH Last IOW was one of the best i've ever had for laughs wise. Had a cracking time just with old mates.

Stayed at broadway park hotel in Sandown for the last 6 years , been in the tap a few times , loads of brummie lads get in there

[Ian Parker]

Brilliant tune. Regardless of its genre. To me it is a great dance record, a brilliant song and a great production. I don't see the northern soul thing when I hear it, it is what it is.

In fact, I'll be covering it tonight in my band, . Proof that lots like it, that will show in the dance floor reaction and the folk singing along.

Update.

Not trying to prove anything , but we did 5 songs in my set without so much of a murmur. But when we belted,out "the snake" all hell let loose ! Proof that as a song, it is very very popular. Take it for what it is folks, it is is the snake, nothing more, nothing less. But one thing is for sure, put it on a turntable and then see

[Guest CARL D]

The Snake's alright! Probably one of the first introductions to Soul i had, either on Peter Youngs' radio show or the Right Back Kent Lp way back in the 80s. Love, like or detest it, it has its place in Northern Soul history, and for me evokes fond memories of my youthful excitement at all the amazing music i was hearing for the first time.....and thanx to Ady C' et-al, now(as then), gratefully i still am! All together now! - 'On her way to work-a one mornin, a-down the path alongside the lake.......';-)

[Guest manusf3a]

Nonsense. It's a penis. Besides, Eve didn't have a job

Thats a very Freudian perspective on things?I had always thought the lyrics were a working of an american indian folktale,a tale along the lines of the scorpon wanting a lift across the river ,when taken after much debate by the other wary animal the scorpion stings it when half way across being carried on the back of a tortoise I believe.Thus killing the tortoise and itself as it will now drowm,when asked by the tortoise with its last few breaths why it stung and in doing so killed itself the scorpion replied I am a scorpion and stinging and killing is what we scorpions do.What do poisonous snakes do ,bite and kill,moral simple what the phook are you doing taking a frozen one home and reviving it you stupid woman.

I n the movie natural born killers there is a scene with an elderly indian where he recites the story of the snke in indian language which is shown as sub titles to enable interpratation,this after smoking herbs etc,.

Edited January 14, 2013 by manusf3a

[Guest]

Never say never, we're still hoping to be there again this year!!

I was over last year and did a few do's for a change .... had a great time. never got over to Kev's nights at the tap ...... i'd imagine them to be good though, he knows his stuff (mod end of the spectrum). and, as you said on another post ....... plenty to choose from on the island.

as for the snake ........ i actually still quite like it. i was very late in getting into some northern soul and it was one of the first i heard i think. i have played it, not for a very long time. it goes down well enough with a mainstream crowd that probably haven't heard it before .... catchy and upbeat enough for them.

Whats happening to the Ryde Castle is it still a building site? I normally go to the Tap on a Friday night just cos it's local and we meet up there.

I can't stand the record but it's only a couple of minutes long so i just ignore it. There are far better records and thats what annoys me about it, far better that people don't want to hear.

[Spacehopper]

forgot ive got this on a 10" somewhere....

https://youtu.be/8dGxDseH3G4

[Guest]

Nice...as is this one...sorry not for sale

[Benji]

German version done in 1969 by one jack white who went on to become a very sucessful and world-wide known producer..not to be confused with the american artist of the same name.

It's hardly a version, he only nicked the intro....

It's not soul .....it's a musical fable about not getting 'up the stick'............half the people reading this have probably never cottoned on to the message......'Oh no you haven't'!!!!!

So....I have the guts to say I like it.......not enough to play it out though! Is there a documented occasion when this last appeared in a set? (or has DJ Iron Bollocks retired? :lol:

The lyrics are based on or shall I say inspired by the "farmer and the snake" fable by Aesop.

at the big 900 people strong German Soul weekender in Nürnberg in december one DJ played it in his friday spot...much to the shock, awe, surprise and amusement of half the other djs and people in the hall. I was in London deejaying that night and only just appeared on the saturday so sadly I couldnt witness myself and had to be told the story the next day. as a nice side effect that will hold people back from thinking it could have been me ;)

"The snake" in the Northern room was an insult to many and not the slightest bit funny. DJ in question was TheJan btw.

[Marc Forrest]

It's hardly a version, he only nicked the intro....

The lyrics are based on or shall I say inspired by the "farmer and the snake" fable by Aesop.

"The snake" in the Northern room was an insult to many and not the slightest bit funny. DJ in question was TheJan btw.

Its not only the instro, as the instrumental refrain is repeated as well. If you prefer to call it a " song with a nicked intro" instead of "version" ..I am fine with that. Re insult, I heard different opinions, some said it was funnny, some said it was well needed and well received (by the audience) some like you said it was an insult. Personally I wouldnt put him into a roman inquistion and "burn" him for that...esp as I personally think it was quite funny indeed LOL

[Haydn]

Who's Al Wilson?

