Mark Bicknell

There's and old saying here if you got an elephant then some smart bootlegging bastard has a box to put it in, many piss in the same pot, so Ady please bring these bastards down, i have something here which may be of interest via a Coventry connection that a loud voice on here basically has f*** all to say, so don't push me please...pay your bills for bootlegs or shut the f*** up... regards - mark bicknell,

Good record, old Stafford spin, bargain at £15.00 but £75.00 i don't think so sorry. Regards - Mark Bicknell.

A Bright, bright light has just gone out on the Northern Soul scene, I never knew Derek that well but he was always a gentleman infact a very gentle guy, he always had a kind word and was a joy to know. Sleep well Derek, you will always be in our hearts and Soul. Mark Bicknell

Good thread this how about.... Billy Hambric - She Said Goodbye/I Found True Love - Drum Harry Starr - Another Time Another Place/Step Into My World - End The Dynamics - I Need Your Love/Love Me - RCA Victor The Ascots - Anytime/Sometimes I Wonder - Mir A Don and many many more.....I'll be back on this one. Regards - Mark Bicknell.

So lets do it then like a National Northern Soul poll, need to set it all up Mike but it would be interesting, don't think we would need boxing gloves at a possible AGM as a good old street fight would be oh so much fun...lol Could set the various sections up and give people three votes or nominations each i hope you can put something together. Regards - Mark Bicknell

Mike, Serious now, how about a Soulsource 2004 National Northern Soul Adwards kind of deal, best venue, best weekender, best DJ, best live act, best radio show...lol, most popular magazine, maybe this would be a good way for all members to express their feelings and thoughts on the current scene......... just a thought, then maybe a National Northern Soul AGM or big event where all promoters, DJ's and Soul fans could get together air their views and present the adwards again just an idea.... Regards - Mark Bicknell.

Heard placing a record between two pieces of glass in sun light can help lose a warp but never tried it but a practice for the summer perhaps, or perhaps in spain etc. Personally if a warp does not spoil a record then best leave it as it is me thinks. Regards - Mark Bicknell.

Bold, Ariel, Daz, Ajax,Persil, wire wool etc. all of these products pretty much f*** up any records....... or that purple stuff i once bought from record collector basically sprit based add to water type of stuff worked ok, but you can't beat washing up liquid in water, might not get rid of the hiss, cracks, pops and crap etc. but makes them smell beautiful. Regards - Mark Bicknell.

One that always gets the hands clapping and atmosphere going and strangly it's down tempo but captures a room to work together as one is The Martell's - Where Can My Baby Be - A La Carte, blinding record that has it all. Regards - Mark Bicknell.

Shame we don't have the clap now...lol Regards - Mark Bicknell

Just to confirm that the original of this has the blue script boots are black script, very hard to find as pointed out even on a pressing, picked mine up a couple of years ago from a gentleman in Sweden of all places for a very reasonable $250.00 which i understand to be a bit of a bargain, played it out again several times and it seems to go down very well. Took me over twenty years to locate a copy, never see this listed so possibly a genuine rare 45. Has to be a solid £500.00 record and worth every penny for a solid double header. Regards - Mark Bicknell.

I would suggest 'if you ain't in you can't win' in other words if you think this is dodgy simply don't bid. At present there seems to be so many problems with Ebay and dodgy dealings it leaves us feeling sick, i don't go on there anymore either to sell or bid, many of the Americans are simply taking the piss, not all don't get me wrong there are some outstanding genuine records on offer from genuine dealers but a few are really taking the piss, it's like they are trying to get even for all the $5.00 cock ups for thousand pound records they made over the years as they had little or no interest in the music then and still don't more the case of driven by greed, which is ok for genuine items and good condition stuff but not so good in situations like this. Regards - Mark Bicknell.

Dave, In reply, on sound always without question, all threads,topics on here are based on personal opinion......... Kevin Roberts asked the question and we are responding to it, like i said whatever floats your boat........ Mark Bicknell.

Do people read the threads before posting or what on here....lol I tried to give an overview...sorry, i'll get my coat. Mark Bicknell.

