King Mojo Club 1967

[Roburt]

The (King) Mojo Club in Sheffield was where I first got to experience the excitement of watching numerous live soul acts. Whether it was UK based outfits that played the Sunday night sessions (Jimmy James & Vags, Geno Washington & RJB, Alan Bown, Jimi Hendrix, Sonny Childe & TNT, Chris Farlowe, Jimmy Cliffe & Breakdown Sound, etc.) or the American based acts that played the Saturday 'niters' or Sunday 'dayers' (Stevie Wonder, Garnet Mimms, Spellbinders, Alvin Cash & Crawlers, Roy C, Jnr Walker, Edwin Starr, Inez & Charlie Foxx, Ike & Tina Turner, Rufus Thomas, Wilson Pickett, Ben E King, Isley Bros, etc). In addition to all the live acts there were all the great new sounds on record that the place introduced me to (either directly or indirectly). The place was so influential in Yorkshire, that a new dance performed @ the Mojo would have spread out to clubs in Doncaster, Hull, Goole, Grimsby, Lincoln, Worksop & beyond within days. The same went for all the new records that Pete Stringfellow would spin. If Brenton Wood's “Gimme Little Sign” was played on import at the niter, club DJ's across the county would be chasing a copy by the Tuesday.

Top sounds @ the Mojo in 1967 were the Brenton Wood cut already mentioned, the Artistics “I'm Gonna Miss You”, Homer Banks “60 Minutes of Your love” & “A Lot Of Love”, Bud Harper “Mr. Soul”, Major Lance “The Beat”, Chubby Checker “Discotheque”, Inez & Charlie Foxx “Tightrope”, Wilson P's “Midnight Hour”, Eddie Floyd's “Knock On Wood”, Darrell Banks “Open The Door”, Phil Upchurch “Can't Sit Down”, Impressions “You've Been Cheatin”, COD's “Michael”, Rex Garvin's “Sock It To Em JB”, Lee Dorsey's “Ride Your Pony”, Fontella Bass “Rescue Me”, loads from Willie Mitchell, “The In Crowd”, “Never Like This Before”, “Billy's Bag”, “Harlem Shuffle” and many more. The list above doesn't even include any of the many Motown tracks that were anthems, as these are just too numerous to mention. The odd ska track was also still played; Prince Buster, the Folk Brothers & Roland Alphonso. But it wasn't only 45's that Pete played. Tracks such as Stevie Wonder's “Love A GoGo” and Billy Stewart's “Exodus” were up there amongst the top legendary tracks played on a regular basis. In addition to all the normal activities of an everyday niteclub, the Mojo always went further. Pete allowed local acts to record tracks at the club for inclusion on Sheffield University charity rag records, sold mostly locally for a week or two in a particular year (in 67 the likes of Joe Cocker & local black act the Pityful Souls featured on the Rag EP).

In the middle of each week, Pete would disappear off to London to run the dance floor action on TV show RSG. Here, he would obtain all the new 45's (UK & US) plus make new contacts re: booking live acts. One of Jimi Hendrix's 1^st live UK gigs (outside London) was at the Mojo. If you wanted to go down and be on RSG, then you only had to ask him & tickets for the show would be produced. A barrel stood at the end of the (low) stage area and the more adventurous good dancers would climb on top of this and dance. The stage was at the very back of the building, while the dressing room/s was at the very front. There was no other way to get on and off the stage other than to walk through the entire length of the club (across the dance floor). So, if the artists were really giving a great show, Stringers would encourage everyone to squash up even tighter at the front & he'd tell the act that they couldn't leave the stage until the crowd let them (when we'd had enough). Many a time, we'd get extended encores until the singer would just about collapse on stage. Little Stevie Wonder had a real torrid time as being blind, he had no real idea what was going on as he was escorted on & off stage.

The usual practice, ahead of the Mojo niters, was for lots of soulies to gather in Dony late afternoon / evening at a coffee bar at the bottom of Lazarus Court (off East Lathe Gate). When a crowd from Scunny, Goole, Hull had teamed up with locals, we'd eventually head off to Sheffield, mob handed. Unfortunately the Mojo club was housed in a converted house in the middle of a residential area. Locals didn't take kindly to all these strangely clad teenagers turning up at nearly midnight every Saturday night. Milk bottles would disappear off door steps on Sunday mornings and so the club had very unhappy neighbors. The drug squad would raid the place on a regular basis but no one would ever be found with drugs on them. The place was even raided on a Sunday evening & Jimi Hendrix was questioned as to whether he had an illegal drugs. As Jimi calmly smoked a joint, he told officers that, no, he had never done drugs. But the council finally got it's way and a license was refused in early October 1967. As booze wasn't on sale in the club, it had never needed a license but then the Government fetched in legislation to make all night clubs obtain a license & so Pete attempted to gain favour. The allniters were ended, with Geno Washington being the live attraction at the last one (15^th April 67). Members drifted off to attend clubs in Nottingham, Leicester, Hull, Tadcaster, Goole, Bridlington, Grimsby, Lincoln and the like.

An allniter was even set up in Scunthorpe (@ the Workshop ?) on Friday 23^rd June but this was canceled at the last minute as someone got cold feet. But Pete S couldn't resist catering for the old crowd, so he started Sunday alldayers. Sunday 16^th July saw the (fake) Drifters play to a capacity house and just about all the old crowd returned (the Hull lot even arranging a coach to ensure they could get home at the end of the night). But the club was doomed and so Pete, seeing nothing was going to change the council's mind, briefly reinstated niters. An alldayer featuring the Fabulous Temptations featured at the Mojo on Sunday 3^rd September, but on Saturday 23^rd September the Drifters (Invitations) were the star attraction at a niter. It was home to Dony for a wash, drink & a bite(?) then back to the Mojo for a dayer starring Garnet Mimms. Jimmy Cliffe & the Shakedown Sound starred @ the following Saturday niter session. However the last ever session at the club took place on Sunday 8^th October with Stevie Wonder holding sway for the dayer audience. The club was packed but by now all the local mini-mods had cottoned on to what was happening and you couldn't move for 14 / 15 year olds. Stringfellow quickly moved on, arranging big soul festivals at Sheffield City Halls & in Leeds. Other post-Mojo venues he got involved with included Castleford's Crystal Bowl but he was soon back in Sheffield with his own Down Broadway and the Penthouse Club (where niters / dayers were staged in the 80's). Pete was no longer happy in Sheffield, so moved on via Leeds, Manchester, London , Miami, LA then back to London with the Hippodrome & Stringfellows Clubs.

The crowd also moved on (finally), with some heading down to the Nite Owl each weekend but this club suffered a similar fate on December 4^th. So, by default, the majority of us ended up going to the Wheel and there we got to see more great soul acts perform. But some of the old crowd now started drifting away, they found steady girlfriends, got fed up with catching Saturday trains to distant cities or trying to scrounge lifts in cars heading off to niters. So, I lost touch with many good friends, lots of whom I would never see again.

The main stays of the Mojo crowd that I hung with were this lot ….........

