How Did You Get Into The Soul Scene?

[Guest WPaulVanDyk]

for me it was through my dad. he had lots of the reords but i only knew a few commerical soul and motown stuff. and then got onto this Northern soul in fact i was not well up on it and when someone at my age like 10 say to me what is Northern soul i would you need to listen to the songs to understand and only song i would play or recommend was Move On Up but as the years went by i started listing to more of it and now i know more about it then i did back then

[Wulfie09]

...I think there could be a few laughs at the fashion

what do you mean Steve - I'm still wearing it

WULFIE

[Robin S]

Hi all ady from Loughborough,got into the soul scene when at school must ave been around 74/75,went down the local ywca with a few older lads from school,had a break for a few years army/wife etc got out about 1996,happened to find an old box of my records at the old gals place and hav'nt looked back since,and never will..

Still in Loughborough and noticed a few names that work or live close on the site.

Ady, Ywca in Loughborough for me as well! '76 though for me. Great nights - . Knowledge developed with listening to older brother's Cleethorpes Winter Gardens live Niter tapes. Then on to the East Mids circuit, Palais dayers ( wish i'ld met Byrney all those years ago!), Lboro ('77) Niters then all points North!

[Guest BillBrewer]

Hi everybody!

New Poster here!

I got into soul in the mid-60's, believe it or not through groups like the Who and Small Faces.

I think on the Who's album "A Quick One" they did a very passable version of "Heatwave" but when I heard the original I was hooked.

Having Geno Washington and Jimmy James readily available also helped - really pleased to see them both on TV at the weekend.

In the school holidays in 1967 I worked on a building site and with my first week's wages bought the "Hit the Road Stax" album and "I Was Made to Love Her" by Stevie Wonder.

I'm afraid that I'm not an expert on "modern" Northern Soul, but do enjoy some of the recent compilation albums and my Ipod is full of these and more "traditional" Motown etc. However I do like to think I was there around the beginning at the Twisted Wheel, Place, etc. (My regular "haunt" at the time was the Clouds in Derby).

Now I've just got to work out how to post this message!!

Regards

Bill

[Stevie T]

Hi everybody!

New Poster here!

I got into soul in the mid-60's, believe it or not through groups like the Who and Small Faces.

I think on the Who's album "A Quick One" they did a very passable version of "Heatwave" but when I heard the original I was hooked.

Having Geno Washington and Jimmy James readily available also helped - really pleased to see them both on TV at the weekend.

In the school holidays in 1967 I worked on a building site and with my first week's wages bought the "Hit the Road Stax" album and "I Was Made to Love Her" by Stevie Wonder.

I'm afraid that I'm not an expert on "modern" Northern Soul, but do enjoy some of the recent compilation albums and my Ipod is full of these and more "traditional" Motown etc. However I do like to think I was there around the beginning at the Twisted Wheel, Place, etc. (My regular "haunt" at the time was the Clouds in Derby).

Now I've just got to work out how to post this message!!

Regards

Bill

it worked mate,welcome

[Guest BillBrewer]

Cheers

[Guest Spinning Vinyl]

I got into all gendres of music really young, my sister was a mod in the 60s and used to go to the Flamingo to see Georgie Fame and had a few of his records and quite a few Tamla stuff while my brothers were bikers and into Hendrix and Zepplin. So bit of a mixed upbringing musically really, discovered the early green sleeves dub reggae when I was about 10 after getting brought a little radio for being a page boy and listening to late night pirates under me bed covers. At school became a Mod around 79 which progressed me onto Northern. Used to go to a few of the Mod do's around London and used to go to 'La Beat Route' under 18's in Soho on a Saturday afternoons, remember seeing Gene R down there in his green combat trousies doing his spins to 'The Right Track' with everyone clapping during the song. After that we all used to head off to the different record shops trying to get the records of the moment, where I met my old mate Lenny (RIP) Paul Franklin, Simon Cento and a rather large personality called Ion, who basically heard what music I had found and egged me to come to a nighter. First ever nighter was 100 club then onto Stafford then just about everywhere I could get to. Great times and great memories.

[Reg]

yep thats more or less it .i think i must of followed you (ive been a stalker all thease years and did'nt know lol

Oh I had a few of them in those days Don't think the shorts helped but I was very naive there were some dodgy characters around back then! (Not that there isn't now... )

[Guest Byrney]

( wish i'ld met Byrney all those years ago!),

Cheers Mr Salter. I was a quiet and demure 14 year old then Robin, you would have missed me - skulking wide eyed behind the stage

Edited February 22, 2007 by Byrney

[spot]

DID THE USUAL YOUTH CLUB STUFF, LISTENING TO; BUNNY SIGLER - GOOD TIMES ROLL, LOVE ON A MOUNTAIN ETC.

STARTED AT COLLEGE & MEET A GUY CALLED "SNOWY " WHO ONE LUNCHTIME IN SEPT 1972 INVITED ME TO HIS HOUSE FOR LUNCH, HE PLAYED ME WAYNE GIBSON , RIGHT TRACK & RAT RACE & I WAS HOOKED, "GET YOURSELF TOO THE CENTRAL IN LEEDS AT WEEKEND" SAYS HE, SO ME & GARY WOOD (BROTHER-IN-LAW, & STILL SOULIE) & BARRIE "CORNY" CORNTHWAITE (SADLY DECEASED) TURN UP IN LEEDS AT 7PM (LAST TRAIN FROM GOOLE 5.30PM ) & HUNG AROUND TILL THE EARLY HOURS OF THE MORNING, WE THOUGHT WE WERE MAD & NOW REALISE WE WERE & ARE, AND THE REST AS THEY SAY IS HISTORY.

