Why The Venom

[Steve G]

All this VENOM about and nobody has mentioned........................................THE SNAKE

The Man In Black

Yes an obvious omission. Also "Ghost in my house"

[Guest Rich]

1.Mickey moonshine - Name it

2. Judy Street - What

3. Gloria Jones - tainted love

4. Touch of velvet sting of brass

5 Out on the floor

6. joe 90

7. Police story

8. Little ole man

9. Move on up

10.The Champion

Thats my top 10 baggys

Thats pretty good I reckon. could also have.

Nine Times Out Of Ten

Philly Dog Around The World

Manys The Slip Twixt The Cup And The Lip

Run Baby Run

Pick Me Up And Put Me In Your Pocket

Philly Dog?? Classic.

Stick your play in the baggy bin I'm afraid.

[Guest James Trouble]

Philly Dog?? Classic.

Stick your play in the baggy bin I'm afraid.

There are good records that are Baggy Northern, and Philly Dog is indeed a great classic. But a Baggy Northern fan doesn't care about the fact that they are good or not, they just care that they have heard them a million times before and that they are played at their local Baggy Club or one of the large weekenders they migrate to once or twice a year.

Philly Dog, I'm afraid, probably is Baggy, no mater how good it is

[Guest James Trouble]

KINNEL Paul!!!!!! agree with all you say, but PHILLY DOG AROUND THE WORLD kin awesome proper northern soul record...from a proper soul singer....that's blasphamy mate.

Phil.

Phil, see above post. There are some awesome records played by Baggy DJs and obsessed about by Baggy fans. But that's not why a Baggy Northerner likes them.

It's not about the records, as such, Baggy is a frame of mind, a way of life. They don't care abut the quality of the records, just that they are Baggy.

[Guest James Trouble]

edit

Edited September 14, 2008 by James Trouble

[Jumpinjoan]

Yes an obvious omission. Also "Ghost in my house"

I remember I got a black eye to this at Youth Club.

All us 'lot' were dancing with a circle of on-lookers around us going "WTF"? when the clapping bit came on and we all sort of clapped and directed it at the people looking at us.

The boy that was nearest to my clap turned round and knocked me out

Oh, the joys of being 13

[Guest James Trouble]

Am I missing something here?

Surely the title of this thread says it all...

Shopping Centre Soul?

Hello???????????

I guess that's a sub genre of Baggy?

Plastic Baggies for the shoppers out there?

I'll fetch my coat...

[Jumpinjoan]

I guess that's a sub genre of Baggy?

Plastic Baggies for the shoppers out there?

I'll fetch my coat...

Happy Shopper Northern

The next big thing!

[Guest WPaulVanDyk]

It's going to be a nostalgia trip back in time because they are obviously playing the big tunes of that time right. that's what surely people are moaning at rather then trying to play a few overplayed oldies and some underplayed ones and so on.

isn't the wigan re-union just like many other nighters that happen with the music policy only others have a few more underplayed tunes played etc and that wigan re-union is just in a shopping center.

I am into Northern soul in any way shape or form ie i collect badges and wear them and so on, i don't care if the soul police think it's wrong after all it's no different to going to what is classic soul and motown nights where the music is commercial and any chance of Northern is the Tainted Love or The Snake you all moan cause it's not appealing to you and lastly i would like to touch on this as someone mentioned about people who have stayed on the scene and not gone away and they are true to it then the ones who have left and come back

well some have done for a reason and that is to start a family therefor they are not going out instead wanting to spend some more time with there child until they older as my dad stopped going to Northern soul nights in the 80's he attended so many places in the 70's but cause he obviously along with my mum had me stopped going and in the late 90's went again to some nighters so does that not or should that not be questioned if you have a go at the ones who have left the scene and come back rather then the ones who have always been there

[Guest DeeJay]

You know i thought this when i read the article earlier Why would anyone knock other people having a good time (Only in Britain!) who cares whether it's in a shopping centre or an aircraft hanger These people are celebrating northern soul We're all supposed to be on the same team.Just let them have a good time and enjoy them selves You miserable babies

DJ

[Guest Roddy]

Whilst i agree that everyone has the right to enjoy themselves anyway they want.

