Who Introduced You To Soul And Are They Still Around?

[Guest ShaneH]

Do you still see the person who is responsible for getting you into the scene?

I still bump into the guy that got me into the soul scene now and again. I hadn't seen him for about 12 years and had plenty to catch up on.

His wife had left him and also set fire to his house and destroyed everything including his records

Shane

[Guest]

Do you still see the person who is responsible for getting you into the scene?

I still bump into the guy that got me into the soul scene now and again. I hadn't seen him for about 12 years and had plenty to catch up on.

His wife had left him and also set fire to his house and destroyed everything including his records

Shane

OOh why did she do that - and did she get caught

[asboannie]

Haven't seen my mate for a few years now , with her having had kids. Weird thing is she only lives a couple of miles away from me, but with different life style now it really is a shame .

If we did go to some venues nowadays we would have different taste in the music, she's more into the oldies, and I'm more into rare and crossover, but at the time had the same taste.

Edited June 6, 2006 by asboannie

[Gasher]

When I was twelve my mates big sister had a boyfriend

they were maybe 17/18 and he unknowingly got me into it back then in 1978..ish

Still see him now and we had a drink together last weekend.

thats 28 years ago and he is still on the scene.

the gasher

[Dayo]

My brother in law John Haithwaite was a local DJ around Worcester. He got me into the music in 1970. He had great taste and the most amazing British collection. He became a Jehovahs Witness a few years back and sold the lot (probably for pennies).

Should have stayed in touch I guess....

[SteveM]

Do you still see the person who is responsible for getting you into the scene?

I still bump into the guy that got me into the soul scene now and again. I hadn't seen him for about 12 years and had plenty to catch up on.

His wife had left him and also set fire to his house and destroyed everything including his records

I thought the person who got you into the scene was the same person who took your virginity in Blackpool ?

BTW, does Brian still keep in touch ?

[Mak]

I used to hang around the fire doors of my local club because I was to young to get in , just loved listening to early Motown and all the Mod stuff. As for nighters an old mate from Derby called Shelly took me to the Torch, Vava's , Casino .Last I heard he was living in Hong Kong shacked up with an ex Miss Argentina

[Guest TONY ROUNCE]

Do you still see the person who is responsible for getting you into the scene?

I sort of got myself into soul, in that my tastes leaned in that direction from a very early age anyway (asking for things like the Minit "We Sing the Blues" album on London, and Stateside Motown releases for Christmas and Birthday presents, well before my teens). But the guy who really helped to channel my adolescent enthusiasm was the owner of my local record shop - Martin Hubbard.

I used to go into the "Melody Inn" and ask for various beat group's versions of US soul and R & B hits that I'd not heard at that time, and Martin would always steer me towards the original, which I invariably went home with instead. It was through Martin that I came to appreciate that Don Covay really WAS better than Mick Jagger (his biggest copycat), and that you don't need the Action doing "I'll Keep Holding On" when you can have the Marvelettes instead. He was also the first guy I knew who had those wierd looking, brittle 45s with big centres, on labels like Okeh and Ric Tic, more than half a decade before they became cherished components of the early Northern scene.

I sort of fell out with him in 1969 (my fault then, my fault now) and I've never seen or heard a word from - or about - him since that time."The Melody Inn" is long gone, too. But I've never stopped giving Martin full credit for his own immaculate taste, or for the help he gave in refining mine 'early doors'.

Whatever he's up to now, I hope that he's still enjoying his music as much as I'm still enjoying the records that Martin first introduced me to almost 40 years ago...

TONE

[Guest]

The friends that got me into it were great.My parents were mates with Karens parents and liked her older boyfriend and so I was allowed to go to nighters with them. As Pete was such a nice sensible bloke

If only they had known

I still see them at family get togethers now and then but they got disillusioned with the scene a few years back and at times I can see why.

