London soul nights in the 80s

[Guest soul diva]

Loved the Metropolitan...

Wayne M was downstairs. Happy times!

[Tony Smith]

Hursty drove me home, .....I was very...very... drunk

[Tony Smith]

40 minutes ago, Hammersoul said:

I went to one last a while back  with Hursty.It may have been the first one.You was djing Tony,it was New North rd.

The first one was at the Alma, then the Blueberry Bar in Shoreditch, then North Bar, the last one was at Scolt Arms

[Kptownie]

A rich period of growth in life and soul. Many nights mentioned already,  how could I forget the pre 100 club scene. Friday nights sixties rhythm & soul at West Hampstead a pub with a history of our music and great people like Adey, Randy, Tony Rounce, at the helm supported by numerous soul lovers so many drunken nights feet aching from dancing all evening. Ah memories. Simon Dunmore behind a couple of do's the already mentioned Jools winebar Edgware Rd great mix of deep and new release soul, but this was like many do's not supported too well. I remember seeing Sam Dee's at Dingwalls what a great night think Lou Kirton  played there also. Dr BOB Jones was key influencing DJ. Dingwalls also  hosted Talking Loud jazz sessions, brilliant dancers a good mix of jazz with a touch of soul went to nearly every one. Biggest regret never went to Village soul.

[Guest Polyvelts]

Monday night at the Royal Oak, tooley st with Bob Jones was quiet but great music, especially after Stuart turned Bob onto the northern version of modern soul ! Scottish lads always in residence big Jim,Kelso, Peter,  Nick, Kenny - great lads !

[Davenpete]

What was the do Clarkie ran in a pub up an alley in Holbourn? Went to it a few times from Abingdon with Mark Sargeant or Paul Dunne.

Went to the Norfolk Arms too once or twice - Terry Davies' do? Richard DJed there one time before we all decamped to the 100 Club.

Also a club I think Ady ran somewhere between the Tate and Parliament - Sunday nights? Always got there seriously on the way down from Riker's finest.

Plus the Water Rats and some club in the city that Pete Hollander DJed at that was a 100Club warmup - flogged Bob Connor my copy of Doctor of Love there, me a Pete H were still doing Northern Noise such as it was then - was with my Pete at the time so that would've been 91 (we actually met at Drummonds after Brian Rae sent him over to get sorted out).

Must've been a few more - but I was usually bouncing off the walls waiting to go on to a nighter.

Dx

Edited February 11, 2018 by DaveNPete

[Amsterdam Russ]

20 hours ago, Karl s said:

Remember going to a keb doo in the royal college of art on kensington gore A few of us west london soulies  in attendance but the art students were a bit baffled and were piss heads mainly , it was good night and only 15 mins from home in chiswick 

sensible soul club was another place cant remember too much about it though great flyer of a dude supporting his torso on his hands only still got it somewhere

didnt craig and chris brick do somewhere to do with Demob think baz riley and roger stewart were involved 

 

Blimey, yes. I remember that one at the art college. I was living in north London then and vaguely recall it being bit of a pain to get to, and as you say, bit of an odd night. 

[Tony Smith]

6 hours ago, Russell Gilbert said:

Blimey, yes. I remember that one at the art college. I was living in north London then and vaguely recall it being bit of a pain to get to, and as you say, bit of an odd night. 

That was Robs Do wasn’t it Polyvelts.... great handful of nights there, even if the students got in the way of the dancing and stuff! 

[Bunderthollox]

The Cardinal ? At Camden Town upstairs room was thumping with sweat pouring down from the ceiling after the market on the right-memory a bit hazy but the place was shaking

[Guest Polyvelts]

11 hours ago, Tony Smith said:

That was Robs Do wasn’t it Polyvelts.... great handful of nights there, even if the students got in the way of the dancing and stuff! 

You knows it Tony, me and my old mate Des used to do them on a Friday. Some great memories.  Ken and Ion used to bully their way onto the decks just because they had Cecil Washington, what was wrong with our scratched pressings !? Remember I used to go down to Record Corner and City Sounds on Holborn on a Friday afternoon to get new release 7s to play on the night, which at least Mark Taylor appreciated.

