Two Step - What Is It?

[Guest LeoLyxxx]

2 step (and rare groove) was what got me back into the scene and collecting bug again in the late 80's. There was always a killer 2 step track buried away on most late 70's / early 80's soul albums and it was always fun trying to find them. The Americans call 2 step 'smooth funk' I was once told by a dealer.

 

haha cool, i tend to call my taste of music "slow funk" on a whole (not just soul music) so not so far from the mark 

[Premium Stuff]

It was a good copy but the boot is on that black but pretty transparent vinyl - hold it up to the light and if the boot you will see what I mean . Also it is a slightly lighter shade of orange - or at least it is compared to my original 45 .

 

Thanks - any way to tell if buying on eBay - any other distinguishing features?

 

Cheers

 

Richard

[Jordirip]

It was a good copy but the boot is on that black but pretty transparent vinyl - hold it up to the light and if the boot you will see what I mean . Also it is a slightly lighter shade of orange - or at least it is compared to my original 45 .

 

Are you sure about this boot? I can't understand why this would get booted in the US. What demand would there be? Is / was there a scene for these smooth funk tunes over there? I'll have to dig my copy out now to have look.

 

Jordi

[dean jj]

Interesting as always to see different view on stuff like this. Best no one starts another thread for "what's crossover?"!  

 

A more modern interpretation for sure but I'll throw this into the debate from '93....The late great Teddy Pendergrass - I believe in love.

 

This particular mix always gets me "stepping"

 

The Teddy P 12" was massive as a new release and later. The philly phat mix as you can hear is well weighty and so different from the original cd version we didn't quite realize that the song had already been out. Luckily for me it arrived on a Parkers Saturday so recieved my immediate and undivided attention. Nothing to do with two-step though.

dean

[Ncfc]

What about the punters who would come up to the decks and lift the needle back to the start of the record.Heard about this happening on the London two step scene.

Edited March 30, 2013 by NCFC

[Jordirip]

What about the punters who would come up to the decks and lift the needle back to the start of the record.Heard about this happening on the London two step scene.

 

'Haul an' pull up selector'.

[Guest LeoLyxxx]

I would want to know sooo much more of these parker events. They sound like a dream to me.. House parties with steppers, lovers rock and such in 80s london.. Really really would've been to one of those

Leo

[Scotters]

I was having good chat the oher night with someone who attended many of the early reggae / two step soul events in London and he told me about a night he went to where the event / sound system was actually in an old swimming pool...sounded brilliant and rammed to the rafters. I can't remember specific records he said were being played but will see if he'll post something up on here. Someone else might recall it in meantime? Elf n safety nowadays, there'd be no chance of something different like this for a soul night!

[Guest LeoLyxxx]

'Blues' party's Leo - they were great times . It was the first place I heard some of these '2 step' soul 45's [to be honest it was the only place as I can't recall ever hearing them at a club] The party's were more intimate and downtempo sounds fitted the bill better .

 

One of the first sounds I remember hearing was 'Taste of Honey' / I love you - stood in the corner of some house in East London clutching a bottle of Pils 'head nodding'

 

Sounds truly awesome! Intimate clubbing can be tremendous, i love big dancefloors as much as the next guy but intimate parties seems to be more elusive..

 

I've played a lot of steppers out in clubs and some people here in Stockholm seems to be die-hard into it but it's always a warm-up thing or just an regular bar gig, never the center of attention with more mellow sounds as the whole theme.

Would really like to have a "chill out room" in connection to a dance club, i think that would be ideal with a small dance floor and more loungie hang-out spots. If it's a place that has really late opening hours i could really see people getting into it as an after-party thing. 

The music is truly groovy it just has to be presented in the right situation 

 

Here i go writing in a steppers-thread again, think the last one on raresoulforum ended up being 31 pages or something 

[dean jj]

What about the punters who would come up to the decks and lift the needle back to the start of the record.Heard about this happening on the London two step scene.

I've had people try that with me....fucking rude in my opinion.

dean

[dean jj]

I would want to know sooo much more of these parker events. They sound like a dream to me.. House parties with steppers, lovers rock and such in 80s london.. Really really would've been to one of those

Leo

I think there is a parkers thread on soul sauce somewhere. Also the delighful Mr. Pearson did an article in shades of soul about the night.

[Guest Nick Harrison]

 A proper 2 step record should have a slightly funky beat to it like Starvue or Hutson All because of you.

 

Funny enough Tony - I'm sure you have realised that both of the above are Chicago artists on Chicago labels. Are you trying to tell us something here .....................

