Len

Damn, you're right! But as I'm now on here....None of the D.J's I follow mention 'O.V.O' (I can't believe I've just typed that again - Cringe!)...and none of the venues I support need to state 'O.V.O' (Not again!) I am just 'drawn' to what I like and what I get my enjoyment from and that is 'O.V.O' (Not again!) All the best, Len

Forget the ‘What’s original, what’s not’ bit for a moment because I think we all agree, if we study the ‘nitty gritty’ of that, it becomes a mine field! I think what Jem is trying to get an honest answer to, is why do people ‘insist’on the ‘Original Vinyl Only’ thing? - I can only speak for myself, so here goes….. We’re basically talking about the ‘purest’ aspect of the scene and the ‘need’ to play the most ‘purest’ format of a particular sound - There’s absolutely nothing wrong in having this obsession, it’s a passion, and I am ‘guilty as charged your honour!’ - I want the original, most purest format, for the same reasons an art collector wants original paintings or an antique dealer wants original pieces, whatever that reason may be! — I can’t put it into any other words really, except that I get joy out of it — some sort of magic I guess! The quality of sound is also part of it….. But, who am I trying to kid? - If the ‘original’ was a worse recording than the pressing….guess which one I would pay more for?...Correct! - I am that sad — Come on guyz, we have to laugh at ourselves! Although Russ may have come across to some on this thread as a bit angry, I can vouch for him, that he buys his records with the same thinking as me - Of course, if someone enjoys a record I play, that gives me a buzz - but that is because I have ‘shared the joy’ of the sound and the ‘Magic’ of that particular ‘piece’ (Record) What I detest and always have done, is when people go on and on about it so much - it just makes them look stupid as they are focussing on it far too much, almost as if they are desperate to prove themselves or something - As far as I’m concerned, it’s not an issue - I know what I play and that’s all that matters to me. All the best, Len

Get what? All the best, Len

A D.J’s identity! — Well put that man. All the best, Len

Correct!

Right this will confuse some……. I was at ‘an event’ the other week and they had this guest D.J on who is a real great Character, he is a proper D.J from the 70’s who's done disco’s, weddings, you name it and he loves his soul music. Anyway, he was doing his stuff and someone asks me “Are some of them pressings he’s playing?”….“Yup, every single last one!” I replied with a huge grin on my face, as I said this ‘The Tomangoes’ came blasting out of the speakers and at this point this chap also laughed his head off as he actually owns a real Tomangoes. Now we weren’t laughing at the D.J at all, we were laughing because in that particular situation we both didn’t give a sh*t! - It was priceless! Of course I won’t be booking this particular Charactor to D.J in ‘Len’s Den’ but I assure you, he will be in there dancing away and really enjoying the soul music. I have more respect for this individual and others like him, than I do (who I see) as the ‘pretenders’ — those that ‘all of a sudden’ have developed a collection and are ‘playing the part’ of the ‘collector / D.J’ These are the types that verbally attack the people 'Krissi B' is talking about and go on and on about ‘O.V.O’ so much, so (to me) makes them look stupid. All the best, Len

What, you don't like people dancing all, over emotional and 'urnest' at the end of a night?! .....Your heart must be a 'swinging brick' Terry Mind you, have to admit when Danny finished Burnley on 'Judy Freeman and Black Rock - Hold On' it did finish on a high, although by that point I was a 'Husk' All the best, Len

Russ, you are doing exactly what I did — For those exact same reasons I have doubted myself for a very long time. But I tell you what ‘matey’ — I’m back with a vengeance! - ‘This Soul Scene needs you!’ (Try to imagine that iconic war poster) All the best, Len

By coincidence I was chatting to Stevie P last night (‘Len’s Den’ resident D.J) He is an ‘under the radar’ man — 62 years old and has been collecting for over 40 years. His love, over all those years was the 90’s - Albrighton soul nights etc. He said to me, “I know what you’re up against Len and I’ll support you 110% but unfortunately, I don’t think we can win” Now, he didn’t mean it’s a ‘war’ purse, he meant that he feared the ‘Masses’ events will, in the end completely take over and stifle the clubs that have the original ethos… …..and if the likes of Russ, Chalky and many more that I know of who are thinking the same, stop ‘coming out to play’ that is exactly what will happen….. Keep Soulin’! All the best, Len

I used to always finish The Embankment Club with ‘Diana Ross - Stormy’….and when lights on, ‘The Odds and Ends — Let Me Try’ All the best, Len

…and you’re not the only person that feels that way Chalky. The reason you and others feel like this is because every town now has a soul event and in the main they are all the same. No imaginative thinking whatsoever, just ‘cut ‘n’ paste’ D.J line ups from another event or simply using whoever happens to be the ‘flavour of the month’ Basically going over the same ground time and time again….Unfortunately people are excepting this, just like the awful Sat night telly they ram down our throats, then insulting our intelligence even more by reporting on these sh*te programmes as if they were news at Breakfast telly - Yes, ‘Dumbed Down’ is so right! ……But on a positive note……no, sorry I can’t think of anything…… he he All the best, Len P.s - Still make the most of when ya do go out though or you are the one that loses out

Now there's a tune....I thought I had the only copy! Thoroughly enjoyed playing that round my record room to Gospol Bob, Gary Holyman etc trying to convince them it 'had legs'! All the best, Len

I don't think anyone is persecuting anyone who comes out to enjoy themselves no matter how much or how little they know. It's the D.J's that get persecuted by the arrogant ones that don't actually listen - They are a different breed to normal people that just come out for a good time and they are so blo*dy vocal it can spread like propaganda. All the best, Len

