Mike

orig posted by member Thought some of you out there might find this of interest...in the most recent addition of "Manifesto" magazine ,Northants very own Lenny Dopson, was profiled .... anyway thought it was a little dissapointing that they edited so much out ,as i know he had made a lot of effort to put across some good points and comments .... a lot of them seem quite rellevant to some of the recent threads on Soulsource.... I also thought they missed out a lot of the entertaining stuff....damned paparazzi !! ....anyway to redress the balance ( courtesey of Len ) here is the totaly unabridged version for your perusal DJ Profile - Len Dopson AGE: 36 and a half! FIRST SPOT: Soul night - Kettering North Park aprox 1986 / All-nighter - Leicester Starlight Rooms aprox 1989. I was on before the late Derek Allen and I remember him being so supportive. (Not like some of my ‘Elders’ back then) BEST DJ SPOT: The first time I was on at The 100 Club. For a starter I couldn’t believe Ady asked me, I was on the bog for a week! I took a chance and played ‘Janice’ and the place erupted. Seeing characters like ‘Mad’ Shaun dance to your set is fantastic. Got a bit worried when some bloke got carried away, jumped up and grabbed the mike off me, but he was just enjoying himself. I couldn’t believe the difference DJing there, as far as the records that I could play. The crowd were so open minded and gave every track a chance. Finally, I‘d found somewhere my mid-tempo was appreciated!…Ady even paid me which I thought was hilarious as I would of paid him!!! DJ RESIDENCY: The Embankment Club Wellingborough - Now in our 13th year! TOP 7 ALL TIME FAV RECORDS: *I couldn’t name just five this time!* Othello Robinson “So In Love” (ERA) Stoppers “Come Back Baby” (Jubilee) Deletes “Look At Me” (Blue Rock) Charles Johnson “Never Had a Love So Good” (Alston ) Debonaires “How’s Your New Love Treating You” (Golden World) Embers “First Time” (JCP) Sea Shells “Quiet Home” (Villige) FAVOURITE VENUES: 100 Club, Albrighton. The Embankment Club. Winsford (First time around, such an event!) The Wilton when not too much R’n’B is played (Haven’t been for ages though) The Ritz Manchester was pretty good too! BEST VENUE DJAYED AT: 100 Club. I know a lot of DJ’s don’t get a chance. I may not have had as many spots as others but I feel I’ve had a fair go. There are so many people like Chris Anderton who should of been on at a lot more places. IN YOUR OPINION WHAT MAKES A GOOD DJ: Firstly, I’d just like to say that I hate the statement that you can tell a good DJ by the amount of people on the dance floor. That in my opinion is utter rubbish. Don’t get me wrong, it’s good if you fill the floor (I can enjoy dancing to oldies all night) Obviously we don’t want an empty floor for a whole set as this can kill a night. I like to see the floor flow. What I mean is a DJ trying to bring something new the party (Or decks) The floor may thin out a bit where only a few people dance to stuff they don’t know. I admit it can be a nightmare dancing to a record you don’t know (Pretending you do) When the record stops you clap, walk off the dance floor only to realise it’s got one of those really annoying breaks in it and just as you sit down the same blasted records kicks back in again… You feel a right Burk!…Jesus is it only me that’s done that?!!! Oh well… There’s a market for all different type’s of DJ and events. I do feel though that people trying to play lesser known stuff get a tough time. These people don’t usually knock oldies DJ’s even if it’s not their taste. On the other hand I’ve seen some ‘Oldies Only’ fans be quite aggressive which is pointless and short sighted. I think the problem is that some DJ’s do try to play too much new stuff in one go, which is understandable as they are frustrated how long it takes for a new record to ‘Go’. But most progressive DJ’s I know mix it up. So if your one of these aggressive ‘Oldies Only’ people, don’t tarnish all DJ’s with the same brush. Listen a bit more. Then if you don’t like his entire set of course you can batter him! WHICH DJ’S INFLUENCED YOU: Cliff Steel - Always been years ahead. Soul Sam - For believing in his own taste and not caring what other people think. Butch - Not so much influenced me. But got a lot of respect for him, obviously for the records but also for his modesty. Can you imagine how arrogant some people may be if they were in his position? Adam - For his Djing but also years ago he told me the great northern soul ‘Unwritten Rule’ DON’T EVER ASK FOR A DJ SPOT!!! This is probably why I don’t get that much work! Chris Anderton , Andy ‘Tats’ Taylor and all those types trying to put something fresh back in the scene. Robbo for his enthusiasm and opinions…He gets ‘It’… CURRENT TOP 10 PLAYS: There all cover ups. You wouldn’t know any of them!!! Only joking here they are - Melinda Marx “It Happens in the same old way” (VJ) Holly Maxwell “Only When Your Lonely” (Constellation) The Ster-phonics “Don’t Leave Me” (Mas - Tok) Patti Drew “He’s The One” (Capitol) Sandy Williams “Pushing a Good Thing Too Far” (4 Corners Of The World) The Masters “I’ve Made a Mistake” (Dellwood) Gene & Eddie “It’s No Sin” (Mon’ca) The Natural Four “Hanging On To a Lie” (Boola - Boola) Limitations “I’m Lonely, I’m Troubled” (Bacon) The Sweet “Broken Heart Attack” (Smash) *Because it needs playing again!!!* ANY RECORD YOU ARE GIVING PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO ON THE DECKS: Not particularly (Or see last answer) I just do my best trying to push my lesser known stuff while keeping the ‘Floor Flowing’ WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT DJING: When I ‘Sandwich’ a lesser known record between two better knowns and people carry on dancing…PHEW! No cold sweats this time! WHAT DO YOU NOT ENJOY ABOUT DJING: Not being able to dance to the records that are playing!!! Mind you after a few beers I have been known to get a bit carried away behind the decks…Oooooh the next morning…Self Loath!…Self Loath… ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE TO SAY: I wish people had more respect for different DJ’s / tastes. The night isn’t purely for you mate! Yes I’m not keen on R’n’B but that’s done ‘tongue in cheek’. I’ve been out voted…even at my own bloody venue. (Thanks Roger Banks!!!) Loads of people have been collecting for twenty plus years now so obviously most have a few decent records and it has naturally inspired them to want to DJ / share their sounds. Trouble is there are now more DJ’s than punters, so then more events are put on to cater for this and the scene has splintered. In my opinion the standards have dropped at some venues. ‘Cyber Soul’…What’s that all about eh? I see on the internet people bickering arguing etc. Even bitching about each others events. There’s nothing worse than bad mouthing an event, let people find out for them selves. We all have different tastes so what’s great for one person could be the opposite for someone else. Don’t rely on someone else’s opinion. I stayed away from The 100 Club for years because of that. When I tried it I was so angry at all the years I’d missed! I think the scene is changing because of so many events as I said before everyone ‘Wants a go’. But also less and less people want to travel as much as they used to so I think soon most of the scene will be very localised. Age is catching up with some…Just think one day I may be bald like all the older boys! Ginger Taylor mentioned all the politics etc in his DJ Profile and I echo that. It’s only a disco so lets treat it a bit more lightly… Len Dopson. site note orignally published in forum but felt well worth a move here https://www.soul-source.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=44801

“It’s almost embarrassing to think about it now; what with the Jimmy Savile connotations and piss-takes, but if a record became very popular on the early Northern Soul scene, it was colloquially known as a “monster”. Going “big” meant that everyone’s ears would prick up when the record was first spun: collectors and wannabe DJs would rush over to the DJ booth to read the label. The dancers would follow suit, so that they could request it at the next venue they visited and talk about it all week; down the pit according to the BBC. A lot of the records featured here are from those half-remembered days, but we have taken the usual liberties and included latterday behemoths and even an ogre from today’s dancefloors. None of the tracks were issued as singles in the UK at the time of their US release, and though undoubtedly several of them would have eventually made their way over here, until the Northern Soul scene developed they would have been just another record in a soul fan’s collection. The scene bestowed longevity, kudos and recognition on them. This is one of those rare Kent CDs where we don’t concentrate on the artists, producers and musical mentors, so much as on the shiny piece of vinyl; on how a disc got to hit the decks and the impact