 

[Guest Nick Harrison]

I've had people try that with me....fucking rude in my opinion.

dean

Good morning Dean,

 

indeed recall that rather large man from Portsmouth - Mick approaching the decks @ Parkers during your set and actually using his hand to fashion the "scratching" technology, with success.

 

   

[Guest]

Funny enough Tony - I'm sure you have realised that both of the above are Chicago artists on Chicago labels. Are you trying to tell us something here .....................

 

Yeah it should have a slightly funky beat to it..   Yes a lot of the 2 step stuff has came out of Chicago but don't forget these artists just recorded tracks it's us that Pigeon hole them into certain genre's. I shouldn't imagine Hutson went into the studio with the intention to make a "2 step" record.

Edited March 31, 2013 by Guest

[Guest]

Leroy Hutson on Curtom "Because Of You" or that Aretha Franklin "One Step" on a strange looking white label boot, let your head and feet decide what is two step, maybe it came about as old age has crept up on us lol

At

MC

[Mark R]

After mentioning Lionel Blair being a good example of two-step the other day, it did occur to me shortly afterwards that of course TTGNTY was co- penned by Hutson.

 

 

Cheers,

Mark R

[Sunnysoul]

[Guest Nick Harrison]

After mentioning Lionel Blair being a good example of two-step the other day, it did occur to me shortly afterwards that of course TTGNTY was co- penned by Hutson.

 

 

Cheers,

Mark R

 

Correct Mark and even produced by Leroy who licensed it to the Gemigo label in 75, Gemigo of course being a subsidiary of the Curtom empire.  Arnold's one and only single.

 

Hope your keeping well !

 

[Mark R]

Hope your keeping well !

 

 

Hi Nick,

 

Seeing as you ask mate...........I'm generally well, but felt like sh!t last night and still feel a bit strange this morning despite a good sleep.  Feel like I have some sort of lurgy on the way, but hoping I'm wrong as I have some valuable time off work!!

 

Just couldn't get warm last night but hoping it's just the cold that got to me at the football yesterday!

 

 

 

Cheers,

Mark R

[John Reed]

Barbara Streisand's Guilty was a massive London 2 Step tune. Maybe it was different in Parkers, but in London it didn't matter about the ethnicity or where the artist was based for it to be accepted as a 2 Step record.

Edited March 31, 2013 by John Reed

[Guest Nick Harrison]

Ah that mid eighties modern room popular dancer  - Tavasco is not Two Step.  It's production is to fast Sunnysoul. Even for that pacific Australian climate, if I am correct - is that not where you now live.

 

Cool down to some Harri Paris - You Hit My Love, Dee Edwards - I Can Deal With That (1977 De-To) the only version to own. Oh and a little Hardcover - Do You Still Care (Shanty Town).

 

    

[Guest LeoLyxxx]

Yeah it should have a slightly funky beat to it..   Yes a lot of the 2 step stuff has came out of Chicago but don't forget these artists just recorded tracks it's us that Pigeon hole them into certain genre's. I shouldn't imagine Hutson went into the studio with the intention to make a "2 step" record.

 

 

Then again, that goes for northern, crossover and all other genres created by collectors and buyers alike. Generally i think a sincere musician is most prone to try to make just "music" at the top of their capacity.

 

    

[Wiggyflat]

I used to go to Southport for the Jazz room and used to pop my head into the Soul Room.The place was packed...there was a certain type eighties smart dress associated with it as well.I never liked the music although i remember once Dionne Warwicks Move Me No Mountain came on which wasnt bad.It was great for buying northern in there though as loads of people were getting rid of sixties stuff.Traded loads of seventies and eighties soul pack stuff in there for sixties.From memory the DJs were Jonathan.Yogi Haughton.Colin Curtis.Searling and Jonathan Woodcliffe.The music was the same tempo all night and I could only stomach 45 mins of it before leaving.I would be back there last knockings when Richard did a northern revival set.

[Guest LeoLyxxx]

Barbara Streisand's Guilty was a massive London 2 Step tune. Maybe it was different in Parkers, but in London it didn't matter about the ethnicity or where the artist was based for it to be accepted as a 2 Step record.

 

That is also something i've been thinking about.. for me it's not important that the stepper is a "soul" record but it's more important that the groove and feeling is there. Stuff like "guilty", Lyn Christopher "take me with you", 100& whole wheat "daybreak", the Quick "twisted" and lot of others sounds exactly like steppers to me but not being so soulful in the vocal parts. Maybe not tunes as good as the best soul records but easily a couple good tracks.

 

L

[Jordirip]

Barbara Streisand's Guilty was a massive London 2 Step tune. Maybe it was different in Parkers, but in London it didn't matter about the ethnicity or where the artist was based for it to be accepted as a 2 Step record.

 

Boz Scaggs having at least a couple of killers that used to get played.

