Ficklefingers

A much cheaper alternative, Jon, is the LP it appears on! Mine is a canadian copy (gleened from a 'rocker') but sure it saw a U.S. release. It is on Time Records and titled 'Music For The Dance Crowd'. It doesn't list any artists - apparently a royalty evasion thing It was suggested. As far as I'm aware Time Records is similar to our MFP (but have never confirmed this as 100% - just relaying what I have been told when making enquiries). It includes the flip to sure a lot of, namely 'When Johnny Comes Strollin' Home' - which has a great dancefloor appeal to it even though it is a 'vietnam' song. It also contains the instrumentals 'Boss Walk' & 'Grapevine' plus 'Rice & Beans' & 'Cat Dance' Admitedly I havn't seen another copy since my purchase, but then I already got it so don't look, but feel they are 'out there' Hope this is of assistance

Hear! Hear! Personally, given the thought process behind it's inception I think it is great! and would give some of these very handsomely paid advertising boffs a run for their money and leave some of them wishing they could come up with a similar 'gimmick'. Although it has not been established as to wether this was done for ultimate commercial release, or just what I look upon it as... a very clever piece of advertising utilising a 'household name' to assist in it's brilliance!! Has anyone seen the recent t.v. advertising campaign for World of Warcraft, fer example... a common demonstration of using recognised 'celebrities' to promote a product, and it is a regular ploy used in all advertising media is it not? Obviously, as a 'serious' contender for inclusion at venues... well, surely the bouncers wouldn't let it through the doors?

Until I was about seven (1966) I thought that all music was 'black soul'music, as I was raised in a house who's mother was (& still is... at 79 yrs old!) fanatical about the music - all Motown based stuff predominantly. She still has in her possession an enviable collection of LP's (some very choice pieces in there too... Eddie Holland's LP with the superb, album only, 'Gotta Have Your Love' included) and she's also made it quite clear that the only way I'm gonna get my grubby little mits on 'em is via inheritance!!!! Wasn't until I started to 'listen' to the radio I realised other styles of music even existed. With three older brothers (unsuprisingly) becoming involved, at some point and to varying degrees, in the 'Northern Scene' my destiny was quite probably, already, subconsciously mapped out for me. One of those brothers in particular ('Ada') was a mod in the sixties and ventured to the 'historic' venues of the time (Torch, Va Va's, twisted Wheel, etal) and he also started collecting 45's... which was, really, to lead me to my introduction to this 'alternative' soul music. With approx 150 discs in his box I gradually started learning the lyrics to a lot of them, as I would always hear them being played from his bedroom whenever he came home from work! Lot's of 'great' songs, the kind I had never encountered the likes of before... and I found myself taking a strong liking to several of them. When I was about 12 me and a mate would wait for my brother to go out on a friday night (it had already become 'normal' for him to not return until the next morning, and then spend the rest of the day in bed - which I thought a bit peculiar at the time). We would give it 10 or 15 mins then out would come his box from beneath his bed, lid off and record player on. Being privvy to this 'Secret Squirrel' world thru observance of my brothers activities and, more importantly, his records... made my mate and I feel 'special' as we sat there listening to things like Bobby Freemans 'I'll Never Fall In Love Again', Barkays 'Soul Finger' and, my particular fave, Soul Bro's Six's 'Some Kind Of Wonderful' (who'd of thought the 'flip' side to this would go on to become such a classic, the excellent 'I'll Be Loving You'!) along with lot's more strangely wonderful, but extremely 'catchy' pieces of plastic. What we really found 'weird' at that time was that some of these records had really big holes in the middle!! Unlike the very small one I had previously only ever experienced!?! When I was 14 - that same brother introduced me to my very first 'northern' function. After waffling at the door to get me in, then ringing my mum to inform her: 'Johnny will be a bit late home but it's okay 'cos he's with me'.. that was it!! From that moment I would be forever held under it's magical spell - to the eventual point of obsession, and now? Well... as we all have come to realise, 'Northern Soul? It's A Way of Life'!!!!!!!!!!!!! In the words of the great B.B. King.... 'I Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Fingers

There's That Beat magazine recently ran an article (issue 5) on Johnny Brantley which included interesting facts concerning versions and releases of this song - don't have time, now, to scan and post (hopefully someone will in the interim) as gettin' ready for t'100 Club! If it a'nt been posted by tomorrow I will do that!