[Guest miff]

A lad called Terry Holmes, he was my mates older brother, He Lived in Lincolin and worked there and came home at the weekend and went to the Pier, He would come home with all these strange records with big holes in the middle or made off alliminium (EMI Disks) Bobby Hutton, Willie Mitchel, Rain, Checkerboard Squares, Ide never heard music like it that was it, hooked and the rest as they say is history. Still see terry every know & then and he allways says he coming to the next do, he never shows, or well his loss

[Guest Byrney]

The older lads who got me into the scene packed up going around 79 - 80. Pretty much because by then (in their eyes) it wasnt the done thing. For example 20+ of us in late 78 used to travel to Notts Palais via local bus, 2 years on all and I do mean all dropped off. Damn shame really cos some of them were hilarious.

Still bump into a few in the street, some of them have started in the past few years to attend venues like Ilkeston or Annesley.

[Winnie :-)]

Do you still see the person who is responsible for getting you into the scene?

I still bump into the guy that got me into the soul scene now and again. I hadn't seen him for about 12 years and had plenty to catch up on.

His wife had left him and also set fire to his house and destroyed everything including his records

Shane

============

The guy who introduced me to Northern was Polish, it was about 1972. Saw him about for a couple more years but haven't seen him for over 30 years now.

[Mark B]

Two-fold really my inital introduction to soul was by my mates older brother who was the dj for our school disco at st alphonsus, the usual stuff for 1969 onwards stax atlantic motown invictus blue beat, sadly he died aged thirty five his name was carl comisky all the family were born with the same heart defect that no one knew about till carl died, sadly hsi 2 sisters died young as well the only one still alive is my mate adraian but have not seen him for about 10 years.

I was introduced to northern by my older brother paul, and i still see him well he lives in stroud now so dont see him as often as i should. he still buys records but does not go to do's much.

mark

[Guest Dan]

no particular person in my case

through the mod revival and then scooterist scene of the early 80s with mates, we started hearing these great records (ie the snake, interplay, what, red light spells danger etc) and decided to 'investigate' further.

found the kent albums and the rest is history.

ady croasdell as much as anyone i'd say, therefore, and he is still around

[Dave Morris]

I'd just left school and gone on an apprenticeship and met a bloke there who talked non stop at break time about this wonderful music.Showed us some Ric Tic records one day and was hooked when heard them at local youth club.That was back in the early 70's in Blackburn.Don't know if he's still into the scene (like to think so) but Geoff Anderson take a bow and thanks for introducing me to this wonderful music all that way back.

Dave.

[matty s]

about 16 years ago i played cricket with a bloke called andy marshall aka banger .when the pubs shut we use to go back to his house to play records .he stil goes to nights round the harborough area

[Soulfulhound]

I used to hang around the fire doors of my local club because I was to young to get in , just loved listening to early Motown and all the Mod stuff. As for nighters an old mate from Derby called Shelly took me to the Torch, Vava's , Casino .Last I heard he was living in Hong Kong shacked up with an ex Miss Argentina

I remember Shelley, he used to come up to Sheffield and hang out with me and the old Sheffield crowd around '73, good lad.

[Guest Matt Male]

This is a tough one. Like most i suppose it was no one person, but a whole group. My best mate at school in 1979 was Mick Cope (some of you might remember him from Stafford, he went around with Gilly for a bit no longer on the scene now though) and his sister Judy was a bit older than us and regularly went to Wigan with the older Nuneaton Crowd (most of you probably know Weasel and the others). Anyway they used to come into the Stockingford Labour Club discos with their bags and stuff on Friday nights ready to go off and get the train and this was fascinating to us 13 year olds...

So copying the older crowd we bought Black Echoes, designed and sent away for our Spencers (i think soulbags were just still in at this point, but peggs were becoming fashionable) and i picked up a pair of Bostons on Nuneaton market while most were still wearing Diamonds (still to this day the best dancing shoe i've ever owned).

Around the same time a local DJ, Dave Hall i think, was also going to Wigan and played his 45s at the Alderman Smith Youth Club disco. So we were getting it straight form the source so to speak.

Eventually being just local soulies wasn't enough and we started going to Wigan around late '79-80 i think and regularly until it closed (usually the Friday oldies niter) and Brum Locarno alldayers on a Sunday as well. And that was it...

