Mark Bicknell

Why the third degree here, sorry if i offended, i was mor shocked to tell you the truth that this very average record was infact £60.00, no need to reply i take your point...what do i know...lol mark bicknell.

What Ted i'm an idiot for having it or paying £8.00 for it or it now selling for £60.00.........lol, also remember getting Tempos - Diamond Jim, Volumes - Impact and Masqueraders - How all for £8.00 each off Soul Bowl....those were the days! Regards - Mark Bicknell.

Had this for years stuck on the shelf, nice record but £60.00 are you sure, think i paid Pat Brady about £8.00 way back. Regards - Mark Bicknell.

I know Ged Parker to be a very decent chap who simply has a passion for authentic records, often the topic of conversation with Ged when we hook up is based on talking bollocks about our latest additions to the collections, how much, where did you get it from kind of stuff which seems to be common ground on the scene with people who collect in the true sense of the word, so i know his comments to be very much tounge in cheek. This debate will go on and on without any clear resolution i feel, the fact is before any of the bootlegs, EMI discs, taylor made dubs from big records, CD's, Tapes whatever the tunes, discoveries,records were at their inception to the scene sourced from original American/British/Rest of the world records or master tapes from the vaults on the unissued material. Basically this is the true format that some people get into from the off, from a personal point of view and i think i speak for many other DJ's it's about being true to yourself and presenting the music in it's genuine, authentic original form which is the key to all this, yes i have stated that i enjoy CD's as a form of home entertainment and yes i preview/review new compilations on my Solar show as part of promotion for the companies efforts who are kind enough to supply me with promo product, as long as the guidelines are followed on a reissue i.e it's legit then i see no problem in this what so ever, what is underhand is the dupliction of official releases on home PC's for resale but thats another story!!!! Now as i said in my previous post here who are we to down some promotions who do it their way, it might not be our way but there is nothing we can to about it as it's too far down the line now, perhaps a little like football you have the elite shall we say in the top flight of the game and you have the lower division clubs who play the game well but don't just have the money to buy the big players so they stay in the middle divisions loving the game with as much passion as the big guns yet unable or choose not to get involved with F.A infighting and petty politics, just play and love the game. Lastly, collecting original records big ticket or otherwise is without question a bug and addiction, it's about the chase and finally getting that elusive 45 in the palm of your hand and too play it at a gig and get a reaction to it is second to none, yes you get the same reaction on the dance floor via another sound carrier or format but theres something a little special when you have the real deal going on, perhaps a little ego and pride comes into play but the important issue is that by going down the original route you are staying true to yourself, true to the artists to a degree who made the records in the first place and more importantly you are flying the flag of a scene based on rare often hard to find records which has to be the whole ethos of this scene and sets us apart from other club cultures, we should embrace all promotions on this scene as it's keeping the whole thing going, as we have said if you don't like the methods of some promotions then you don't have to attend, there are plenty of gigs to cater for all styles and levels of the scene, if going to a local soul night once a month does it for you then what's wrong with that, i often think that the more casual northern soul fan perhaps has a little more fun than the more serious followers as format of tune, politics and so on has little or no interest to them in any shape or form. I feel we must respect everyones view point on this old chestnut as it's a debate that's been going on for years now and there is still no solid resolution or winner in all this as all that suffers is the scene. How i, Ged, Mr Rimmer, the Drax boys conduct what we do has very little to do with anyone else really, for some people it's a way of life and for others it's an entertaiment and hobby, at whatever level good on everyone i say for being part of the scene but for me i get my 'Soul Self Satisfaction' the best way i can and within my financial means an ethic and restriction that govens most of us i feel but at the gigs i have to stick to the original ethos and will continue to do so otherwise Mr Rimmer will tell everyone and write about me in his magazine and we can't have that................. Regards - Mark Bicknell.

CD's i have loads of em'...records i have a few... as Jock said two scenes, choose how you do it, how you present it and how you enjoy it? Enjoy being the key word, live gigs i choose authentic USA original 45's format, home entertainment and some of the Solar radio gig yes i play CD's and why not some blinding stuff out there to ENJOY and share, take the new Kent CD......wonderful should be on everyone's shelf, but to play Ty Karim - 'You Just Don't Know' for example at a gig off the CD for me is a no no, double standards perhaps but i guess the reason i don't do this is because there are other DJ's who have the Romark original and that's the ethic and ideals some DJ's hold at the bigger national events. Something that Brian Rae said to me many years ago which makes sense is that be it a reel to reel tape, cassette tape. LP,45 original or otherwise,CD etc. are simply a carrier of sound and does it make people any less a soul fan if they embrace any format which produces the sound, yes there are moral and legal issues regarding bootlegs etc. but this is not the issue here, i also believe that you don't have to own the big ticket originals to get the same high from the music infact i have friends who don't own a single 45 yet they have more soul in their little fingers than most. Yes it's fantastic having a nice selection of quality originals to select from but to also have the music preserved for the future on CD giving everyone the chance to ENJOY the music we are all suposed to love has to be a good thing, i for one hardly play the rare stuff at home on a regular basis apart from the radio show and of course at the gigs. On a final note who are we to judge people who present such venues as Drax and the format they use, as it's already been said if you don't agree with their methods then you don't have to go, Mr Rimmer, myself and many other DJ's simply choose to do it our way down the authentic route. I have thought about this a great deal and have very much made a U - turn to my previous comments on similar posts, it's an honour to be part of this scene and to have access to the music we love on formats other than the real deal is simply awesome, it's a bit like saying if you don't own the originals then you can't possibly like the music or be part of it.......which in a word is total bollocks because if i sold up all the 45's i would still love the music...i guess it's about having soul as well as owning it. It might be a scene based on rare hard to find records but it ain't an exclusive club for those who own all the big records is it? it's the life blood sure, the roots and backbone as it's record driven but records rare or otherwise are played to take people to another place an emotion which we all need. Regards - Mark Bicknell.

