Davenpete

I've got the Jackie Payne somewhere - what's it worth? Dx

What a silly thread - there are half a dozen I can think of straight away that I went to, you'll just never get a full list given all the one offs etc. There's the White Heather at Wigton that me and Pete used to co-run with Dave and Danny and later Saus in the late 90s, that was resurrected recently for a bit. Pip used to put on new year allnighters in Carlisle. There was that one that Rob Marriot ran for a short while about 92 around Kettering somewhere. Ion's allnighter in London at LaScala and that club opposite the Sun offices. The Dolphin club or whatever it was called in Southampton. The RnB nighters Brian used to do at various venues round central Manchester (I DJed at em all but can't remember the venues). Dunstable. The modern allnighter at the Polish club in Bedford in the late 80s. Hyde Botanical club. Don't think I've even seen mention of Mansfield White Hart, Shotts, Loughbrough, KGBs, Trentham, Longton, the Florence Club, The Golden Hynde or even Queen's Hall Bradford. Dave

Got a shameful soft spot for Beverly Bremmers' 'Get Smart Girl' and the other side of Laura Greene 'Thinking Through Tears'. Dx

Thought it was common knowledge he was a limey - have seen him interviewed in TV. The shed loads of other all-time classic detroit stuff he co-wrote re much more exciting than TWPB. Dx

Never hot on it meself. Another amusing thing is the fact that Frank Wilson (the other one who worked for Audio Arts - he also appeared on the Barry White thing on the disco evening on the Beeb - though I'm sure everyone noticed that one) kept getting the (later to be Motown) FW's pay cheques. Dx

The actual story which Frank told us (first night he was over outside Jazz FM as it happens before RS recorded his inteview pre-Blackpool) was that he was with Berry behind the curtains watching the Supremes on stage in LA at the tail end of a string of dates just after cutting "Do I love You". They were absolutely shattered and having real problems - Berry looks a Frank, puts his arm around his shoulder and says words to the effect of "look at them - do you really want ALL this hard work and hassle just to get a few record sales, you're just not cut out for performing are you mate". Frank mumbled a half convinced "spose you're right BG" acceptance - a couple of days later he walks into the office to find Berry has wiped the record from the face of the earth having called in directly he left Frank. This is why FW never had one himself - though the thing about offering Kenny $50k for his is true, it was because his daughter wanted a copy - he being too much of a perfectionist thought it a very weak performance. Apparently there are a good number of FW recordings under various pseudonyms - the Eddie Wilson obviously, but also several more for labels he couldn't remember under various other names he also couldn't remember. As I understood it he was never actually a staffer at Motown - except early on when he was managing the original tiny Motown office in LA. Dx

According to Les Cockell he played it at the Wheel (having filched it off Mr Bentley) - he was cremated with it. Dx

Goin Up In Smoke by Eddie Kendricks.

Not that I'm promoting nowadays so it's not really my shout - but personally I'd be more than happy (on the maddingly rare occasions I get the time to go out) to pay a premium on door charges to finance a Soul Fans/Students under 25 half price concession. I remember it used be the norm to take collections to pay skint youngsters' entry into the Fleet in the early 80s when I first started going regularly. Dx

Don't know his name (he was a Londoner), anyway he was not 'one of ours' - as for hear about it - it's coz I was there back stage after their performance talking to the git and yes I DO know it was their standard set more or less, but by all accounts (as noted above) they had intended to tailor it to the crowd and were disuaded by this guy. Freddie was awkward all weekend - and didn't even mix with the rest of the group, who are the nicest people you could meet. Dx

Should have been SO much better - some dickhead had got to them prior to the show and told them NOT to do their up tempo stuff which is why they didn't perform a lot of the stuff that you'd expect at a northern event (which I understand they had intended to build into their show more than usual) - he was boasting about how he was ensuring us philistines got to hear 'proper' soul music back stage later on (and I don't care WHO you are - you were STILL a dickhead for persuading them not to perform the stuff the crowd wanted). Best live performance BY FAR I ever saw was Ray Pollard on the Tuesday at the 100 Club first time he came over (much better than the Great Yarmouth weekender the following weekend) - SUCH a lovely unassuming guy, no showmanship, just pottered on stage, opened his mouth and out it came - staggering. The Originals were fabulous and incredibly well rehearsed - Terry and Hank Dixon have such stunning voices (Terry sang us a lullabye she wrote for her son later on - she has the most exquisite crystal clear voice) - though Freddy Gorman was an arrogant git and his wife Doddi is a pig. Dx