Holding a memorial service 25 years after a grand old lady has died is not only wrong but disrespectful to her memory and in my opinion cheapens the fact that she was a momumental if towering example of all that is dark mysterious and esoteric,not a tawdry bit of tat to be punted about for profit,making a mockery of what was a fantastic period of my youth.

I HAVE SAID THIS BEFORE.

FOR GODS SAKE THE OLD LADY IS DEAD NOW LET HER REST IN PEACE.

[Modernsoulsucks]

This "Move on up" reference? Never went in M's but sure I never heard it at Wigan.

In fact my recollection is being at Stafford in that small room before allnighter opened and Dave Evison playing it there to much gasps of amazement especially from us 6T's Mafia types. Im pretty sure it was the talking point of the night.

Anyone confirm?

ROD

[Steve G]

This "Move on up" reference? Never went in M's but sure I never heard it at Wigan.

In fact my recollection is being at Stafford in that small room before allnighter opened and Dave Evison playing it there to much gasps of amazement especially from us 6T's Mafia types. Im pretty sure it was the talking point of the night.

Anyone confirm?

ROD

Evison played it at Wigan quite a few times. I remember it and thinking "Cor that's cool a chart record at Wigan" It was in his "Lightening strikes" period.

[Steve L]

Evison played it at Wigan quite a few times. I remember it and thinking "Cor that's cool a chart record at Wigan" It was in his "Lightening strikes" period.

Remember it well, it was my first time at Wigan and I can clearly remember Rob Wigley turning his nose up at it (78)

Edited September 15, 2008 by Steve L

[Guest chris2]

i may be a die hard but......

the term "northern soul" should never be done away with... why should it?

would the world be a better place without, reggae, ska, rock n' roll, punk, house ,rap, garage,indy,and whatever you like.....just because it is not easy to explain to some outsider what "northern soul" is does not mean you can just call it "soul"......you could perhaps find a kind of soul in all of the above if you asked it's devout followers?....for what is soul in reality...?

yes it does put music in a box with a label on it, but does not most things in life have a label, how would you find it or identify if it had not?

i feel sorry that some cannot carry on with the term and feel ashamed....that is true sadness, this is the music that brought us together, blew our minds away....and still i hope does...this is the music of our youth and will last forever in our hearts that age....the music will always make me feel i belong to the people i see week in week out, my family, my "northern soul " family.....i will miss them all when the time comes for me to be gone, as i miss those who have already gone.. i could not turn my self away from what has been such an important part of my life....and my memories..

KTF....Pete n' susan xxxx

nice one mate KEEP THE FAITH

[Guest Beeks]

It genuinely makes me chuckle that everyone slags RW off on here...even though without him...the majority of you wouldn't have got into Soul in the first place

[Guest Beeks]

double post

Edited October 15, 2008 by Beeks

[Guest Byrney]

It genuinely makes me chuckle that everyone slags RW off on here...even though without him...the majority of you wouldn't have got into Soul in the first place

Too much of a definite statement that Beek's. IMO I'd guess that if RW hadnt driven the Casino, and following the Torch, Wheel, Pendulum, Mecca etc that there would be another large scale venue that attracted our attention.

It's a bit like when Dance Journos say that if Johnnie Walker, Oakenfold, Tong, Holloway etc had not visited Ibiza and brought back that ethos to Shoom, Spectrum etc there wouldn't have been an Acid House scene that created the basis for the House / Dance Music scene.

Personally I think that I would have come across this great music with or without the Casino and RW.

[Guest Beeks]

Too much of a definite statement that Beek's. IMO I'd guess that if RW hadnt driven the Casino, and following the Torch, Wheel, Pendulum, Mecca etc that there would be another large scale venue that attracted our attention.