DONCASTER: Paul Wombwell, Monica Smith, Tom Sleight, Jack Telford, John Sullivan, Foz, Frank Nixon, Hutch, Melv Curry, Paul Tag, Kev, Steve Massey, 'Sugar' Kane, Higgo, Sev, Kendrick, Al Chappell, Al Taylor, Willowboat, Cliff Sirs, Audrie, Sandie, Eleane & a few more.

SCUNTHORPE: Steve K, Fred Benson, Mick Graham, Bob King, Steve P, Pip, Penny, Pete, Pete, Ben

CONISBORO: Chris Farrell

PETERBORO: Toots, Gunner, John

LINCOLN: Gordon Raft, Johnny Street,

HULL: Jill Everingham RIP), Mike Bird, Steve Jennison, Pat Mercer (RIP), Steve Mercer, Rupert, Paul Quinn, Phil Smith, Ipswich (actually from Ipswich but hung with Hull mob), Nick, Dunc, Tom, Denise, Val, Liz, Graham Bolton, Rikki Dobbs (DJ @ Gondola).

GOOLE: Jean, Charlie Pettigan,

NOTTINGHAM: Eric, Dave, George, Kenny Sharpe, Click, Sue, Sue

YORK: Veronica, Dee

SHEFFIELD: Ben, Rimo, Stew,

LEICESTER: Banger, Sheila,

ASHFORD: Pete, Chris

WOLVES: Sinbad

NORTHAMPTON Mick Murphy

KIDDERMINSTER: Mick, John

WALSALL: Brian

BARNSLEY AREA: names lost in mists of time but was really friendly with 2 girls from village outside of town

WORKSOP: Mick ?? grumpy lad from Shireoaks who later hung out with Pete Ward's crowd.

 

Lots of the names don't give you much to go on but back then it was just … Eric from Notts is in, he's with Kenny Sharpe !!

Almost all of the above went to the Mojo but as we started heading off in 67 to Leicester & Manchester, a few names above will be folks we met at the Nite Owl, Wheel who then started hanging with us in various locations.

 

Are any of the above on here or known to folk on here ???

I know Scunny's Fred Benson is on here … AND … Mike Bird from Hull (but now living in Sth France); his younger brother is on here – Martyn

Tom Sleight (Dony) - I'm still in touch with & we're off to a soul b'day party in Worksop in two weeks time.

Cliff Sirs is now back in Dony & I used to see Audrie at Dony do's or Cleggy Weekender until about 10 years ago. Think Chris Farrell's on here too.

Charlie Pettigan (Goole) was last heard of living in Reading (7/8 yrs back).

Edited March 24, 2016 by Roburt

[Roburt]

Forgot a couple of sounds that were also popular @ the Mojo ........... the Ska Kings "Jamaican Ska" (really Byron Lee & his lads) PLUS one that took off in the summer of love (67) ....  Dion's original version was played 1st "My Girl The Month of May" .... but coz of it's Mojo popularity, Alan Bown did a cover version just as they were leaving the R&B room forever ......... this is by no means soul .........

   

Edited March 24, 2016 by Roburt

[Chris Turnbull]

Superb article and photos, thanks - really enjoyed reading. All that in a residential area - amazing to imagine Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Wonder etc turning up 

[Roburt]

Stringfellow must have got an acetate of the Alan Bown version of "My Girl The Month of May" as that version didn't escape until 1968 on their 1st MGM / Music Factory LP. Alan Bown's 1st UK MGM 45 was released in October 67, their take on "Gonna Fix You Good" having escaped in March 67 (their last Pye 45).

[phatspinner]

If only I had a time machine!

[Roburt]

Me too ... when the Hull lot got a coach up to do a Mojo alldayer, lots of 'newbies' would come along to see what the crack was. It was daytime, so still light. They would fetch cameras & pose for pics outside the club as we waited for the doors to open (I always hung with the Hull lot as come midnight, it was very hard to get home from north Sheffield to Dony ... problem solved, I was mates with all their crowd so was squeezed onto their coach & thrown off in Dony). 

So anyway, I would be asked many times, come on, be in this picture BUT I always refused. I'd give anything now to have a picture of myself & their crowd posing outside the Mojo. 

[Guest roggert]

I started mid 1965 at the mojo , I remember the first big drugs bust when 2coaches turned up with them were Sheffield D.S. On the TV the following week "prescription drugs worth around £12 had been seized !"so the BBC  reporter said. You re from donny do you remember Phil stables ,Johno and marsh ,big and little cogsey,Alan Taylor ,did you go to the attic in Doncaster ? The nite owl in Leicester - robin the Dj. Playing boogaloo party must have played it ten times a night!some the names you mentioned I knew well also radio ,little Eric ,algy from Notts . Apart from the wheel I went to the Nottingham dungeon and beachcomber nighters, the tinned chicken and bin lid .i even went to the Northampton --earls Barton dog track nighters. The best nighter however was near Derby -The blue orchid a marvellous country club venue with even clean toilets ! A dance floor of glass that had a swimming pool underneath! Speaking of Derby  Jimmy, fahey, ,feyak, big Chris -who got killed on the way to Sheffield after a blue orchid nighter.  Did you know the Peterborough lads Sean  caddy , Grantham - Phil Eddie dodger Dave Owen all went to the mojo  and the top man heavy blocker TOOTs , my mate at mojo  nighters was Chris Farrell he's on Facebook and on soul source!       Thanks for reminding me of the names I hadn't heard of for so many decades I eventually stopped going to niters the last one was a Samantha's reunion 4 years ago ,there were so many others but typing is getting to me ,regards Roggert.

[Roburt]

I remember some of those names, others are lost in the mist of time ..

...... AND ... yes, I did go to the Attic, even DJ'ed there once (when J J Jackson was the live act) !!

[Roburt]

An earlier attempt I made at writing about the Mojo (this dates from the mid 80's) .....

Although it is not more than 30 years since the club closed down, the memories of the King Mojo Club in Sheffield are still fresh for the people who used to go there every week or every time that news about the Peter and Geoff Stringfellow brothers appear in the press.

The club was opened in 1964 by brothers Peter and Geoff. They were making a name for themselves thanks to the club and they were successful enough to attract the The Beatles for some shows. This success took them to sign similar bands and to promote gigs for the Rolling Stones and other British R &B bands.

The brothers were offered an old dancing hall, Day's Dance Hall, and they rented it for 30m pounds a week after refurnishing it. They choose the name Mojo after hearing the song "Got My Mojo Working" and the club soon attracted a new set of people who followed blues and soul music. It soon earned a great reputation because of the enthusiasm of the two brothers.

At the beginning, it only was open on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, but soon an allnighter was added on Saturdays, always with an American soul artist. On Sunday it was time for British R & B or soul bands, opening from 8pm until 11pm.

Sometimes, Pete and Geoff could not afford the money a great artist demanded, like Wilson Pickett, so they asked him to sing at 2am, after he had sung at a bigger club earlier the same evening. The artist always charged them less for doing so.

