Following the thread I've picked up from various posts in recent weeks, I'd just like to clarify whether members of this site are in love with the music solely, or are you somehow drawn to and attracted to the memories of past years.I have always been interested in the music firstly and have enjoyed many times over a period of around 24/25 years, but I believe in a progressive policy and loathe with a passion any night/event that coins the term "REVIVAL"......To me this smacks of rock 'n' roll and a total atavistic attitude,for me this music will always be "paradoxically" about the future, and hopefully events will reflect that feeling( which indeed many do)....

So what is it for you...the continuation of a scene or a yearning for times passed........

Edited February 6, 200520 yr by Brett

  Brett said:

Following the thread I've picked up from various posts in recent  weeks, I'd just like to clarify whether members of this site are in love with the music solely, or are you somehow drawn to and attracted to the memories of past years.I have always been interested in the music firstly and have enjoyed many times over a period of around 24/25 years, but I believe in a progressive policy and loathe with a passion any night/event that coins the term "REVIVAL"......To me this smacks of rock 'n' roll and a total atavistic attitude,for me this music will always be "paradoxically" about the future, and hopefully events will reflect that feeling( which indeed many do)....

So what is it for you...the continuation of a scene or a yearning for times passed........

link

Memories???? Can't remember last night let alone years gone by

Seriously tho'.....the music Brett. I grew up in the very progressive period of the 80's. Never had a break as such and always look forward.

The scene these days though with a few exceptions is very much like the rock and roll scene, stale and stagnant with too many backward looking venues

  Brett said:

Following the thread I've picked up from various posts in recent  weeks, I'd just like to clarify whether members of this site are in love with the music solely, or are you somehow drawn to and attracted to the memories of past years.I have always been interested in the music firstly and have enjoyed many times over a period of around 24/25 years, but I believe in a progressive policy and loathe with a passion any night/event that coins the term "REVIVAL"......To me this smacks of rock 'n' roll and a total atavistic attitude,for me this music will always be "paradoxically" about the future, and hopefully events will reflect that feeling( which indeed many do)....

So what is it for you...the continuation of a scene or a yearning for times passed........

link

Hi ya Brett, sorry I missed you at New Century.

I was always the odd one out (still am I think!) I loved the music more than others who loved the scene - whether the drugs, scooters, etc. While I was dancing, they would be getting p*ssed or talking about scooters! No one understood how I loved music ranging from the 60s up to the 90s. Did I get the p*ss taken out of me for saying on the northern scene that I also loved Jazz Funk! But nowadays its more acceptable that people 'crossover' on the music front which I feel it should be. I have mates who simply love 60s only and hate anything modern, vice versa but I feel Im lucky to have a choice. I try to respect the others might not like all I like, vice versa. Mine is both - continuation but hopefully more of a progression and yearning for older times. Now thats even of being serious now!

  karenbed said:

Hi ya Brett, sorry I missed you at New Century. 

I was always the odd one out (still am I think!) I loved the music more than others who loved the scene - whether the drugs, scooters, etc.  While I was dancing, they would be getting p*ssed or talking about scooters!  No one understood how I loved music ranging from the 60s up to the 90s.  Did I get the p*ss taken out of me for saying on the northern scene that I also loved Jazz Funk! But nowadays its more acceptable that people 'crossover' on the music front which I feel it should be.  I have mates who simply love 60s only and hate anything modern, vice versa but I feel Im lucky to have a choice.  I try to respect the others might not like all I like, vice versa.  Mine is both - continuation but hopefully more of a progression and yearning for older times.  Now thats even of being serious now!

link

Yes I have had a drink today thats why I cant spell neither!!!!

My memory is totally useless and the seventies are nothing but a mere blur, but I'm open minded about this question Brett.

An oldie isn't a bad record simply because it's an oldie; and it might be new and fresh to someone else. I don't think soul music or the soul scene should be prescriptive either - let people enjoy it however they want to.

Personally, I constantly seek music that is new to my ears though, and can fully understand where you are coming from.

Live and let live, and let folks choose how, where and what they get from the soul scene for themselves.....just like you do :-)

  alison said:

An oldie isn't a bad record simply because it's an oldie; and it might be new and fresh to someone else. I don't think soul music or the soul scene should be prescriptive either - let people enjoy it however they want to.

link

Very true...there's 100's of records from the Stafford/80's era waiting to be rediscovered by the returnees of the mid 90's on.

Same can be said for lesser known or forgotten Wigan/Torch etc records by those not there.

I love rock & roll

  Pete-S said:

I love rock & roll

link

Well put another dime in the duke box baby

  Brett said:

Following the thread I've picked up from various posts in recent  weeks, I'd just like to clarify whether members of this site are in love with the music solely, or are you somehow drawn to and attracted to the memories of past years.I have always been interested in the music firstly and have enjoyed many times over a period of around 24/25 years, but I believe in a progressive policy and loathe with a passion any night/event that coins the term "REVIVAL"......To me this smacks of rock 'n' roll and a total atavistic attitude,for me this music will always be "paradoxically" about the future, and hopefully events will reflect that feeling( which indeed many do)....