SPOT.

[Guest soulful ady]

Ady, Ywca in Loughborough for me as well! '76 though for me. Great nights - . Knowledge developed with listening to older brother's Cleethorpes Winter Gardens live Niter tapes. Then on to the East Mids circuit, Palais dayers ( wish i'ld met Byrney all those years ago!), Lboro ('77) Niters then all points North!

Hi robin,it's a small world out there,still a few of us left in loughborough,still going out most weekends,phil & ray marshall,twin,dave copestake,bill axton,andy munchie,myself and mag,all over the place and lovin every minute still.

All the best Ady

[Kev Connellan]

out most weekends,phil & ray marshall,twin,dave copestake,bill axton,andy munchie,myself and mag,all over the place and lovin every minute still.

All the best Ady

Hi Ady,

how ya doin mate?

not seen Muncie for ages.....how is he these days?

[Robin S]

Hi robin,it's a small world out there,still a few of us left in loughborough,still going out most weekends,phil & ray marshall,twin,dave copestake,bill axton,andy munchie,myself and mag,all over the place and lovin every minute still.

All the best Ady

Ady, my bruv Sammy/Neil goes to Kings Hall still (he lives in Stoke). He ususally sees Spud and Ashleigh there. Say hi to Andy when you see him next! Cheers.

[Bjorn Nilsson]

I read an article by a guy called Andres Lokko in 1996 but didn't get a chance to hear the music until I moved south to Gothenburg Sweden and found a club called On The Real Side. Went there a couple of times alone standing in a corner until someone recognized me and invited me to an afterparty.

Those guys were Soulof, Christian H and Ludvig.

After that I visited some clubs in the U.K. and since then there has been no turning back!

Thanks everybody!

[Guest marge]

Well i will say it... watching Footsie on TOTP.. was what brought me into the Northern scene...after a couple of years of pondering whether to go Niters or not..took the bull by the horns and thought Soulie till I die Delxx

nice thread

bit of a similar tale:

some fellas who 'babysat' me as a kid (7/8 years old or so) used to invite their mates round, throw back the settee against the wall and create a 'dancefloor' in our (very modern at the time) 'through lounge'. We had no carpets, which apparently was all the better for them to dance in. They then proceeded to give me and my kid sister a 'show' comprising of all their dance moves from Wigan. Back flips, drops and spins, which they used to invite us to join in (and stay up later than the we were allowed into the bargain). Given that we were very young and gymnastic the back drops were no problem - we were, on that count anyway, instant recruits.

They played their records on the folk's radiogramme (them big things that took up half a living room), the tracks: hmmm, Footsee, R.Dean Taylor, Gloria Jones. Infact I so loved those tracks as a result of those babysitting sessions that I made their kid sister tape those records on her tape recorder (with microphone) where the whole family had to sit there quiet until my tape was compiled.

[Guest soul kitten]

nice thread

bit of a similar tale:

some fellas who 'babysat' me as a kid (7/8 years old or so) used to invite their mates round, throw back the settee against the wall and create a 'dancefloor' in our (very modern at the time) 'through lounge'. We had no carpets, which apparently was all the better for them to dance in. They then proceeded to give me and my kid sister a 'show' comprising of all their dance moves from Wigan. Back flips, drops and spins, which they used to invite us to join in (and stay up later than the we were allowed into the bargain). Given that we were very young and gymnastic the back drops were no problem - we were, on that count anyway, instant recruits.

They played their records on the folk's radiogramme (them big things that took up half a living room), the tracks: hmmm, Footsee, R.Dean Taylor, Gloria Jones. Infact I so loved those tracks as a result of those babysitting sessions that I made their kid sister tape those records on her tape recorder (with microphone) where the whole family had to sit there quiet until my tape was compiled.

thats a great story wonder if the "babysitter" still around on the Northern scene now,

[Guest]

Great thread.Nice to here not everyones been into the scene since victorian times.I always find it a bit intimidating when someone asks 'how long you been into northern then'

For me it started in 1977 at Royton youth club and wednesday night discos at Royton Assembly Hall usual sounds Breakout etc there where some older guys who used to go to Wigan- Fred Howarth,Norman Fox and others I can't remember all awesome dancers.I used to go home and practise in front of the mirror but never had the bottle to dance until years later.

Bought a scooter in 1979 started going on rallies and drifted away about 83-84.(oh how I wished I'd paid more attencion to the sounds instead of farting around with the usual boyish/childish things)

Continued listening to all kinds of music without any real intensity until I heard an advert in 1998 for Stu McConies first All singin All dancin.Listened to it and I was in heaven took me right back couldn't believe what I'd walked away from.Started buying cds and then someone told me about the Hollinwood soul club and from my first visit I was hooked started going to all the usual places Heywood Civic,Bury Town Hall,

Lowton civic and moved on to Goldbourne,Lime street.Had some brilliant times at places like Wilton,Drunken Monkey,Yorkshire riders,Greatstone hotel and Llanudno weekenders.My best nights definately were on Thursdays at Failsworth Liberal club then the Millgate and now they're at the Star Inn,taking a box playing for 20mins and all that record chat and lookin through each others boxes 'brilliant'.