Yes Kev, Sorry am really poorly, thanks for the tickets really sorry i missed the acts and you wearing a Welsh hat with a leak in your hand...now i hope someone got that photograph. oh and again .........what's a bootleg...........please someone tell me....lol Regards - Mark Bicknell.

Kev, For what it's worth i think the answer is simple.... it's like there is now a totally seperate scene and venues which cater for the R'n'B groove, people know my thoughts on the subject as i did write an item on this for Manifesto a few years ago which did upset a few people. My points were honest and i feel i had some knowledge and background on the style as myself and the likes of Roger Banks did push certain tracks in the R'n'B style on the mainstream Northern scene, what i will say is that the records played by us at least had a connection to the roots of the scene, were perhaps a little bit more hard edged but did have SOUL content i.e Nat Hall, Dorothy Williams, Hayes Cotton, Big Daddy Rogers, Curly Moore etc. etc. My basic point was as with all styles of music within the scene and to be inovators you have to maintain a standard and quality of music to move forward, some of the so called R'n'B simply is void of any real quality, records like Dean Barlow, Barbara Dane, Larry Trider etc. in my opinion are very sub standard and at best very average records, but if it floats peoples boats then who are we to dish the music they enjoy? Dated,late 50's often not even records of Black origin seem to be passed off as R'n'B and again have nothing to do with the Northern scene, bench mark records in this style have to be the likes of Jimmy Robins, Bobby Bland,Bud Harper etc. etc. Lastly if we take the best bits for all stlyes and eras then if some of the R'n'B 45's are of a quality then i see no reason to include them in the mix at the venues. Regards - Mark Bicknell.

Always remember tunes like all the Lou Roberts MGM tracks Ten To One, You Fooled Me, Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Love, John Drevers - The Closer She Gets, Ad Libs - New York In The Dark, dare i mention Ben Zine - Village Of Tears and more will spring to mind i'm sure. Good idea this. Regards - Mark Bicknell

How the F*** could i forget Ady Pountain......sorry, why don't we take this one step further and try and do an Authentic Yate reunion type bash, i'm sure it would work, trouble is what become of the venue????? What a night that would be... Mr Clark, Ellis, Pountain, Greet, Thorley,Hippo etc. hitting the decks would simply be magic, would love to see the likes of 'Budgie' there and all the original Yate crew, oh can i do the warm up original punters spot and all that......lol Even if it was an 8 till late bash i'm sure it would work. The CD, THE EVENT OH I CAN TASTE IT!!!!!! Regards - Mark Bicknell.

Oh yes Yate when 'Clarkie' was King and the gear was shit hot, possibly one of the most underated venues in the scenes history, a CD would be a brilliant idea so do it soon Ady, MESSAGE to Tony Ellis.... hope your keeping well mate, seem to remember you played a major part in the Yate days.....without the likes of you, Clarkie,Pete Widison,Dave Greet, Dave Thorley,Hippo etc. i certainly would not have been inspired musically, you guys were without question way ahead of your time and it's about time you got the credit and recignition you so richly deserve, guys like you are true originals and i'm glad to call you a friend even though we don't hook up much these days, i just wish the likes of yourself and of course Ian were still out there doing it, still teach upstarts like me a thing or two...cheers Tony. Regards - Mark Bicknell.

What's a bootleg...lol Mark Bicknell.

Here, here Godz, nail on the head mate. Regards - Mark Bicknell.

One thing to say to the Class thing, sorry...........................bollocks. Mark Bicknell.

Got sod all to say Shane mate sorry, tried before and it makes little or no difference with all the opinion and i know best ethic out there, sorry do what you like, collect what you like, it matters very little to me anymore as some people think it's a bit of a joke all this, we are never gonna stop bootlegs but they still don't make it right does it ?, some people here seem to have the answers so maybe they are right who knows and who really cares, i'm fucked if i do anymore. Regards - Mark Bicknell.

From my sick bed, god do i feel rough, so much so i could not go to the Blackpool weekender, really fed up and feeling like shit, but Brett's performance on my show will be a fine tonic. Regards - Mark Bicknell. PS Chris you ain't got any hair mate...lol

What about Steve Mancha possibly one of the most underated singers ever, oh what about Darrell Banks almost forget him.................................. Regards - Mark Bicknell.