Appreciate your frankness Andy, what you say, from your perspective, makes total sense. It obviously works for you 'cos Middleton is fantastic! My first visit (Dec.) saw me flitting between alll three rooms cos the action in each is worth trying to get as much time as possible to spend in each room. Personally, I only expect to achieve initial spots in either 'other' rooms or early hour spots. Don't have a problem with that whatsoever. I know I can perform behind the decks (not being egotistical, just stating what has been proved over my years on the scene) and have every confidence in my abilty to be able to push forward from there. When I saw you last month and handed you my cd with a short explanation (didn't want to 'bug' you) I can understand you thinking I only want to dj in main halls - and perhaps should've spent another minute explaining my ethos in a bit more detail. Perhaps, as Kirsty mentioned earlier, once people such as yourself see me regularly it will instil a bit more confidence with regard to presenting the types of opportunities I seek. I can understand that and, if that is what it takes, then so be it! After beavering away at my chosen profession (day job) for the past twenty plus years I am in the position where my achievements in my chosen field now afford me what I wanted from it - don't see it being any different with the dj aspirations. I certainly will keep following my quest as I feel my overall contribution can be worthwhile and to the general benefit of others. Look forward to seeing you on 26th Andy, I certainly won't be pestering you but will welcome the opportunity to take a few minutes of your time. If for nothing else then at least we will know a little bit more about one another. If not on that occassion then perhaps the one after, or the one after that, because Middleton ticks all the right boxes for me so will certainly be showing my continued support - regardless of if I ever DJ there or not!! Fingers PS It's Johnny Fingers - not Freddy

DITTO!! at £80 !!! At an a/n in the early 90's - it was in the middle of a caravan park in Lincs (Jim Eddlestone do?) Didn't bother 'cos, at that time, I'd seen a few and thought I'd get it cheaper elsewhere... still ain't got one!!

Surely, Bri, Soul City is a 1st UK Issue? Seem to remember it going for over 200 squids in auction!

Fully respect your opinions Trevski and yes, I believe 'desperate' is a good description - but it's not desperation for 'me! me! me!'. It is all about the music, the people involved in bringing the songs we love about - be it artists, producers, musicians... their stories, their lives, their talents. And for 'spreading the word'. I believe that, as a dj, that is exactly what I would be doing. Not trying to bolster the coffers (I've previously spent my rent money and the wife 'borrowed' her collected Avon payments so we could go to a 'niter at Hyde and be able to purchase one record each that we wanted - cheers Butch!! And we would still do that today if we had to) and everyone already agrees it's not a way to make a living! And No, it ain't the 'be all and end all' - but as I keep saying... I ain't doing it for me! me! me! I certainly won't be 'pestering' people. Yes, I'll be 'cheeky' as I am a very big believer indeed of the adage 'If you don't ask you don't get'!! I don't, for one minute, believe people are gonna start falling over themselves to give me a spot just cos I wanna spread 'the gospel' in that fashion. So what's the alternative? In closure - funny how you mention ego and playin' tunes that you want to hear when you are deejaying at a venue. Is it that same venue that people have probably paid to go to for their evenings entertainment - not the DJ's!!!!!!!!!!!

Kirsty is indeed correct there Mark. I would never dream of putting something on a hand-out cd that I didn't actually have in my collection. Which is why I'm more than happy to include label details etc on my track listings. Appreciate greatly your kind comments. PS. you don't run your own 'niter/soul 'nite do you? Wanna a couple of cd's?