2 years ago had the crazy idea to move to Spain I could'nt play a record for 6 months it depressed me that much about what I'd left behind.Eventually got over it and starting playing my records every Saturday afternoon when the wife and kids where out.

Last November a local scooter club started a monthly Soul nite but its a poor substitute.Its more on the lines of a 60s nostalgia nite.But there is good news on the horizon last weekend we went to the Valencia Northern Soul Clubs 'Magic Corner' alniter it was absolutely awesome.Just like being back home.I danced all night like an idiot as if it was my last night.Long may it continue.

Tony Smith if you read this you played some blinding spots.Big thumbs up for Bill Griffin 'Tryin to run a game on me'

Keep on keepin on

Paul

[Guest billinghamsoulboy]

i was a 80's mod into the jam etc.. as a kid and our youth club used to have what we called "mod nights" were nearly everything was motown or the jam. i started listening to more and more soul and as i got older discovered more and more about northern, only in the last couple of years now kids grown up we started going to soul nights.so been into the soul music since about 13 or 14. i think one of the reasons ive stayed with the soul scene is theres no other scene with better quality music or passion from the fans of soul.

[Guest Ste Brazil]

i was a 80's mod into the jam etc.. as a kid and our youth club used to have what we called "mod nights" were nearly everything was motown or the jam. i started listening to more and more soul and as i got older discovered more and more about northern...

Me too, in about 1982 i got into the back end of the '79 revival, and remember one day a mate of mine wrote 'NORTHERN SOUL!' in big letters on a wall (as you do...) and i had no idea what it meant so queried it - his brother, a 70's scooterboy / Wigan goer got him into it apparently, then our youth club would start playing more Northern stuff, usually 'Skiing in the snow' or some cack and slowly but surely i sadly became another addict with no way out!

Ste.

Edited February 23, 2007 by Ste Brazil

[Guest]

[Little-stevie]

Great thread.Nice to here not everyones been into the scene since victorian times.I always find it a bit intimidating when someone asks 'how long you been into northern then'

For me it started in 1977 at Royton youth club and wednesday night discos at Royton Assembly Hall usual sounds Breakout etc there where some older guys who used to go to Wigan- Fred Howarth,Norman Fox and others I can't remember all awesome dancers.I used to go home and practise in front of the mirror but never had the bottle to dance until years later.

Bought a scooter in 1979 started going on rallies and drifted away about 83-84.(oh how I wished I'd paid more attencion to the sounds instead of farting around with the usual boyish/childish things)

Continued listening to all kinds of music without any real intensity until I heard an advert in 1998 for Stu McConies first All singin All dancin.Listened to it and I was in heaven took me right back couldn't believe what I'd walked away from.Started buying cds and then someone told me about the Hollinwood soul club and from my first visit I was hooked started going to all the usual places Heywood Civic,Bury Town Hall,

Lowton civic and moved on to Goldbourne,Lime street.Had some brilliant times at places like Wilton,Drunken Monkey,Yorkshire riders,Greatstone hotel and Llanudno weekenders.My best nights definately were on Thursdays at Failsworth Liberal club then the Millgate and now they're at the Star Inn,taking a box playing for 20mins and all that record chat and lookin through each others boxes 'brilliant'.

2 years ago had the crazy idea to move to Spain I could'nt play a record for 6 months it depressed me that much about what I'd left behind.Eventually got over it and starting playing my records every Saturday afternoon when the wife and kids where out.

Last November a local scooter club started a monthly Soul nite but its a poor substitute.Its more on the lines of a 60s nostalgia nite.But there is good news on the horizon last weekend we went to the Valencia Northern Soul Clubs 'Magic Corner' alniter it was absolutely awesome.Just like being back home.I danced all night like an idiot as if it was my last night.Long may it continue.

Tony Smith if you read this you played some blinding spots.Big thumbs up for Bill Griffin 'Tryin to run a game on me'

Keep on keepin on

Paul

Hi Stamford

Good to have you back on here,its been a good while and i am sure many have missed your input...Hope to catch up with you at somepoint...

So many posts go down the same line,into soul from the mod scene revival 79 onwards...Into the scene in the early days and then a break away to come steaming back in the 90s with more passion than ever...Nice thread and good to see a post that aint pulling anything/anyone down

[Guest soulful ady]

Hi Ady,

how ya doin mate?

not seen Muncie for ages.....how is he these days?

Hi Kev doing great mate,got an awsome 45 last month,early 4 tops a bit of swing come early soul "could it be you" on us chess,at your place on the 10th then on to six hills for the niter..All the ady

[Guest Ste Brazil]

i was a 80's mod into the jam etc.. as a kid and our youth club used to have what we called "mod nights" were nearly everything was motown or the jam. i started listening to more and more soul and as i got older discovered more and more about northern...

Me too, in about 1982 i got into the back end of the '79 revival, and remember one day a mate of mine wrote 'NORTHERN SOUL!' in big letters on a wall (as you do...) and i had no idea what it meant so queried it - his brother, a 70's scooterboy / Wigan goer got him into it apparently, then our youth club would start playing more Northern stuff, usually 'Skiing in the snow' or some cack and slowly but surely i sadly became another addict with no way out!

Ste.