[Guest manusf3a]

I was always led to believe that the Al Wilson on Wand ("Help Me") was not the same Al Wilson.

I still like "Passport" played from the LP in the 70s. Also "50/50" from the same LP.

As far as the "The Snake" goes yes I did dance to it back in the day, but wouldn't want to hear it played out.

I don't hate it, there are loads records that have been played that are worse.

Havent heard passport for what seems a lifetime,liked it as well. Edited January 14, 2013 by manusf3a

[Guest ScooterNik]

I don't think ive ever heard the snake ever played at a scooter rally? And I spend most of the weekend in the soul rooms? To be fair I think the northern played is of hight standard at nearly all the ones ive been at. So ot frustrates me when people come out with statements slating scooter rallies...

There's the nub. You'll not hear it in the soul room, but I'd lay a few quid that it turns up in the main room without fail, normally about 11ish, when everyone's tanked up.

For my money... It's lyrically brilliant, I love the key change in the middle, his voice suits the song... I'm not sure it's Northern (I'll let you continue that established argument about what is and isn't!) but I do know I REALLY never want to hear it again. Or at least for about five years, by which time I may have forgotten my nervous reaction to this record. The one where I throw my beer down my throat, ponce a fag off someone, and vanish off outside for a touch over three minutes.

[Northernjordan]

There's the nub. You'll not hear it in the soul room, but I'd lay a few quid that it turns up in the main room without fail, normally about 11ish, when everyone's tanked up.

For my money... It's lyrically brilliant, I love the key change in the middle, his voice suits the song... I'm not sure it's Northern (I'll let you continue that established argument about what is and isn't!) but I do know I REALLY never want to hear it again. Or at least for about five years, by which time I may have forgotten my nervous reaction to this record. The one where I throw my beer down my throat, ponce a fag off someone, and vanish off outside for a touch over three minutes.

Fair point Nik, I generally make my way to the main room late in when most of the masses have left and it's a great mix of randomssongs. King Kurt, sham 69, new toy dolls etc with a good mix of old school dance Manchester and few newish tracks.

[Guest Martin Coleman]

As someone who's still fairly new to soul (5 years), The Snake was the first "Northern Soul" record I heard. I had a chap from Fargo, North Dakota who'd moved there from the UK buy a copy of of me about 5-6 years ago, and sell every single copy I come across (except mine). Blimey, it's been a $10 record as far as I can remember, but lately, it seems like it's bringing closer to $20-$30 if it's a minter.

Is that you, Tom? I still have that copy in my collection as it goes. It's a real "nostalgia piece". As with many people on this thread it reminds me of my early years on the scene. Hope that you're still finding good stuff down in the cities.

[Dave Pinch]

Who's Al Wilson?

he was the lead singer with canned heat

[nrc]

Its just not a good record,as well as being overplayed everywhere, simple as that.

[Britmusicsoulfan]

@Martin Coleman, it's Tim, but yes, still turning up tons of 45s!

[Campagnolo 1]

Dislike.!!(sorry mixed up another post) is a very odd word to describe a record that has been very popular & still is with all the New

people that have got into this scene over the last few yrs.

As someone said further back , it's just another pop record(as "ALL"records want to be!)

that's been played to death.imo!.

Edited January 18, 2013 by campagnolo 1

[Guest soulmaguk]

The Farmer and the Snake

Aesop's Fables Translated by George Fyler Townsend

One winter a Farmer found a Snake stiff and frozen with cold. He had compassion on it, and taking it up, placed it in his bosom. The Snake was quickly revived by the warmth, and resuming its natural instincts, bit its benefactor, inflicting on him a mortal wound. "Oh," cried the Farmer with his last breath, "I am rightly served for pitying a scoundrel."

The greatest kindness will not bind the ungrateful.

[Guest Mike72]

Can't feckin' stand it!

Mind you, I'm a bit of a scaly, slippery, cold-blooded fucker meself; a right slippery skin-shedding bastard truth be told, so there's every chance that I'm personally offended by it, which is obviously irrational. Wilson is a lairy fucker who's deliberately trying to cause trouble by DIRECTLY questioning my sanity!!

He's also sucessfully goaded me into showing myself up even more by lashing out on here!!

Relatively speaking, I'm still a young 'un, and so I have no sublime 'original' memories associated with it: Surely all those in favour of it DO have 'snake' related heyday memories?

I like plenty of other shit stuff, so am hardly a snob - and I'm no connosieur neither.

I bet you anything that Al Wilson REALLY fkn loathes it!!

[Pete S]

Can't feckin' stand it!

Mind you, I'm a bit of a scaly, slippery, cold-blooded fucker meself; a right slippery skin-shedding bastard truth be told, so there's every chance that I'm personally offended by it, which is obviously irrational. Wilson is a lairy fucker who's deliberately trying to cause trouble by DIRECTLY questioning my sanity!!

