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Posted

IMHO, as a young soulie of 16 myself, the scene I LOVE, and many others love, for it to have any chance of surviving needs new blood, a load of whiney soul snob bastards with comments like "Where did it all go so, so wrong?!!" are never going to take this scene anywhere.... fresh, enthusiastic, music-loving kids (similar to a bunch of kids who went to an old casino club in Wigan in the 70's) who have discovered this fantastic sound of black American soul music, with a heavy beat to die for, and fast tempo.... Remember that first record that made the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end? They're are kids out there now, finding a euphoria with Northern Soul, some 50 years after teenagers first had it... Now if that's not the magic that will keep this scene going, I don't what is....  :thumbsup: 

Yeah, you tell em! Was my first reaction at least, same as everyone else it seems. An admirable sentiment but doesn't stand up to much further analysis...

wHo are you angry at? People who dont love the brit awards and dancers dressed in excruciatingly shite badge covered 70s waistcoats?

Ought i to love these patently shit things in order to not be whiney soul snob bastard.

anyone who likes soul has a snobbery about lesser music. Good.

Posted (edited)

Levanna says megastar Williams was "warm and friendly". She said: "He was so enthusiastic and respectful about Northern Soul — and was trying to learn the steps in rehearsals. He gave me a massive high five after the performance."

Read more: https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Levanna-s-night-Brits-Pharrell-Nile/story-20673371-detail/story.html#ixzz2tyWx1wco

 

The key word for me is 'respectful'...

Edited by Soul-Slider
  • Helpful 3
Posted

I hope I'm not being tarred with the curmudgeon brush here. I'm not bothered if Pharrell has dancers, or what age they are, or who did what when with who.. Young people are definitely a great thing for any scene. As long as they're not Pharrell fans.

  • Helpful 1
Posted

 

Levanna says megastar Williams was "warm and friendly". She said: "He was so enthusiastic and respectful about Northern Soul — and was trying to learn the steps in rehearsals. He gave me a massive high five after the performance."

Read more: https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Levanna-s-night-Brits-Pharrell-Nile/story-20673371-detail/story.html#ixzz2tyWx1wco

 

The key word for me is 'respectful'...

 

 

Who'd want to take that away from her, or the rest of them?? 

  • Helpful 1
Posted (edited)

so has anyone heard PHARREL WILLIAMS played out at a soul night.....bloody hope not....

If you can call it a soul night, it was played on the north sea crossing "Soul Cruise" last week, and I would say imo it's odds on to start getting plays.

Edited by Paddywack
Posted

Well, I came into work this morning, having not been on SS at all last night, truly expecting the whole Pharrell Williams performance to be getting a right slating from all the usual doom and gloom merchants. How refreshing to see that's not the case! I do think most of that is down to Alison posting about how much she enjoyed it so many times though! 

I also love the song, it does make me smile everytime I hear it, Glad to see, as Chalky mentioned, that Despicable me 2 got mentioned in the reviews of the Brits Perdformance, it is what the the song was written for after all, not to annoy a bunch of over 50 soulies... It's one of the best bits of the film too, as well as been my favourite animated film of the last few years!

 

Oi you, I'll have you know that I was quite "happy" posting away in Freebasing when some dozy twonk (a guy who has a fetish for seeing Kylie in clown shoes & a parachute lol  ) started another thread, so lazy git me copied & pasted from the "original" thread, to only have Mike merge the two and make it look like I like the sight of my own handwriting typing.

 

Oi you, I'll have you know that I was quite "happy" posting away in Freebasing when some dozy twonk (a guy who has a fetish for seeing Kylie in clown shoes & a parachute lol  ) started another thread, so lazy git me copied & pasted from the "original" thread, to only have Mike merge the two and make it look like I like the sight of my own handwriting typing.   :D

 

wondered what they were all taking about at work , when i walked in ! ...but all comments were good i have to say . I would never have watched the Brits so was the first i heard of it .