I think I have you & a few others to blame. Met you & a few others at a certain wall in Leeds market in Feb 1983. Just moved to Leeds & was a young mod at 13. You all corrupted me

Kx

No Kirsty, you were already corrupt i'm sure!

Ste.

Edited February 23, 2007 by Ste Brazil

[Guest Black Gold of the Sun]

New Earswick Bop!!!...Clifton Youth Club!!!!...listened to a lot of Motown then..

Someone then told us about a night at the Cats (think it was a Monday)..so of the three of us went and WHAM..that was it the three of practising the dancing trying to work out how the hell you moved your feet 1st visit to Wigan at sweet 16...the rest is history ha ha ha

Yer still sweet now Sue

[Guest johnm]

Having been brought up in a small town on the dripping wet west coast of Scotland

was that the same area as displayed in my avatar?

Edited February 23, 2007 by johnm

[Guest]

Hi Stamford

Good to have you back on here,its been a good while and i am sure many have missed your input...Hope to catch up with you at somepoint...

So many posts go down the same line,into soul from the mod scene revival 79 onwards...Into the scene in the early days and then a break away to come steaming back in the 90s with more passion than ever...Nice thread and good to see a post that aint pulling anything/anyone down

Cheers Stevie

I remember one of my last nights in England doing at spot at The Mint Lounge thanks to you.Good memories.Look forward to meeting up again sometime.

All the best

Paul

[Guest recordman]

Started at The Beachcomber which was a club were you went to on a friday & sat night in Wigan if you were under age The Beachcomber which was under Wigan Casino sold only soft drinks They used to play things like 6 by 6 / Two can have a party / Westbound No9 / Tell me it's just a rumour ect

The all nighters started upstairs , I went just for the experience with some mates

Heard Chubby Checker You Just Don't Know, The Tomangoes I Really Love You

Gwen Owens Just say Your Wanted & Needed , Lou Ragland I Travel Alone, Mel Britt She'll Come Running Back J. D. Martin By Yourself G Davis & R Tyler Hold On Help Is On The Way, John & Wierdest No Time / Cant Get Over These Memories

My life & my bank Balance would never been the same again

[Guest]

I got into the Northern soul scene when I was 16 my first soul do was Canklow ex-service mens club Rotherham went there with my new mate Clack he was in his late 20s into the mod scene and I wanted to get into the mod scene to then I heard Northern Soul. All I can say is I was hooked and I still am 10 years later.

p.s. Does anybody remember the soul nights at the ex service mens club in Canklow run by big Ray.

p.p.s. Please check the events for april the 28th its my first soul night I am putting on in Sheffield.

[Guest]

I got into the Northern soul scene when I was 16 my first soul do was Canklow ex-service mens club Rotherham went there with my new mate Clack he was in his late 20s into the mod scene and I wanted to get into the mod scene to then I heard Northern Soul. All I can say is I was hooked and I still am 10 years later.

p.s. Does anybody remember the soul nights at the ex service mens club in Canklow run by big Ray.

p.p.s. Please check the events for april the 28th its my first soul night I am putting on in Sheffield.

Was the " Big Ray " , the late Ray Hudson ?

Malc Burton

[Guest]

I got into the Northern soul scene when I was 16 my first soul do was Canklow ex-service mens club Rotherham went there with my new mate Clack he was in his late 20s into the mod scene and I wanted to get into the mod scene to then I heard Northern Soul. All I can say is I was hooked and I still am 10 years later.

p.s. Does anybody remember the soul nights at the ex service mens club in Canklow run by big Ray.

p.p.s. Please check the events for april the 28th its my first soul night I am putting on in Sheffield.

Top lad Ray,would do anything for ya`,his mrs used to have pigs or was it frogs or cats maybe,models all round there house in Rov`rem,i remember it well reminds me i must go see me sisters sometime,our Babs will love it

Edited February 24, 2007 by ken

[Kev Connellan]

Hi Kev doing great mate,got an awsome 45 last month,early 4 tops a bit of swing come early soul "could it be you" on us chess,at your place on the 10th. All the best ady

Yeah, been looking for a copy of that.......not got one yet though mate

See ya 10/3

[Guest cardysharpy]

I'd been into a bit of everything, reggae, rare groove and mainly house when I picked up a flier for Mick Farrers boat do in 1991 adversting an upper deck of "soulful house and disco classics" and a lower deck of "70s and 80s soul".

The stuff on the lower deck was completely new to me, Jay Player, LJ Reynolds, channel 3 etc and that was it..... hooked! Can't remember who was playing on the first one, but from then on by pestering the likes of Ivor and Terry Jones I'd gotten myself a nice expensive habit.

Around about the same time I met a bloke called Paul Bain who was living in Kent but originally from Cleethorpes (I think). He had what I know now to have been a top soul knowledge. I remember heading off to america clutching his wants list..... Detroit Sounds of Friction, Curtis Anderson, Almeta Latimer. Needless to say I didn't find any of them! If you're about Paul, gis a bell!

[Guest]

I got into the Northern soul scene when I was 16 my first soul do was Canklow ex-service mens club Rotherham went there with my new mate Clack he was in his late 20s into the mod scene and I wanted to get into the mod scene to then I heard Northern Soul. All I can say is I was hooked and I still am 10 years later.

p.s. Does anybody remember the soul nights at the ex service mens club in Canklow run by big Ray.

p.p.s. Please check the events for april the 28th its my first soul night I am putting on in Sheffield.

