Davenpete

I think you are over defining the implication of 'fundamentally' in this case - but yes I absolutely DID mean what I said (in relation to the US). Dave

Recently went to a Cheshire Polo match (a poncy, but enjoyable corporate junket for our clients), took a friend of Pete's he hadn't seen since school and needless to say got talking about Northern only to find her second husband she'd only been with for 15 years had been a mobile DJ and had guested at Wigan VERY early on - but got booed off coz he didn't have any soul(!!!!!!!!!!!), it then transpired that one of our clients had been a major Braisenose/early Whitworth Street Wheel boy (Tony Goddard from Whitefield) and that he knew all the guys Campden's (Pete's friend since age 8, strange name lovely lady who Pete recontacted through Friends Reunited) husband knew and indeed they all knew people Pete had known later on at the Wheel (given Pete was from within a mile of where both of them grew up). Needless to say our other clients (who were mere whipper snappers from Tesco - though extremely Moddy in style and outlook) were completely mystified. Dave N Pete

Have to say I totally disagree with this - it's insulting to numerous writers and producers that in many cases Motown poached in later years (the boy Wilson, their most successful producer of all, being a typical example) - the 'soul' sound was already developing in several US cities quite independent of Motown who were actually still fairly directionless themselves in 1963 - look at the Darnells (BG having a stab at Spectre) or LaBrenda Ben (neo-doo-wop), plus of course they were NOT the only label in Detroit at the time; Thelma, Fortune etc were already doing very nicely thank you. My own view on Motown is that at it's finest it's magnificent, at its worst its a squandering of magnificent talent on making Uncle Tom mush for a fundamentally racist white audience (don't forget that many of the early Motown albums were released with different covers showing smiley white teens sitting around in fields for the southern states). I do think that many of the Motown greats are neglected because in the initial instance everyone knew them at or near the time of release, then later on with say my generation they fell by the wayside amongst kids who hadn't heard them in the first place. Add to this an interesting case in point - 'My Love Is Your Love' - because it was on an ultra naff label no-one bothered buying the album so didn't hear the track and it was only the doo-lally Motown freaks (I have one of my own) that turned it up. Dave

Course they did - 2 weeks ago at Radcliffe apart from anywhere else. Didn't know any Hull crew at Bradford though I was fairly fesh out of college from there - apart fro Martin Midgley - who was really Bradford of course - never saw anyone I knew from Hull there other than the twins - who I didn't know when I was in Hull. Cheers Dave

That's the one - pretty sure the Majors was the cover name - was really scarce even when it was uncovered, remember Kath Jenkins from Gloucester shared ownership of a copy with Mark Everdon from Swindon. Cheers Dave

Never that bothered on the Anniversaries at Bradford - probably coz EVERY night was as good as it got (ALWAYS went to Bradford in preference to anywhere else - even when I had to coach it on my own from Oxford when the 100 Club was on - 11 hours once, it was a stopper) - specially when it briefly went 2 weekly (and everyone was pushing for weekly - and it would have gone too had the police not 'miraculously' uncovered a fire in the toilets that no one else saw) - easily the best northern period of my life - would sell my house and move to Bradford in an instant if someone could resurrect it like it was. I remember Pete insanely off his head wrestling with handfulls of notes trying to pay us in - gave em £50 - took back £10, then gave em £5 then grabbed the lot - I had to wade in coz it was getting stupid and a crowd was forming to watch the floor show, or when they sent out a search party for me and Brian Rae coz they thought we'd been turned over (lot of squad about at the time) - coz we were verballing in the car for 4 hours! Mickey Cruise being carried in out of the back of the red van the Newcastle lads used to come in. Lovey dovey on MDA and experiencing tinsel toes for the first time down stairs when they first started playing soulful garage before the seriously dodgy ravers spoiled it. Remember the group of squad who were well into northern and always danced next to Gary Taylor, Mark Walmsley, Graham, Netty, Kath Jenkins, Scouse and all that lot in front of the back stairs entrance? Dave

Of course Mr Sway(k) - reckon we'll probably resurface at Lifeline in Wolverhampton (October 31st?) since it fits our musical bill pretty damn well - took us a full week off work to recover from the Radcliffe - so we do need to pick and choose being self employed. How's you and your's? All the very best - thin on the ground but missing it every minute (house policy is to not mention Northern or even listen to it in order to minimise the temptation) Dave

Funny, without having read any of the posts I was about to type exactly the same (three in a row has gotta say something about that night) - I was very much a pup in my first full year of nighters and just wasn't prepared for it - remember they were dancing on the balconies, tables... everywhere - I requested Catch Me - the DJ didn't have it so I lent him my 12" - he played the medium long rather than the insanely long cut (still have it) - the place just went off BANG. Went to the bogs (remember watching the sea through the hole?) and you could feel the whole pier bouncing. Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous - even the slow train journey over from Hull picking up people at every stop - just an incredible buzz, some of the people I met that night remain friends to this day. Dave PS Remember 'She's My Girl (But She Was Your Girl First)' - the Majors(?) something like that - anyway RS had it covered for ages. Funny I'm considered very much a 60s, RnB and club sound man by my mates - when actually I bought more new releases than anything else in my early days, and still have most of em.

Depends what day of the week you ask her - she told Mark Bicknell it was - then promtly told us it wasn't (dippy as ever) - I note Barry White's (and indeed Gene Page's) involvement which would suggest it may well have been as they worked together a great deal in later years. Dave

Originals-Baby I,m for real Bobby Taylor-Does your mother know about me Kev

Sue my dear ho are you? Yes I can attest to the fact that when Chris gets on the floor he's fantastic. Pete and Dave PS Best shuffler I ever saw was Gary Walmsley.

Mr Sway good to know you are back yourself - ain't making it out too often as it's nigh-on killed us this time round (had to take all week off!). Thankfully we seem to be seeing the return of real northern/modern et al so we'll certainly be aiming to surface more often than we have benn doing. All the very best Dave

Only did one of Dean's/Guy's minibuses - first time I went - heaped teaspoons all round - was travelling with Ion and Mick Love (so started from a fairly 'high' baseline in the first place). I usually did it with the Swindon/Cheltenham lot or in the Crewe minibus. Fabulous night every time I went (only about 10 times) - records were SO cheap, music SO fabulous, people SO shot away - Mussleborough recaptured it to a fair degree - pity it got closed down. Dave

In more ways than one Dave! DC

I ain't seen him in ages either - think he's been busy feeling middle aged, getting fatter and working too much Actually we sort of decided to keep our heads down a bit whilst the scene was over-big (with all the usual results that we complain about, not to mention certain idiots doing our heads in)... Anyway we were out on Saturday with Rick, Sue and Zan for the first time (at least successfully) this year at Radcliffe (saw you Jayne behind the bar but you didn't see me) which was absolutely excellent and we aim to be around a little more often, it was just fantastic seeing all the proper chaps out and Pete still can't get over going to a nighter in his home town. Pete was very ill off his treatment and still ain't 100%, though he's now got the all-clear. Still got most of our records (though flogged some of the very pricey stuff coz the rates they were going for was a joke - I got £350 for Bileo when I paid 50p for it). Expect to see us out at Lifeline dos. We have been keeping tabs by the way via Ricky and Sue and Glen and Judy. Oh and we're in Carlisle now, life in the outback got too boring. All the best as ever, looking forward to seeing you again Kirsty, et al. Pete and Dave