All-nighters began in 1965 with a one pound entrance fee and the sessions started at midnight. Soon, a regular crowd began to go, with people from Sheffield and nearby cities like York, Hull and Nottingham turning up. The meeting point was the Favorita Coffee Bar, in the centre of town. At 11pmeverybody went to the Mojo and began to queue in order to ensure they were let in.

Of the two brothers, Peter was always the showman and he also liked to DJ. In 1963, ITV had started "Ready, Steady Go", where you could see lots of black artists like Major Lance, Otis Redding or Inez & Charlie Foxx. Peter Stringfellow enjoyed the programme so much that he went to the ITV offices to talk with one of the producers, Vicki Wickham. They gave Peter the task of entertaining the audience in the studio before filming began. He also controlled the dancers. He worked on “Ready, Steady, Go” for a year. During that time, every Thursday he travelled to London to the filming. Peter was supposed remain in the shadows, but he took every opportunity to be in front of the cameras while he was entertaining the crowd.

If you were a Mojo regular, Peter would give you tickets to the show, but I never took that offer because you had to spend a lot of time there on a Thursday and also to pay for the trip to London.

The Mojo soon changed its name to King Mojo. It was in Burngreave Road, with parking for cars and scooters. It was only one floor and it was quite small, with capacity only for 250 people, although it had a membership of 3,000. The record players were on the lefthand side of a stage that was only 25 feet long and 6 feet high. No alcohol was sold. The decor on the walls often changed too. At first, it was African warriors. Next, it changed to Pop-Art and then gangsters soon after and then, finally, it was flower power paintings.

The club’s policy was to play 95 per cent of soul music and some Blue Beat and ska. At the end, there was a record ("My girl, the month of May"- Dion) that was a well known flower power track. It was covered by The Alan Bown Set, one of the main English soul bands of the time, just because of the popularity that song had at the Mojo.

Some of the records that caused an impact at the all-nighters were things like "Love a go go" by Stevie Wonder, "You've been cheating" (Impressions), "Determination" by The Contours", "365 days" by Donald Height, "Oh baby you turn me on" by Willie Mitchell, plus the singles of the time from artists like Jackie Wilson, Homer Banks or Motown. The Artistics sounds “I’m gonna miss you” was the most important song: it meant the end of every all-nighter.

The best American artists played there: Ike & Tina Turner, Billy Stewart, Alvin Cash & the Crawlers, Ben E. King, The Spellbinders, Garnett Mimms and Stevie Wonder. The best English bands also were there: Geno Washington, Jimmy James & The Vagabonds, Chris Farlowe, Alan Bown Set, Georgie Fame, Zoot Money and Jimmy Cliff (who was then still in this soul phase). Even the Small Faces had one of their first gigs there.

The stage was opposite the dressing rooms, so when the club was crowded it was a problem for the artists to go up and down to the stage. The night Ike & Tina Turner were at the Mojo, they had to push their way to the stage with the three Ikettes and the 13 piece band. That helped creating an atmosphere for every show.

Peter was a real Yorkshireman. He wanted as much as he could from every band he signed. That’s why he sometimes encouraged the audience to block the way for the artists to the dressing room until they had performed a couple of more songs. That night with Ike & Tina Turner, they had to sing three more songs. Then, he asked the crowd to let them go to the dressing room. As the club had no air conditioning, sweat and condensation fell from the walls.

Around 1966 and 1967, having a great record collection was not important for your status. To be with the in crowd you had to wear the correct clothes: Mohair suits, Levi’s, brogues shoes, leather gloves… You also had to be good at the latest dances. Then, dances changed every seven or eight weeks. The best dancers performed on the stage. If you were brave enough, you could dance on a barrel that was close to the stage.

The only problem was that it was placed on the outskirts of the town and it was complicated to get there at night. Being out there also spelt the end for it. As it was surrounded by a residential zone, the neighbours complained. In a bid to stop the complaints, no more allnighters were organised. The last one was on April 15st in 1967 with Geno Washington.

Alldayers were held on Sundays, along with live shows and more young people could go to the club. When it was clear that the police would not support a new license for the club, a show with Jimmy Cliff & The Shakedown Sound was prepared on September the 30th in 1967. We had an incredible atmosphere. The next week it was time for the last show at the Mojo: an alldayer with Stevie Wonder. This time, lots of young people were able to go and that spoiled the atmosphere a bit.

Thanks to his status in the North and the Midlands, Peter Stringfellow was always required to spin in mod clubs. He used to DJ at the Dungeon inNottingham. By doing that he could earn some money when the Mojo closed. Also, he ran new all-nighters for his loyal supporters at the Crystal Bowl Club. The Mojo crowd would go out to other clubs like the Nite Owl in Leicester, the Bin Lid in Dewsbury or the Twisted Wheel in Manchester.

The Stringfellow brothers did not leave the scene and opened new clubs. The old Mojo was turned into a Bingo hall and with the money from that deal, the brothers invested in a Sheffield basement. In another of their clubs, the Penthouse, they had problems with the license and they could not run all-nighters. Years later, in the 80’s, all-nighters could be held at the Penthouse. But by then, the Stringfellow brothers had nothing to do with that club.

Peter became a multimillionaire. In London he opened "Stringfellows", a place for the rich and famous. He also managed the great Hippodrome disco. From London, he went to the United States and the two brothers are still there in the club business. The old Mojo building was a Bingo hall until 1982, when it was demolished. Now, a modern apartment block of stands over what it was a legendary club.

The Mojo might be only a name from the past for the soul music fans of today, but I can say that the legend that was built around the Twisted Wheel in Manchester would have been smaller if it was not for the demise of the King of Clubs, the King Mojo of Sheffield.

The ads for the last all-nighter at the Mojo had nostalgic and funny lines:

And so it came to pass,

the great and famous

King Mojo All-Nighters

had to stop!

A wailing and crying as

never heard before over took

Britain's Mod Populous

And at the last one,

Saturday XV April MCMLXVII

multitudes of all creeds gathered

(except the dreaded greasers)

and paid homage.

And from in their midst

came the great Prophet:

Geno Washington & His Ram Jam Followers

 

 

Edited March 29, 2016 by Roburt

[Bigsoulman]

What superb memories to have, I too lived that dream up here in Scotland and have a dedicated Facebook page which has really taken off, a wonderful time was had by all back then and don't believe all the guff that if you remember the 60s you weren't there, that's horse shit.

Lenny

[Roburt]

Lenny, I got my 1st real job in 66 having just left the 5th Form at school. So, I was living BIG from Sept 66 onwards. Before that, even though I had a Lambretta 175 and so could get about (Yorks coast, Boulevard Club in Tadcaster, nites out in Wakefield & Sheffield), I didn't really have enough money to live the soul / mod life. But that changed in Sept 66 and so we started to spread our wings a bit more. 

I was working as a Civil Eng for WRCC in Wakefield (helping set out the M1 in the area, which was just being built). ANYWAY, that December, everyone in our office was gifted pocket diarys ... it was 1st time I'd had such a thing ... so I filled in details of my daily / weekly life in it. By chance (coz we've moved house at least 6 times since then), I have always kept that diary.