Hey Kirsty... I know you would tell me to bugger off - that's 'cos you know wot a sh**e DJ I actually am Not quite the case that I want to be 'well known' my lovely... it ain't a narcissistic thing - It Be Da Music Man! Admitedly, in my more youthful DJ days it was a case of 'more money than sense', cos back then I would buy whatever was big and not necessarily what I liked! From my original collection I sold back in '83 even I could count on one hand how many of those discs I would be proud to own now! Most of the rest were purely for: 'Look at me... I'm mister DJ that packs the floor with every toon I play, look at me! look at me!'. Hey, we all gotta mature sometime! (Boo Hoo!) And a lot of water has run under that bridge since then. Goes back to that 'apprenticeship' thing mentioned previously. We should all, forever, be learning!! I am gettin' out as often as possible Kirst - crikey!! in the time I've been back it seems everyone thinks I should've attended at least 10,000,000 gigs by now... I'm sorry - I'm only up to 6,666,666 (note the clever use of the number six there? A clue to where my 'soul' lies ), but promise to get the number up to par by end of this month, okay? Can't say I've experienced a problem, on my return, with not knowing anyone when I get out. Even when it's a venue I'd never attended in the past I have great fun catching up with people that havn't seen me for a while. Don't expect all people to know me, never been that way in the past, but once I've met an aquaintence that's it for eternity... I'll forever blight their lives One thing you certainly are spot on with, though, Kirsty is the comment about the promoters and venues. Up to now it will only be the 100 club (tomorrow) and Wilton in March that have promoters known to me. And now I've got ever more reason to look forward to Wilton in the knowledge I'll be seeing you (and it won't be your leg's I'll be smacking young lady ) C U soon!!!

Can't figure out if your posting is a general opinion, but I feel it bears several direct references to my main posting in this thread so can only assume your opinion is directed at me (but please accept my apologies in advance if I've got that wrong) and feel it necessary to comment thus: It seems quite apparent (and understandable when a topic contains so many responses) that some people either don't read some postings properly - or simply fail to ingest what is being read. From a personal perspective, neither am I inexperienced nor do I 'expect' any promoter to initially afford me a prime time slot at their venue. No need for me to repeat what has already been written here earlier in the thread about where I am coming from. And I think I would stand more chance of putting a winning bet on my lost digits growing back than I would finding a DJ that, at sometime, hasn't mis-cued a record regardless of if they are a 'household name' or not... each and everyone! Some still, and will continue to do so. As for 'get down your local and sort your own slots out' - what do you class as local? For me to hear music I want to when I go out I have no other choice than to travel out of town! As my 'local' do's are only of a nostalgic or motown nature. So that don't exactly make local do's the best place for me, does it!?! (Flyers/posters... never been easier.... What has never been easier???) CD's are a good wayof demonstrating the sort of collection a person has - it doesn't mean the cd is the spot they would play out (or am I just a complete nob and everyone else's cd offerings are exactly that!) but, at the same time, you can't exactly put every single record you own on to a cd to hand out, can you? If a Dj has any sort of nounce whatsoever, if the floor empties, or a previous DJ has spun some of the discs you were toying with spinning, annoying punters.... whatever - you spin alternatives! Take a look at at some of the earlier postings from successful jocks and comments such as 'ear', and 'feel' are mentioned, coupled with the fact that (unless you are deejaying at a venue which is also seeing your inaugural attendance) you, surely, will have a fair idea as to what proves to be acceptable there anyway. Only time I could see that being a problem for experienced and not so experienced jock's alike is if they only own 20 records. Fingers

It's a boot!!!!!!! (yesterdays Phonetics thread refers ) Fingers

Mr Big Daddy... I'ts a privelage! Thanx for your observations and comments and it sums things up ,I feel, very well indeed. Apprrenticeship is certainly a good comparison - just seems that I keep choosing to restart my apprenticeship on each of the two occassions of my return which is only right! The reason you get repeats is certainly no less than you deserve and is indeed proof of you having 'served your time'. I, for one, have always been a 'fan' as you play the sort of stuff I wanna listen to... but with that bit extra... that Oomph! along with the likes of one of my other 'highly rated' jocks - Dave Rimmer. Top Marks Guy's!! (by the way Mark... if you could just drop my name to... and... ooh!, and don't forget... ) Fingers PS: Entertaining??? How much more entertaining could it be than watching a geezer with no digits trying to handle and cue up 45's!?! (maybe I should've called meself Thumbs!)