it had on our tender teenage legs, feet and impressionable hearts. Not only were none of these 45s released in the UK, but none of them even dented the US R&B Hot 100. At the time they would have all been considered failures. Little did the singers, writers, musicians, arrangers and producers know: they created a MONSTER!” So begins my 6,000 word ramble on the Northern Monster phenomenon and I go on to give a blow by blow account of the merits of each individual beast. And let me tell you that when you hear Double Cookin or the Gems’ I’ll Be There, roaring out of the speakers at mach 1, it can feel like a good clawing from a hairy alien. The Gems’ catchy, yet beautifully written and performed number, along with Johnny Bragg’s They’re Talking About Me (unsurprisingly, given the six life sentences he was serving at the time) and Miles Grayson’s Batman-inspired homage to The Joker are all taken at a pace that should make healthcare providers put a ward on standby for dance-induced seizures. Perhaps it’s safer to re-live our youths from the safety of armchair listening, rather than attempting to execute the ‘whirling dervish’ on the parquet. Mr Grayson, however provided for our advancing years with the tuneful and thankfully easy on the joints, southern-style mover Wash And Wear Love a song so replete with laundrette analogies that you can smell the Daz. That track is the exception in terms of tempo and the rest of the CD belts along at a fair old rate. Girly stompers by Patti & The Emblems, the Wooden Nickels and the Flirtations are relentless and the precise rhythm to the Charmaines’ recent monster discovery, I Don’t Wanna Lose Him, virtually propels soul feet into action; it certainly gets my knee jigging about. Many of these tracks are taken from the original master tapes for the first time, and Frank Dell’s mysteriously titled He Broke Your Game Wide Open, the aforementioned Wash And Wear Love and the legendary Double Cookin’ sound even more fabulous on CD in this quality. Trying to put the records into some sort of Northern Soul historical context proved to be fascinating but frustrating. I was even present at one of the alleged “first plays” and can’t verify its authenticity due to a hell of a good night out. That’s exactly what you will have when you slip this CD on at your kids’ eighteenth birthday party and for once you’re happy that the guests are all too pissed to notice. By Ady Croasdell 01 DOUBLE COOKIN' (STRINGS A GO-GO) The Checkerboard Squares 02 TOO DARN SOULFUL Morris Chestnut 03 YOU HIT ME (RIGHT WHERE IT HURT ME) Alice Clark 04 NOBODY BUT YOU The Wooden Nickels 05 LIGHTEN UP BABY Ty Karim 06 HE BROKE YOUR GAME WIDE OPEN Frank Dell 07 THEY'LL NEVER KNOW WHY Freddie Chavez 08 IF THE SHOE FITS Lou Courtney 09 ELIJAH ROCKIN' WITH SOUL Hank Jacobs 10 I'M GONNA LOVE YOU A LONG, LONG TIME Patti & the Emblems 11 I DON'T WANNA LOSE HIM The Charmaines 12 HAPPINESS IS HERE Tobi Lark 13 WASH AND WEAR LOVE Lynn Varnado 14 TIMES A-WASTIN' The Fuller Brothers 15 THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT ME Johnny Bragg 16 I WAS BORN TO LOVE YOU Herbert Hunter 17 SWEET MAGIC The Servicemen 18 CAN'T BE STILL Buster & Eddie 19 THE JOKER The Milestones & Littler Leroy 20 I'LL BE THERE The Gems 21 JUST ASK ME Lenis Guess 22 STRONGER THAN HER LOVE The Flirtations 23 DON'T PRETEND The Belles 24 WE MUST BE DOIN' SOMETHING RIGHT Joan Moody more info and ordering details via Ace site http://www.acerecords.co.uk/content.php?page_id=59&release=7467

March 2007 Rare and Northern Fanzine issue on the streets.Latest issue of this fine fanzine is now out and about. Am always hassling the editor Martyn when I bump into him on travels when the next one is due out and the fact that finally got my hands on latest one in some windswept carpark at 4am sort of sums up just what its all about. Now the whole style, make up and the way its put together is a bit of a throwback to a few years ago, no glossy pullout posters or free "rare soul banger" gifts as such, and like me you may at times wonder in these days of low cost pcs/printers etc why does it have "last century" style, but to be honest, one of the appeals of this fanzine is that it just flicking through you can tell that its from the "no one ever said its gonna be easy" school, and fact that such a format must involve more effort and time adds to the appeal and this does fit in with the thrust and editoral style. Anyway onto the mag, most usual bases are coverted, record reviews, venue