Without it, the info above would be a whole lot more vague !! 

Edited March 29, 2016 by Roburt

[Bigsoulman]

Relying on a fading memory for me Roburt, I always seem to have a clear memory for certain times even though I was still at school and no real money coming in so it was always records first and hope my parents would kit me out in some Mod gear , I also went to see some great artists in my time who include The Kinks in 66 (twice) The Who in 66, Geno Washington, Jimmy James, was also at a Small Faces gig but ahem can't really remember anything about it..

Lenny

[Guest Ivor Jones]

Blinding article Roburt….

[Roburt]

Thanks Ivor. 

[kathdj]

Gordon Rath (Raffy) still lives in Lincoln.  The Lincoln soul scene is still going strong.

There are some great pics of the Lincoln crowd on

https://www.facebook.com/groups/DukeLincolnLads60s/?ref=bookmarks

and the story of how the Lincoln Mojo and Wheel gang set up the Duke of Wellingon Soul Club here

 

Edited March 30, 2016 by kathdj
spelling!

[Roburt]

When the Mojo was closed down, we had to MAKE DO with other venues ..........

At one of the Crystal Bowl niters I even got to judge the dance competition. Stringers was always pulling some stunt & this night, he decided to run a dance comp. He knew me & I happened to be close to the DJ stand, so he pulled me up & set me on as judge.

I watched the dancers & when asked who should get the prize, I nominated a good female dancer ... why should she win, he asked ... coz she's my girlfriend I replied ... needless to say, the prize went elsewhere. Just shows how strange your memory is ... I can still recall the track they danced to ... Doris Troy's "I'll Do Anything" (always a fave of mine).

The Tin Chicken nights were held in 1968 but I haven't kept my old diary for that year so can no longer be sure which of them I attended (as we alternated between Castleford & the Wheel in that period). BTW, the Isley Bros were actually the Diplomats (SAm, Erv & Tom), the Drifters were the Invitations, The Fantastics had been the Fabulous Temptations (& Stringers had become their manager). Can't recall who the Impressions really were at the mo  .... checked my article on fake groups & the Impressions who toured the UK in 68 were really the Topics (NY / NJ group on Carnival / Chadwick / Heavy Duty, etc.). 

 

Edited April 24, 2016 by Roburt

[Roburt]

Our lass wanted to know what I was doing on the computer & when she saw the last post she reminded me of some more facts associated with that Tin Chicken dance competition .... seems that her & Tom Sleight noticed that I'd been selected as dance judge (Dony's Len Goodman), so shot onto the dance floor as a couple. They gave it their best moves & the crowd got behind them ... then this stunning blonde in a short dress (who she recalls came from Stoke !?!?!) joined in .... I picked our lass as the winner ... BUT Stringers (always one for a game looking bird) overruled me and gave her the prize ... he always did have an eye for the ladies & sought out ways to impress them !!  

Edited March 30, 2016 by Roburt

[kathdj]

My friend Paulene and I made a massive tin chicken in art class at school as a tribute, out of wire and tin lids.

Wasn't Stringfellow reknowned for an eclectic taste in cars - like an old Rolls or a London taxi.

[Roburt]

He certainly liked cars ... BUT ... he liked the ladies a lot better .... the times he'd have to get punters @ the Mojo to delay his wife making into the dressing room on a club night were too numerous to mention.

When he moved on for Sheffield, his 1st port of call was a club in Leeds ... a bit more upmarket (was it called Millionaires or was that just his Manc club's name). Anyway, his party piece there was measuring the distance between female's nipples (up on stage with everyone else watchin) ... according to him this proved something really significant about a woman if they were the perfect distance apart !! 

[Kevinkent]

What a fantastic article Roburt.   I say 'article' because that's the way i see your posts - a series of lengthy and informative posts for us all to feast upon, with just an occasional prompt from another member.

Re your list of names, the only one that I recall is Mick Murphy of Northampton.  He was the first  DJ that really set my soul on fire and set me on a journey. He used to host numerous nights in Northampton, notably for me at the 'Maple Ballroom' which was later to be re-vamped and become 'Shades' but was never as atmospheric as it's original dilapidated incarnation. According to my brother, who has remained local to the area, Mick is still performing his craft although didn't look in the best of health when seen about a year ago.

- Kev

[Guest ShaneH]

Hi Roburt

Charlie Pettigan - Goole

could this be Charles Pettican? 

If so I think you are talking about my uncle. When you said he moved to Reading this sounded more likely as he moved to Wokingham, Berkshire in the late 70s I think. Deffo Wokingham not entirely sure on dates but I won't be far off. 

I never knew he was into soul music therefore we may be taking about a different bloke. It's just a big coincidence to ignore. He'll be about 66 now. 

Interested in your reply. Thanks. 

[soulfulmick]

On ‎29‎/‎03‎/‎2016 at 08:46, Roburt said:

An earlier attempt I made at writing about the Mojo (this dates from the mid 80's) .....

Although it is not more than 30 years since the club closed down, the memories of the King Mojo Club in Sheffield are still fresh for the people who used to go there every week or every time that news about the Peter and Geoff Stringfellow brothers appear in the press.

The club was opened in 1964 by brothers Peter and Geoff. They were making a name for themselves thanks to the club and they were successful enough to attract the The Beatles for some shows. This success took them to sign similar bands and to promote gigs for the Rolling Stones and other British R &B bands.

The brothers were offered an old dancing hall, Day's Dance Hall, and they rented it for 30m pounds a week after refurnishing it. They choose the name Mojo after hearing the song "Got My Mojo Working" and the club soon attracted a new set of people who followed blues and soul music. It soon earned a great reputation because of the enthusiasm of the two brothers.

At the beginning, it only was open on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, but soon an allnighter was added on Saturdays, always with an American soul artist. On Sunday it was time for British R & B or soul bands, opening from 8pm until 11pm.

Sometimes, Pete and Geoff could not afford the money a great artist demanded, like Wilson Pickett, so they asked him to sing at 2am, after he had sung at a bigger club earlier the same evening. The artist always charged them less for doing so.

All-nighters began in 1965 with a one pound entrance fee and the sessions started at midnight. Soon, a regular crowd began to go, with people from Sheffield and nearby cities like York, Hull and Nottingham turning up. The meeting point was the Favorita Coffee Bar, in the centre of town. At 11pmeverybody went to the Mojo and began to queue in order to ensure they were let in.

Of the two brothers, Peter was always the showman and he also liked to DJ. In 1963, ITV had started "Ready, Steady Go", where you could see lots of black artists like Major Lance, Otis Redding or Inez & Charlie Foxx. Peter Stringfellow enjoyed the programme so much that he went to the ITV offices to talk with one of the producers, Vicki Wickham. They gave Peter the task of entertaining the audience in the studio before filming began. He also controlled the dancers. He worked on “Ready, Steady, Go” for a year. During that time, every Thursday he travelled to London to the filming. Peter was supposed remain in the shadows, but he took every opportunity to be in front of the cameras while he was entertaining the crowd.

