What Song First Gotcha?

[Blake H]

In 1970 I went to a sea training school on Anglesey called the Indefatigable and there were quite a few black lads from Liverpool who were into motown/reggae. The school had a crappy record player and we were allowed to play records for a couple of hours on a night, the only problem being the rivallry between the rock/pop lads and us lot. We ended up having seperate nights but still went so we could smoke out of the widows and not be seen by the officers. The tunes that got me hooked were:-

Ball of confusion...Temptations, War..Edwinn Starr, Move on up..C. Mayfied, Tams..Hey Girl,

Flaming Ember..Westbound No9. Motown Chartbusters 3 Tighten up/Club Reggae

We all used to listen to Radio Luxemburg on tiny trannies with earpieces in bed at night.

Never went to sea and ended up getting a job back in Leeds, Stopped being a football holigan and spent saturday afternoons digging round for records

Happy Days

BH

[Guest vinylvixen]

First memory of a soul record? - watching Marvin Gaye on RSG in 65/66 singing 'Hitch Hike' and my brother who was 17 taking me to The Parlour Coffee Bar in Chatham which was the local mod hang out. Scooters lining the kerbside, Gaggia Coffee Machine, glass 'flying saucer' coffee cups, neon olympic rings on the wall, red leather horseshoe shaped seats and Motown on the juke box. All his mates would give me money to put in the juke box and shout out the numbers - F5 etc...and I would get to press the buttons - 'Money' blasting out and me twisting :-) The joys of being 6 and having a big brother :-)

First Northern Records that REALLY HOOKED me.....can I have 3?

Countdown here I come - Tempos

I still love you - Superlatives

Gotta have your love - Sapphires

I didn't have the luxury of youth clubs....but I was working as a Saturday girl in a record shop from 13 onwards and it was a soul import shop and Andy Peebles, Robbie Vincent, Greg Edwards and Pete Young on the radio........yep, happy days. Jo

[Guest vinylvixen]

We all used to listen to Radio Luxemburg on tiny trannies with earpieces in bed at night.

So did I

with the dreadful reception....Radio Luxemburg only had one transmitter and no pick up in the UK so the sound waves would 'ebb' and 'flow' causing those strange 'lulls' in transmission. The jingle still haunts me 'Radio 2 0 8'...and listening to the chart countdown....under the bedclothes so my mum wouldn't catch me

Jo

[Steve G]

All this talk of discos / youth clubs etc.....Down in Kent our local ones, as far as northern is concerned, we had to take records along and try and badger the DJs to play them. This met with variable success, some would play 3 or 4 on the go, and others would have to be badgered into submission.

Worst one I recall was one night at the Teen & Twenty Club in Tonbridge, and I had taken down Kim Tolliver "I don't know what foot to dance on". The "guest" DJ eventually played one verse of it, then announced "that's a load of crepe" and took it off. When I collected the record back to him I told him that I thought he was a solo practitioner when it came to sex (in one word), and never to darken our doors in Tonbridge again. I don't think he did either!

My initial influence as far as northern was concerned was more radio orientated, and then mags like Black Music / Blues and Soul. I wanted to find out what all the fuss was about.

As far as mainstream soul was concerned originally got into that via Radio Luxemburg / Radio North Sea International, and believe it or not Top of The Pops where groups like the 4 Tops were omni-present.

[vnicepce]

Then the Casino Classics LPs, and the First Kent LP's... I knew all the words to all the tracks!

Then at 17 I went to the 100 club - in a turtle neck jumper and a long tweed skirt. And I LOVED IT! At the time Ian Clark used to play a bit of modern/70's which at the time I thought was rubbish!! (love it now though).

I can't say there is a particular record that got me hooked, though I do get all nostalgic if I hear an Impressions track played out!

have you still got the Kent LPs??-I still have all mine...and the rest...

[vnicepce]

..Oh, and by the way,the first track that really got me: '6 by 6'-Earl Van Dyke and the Motown Brass (as credited on the Single)-by the way, Jo, where was that Coffee Bar??

[Reg]

First proper Northern Soul that I heard...(after The Snake and stuff like that) was probably played at Cloud Nine in Manchester-it was a semi mod all dayer on every Saturday..They played a mixture of music like revival mod bands like Secret Affair and two tone but then there was a dj who'd play a couple of hours of 70s northern stuff which I instantly loved even though I was a proper mod at the time....whenever I hear Benny Troy,Lew Kirton,Prince Phillip Mitchel, Flame n King....it takes me right back to being 14

[Guest]

have you still got the Kent LPs??-I still have all mine...and the rest...