I used to go to Canklow. I also remember Clack from my mod do's, if my memory serves me right, he went out with a lass called Leah from Wakefield?. Do I know you?. Say hello to Clack for me

Kirsty from Leeds

[45cellar]

Hi

In the Early sixties, my eldest sister bought The Beatles, The Rolling Stones etc

Whereas my Mother bought Mary Wells, The Crystals, The Ronettes.

Guess whos record collection started me off.

At the Youth Club late 60's Soul Music was played, and eventually I took my stuff up to play.

It wasn't long before I was buying more, started Work and then buying records became my favorite pastime.

I then moved on to play records at The Drum.

So my Mother really had the Earliest influence on my musical taste

Edited February 24, 2007 by 45cellar

[Guest]

I dont think we do no each other Kirsty you are right Clack did go out with a girl called Leah they have been married a number of years now and have a little girl called Emily.

Big Ray from Rotherham he was a lad he was allways doing speed all the time I think thats what finished him in the end god bless him.

[Guest Heartandsoul]

Yeah, been looking for a copy of that.......not got one yet though mate

See ya 10/3

Copy on the net. £153 "Can it be you" on Chess 7", Four Tops,

TIMES SQUARE RECORDS

Good luck

Heartandsoul

[Guest]

I dont think we do no each other Kirsty you are right Clack did go out with a girl called Leah they have been married a number of years now and have a little girl called Emily.

Big Ray from Rotherham he was a lad he was allways doing speed all the time I think thats what finished him in the end god bless him.

Nice to hear that they are still together & have a little girl. Tell them both that I am asking after them both. I have a little girl as well (on my avatar). We maybe know each other by sight, I used to go out with Angus from Barnsley, so used to go to quite a few do's down your end & know a lot of the old mods from Sheffield.

Welcome to soul source & good luck with the new do

[Guest kev such]

all these people from all different walk s of life made me think how did we all start off ,

word of mouth etc ,,Friends,older siblings and those too young to go to Wigan how did you get into Northern Soul?

I first got into Northern when i went to alldayer at the Fleet, Fletton about 1982. At that time i was a mod, so the soul music was a part of the scene(but mainly Motown and Stax etc...). A mate i was with came and got me and said "ere come and listen to this". I went with him to the main room and Melbe Moores Magic touch was playing. The music blew me away, but what amazed me most was this very large bloke dancing in the middle of the floor, on his own doing all these acrobatics, WOW!!! as a mod we just walked in a square type configeration. I watched these devoted eyes closed people dancing on talc and doing flips and drops etc... and immediately thought F@~K me this is GREAT.

So when we went back home to Daventry i sold me scooter, and all me mod stuff (everything) got onto the soulscene and started collecting vinyl. So its been 25 years and i cant see me ever being without it. Hopefully i will continue to dance until me hips crack.

so i owe my iniciation and continued passion for Northern Soul to my old mate Paul Matthews from Daventry.

CREAM CRACKER 24TH MARCH, ROTHWELL, NORTHANTS.

Edited February 25, 2007 by kev such

[Guest Fatius Bumius]

My early days of finding northern soul began with asking my mum if I could go to the local disco with my mates. After much nagging and sulking from me she gave in. She gave me 20p or something like that. I think the tooth fairy only paid 10p a tooth in those days. I had other plans for this disco money, I wasn't going to a disco at all, I lied to get some money. Me and my mates wanted to spend this money at the chip shop.

We found out that at this disco they stamped your hand when you paid to get in with a round pink ink stamp. Kids at school the next day still had this pink stamp on their hands as if to say "Look where I went last night" Easy to fake the pink stamp, nick one of my dads Swan matches, lick it and draw a circle on the back of your hand. We'd meet on the street corner and say "Have you got the match"? The chip shop on a Monday and then hiding on the park till it was time to go home about 9.30 soon got boring so we thought we had better try this disco. Seeing as it was at a local Welfare and my dad worked at the pit, it wouldn't be long before I got sussed out, and a good hiding in the bargain.

Anita Ward, You Can Ring My Bell, all of the chart stuff - boring. Then this strange thing happened. 9pm the disco dancers ran off the floor like a bomb was about to go off, and the dancefloor filled up with a people I thought had dropped off another planet.Dressed differently to the rest of us and not dancing in a group around their handbags like the rest of the dancers had been doing all night.I'd never seen anyone dressed like this walking around town, where do these people live ? Even men were dancing, something new to my eyes! Are they "pufters" was my first thoughts at seeing men dance. I was in a trance watching these folks who seemed to be having the best time of their lives and I wanted some of what they were doing! These dancers would be 18 - 20 years old, "old" to me. MVPS - Turning My Heartbeat Up, and Montclairs - Hung Up On Your Love .....9 oclock on the dot was the start of the nothern soul half hour.I'd be clock watching from 8.30pm on my later visits to the disco just to watch the dancefloor.

I got home after that first night on a high with a big smile on my face, I threw my A-line brown cimpolene skirt on the floor,"I'm not wearing that" and told my mum I wanted her to make me a full circle skirt, and I wanted some of those shoes I had seen in Clarks window. I found out they were Polyveldts. Couldn't have Clarks Polyveldts though, Clarks shoes were for rich and posh people apparently.