 

"‹I have had to answer a few questions from my  colleagues NO! i don't wear a big skirt when i go out  :( 

 

I was gutted when I went in to work, as not one person had watched the Brits (the only reason I watched it was because of Paddywack's heads up on here), so I had to force my excitement on them whether they wanted it or not  :wicked:

 

Alison, that’s why everyone loves you. Smily, happy and very insightful, as you always are in person. Above in a nutshell. It probably makes you difficult to read for any boyfriend trying to figure out if he is trouble, but that’s another thread :D 

This is funny on a number of levels, the main one being though a bunch of people watching a media manipulated mass produced pish tv programme aimed at teenagers and then moaning because a group of teenagers are making them uncool. Hilarous.

It also is a poke in the eye for all those guys slagging the young lass that did the video, she is obviously a young kid bursting with creativity, matching that with her weekend passion and its got her a bit of notice, likely short term admittedly, but possibly a kick start to some creative career or even just a few years of ligging and having fun. What 16/17/18 year old wouldn't. And the fact we don't get it, is the point. If we did get what kids are doing with media, it will be because they have left it behind I would imagine. The world is changing, mass media is a part of it, and if nothing else the fact this girl has shared a stage with Nile Rodgers and Pharell Williams shows the power of the modern media. The fact we don't get it, is, I repeat, the point. I just hope she isn't on here in 20 years, reading the 250 obituaries a day about the old boys, moaning about her life being ruined because Pharelll never called, grab the chance with both hands I say.

As for the impact on the scene, interesting to hear a few returnees on here moaning about it, another layer of hypocrisy. Is this going to have loads of people running to all nighters, proclaiming I love it. No. Is it going to see the already teeming tea dances, populated by OAPs proclaiming KTF etc etc, talking about the twice they went to Wigan in 1975 before going home to their late night Cocoa at 12.30am. Probably. If you are on any level of the progressive scene why would you care on that. It may slightly impact on Cleethorpes/Prestatyn due to it being easier to take extra tena lady and english breakfast tea hampers to weekenders, but again who cares.

The more important question for all the moaners, will it make you get of your ass and get along to Lifeline this Saturday, support one of the proper progressive all nighters left, last of a dying breed, and keep some level of underground/progressive scene alive? And if not why not? Because you aren't Djing maybe, or you have your own night to run/plan. That’s the problem. If people started looking closer to home as to why the real scene is almost dead, then answers are there, or be like me and admit you don't have it left in you anymore! But stop blaming a runaway train that will eventually run out of steam, thats just sidetracking the issue.

Maybe this would matter more if I was 20 something and going out every weekend, but I like to think if I was I wouldn't even have heard of the Brits, and certainly wouldn’t be watching it. I would be lying on the couch, still nursing a weekend hangover from having been out, or playing my new records, or running off to phone box to make arrangements for the weekend. I wouldn't be watching the Brits. But that was 30 years ago. Times have changed. Then again I always thought I was cool because of what I was into, until someone much wiser than me then said, if you have to say out loud you are cool, you very rarely are! I now just drink cool gin!

PS As usual in the Northern Soul world, noone actually notices the music. Old Pharrell can actually sing. And I watched it on You Tube this morning before some smart alec comments

 

Jock - they certainly know when they're in trouble  .... just have a look under my patio  :wicked:

 

What a great post Jock  :thumbsup:  The viral thing certainly has taken off,  as when I forced my 3 minute Brits excitement on the guys at work, one of them pointed out that is how Justin Beiber became famous, making home videos that went viral .... not that I want Levana to go out, punch a cameraman, drive ridiculously fast cars, pxssed as fart, off her head on whatever, but it is obviously the way of the modern world, that until now, us old fogies didn't have a clue about.     

  • Helpful 1
Posted

I am not impressed at being called an old bastard by a young person and that's the only reason I'm still on the topic.

 

Good heavens Mr Smith sir; how very dare they? :wink: Do you want to set an age limit for those from whom you are prepared to take such abuse....just so we know where we stand? :wicked: 

 

A couple of the girls from the Highfield Soul Club got to dance with Pharrel Williams on the telly. I am dead chuffed for them.

 

All a bit of fun of the harmless variety. 