So what is it for you...the continuation of a scene or a yearning for times passed........

link

I'm with you Brett, it's all about the music for me!

I feel there's nothing wrong with 'revival' stuff as long as the music is rotated. Let's face it, that's the beauty of the music we love is that it's timeless. A 60's classic can sound as fresh as a tune brought out last year. The trouble in my eyes is when venues and DJ's play the same ol songs to death you tend to get bored of a song you once thought was fantastic. It's still fantastic, you just wanna here others from that bottom less pit!

A lot of venues now have a modern room attached, which kinda does my head in coz I'm then drawn to one room. Once I'm in the groove, it's not easy to then stop dancing and wander off into a new room with a different atmosphere and try pick up where you left off. Bring back the days of Morecambe Pier and Newcastle allnighters et al when all music was played in the 1 room. Revival!? Well just the ethos anyway, as Morecambe no longer has a pier...

Stop Press: Soul music didn't stop being made in the 1960's...

Seems everyone wants to know why people feel the way they do about the scene. Who cares?!? I just know HOW I feel. No need to question it, just go with it....IT FEELS GOOD! And that should be the only reason ANYONE is involved in this great community of soul fans.

Just my two cents worth...

-Mike

Interesting one this Brett, I have real mixed feelings about the Stafford revival, however since I dont get to much these days the social thing has to be a big part of it for me, but still not enough to make me go to dos where I think music will not be for me. I left the scene in the mid 90's partly due to the music policy that was forming, to me it has to progress and be educating, that doesnt mean no oldies to me. Upstairs at Stafford was the most educational place when so called oldies were being played. I also dont think progressive has to mean no fun like everyone seems to think. Given the size of the attendance these days its ahrd to be different I suppose but then thats where places like Lifeline come in I suppose.

Hmm a good question, I would love to get enought enthusiasm to get out my armchair and its a progressive scene that would do that, however thats just my choice!

Yours thoughtfully and slightly wistfully

Jock

At the end of the day nostalgia is natural, the trick is not to get bogged down in it It has it's place as do the newer sounds and for me the best nights combine the best of both by getting the balance right.

John

Edited February 7, 200520 yr by Johnny One Trout

Love it all so long as it's good. Still love most oldies after 30 years. Just coz they're played out don't make 'em bad records all of a sudden.

As a collector, there's still 1000s of the liccleblackshinybuggers I've never owned so the search never ends. In fact it gets more intense as every year passes there's stuff you only just heard and need to find. I find this "I'm now enlightened" attitude a load of bollox and a bit condescending. There's more hypocrisy on the "Northern Soul Scene " now than ever before in my opinion. Just luv it for what it is.

Regards,

Dave

The scene to me seems to be split into two factions.

The oldies and 70`s scene which is mostly soul nights and the all nighter scene which play the new sounds.

The members of this forum that post the most seem to prefer the the new sounds.

Anyone that confesses to the love that dare not speak its name, namely oldies is a lot of the time shouted down by the soul police for being backward looking.

We need to be careful and accept that the scene is big enough for both factions to exist and live and let live.

We all love the music over almost anything else in our lives so lets enjoy it while we can.

Just my opinion, no offence to anyone intended.

  chalky said:

Very true...there's 100's of records from the Stafford/80's era waiting to be rediscovered by the returnees of the mid 90's on.

Same can be said for lesser known or forgotten Wigan/Torch etc records by those not there.

link

I agree with you, I dont hear half of what was played at Stafford now, in fact, wot is played isn't the 'best of stafford'!

Ever since I first walked into the Central Soul Club in Leeds '72 It has been the music first and foremost. Sure, I love everything else about the scene, but it is the music that drives it.

As a lover of the music, I wanted to hear all I could. After the second or third week I became familiar with the current spins, and wanted to hear something I didn't know. That was the thirst for the music, through Wigan, Cleethorpes etc to the present day. I still want to hear new stuff.

Iv'e heard the rest, I want to hear more! That doesn't mean what I have heard already is no longer relevent. There were some blinding records played from all eras. Some were good in their day, and don't stand the test of time, some are timeless classics that can be played anywhere, some are classics that are hammered to death, some are 'sleepers' waithing to re-emerge as indemanders for today. You have to have a mix of old and new, just so long as you don't lose sight of the fact that it is the new that keeps the scene fresh, and from the start kept us coming back for more!

Edited February 7, 200520 yr by Trevski

  trevski said:

Ever since I first walked into the Central Soul Club in Leeds '72 It has been the music first and foremost. Sure, I love everything else about the scene, but it is the music that drives it.

As a lover of the music, I wanted to hear all I could. After the second or third week I became familiar with the current spins, and wanted to hear something I didn't know. That was the thirst for the music, through Wigan, Cleethorpes etc to the present day. I still want to hear new stuff.

Iv'e heard the rest, I want to hear more! That doesn't mean what I have heard already is no longer relevent. There were some blinding records played from all eras. Some were good in their day, and don't stand the test of time, some are timeless classics that can be played anywhere, some are classics that are hammered to death, some are 'sleepers' waithing to re-emerge as indemanders for today. You have to have a mix of old and new, just so long as you don't lose sight of the fact that it is the new that keeps the scene fresh, and from the start kept us coming back for more!  

link

What more is there to say. IMO you'll not get a better, more reasoned post on the subject.