I still can't believe my parents let me go, i was 14 at most at that time, so was Mick Cope, but unbelievably we also took Richard Jakeman who is younger than us and i've got a feeling he must only have been 12!! I'll ask him sometime.

So, thanks to Mark Freeman, the Nuneaton soul scene is still very much alive and probably 90% of the people who used to be around in the late 70s are either still about locally or travelling today.

Edited June 1, 2006 by Matt Male

[Mak]

I remember Shelley, he used to come up to Sheffield and hang out with me and the old Sheffield crowd around '73, good lad.

You can imagine what it was like in the village where he lived because Alan Day (dj) was his neighbour. Crazy baby.

[Richard]

Yes he's still alive at least he was when I last spoke to him It's my elder brother that's to blame, he was a 11 when I was born in 1965. He was into Motown and chart soul in the 60's and then was listening to Philly etc in the early 70's which hooked me at an early age.

By the end on the 70's I was a little mod and while most of my mates were listening to Secret Affair and The Chords etc I was still listening to Motown, Stax and a bit of R&B. To be honest at that time I'd never even heard of Northern Soul, I was from East London and never knew there were such great tunes out there waiting for me to discover. Never once did I hear it mentioned.

A year or so later Paul Weller started to talk about Northen Soul, so me and me mates started thinking "what's that all about then?". One of my friends Paul Curren lent me a tape of some Northern stuff and that was it, Chubby Checker - At The Discoteque was top of the record buying list

Edited June 1, 2006 by richard

[Guest johnm]

I'd say it was Andy Peebles he played a Chuck Jackson song way back on his Soul Train show and I thought what a great singer............ and now I find recently, since about January, I haven't really been listening to anything other than soul except tunes I have to learn for the band I play in............

[Soulfulhound]

You can imagine what it was like in the village where he lived because Alan Day (dj) was his neighbour. Crazy baby.

BLOODY HELL!!

[Guest]

terry tibbs for me 1971 still see him, wonderful man.

Edited June 2, 2006 by PaulDonely

[Guest old bar]

My soulbrother Steve Cato aka little steve

[Supercorsa]

no particular person in my case

through the mod revival and then scooterist scene of the early 80s with mates, we started hearing these great records (ie the snake, interplay, what, red light spells danger etc) and decided to 'investigate' further.

found the kent albums and the rest is history.

ady croasdell as much as anyone i'd say, therefore, and he is still around

Ditto, apart from the mod revival, I was more into my trojan and two tone stuff.

[Guest Gavin Page]

no particular person in my case

through the mod revival and then scooterist scene of the early 80s with mates, we started hearing these great records (ie the snake, interplay, what, red light spells danger etc) and decided to 'investigate' further.

Thats what kicked me off to really -

Going to Jon Buck's R.S.G, moved on to All Nighters

So in some ways thank you Jon !

[Guest Gavin Page]

Thats what kicked me off to really -

Going to Jon Buck's R.S.G, moved on to All Nighters

So in some ways thank you Jon !

Oh and Martin Jenkins (Jordi) Not seen him for bloody years !!

[Guest WPaulVanDyk]

I have to say from my dad. He attended all nighters in Peterborough back in 70's (some from Peterborough on here might even know him) and i just got into the music with him but i follow it so much i even find and find out stuff that puts my dad to shame not knowing it.

[Steve G]

Sort of got into soul myself via listening to radio stations like Radio Northsea International and Radio Luxemborg and of course acts like the 4 Tops who were seemingly on TOTP every other week with their suits and slick moves. Soul was THE happening thing in the early 70s. Especially down in Kent where all the discos played soul and reggae at the time, and rock music was confined to grubby old greasers and a lone pub in Tun Wells. The next door neighbour who was in his 30s at the time liked something called "Tamla Motown" and had these Chartbuster LPs that were just coming out, which I thought was interesting.

Got my apetite for northern from a variety of sources. I became aware of it reading Black Music / B&S, and then seeing a couple of older lads dancing to these records (Steve Noble and Kim Styles). Inevitably was dancing to the same records and that led to conversations like "You go to Wigan?" etc. (which I hadn't at the time). I saved up (was still in school) and went with them. It then developed so there were at least 12-15 of us travelling to all nighters regularly. The records became an obsession whilst I was still at school - you just HAD to have the sounds.

