Ady Croasdell

If people want to confer reverence on a venue, it's up to them. Wigan never set out to be the oracle of the soul movement, they were trying to run a good dance that people enjoyed and came back to. If they said it was the heart of soul later when they were established, that was a marketing ploy which most people in the know would be wise to. If others are more gullible and believe what they are told by businessmen who are after their buck, that's their naievity. I wasn't particularly a Wigan fan but put it all in context and it was a place where the majority of the music was brilliant and it was up to the audience to reject the crappier ones.

Great song, but I've never heard Paul Robeson's version.

I don't think he sounds white I think he sings in a classic style that could be either. Like a top opera singer, I'd guess you can't tell their colour by hearing their voice as they aim for the same general standards. Paul Robeson is one of my favourites (I've got a 78 of him singing "Niggers all work on the Mississippi" that got re-recoded), but he could pass as white on some songs and he was the least white appeasing singer of his generation.

Well I put Moses in as I know it's hugely popular and would get things going a bit. But as I've said I love pop and it's no disrespect to say a record is pop be it black or white. Let's face it all of these singers would have prefferred a pop #1 to an R&B #1. Some aimed at the R&B chart because they new that's what they did, but loads were aiming for the white teen market that tamla had won over. Wigan didn't con anyone, it just put the beat before the soul content in a lot of cases. Whoever covered Paul Anka up as Johnny Caswell was being honest because it was well known by DJs that Caswell was white. When the Seeds and Helen Shapiro got played they weren't even covered (I think and hope), they were just hot new sounds. I gave Kiki Dee to Clarkie to play at Yate and it was no problem, people took it for what it was, a great pop record you could dance Northern to; and written by top NYC songsmiths.

It's not dissing the record as the record probably wasn't even trying to be a "soul" record in the way we interpret it now. It's just a way of reversing the debate on Blue Eyed Soul by asking which records that we often accept as soul classics or masterpieces may not have that much soul in them. Moses himself would have treated the song like he saw fit and may have gone with a lighter vocal than say the one he used on 'Come On Let Me Love You'. I've spoken to soul singers who have taken the piss out of some of the songs that we revere, saying that it was just a throwaway session and they just churned out the lyrics from a song sheet. Sometimes I disagree and tell them they made a masterpiece without knowing it and other times you can see what they meant. Mary Love was never too keen on You Turned My Bitter Into Sweet though I love it. I'm not putting songs down for sounding pop, I've probably got the biggest pop collection of any soul fan going. i just thought I'd look at it from another angle.

Sometimes I find Roy's voice on the white side of big ballad singing and he sounds more like Matt Monro (who I like) than Lou Johnson (who I adore). In fact if you compare Roy and Lou's singing on The Panic Is On (someone tell Tim Brown it's acetate only and not on the Big Top LP) you'll see what I mean. Roy is a technically great singer but he doesn't always put his soul into it.

Yeah, me and Mick agree to disagree on this. It should be dos you only use an apostrophe if the next word "belongs" to it. So you would say "that last 100 Club do's atmosphere was brilliant". Because it's the atmosphere of the do. No other suggestions for pop as soul. I think some of the big beat ballad singers can drift that way, sometimes Roy Hamilton only just makes it. Of course they were often trying to sound like Vegas singers anyway, so they aren't really conning anyone.

A bit of a follow on from the Soul Snob section. Moses Smith Girl Across The Street: corny, trite and forced. I don't believe a word he's singing.

Or do we write the nest chapter like a Dickens novel (I meant in installments, I didn't contribute much for Dickens).

Hard luck Dave normally artists are happy with any mention and it occasionally develops into a two-way admiration society. There are one or two however who are just so awkward and often miserable (possibly from having been ripped off in the past) that their attitude is very negative. There are some stories I'd love to tell but as they would deflect from an artists singing talent, I don't think it's fair to relate them. Dave Godin carried a few to the grave with him and if he could hold his tongue I should try and follow his example.

I've occasionally felt slightly peeved that someone's used the 100 Club name when not resident and occasionally I can't even remember them being guests, but generally I take it as a compliment. Most of the people who have been guests have been damned decent chaps with fine records and if they're saying that that's the style of music they will be playing i think it's fair enough. DJs want to do it so bad there's no harm in glaming up their CV like people do for their day jobs. If it's someone who i use reasonably regularly and is part of the 100 Club furniture like say Tony Smith, then it's even less of a problem. Most knowledgeable people know who's who and I don't think it will upset too many; but good point Mikey.

Not with your reputation for royalty payments

It was 60s newies, if anyone says 6ts again, I'll sue!

Atlantic still has the rights to the Atlantic-era Stax recordings released up to May 1968 most of which have been reissued by co-owned Rhino Records. Fantasy did release a box set titled The Stax Story which includes Atlantic-era material. Kent license from Fantasy.

Sounds dodgy, I don't remember doing any test pressings on that one. Ask him what's written in the run out.

Beautiful Day but Steve guarnori's kindly dug his out for me. She was King Hannibal's missus at this time apparently.

Anyone got one they can loan me for a dub. Several CDs and a nanosecond of fame to the kind person who can oblige. Ta Ady

That's a real shame. Out of all the headcases at the 100 Club in the 80s he was one of the sweetest and funniest. If there is an afterlife and Pete, Tommo and Oz are there, I'm applying for eternal life down here!

Very sad, Roger was playing his 'Duck' at the 100 on Saturday. The next spin will have to be in remembrance.

It was actually first issued erroneously on a Jap CD which was legal but shouldn't have been on it for various legal reasons. All the UK issues were illegal as well so it's an odd case of never having been 100% legally issued yet.

In case you couldn't hear me gargling through the champagne. Well guessed everybody, it's Keith Money who will be joining the team in 2006 and doing alternate nighters. He's got the right mix of rare, popular and his own sounds he pushes, can stick in a few modern if necessary and always makes sure the dancefloor is busy and happy. As well as great taste, being a thoroughly good geezer and is barmy enough to want to make the 5,000 mile trip from the Aberdeen oil rigs to our seedy basement dive. We'll still have room for plenty of interesting and varied guest DJs, so keep those boxes well stocked and at the ready. Thanks for a wonderful night I thought it was one of the best and we've now set our retirement date as the 50th anniversary.

I'm all for this, bring a bit of sex to the 100

We have a new addition to the regulars' DJ line up tba on Sat.

You're all mad it's £5 on UK Kent from all reputable dealers. And one or two who aren't!

Ernie Sweetwater Johnson, who with Eddie Campbell performed as the 60s soul act Eddie and Ernie, died on Saturday 20th August in a hit and run incident... Tap to view this Soul Source News/Article in full