A few weeks later dressed in a circle skirt I hit the dancefloor. I had been watching this girl for the last few weeks dancing and hoped her dancing would come out in my feet once on the dancefloor.I think she caught me a time or two watching her, probably wanted to beat me up for staring! She had some sort of disability in her leg/hips and walked with a limp, but she was by far the best dancer on that dance floor, she was my hero! I did think about doing the clapping, I dreaded the thoughts of the clapping and getting it all wrong, why did these folks clap ? I chickened out of ever mastering the fine art of clapping lol.

It wasn't long after this dancing began for me and I was drawing fists on my record box, and writing Wigan Casino, even though I didn't have a clue what Wigan Casino was, a casino was where people gambled??, and Wigan ??, what the hell was that ? I didn't even know it was a place! I drew cute owls like these folks had on their badges, and whatever else I could write on my record box even though my box only contained chart records.

I needed to get some money for my next disco.My parents just didn't have the money to hand out for no reason, being one of five, if one had something we all had to have the same. If I asked for money I would get shouted at, time to raise some cash me thinks. The good old tooth fairy sprung to mind. I pulled one tooth out with the help of one of my brothers after seeing it being done in a cartoon, it was wobbly anyway, but I knew it wouldn't be out before Mondays disco. I tied some fishing line around the tooth, it took forever and a big break out sweating while thinking of the pain, who cares, I wanted money! String now on the door handle, I lay on the bed, brother said are you sure about this, oh yes, just do it! He opened the door quick, the tooth flew out but we never got paid for it, because we couldn't find it! All that pain for no gain!That was probably my last baby tooth, and it went to waste.

I then started babysitting, and had my own money and could go to the disco when I wanted too.The northern half hour eventually got replaced by the two tone and Jam stuff, and then New Wave, Duran Duran, Gary Numan, etc which all my mates got into. I had one mate who was into Adam & The Ants and she would turn up to the disco with a white plaster on her nose,and sing Stand and Deliver all night long, another mate who would turn up in a Ra-Ra skirt and a frilly blouse and strutting her stuff to Gary Numan - Cars, she looked worse than me in my circle skirt and they had the cheek to say I dressed "Strange" WHAT! lol.

The northern soul dancers seemed to drift away, probably doing the married/house/kids thing.I got into the scooter/mod revival scene. My first scooter rally in 1983 and there was the northern soul back on the menu along with the new to my ears Stafford sounds. I'd be 17 and still lying to my parents about where I was - stopping at a mates was the favourite excuse even though I was in Morcecombe, or Torquay, or or or...anywhere but Nottingham!

....and I would do it all over again given the chance minus the teeth pulling lol.

Edited February 26, 2007 by The Nut

[Peter99]

I'd been into a bit of everything, reggae, rare groove and mainly house when I picked up a flier for Mick Farrers boat do in 1991 adversting an upper deck of "soulful house and disco classics" and a lower deck of "70s and 80s soul".

The stuff on the lower deck was completely new to me, Jay Player, LJ Reynolds, channel 3 etc and that was it..... hooked! Can't remember who was playing on the first one, but from then on by pestering the likes of Ivor and Terry Jones I'd gotten myself a nice expensive habit.

Around about the same time I met a bloke called Paul Bain who was living in Kent but originally from Cleethorpes (I think). He had what I know now to have been a top soul knowledge. I remember heading off to america clutching his wants list..... Detroit Sounds of Friction, Curtis Anderson, Almeta Latimer. Needless to say I didn't find any of them! If you're about Paul, gis a bell!

[/quote]

Ay Up Mate

Paul was from Cleethorpes originally. I used to knock around with him for a bit. If he does get in touch let me know.

Cheers

Pete

[Guest johnm]

My early days of finding northern soul began with asking my mum if I could go to the local disco with my mates. After much nagging and sulking from me she gave in. She gave me 20p or something like that. I think the tooth fairy only paid 10p a tooth in those days. I had other plans for this disco money, I wasn't going to a disco at all, I lied to get some money. Me and my mates wanted to spend this money at the chip shop.

We found out that at this disco they stamped your hand when you paid to get in with a round pink ink stamp. Kids at school the next day still had this pink stamp on their hands as if to say "Look where I went last night" Easy to fake the pink stamp, nick one of my dads Swan matches, lick it and draw a circle on the back of your hand. We'd meet on the street corner and say "Have you got the match"? The chip shop on a Monday and then hiding on the park till it was time to go home about 9.30 soon got boring so we thought we had better try this disco. Seeing as it was at a local Welfare and my dad worked at the pit, it wouldn't be long before I got sussed out, and a good hiding in the bargain.

Anita Ward, You Can Ring My Bell, all of the chart stuff - boring. Then this strange thing happened. 9pm the disco dancers ran off the floor like a bomb was about to go off, and the dancefloor filled up with a people I thought had dropped off another planet.Dressed differently to the rest of us and not dancing in a group around their handbags like the rest of the dancers had been doing all night.I'd never seen anyone dressed like this walking around town, where do these people live ? Even men were dancing, something new to my eyes! Are they "pufters" was my first thoughts at seeing men dance. I was in a trance watching these folks who seemed to be having the best time of their lives and I wanted some of what they were doing! These dancers would be 18 - 20 years old, "old" to me. MVPS - Turning My Heartbeat Up, and Montclairs - Hung Up On Your Love .....9 oclock on the dot was the start of the nothern soul half hour.I'd be clock watching from 8.30pm on my later visits to the disco just to watch the dancefloor.