If you were a Mojo regular, Peter would give you tickets to the show, but I never took that offer because you had to spend a lot of time there on a Thursday and also to pay for the trip to London.

The Mojo soon changed its name to King Mojo. It was in Burngreave Road, with parking for cars and scooters. It was only one floor and it was quite small, with capacity only for 250 people, although it had a membership of 3,000. The record players were on the lefthand side of a stage that was only 25 feet long and 6 feet high. No alcohol was sold. The decor on the walls often changed too. At first, it was African warriors. Next, it changed to Pop-Art and then gangsters soon after and then, finally, it was flower power paintings.

The club’s policy was to play 95 per cent of soul music and some Blue Beat and ska. At the end, there was a record ("My girl, the month of May"- Dion) that was a well known flower power track. It was covered by The Alan Bown Set, one of the main English soul bands of the time, just because of the popularity that song had at the Mojo.

Some of the records that caused an impact at the all-nighters were things like "Love a go go" by Stevie Wonder, "You've been cheating" (Impressions), "Determination" by The Contours", "365 days" by Donald Height, "Oh baby you turn me on" by Willie Mitchell, plus the singles of the time from artists like Jackie Wilson, Homer Banks or Motown. The Artistics sounds “I’m gonna miss you” was the most important song: it meant the end of every all-nighter.

The best American artists played there: Ike & Tina Turner, Billy Stewart, Alvin Cash & the Crawlers, Ben E. King, The Spellbinders, Garnett Mimms and Stevie Wonder. The best English bands also were there: Geno Washington, Jimmy James & The Vagabonds, Chris Farlowe, Alan Bown Set, Georgie Fame, Zoot Money and Jimmy Cliff (who was then still in this soul phase). Even the Small Faces had one of their first gigs there.

The stage was opposite the dressing rooms, so when the club was crowded it was a problem for the artists to go up and down to the stage. The night Ike & Tina Turner were at the Mojo, they had to push their way to the stage with the three Ikettes and the 13 piece band. That helped creating an atmosphere for every show.

Peter was a real Yorkshireman. He wanted as much as he could from every band he signed. That’s why he sometimes encouraged the audience to block the way for the artists to the dressing room until they had performed a couple of more songs. That night with Ike & Tina Turner, they had to sing three more songs. Then, he asked the crowd to let them go to the dressing room. As the club had no air conditioning, sweat and condensation fell from the walls.

Around 1966 and 1967, having a great record collection was not important for your status. To be with the in crowd you had to wear the correct clothes: Mohair suits, Levi’s, brogues shoes, leather gloves… You also had to be good at the latest dances. Then, dances changed every seven or eight weeks. The best dancers performed on the stage. If you were brave enough, you could dance on a barrel that was close to the stage.

The only problem was that it was placed on the outskirts of the town and it was complicated to get there at night. Being out there also spelt the end for it. As it was surrounded by a residential zone, the neighbours complained. In a bid to stop the complaints, no more allnighters were organised. The last one was on April 15st in 1967 with Geno Washington.

Alldayers were held on Sundays, along with live shows and more young people could go to the club. When it was clear that the police would not support a new license for the club, a show with Jimmy Cliff & The Shakedown Sound was prepared on September the 30th in 1967. We had an incredible atmosphere. The next week it was time for the last show at the Mojo: an alldayer with Stevie Wonder. This time, lots of young people were able to go and that spoiled the atmosphere a bit.

Thanks to his status in the North and the Midlands, Peter Stringfellow was always required to spin in mod clubs. He used to DJ at the Dungeon inNottingham. By doing that he could earn some money when the Mojo closed. Also, he ran new all-nighters for his loyal supporters at the Crystal Bowl Club. The Mojo crowd would go out to other clubs like the Nite Owl in Leicester, the Bin Lid in Dewsbury or the Twisted Wheel in Manchester.

The Stringfellow brothers did not leave the scene and opened new clubs. The old Mojo was turned into a Bingo hall and with the money from that deal, the brothers invested in a Sheffield basement. In another of their clubs, the Penthouse, they had problems with the license and they could not run all-nighters. Years later, in the 80’s, all-nighters could be held at the Penthouse. But by then, the Stringfellow brothers had nothing to do with that club.

Peter became a multimillionaire. In London he opened "Stringfellows", a place for the rich and famous. He also managed the great Hippodrome disco. From London, he went to the United States and the two brothers are still there in the club business. The old Mojo building was a Bingo hall until 1982, when it was demolished. Now, a modern apartment block of stands over what it was a legendary club.

The Mojo might be only a name from the past for the soul music fans of today, but I can say that the legend that was built around the Twisted Wheel in Manchester would have been smaller if it was not for the demise of the King of Clubs, the King Mojo of Sheffield.

The ads for the last all-nighter at the Mojo had nostalgic and funny lines:

And so it came to pass,

the great and famous

King Mojo All-Nighters

had to stop!

A wailing and crying as

never heard before over took

Britain's Mod Populous

And at the last one,

Saturday XV April MCMLXVII

multitudes of all creeds gathered

(except the dreaded greasers)

and paid homage.

And from in their midst

came the great Prophet:

Geno Washington & His Ram Jam Followers

 

 

Still got my copy of this somewhere along with my membership cards. Geno only did the early session and didn't appear at the all-nighter.

Remember the Ike and Tina night the club was rammed, probably the fullest it had ever been.

Also remember the TV in the little "coffee bar area" although I don't remember ever seeing it turned on.

Had some brilliant times there, just wish the memory was a little better

[Roburt]

Went on-line to see if I could find any pics of the Favorita Coffee Bar where we all used to meet & hang out till time to catch the bus up into north Sheffield .... no photos to be found but did pick this wisdom up ............

..... anyone go to La Favorita in the mid 60's on Carver Street (think it's a fashion shop now). Think it was one of the few places you could hang out listen to Motown and the such like  ......   ..........   I can remember drinking "hot lime" with a drop of sugar in it.It was served in a pyrex glass with a stainless steel holder. Might try one again just to recreate old times. Saturday afternoons used to be good, putting your order in to the shoplifters (Angie and friends), Levis for 50p, tab collar shirts from smc. Then getting "blues or bombers” for the all-niter at the Mojo from your local pusher or the lads from Peterborough.

[Roburt]

Been contacted on here about Charles Pettican of Goole ... they are related ... and it turns out that Charlie (it still has to be Charlie for me) only lives around 15 miles from me these days .... small world .... used to also go to the Paradise Club in Goole with Charlie & other Goole soulies. Records only nites but still good fun (think it was mainly Sunday nites there coz Saturday's were for the niters elsewhere).

[Graham Skinner]

2 hours ago, ShaneH said:

Hi Roburt

Charlie Pettigan - Goole

could this be Charles Pettican? 

If so I think you are talking about my uncle. When you said he moved to Reading this sounded more likely as he moved to Wokingham, Berkshire in the late 70s I think. Deffo Wokingham not entirely sure on dates but I won't be far off. 

I never knew he was into soul music therefore we may be taking about a different bloke. It's just a big coincidence to ignore. He'll be about 66 now. 

Interested in your reply. Thanks. 