£150.00 seems a bit rich, i'm on one now i hope for a little less than that, thanks for your imput. regards - Mark Bicknell

Just wondering if anyone can help me out with a copy of Billy Keen - I Finally Got Wise, if so please let me know, would be fantastic. Regards - Mark Bicknell.

As we all television viewing you have a simple choice and an on off switch!!! This offering was not to everyones taste or standards so don't watch simple as that. Regards - Mark Bicknell.

Love is a wonderful thing and yes maybe we should hug more....lol Regards - Mark Bicknell

Infact i love you all....... Regards - Mark Bicknell

I love you Kenny! Regards - Mark Bicknell.

Not saying i discovered this record coz i did'nt but i did champion the record way back at the original Keele allnighters years ago, bought this off the late Pete Lawson for £15.00 so there it's my fault...lol Regards - Mark Bicknell.

Firstly as with all styles of music on this scene what may float one man's boat will often sink another and the R'n'B style is no different, you have to define R'n'B as some of the stuff played has no connection with the style at all, as i've said before a good bench mark record to possibly define the style already mentioned is 'Jimmy Robbins'. Others that spring to mind are:- Hayes Cotton, Ray Agee, Dusty Wilson, Cookie Jackson, Little John, Marion James and numerous others, all in all these records deserve to be entered into the mix as long as the quality is there, however i think it all gets a little cloudy when the likes of Dean Barlow, Barbara Redd and Hopalong Cassidy and Co are given turntable action.....still as i say whatever floats your boat! Regards - Mark Bicknell.

I know where you are coming from on this one Patrick, we never missed a Cleethorpes weekender for the first few years, circumstances change you miss a couple of years and then before you know it several years have passed and you find yourself sitting infront of the television instead of being where you heart really should be. Regards - Mark Bicknell.

Was wondering when Mr Croasdell was gonna be nominated...here, here and all that...... Mark Bicknell.

Richard...... ego's on this scene really is there?????? and there's me thinking it was a music scene....lol Regards - Mark Bicknell.

You can tell i'm bored and what tripe television i watch, it's all crap pretty much ain't it? Celebrity this and that kind of shows and now with the return of Big Brother it got me thinking what if there was a Northern Soul version????? who would we most like to see in the house, or who would want to go in? With some of the stick on here from time to time can you imagine if some people were locked in a small house for six weeks with all of us watching.....so from a funny humour point of view Brett would be the first in followed by Jamie, Rich Buckley perhaps Bexter as was, maybe Russ Winstanley oh then Soultown Andy...lol thats six, need a few ladies to even the balance.....lol Kola could moderate, Jumping Joan could take the dance classes, Mandy???????now what could Mandy do? whatever she likes i reckon....lol, then we could set tasks like see how long it would take before tempers flaired, who would do the cooking? who would DJ? WHO WOULD DO THE WASHING UP AND WHO WOULD MOP UP THE BLOOD???????? Can you imagine the conversations in there it would be fasinating!!!!!!!! So the question is who would be your 12 Souls to enter the house, i suspect there will be some pretty varied and funny suggestions here, you can select anyone you like off the scene 6 ladies and 6 gentleman, suggest tasks,then we could nominate until we get a winner. I've suggested 9 names off Soul Source just to make it fun but like i say you can suggest anyone, still it should be ok as we all get on don't we... need three more ladies to make up my 12, well need some more quality music alongside what Joan could provide so i'll go with Cookie, Alison and Jo Wallace...interesting...i'll get my coat. Regards - Mark Bicknell.

'Jade East' fantastic record.......love it. Regards - Mark Bicknell

Radiants, Tempests off the Album, Jimmy James must rate as three of the best versions, i know there are many........... Regards - Mark Bicknell

Solid Derek, very solid as always, you should take up DJ'ing mate...lol Regards - Mark Bicknell.

Here,here this is by far the most constructive reply here, i agree with every point made, Northern Soul is very often given a very bad retro nostalgic overview by the mainstream media, i don't think there has ever been a decent full story told so far, Levine had the chance and blew it in my opinion. There is some footage out there which could be used with interviews etc. to make a worts and all documentary but again it would not have commercial mainstream appeal. I think to be honest it's best left alone as often tv people and production companies think they know best and we know that this far from the truth, so we will have to put up with the 'keep the faith'. 'brothers and sisters' kind of vibe or nothing, there really seems to be no middle ground on this one, it's always gonna be the 'Wigan Casino' as the heyday period, baggie trousers,flat caps and whippets it's how it is....... Regards - Mark Bicknell.

James Barnet is a boot, demo is white as in my collection..lol Twans is a boot done a few years ago seen it out and about for a fiver, original Twans as already stated blue stock/issue copies only i think. Regards - Mark Bicknell.

You don't need a shit load of cash although it might help, a good ear for a tune helps.......good luck. Regards - Mark Bicknell

Chuck Jackson - 'What's With The Loneliness' takes some beating with Melba Moore -'Magic Touch' a close second, the Motown stuff was outstanding but Mr Croasdell has very much had the pick of the bunch over the years even up to most recently with the superb Jackie Lee - 'Anything You Wank' AKA 'Any Way You Want' how Mirwood never put this out at the time is a real puzzle to me, The Diplomats - 'Perfect Love' are two outstanding tracks, Wee Willie Walker - 'I Don't Want To Take A Chance' with horns out of the Goldwax vaults has to be one of the best tunes i've heard in years, a tune i've known about for about 15 years as it featured on one of two Japanese import CD's which also featured Spencer Wiggins another gem. Regards - Mark Bicknell