Samanthas 2005

[Guest BIGBOY]

Having just joined SS I think it would be appropriate if I made some general statements about the recent Samanthas AN in Sheffield following previous posts.

First and foremost, I was very pleased early this year to receive a call from the new owner of the building asking whether I would like to run NS gigs again. I therefore decided that the only way forward as far as I was concerned was to promote the venue as I did in the seventies. So the main room was allocated for the current sounds and the second room for all oldies. As the oldies room was pre booked for a crazy fancy dress party I could not open the room until 1.30, I therefore made the decision to mix a few oldies into the main room until 1.30 when all the oldies could be moved next door.Generally this seemed to work with the vast majority.Comments about the crowd and Sheffield soul fans in particular I feel are unjust, lets go back to 1976, at the time I was thrown out of Sheffield by Mecca and the drug squad, myself and Frank had got the nighter just about right, playing a mind blowing selection of sounds. It was as upfront as any allnighter, at times more so than Wigan, after that I think Sheffield slowly took a dive as far as breaking new sounds, everything seemed to be oldies and more oldies in fact the only thing in the last few years is Ponds Forge who have tried to go down the progressive route. However to be fair to Sheffield soul folk although a lot have not travelled much they have kept the faith over the years and supported local events. This lack of travel has had however I feel a detrimental effect on their knowledge in some respects as they have not been party to a lot of new sounds that have been played elsewhere.

It has always been a big problem, I remember when Lou Pride was a big record for me at Wigan, it would get the cold shoulder at sams on a soul night, at the weekly AN it would be ok as the travellers came from far and wide.

To go even further back, when I did soul nights for Mecca in Sheffield in the early seventies there was probably only me and Keith Jessop in Sheffield actually playing commercial soul in quantity. You would not believe the abuse I had from normal punters in Sheffield clubs when I played soul records! It was non stop, but I kept at it and by 1973 I could play motown and good soul records in clubs that had been progressive rock and pop only.

Anyway, I digress the other points I read in previous posts; firstly, holdalls in the cloakroom @ £1, the owner and I discussed this as a health and safety issue, believe you me in the next few years this will be LAW. A lot of clubs in the UK are getting away with murder! As far as the revenue is concerned this went to the club, think about it he had to pay somebody to look after this for 12 hours x minimum wage and you have your answer. I shall bring this up however and try to reduce it to 0.50, this may be difficult as there were only about 40 bags maximum in the cloakroom. I shall also discuss the attitude of the two club security staff, in particular the female operative, I must point out that the two guys on the door were mine! These two are NS fans and did a great job!

Secondly as far as DJs and sounds, in the main room I told every DJ to play what he wanted and NOT PLAY SAFE, in the main this happened, apart from one DJ who decided to totally ignore me and do the opposite, DR and RT in particular did a sterling job as far as I was concerned, and I tried to back them up as well as I could, the loss of Ginger who had family problems on the nite did not help,

In the oldies room I thought everybody did a great job!

One BIG POINT I would like to bring up is that as a promoter/DJ I am approachable on all issues, I would therefore ask for people to communicate to me there thoughts, I am the promoter and if I think they are relevant I will take them on board!

Generally the feedback from the nighter has been great and people have asked for more.

The decision is then to push forward with four more UNDERGROUND ALLNIGHTERS in 2005, the first in February(I have hired the whole club from 9.00pm), if anybody has any suggestions on future guest DJs then speak now!

A word of warning there is a SAMANTHAS REUNION SOUL NIGHT on December 29th

this is a totally oldies orientated event! The object is to play all the stuff that was big at the club in the seventies, guest will be Tim Brown. This may be an eyeopener to some as it won't be the usual top ten oldies!

Also the Polish club music policy is upfront new, R&B, Obscure and oldies, this is a once a month event and I am looking for guest DJs who have the bottle to play what is in their box. RT in particular has done a great job at this venue, although he didn't fill the dance floor the music was well received and talked about.

On a final note THANKS TO EVERYONE who has supported me in the last thirty years, lets just keeping enjoying, dancing and communicating abut the greatest subject - NORTHERN SOUL. Merry Xmas.....JV

Some of my playlist at SAMS ALLNIGHTER.

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star - Traditions - Abet

No Time - Timmy & the Empires - Unissued

A Little Less Talk - Jeri Shaw - Mastersound

Take My Heart - Mary Saxton - Quality

Losing Control - Mary Saxton - Pace

Faith and Understandin - Magicians - Unissued

Is She In Your Town - Curtis Lee - Mira

What Do You Thing I Am - Chico Lamarr - Fuller

The Chase Is On - Johnny Howard - Bashie

Love Is A Hurting Game - Four Sights - Shy-Soul

Your The Sweetest Yet - Tony Diamond - Blue Rock

Naughty Boy - Jackie Day - Phelectron

My MaN Don't Think I Know - Gwen Davis - SS7

You Hit Me - Jobete Orch - Unissued

Real Humdinger - J J Barnes -Version with girls Unissued

You Can't Go - Lonnie Lester - Nu-Tone

If You Don't Come - Patience Valentine - SAR

That's The Way Love Is - Hesitations - Studio Acetate

She's Wanted - Larry Clinton - 1st Studio cut Unissued

[Guest ShaneH]

Well I hope it is successful John.