I can possibly see where a couple of things I wrote could be misconstrued: By 'mainstream' I refer to the venue rather than a dj time slot. Where I say, 'obviously the first hour or two..' in relation to open mike spots - it is just that. the relationship between open mike spots being the first spots of a venue... I felt I was stating the obvious but just reiterating it. The ultimate DJ aim, surely, must be to get the best times... for me, my first stage which is where I am at, again (as I've never felt it proper to use any of my 'associations' or 'contacts' from my many years on the scene - it should only be on merit, not favour), I'm quite prepared & confident of being able to prove my merit and would welcome accepting any first spot opportunity thrown at me! I wouldn't expect it to be any other way. In my paragraph relating to venues I attend I felt that having already mentioned my return as being quite recent it would carry that, at present, I can't be classed as a regular at any venue! But, as stated, venues I have been to thus far will certainly be seeing my continued support but, as I did mention, it takes time don't it? (most have not since had another night for me to attend anyway given the timescale). When I say (Quote) 'select one's that have the appeal to me' (unquote) I mean just that... I don't want to be going to a pure motown or nostalgic northern do preferring instead to travel to listen to more 'recent' oldies, bit of modern, bit of r'n'b and class rarities - not every venue can or does offer that. And just look at the events calendar to see the multiple choice venues available each week, so isn't it important to try to reduce the risk of attending a venue I ain't gonna enjoy? I think so, and it is obviously working for me as there isn't one venue that I've since been to that I won't, eventually, become known as a regular... as has always been the case with my attendances, as several 'regulars' would attest to. Hope that clarifies matters to save me having to apologise to everyone that reads my previous posting Fingers

Got to agree Mr Anderson certainly responsible for an abundance of stuff... but I think it more reflective to say East Anglia, as a region, because one only has to look at people the likes of Kev Draper and, in particular, Glen Bellamy - who has never been a 'bragging' type but has been responsible for a whole plethoria of discoveries over the decades.

Hi Jayne, Judging from your comments it seems I should apologise, as it appears I've created the impression, to you, that I am inexperienced behind the decks, and am moaning about 'niter promoters who's venues I'm only going to to get a 'prime time' spot (& purely for my own benefit) with my only other intention being to dissappear & never be seen again. Not giving a t**s about showing support to them... Is it me? Am I missing something here... or should I just totally scrub my previous lengthy post and rewrite it?

Exactly!!

