jocko

My question, ignored as ever was serious. I was bemused by your MS comment, as it filled all the dancefloors I have even seen during my years, and it made me think just how much have you seen outside your own sphere? An important question for me as in all honesty it questions the relevance of the book, I do have the first one and it was okay, if a little trite and amatuerish. You now seem ever more obsessed than ever, with only quantity moments not quality. A packed dancefloor of 200 fairly sussed NS fans obviously does not count in your eyes, so for that reason I am out in this book. It made me think, having witnessed a buffalo stampede to the dancefloor, at the Lifeline Weekender on playing of the Mellos Souls, long after it was played out, people normally known as the record bar lampshades shed their shackles and clumped onto the dancefloor, dealers dumped their berths by their boxes, unguarded and uncaring as the mass was on the dance floor. The floor didn't need springs as Messrs Anderson, Byrne. Kitchener and Santucci pogoed perfectly on beat. Battered by emotion for 2 minutes, never did the saying this is Northern Soul come to life so much. And by a non soul record too. And from the 80's when all the deadwood had been shed by a lively thriving scene, as long as you aren't only interested in width and girth of the scene. The fact you have long forgotten what that felt like really means you should not be trusted with any sort of scene history, however I appreciate you have a pension to fund. The fact that people like you don't recognise life changing moments such as this any more reflects your jaded view of Northern Soul, understandably as it is a job for you. The fact you are so disrepectful to people who do is not understandable. I suspect you have lost more sales than you gained on here by your approach.

You are consistent I will give you that, but I suspect you are too close to the situation to actually see clearly. Maybe if people concentrated more on quality of music rather than trying to prove points, and create a dj career out of it, the "chaff" would be irrelevant and actually woudn't be worth discussing as people would realise they live happily in their own world and have no interest or impact on the crop. Its not rocket science, the constant bleating about OVO saving the day is so hilariously misguided, I read mostly 99% OVO playlists on here and in the majority they are boring, thoughtless and lack any sort of originality or context. Very new things appear.I do appreciate lots of wheat people don't do playlists, and i suspect they are the people to follow. If people would just worry about going to see the right dj's in the right place at the right time and the quality should take over, but more venues lead to keep on creating internal rifts divisions and self interested scenes and less support for the quality places. The chaff now have little or no impact on the travellers or nighters in my opinion, so unless people who are interested actually get themselves together, its over. And before anyone says, I have been out 4 times in last 6 weeks so feel brave enough to comment, I probably won't be out that in next 12 months so will go back to being a gin soaked observer. Just thought I would provide some food for thought.

So how many all nighters have you actually been to in the last 30 years other than ones you promote?

If you play this thing of beauty any way other than it was heard to be made you are certifiably insane. Ady send the boys round with the straight-jacket and the "nail clippers", sort it out!

Since this is the record that is exciting me most at moment, I may be a little longer, Or then again, maybe not. Was that the sound of Len's chin hitting the floor........

You are obviously spending too much time hanging with the rock and roll BB's on FB. All the best beat ballads are great soul records, just some people don't seem to get that hence you get Perry Como and Connie Stevens sound a likes. Anyone having seen your stylish slow dancing at LL you were made for Roy Hamilton smooch-a-thon you are just resisting your urges.

You don't like Eddie Hinton???!! Your chest must be even smoother than your bonce!!!

And in nature of sharing, one of my favourite, although sure I have that on crossover shelf, dilemmas... Always been one of my faves, I think Ady H played this one out rather than me, tempo terrorists look away now.

I know I say it everytime but it brings a warm glow to my groin to say I have played loads of these out when djing, before I was retired Nothing else to add other than Bobby King is a crossover record and Jessie Fisher was played 20 years ago which makes it Northern with a twist.

Alfie!

Are you comparing it to his 60's stuff? I am in the baffled gang. Lovely album as long as you are not looking for stompers....

I would play the record that has been exciting me most in recent weeks, and if it got no reaction I would know the crowd were shit and I would just hand over to someone else.

I went to see Nile Rodgers in the Edinburgh Book Festival, plugging his new book, which coincidentally is fantastic and well worth a read, and his view to musical standards supported Jordi's. Fantastically interesting chap and more music in his little toe than a whole generation of Coldplay copiests. Discuss part 2.

Oh Mr Chalkster you may be jesting, but I suspect 100's of string vested and drafty trousered people are nodding, and chewing, furiously in agreement with you. I love it when one nation rewrites part of another nations history, especially one that is frequally rewritten by their own revisionists, e.g Black American history was created, defined and finished in a B alroom in Northern England. So in answer to Barry's question, obviously from above. some yes, some no. I am particularly humoured by the new disco sucks brigade dance their heart off to Archie Bell Where Will You Go........ And my personal answer to Barry is yes I am, some of the greatest music Black America ever produced was disco music, and it lasted well beyond the 70's, not like Mr Dewhirst to get his musical history wrong but he is getting older, with some of the greatest disco produced in the 80's. Can't do a link but D-Train You Are The One For Me, Greatest disco record ever, greatest house record ever, possibly the greatest dance record ever. Discuss.

How much did you pay mate, by PM if you prefer, As Trev say almost all have water damage, have a CD with an alternative version on, must listen to it sometime and see what difference is.

Ah Mr P, the most marvelous memory for trivia as usual, and great writing as usual. Some examples from me of great Street (ish) Soul off top of my head, need to be danced to. Omar - Nothing Like This Watergates - Never Gonna Give You Up Bygraves - Set Me Free And something by Summer (?) that I cannot remember title and nothing but google, that fits that indie part perfectly, pretty sure I bought it off the artist at a gig! Quality music introduced to me at Bradford, the place that made my Eyes Wide Open, in so many different ways.

Its certainly not all rubbish, particularly the street soul. But you would have to a brave man to predict it as next biggest thing. Particularly the US stuff, lots and lots of it at the time. like House, i suspect will not have aged well at all. You are going to have to listen to every one to sort out the wheat from the chaff, or take it to a Manchester record shop and pray for a Northern style nostalgia trip from 40 somthing Mancunians.

To be honest in many cases I am equally interested, if not more so, in hearing them speak. I think that provides a great opportunity for them to know they are loved and cherished, sometimes more than just applause. Many times the performance leaves me wishing I had seen them at their peak and therefore the applause is as much for the joy they have brought in the past as their performance. Although the look on their faces at people cheering them is worth the admission price alone for me.

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Right in the middle of the grooves wearing the highest heels I can find!