Matrix Stamped - Bellsound or Frankford Wayne I think, I forget - on the reverse side only to 'The Age of The Wolf'- label looks fairly obvious too (similar to the real Sandbag label as oppose to the glossy typical boot style label). Dx

Buy 'Can't Get Over Losing Your Love' by the Audio Arts Strings, and the fabulous 'Let's Have a Love In' by the Wingate Strings - both cheap as it gets and the best of the lot. Dx

Sam Butera version of Rat Race is a cracker. Earl Van Dyke - suprised Soul Stomp hasn't been mentioned, plus of course 'Can't Get Over Losing Your Love' by the Audio Arts Strings, and the fabulous 'Let's Have a Love In' by the Wingate Strings. Harlem Train by Dick Leslie is one I wish I hadn't flogged - I notice True Patron of the Arts seems to be popping up at the mo - paid about 4p for my demo. Used to have the dodgy Sweet Talking Guy inst from Wigan on EMI - quite like it in a sicko sort of way - also the daft, but compelling pop crap 'Dizzy' by Lester Lanin (course since Duraphet M became a distant memory it doesn't sound mid tempo any more) Still have shed loads of instrumental coz I was collecting them in the days when they were seriously out of fashion (late 80s) and mondo cheapo - except of course it meant you got the piss taken out of you big style (even though I flogged the pricier ones like Frank Foster and the like a few years ago - ironically it's left me with the best stuff IMO). Dx

Their version of 'Save My Love For A Rainy Day' is another cracker - though 'You + Me = Love' is as good as it gets of its type (and is my fav by them). Dx

Pete Widderson did it - I bought a copy off him at Morecambe Rally in 84 or 85 (the first one at Heysham anyway) before the covers had arrived from the printers - still have it somewhere. Dave Carne

I assume this is the same group that recorded 'That's What Love Can Do' - were they also the Softones of the Softones/First Class 'Candy' fame? Dx

Keith Minshull ran it - went there two or three times (with Kenny Sway/Geeslad and/or Vince Ayers I seem to remember) - one occasion was Keith's birthday bash. Dx

It strikes me that given the level of attendance a very good purely commercial argument (all they're likely to listen to) could be made for retaining the cellars. Dave

That's what makes a 'proper' club club special - everyone bouncing off each other - atmosphere etc - I HATE lowest common denominator/mass herding instinct events... nice decor and a chicken in a basket caf area is for tossers and surely just NOT what it's really about (grit, excitement, passion, shared empathy etc)... Unfortunately I would say that the modern Wheel revivals can often be just one youth club spin after another with none of the sounds that made the Wheel unique and special amongst the clubs of the period (much to the annoyance of Pete and the other old timers I go with when I do go to it nowadays). The old revivals Brian ran were the exact opposite in every way and were f*cking excellent - never missed one if I could help it. Anyway it'll be a very sad day to see it finally go if and when it does. Dx PS As for the 'I went ONCE, but 600 nah' one of the nights when ALL the rooms of Placemate 7 were open had over 800 and it was VERY VERY full.

Was woken up to Brenda singing 'When I'm Gone' to herself in our bathroom when she stayed at our old place. Dx

Les Cokell once told me that on SOME nights at the Wheel there was SUCH a high proportion of gay (god I hate that term) blokes that today it would be considered a gay club, as it happens Zan made a similar comment last time we were out with him. I strongly agree with the comments Dave made - and indeed had similar discussions myself with him in his later years when I got to know him, similarly I draw a connection between those who are Jewish and soul (the old Blackpool Cyberman himself being a prime example). Whilst we've never been huge in number, we've ALWAYS been on the scene and in perhaps larger numbers than you breeders may be aware of - though of course NS is basically an egalitarian scene where it SHOULDN'T matter either way. Dave PS Though long before my time - the area around Canal Street has been 'gay' for a long time - way back before the Wheel was there.

I would point out that he used to DJ for the International Soul Club events that Kev used to do in Coventry. As far as I was aware he's never done anything but heap praise on Motown and Soul in general - unlike so many UK pop artists/producers others who've just ripped it off wholesale and never given credit - why all the scoffing? Dx

More like 'Mod on a Mountain Top'. The girl looks like my cousin who as it happens is a conservator at the Natural History Museum - though she's not one of our's. Dx