  • Helpful 1
Posted

I have 4 (young adult) kids, none of them have ever shown the slightest interest in anything NS, I have been invited to DJ locally and further afield regularly for most of their lives, only 1 of them (the oldest) has actually ever seen me, years ago, a couple of times,

 

To each their own and not knocking anyone elses perspective but the above situation suits me just fine, they do their thing, I do mine and whenever we fancy we often do something together on neutral territory,

 

As long as folk enjoy whatever it is they do is all that matters, I prefer to enjoy myself socially without my kids mostly and I'm happy that they don't tend to want me around either, which is where the comparisons with back in the day falls apart, god forbid my mum coming out with me in '76 :ohmy:

 

 

Not sure where that came from, or why, completely off topic, I must be bored :P

Posted

If you can call it a soul night, it was played on the north sea crossing "Soul Cruise" last week, and I would say imo it's odds on to start getting plays.

 

I still like the record, and can't help wiggling & clapping along whenever I hear it, but I truly would leave the room if it started getting plays at venues  ........... I may run outside and start wiggling, but I really can't see myself welcoming it on to the scene. 

 

"clap along if you feel like a room without a roof" must be one of the most silliest lyrics ever, but it hits me every time & makes me all giddy   :D  (I'm sick of writing happy  :rolleyes: )

  • Helpful 1

Posted

Good heavens Mr Smith sir; how very dare they? :wink: Do you want to set an age limit for those from whom you are prepared to take such abuse....just so we know where we stand? :wicked:

 

 

 

18

Posted (edited)

But it wasn't "organic" . Pharrell Williams has been a huge star for a long time, in the States and here.

Everything gets so corporate and commercialised. When the This England thing was aired it was on national TV but it still had a kind of quirky eccentric homely anorak feel about it. But this is different , its choreographed and marketed. The young people are great , fantastic dancers, all of them ,but its not them in a natural dance hall setting.

Years ago I think record companies, A&R and the Entertainment Industry still cared for the music, it did get commercialised , like punk, but now its all about putting a slick gloss on everything and smoothing off the edges, so its palatable and bland for the American and global mass market. Its the same with football and TV , where are the Play For Today dramas or Boys From The Black Stuff ? , its all marketing and brands now , its all about the money.

Northern Soul was never a slick city scene, it was a grimy mill towns and colliery towns affair, and NOT , as some keep saying, underground . Far from it . It is played everwhere in the north of England and always has been.

Some Dresser payed by a big record company based in NY can dress them up in tartan ? ! and what they THINK the scene is or what they think sells but its not real is it ? Its not a true representation.

Yes its great if music "echoes around the World" . Music is for everyone and this great dance music should be shared as much as possible but there was just something too stage managed about it . Its the Brits . Its industry , sell sell sell

 

 

Great post Krissi  :thumbsup:   but when I got into what I called "Northern Soul" at the time, which was 1987 (after enjoying Soul on the mod scene before) it was 110% an underground scene, & for me, stayed that way until about, I'd say only 10-15 years ago.    In 1990 when I told my then boss that I was into "Northern Soul" he thought it was a bloody band  :lol:     Now everyone, knows someone, who's mates mum,dad, brother, sister is in to it, which is fine, and good for some Promoters :thumbsup:  but for me, I have had an underground scene.... & flipping loved every minute of it   :thumbup:

Edited by Alison H
  • Helpful 2
Posted

Pharrels best tune is probably "Drop it like its hot " with Snoop Dogg. And he's now "So money supermarket."

 

I think his best tune is "Happy" but I think I have very commercial tastes. My two favourite Pop records from last year were both featuring him and also the two biggest-selling records from last year. I was so confident of "Happy" being a No.1 record that I took a bet on it for Xmas No.1 against the X Factor @ 33-1. Missed it by a week but my instincts were bang on.

 

The stuff that happened with the You Tube clip of Levanna dancing to the Pharrell/Velvet Hammer mashup which kicked things into gear is interesting. Who did the mash-up in the first place I wonder? Levanna obviously knew the sequence 'cos she's singing along to both tunes. Plus Pharrell used the clip in his 24 hour video for "Happy". The clip was absolutely pretty inspired as Pharrell was an instant hook but how many people are now also hooked on Velvet Hammer as a result? The two songs have now been bootlegged on a 7" which kinda shows how quickly things work these days.