It's a bit like when Dance Journos say that if Johnnie Walker, Oakenfold, Tong, Holloway etc had not visited Ibiza and brought back that ethos to Shoom, Spectrum etc there wouldn't have been an Acid House scene that created the basis for the House / Dance Music scene.

Personally I think that I would have come across this great music with or without the Casino and RW.

I understand what you mean Byrney...I had the pleasure(depending on your viewpoint) of meeting Norman Jay...who apparently brought House Music to the UK

But one thing is for sure...like Norman...RW gave many people a push in the right direction...and I think in that aspect alone...he should be afforded a little respect

[Guest]

I understand what you mean Byrney...I had the pleasure(depending on your viewpoint) of meeting Norman Jay...who apparently brought House Music to the UK

But one thing is for sure...like Norman...RW gave many people a push in the right direction...and I think in that aspect alone...he should be afforded a little respect

I think he should be given the credit for founding Wigan - thats a lot different to respect. I don't know of one reason I should show him respect. If when Wigan closed he had gone away I could respect him. If he had taken the scene forward as other Wigan connected DJs did I could give him respect. Sadly I feel he has been knawing on the bones of Wigan for more than 25 years, I can't respect that.

[Dylan]

There are good records that are Baggy Northern, and Philly Dog is indeed a great classic. But a Baggy Northern fan doesn't care about the fact that they are good or not, they just care that they have heard them a million times before and that they are played at their local Baggy Club or one of the large weekenders they migrate to once or twice a year.

Philly Dog, I'm afraid, probably is Baggy, no mater how good it is

philly dog is awesome. I still think that it is a hard to find record can't see it being something everybody tom dick and harry has in their collection or ploaybox and in my 7 or 8 years where i was going out a lot I only heard it about 4 or 5 times so wasn't getting many plays at all in that period ? certainly not played a million times anyway.

now if you have a cheap copy of this overplayed baggy record for sale you know where to find me

[Guest Andy Kempster]

I think he should be given the credit for founding Wigan - thats a lot different to respect. I don't know of one reason I should show him respect. If when Wigan closed he had gone away I could respect him. If he had taken the scene forward as other Wigan connected DJs did I could give him respect. Sadly I feel he has been knawing on the bones of Wigan for more than 25 years, I can't respect that.

and as if by magic, there is having a good old gnaw at them again on paul o'grady

[Steve G]

...the majority of you wouldn't have got into Soul in the first place

Not correct Beeks. He wasn't that influencial on any of us.

Read the thread "How did I get into soul" which pops up on here every so often and search the words "Winstanley" and "Russ" - they don't appear once.

[Guest Beeks]

Not correct Beeks. He wasn't that influencial on any of us.

Read the thread "How did I get into soul" which pops up on here every so often and search the words "Winstanley" and "Russ" - they don't appear once.

Ah...very correct IMO...his name doesn't come up...but Wigan Casino does...and without him starting up the night there...those teenagers that went wouldn't have started their own nights when it finished...which in turn inspired another generation...then the next...etc etc.

What i'm trying to say...whats to say that without RW promoting the casino...that all the spotty teenagers who attended there might have just ended up going down their local clubs listening to the Beatles et al.

I just think it's ridiculous to see how he is lambasted on here...he's probably given alot of you the best memories of your lives

[Guest Roddy]

No beeks your wrong, as someone stated earlier another promoter would have filled the gap at another venue.He is lambasted for constantly bringing the memory of a dear old lady into disrepute,he has not moved on ffs he was going to put on a 35th anniversary night in Inverness of all places with another Scottish promoter who has nothing to do with the scene.

The Casino shut 25 years ago period, full stop, end of.

All this is doing is winding up people who get wound up its not big and its not clever, can we all go back to to talking about records new and old, just discovered, secretly horded etc.

[Guest]

Ah...very correct IMO...his name doesn't come up...but Wigan Casino does...and without him starting up the night there...those teenagers that went wouldn't have started their own nights when it finished...which in turn inspired another generation...then the next...etc etc.