High my names Graham Skinner. If Charlie is your Uncle what would his brother John be to you? 

I was mates with John when we were at school & till he moved over to Sheffield. 

Edited March 30, 2016 by Graham Skinner

[Guest ShaneH]

12 minutes ago, Graham Skinner said:

High my names Graham Skinner. If Charlie is your Uncle what would his brother John be to you? 

I was mates with John when we were at school & till he moved over to Sheffield. 

Hi Graham. 

John was my uncle too. He sadly passed away around 8 years ago. 

My mum is Annette the younger sister of them both. 

Shane. 

 

 

 

 

[Graham Skinner]

Hi Shane 

I heard about John after he had passed away. I hadn't been in contact with John since the mid 70s when he came through the to Goole one weekend. 

Nice to know you are keeping the soul connection going. 

[Guest ShaneH]

2 minutes ago, Graham Skinner said:

Hi Shane 

I heard about John after he had passed away. I hadn't been in contact with John since the mid 70s when he came through the to Goole one weekend. 

Nice to know you are keeping the soul connection going. 

Never knew they were into soul. Cheers Roburt and Graham. 

[Graham Skinner]

John was really well into the soul scene & was allyways a snappy dresser. He would stand out from us lot from Goole when he us to come over to the Vikings. 

[Guest ShaneH]

12 minutes ago, Graham Skinner said:

John was really well into the soul scene & was allyways a snappy dresser. He would stand out from us lot from Goole when he us to come over to the Vikings. 

Not the John I knew but great to hear he had some good times! Nice one graham. 

[Guest Linda Pidd]

Hello Roburt, I have loved reading this, I am from Goole and my maiden name was Linda Brough, many of my old friends have been mentioned in your account. I have a few more names to add to the list courtesy of Karen Rigby ( Harrison) from Donny and still my very close friend. There was also our friend Linda Farrar and Hilary Benson from Doncaster. Our group from Goole would as you say meet with our mates in Donny prior to setting off to an all nighter usually followed by an all dayer on Sunday. Goole names ( will have some missing because my memory is dreadful ) but here goes  - Linda & Sandra Brough, Jean Marritt, Sue Carmichael, Charlie Petican, Ron Smart, Dave Cooper, Kenny Walker ( we lost Kenny recently)  Mike Watkinson (Woko) , Nick O'Donnell, Dave Savage, Tom Smith  and others will come to mind. Friends from Doncaster were many and my closest friends stayed in touched . Roy Rigby ( married Karen) Cliff Sirs & Sandra, Pop Taylor ( lives in Canada) , Dave Roberts, Bronco, Bob Shikles, Lynn West, Anne Woods,Dave Jennings, Mac ( Ian McDonald), Nidge King, Brent Slater , Kev White.   - 'Radio' & Mick Wilson from Lincs. Chris Tracy from Ilkeston ( best man at my first wedding, godfather to my sons and married Jean they both well and still live. In Goole. Do I remember the 'king' of Lincoln being Gordan Raft? Dave Cooper & Greg Gowler ( Goole lads) contributing to the names & history. So many wonderful times & people from all over. Special times with mates from Hull & Scunthorpe as well .  Karen and I have some great times chatting about the good old days. I remember ' keeping / hiding' Sweeney and Richard from Sheffield in my Mum's pub upstairs for 2 weeks !! lol lol .  The Faith has continued and been nurtured in Goole, there is a dedicated and growing group of Motown & Northern Soul followers, we boast some serious collectors and fine DJ's .. we are blessed. Thank you very much for the memories . 

[Guest Linda Pidd]

Charlie was my very best friend and if he gets in touch please send him my love, I have thought of him often . 

[Guest ShaneH]

I'll pass on a link to this thread to Charles Petticans daughter. He might be interested in this. 

[kathdj]

"the king of Lincoln"!!  Gordon Rath on the RSG Otis Redding Special

[likealaff]

Well...........this IS interesting...what was it the Beatles  said on Sgt Peppers ?  "a splendid time is guaranteed for all "  I recall it being a bloody brilliant time for all. Here's a few more names and places to add to your list. Dek Wynn, Sue Pollard, Geoff  Womack ( married Veronica from York, the lucky sod! ) Sandy Grimes, June Arnette ,,Sue Grogan, "Little" Rita Devry , sadly no longer with us, but the BEST dancer ever !! Ian " Pixie" (don't recall his last name) Johnny Johnson ( with the two- seater  MG which  five of us would pile into regular ! )   "Bronco" Lane ( who drove his Dad's Jag and had LOTS of friends ) Kev McMahon who had a Metropolitan car which  ALWAYS had some thing wrong with it !  Ivan who had a white VW Beetle.  Al Turner, Terry, Sue, Angie from Armthorpe. A  few places  to add............the Merchant Navy House ( the BEST jukebox thanks to the sisters Brough ) the Vikings pub, Goole Ruby club. Danum  St Leger bar in Donny ( remember Hilda ?? )Top Rank on a Tuesday night, Excel Bowl with its great jukebox and tiny dance floor. Roburt, you mention a Dance Comp @ the  Tin Chicken  ( where on Earth did that name come from ?? )  I recall being shoved up on stage ( happily blocked I might add ) and myself and a guy called Alex from Wakefield getting a pound each our the trouble !!................ BIG time or what ??  I was going to list other names like Jennings , McDonald ,Rigby, Harrison,Sirs, Nigel King ( he and I both started work for the Gas Board on the same day)  but a certain Mrs Pidd seems to have beat me to it............. HELLO LINDA.................Mick "Pop" Taylor  Toronto via Intake !

while we're all on the same page.............something has bugged me for some time..........WHY has no-one issued a CD dedicated to the Mojo ???  Come on, the club,and Stringfellow in particular were an inspiration. I think Ace/Kent would do a cracking job. Where's the petition ??

 

Edited March 31, 2016 by likealaff

[Roburt]

3 hours ago, likealaff said:

 I recall it being a bloody brilliant time for all. Here's a few more names and places to add to your list. Dek Wynn, Sue Pollard, Geoff  Womack ( married Veronica from York, the lucky sod! ) Sandy Grimes, June Arnette ,,Sue Grogan, "Little" Rita Devry , sadly no longer with us, but the BEST dancer ever !! Ian " Pixie" (don't recall his last name) Johnny Johnson ( with the two- seater  MG which  five of us would pile into regular ! )   "Bronco" Lane ( who drove his Dad's Jag and had LOTS of friends ) Kev McMahon who had a Metropolitan car which  ALWAYS had some thing wrong with it !  Ivan who had a white VW Beetle.  Al Turner, Terry, Sue, Angie from Armthorpe. A  few places  to add............the Merchant Navy House ( the BEST jukebox thanks to the sisters Brough ) the Vikings pub, Goole Ruby club. Danum  St Leger bar in Donny ( remember Hilda ?? )Top Rank on a Tuesday night, Excel Bowl with its great jukebox and tiny dance floor. Roburt, you mention a Dance Comp @ the  Tin Chicken  ( where on Earth did that name come from ?? )  I recall being shoved up on stage ( happily blocked I might add ) and myself and a guy called Alex from Wakefield getting a pound each our the trouble !!................ BIG time or what ??  I was going to list other names like Jennings , McDonald ,Rigby, Harrison,Sirs, Nigel King ( he and I both started work for the Gas Board on the same day)  but a certain Mrs Pidd seems to have beat me to it............. HELLO LINDA.................Mick "Pop" Taylor  Toronto via Intake !

while we're all on the same page.............something has bugged me for some time..........WHY has no-one issued a CD dedicated to the Mojo ???  Come on, the club,and Stringfellow in particular were an inspiration. I think Ace/Kent would do a cracking job. Where's the petition ??