Dad's still got all his records, and still buys records too. I've never really bought records as I lived with a collector at a young age - he was obsessive (and from what I hear still is) and killed any love for buying records. I left most of my records behind when I left him. The ones I took I gave to my Dad. Now I buy records that I like using Michaels money....

[gringo]

In 1970 I went to a sea training school on Anglesey called the Indefatigable and there were quite a few black lads from Liverpool who were into motown/reggae. The school had a crappy record player and we were allowed to play records for a couple of hours on a night, the only problem being the rivallry between the rock/pop lads and us lot. We ended up having seperate nights but still went so we could smoke out of the widows and not be seen by the officers. The tunes that got me hooked were:-

Ball of confusion...Temptations, War..Edwinn Starr, Move on up..C. Mayfied, Tams..Hey Girl,

Flaming Ember..Westbound No9. Motown Chartbusters 3 Tighten up/Club Reggae

We all used to listen to Radio Luxemburg on tiny trannies with earpieces in bed at night.

Never went to sea and ended up getting a job back in Leeds, Stopped being a football holigan and spent saturday afternoons digging round for records

Happy Days

BH

Blake, I never took you for a footy hooligan? Mind you I could see you being an old see dog Captain Birdseye

[Guest vinylvixen]

..Oh, and by the way,the first track that really got me: '6 by 6'-Earl Van Dyke and the Motown Brass (as credited on the Single)-by the way, Jo, where was that Coffee Bar??

If you go along The Banks until you get to the end (opp. the North Foreland pub), there is a tile showroom (or it used to be)....as far as I can remember, there still used to be, on the right hand side, as you looked at the showroom, a sliding window - this is where the icecreams were sold and there were pillars. I can't recall if any of the chrome and black and white tiling survived but that was the coolest place in 63-66 to hang out.

The other places in Chatham (in my youth) were Joe Lyons, Caesers Night Club which had it's entrance opp. Sun Pier, the nightclub above Burtons which is now a pool hall above the Halifax. The Pembroke Club - where I saw and met Norman Johnson, The Central RnB club where Major Lance and Prince Buster appeared (now Bar Rio's on Watling Street), the Ash Tree with Dave and Lou's discotheque, The Central Hall where I saw most of the Philly acts and BOGARTS in Strood, where I deejayed for 2 years with Keith Rylatt..........did you ever go? I stopped deejaying there after the all dayer where the bloke got his throat cut Chatham was a happening place.... And K-Two Records....I ran that - upstairs in the Pentagon...maybe you purchased some of your Kent LPs from there.........who knows Jo

[Guest vinylvixen]

All this talk of discos / youth clubs etc.....Down in Kent our local ones, as far as northern is concerned, we had to take records along and try and badger the DJs to play them. This met with variable success, some would play 3 or 4 on the go, and others would have to be badgered into submission.

Worst one I recall was one night at the Teen & Twenty Club in Tonbridge, and I had taken down Kim Tolliver "I don't know what foot to dance on". The "guest" DJ eventually played one verse of it, then announced "that's a load of crepe" and took it off. When I collected the record back to him I told him that I thought he was a solo practitioner when it came to sex (in one word), and never to darken our doors in Tonbridge again. I don't think he did either!

My initial influence as far as northern was concerned was more radio orientated, and then mags like Black Music / Blues and Soul. I wanted to find out what all the fuss was about.

As far as mainstream soul was concerned originally got into that via Radio Luxemburg / Radio North Sea International, and believe it or not Top of The Pops where groups like the 4 Tops were omni-present.

Steve, what was the name of the club in Tonbridge...the something School of Dancing .... and the Scout Hut in Tonbridge blimey, people wouldn't believe how mis-spent our youths were Jo

[pikeys dog]

kinnell, thought my best mate Dave Joiner had resurfaced when I saw this thread....

[Guest]

My first introduction to Rare Soul was through a tape lent to me by my mates brother late 70's

The tracks on there that got me were

Donnie Burkes "Satisfaction Guaranteed"

Major Lance "It's The Beat"

Jackie Wilson "Sweetest Feeling"

[Guest SteveC]

Knights Hall, Cressett, P'Boro disco's 75/76 with the likes of Chris Cozen's and Frank Weston doing Northern spots. First ever record I heard, loved and that got me into it was Bobby Hebb - Love love love. Will never forget that moment.

[Guest Johnny One Trout]

kinnell, thought my best mate Dave Joiner had resurfaced when I saw this thread....