What i'm trying to say...whats to say that without RW promoting the casino...that all the spotty teenagers who attended there might have just ended up going down their local clubs listening to the Beatles et al.

I just think it's ridiculous to see how he is lambasted on here...he's probably given alot of you the best memories of your lives

Apart from the fact that the Beatles broke up 4 years before Wigan started....

As for best memories he's given me some nightmares with Joe 90, Tony Blackburn etc.

Like most people I didn't only go to Wigan but also Sheffield Samanthas, KGB, Leeds Central, The Mecca, Wakefield, The Ritz, and many, many, more, the first club I heard of was the Torch although I never went. I also doubt if people carried on going to Wigan because of Russ - it was more likely in spite of him - musically most people went to hear Richard and the other DJs. Ask yourself why Russ faded away after Wigan ?

[Guest Beeks]

Apart from the fact that the Beatles broke up 4 years before Wigan started....

As for best memories he's given me some nightmares with Joe 90, Tony Blackburn etc.

Like most people I didn't only go to Wigan but also Sheffield Samanthas, KGB, Leeds Central, The Mecca, Wakefield, The Ritz, and many, many, more, the first club I heard of was the Torch although I never went. I also doubt if people carried on going to Wigan because of Russ - it was more likely in spite of him - musically most people went to hear Richard and the other DJs. Ask yourself why Russ faded away after Wigan ?

All i'm saying is...while you were turning up...getting out of your head and listening to (predominantly) good music...he was the one promoting that night...not just the late 70s early 80s...but right the way through...of course people are going to turn up to listen to the likes of Searling...but like it or not...RW played an integeral part in all of your lives...regardless of what has gone on since Wigan closed it's doors...

[Mike]

All i'm saying is...while you were turning up...getting out of your head and listening to (predominantly) good music...he was the one promoting that night...not just the late 70s early 80s...but right the way through...of course people are going to turn up to listen to the likes of Searling...but like it or not...RW played an integeral part in all of your lives...regardless of what has gone on since Wigan closed it's doors...

still laughing at your beatles comment

wtf was that about

[Guest Beeks]

still laughing at your beatles comment

wtf was that about

Meh...you got the general idea Mike...even if the timeframes not correct [Just insert random pop band here]

[Guest]

All i'm saying is...while you were turning up...getting out of your head and listening to (predominantly) good music...he was the one promoting that night...not just the late 70s early 80s...but right the way through...of course people are going to turn up to listen to the likes of Searling...but like it or not...RW played an integeral part in all of your lives...regardless of what has gone on since Wigan closed it's doors...

Factual errors:

I wasn't getting out of my head as I wasn't one of the 5% (per Russ) who needed artificial stimulants.

Russ wasn't the promoter

RW did not play an integral part in my life, unlike other DJs at the Casino, Russ was an irrelevance to me. I never had a conversation with him beyond "Can you play...".In all my visits to dayers, nighters, soul nites, in the 70's I never saw Russ once outside the Casino while all the other Wigan DJs were everywhere.

The problem is that people who never went or even worse those who went once or twice have been taken in by Russ W's ceasless propoganda (4,000,000 people etc etc) and rewriting of history. Russ was irrelevent to the wider Northern Scene in the 70s and it goes without saying that he is completley irrelevent today.

[Guest nubes]

Factual errors:

I wasn't getting out of my head as I wasn't one of the 5% (per Russ) who needed artificial stimulants.

Russ wasn't the promoter

RW did not play an integral part in my life, unlike other DJs at the Casino, Russ was an irrelevance to me. I never had a conversation with him beyond "Can you play...".In all my visits to dayers, nighters, soul nites, in the 70's I never saw Russ once outside the Casino while all the other Wigan DJs were everywhere.

The problem is that people who never went or even worse those who went once or twice have been taken in by Russ W's ceasless propoganda (4,000,000 people etc etc) and rewriting of history. Russ was irrelevent to the wider Northern Scene in the 70s and it goes without saying that he is completley irrelevent today.