I got home after that first night on a high with a big smile on my face, I threw my A-line brown cimpolene skirt on the floor,"I'm not wearing that" and told my mum I wanted her to make me a full circle skirt, and I wanted some of those shoes I had seen in Clarks window. I found out they were Polyveldts. Couldn't have Clarks Polyveldts though, Clarks shoes were for rich and posh people apparently.

A few weeks later dressed in a circle skirt I hit the dancefloor. I had been watching this girl for the last few weeks dancing and hoped her dancing would come out in my feet once on the dancefloor.I think she caught me a time or two watching her, probably wanted to beat me up for staring! She had some sort of disability in her leg/hips and walked with a limp, but she was by far the best dancer on that dance floor, she was my hero! I did think about doing the clapping, I dreaded the thoughts of the clapping and getting it all wrong, why did these folks clap ? I chickened out of ever mastering the fine art of clapping lol.

It wasn't long after this dancing began for me and I was drawing fists on my record box, and writing Wigan Casino, even though I didn't have a clue what Wigan Casino was, a casino was where people gambled??, and Wigan ??, what the hell was that ? I didn't even know it was a place! I drew cute owls like these folks had on their badges, and whatever else I could write on my record box even though my box only contained chart records.

I needed to get some money for my next disco.My parents just didn't have the money to hand out for no reason, being one of five, if one had something we all had to have the same. If I asked for money I would get shouted at, time to raise some cash me thinks. The good old tooth fairy sprung to mind. I pulled one tooth out with the help of one of my brothers after seeing it being done in a cartoon, it was wobbly anyway, but I knew it wouldn't be out before Mondays disco. I tied some fishing line around the tooth, it took forever and a big break out sweating while thinking of the pain, who cares, I wanted money! String now on the door handle, I lay on the bed, brother said are you sure about this, oh yes, just do it! He opened the door quick, the tooth flew out but we never got paid for it, because we couldn't find it! All that pain for no gain!That was probably my last baby tooth, and it went to waste.

I then started babysitting, and had my own money and could go to the disco when I wanted too.The northern half hour eventually got replaced by the two tone and Jam stuff, and then New Wave, Duran Duran, Gary Numan, etc which all my mates got into. I had one mate who was into Adam & The Ants and she would turn up to the disco with a white plaster on her nose,and sing Stand and Deliver all night long, another mate who would turn up in a Ra-Ra skirt and a frilly blouse and strutting her stuff to Gary Numan - Cars, she looked worse than me in my circle skirt and they had the cheek to say I dressed "Strange" WHAT! lol.

The northern soul dancers seemed to drift away, probably doing the married/house/kids thing.I got into the scooter/mod revival scene. My first scooter rally in 1983 and there was the northern soul back on the menu along with the new to my ears Stafford sounds. I'd be 17 and still lying to my parents about where I was - stopping at a mates was the favourite excuse even though I was in Morcecombe, or Torquay, or or or...anywhere but Nottingham!

....and I would do it all over again given the chance minus the teeth pulling lol.

great piece

[Guest cardysharpy]

Will do mate!

[Corbett80]

casual clothes/house music - mod/r&b&soul - smart clothes/rare soul

with lots of making a plonker of myself inbetween

[Little-stevie]

Just found this topic again.. Would be really nice to add more to it... So good to see where we all came from...

Steve x

[Guest]

Richard Searling published my account of the 1st tentative steps into the scene......it was going to be the 1st chapter of a book but things never got further.

I either couldnt be arsed or was too busy

BrianB was around back then too!

It seemed like a blinding idea at the time , I had tried Rock & Roll, Heavy/Progressive Rock, Reggae, Ska, you name it I had been through the whole gamut of musical genres on the planet I had even swapped my prized footy programme collection for a school chums (Paul Savva) sisters motown singles collection and now at the ripe old age of fifteen I was ready for, as the python team enthused "something completely different".

"C'mon Steve, you'll love it"......Although it was strictly over eighteens I was assured by my peers, that in my silver buttoned (cringe) blazer and tie I would have no problems getting past the heavies on the door. So, Saturday night arrived and with fake birth certificate in hand I boarded the free coach that would take me to the place which spawned my interest in what would later be known as...... "NORTHERN SOUL" (although, it had not been actually named just yet!)

It was about 8pm on an Autumnal Saturday back in 1971,looking back I probably looked more than a bit of a twat in my zoot suit and brogues, but at the time I was the biz, a real babe magnet, well I thought so and that's what mattered as I stood in the seemingly endless line of baggy trousered guys and even baggier skirted women, all waiting for their turn through the doors, and up the two escalators that lead to the Highland room, situated on the top floor of the famous BLACKPOOL MECCA. I had heard about a place in Manchester called The Twisted Wheel which was supposedly the dog's bollocks but hey, that was Manchester, not a place for a fifteen year old... soon to be ..."White Soul Brother" dressed up looking like a pox doctors apprentice.

