Dear Me, all this does it matter, does it not?
Well, YES IT DOES.
Nobody has yet mentioned the damage caused by people with egos bigger than their record collection starting up nights offering nothing new but the same tired old same old top fifty records being played to death.
And why are most of us moaning about the same records being played, it's because these tw*ts have little or no imagination to go out and find good cheap originals to play.
Furthermore I am convinced these "Classic" nights are largely started by folk with no history playing to people who never went anywhere to understand what this scene is all about, I believe that they really don't have a love or understanding of what SOUL is all about, all they are interested in is having their backs slapped and egos massaged so they can strut about like the Superstar Dance Floor warriors they believe themselves to be, oh and the door takings are quite nice too.
When you have places like, let's say Bury, having to close because because Billy No Taste has started a Classic night down the road, diluting the crowds so much that REAL nights can get the customers in to remain viable then, yes OVO matters.
I've said it before, if you can't afford the originals you employ DJ's that CAN!.
And anyway this "ooh, I can't afford to shell out 1000's of pounds for original tunes " is just utter f*cking bullshit.
If you REALLY want to play to the floor put a set of Motown originals together or get off your f*cking arse and look for tunes instead of riding on the back of people who HAVE done the homework and know a bit about the music to play the originals of the pressings that you now lovingly embrace, these would be the Collectors that it is now OK to look down your nose at.
Here's an hours worth of originals that I have bought and played out in the last 12 months. Most were between £10 and £20, the dearest was £40, see if you can spot it.
B.B. King-The Hurt
Nate Holmes- Still on My Mind
Willie Harper-But I Couldn't
Oscar Toney Jr-Turn On Your Love Ligt
Billy Butler- Burning Touch of Love
Charlie Hodges-What's Gonna Happen to Me
Lou Rawls -Breaking My Back
Cash McCall- I'm in Danger
DuShons- You Better Think It Over
Gene Burks- You Got It
Jean & Joe- Don't Shoot Me Down
Lee Rogers- Go Go Girl
Frank Frost- My Back Scratcher
DeVons- Someone to Treat Me
Linda Jones- I Can't stop Lovin My Baby
Chosen Few- Birth of a Playboy
Madeline Bell- Don't Come Running to Me
Carol Fran- I'm Gonna Try
Benny Gordon- A Kiss to Build a Dream On
Mark V-Gone
Vontastics- Never Let Your Love Grow Cold
Irma & The Fascinators-Lost Love
Freddie Scott- I'll be Gone
Kenneth & Delroy-Let Me Hold You Close
Superiors-I'd Rather Die
Johnny Griffith- Do It.
(Don't get many bookings though )
The tunes are out there in the 1000's, just get out and look!
I find that I don't go out much, nowadays I can only think of 2 ( not including allnighters) that's worth the effort.
Any way, rant over.
Keep The Faith?
" nah, if THAT'S the Faith- You can keep it!!!"
Love, Peace and Understanding
Tony