100% agree ...One Hundred Percent...Delx

[sister dawn]

Damn it Beeks, history has to be rewritten now , it was all factually wrong, everything that had ever been written, who played what by whom at the casino,who wore what and why. In fact I dont think Wigan ever happened, its all a conspiracy, it was probably just a branch of uncle joes mintballs, bit like tootsweets in chitty chitty bang bang... it was a figment perhaps of some dodgy chemical trip... i dont think we'll ever know the real truth... right must go have to be back in my sideroom in 5 minutes...

[Guest Beeks]

Russ wasn't the promoter

Am I missing something here?

[Guest]

Am I missing something here?

Probably

I used to promote Soul Nights in the 70's

I booked and paid for the room

I booked and paid for the DJs

I booked and paid the Door staff

I booked and paid for the advertising

I put all the profits in my pocket and bought lots of nice things like records

The above is what a promoter does

Russ was not the promoter of the Wigan Casino Niters

[Guest Beeks]

Damn it Beeks, history has to be rewritten now , it was all factually wrong, everything that had ever been written, who played what by whom at the casino,who wore what and why. In fact I dont think Wigan ever happened, its all a conspiracy, it was probably just a branch of uncle joes mintballs, bit like tootsweets in chitty chitty bang bang... it was a figment perhaps of some dodgy chemical trip... i dont think we'll ever know the real truth... right must go have to be back in my sideroom in 5 minutes...

I'm so glad I wasn't there...8/9 years of fun...then the next 25+ years of bitterness

[Guest]

Probably

I used to promote Soul Nights in the 70's

I booked and paid for the room

I booked and paid for the DJs

I booked and paid the Door staff

I booked and paid for the advertising

I put all the profits in my pocket and bought lots of nice things like records

The above is what a promoter does

Russ was not the promoter of the Wigan Casino Niters

I'd heard that gerry marshall was I suppose the promotor, with Mike Walker running it... ??.

Jayne.x

[Paul-s]

Phil, see above post. There are some awesome records played by Baggy DJs and obsessed about by Baggy fans. But that's not why a Baggy Northerner likes them.

It's not about the records, as such, Baggy is a frame of mind, a way of life. They don't care abut the quality of the records, just that they are Baggy.

Agree James. Philly has had the BAGGY hammering to the extent that it no longer registers to my ears.....it is im afraid a BAGGY classic. Yeh,Yeh,Yeh,Yeh,Yeh,Yeh,Yeh!

Edited October 15, 2008 by paul-s

[Guest]

I'd heard that gerry marshall was I suppose the promotor, with Mike Walker running it... ??.

Jayne.x

That's about it

GM was the tenant of the Casino and owned the business, MW was the manager who worked for GM, and RW was the head DJ who took his orders from MW - so a little bit further down the foodchain than he'd have us believe !

[Guest Beeks]

That's about it

GM was the tenant of the Casino and owned the business, MW was the manager who worked for GM, and RW was the head DJ who took his orders from MW - so a little bit further down the foodchain than he'd have us believe !

Ah Right...So RW had absolutely no input in Wigan whatsoever...it was all born out of his imagination...It's all crystal clear now...

Oh BTW...the holocaust never happened either

[Guest nubes]

I'm so glad I wasn't there...8/9 years of fun...then the next 25+ years of bitterness

Who's bitter???...i'm not....i'm so proud to belong to what was one of the Super clubs back then...and believe me i have more than moved on from them days....what irritates me the most ...is the assumption that without RW...there would have been no Casino..it's total rubbish...the Late Mike Walker...as Manager worked hand in hand with RW..but yet RW seems to forgot that little fact on POG...he blatantly lies all the time ..and yet seems to get away with it....