As I walked down that final corridor and through the entrance into the Highland room, something hit me like a sledgehammer, other than the sweet sickly smell of stale Brut aftershave.........The atmosphere........It was just unforgettable. The room was blast furnace hot; the low ceiling dripped a mixture of sweat, nicotine and cologne. I had only been on the scene for about twenty minutes and I was part of it, strangers from Scotland, Stoke, Birmingham, London, plus a few people I recognised from my home town Burnley, coming up shaking my hand and offering to show me around the place and introduce me to their friends, genuine people, no front, no bullshit, all brought together, on a Saturday night in a Lancashire club, the only common denominators being the music and to a slightly lesser degree, the drugs, of which I will get back to at another time.

So I decided to get another beer, and stood watching the dancers go through their various routines, and was in awe with the acrobatics and spins, all those whirling bodies packed onto what was only a medium size dancefloor, no handbags, all dancing individually, never even touching.....I suppose to an outsider or cloakroom attendant it was like some form of synchronized epilepsy. I must have stood there for a couple of hours watching these lads and lasses, tapping my feet, taking in the music, but all my dancing was going on in my head....at fifteen I was to dancing what the two fat ladies are to hang-gliding.....all my silky Astaire-like, "Gettin-on-down" prowess was quite a way off.

It was two am, the end of the night, a little worse for the drink, legs tired from watching all the dancers, ears buzzing like a thousand...............buzzing things, we all trooped down the stairs, and out into the street, shirts instantly sucked onto our clammy torso's as soon as the night air hit our faces. After a few hugs and kisses and copious amounts of handshaking from my new found "brothers & sisters", it was time to make haste to the football club car park around the corner.

Wearily boarding the coach we all sat down at the back, talking about the night, who we had met....."Did you see that guy with the tash.. spin?"..."The one in the vest....oh yeah! that was Legs",he`s always out of his box, but what a mover"....Listening to yet more of the music on portable cassette players...."Listen to this one......you wont believe it, but this is Chubby Checker".

And that was it, my first introduction to the scene, that little did I know at the time, would stay with me all my life. Snuggling down in my seat, using the window as a pillow drifting off into sleeplessness, I had only three questions for myself........"how the hell do they get that Legs guy back in his box?"

"Where can I learn to dance like him?".........."and who the f*** is Chubby Checker?"

Edited March 25, 2008 by Guest

[Spacehopper]

ive always loved music and records..along with osmonds ,slade etc i can remember playin my dads copies of little queenie,shotgun and youre not an ordinary girl back in 73 aged 6 !...then i got into elvis along with my mates ,much to my dad and older brothers horror !...a few years later my brother got into northern and was going to st ives,peterborough and yate(was livin in norwich)...in 78 now 11 was bored with rock n roll and the abuse from my brother and bought "hey little way out girl" on a grapevine pic sleeve can also remember youth club tunes such as youre ready now,interplay etc but in 79 two tone happened and i was a rude boy...not a mod !! so until i got into scooters in 83 i forgot about northern....for the next 6 years i was doin the rallies lovin soul but listening to more and more reggae ,more hash less speed !,in 89 i left the scooter scene to be a reggae dj and although i still play some reggae gigs for the last 5 years (since getting a scoot again)ive got right back into the soul scene hook line and sinker ,over the last couple of years doing more soul nights than rallies...to be continued !!

[Jim G]

Newton Aycliffe Youth Club (the Youthie), 71

Many a NS fan got a intro there

[kimbo]

The Mod revival in the early to mid eighties-Cloud Nine all dayers in Manchester-hearing stuff like Benny Troy and Lew Kirton and learning about allniters through some of the lads there like Nick Stevenson and Martin the Mod...had a scary first night at the Carousel on Plymouth Grove in about 84, then Warrington,Morecambe and Tony's Empress followed (and a legendary apprearance on Whistle Test hiding behing my niter bag...)...those so called quiet years when you usually had to queue round the block to get in anywhere!!

Sounds cool.

[Guest LWJ2]

I started as with mod revival in 78/79 and gradually got more into Soul and R&B as we moved away from likes of Secret Affair/Chords type of sound .I started buying the "Face" mag in which one issue did a article on Northern Soul and that was it... bought my first Kent LP "floor shakers" the next time i was in Brighton`s HMV and i was hooked

Still a mod though !

[Chris L]

At thorne the other night ,packed out ,did one of my favourite hobbies and people watched. All different types of people there ,the ones on the dance floor never came off ,people round the records and those who just chat,have a drink and a laugh. All these people from all different walk s of life made me think how did we all start off , everyone must have a story

As a young lad of 14 or 15 (in 1967, yes I'm that old ) it was the Tamla Motown and their soundalikes tunes that seemed to stay swirling around in my head when I should have been studying for some sort of school work or career. At 17 I was hanging out at those concrete monuments The Mecca & Lacarnos in London and a lot of soul music got played. Thing is end 69 that all seemed to change to funk shyte, reggae and a loada pop. We still wanted things like "You've been cheatin', etc" luckily I had a mate who was a DJ and he'd buy his records from Record Corner. After getting to know the people who worked there and they knew our tastes it was Tony Rounce who suggested to us "Go North Young man". After our 1st trip to the Cats & the Mecca in 72 we were hooked. In those days there very very few "different walks of life" soulies, very much a working class thing. I think we shocked each other by our differences, the clothes, money cars, etc but by 'eck lad we didn't arf like them norverners. Our fellow Londoners thought us quite mad, they would ask us "what ja doin' diss weekend" "We're going to Stoke On Trent"

it really did sound quite bizarre at the time. Getting there in a bashed Cortina Mk I was even more weird, but as they say is a another story.

Chris L