[Guest Nick Harrison]

I used to go to Southport for the Jazz room and used to pop my head into the Soul Room.The place was packed...there was a certain type eighties smart dress associated with it as well.I never liked the music although i remember once Dionne Warwicks Move Me No Mountain came on which wasnt bad.It was great for buying northern in there though as loads of people were getting rid of sixties stuff.Traded loads of seventies and eighties soul pack stuff in there for sixties.From memory the DJs were Jonathan.Yogi Haughton.Colin Curtis.Searling and Jonathan Woodcliffe.The music was the same tempo all night and I could only stomach 45 mins of it before leaving.I would be back there last knockings when Richard did a northern revival set.

 

From my memory Richard did his "northern set" in the jazz room in the very earlier days of Southport/Fleetwood Gala Gran.  One thing is for sure the tempo never ever remained the same in the Soul Room. 

 

Quote "traded loads of 70's and 80's in there" - really - so who would bring sixties to a non northern event when the stalls (all non northern stock) where inside the main foyer, soul pack stuff my arse.

 

But hey ho    .

[Ncfc]

[Wiggyflat]

To Nick Harrison...yep the dealers were in the foyer oppsite the entrance doors.Jazz room to the left of that and soul room further up to the left.I'm not talking people walking round with records.I'm talking chatting to people who I would swap tapes with...just got in contact with one of them terry Seline from Driffield.Used to swap seventies slow records for northern.Richard definately did a northern set in the soul room.

[Guest]

Don't remember Searling do a slot in the soul room. He used to do Friday night/Saturday morning. The Soul room as was became the RnB/Funk room and the Jazz room moved to the Bacardi Bar and the old Jazz room became connoisseur room. 

[Mark68]

From my memory Richard did his "northern set" in the jazz room in the very earlier days of Southport/Fleetwood Gala Gran. One thing is for sure the tempo never ever remained the same in the Soul Room.

Quote "traded loads of 70's and 80's in there" - really - so who would bring sixties to a non northern event when the stalls (all non northern stock) where inside the main foyer, soul pack stuff my arse.

But hey ho .

The Jazz room was to the left and Richard and Ian Clark did there northern sets together in there (one of the highlights of those early weekenders). The soul room was on the right which was predominately 7ts, 8ts and new releases, Mary Love Comer, Hari Paris etc. Record dealers in the middle (foyer area) with Butch having the best stuff. It was still known as 'Blackpool Soul Weekender', Southport came along later.

Edited March 31, 2013 by Mark68

[Steveh73]

Sadly not a two-step tune!!!

Edited March 31, 2013 by steveh73

[Steveh73]

Now this IS a two-stepper and as good an example as any!!

 

[Mark68]

Barbara Streisand's Guilty was a massive London 2 Step tune. Maybe it was different in Parkers, but in London it didn't matter about the ethnicity or where the artist was based for it to be accepted as a 2 Step record.

 

I was going to mention this earlier; Bab's 'Guilty, Jeffree's 'Mr Fix It & Loves Gonna Last', Benny Golson's 'I'm Always Dancin', Gene Dunop's 'Before You Break My Heart', Randy Brown...were almost on constant loop across London's pirate airwaves.

There was a batch of bootlegs doing the rounds in shops such as City Sounds called RAW (rare and wanted....even though they wasn't), I think some of these pirate disc jockeys were just hammering those.

Many Blues type parties around this period where these records & Lovers rock were the main focus.

I remember Parkers being across the board musically, Arnold Blair, Roy Ayers and Searling regularly played the 12 of Evelyn Champagne King 'Kisses Don't Lie' which always sounded good on that system.

[Wiggyflat]

Don't remember Searling do a slot in the soul room. He used to do Friday night/Saturday morning. The Soul room as was became the RnB/Funk room and the Jazz room moved to the Bacardi Bar and the old Jazz room became connoisseur room. 

 

 

Yep he definately did at least one in there....i remember dancing to the right of the stage near the corner.Must have moved into the jazz room later on...I'm talking Southport.There was some grumpiness from the jazz dancers i was with when it moved into the jazz room as they wanted to hear Snowboy or Sylvester all night.Bacardi bar must have been later as my mate Simon Mansell tells me about deejaying in there.There was another scene in London called The Boogie scene...black geezers in leather trousers and all that.....Lloyd and the Boogie boys etc.

Edited March 31, 2013 by wiggyflat

[Mark68]

Yep he definately did at least one in there....i remember dancing to the right of the stage near the corner.Must have moved into the jazz room later on...I'm talking Southport.There was some grumpiness from the jazz dancers i was with when it moved into the jazz room as they wanted to hear Snowboy or Sylvester all night.Bacardi bar must have been later as my mate Simon Mansell tells me about deejaying in there.There was another scene in London called The Boogie scene...black geezers in leather trousers and all that.....Lloyd and the Boogie boys etc.