 

Whichever way you look at it, it's a very interesting phenomenon. The Brits thing was simply the cream on the top of a perfectly executed campaign which has resulted in the biggest selling international single of 2014. The exciting thing to me, is that there's still clearly a huge international audience for up-tempo Northern Soul-like music. Amy Winehouse, Duffy and now Pharrell Williams have all demonstrated that millions of people love this sound. So clearly there's a huge and enthusiastic international audience out there and hopefully from this a new fan-base will emerge and keep the music going.

 

I've been listening, collecting and releasing this music for the last 50 years and, right now, I feel that this is one of those points where Northern Soul will catch the zeitgeist and attract a lot of new young fresh disciples at the very point when the scene needs a new generation to adopt it.

 

In many ways this has simply proved the continuing appeal of the scene - genuine young Northern Soul dancers in the climax of the Brits, Pharrell Williams giving respect to Northern Soul to an audience of millions and a world-class film about Northern Soul about to launch. Arguably, for the first time in 38 years, Northern Soul will be setting the media agenda again and I think that's a good thing for the future of the scene.

 

Ian D :D

  • Helpful 1
Guest Polyvelts
Posted

The whole thing is so stale and pathetic (the brits) , I was just working out the maths,and Bowie winning Best Male in 2014 would have been like Joe Loss or Noel Coward winning that award in 1978 whwn I was 16 !!!

 

But Mum I wanted the naughty Sex Pistols to win !!!

Posted

For what its worth, having given up reading all the comments half way through and the same old arguments raging AGAIN (yawn!), I like the song and the fact that the Brits actually acknowledged theres a scene in the first place and used young Northern dancers (nice old skool moves btw, keeping it real blood :-)) Down with the yoot me!) was a bonus. Here's something 50+ oldies like me have to understand, as a music scene we are no longer relevant in the great scheme of things in this brave new digital download world we live in. The old days, for me that was 1978 onwards, when we were truly an underground movement are gone. Jesus type in Northern Soul into Google and you get 56 million hits! Couple that with the media exposure, TV specials, 100s of CD's and the books that you can pick up in your local WHSmiths (and I even came across a copy of Manships Rare Soul Price Guide on the Indian Reservation bookshop in Minnesota!!!!) and you begin to realise WE AREN'T underground anymore - probably not been since the mid 70's. If the scene is to survive and move forward it needs new blood and nurturing to the traditions that we all love and understand but allowing them to move the scene forward in their way, as we all did when we high on the hair line and low on the waist line lol.

Arguments like this will rage until the day the world stops turning, when your passionate about something thats the very nature of the beast, but let's not stomp on new blood coming onto the scene. We are never going to stop the media from shinning a spotlight on us, it's how we project ourselves thats most important. 

 

That said Alison my missus Jane is in your camp re the PHOWAAAARRRRRR of Pharrell :D Sometimes it's not even worth trying to argue!

  • Helpful 1
Posted (edited)

This bit is a quote from Ian, sorry but don't know why it changed:

Whichever way you look at it, it's a very interesting phenomenon. The Brits thing was simply the cream on the top of a perfectly executed campaign which has resulted in the biggest selling international single of 2014. The exciting thing to me, is that there's still clearly a huge international audience for up-tempo Northern Soul-like music. Amy Winehouse, Duffy and now Pharrell Williams have all demonstrated that millions of people love this sound. So clearly there's a huge and enthusiastic international audience out there and hopefully from this a new fan-base will emerge and keep the music going.

 

 

I've been listening, collecting and releasing this music for the last 50 years and, right now, I feel that this is one of those points where Northern Soul will catch the zeitgeist and attract a lot of new young fresh disciples at the very point when the scene needs a new generation to adopt it.

 

In many ways this has simply proved the continuing appeal of the scene - genuine young Northern Soul dancers in the climax of the Brits, Pharrell Williams giving respect to Northern Soul to an audience of millions and a world-class film about Northern Soul about to launch. Arguably, for the first time in 38 years, Northern Soul will be setting the media agenda again and I think that's a good thing for the future of the scene.