[Pete Morgan]

For me and pretty much all of my mates it was the likes of Bob Foster and co who shone the early light of soul music over the darkness of the North Wales coast. I only met him a few times but he was a ledgend to us youngsters in the mid seventies, i did manage to buy a few detroit things from his collection over the years, which filtered their way around all the locals. There are other pioneers too which i apologise for not mentioning but Bob always comes to mind firstly for me. He used to fly to detroit late 60,s and get stuff straight out of the local stores!.( so ledgend has it )

pete m

[Guest LUCY J W]

1st introduced to Northern Soul via a soul club held at Townfield House in High Wycombe,

A gent called Mark ran it, can't remember his surname. Used to go to his house and was amazed by the music he played.

Then met Mr Bicknell and his hoppos from Reading and never was the same again. :Obviously he is still around,

Edited June 2, 2006 by LUCY J W

[Guest janey]

1st introduced to Northern Soul via a soul club held at Townfield House in High Wycombe,

A gent called Mark ran it, can't remember his surname. Used to go to his house and was amazed by the music he played.

Then met Mr Bicknell and his hoppos from Reading and never was the same again. :Obviously he is still around,

I was first introduced to this fantastic music by my "then" boyfriend, Roger, who went to art college with my bro! Lost touch though, as you do, sadly, haven't seen him for years!!

And used to watch with awe, my cousin Deb and fella Joey (religious Casino regulars) dance to northern at our local Town Hall!! They are still on the scene, married now with 3 boys! I was hooked!!!

Love me 60's stuff...but the last couple of years, have really got into some awesome 70's/Crossover!!! I had a good teacher!!! He knows who he is I thank you A!!!

Janey

[asboannie]

For me and pretty much all of my mates it was the likes of Bob Foster and co who shone the early light of soul music over the darkness of the North Wales coast. I only met him a few times but he was a ledgend to us youngsters in the mid seventies, i did manage to buy a few detroit things from his collection over the years, which filtered their way around all the locals. There are other pioneers too which i apologise for not mentioning but Bob always comes to mind firstly for me. He used to fly to detroit late 60,s and get stuff straight out of the local stores!.( so ledgend has it ) pete m

Bob was the Man at the time......you name it he had it in records, small bedroom with wall to wall records & albums.......Did he ever tell you about the time in Detroit, he went to a concert forgotten who it was now, the only white block wearing the long leather coat as one did in them days.....and this black geezer came up to him...."Hey may your cool for a white guy", (he was sh****g himself to start with), any way he only offered him a swig from a bottle in a brown paper bag. Bob still around but out of the scene for a few years now.

[Guest Soultown andy]

If you lived in the bolton area in the 70s was hard not to get into northern,the uks top dj mr searling only lived and still does round the corner from me.All the youth clubs played northen, wigan was only 20 mins up the road,the manchester alldayers were 20 mins in the other direction spoilt for choice really.

[Deegee]

My older sister and her friend used to make me listen to motown when I was 12 because we shared a bedroom. If I brought anything home that wasnt "mod" my sister showed me the error of my ways and disposed of my records!!

I went on to go out with scooterists/soulies who also listened to the music but never took me to do's because they were "out with the lads" !!

Eventually my sister moved on and away from soul but her friend didnt and about four years ago she asked me if Id like to go to a soul do, which I did and have never looked back. She is now my best mate (Sian) and I go to more do's than her now! Cheers Sian

Denise

[Guest Marcelle]

Hmmm ... so many names sadly some long gone ... but the old Blackburnians were the culprits for my demise in the early 70s ... we grouped up with Burnley & Horwich, Mousse & just to make me feel even older than I think I am Steve Livesey (yes young Sean Livesy Dad)

Tommy Stanger & his older sis Carol, Dawn Hindle, Leo Fin Martin & Jeff Rhodes, Albert, Annmaria & Martin Hunt, Carlos, Big Dave Malone, Des Jones (early days of djing at Tiffanys) Mick Allen (swallow man tats on his neck) Craig White ect ect ect ....

alas they all became responsible & I see none of them now .... so many names forgotten but I thank them all ... (hmmm or should I ?)