He's also sucessfully goaded me into showing myself up even more by lashing out on here!!

Relatively speaking, I'm still a young 'un, and so I have no sublime 'original' memories associated with it: Surely all those in favour of it DO have 'snake' related heyday memories?

I like plenty of other shit stuff, so am hardly a snob - and I'm no connosieur neither.

I bet you anything that Al Wilson REALLY fkn loathes it!!

Doubt it, he's dead...

[TOAD]

so good its been reissued on a 45 !

[Guest]

i say never disrespect or slate a song that helped to make a northern soul scene explode back then and into what it is today as with others whether its cheesy charted overplayed etc it was one of the biggest selling records on the scene if i had too id rather play it than some of the shite that goes for a lot more today

[Kev John]

so good its been reissued on a 45 !

Toad

How many times !!!!!!!! ? :g:

Edited January 18, 2013 by soulghost

[TOAD]

Toad

How many times !!!!!!!! ? :g:

recently on a back to back looka likey

[Guest]

next christmas no 1

[Daveyboy66]

it did the trick all them years ago in mrm's . folks off their heads packed dance floor along with the atmosphere ,what was acceptable then is now seen as old this that n the other . but would some of todays stuff be acceptable back then .....not a chance ! peoples tastes change along with the music for me it was good at the time and i would never disrespect it , ive heard much worse on the present northern (scene) i meant lol

Absolutely...and whats more it was my 3 year old daughters favourite record so I probably heard it more than most people as she would get it out of my box for me to play as she recognised the label...lol

[BrianB]

Was at a wedding last year,when(as they do) the dj told us all he was going to play some "northern soul".He played The Snake and nobody danced and when he played Maxine Nightingale people got up to dance.It said it all to me!

I remember Dave Godin raving about MN in 76 when it hit no. 1 in the States, and he thought there would be a big wave of "Northern Sounding" copy cat records to follow. He was not right with this prediction which shows we can all get it wrong. This part time mobile wedding DJ guy might know 2 NS tracks, and the audience might know none. I was speaking to a 30 year old guy on Monday who had never heard of NS.

But SC's feedback does not help us answer the OP's question. I don't think the track is mainly disliked as a record. I believe that some of our music's follower's think that admitting to liking this record puts you into a soul music "type", and some on this post have mentioned beer towels, talc, scooters etc that spring to mind in the same sentence as The Snake. They, like myself I hasten to add, love NS but don't wear baggy pants/beer towels etc and do not want to be typecast by people to whom NS isn't a religion.

We need more courage in our own convictions. I like the Snake, I don't like most 70s/Crossover Modern and am not afraid to say I don't like some of the current stuff played out as much as I like some some of the old stuff. However, I am always searching for new/different records and agree fully, that we liked what we liked, and we did what we did in the old days beacause it was new and a bit limited and underground, and we could to an extent be spoon fed.. In the internet era we can do/find/play almost anything and it is pretty much overground and we can be in the public eye. When in the public eye, we will not admit to being a Snake fan and therefore typecast, therefore we don't like the Snake. But it is a good record.

[Mal C]

I've not read all the replies in this thread, but they seem to not like the snake, personally I love, it's a brilliant record, and I'm so glad I was able to hear Al sing it at cleethorpes.

If you think about it Al made some absolute corkers over two decades in lots of styles....

Who cares about adverts? I heard Kenny Burke - risin to the top in a high st store last week, made my day!!!!

The Snake, F***** Brilliant!!

Mal.c

[Easty]

Aren't you all forgetting that, with the possible exception of Ian Levine and the Wigan Casino crew, nobody ever set out to make a Nothern Soul record and that's probably why there is such a diversity of style in what's perceived as being Northern. When the Snake hit the scene in the early seventies, I think, it was just seen as being another great up tempo dance record, which was what the scene was predominantly about, and as far as the lyrics are concerned, aren't they just and analogy for male/female ralationships? I danced to it then and would still dance to it now if someone was brave enough to play it. It was, and still is, an integral part of the scene and as with all other records that get played if you don't like it just sit down and wait for something you do like..

[macca]

I remember this being played by a newies (funk-disco) dj one night around 1977. He was getting flak from the NS/oldies crowd so he he hit them with "The Snake", after some derisory comments over the mic about neanderthals. He obviously intended it as a calculated insult but it struck me as rather strange at the time that he was actually carrying it in his box. Never keen on the record, and I like Maxine Nightingale even less... Strangely enough, the family weddings I attended whilst living in the UK were always plagued with Beverly Ann 'He's Coming Home', The Javells 'Goodbye Nothing To Say' and Muriel Day 'Nine Times Out Of Ten'. Not sure if I prefer Al Wilson, Maxine Nightingale and Chuck Wood.