Okay, here goes... Been around on the scene since the 70's (same as alot of others probably) with a couple of breaks in between for whatever. Pretty much always resided in Cambs. Resident DJ for Ken Cox's East Anglian 'niters in addition to jocking in and around the region as a whole. In more recent years resident at Plinston Hall soul 'nites, Letchworth. Also had forays to Blackburn, Wilton plus various soul nights over the interim period. Then a break (explanations not necessary). On my recent return (essentially, last October) I had pre-determined that I would prostitute myself as a DJ with an aim to do, mainly, 'niters across the land(s?). What a mammoth task I've set myself it turns out! How do you get spots at venues you obviously hav'nt attended for at least the three years off 'the circuit'... I feel I have experience, ability with regard using the mike (yes, I f**k up occassionally with a queing error or some same thing - we are all human! BUT, I'm also capable of carrying off any mistakes as well! 'The show must go on'), a fair mixture of discs I feel are good for the benefit of others in a venue scenario, an avid collector and anorak (but what I know is, after all, only a p**s in the proverbial ocean - will be learning for an eternity!) Confidence but without (IMHO anyway...) any egotistical issues - just a passion for the music and, at best, maybe could only consider myself a 'disciple'. Dillema: you hav'nt got any spots to demonstrate your ability and it seems there is a general reluctance to award a 'mainstream' spot to someone that A) you perhap's quite likely don't know from Adam and shit! do I take the risk! - A Double Whammy!! I decided that, other than asking directly to pomoters who advertise 'open decks' (obviously the first hour or two of a function, but at least it's a chance to get up there) I should compile CD's of stuff in my boxes to hand to promoters (& any one else that would be interested - surely it could only help the cause?) to give them, at least, a chance to hear what I could play... but it still don't solve the problem of proving deck capabilities!!!! Bit of a chicken & egg type situation I fear. While I am getting to different venues I can't hit them all each and every weekend, instead select one's that have the 'appeal' to me and off I jolly well go - cd's in hand. Obviously the ones that tick the right boxes will, ultimately, see me as a 'regular'. But it all takes time don't it! Here's a couple of questions for the promoter's: 'If you are approached in this manner (as a handful have been recently - Andy, you are one of them) you play the CD, you enjoy it, agree that it's likely the majority of punters would be happy with set of similar content... then what do you do? What is it that get's you to say... yep - I'm gonna give this person a spot, even though it may only be an early one?' And one for the punters: 'If you heard someone that is 'unknown' as a DJ at your soul 'nite and enjoyed their spot.. does anyone ever think 'this person really should be spotting at so & so a/n, I'm gonna mention them to the promoter the next time I'm there!'? For any one that's interested, I'd travel anywhere for the right sort of venue. I don't look for or ask for any payment or contribution to costs (though purely 'cos I'm fortunate enough to have them covered by other means). It's purely the love for the music and our truly wonderous scene that drives my boat! I include track listings, below, for the aforementioned CD's I use for 'promotional' purpouses as I would love some feedback!! I did have the pleasure to do 2 hours of 'open mike' at last Nov's Marrs Bar A/N in Worcester - gracious thanx to Pete! Top Geezer!! Whereby I've been promised a return at some future date so I feel I can do it 'right'! Also managed to secure spots for April at the new Soulful Shack 'nites mentioned above, plus Stafford Rangers FC but the calendar is still full of blanks! I appreciate it don't happen overnight, but would appreciate some input to the questions posed as I feel getting it 'straight from the horses mouth' can only serve to either point me in the right direction... or p**s on my flames of aspiration. Thanx for your time and, please, feel free to pm me to DJ at your venue Fingers

But Andy, if no-one has booked 'em in the first place how can people get off therir arse's to go check 'em out? Surely not everyone's deejaing aspirations lay just with soul 'nites. Me for one... them 'nites will probably only ever be the only places I could 'regularly' get behind a set of decks - but the 'niters is where I aim at! My main posting, following shortly, will tell more. A very frustrated Fingers

Giz a spot then Davie!! I'm currently working my way thru all the postings before sticking my twopennyworth in... but can never resist asking whenever the opportune moment arrives - check out my posting shortly!!!! After all.. you wouldn't want to be the one to miss out now, would you! Posstot was very quick off the mark... best to get in early before dates become a problem! Fingers

Well at least we have established the copy I'm currently scouring boxes for is the boot to which I referred (Left hand scan). If you had supplied both scans with your original post you may have saved me appearing like the twat I am

I know I've defo got a boot somewhere in this room!! I know I have!! Don't know, off-hand, the release numbers for each side but recollect it being a two colour 45, dark blue and silver - unlike the 1005 release of 'Don't Let Love Get You Down/Pretty Little Girl' which is dark blue with silver writing(?)

My Moments say's 'You Said' 001 and 'Love You Can't You Hear' 002. As yours is the second issue with a different flip it makes sense - which leads me to think the same, then, could possibly be true with Gasher's 45!?! Although I still seem to connect this release with a boot also. Double Mmmmm!!

Got a feelin' that may be a boot Gasher? I've got one here somewhere - went to where I thought it was and it ain't! so will dig deeper and endeavour to get back (unless someone sorts it in the interim). Out of interest, what colour is the label? Is it a blue & Silver? or predominantly just blue?