 

Ian D :D

 

 

I agree Ian. There can't be many of us who got into it via the direct hit of seriously rare full on Soul 45s that you had to travel to hear. My route was everyday Motown and a thin stream of slightly more obscure tracks that our local dancehall (The Winter Gardens) played. A handful of older people (they must have been at least 17!) were already into the sound and sometimes brought records along that the DJ, Bob Boot, would play. Slowly but surely I got drawn in along with a few others.

I've been into it ever since, and through some brilliant people, adventurous DJs and general record collecting I've widened my tastes  and get great pleasure from the music. It may not have been the same route for everyone, but I think it's a fairly normal one and if Levanna's YouTube videos are anything to go by, she and a lot of the young people getting into the scene are already well on the way with that journey.

 

Sean

Edited by seano
  • Helpful 1
Posted

Why was Pharrell dressed like a reggae singer from the late 70s?

 

Dunno, but I thought he looked pretty cool (Not ironic btw) :wink: 

 

Right, time to get ready for Life-line......now what to wear?..... :D 

 

All the best,

 

Len :thumbsup: 

Posted

For what its worth, having given up reading all the comments half way through and the same old arguments raging AGAIN (yawn!), I like the song and the fact that the Brits actually acknowledged theres a scene in the first place and used young Northern dancers (nice old skool moves btw, keeping it real blood :-)) Down with the yoot me!) was a bonus. Here's something 50+ oldies like me have to understand, as a music scene we are no longer relevant in the great scheme of things in this brave new digital download world we live in. The old days, for me that was 1978 onwards, when we were truly an underground movement are gone. Jesus type in Northern Soul into Google and you get 56 million hits! Couple that with the media exposure, TV specials, 100s of CD's and the books that you can pick up in your local WHSmiths (and I even came across a copy of Manships Rare Soul Price Guide on the Indian Reservation bookshop in Minnesota!!!!) and you begin to realise WE AREN'T underground anymore - probably not been since the mid 70's. If the scene is to survive and move forward it needs new blood and nurturing to the traditions that we all love and understand but allowing them to move the scene forward in their way, as we all did when we high on the hair line and low on the waist line lol.

Arguments like this will rage until the day the world stops turning, when your passionate about something thats the very nature of the beast, but let's not stomp on new blood coming onto the scene. We are never going to stop the media from shinning a spotlight on us, it's how we project ourselves thats most important. 

 

That said Alison my missus Jane is in your camp re the PHOWAAAARRRRRR of Pharrell :D Sometimes it's not even worth trying to argue!

 

 

Feck I've run out of likes !!! 

 

Here's a photo to show Jane, taken earlier  :rolleyes:

 

post-16505-0-22563300-1393075389_thumb.j

 

 

Right, I'm off out now for the rest of the weekend, so I'll leave this thread in peace  :D  but it's still open for other people to comment, folk who maybe haven't been on Soul Source during the week. & not had chance to have their say, It's all good fun  :thumbsup:

  • Helpful 2
Posted

Feck I've run out of likes !!! 

 

Here's a photo to show Jane, taken earlier  :rolleyes:

 

attachicon.gif110.JPG

 

 

Right, I'm off out now for the rest of the weekend, so I'll leave this thread in peace  :D  but it's still open for other people to comment, folk who maybe haven't been on Soul Source during the week. & not had chance to have their say, It's all good fun  :thumbsup:

Ali, are you bringing him to the Vybe ? :thumbup:

  • Helpful 1

Posted

A thought occurred to me the other day, of the "haters" (a bit strong a word,I know, but I can't think of another lol) if it was their daughters, grand-daughters performing in front of the music industry (ok it's primarily pop, but still a massive event), would they be as scathing ... I somehow think not, & believe they would be proud as punch .... though they'd never admit it on here ha ha 

 

I don't actually see any haters in this thread? The impression I'm getting is a few of the older guys are annoyed at the commercialisation of a scene that kind of owes its success to the lack of commercialisation, which people seem to be misconstruing as them shaking their fists at those annoying youngsters who're trying to steal their scene.