Just moved to London and met Kate Sharkey who became a good mate. 

First London thing went to was Demob warehouse all niter in Rosebery Ave, Craig Brick and Paul Guntrip on decks.

A few more obscure 80s nites, dj’d for someone ( Nick?) in a place in Campden Hill - North of Ken High St and again in a working men’s club in Camden somewhere. 

A dance studio south of the Strand all niter ?

Remember Heaven all  dayer run by demob. 

Wessex Suite, wish I’d gone more often, took it for granted cos it was always on. Loads more but my memory is shot to pieces, but still remember the crowd at that time Kenny, Jon Rawlinson, Lenny RIP, Ashley, Corky, Wayne, Julia Humphries, Brookside RIP, Danny Ev, Sylvia RIP and Sue and loads of faces I can still picture but never knew their names.

Stuff we used to play alongside the usual oldies

Flavor - Don’t freeze up

WJ Moore and Dynamic Upetters - I believe I’m falling in love

Roy C - She’s gone she Took the Tv and telephone

Bill - Space Lady

Cody Black - Keep on trying to be someone

Lamont Dozier - Don’t want nobody to come between us

Oscar Perry - We’re gonna make it

Entertainers - I’m in love with you

Oliver Cheatham - Turning point

 

 

Edited February 12, 2018 by Polyvelts

[Wiggyflat]

[binsy]

On 2/12/2018 at 07:54, polyvelts said:

You knows it Tony, me and my old mate Des used to do them on a Friday. Some great memories.  Ken and Ion used to bully their way onto the decks just because they had Cecil Washington, what was wrong with our scratched pressings !? Remember I used to go down to Record Corner and City Sounds on Holborn on a Friday afternoon to get new release 7s to play on the night, which at least Mark Taylor appreciated.

Just moved to London and met Kate Sharkey who became a good mate. 

First London thing went to was Demob warehouse all niter in Rosebery Ave, Craig Brick and Paul Guntrip on decks.

A few more obscure 80s nites, dj’d for someone ( Nick?) in a place in Campden Hill - North of Ken High St and again in a working men’s club in Camden somewhere. 

A dance studio south of the Strand all niter ?

Remember Heaven all  dayer run by demob. 

Wessex Suite, wish I’d gone more often, took it for granted cos it was always on. Loads more but my memory is shot to pieces, but still remember the crowd at that time Kenny, Jon Rawlinson, Lenny RIP, Ashley, Corky, Wayne, Julia Humphries, Brookside RIP, Danny Ev, Sylvia RIP and Sue and loads of faces I can still picture but never knew their names.

Stuff we used to play alongside the usual oldies

Flavor - Don’t freeze up

WJ Moore and Dynamic Upetters - I believe I’m falling in love

Roy C - She’s gone she Took the Tv and telephone

Bill - Space Lady

Cody Black - Keep on trying to be someone

Lamont Dozier - Don’t want nobody to come between us

Oscar Perry - We’re gonna make it

Entertainers - I’m in love with you

Oliver Cheatham - Turning point

 

 

I went to all of those events mate as well as Function at the Junction at Lavender Hill  which was superb as well.

I loved your do's because there was always a real sense of fun and i think that can sometimes get lost at do's. I definitely remember Val Palmer crashing through a table there one night.

Superb times, Nick Brown as put a night on in Kensington Town Hall around this time.

[Guest Polyvelts]

33 minutes ago, binsy said:

I went to all of those events mate as well as Function at the Junction at Lavender Hill  which was superb as well.

I loved your do's because there was always a real sense of fun and i think that can sometimes get lost at do's. I definitely remember Val Palmer crashing through a table there one night.

Superb times, Nick Brown as put a night on in Kensington Town Hall around this time.