I travel every week usually Friday and Saturday so it is great for me as I only live a couple of miles away.

I enjoyed the last one although I was surprised at how many people I did not recognise.

Will be there for the reunion.

Shane

[Guest BIGBOY]

Well I hope it is successful John.

I travel every week usually Friday and Saturday so it is great for me as I only live a couple of miles away.

I enjoyed the last one although I was surprised at how many people I did not recognise.

Will be there for the reunion. 

Shane

link

Hi Shane,

interesting point about not recognising people, I remember Wigan and most of the major venues in 74/76 I could walk around and probably just about recognise nearly everybody!

Anyway the other point is that there were very few that I didn't know, and the ones that I didnt know where known by the other DJs, Steve Mannion Wicksy etc.

A lot of the local faces just will not travel for an all nighter now, so I figure if we put one on then they will at least walk down the road for it!

[Chalky]

Hi John, what time does the 29th event start and finish?

[Guest BIGBOY]

Hi John, what time does the 29th event start and finish?

link

Starts at eight and officially finishes at 2.00 am, but I doubt if the boss will get me off at 2.00!

Too many records, too little time........................

[Guest]

John, prior to the last Sams event, i saw/heard that it was the first for over 20 years, yet i can remember going to a few all nighters in the 80's and also 90's (certain R.Searling played amongst others), were these events that you didn't have an involvement in ? Only ask to prove that they did exist and i am not becoming delusional through self abuse.

Brett

[Chalky]

Starts at eight and officially finishes at 2.00 am, but I doubt if the boss will get me off at 2.00!

Too many records, too little time........................

link

Cheers. Hope Samanthas is a success and another venue playing different stuff rather than the same old same.

Heard good things about the Polish Club too, will try and make one sometime in the future, maybe meet some of old Barnsley mates who I've not seen for few years.

[Guest]

John just to answer your question about DJ's well a few to play would be

Rich Buckley,Jamie (soulsville),Mark Etheridge (know he did last one),Chalky(the Chesterfield connection and lifeline specialist) and John May from Derby. These fellows certainly would have me making a appearance on the dancefloor.

Oh not forgetting Mr.Mannion.

[Guest martyn]

John, prior to the last Sams event, i saw/heard that it was the first for over 20 years, yet i can remember going to a few all nighters in the 80's and also 90's (certain R.Searling played amongst others), were these events that you didn't have an involvement in ? Only ask to prove that they did exist and i am not becoming delusional through self abuse.

Brett

link

If you're becoming delusional so am I.Remember getting the car stuck in a snow drift in the street outside (1982?),there was another nighter on at the same time just down the road & we flitted between the two.

[Guest BIGBOY]

If you're becoming delusional so am I.Remember getting the car stuck in a snow drift in the street outside (1982?),there was another nighter on at the same time just down the road & we flitted between the two.

link

these other events did exist but as far as I am concerned the gig last October was the first for 28 years under my control. As I was the originator I would claim that it was the first true one in that time scale.

My baby...............

[Guest BIGBOY]

Cheers.  Hope Samanthas is a success and another venue playing different stuff rather than the same old same.

Heard good things about the Polish Club too, will try and make one sometime in the future, maybe meet some of old Barnsley mates who I've not seen for few years.

link

Chalky,

it will play different stuff as it did in the seventies, I always played different stuff; at Wigan, at Sams, at Morecombe, at St Ives, different front line set.......

[Guest martyn]

these other events did exist but as far as I am concerned the gig last October was the first for 28 years under my control. As I was the originator I would claim that it was the first true one in that time scale.

My baby...............

link

Fair Call

[soul45s]

Great Playlist

I havn't heard Jerri Shaw for donkeys years, I must dig it out.

Really look forward to hearing this type of sound at your future events

cheers

Paul

[vaultofsouler]

these other events did exist but as far as I am concerned the gig last October was the first for 28 years under my control. As I was the originator I would claim that it was the first true one in that time scale.

My baby...............

link

Well hello John.... nice to see you on board ....

On your above point.... gotta agree.... went to the odd one or two of these "other" revival nights and to me that's all they were.... a soul nite held in an "original" building.... which was the "draw" of them I suppose.... not a true "Sam's" thing though.... attempted twice to my knowledge.... firstly in 80's then mid to late 90's....

A "baby" of 28.... that's makes us, in relation, 20-30 somethings.... that's OK because my daughter thinks were all "mad" staying out all nite at our ages .... but as long as we don't have to go back to the "bags" and "star jumpers" ....