  BLADEFORLIFE said:

What more is there to say. IMO you'll not get a better, more reasoned post on the subject. 

link

TOTALLY AGREE, SEE MY SPOT MARRS BAR......THE BEST IDEA WOULD BE TO COMPLETELY REMOVE ALL TAGS IE: REVIVAL WIGAN/STAFFORD/ ETC, JUST MAKE IT NORTHERN SOUL......................NOTHING ELSE NOTHING MORE............

PS FOR PEOPLE WHO WEREN'T AROUND IN THE SEVENTIES THE PLAYLISTS WERE COMPLETELY VARIED, IE WIGAN SAT NIGHT ROSE ROYCE/LOU PRIDE/V S ROBINSON/JIMMY MACK, NOBODY ANNOUNCED THEY WERE GOING TO PLAY SOMETHING FROM A DIFFERENT ERA, JUST KEPT ON PLAYING.........ONE AFTER ANOTHER................BRILL!!!!!!!!!

I love soul music.

  Soulsam said:

Bring back the days of Morecambe Pier and Newcastle allnighters et al when all music was played in the 1 room.    Revival!?

link

Er, as a former DJ at Morecombe Pier (and what great days those were!) I have to point out that there were 2 rooms at the Pier, the Main hall and The Starlight room at the front. Obviously the chemicals were very VERY good in those days

  TheBigO said:

Er, as a former DJ at Morecombe Pier (and what great days those were!) I have to point out that there were 2 rooms at the Pier, the Main hall and The Starlight room at the front. Obviously the chemicals were very VERY good in those days

link

I once asked Brian Rae, in the Starlight room, after half an hour of RnB if he was going to play any Northern Soul.

He took it so well

He had the last laugh tho. I over indulged in Dexys and had a diversion on the way home to a midland hospital. NOT RECOMMENDED.

Sometimes, as good as t'internet is, it can be a bad way of holding a debate.

Its way too easy to make a sweeping statement. Like, "I dont liked played out oldies" (to me one is Epitome of Sound), but I love to pieces The Vondells - Hey girl.... But that is probably as played out as any. The one thing that seperates it from Epitome... is I like it.

Or "I dont like 70s much", and "anything later than that is utter rubbish". (All statements I'm sure I have made in the past). But settled nicely in my collection is J Blackfoot from the early 80s and 50 or so 70s tunes that I absolutely adore.

Most of my records at home are 60s type, (I say type, many early 70s tracks are very 60s in feel), but I love oldies as much as I like hearing newly discovered old tunes.

So all in all I like all of it, but dislike quite a lot too.

And I love how it was, but also love how it is today.

Glad thats cleared up then.

I personaly like a 50/50 mix oldies newies,first time round i was the same loved searling and sams stuff but loved Mr Ms just as much.I do think a lot of people are back in scene as much for the social aspect as much as the music,but as we say at soultown a little bit of something for everybody,aint no bad thing.

"But settled nicely in my collection is J Blackfoot"

Would that be "Taxi - for Mike In Town?"

This talk about the rock and roll scene is intriguing. Do they have a scene just like us with rareties and undiscovered sounds, regular nights etc...? I have no experience of it, but it sounds interesting that there is another scene out there like this one, covering the same era of music. I'll check out ebay and type in Rock and Roll....

  TheBigO said:

Er, as a former DJ at Morecombe Pier (and what great days those were!) I have to point out that there were 2 rooms at the Pier, the Main hall and The Starlight room at the front. Obviously the chemicals were very VERY good in those days

link

Quite correct! There were 2 rooms, my point was that all types of music were played in the main room, altho you could correct me on that as I never spent too much time in the Starlight Room...

What did they generally play in there? These were my very first niters and I just thought they played oldies (60's) in the Starlight Room all night, so when the modern came on the oldies folks were still catered for...

Sam

God my memory is bad, i can only remember one sound from Morcambe and that was Jimmy Bo Horne - If you want my love. We used to spend most of the night sitting in a little area near the entrance, i seem to remember it was like a conservatory (that wasn't the Starlight room was it?) with occasional forays out the back to look out over the sea and take in the bracing air!

Ah those er... memories.... bloody hell!

Edited February 7, 200520 yr by mattmale

  Soulsam said:

Quite correct!  There were 2 rooms, my point was that all types of music were played in the main room, altho you could correct me on that as I never spent too much time in the Starlight Room... 

What did they generally play in there? These were my very first niters and I just thought they played oldies (60's) in the Starlight Room all night, so when the modern came on the oldies folks were still catered for...

Sam

link

From What I Can Remember The Main room Was Mainly 70's And The Starlight Room Was All Oldies ,A Very Bad And Loud Sound System

Its gotta be the music. I lived outside Stafford in the 80's and the if sides that had been exposed during that era had been done so at another venue, say Telford for convenience, would the talk be of a Telford revival? Maybe, but really it would be at the end of the day a soul music revival, surely?

Do i need to get me coat........?