Val swears it was Ady that was the straw that broke the camel's back in that case Ha Ha

[Karl s]

Kj. Our west london local clubs were the white heart southhall where on a monday night toski played mod music and soul and i spun full on northern usually what i had acquired at a nighter at the week end i put record on and jumped down to dance to it . it was good because we worked off the comedown  good crowd too toski was the  ace face he lived and breathed mod and had a killer record collection both mod and soul , still in touch with him 

and the castle in richmond on a friday night really early 80s lot of scooterists cant remember who did it or much about it . It was next to cheeky petes where as a young chiswick mod in late 70s i discovered soul properly 

 

 

[Karl s]

Havent got a clue how the kj bit appeared at the beginning of my post probably my big builder fingers 

[Joesoap]

On 2/12/2018 at 07:54, polyvelts said:

 

A dance studio south of the Strand all niter ?

 

Definitely remember this one! I think that space is now (and was possibly then) part of Royal Society of Arts. Went there for a work-related meeting a few years ago and it all came flooding back! I remember there was a second one scheduled there. We all turned up to find out the venue had fallen through and buses laid on to take us to a fallback venue which I believe was a place called, The Palm Tree Club in Edmonton. Anyone remember that? That was a very funny night!

[Guest]

Some fine nostalgic flyers on this thread.  London had a thriving soul club scene forty years ago and you could find something for everyone until the late 80s by which time the music was dominated by the likes of Hip-Hop and Jack Swing - less variety and on the whole less moving.. 

I do recall the Alexandra in Clapham as I was bought up nearby but I can't remember going to the soul nights (Sorry Manus I missed you again) .

I did , however, spend many weekends from Camden to Croydon following the music. The Astoria with its huge dance hall provided live music and DJ nights by the likes of Greg Edwards.  There were George Power's great nights of fun at Crackers and the jazz -funk all nighters at the Flamingo on Hackney Marshes. There were some great soul nights at a club whose name I can'd quite remember (Flickers?) in Down Street where I met a long term girlfriend and once we trekked out to the Stage Three in Sheppey and a few times we went to Chris Hill's Goldmine gigs. 

Long ago and not that much Northern Soul really as London had its own thing 

 

 

 

[Geeselad]

21 hours ago, JoeSoap said:

Definitely remember this one! I think that space is now (and was possibly then) part of Royal Society of Arts. Went there for a work-related meeting a few years ago and it all came flooding back! I remember there was a second one scheduled there. We all turned up to find out the venue had fallen through and buses laid on to take us to a fallback venue which I believe was a place called, The Palm Tree Club in Edmonton. Anyone remember that? That was a very funny night!

I went to that, crazy venue, rasta club? 

[Joesoap]

4 hours ago, geeselad said:

I went to that, crazy venue, rasta club? 

From what I can remember it was a Caribbean club rather than rasta. We all had to go through a metal detector to get in..first time I'd ever seen that. Then they had whatever northern djs they'd booked playing and all us lot but also the regular clientele there as well.  I don't think there was actually a dancefloor. Very funny night.

Edited February 22, 2018 by JoeSoap

[Joesoap]

2 minutes ago, JoeSoap said:

 

 

Edited February 22, 2018 by JoeSoap
somehow quoted myself. sorry.

[Karl s]

Talking of rasta 

west indian center kensal rise early 80s john buck rsg did an alldayer , where i first bumped in to a very young gavin paige

think it was keb and the usual mob as well 

[Tony Smith]

On 2/12/2018 at 07:54, polyvelts said:

You knows it Tony, me and my old mate Des used to do them on a Friday. Some great memories.  Ken and Ion used to bully their way onto the decks just because they had Cecil Washington, what was wrong with our scratched pressings !? Remember I used to go down to Record Corner and City Sounds on Holborn on a Friday afternoon to get new release 7s to play on the night, which at least Mark Taylor appreciated.

Just moved to London and met Kate Sharkey who became a good mate. 

First London thing went to was Demob warehouse all niter in Rosebery Ave, Craig Brick and Paul Guntrip on decks.

A few more obscure 80s nites, dj’d for someone ( Nick?) in a place in Campden Hill - North of Ken High St and again in a working men’s club in Camden somewhere. 

A dance studio south of the Strand all niter ?

Remember Heaven all  dayer run by demob. 