[Guest Baz]

All ways had been into 60's music and soul & funk, wasn't till one day at work a guy put on a tape with all the old wigan sounds on and i was instantly hooked, he was never really 'on the scene' only used to go to do's in this town, late seventys, when he started telling me about northern soul (which i thought it was called the because it was made in northern England then telling me about Wigan i thought that was still running too so decided to dig deeper and here i am now annoying you lot

[soulsalmon]

All ways had been into 60's music and soul & funk, wasn't till one day at work a guy put on a tape with all the old wigan sounds on and i was instantly hooked, he was never really 'on the scene' only used to go to do's in this town, late seventys, when he started telling me about northern soul (which i thought it was called the because it was made in northern England then telling me about Wigan i thought that was still running too so decided to dig deeper and here i am now annoying you lot

Pete thorpe did it for me ,i was into all the shite played at wigan,pete took me to one side & said thats not soul listen to these and lent me some records,WOW,his knowledge of all things soulfull was and still is amazing,more into his deep stuff now .If you ask any of the big boys from mecca\wigan era they will know Pete as a quiet unassuming guy with encyclopeadic knowledge,remember him putting me onto james lately on temple in 81\2 and giving me a copy .Last i heard he was living in glostershire ,div commander of fire brigade.Would love to hear from him again

[Micksmix]

Pete thorpe did it for me ,i was into all the shite played at wigan,pete took me to one side & said thats not soul listen to these and lent me some records,WOW,his knowledge of all things soulfull was and still is amazing,more into his deep stuff now .If you ask any of the big boys from mecca\wigan era they will know Pete as a quiet unassuming guy with encyclopeadic knowledge,remember him putting me onto james lately on temple in 81\2 and giving me a copy .Last i heard he was living in glostershire ,div commander of fire brigade.Would love to hear from him again

Hi salmon,yes pete thorpe always known for his great love/knowlege of the music,as you say more into the deep side of soul,think he took early retirement from the fire service and sold his collection about five years ago,but I did hear he'd started collecting again,remember you lending me your copy of the uptights"shy guy"'cause it was my favourite record at the time circa 79/80 and before you ask I did give it you back...coughs..

best Mick Howard

[Guest buster]

Older brother took me to the casino when i was 19 after that first allnighter i was hooked, then the rest is 'history' as they say.

[soulsalmon]

Hi salmon,yes pete thorpe always known for his great love/knowlege of the music,as you say more into the deep side of soul,think he took early retirement from the fire service and sold his collection about five years ago,but I did hear he'd started collecting again,remember you lending me your copy of the uptights"shy guy"'cause it was my favourite record at the time circa 79/80 and before you ask I did give it you back...coughs..

best Mick Howard

i lent you a demo and got an issue back if i ever got it back at all cough all you want mick,where are you going to nowadays! ,be nice to catch up.Regards Salmon

[Mark Bicknell]

1st introduced to Northern Soul via a soul club held at Townfield House in High Wycombe,

A gent called Mark ran it, can't remember his surname. Used to go to his house and was amazed by the music he played.

Then met Mr Bicknell and his hoppos from Reading and never was the same again. :Obviously he is still around,

Lucy, it was The 81 Soul Club ran by Mark White a beautiful guy comes on here now and again....oh and don't blame me...lol

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

[Robin S]

Yes, older brother for me too. Neil "Sammy" Salter (Loughborough) He's still around (lives in Stoke) - goes to Stoke All Niters every now and again. Still got an impressive British collection. Never forgive him though for the advice pre my first All Dayer at Notts Palais Sep 1976. He was going through his Cleethorpes "military" fashion style (R.A.F. Shirt/tie). He told me I had to wear a tie or else I would look out of place....of course when I got in there (as a very self concious 14 year old) no ties to be seen! aaarrrrggghhhh!

[Guest Awake 502]

A friends sister who used to go to the Torch, we used to play her records when she was out, Sam and Kitty, Velours etc. I am sure Mr Hampsey will remember her, and The Charade and Herringthorpe Leisure Centre mid 70's...