reports and such. A look at the contents and a bit of mental arthematic tells me about 25% of this issue concerns itself with vinyl reviews from a fair few contributors along with scans and all. Issue specfic articles include a look back at the Birmingham Locarno in late 70s which was a bit of a memory jerker, A three pager on ebay dealings, a review on Solid Hit Soul, a feedback section, and some 3/4 page thoughtful articles by Martyn Entitled - The Northern Soul Meltdown - the debate continues, and another Soul, Socialism and other matters Think titles may give a clue what they are about and as with a lot of his views do find the articles interesting and while do have very similar views to his own(apart from his internet views) sure that even if don't agree will find such interesting and food for thought Got the ok to do bit of previewing of a couple of pages from the mag below Latest issue should be available out and about at moment dont have postage costs etc, if anyone is after ordering via paypal drop us a pm and will try and sort something out a grab from just one of the record review pages here's a grab from the northern meltdown ... article please be aware it is just one of 3/4 pages and would say need to read the full article to see and get the full "where its coming from" view

Just thought better add something about last weeked before it fades into the murky depths of my memory. Due to work etc it turned out to be a short one for me, as only made it for the Saturday nighter and then due to lift etc didn't get there till late on Only got there as acts were starting and so only caught the end of Phillip Mitchell and the begining of Dee Dee Sharp but what heard and saw was top drawer stuff. As always one thing about Prestatyn is the amount of catch ups and was great to meet some old and not seen for a fair bit types along with finally bumping into some for first time. Fair bits of news of going ons etc rare soul wise and will wack up later. Main room, own view on the Saturday Nighter in the main room after the acts was that it was one of the better recent ones, had ears on plays most of the time and sounds like Detroit Sounds Of Friction, Floresecent Smogg, Mac Staten, Nurons, Teadrops - sbi, My Proposal, Voices inc, Spartans were just a few that tugged me ear, as also heard a whole hatfull of current/recent plays such as mello souls, joseph webster, king moses, blah blah.. do have to say bit lost with some of criticisms of the same niter that have read but ... shrug, all i say is Detroit Sounds of Friction As said own view on whole event a bit limited as only there for a short while, apart from nighter caught a bit of radio during the staring at walls phase, and then had a bit of mellow football watching on sunday before jumping on train back home. Bit limited but dword had from muckers at the weekend and since is Soultown room in Queen Vic on friday went really well, same for lifeline room on saturday afternoon , Andy Dyson and Mick H's spots on Friday nighter also got big thumbs up. along with the same for the Sunday Night Conns session in Queen Vic. Anyway all a bit brief and that, can read more (and much better) views all over site, articles section, on the busy forum lookback thread here (check out Stevie Catos review and some great lookbacks from most of the various rooms) along with words form those involved with most of the various arenas. https://www.soul-source.co.uk/forums/topic/45124-prestatyn/can also check out views via two members blogs by Dave Rimmer and Steve g along with some photos and video clips in gallery and so on

More sad news, Luther Ingram died on Monday at the age of 69 A clip and link to the wire services news is below ST. LOUIS - Luther Ingram, the R&B soul singer and songwriter best known for his hit, "If Loving You Is Wrong (I Don't Want to Be Right)," has died. He was 69. Ingram died Monday at a Belleville, Ill., hospital after suffering for years from diabetes, kidney disease and partial blindness, his wife, Jacqui Ingram, said Tuesday. He had lived in nearby O'Fallon, Ill., outside St. Louis, for 10 years. Born Nov. 30, 1937, in Jackson, Tenn., Ingram wrote and sang music his whole life, starting as a boy in a sibling group, the Midwest Crusaders, after his family moved in 1947 to Alton, Ill. http://www.belleville.com/mld/belleville/news/state/16941734.htm A forum thread regarding this sad news can be read here https://www.soul-source.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=45291