Wessex Suite, wish I’d gone more often, took it for granted cos it was always on. Loads more but my memory is shot to pieces, but still remember the crowd at that time Kenny, Jon Rawlinson, Lenny RIP, Ashley, Corky, Wayne, Julia Humphries, Brookside RIP, Danny Ev, Sylvia RIP and Sue and loads of faces I can still picture but never knew their names.

Stuff we used to play alongside the usual oldies

Flavor - Don’t freeze up

WJ Moore and Dynamic Upetters - I believe I’m falling in love

Roy C - She’s gone she Took the Tv and telephone

Bill - Space Lady

Cody Black - Keep on trying to be someone

Lamont Dozier - Don’t want nobody to come between us

Oscar Perry - We’re gonna make it

Entertainers - I’m in love with you

Oliver Cheatham - Turning point

 

 

Actually Rob, it was me with the Cecil Washington!

I DJd at the Heaven All-dayer, that was a strange one for sure....

International Dance Club was Ion & Sean McKlusky with myself bankrolling the alcoholic beverages (which I must say saw a very healthy and quick return on my outlay!)

The working mens club was just off Kentish Town if it's the one Im thinking off (I DJd there as well) I semm to remember it being run by a guy claiming to be George Mellys "bastard" son (not my words) can't remember his name but he bought loads of records off Randy when he sold his northern stuff.

Yes the Wessex Suite was great while it lasted also!

[Tony Smith]

On 2/21/2018 at 20:17, JoeSoap said:

Definitely remember this one! I think that space is now (and was possibly then) part of Royal Society of Arts. Went there for a work-related meeting a few years ago and it all came flooding back! I remember there was a second one scheduled there. We all turned up to find out the venue had fallen through and buses laid on to take us to a fallback venue which I believe was a place called, The Palm Tree Club in Edmonton. Anyone remember that? That was a very funny night!

The club was at Silver Street in Edmonton, it came about as the Dance Club cancelled earlier that day and left Ion & Sean with hours to find a club, they hired mini buses to take people from the strand....

[Geeselad]

My first alnighter was the paddocks place in Holborn. There was a modern room upstairs which was seemed pretty empty. 

I can remember ion Playing saxie Russell, and shouting, 'stomp you bastards stomp'. Couple of dudes from upstairs came down, Addidas tracksuits, loads of Mr T gold chains and dreads.  they had a dance off with keb, busting break dance moves, but he blew them away. Think I met Dave carne and sedge for the first time that night.

[manus]

I was at the Palm Tree allnighter I remember Sue ( Henderson) taking the money on the door and a few old faces being there.

[Guest Polyvelts]

On 23/02/2018 at 09:35, Tony Smith said:

Actually Rob, it was me with the Cecil Washington!

I DJd at the Heaven All-dayer, that was a strange one for sure....

International Dance Club was Ion & Sean McKlusky with myself bankrolling the alcoholic beverages (which I must say saw a very healthy and quick return on my outlay!)

The working mens club was just off Kentish Town if it's the one Im thinking off (I DJd there as well) I semm to remember it being run by a guy claiming to be George Mellys "bastard" son (not my words) can't remember his name but he bought loads of records off Randy when he sold his northern stuff.

Yes the Wessex Suite was great while it lasted also!

My memory is fairly hazy but I stand corrected ! Haha knew it was one of the ‘bigger boys!’ 

[Stuart Ross]

Always enjoyed Wendy May's Locomotion at the T&C. Probably not everyones cup of tea, but fondly remember a summer night probably late 80's - a 9 Below Zero gig, kicked out for 1/2 hour then Norman Cook (post Housemartins) playing a Soul Set warming up for Wendy May.

Upstairs at the Alexandra in Clapham's been mentioned, & what about The Castle in Tooting?

[binsy]

Great night at Locomotion. Could always bring a few mates down who were not hardcore soul fans and still have a great time 

[Karl s]

Allways will remember at locomotion a rockabilly called gary taking a slash off the stage on to dancers and the floor then jumping down and doing a rockabilly singing in the rain dance complete with splashing , he offered me some df 118s on the way there  , glad i refused ,he got slung out obviously so we left just after , he expected a lift home so i told him to fcuk off and walk twat 

he lived past uxbridge 🤪🤪