Lofty

Hi Chris You are right of course. And big business wins in the end. If the welfares are trading in a decade it will be because they are competitive- rather than any nostalgic right to exist. Cheers for now Lofty

I think i recall Dave Haslam's book "Advetures on the wheels of steel:the rise of the superstar DJ" suggesting Jimmy Saville pioneered the use of two turntables at his dance hall sessions in Leeds during early1950s? (p46)

A couple of points to add to this lively non-soul debate.. 1. HSE only have responsibility for enforcing non-smoking in certain workplaces (almost certainly not WM clubs- this is more likely to be a local authority responsibility)-so we cant really blame them (although I dedicate my professional life to keeping various businesses out of their clutches ) The smoking ban is however an attempt at joined up Government policy making and enforcement, which seeks to reduce the burden on the health service from the negative impacts of health caused by excessive smoking. I can see Ian's point about the impact this might have on an individual's preferrence to smoke- but there is also the argument that the social or community benefits are also important. 2. The miners welfares used to be the hub of the mining communities, serving social, sporting and entertainment needs - but the destruction of the coal industry has exposed the welfares to the full market forces of all the competing businesses in the areas which serve those markets- and it would be a miricle if they could have survived in the long term. Personally, I think this is a great shame- and a bit more support of soul nights in the welfares might keep them going for a bit longer, and - again a personal view being expressed here, I think it makes sense for the soul scene to align itself with these community-based independant businesses and show a bit of support. Hi to Ian and Sharon by the way! Lofty

OK so its MARC then. Regarding alternative versions, what about the Tripps on Scepter. Always liked that, particularly solid ending... cheers to all Lofty

Can anyone confirm which is the original US release? Marc? White Whale? cheers Lofty

Do dancers have a responsibility in supporting fresh sounds? If those on the floor are waiting for a well established tune to start th evening, this might discourage DJs from playing less well known records - as they feel obliged to stick to the fammiliar stuff. On the other hand, if dancers respond to the less well known stuff - the DJ is more likely to play more of it. I also think people need to go to venues with a slighly more relaxed expectations. Not every night at every venue can be a top night- with every record a personal fave. There are bound to be one or two records that fall outside of any individuals favoured tastes, and if there are more of those than you want - its obviously the wrong venue. The more adventurous the music policy - the more relaxed your attitude has to be. Finally, seeing as there is shameless event-plugging earlier in the thread, I have to say....get down to the Soul Republic in Enderby (Leicester). Easily reachable from Chesterfield. All the DJs, including some well established ones, are rising to the challenge of playing from a wider range of quality soul. musical diversity anyone? Lofty

Have sent pm cheers Lofty

I seem to recall the first 12" I ever saw (and bought) was Undisputed Truth , You + Me= Love, on Whitfield. I seem to recall I had that before I bought T-Connection 1, Do what you wanna do, (TK) thats been previously mentioned. Mind you, this level of detail is easily confused in fast-receeding memory? Anyone remeber how much these would have cost us in those days? I bet, taking into account inflation, its a lot more than the £5.99 or less you can pay now for new release stuff Lofty

Recommend Trammps - where do we go from here, also Trusting heart - both on Golden Fleece. very cheap tunes Lofty

Intro and bass line in Fontella Bass - Rescue me- bliss Earl Grant- Hide nor hair - bass speaker just about avoiding disintegration as the bassist enjoys a few seconds of glory near the end. Lofty

This was played at Rolls Royce Derby last year, absolute floor filler. Im going to give it a run out one of these days. Thirty years on it seems a bit harsh to carry on punnishing artist (or at least their memory or cred on the scene) because it was commercially successful at the time? I often wondered if there are any singles that have high cred now that were considered as laughably naff when they were originally released in the States? Lofty

Saw George McCrae live at Burlesque Night at Farnborough RecreationCentre in about 1975. Fantastic. Seem to recall he was backed by The Sunshine Band (but perhaps KC not present). Never heard any GM played out. far too poppy for the Soul Police ?

I really rate the Trammps. "Where do we go from here" has a great beat, and should get spins IMHO. Also "Trusting heart". The album with zing, hold back the night etc was years ahead of its time. "Toms song" is a great instrumental. Probably too new/poppy/popular for some tastes, but worthy of a play in "open minded" venues. Lofty

Hi All Just a quick warning about a popular design of record box- and my experience at the weekend of the handle and box coming apart (result, box of 200 finest sounds bouncing down the stairs..eek). In the interest of avoiding legal action Im going to pass on manufacturers/suppliers details, but you might know what Im on about if I describe the box as follows: aluminium faced plywood construction, 200 45 box, single plastic handle, retails at about £30. (They also come in 100 45 capacity ally or black finish). In my experience the current construction of the 200 45 box isnt up to the job, as I found out when simply walking down the stairs. No significant stresses involved, I wasnt swinging it about or anything. Turns out that the black plastic is secured by two self tapper screws from inside, and on inspection - they had simply ripped out allowing the box and handle to part. As I said earlier, box bounces down the stairs, taking a nice dent in the wall on the way down. The good news is the contents were unaffected by this, proving that the basic construction is good. I also went on to modify the handle by drilling it out, and using two 5mm bolts to resecure it (not a difficult job, but not one everyone would fancy). Im confident that the bolted-configuration should hold, so personally I plan to carry on using this design (expecting to modify any further boxes I buy), especially as I now know the impact protection is good. Incidently, I dont think the problem would exist on 100 45 boxes, as the weight should be within the capacity of the screws. Bit of a dull message I know, but thought you might want to hear about it before someone has a less happy outcome. Lofty

I'm sure this kind of thing is bound to wind up the traditionalists - but I think its a great idea. The contemporary dance world does it all the time of course, and with simple audio editing software, and a bit of imagination, the possibilities are endless. Lofty

Dusty's 'Long After Tonight Is All Over' was the last record played at Saturdays Annesley 7th Anniversary. Top ender for a great night.