Posted

I agree Ian. There can't be many of us who got into it via the direct hit of seriously rare full on Soul 45s that you had to travel to hear. My route was everyday Motown and a thin stream of slightly more obscure tracks that our local dancehall (The Winter Gardens) played. A handful of older people (they must have been at least 17!) were already into the sound and sometimes brought records along that the DJ, Bob Boot, would play. Slowly but surely I got drawn in along with a few others.

I've been into it ever since, and through some brilliant people, adventurous DJs and general record collecting I've widened my tastes  and get great pleasure from the music. It may not have been the same route for everyone, but I think it's a fairly normal one and if Levanna's YouTube videos are anything to go by, she and a lot of the young people getting into the scene are already well on the way with that journey.

 

 

But everyday Motown and a thin stream of more obscure tracks in your local dancehall can't be compared to a tune that the whole nation has as their ring tone!

Posted

as it seems that the main topic of this thread has run its course

will look at closing  this in the next 12-24 hrs

as always if want to discuss some of the other points raised further then feel free to start up a new thread

cheers

mike

Posted (edited)

Feck I've run out of likes !!! 

 

Here's a photo to show Jane, taken earlier  :rolleyes:

 

attachicon.gif110.JPG

 

 

Right, I'm off out now for the rest of the weekend, so I'll leave this thread in peace  :D  but it's still open for other people to comment, folk who maybe haven't been on Soul Source during the week. & not had chance to have their say, It's all good fun  :thumbsup:

 

You'd better bloody run Ali! Jane still salivating all over the keyboard after showing her that pic!!!! Thank god you two can't meet up at the Plinston again, we'd be dancing in a pool of....well i'll leave it there! 

 

On a final point I'd like to add that my boy, who has always graced me with the witty retort of 'is that your R-Soul music again dad!' (now that IS an oldie) whenever I spin something has actually said that he likes the Pharrell record (and him but thats another story!) and do i have anything similar he can listen too - I almost snapped my boot of Velvet Hammer in shock and surprise  :rofl:

Edited by TheBigO
  • Helpful 1
Posted

On a final point I'd like to add that my boy, who has always graced me with the witty retort of 'is that your R-Soul music again dad!' (now that IS an oldie) whenever I spin something has actually said that he likes the Pharrell record (and him but thats another story!) and do i have anything similar he can listen too - I almost snapped my boot of Velvet Hammer in shock and surprise  :rofl:

 

But that's the whole point really. All I've ever really said is that, whether we like it or not, the Pharrell Williams record has demonstrated that there's still a huge audience out there for up-tempo commercial Soul tunes which may lead some of the audience into digging deeper and getting into the scene. Better "Happy" than Rap/Heavy Metal/Dubstep/Tuneless Pop etc, etc.

 

Is Velvet Hammer getting re-activated anywhere yet?

 

Ian D :D   

  • Helpful 2
Posted

But that's the whole point really. All I've ever really said is that, whether we like it or not, the Pharrell Williams record has demonstrated that there's still a huge audience out there for up-tempo commercial Soul tunes which may lead some of the audience into digging deeper and getting into the scene. Better "Happy" than Rap/Heavy Metal/Dubstep/Tuneless Pop etc, etc.

 

Is Velvet Hammer getting re-activated anywhere yet?

 

Ian D :D   

played at the central , leeds last sunday , ian sounded good to me  :thumbsup:

Posted

Do we agree that a Northern Soul record doesn't have to be a soul record?

Cheers,

Mark R

It would have been nice if it did, but some of the rubbish played over the years clearly means the answer is no.

  • Helpful 1
Posted

I will get slatted  by many but I got to say imo after seeing the clip if Northern soul did go commercial big time with joe public it would finish the underground scene

Posted

I will get slatted  by many but I got to say imo after seeing the clip if Northern soul did go commercial big time with joe public it would finish the underground scene

1 scene would cash in and all the duke box djs would feel epic

the other scene it won't effect cos its still real

Guest Trevski
Posted

Am I alone on here . I had never heard of him or the song before the u tube clip posted on this thread. Ignorance is certainly bliss in this case. Steve

Guest Trevski
Posted

Its only a poor Smokey Robinson look-a-like/impersonator in Malcolm Mclarens old hat...you've not missed a thing....

Guest
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