Russ Vickers

Have there ever been ??? We pick & choose whats suitable for the scene. Russ

Absoutely spot on......give the Chalkster a round of applause for most sensible comment of the thread.................thank f*** some one still gets it. . Russ

Any chance of a soundfile of the Earles pse to russvuptownsoul@msn.com big 'want' of mine, but $800 + for a VG copy, really need to hear this, before making a decision. Russ Thank you

I stand corrected . Russ

Think youre right James.......................pinning your ears to the wall, thru a big system. Keep findin' em buddy & keep playing em out, the dancefloor will judge. Truly appreciate you & people like you digging for the new sounds.............thank you. Russ

Great choon, dont think that it has been played widely to be honest.................I know that Roger Saint put it on a tape for me some years ago & I subsequently got a copy & played it out a few times...............little response then but now I think that people are more open to those funkier bass lines, if theyre not too syncopated. Russ

Thanks mate Russ

Do ya still have the solid solution mate. Let me know Chris. Also wondered if you would mind trying to remember any shops or contacts you might want to share on the West Coast. Im going Vegas, San Diego, Los Angeles, quite a few stops up the coast & then San Francisco................is Oakland safe ????. PM or email me mate. Great speaking with you when you were over here, did you get a Johnson Family ????. Speak soon buddy Best Russ

Daydreaming on Atlantic is awsome, not Northern but two step heaven, massive on the London 2 step scene some years ago, also played darn sarth a little, but this will be a massive tune in the enlightened Modern Rooms one day...................cant hear it without smiling . Russ

Ditto Russ

Ray if you are reading this if you get another original copy, would appreciate first refusal buddy . Thanks Russ

Miles I would put it at at least 40 quid maybe a little more. It may be a reissue but the fidelity is far superior to the Turbo original & an awesome LP too. Russ

Im really pleased that some one has managed to get a copy of this from Ray. Slightly puzzled tho' as about 6 months or so ago I exchanged several emails only to be told no more 'real' copies left ever, ever, ever............................oh well, just cant beat bad luck can ya !!!. Russ

Must admit the early 100 Club Nighters were an aquired taste for me & to be perfectly honest I had to make a conscious effort to 'stick with it' , its my nearest All-Nighter so wasnt too much of an effort, but the 100 Club is a proper Rare Soul Club, as it evolves constantly......................remember Ady's Latin phase . Clarkie was the man.........miss his sets terribly, personal circumstances I know, but the scene is so much poorer for not having the sublime tastes of this guy pounding your ears...........Northern & Modern. Russ

Is there a full discography somewhere Tony ???. Russ

My perspective on the label is obviously based on a handful of soul records, but was a lot of the product licenced in from else where ???, as opposed to being recorded for the label ?. Russ

I was quite lucky in the respect that whilst I went to Wigan quite religeously, depending on how much money I had & who could get a car (unusual), what time I finished work etc, keeping in mind I was living & working in Portsmouth by now (8 hours on the train to Wigan, cos we couldnt afford to go via London)I also went to Yate, Sams, St Ives, Cleethorpes & pretty much every where really, whilst I now realise the differences in the music policies I'm afraid at the time I was too excited by the whole scene in general & this wonderful music I had found & the elite cool clubs I was frequenting to really appreciate the differences back then. With hind sight I think that there was pop played every where, but Wigan was probably the worst offender..................I can imagine the older soulies being put off by this, as they had a better perspective on what had gone before & also what 'real' soul music was all about, I never had this perspective untill Stafford really I dont think, thats when I really began to get a proper grasp on SOUL in general. My one regret is that I never attended any 6ts events until the 100 Club Nighters, I would dearly have loved to have been witness to the full development off the legend !. Russ

In answer to to the original post Wigan was never solely a pop venue. There were far more great records played than there were inferior ones, but like all venues there were with hindsite some dubious plays. But this can be said of every venue from before & after including present day. I wasnt old enough to realise, I was just enjoying myself. I went to Wigan from '77 onwards, to me it was heaven, I cannot even come close to describing the feelings this venue evoked in me. If I am honest I was a young kid who thought I knew what soul music was all about, but retrospectively it wasnt until years later that I think I finally got it. To me Wigan was all about dancing & IMVHO Searling amongst a select few others played from about '78 some of the best Northern Soul ever discovered on the planet. I remember vividly dancing to the Delites, Vickie Baines, The Agents, Carol Anderson, John & the Weirdest, Mr Soul, etc, etc, etc the first time they were played at the Casino & the place rocking, my heart beating like it was gonna burst out of my chest because I was so excited at hearing these amazing new discoveries & this was listening to new discoveries week in & week out for years. To try & describe this to a non Casino goer is fruitless, for me there is nothing that can compare. I ran in when the doors opened, got on the dancefloor & stayed there till 8am virtually. I went to the oldies nighters too, but this was an extra for me, I went oldies on Friday, normal nighter Saturday & the Top of the World or Locarno Alldayer on the Sunday. BTW I was also completely oblivious to any oldies v's newies or 6ts v's Modern debates, other than what I read in the fanzines & magazines. The floor was packed to every record regardless of year or genre & I danced to every record I liked with equal enthusiasm, to be honest I long for the open minded playlists more than the venue, even tho there was some pop played, with regard to playing everything & it pretty much being excepted on merit & nothing else. But time goes on & my allegiance to the music goes deeper than my respect for one venue, I dont beleive in living in the past & Wigan Casino was a great venue, but there were great venues before & there were great venues after & there will continue to be great venues into the future. To me the 100 Club is king & has been one of the extremely few real Northern/Rare Soul venues for years. I think my memories of the 100 Club will be just as lasting as those from the Casino................to me its gotta be about the music every time. The Casino played some pop stompers amongst a lot of other stuff, some good, some bad, some indifferent, but on the whole the music was fantastic. Lets keep pushing the envelope with the music & we will have more great venues to look forard to too. Russ

I have always been puzzled by this too, always seemed packed to me, sometimes a little less than previous years, but never the couple of hundred I have often heard quoted. Russ

Need this too, seriously. Russ

Can anyone help with value & availability pse. Im assuming the label is Mala as this was on a CD of Mighty Sam material recorded for the label. Thanks in advance Russ

If you dont dance to these ya dead https://www.soulclub.org/stream/Walter_&_Th..._Man_Oh_Man.ram https://www.soulclub.org/stream/Harvey_Aver...ed_To_Dance.ram https://www.soulclub.org/stream/The_Ambers_...ve_You_Baby.ram https://www.soulclub.org/stream/Chuck_Jacks..._Loneliness.ram https://www.soulclub.org/stream/Chuck_Holid...rust_Nobody.ram WAKEY WAKEY !!!! Russ

Cheers buddy Russ

Shiptown was the first label, when I spoke with Joe Webster recently (lead singer) He said that he thought it was a different take. Certainly Ida Sands on Shiptown is a different take to the Chief release. Hope this helps Russ

Mr Abbott put 'Never Learned to Dance' - Uptite on a CD for me recently & what a cracker, anyone have any idea of price for the 45 pse. Also is the album version the same mix ???. Thanks in advance. Russ