Kinnell P-Doggy that's exactly what i thought as well

[Guest Johnny One Trout]

In keeping with the thread, my first exposure to Northern was at St Johns Youth Club, Buglawton, Congleton and it would be a tough call to name just the one but it was probably something like Johnny Bragg - They're talking about me, Ron Holden - I'll forgive and forget, Dobie Grey - OOTF or something like that all records that remind me of those spotty day even now

John

[sister dawn]

First exposure for me was a full all nighter at Lincoln Dril Hall in the 7'ts and the one that moved me most and the first soul record I ever bought was as it was known then "The early morning call" at 6am Holly St James and Thats not Love ... still brings back that first time for me... and now I spin it with pride....

[Steve G]

Steve, what was the name of the club in Tonbridge...the something School of Dancing .... and the Scout Hut in Tonbridge blimey, people wouldn't believe how mis-spent our youths were Jo

Jo - The Medway School of Dancing on Tonbridge High Street - Kev Griffin and myself ran three / four nights there. The Scout Hut was the St Easwythes(?) Mission Hall on Priory Road, Tonbridge which Kim Styles ran. Medway was on Sats once a month, and had a great dance floor, St E's was fortnightly on a Friday evening and the floor was covered in dust - as were our baggies at the end of the night! But both immensely enjoyable at the time. Kim started St E's precisely in response to the lack of northern played in the local discos.

[Guest Polyvelts]

Up the stairs for the first time at the casino and 'love on a mountain top', the heat, the clapping, the dancing, everything totally blew me away, then 'breaking down the walls of heartache' and 'turning my heartbeat up' !!!

[Ernie Andrews]

War - Edwin starr 1968 and Ball of confusion- Temptations.

Northern soul was- Compared to what- Mr Floods party

[Russoul1]

my first memory of northern was my older sister playing this weird record in 1973 called

fortune teller - benny spellman - uk london

loved it that much that i still own, and very much play it when djin

about the only thing my sister gave me

bless her

happy soulin

[Blake H]

War - Edwin starr 1968 and Ball of confusion- Temptations.

Northern soul was- Compared to what- Mr Floods party

Dont get your point...Edwin starr "War" charted in the UK in October 1970

The thread is titled "what song first gotcha? Quite a few of the replies indicate getting into Northern Soul gradually via discovering soul at youth clubs/radio etc. I dont think many people went into a northern club without ever hearing or knowing what soul was.

In 1970 when I got into black american music the term Northern soul wasnt even coined.

I for one have enjoyed reading peoples remenicences from there youth, sorry the records that first "gotcha" didn't meet with your approval.

There is a poitive in everything if you look hard enough

BH

[binsy]

The one that got me was Edwin Starr - Agent 00 Soul. Still love the record today

[Guest Billy Anorak]

After days of mulling this one over Ive got it down to two tunes,Im Comin' Home In The Morning(Lou Pride)or Ive Got Something Good (Sam And Kitty),mind you if you ask me again next week it will be something different.Thats the beauty of having a crap memory.

[Ritchieandrew]

Bragging again Dave.

Everyone in the palace at some time copped off to In Orbit it was the theme tune and was played every Friday and Saturday at the end of the night, could it be she was just p*ss*d.

Only joking

lol

QOF

XX

In about 1971 Colin & Pat Swallow had just re - vamped the Palace hotel disco. They then had a competition to re name it, by asking the "punters". In orbit Joy lovejoy was first taken there by Nick Lyde. He bought it from "Mad Max" @ the Catacoombs in Wolverhampton in 1970, and used to borrow it to Pat & Colin to play. Because of its popularity there somebody suggested that name for the disco. Nick lives in Scotland now, I have'nt heard from him for a few years now.

Regards Ritchie.

[Guest Soul Sid]

In about 1971 Colin & Pat Swallow had just re - vamped the Palace hotel disco. They then had a competition to re name it, by asking the "punters". In orbit Joy lovejoy was first taken there by Nick Lyde. He bought it from "Mad Max" @ the Catacoombs in Wolverhampton in 1970, and used to borrow it to Pat & Colin to play. Because of its popularity there somebody suggested that name for the disco. Nick lives in Scotland now, I have'nt heard from him for a few years now.

Regards Ritchie.

Hello Ritchie how are you?Bet you dont remember me, its Paul who used to live in Chester. I used to knock about with a lad called dave and Joey Dunlop and julie from Mold.Remember buying an epitome of sound of you and Christine Cooper £20.00 for them both, ha! ha! I live in Preston nowadays. I still see Joe from time to time. I will have to get down to one of his soul nights at sometime. Cheerrs Paul aka soul sid

[Sanquine]

What song first gotcha - well for me there are 3 that will alway's stand out in my mind from the early day's of my youth which then led on to my first allnighter in 1978.