[Sean Hampsey]

A friends sister who used to go to the Torch, we used to play her records when she was out, Sam and Kitty, Velours etc. I am sure Mr Hampsey will remember her, and The Charade and Herringthorpe Leisure Centre mid 70's...

Hi Darren... give me a clue?

My memory's fading me regarding allllll thoooose Laydeeees way back when!

Certainly remember The Charade though. Finest venue in the county at one time.

I DeeJayed there from circa late 1974 - 1977. Was the last DJ at the 'Old Look Charade' and the first to do 'The New Look Charade'. It didn't look new for long though. Opening night a massive fight broke out and the place (Brick feature walls and all) was torn to pieces!

Fantastic music though. Truly 'Across The Board' and although we had the Top allnighter sounds of the day we mixed it with James Brown, War, Isley Bros, Syl Johnson (We Did It), Blue Magic (Look Me Up) Brothers Guiding Light, Dramatics (Choosing Up On You), Invitations (Look On The Good Side), the whole nine yards!

Herringthorpe... well that's another story.

Good days mate. Good days.

Sean

[Guest Awake 502]

Hi Darren... give me a clue?

Liz McCambridge, she is / was married to a good friend of yours. her brother was my alibi when I sneaked off to Wigan / Cleethorpes / Sammi's...

Oh to be 14 again....

Edited June 3, 2006 by Awake 502

[John Elias]

Now,let me see,mm..............beam me back to 1968,8pm Saturday night,havin a game of footie in the park,three older lads came thru,all ponsed up with clean hair and shiney faces,won't name names.

Where you lads goin'?....To the Hop was the reply,you what?....to the soul night at Paynes they explained(still walkin briskly in the right direction).

The next week there I was,overwhelmed by the loud music,amazing dancers,lovely tottie and coca cola!,the bars were upstairs where the balcony overlooked the purpose sprung dancefloor,we,on rare occasions could slip past the bouncers on the stairs and manage to grab a half of Worthington E.......best days of our lives,shame most nights would end in a mass brawl(that's when the coke bottles were put to another use).

The love affair with the music had just begun,fourteen years old!...do I go on a bit or what?

[Guest LUCY J W]

Lucy, it was The 81 Soul Club ran by Mark White a beautiful guy comes on here now and again....oh and don't blame me...lol

Regards - Mark Bicknell.

Thanks Mark, you've been blamed for a lot worse I am sure

[Sean Hampsey]

Liz McCambridge, she is / was married to a good friend of yours. her brother was my alibi when I sneaked off to Wigan / Cleethorpes / Sammi's...

Oh to be 14 again....

Gotcha Darren.

Top girl Liz. Married to Neil, my old Stomping partner from the early 70's.

Can't help but smile just thinking about those times.

Sean

[Sean Hampsey]

Do you still see the person who is responsible for getting you into the scene?

1968, my older sister was a bit of a magnet for the local (older) mods. The front drive was like a Scooter park - they were always round our house playing the latest Motown and Stax things. I started finding and buying my own bits, trying to compete with them all. Spent my Saturdays in second hand shops buying everything on Black & Red Atlantic. Soon picked up a pile of UK Motown EP's for 7shillings and sixpence each... and blew them all away!

The real influence though was a guy called Jimmy Campbell. I thought he was a God! He went to the Mojo & the Wheel and always came back with the latest tunes. A real smooth guy Jimmy. Sharp Suit, Sheepskin, Royals, the works. One day I was round at his house and he opened up two massive boxes of 45's. He went through each one in turn "You got this?" "nope" it went on the pile. "You got this?" "Yup" it went on another pile. in the end the biggest pile was the stuff I hadn't already got. Guess what, he gave me the big pile. "You appreciate these even more than me" he says. You bet I did!

Jimmy helped forge my taste in soul music:- Spellbinders, Roscoe Robinson, Tommy Neal, Impressions, Betty Lavette etc... and I'm eternally grateful.

That was about 35 years ago. Often wonder what happened to him.

Sean Hampsey