 

I'm so pleased that this thread has brought folk out who were around & involved back in 67, it was a GREAT TIME to be on the Yorks soul scene ...

Al Turner (along with Al Chappel) were close friends (but I mixed Turner up with Taylor in my initial post)  ... .. the Viking pub, ain't that where they had all the fake acts on, I seem to remember a lot of problems when a fake Carla Thomas appeared there (groups they could just about get away with BUT fake solo acts were taking the biscuit) ... St Leger Bar ... in the Danum Hotel, centre of Dony ... our usual watering-hole for many years (draft Double Diamond please) .... Top Rank on a Tuesday, to see how many new Mojo 45's the DJ had managed to get his hands on & just who could do the latest dance steps ... Excel Bowl, I spent the summer of 66 in there, the discotheque room with a jukebox as DJ ... I wanna play 'Sugar for honey's lunch, what the hell is that records real name, Oh it's a 4 Tops record is it ... we all used to park our scooters out front of the Excel & wander off onto the Town Fields if it was a slow sunny day ... 

... RE: a possible Mojo sounds CD .... I'm sure that could be a 'go-er', I'll speak with Ady ... WHEN he's not 2 weeks behind with Cleggy Weekender arrangements as he is now !!! 

Thanks to everyone for joining in !!!

 

Edited March 31, 2016 by Roburt

[Roburt]

29 minutes ago, Roburt said:

s ... Excel Bowl, I spent the summer of 66 in there, the discotheque room with a jukebox as DJ ... I wanna play 'Sugar for honey's lunch, what the hell is that records real name, Oh it's a 4 Tops record is it ... we all used to park our scooters out front of the Excel & wander off onto the Town Fields if it was a slow sunny day ... 

 

For fans of Dony's Horse & Groom soul sessions (that don't already know this fact)  .... the Excel Bown was right next door to the H&G ... don't know what's in the building now (the bowling alley / disco occupied the entire 1st floor above all the shops at ground level).

[Tfk]

On 23 March 2016 at 11:20, Roburt said:

WORKSOP: Mick ?? grumpy lad from Shireoaks who later hung out with Pete Ward's crowd.

 

Lots of the names don't give you much to go on but back then it was just

John,

 

Was it Mick Walters from Worksop/Shireoaks ? my oldest brother Jeff was a regular at The Mojo..

Great article BTW...

 

tfk

 

 

Edited March 31, 2016 by tfk
update

[Roburt]

Yep it was Mick Walters, though I don't really remember him from those days (67). But when I lived in Worksop, I got to know him well & he always claimed to have been a Mojo regular !!

[Guest chris farrell]

On 28 March 2016 at 23:06, roggert said:

I started mid 1965 at the mojo , I remember the first big drugs bust when 2coaches turned up with them were Sheffield D.S. On the TV the following week "prescription drugs worth around £12 had been seized !"so the BBC  reporter said. You re from donny do you remember Phil stables ,Johno and marsh ,big and little cogsey,Alan Taylor ,did you go to the attic in Doncaster ? The nite owl in Leicester - robin the Dj. Playing boogaloo party must have played it ten times a night!some the names you mentioned I knew well also radio ,little Eric ,algy from Notts . Apart from the wheel I went to the Nottingham dungeon and beachcomber nighters, the tinned chicken and bin lid .i even went to the Northampton --earls Barton dog track nighters. The best nighter however was near Derby -The blue orchid a marvellous country club venue with even clean toilets ! A dance floor of glass that had a swimming pool underneath! Speaking of Derby  Jimmy, fahey, ,feyak, big Chris -who got killed on the way to Sheffield after a blue orchid nighter.  Did you know the Peterborough lads Sean  caddy , Grantham - Phil Eddie dodger Dave Owen all went to the mojo  and the top man heavy blocker TOOTs , my mate at mojo  nighters was Chris Farrell he's on Facebook and on soul source!       Thanks for reminding me of the names I hadn't heard of for so many decades I eventually stopped going to niters the last one was a Samantha's reunion 4 years ago ,there were so many others but typing is getting to me ,regards Roggert.

Nice one rogert, blue orchard loved it, we did have fun at the mojo

[Guest Linda Pidd]

Hello Pop, wonderful to hear from you, have been remembering old times since this site was brought to my attention just yesterday. Amazing that so many of us still hold onto our love of the times, memories,old mates and of course the music.   I still very close to my lovely Karen and Roy, we don't get together enough but FB is a great link.  Goole is blessed with a group of soulies who have upheld the local scene and welcomed old and new into the fold . We have some dedicated followers who work hard at Keeping the Faith,  we are never short of great music and organised dance nights.  We have music forums and of course Goole Scooter Club . Don't know what the Canadian soul scene is like but over here it is in revival and lots of younger soulies coming through. I love it! like you my dear old friend.. I have some photos of when you , Roy and Dave Jennings came over to Jersey.. I will try and hunt them out. Not enough hours in the day !! Been off work a couple of weeks but back on Monday & moving house shortly. Will keep in touch, hope you and your family are all very well. I have let Karen & Linda Farrar know and will get this link to them . Take care. Xx

[Guest Linda Pidd]

We would likely meet up in the Danum Doncaster and depending on where we were going would often hitch to Sheffield, Manchester, Leicester, Derby, Huddersfield etc from either Goole /Donny. It was usual for us to get stuck on the Pennines !  If we caught the train, it was often the case that we travelled with detectives  Dolivera & Smith, Drug Squad Officers!!   My best friend Karen Harrison's dad was a Doncaster Police Officer, my Mum was a Goole landlady ( Merchant Navy House) who knew EVERYONE in the north of England! she had spies out everywhere ! .  How we got away with stuff I will never know. Amazing to think that in those days hardly anyone had a phone at home yet young people from all over the country ended up at the same venues. Some came from remote places & villages.. I often think how did we all know where to go . 

[Roburt]

On 3/30/2016 at 00:20, kathdj said:

"the king of Lincoln"!!  Gordon Rath on the RSG Otis Redding Special

Bet he got his RSG ticket direct from Stringers @ a Mojo session .... great days !!

[Roburt]

Little Queen Street, Hull .... home in the mid to late 60's of The Gondola (Hull's top mod / soul club on a night + coffee bar by day) ....

This door used to be the entrance to the club, Chris Farlowe passed thru here when he played live @ the place ....