Adams Apples - Don't take it out on this world

Velours - I'm gonna change

Nancy Wilson - The end of our love

Then of course the long forgotten 3 before 8 - fantastic set to dance/spin to in your full circle skirt.

Karen

[Sean Hampsey]

For me it has to be Holly St James and thats not love, the Early morning call at Lincoln Drill Hall

This was my first encounter with northern, the first event I had attended. An alnighter.

From that nite on I have been hooked and have travelled a few miles over the years, regular haunts for me was, apart from the drill hall alnighters, was the pier and winter gardens at cleethorpes and the beloved palais at nottingham. Other places traveled to included va va's, Queens hall, the assembly rooms, stoke, remember having a brilliant all dayer once in romeo and juliets at, I think it was Derby...

Remember being at an all nighter somewhere then travelling down to blackpool for a dayer... think that would kill me now...

Happy memories, great friends, and a wonderful life.

Another Top Drawer Forgotten Venue 'Lincoln Drill Hall'.

Good DJ Line up there and well recall me old mate Graham Coates, Dave Levo, and Jim Eddleston and loads of British label bargains.

Is it still standing or have they extended the dual carriageway?

[Guest]

PATTI & THE EMBLEMS, I'M GONNA LOVE YOU A LONG, LONG TIME, THEN THE CHARADES , KEY TO MY HAPPINESS!!! BLACKPOOL MECCA 1972, WHAT 15 YEAR OLD LAD FROM LOWEDGES, SHEFFIELD STOOD A CHANCE, I ASK YOU?

Edited March 18, 2006 by CHRISCOOL45

[Guest Martin Coleman]

1985 Dunstable's Queensway Hall. I was supposed to be going to a school friend's 16th birthday party in one of the small function rooms upstairs. Jon Buck was running one of his RSG events in the main room downstairs. I walked in, heard the music from the soul night and never made it to the party! No idea what the first song was that I heard though.

[Guest martyn]

Another Top Drawer Forgotten Venue 'Lincoln Drill Hall'.

Good DJ Line up there and well recall me old mate Graham Coates, Dave Levo, and Jim Eddleston and loads of British label bargains.

Is it still standing or have they extended the dual carriageway?

Only went to the Drill Hall once ,but remember a top line up of DJs (Richard,Sam,Ginger,et al)playing some brilliant stuff.

[Guest mel brat]

Watching Lads in Baileys Hull dancing to Footsie 1974 I was 14 and though Fcuk me this is better than slade and gary glitter, the lads that got me into it were:

Steve Louther (Goole)

Andy Newbold (Hull)

Zak (Hull)

Jonno (Hull)

and been going to nighters ever since coz im now an old Tw@t

Have to say though... "Footsie" is only MARGINALLY better than Slade and Gary Glitter!

[Guest mel brat]

Dont get your point...Edwin starr "War" charted in the UK in October 1970

The thread is titled "what song first gotcha? Quite a few of the replies indicate getting into Northern Soul gradually via discovering soul at youth clubs/radio etc. I dont think many people went into a northern club without ever hearing or knowing what soul was.

In 1970 when I got into black american music the term Northern soul wasnt even coined.

I for one have enjoyed reading peoples remenicences from there youth, sorry the records that first "gotcha" didn't meet with your approval.

There is a poitive in everything if you look hard enough

BH

Seems to me that far too many divvies started "going to Wigan" BEFORE they got into Soul proper, and some never did get into it, apparently. I remember one chap telling me;

"I'm not sure I LIKE Soul really..... I just like the NOISE !"

To which one could add "and the drugs", and sum up many of the new wave "Wigan cult" worshippers post 1974 !

[Sanquine]

Seems to me that far too many divvies started "going to Wigan" BEFORE they got into Soul proper, and some never did get into it, apparently. I remember one chap telling me;

"I'm not sure I LIKE Soul really..... I just like the NOISE !"

To which one could add "and the drugs", and sum up many of the new wave "Wigan cult" worshippers post 1974 !

I never heard anyone making comment's like you mention above - as for your statement, "far too many divvies started "going to Wigan" BEFORE they got into Soul proper" your point n problem is....... sick n fed up of the dig's/comment's that keep coming up time n again bout Wigan Casino, most from those that didn't even go.. It was as it was and will alway's have a special place in the heart's of those that went, whatever time - even "new wave "Wigan cult" worshippers post 1974" as you term it....