Let me tell ya about the final nights at the Casino...there was the final Friday Oldies nighter...no mention....the final Saturday all nighter...of which when we came thru those doors ...given a flyer ..which at first ..thanked everybody for the last 8 years...then informed us that the casino had got a reprieve and in fact..that there were going to be several "goodbye" nighters . ...that night ...to most of us 19th September 1981...was going to be the final night....the rest of them nighters was just a sad joke...there you have it mate..sorry to burst ya bubble that RW was such an upstanding soul leader...Delx

[Guest]

Ah Right...So RW had absolutely no input in Wigan whatsoever...it was all born out of his imagination...It's all crystal clear now...

Oh BTW...the holocaust never happened either

A lot of what he says, I've been told has been born out of his imagination. That's come from talking to other Wigan DJ's, not just

punters who went, but who might not have known 'what was going on behind the scenes'.

I'd say (and again might be wrong) but looking at records that Searling / Evo played /broke etc compared to the kind of thing RW played / broke etc,

I've deffo been led to believe that Searling, Evo etc were far more groundbreaking and had more of an impact on many folk's lives and addiction to

Northern (if you can call it that) that RW did.

Searling wasn't running the show but by far most of the stuff I've heard, liked and enquried about gets the reply " Searling broke that at the Casino"

Dunno, just observations from stories told...

Jayne.x

Edited October 15, 2008 by Miss BurySoul

[Guest]

I'm so glad I wasn't there...8/9 years of fun...then the next 25+ years of bitterness

It's a strange thing. For various reasons I'd say there were/are five great Northern venues. The Wheel in the Sixties, The Torch, Mecca and Wigan in the Seventies and the 100 Club since. I realise I've left out Cleethorpes, Stafford, The Ritz and many others but anyway

The Wheel is where it all began - the Old Testement

The Torch is where it broke through and became an overground underground scene

The Mecca was truly modernist it set the agenda and broke many of the great records,it became so modernist to the point that by 1977 if the record had been recorded two days ago it was old hat - I'm joking but you know what I mean

The 100 club - I've never been but I've always heard good things. Russ has his 35th aniversary in a shopping centre 27 years after the club ends while the Northern Soul Scene celebrates 29 non-stop years in London. Fitting really that the place where Modernism began is taken forward in that City. It reminds me of the Roman Empire in that while Rome fell in 476 the Eastern part of the empire continued for another 1000 years.

So what of Wigan? Those of us who went have no bitterness towards it. It was a great place with great memories. What made Wigan such a great business success is what has caused damage to it's memories:

Wigan's Chosen Few

Spark Records and Wigans Ovation

Casino Classics and Joe 90

Granada TV's This England

Russ's 2 million selling cd compilation

Aniversarys in Shopping centres with sets of patchs sold on eBay

Appearances on POG

all great for business but not for remembering "The Heart of Soul"

Compare it to the Torch - legendary venue all that's left are photo's and Major Lances live LP - has that ever been released on CD btw

Anyway the point I (and I think a lot of other people ) try to make is that Russ won't let it stay in the past a bit like the Daily Express and Diana Car Crash plots on the front page every week.

[Wiganer1]

Ah Right...So RW had absolutely no input in Wigan whatsoever...it was all born out of his imagination...It's all crystal clear now...

Oh BTW...the holocaust never happened either

==

beeks - ure wasting your breath mate ...russ will never have any fans on here bud..

8 years of wigan and did bugger all , played bugger all ,,broke bugger all ,,no one danced to his records,,no one clapped to his spots..etc

up there with the antichrists of all antichrists!!

regards

mark

supporter of the underdog!

[Spacehopper]

i wasnt lucky enuff to go to wigan.......i dont have nuffin against the ODD wigan revival night but having it on the site when its shopping center is a bit much......the yate revival night last year was the best night in the south west for ages but was at berkley...it was the music that made it a revival night not the location....

as for russ,never met him, im sure hes a nice man and once upon a time a good dj....saw him recently and wasnt that impressed to be honest...think he played ghost in my house,do i love you...not what i go to an established soul night for...wanted the residents on !...he also seemed to mix the tunes over each other too much

[Guest]

A lot of what he says, I've been told has been born out of his imagination. That's come from talking to other Wigan DJ's, not just

punters who went, but who might not have known 'what was going on behind the scenes'.