If this is a serious question - How it ‘did’ work for me anyway, was this - I started a Club because no event near me was playing the stuff I also wanted to hear. The music policy was set by me, but I never actually ‘named’ it as it would be developed by the D.J’s I used. I only ever used D.J’s that I alone rated and that includes any ‘Big Name’ D.J’s which I of course would also use as the ‘Eye Candy’ from a promotional perspective. The promoter may be seen as ‘The Boss’ by some, but it takes everyone in the hall to make a good ‘do’ The promoter just brings everything together and is usually the one person that doesn’t actually enjoy himself! J I hope that answers your question. All the best, Len P.s - I say 'If this is a serious question' because I find it hard to believe you don't know a D.J or a Promoter.....Everyone's one or the other or both!

1) I now hate the term ‘Handbaggers’ because it’s patronising, these are people who go out to enjoy themselves, so include them and don’t write them all off. I have more respect for them than some ‘pretenders’ 2) ‘Read the floor’ — I call it ‘working the floor’ — Impossible to explain, it takes years to understand and reading the floor doesn’t mean putting the obvious on and ramming it that way. 3) We also have to be really careful; not to become contrived, I am well aware that soon there will be such a thing as ‘Overplayed, underplayed’ records…….Oh dear…… All the best, Len

'Like'

I've also run out of my quota of 'likes' today Jocko lol - We played this three times at 'Len's Den' - Looking forward to you 'havin' a go' there mate - Bring some 'Scotish aggression' with you please! All the best, Len

Once, I wrote on one of my ‘SILKS’ event flyers — “Empty Dance Floors Rule Ok” complete with a picture of a bloke doing a ‘thumbs up’ gesture sporting a cheeky smile, because at that time I’d given up. I thought that extremely funny in itself and (as predicted) it upset a few that didn’t get my ‘Irony’…….But (I’m gonna be all grown up now) I have to admit, in hindsight that was actually quite patronising which I honestly didn’t see at the time. All the best, Len P.s — Still think it’s funny though J

No, the general feeling is when they 'attack' these unknown tunes or the people trying to share them. It's the intollerance that I can't stand which usually comes with aggresion and rudeness - This is from my personal experiences. All the best, Len.

My last line on the following must have been for you - I feel I should say that we have made great progress in Northants, some of my biggest critics have now changed their attitude towards me and are now ‘listening’. In fact, some have gone completely the other way and are full of compliments, a bit like an ex-con that helps his victims! — It’s embarrassing sometimes, when they say stuff like “You educated us!”. All p*ssed up and ‘slurry’ (Still slightly aggressive, I have to say!J) but at least they mean well - I do wish they would stop ‘ruffling’ my hair though — I’m blo*dy 42 and a half! I know the whole thing is ridiculous (in a nice way) as compared to the ‘Top Jocks’, I’ll always be ‘The new guy’ not ‘The New Guy - ‘Hennigan’ but I suppose everyone like me, on a local level are doing exactly what people like Guy did in the 80’s, because breaking a brand new discovery is just the same as breaking stuff people don’t know, in fact maybe harder when they don’t ‘want’ you to be breaking new stuff. It’s all about trying to win them over and not patronise them, which I think we have done to some extent in Northants. All the best, Len

Here’s a positive story for ya (I think!) During the 90’s and even up to around 2007 ish, I know you’ll all agree that musically the scene was pretty healthy, people welcoming fresh sounds and during that time (especially the 90’s) there wasn’t many ‘returnee’s’ influencing things. After that in my opinion, things started to go downhill. Bringing you up to today, locally we have an event ‘Soul in The Bowl’ at Rushden where we recognised the ‘change in the market’ because that is exactly what it is, so basically we ‘gave them what they want’ and ‘segregated’ anything ‘different’ into the second room, which they kindly named ‘Len’s Den’ (Probably much to my critics irritation — Great!) Anyway, we finish ‘The Den’ at 12.30, then we all go and join the main room to do some ‘northern soul dancing’ for the last half hour, which is brill. But last time, three different people came up to me and said something I thought interesting, the best being “Len, we need you back in here, it’s too Cheesy even for us!”….I replied - “Be careful what you wish for” and carried on dancing my socks off to ‘Spring Rain’ with a huge smile on my face!...We get the best of both worlds don’t we? — Have to say these people had seen the funny side of the situation All the best, Len

I nearly actually did that once, was going to take a mop and bucket with me, step down from the stage after 'clearing' the floor, 'clear' the floor with the mop and say on the mike "Now that's what I call clearing the floor!".....Nina put a stop to it because she feared I may be stoned to death....she had a point.... Len

Wasn't allowed! lol - Back then 'HOUSE FOR SALE' was part of my '3 BEFORE 8' (along side The Bottle and The O'Jays - I Love The Music) At least everyone went home smiling rather than growling! lol Len

Yes, the '9.30 Water Shed' I call that - I always used to start a fresh D.J on that very time as I knew his first record would 'Trigger' the dance floor into action - It worked a treat everytime! lol All the best, Len

Some would wonder why we do it, as apart from the flack when D.Jing you can also get it elsewhere. I suppose if you really believe in what you do (Which I do) it's all worth while even if you only 'connect' with a small minority. All we are doing is trying to share the joy we get from our records and I can't understand how these 'types' don't see that - I suppose it's 'yet again' a matter of people attacking anything they don't understand, which someone else pointed out on 'another' thread a while back - So true that. All the best, Len.