Edited April 1, 2016 by Roburt

[Alleyoop]

Was not gonna comment on John (Roburt)s original piece  but as someone posted it onto the Mojo facebook page that I'm heavily involved with and I commented on it there, I thought to be fair I'd repeat it here. John piece did capture what the club was about well but and I now quote myself from facebook

"Unfortunately he missed out the main key fact that differeniated the Mojo play list from other clubs of the time i.e. where Stringfellow got the US imports he played. Stringfellow bought and played the UK releases which he got from Sheffield record shops (mainly Wilson Pecks) every Thursday. The US imports all came from Mike Ward who was getting them from US radio stations and bringing them to Pete. So the exclusive at the time plays for example like Billy Butler (Right Track and Boston Monkey) , Alvin Cash (She shot me through the grease) and one of the Mojo anthems Billy Stewarts Exodus were all provided by unsung hero Mike. Those tracks incidentally all from LPs also."

Growing up in Sheffield I attended the club from March '65 to its demise in Oct '67 and it was one of my main influences in setting me on the soul collecting path. Dont think John must have known him but I  just didnt want Mikes very important and key contribution not being included in what appears to be an ongoing discussion.

 

John Marriott

 

 

[likealaff]

On 3/31/2016 at 17:59, Linda Pidd said:

Hello Pop, wonderful to hear from you, have been remembering old times since this site was brought to my attention just yesterday. Amazing that so many of us still hold onto our love of the times, memories,old mates and of course the music.   I still very close to my lovely Karen and Roy, we don't get together enough but FB is a great link.  Goole is blessed with a group of soulies who have upheld the local scene and welcomed old and new into the fold . We have some dedicated followers who work hard at Keeping the Faith,  we are never short of great music and organised dance nights.  We have music forums and of course Goole Scooter Club . Don't know what the Canadian soul scene is like but over here it is in revival and lots of younger soulies coming through. I love it! like you my dear old friend.. I have some photos of when you , Roy and Dave Jennings came over to Jersey.. I will try and hunt them out. Not enough hours in the day !! Been off work a couple of weeks but back on Monday & moving house shortly. Will keep in touch, hope you and your family are all very well. I have let Karen & Linda Farrar know and will get this link to them . Take care. Xx

Well, I guess I'll have to stop calling you "Broughie"........great to hear from you....how long has it been ? 20-25 years ? I still keep in touch with Dave, Mac, Dek /Sue Wynne. I see you're still dancin' in Goole. Not much of a scene n Toronto, bits and bobs here and there. In fact , the only place to consistently hear good music is in my basement ! However, having said, in the late 90's I hooked up with four other ex-pats to put on "soul nites" around town which turned out to be quite popular. .There are 3 other parts to this on YT, but this one seems to be the most viewed, can't think why. A couple of the guys were ex Wigan/Blackpool who tried to "educate" the folks with the NS stuff. but did'nt have much success.I was quite happy to do my Stringfellow impression and play anything that filled the floor. We even had the local Guinness rep. sponsor us. Limey's and free beer ??   Big mistake !!  Still, a good time was had all round.Getting back to the topic, a couple more names for Roburt,s list...........Digger, Rocky, Linda Mitchell from Donny. Two sisters from York, Jackie and Sue. I see Charlie from Goole is mentioned.He and I share the same birthday. I recall being in the Leger bar one time with the pints of D.D lined up. Hilda says" it's your birthday...how old are you? we replied "18"  she says "18 ???? ...you've been coming in here 2 years !!! "            see you on FB

 

[Roburt]

John M ,  Stringers always claimed he got his records when in London ... BUT ... then Stringers was always the 'BIG I AM', he was the main man & it was all his own doing (in his opinion) ... so I do not dispute Mick Ward's involvement. Though I didn't know Mick at all back in those days (I knew him well in the 80's when he did a similar thing, supplying RIchard S & other top scene DJ's).

I was just a punter in 66/67 (A young one too & from Dony not Sheffield itself), so I knew what I knew BUT only have my own perspective on the Sheffield soul scene back then. There was a 2nd big club in Sheffield; The Esquire (housed in the place that became the Leadmill, close to Sheffield Midland Stn). The guys who went to the Esquire, hated the Mojo. In fact, rather than see an act in Sheffield that had only been booked by the MOJO, they would go to the Wheel to see them perform. I have no idea why they hated the Mojo so much but they did !!

In fact, I'd go as far as to say that the Esquire crowd were the 1st Sth Yorks folk to become Wheel regulars (but I could be wrong here). The Esquire was more of a blues / R&B club and faded away when the soul acts took over (though I don't know when it actually closed but I THINK it was before the Mojo).

ANOTHER COUPLE OF RELATED BITS ...... was out at a Dony soul do last night and was told that there is a big soul night on there next Saturday ... lots of the old Mojo crowd have been invited & it's rumoured that Stringfellow himself may attend.... unfortunately I'll be @ a big do in Worksop, so can't attend. 

 

     

[Roburt]

Got two of my Mojo membership cards somewhere (laminated in the past to preserve them .... then I put em 'somewhere safe' & can't find em now) ....anyway this was just posted up (hours back) on Facebook (see bottom left: the 1966 card) ............. 

Edited April 2, 2016 by Roburt

[Alleyoop]

Cheers for replying John to my post. Not sure where to start with replying to those new comments above. Haven't got much time this morning. Basically the Esquire was opened a couple of years (1962) before the Mojo and the crowd were a continuation of those who went to the then closed Club 60 across the city centre in Shalemoor. Very jazz orientated, beatniky and studenty crowd really. I went to both clubs throughout the years I mentioned in my post. Not sure about the anomosity towards the Mojo you mention. Could well have been with the older jazzers that attended the Esquire but none with anyone I knew.  Friday nights were particular good at the Esquire. Esquire closed in '67 like the Mojo and really had the same playlist as the Mojo certainly in the last 2 years of its life (an example being Lot of Love by Homer Banks which Barry Campbell the Esquire dj played as a new release the week before the Mojo) and other odd locations in Sheffield (Locarno ballrom etc) to be honest. The big difference that made the Mojo different was as I said was the imports that Mike Ward had.

Stringfellow did get records from London (he was down weekly with RSG)  but he did have a standing thing with Wilson Pecks shop in Sheffield centre for new releases that he would listen to there weekly. One thing that I dont think I've seen documented, I never saw hardly any demos played by him - all seemed to be regular releases. He could have been eligible to get them in his position but didnt seem to get any. 

The Mojo book from good few years back by the way for anybody who hasnt got it was a real missed opportunity I feel. The guys who did it are genuine enough but compared to the Wheel and Plebs and even the Club 60/Esquire books its a pale shadow of what it could have been.

John Marriott

[Roburt]

John, CHEERS.

The Esquire / Mojo rivalry comes from discussions I had years ago with an old Esquire goer. I was naming names of acts I saw @ the Mojo and he kept saying ... Saw em too, we got a coach up to go to Madcaster & see em at the Wheel ... When I asked why, he said they wouldn't set foot in the Mojo !! 

A police raid on the Esquire ...............

 

Edited April 2, 2016 by Roburt