I'd say (and again might be wrong) but looking at records that Searling / Evo played /broke etc compared to the kind of thing RW played / broke etc,

I've deffo been led to believe that Searling, Evo etc were far more groundbreaking and had more of an impact on many folk's lives and addiction to

Northern (if you can call it that) that RW did.

Searling wasn't running the show but by far most of the stuff I've heard, liked and enquried about gets the reply " Searling broke that at the Casino"

Dunno, just observations from stories told...

Jayne.x

Richard has IMO the best taste of any DJ. The quality of the tracks he's played , the cds he's compiled for close to 40 years can't be beaten, he is (and was) also a genuinely nice bloke with no side. Dave very much the salt of the earth another great bloke with no side but not groundbreaking IMVHO as he tended to be fairly populist with the oldies he played.

Another big nane from the early days is Kev Roberts and I'll just take a minute to recommend his 10 to 12 Solar Radio show on Saturdays, great unpretentious good time soul music of all kinds.

[Wiganer1]

Richard has IMO the best taste of any DJ. The quality of the tracks he's played , the cds he's compiled for close to 40 years can't be beaten, he is (and was) also a genuinely nice bloke with no side. Dave very much the salt of the earth another great bloke with no side but not groundbreaking IMVHO as he tended to be fairly populist with the oldies he played.

Another big nane from the early days is Kev Roberts and I'll just take a minute to recommend his 10 to 12 Solar Radio show on Saturdays, great unpretentious good time soul music of all kinds.

==

dont alot of todays djs owe alot to Russ??

where would Richard,Kev,Pat Brady Brian Rae all have been if they hadnt been given a chance by Russ to spin at Wigan??

very hypothetical i know but surely in their heart of hearts the owe Russ and the casino alot!!

[Peter99]

Richard has IMO the best taste of any DJ. The quality of the tracks he's played , the cds he's compiled for close to 40 years can't be beaten, he is (and was) also a genuinely nice bloke with no side. Dave very much the salt of the earth another great bloke with no side but not groundbreaking IMVHO as he tended to be fairly populist with the oldies he played.

Another big nane from the early days is Kev Roberts and I'll just take a minute to recommend his 10 to 12 Solar Radio show on Saturdays, great unpretentious good time soul music of all kinds.

Sir Dickie is the man in my book. Some of his sets from way back are just stunning - fantastic 60's newies aligned with the best on offer from the seventies - even early eighties. Untouchable. In my very honest and humble opinion.

[Wiganer1]

Sir Dickie is the man in my book. Some of his sets from way back are just stunning - fantastic 60's newies aligned with the best on offer from the seventies - even early eighties. Untouchable. In my very honest and humble opinion.

===

absolutley agree.

[Guest]

==

dont alot of todays djs owe alot to Russ??

where would Richard,Kev,Pat Brady Brian Rae all have been if they hadnt been given a chance by Russ to spin at Wigan??

very hypothetical i know but surely in their heart of hearts the owe Russ and the casino alot!!

You really need to know your history if you want to debate with those of us who lived it !

Brian Rae had been a DJ at the Wheel, Richard and Pat were both name DJs (in Manchester and Yorkshire respectively) before they were at Wigan, and without the young Kev Roberts in the early weeks Winstanley would have sunk without trace !

[Guest]

==

dont alot of todays djs owe alot to Russ??

where would Richard,Kev,Pat Brady Brian Rae all have been if they hadnt been given a chance by Russ to spin at Wigan??

very hypothetical i know but surely in their heart of hearts the owe Russ and the casino alot!!

So what was Russ good at?. I'm not having a pop, I've heard him DJ now and the stuff he played at wigan and it comes nowhere near,as a Dj compared to Searling etc he comes nowhere near for me, He wasn't the promotor so he can't take credit for that, so did he just put all the pieces into the jigsaw then?..

Jayne.x