 

From 87 - 90 It was in 3 different venues (4 if you include the very first) but I think the early weekenders had that same format where the Jazz Room was used for a Northern session for a few hours even when it moved to Southport. This was way before funkbase/rnb/bacardi etc came along and 'Soul Weekender' was dropped for 'Dance Weekender'.  

Isn't that Matt Reid standing next to norman jay in your picture?

[dean jj]

Good morning Dean,

 

indeed recall that rather large man from Portsmouth - Mick approaching the decks @ Parkers during your set and actually using his hand to fashion the "scratching" technology, with success.

 

   

yes Nick-harsh words  and a cheeck slap had to be administered

[Hammersoul]

Spot on . Used to go to house party's where the sounds were all Lovers  Rock / Reggae / 2 step soul . The bass lines were similar and these tunes fitted in well .

 

Starvue / Body Fusion

 

Rita Wright / Touch me , take me

 

Keith Barrow / You know you want to be loved

 

3 prime examples .

I agree the 3 above are good examples of 2 step/Connoiseurs.  I`ll add a few a few in a mo.

[jocko]

 

From my memory Richard did his "northern set" in the jazz room in the very earlier days of Southport/Fleetwood Gala Gran.  One thing is for sure the tempo never ever remained the same in the Soul Room. 

 

Quote "traded loads of 70's and 80's in there" - really - so who would bring sixties to a non northern event when the stalls (all non northern stock) where inside the main foyer, soul pack stuff my arse.

 

But hey ho    .

And Southport didn't start till April 90 so smart 80's dress was way out by then, trendy buggers that we were. It was much later, 92/93, when the more monotone tempo came in, as most of us had left for burgeoning House room!

Although my memory of those days is not as good as yours, so feel free to correct.:-))

[Wiggyflat]

Right....the stuff I keep!! Here's some memory jerkers.March April 1990..

[Wiggyflat]

March April 1990 soul and jazz rooms...

[Wiggyflat]

April 1991 ...I'm not going mad...The Soul base 3 to 5 am northern soul with Clarkie and Searling.

[jocko]

 

April 1991 ...I'm not going mad...The Soul base 3 to 5 am northern soul with Clarkie and Searling.

Yes but not the 80's! :-))

It actually changed fairly rapidly after 91 I would say, the year of some very soft House being booed in the soul room I would think.

Your first one was the first ever Southport, and the session was in the big hall at the swimming pool, near the radio station, where all the dodgy stay up all nighters gathered, Friday was Northern but with lots of bemused non Northern punters, and Saturday was Yogis everything in which was mental and brilliant, people bouncing off walls second night to the most eclectic mix of music imaginable.

I remember that one like it was yesterday, but can't actually remember yesterday!

[Wiggyflat]

April 1993 Northern still in the soulbase tucked away at 3.30 am..

[Wiggyflat]

I'm sure I went to one or two before this though....Berwick??

[jocko]

 

I'm sure I went to one or two before this though....Berwick??

 

Berwick was the first, very small, I paid but never went, lots of people say it was one of the best, I think probably about 88? Ronnie McNeir turning up at certain peoples chalets for a chat and things like that.

Then Morecombe and Blackpool I think, I think the Southport in April 90 was actually the 5th or 6th Weekender for Up North and it was twice a year for Southport.

Edited April 3, 2013 by jocko

[jocko]

 

April 1993 Northern still in the soulbase tucked away at 3.30 am..

 

And the Powerhouse was born and by this time I would say Soul Room had gone fairly down tempo, interesting to look at the Powerhouse line up, no mega stars at that time, and all soul boys leading the way.....

[Wiggyflat]

Wish I had kept the programmes instead of the passes..Do you want to see the lineups up to 96?

[Wiggyflat]

Dug this one out April 89 Blackpool

[Mark68]

April 88 Fleetwood....Blimey! 25 years ago.

 

 

Edited April 3, 2013 by Mark68

[Guest Nick Harrison]

From 1987 to 1989 Richard Searling had a Northern spot in the Jazz room. Thanks Mark 68 as the above post states. It was called the Blackpool Soul Weekender. From this period we stayed in caravans including North Berwick and Fleetwood's Gala Gran Park. The only time during 1987 to 89 we had chalets, was at Morecambe which were over run with horrid silverfish. Later Southport brought us a better class of chalet and a new name "Southport Dance Weekender" and the term "Tent Music" ?

 

Enjoy yer' day folks. 

 

Thanks.