Russ Vickers

I agree entirely..........all venues that I attended myself, albeit some more regularly than others, I was once very proud to be asscotiated with the NS scene, still am to some extent, but feel there should be a distinct difference between a scene that is still striving to give air play to the underplayed & unknown & venues that play oldies exclusively, also believe that there is a place for Oldies & love most of them to death, every now & again I wanna go & dance all night & wallow in nostalgia, but even though I'm fat & 50 (nearly) cant shake that excitment of hearing new tunes & dancin' to em................ there is a place for everything, but I feel I fit better into a Rare Soul Scene & all it embraces, with the traditional sounding newies, as well as all the other genres of on the whole black dance music that can be fitted in if it has the X factor, amongst all of this I still wanna hear a few classics in the mix too, but not all night thank you.........back to the future.........'Right on Soul Brothers n Sistas' Russ

Is Northern Soul an outdated term ?, whilst the phrase Rare Soul Scene probably pre dates the label NS anyway should Allnighters/Soul Nights that have a music policy that reflects the original concept of the scene championing the new & underplayed revert back to promoting there venues as Rare Soul, therefore diffentiating themselves fom other events that are purely nostalgia based (not that there is anything wrong with that if its what you want BTW) ?. Would definitly draw a line between the scenes...........especially as the music played is soooooooooooooo diverse, Rare Soul is a far better representation of what is actually played at these events dont you think................ Russ

Hi Dave Hope you are well my friend, my take on this is quite similar to yours, as whilst I'm from the Midlands, I have lived darn south since the late 7ts, where I was exposed to a great many scenes that played quality soul records, the Rare Groove Scene of the early 8ts was particularly prevailent in my neck of the woods, I would attend all manner of 'soul' do's in the week, including Jazz Funk events etc, but my weekends were spent Up North........hence my diverse & eclectic taste in Rare Soul. Just occured to me also, that the sets I hear you play are right up my strasse !!!...........which kinda confirms my theory . Russ

Why have some over the past few years started to use the term 'Rare Soul' in a derogatory fashion to describe records or events they dislike ?. I was always under the impression that prior to the phrase Northern Soul being coined the scene had been referred to as a Rare Soul Scene. Certainly the description has been used alongside Northern Soul to describe our scene/music since I've been attending events, along side that of Northern Soul & continues to be used to this day. Right back to the very beginning the vast majority of records played on the scene have been Rare to one degree or another, ie hard to find. Many of the 'Top 500' are eye wateringly expensive & comparitively speaking always have been. What puzzles me, is why the term now seems to have been hijacked & used in a derisory fashion. For the record, my take on Rare, is also the 'RARE QUALITY' within many of the sounds that are played, as well as availability or price. I also find the term Rare Soul an easier way to describe to non soul people the kinda music I like.

Agree entirely Dave, sooooooooo frustrating. It could be used so much more for reference if prices were kept up after sale unless particularly asked to be removed by the buyer, but cant imagine why that would be a problem really, unless your wife or partner is a member of the site of course . Russ

People have short memories - the first Kings Hall 'Togetherness' Nighter clashed with Winsford, 2 of the DJ's that were spinning in the Modern Room at Winsford were also booked for the Modern Room at KH. BTW dont want to start anything, just pointing out that this situation of clashing aint nothing new. Nothing changes, anyway who's for cake Best Russ

:lol:I:lol: wish I could mate.......... Russ

You still played your Casino Classics pressing tho' Russ

Been said before, but not too many moons ago, on the whole the Soul Night was where you went on the way/before the AllNighter, cos so many Nighters have to start earlier these day's cos of the bar take for the venue owners this doesnt happen so much...........I would like to see a later start for Nighters & maybe the local promoters doing a 'Warm Up' for the early birds.......... Russ

If a promoter has booked up dates (some times up to a year) in advance & advertised them & made other promoters aware of the dates, then IMHO those dates should be sacred. Thing is if another promoter books the same night what can you do in all honesty ???. Russ

In my opinion if there is an established event you dont clash end of story. When I promoted the Newbury Allnighters way back & admittedly in a not so busy a time for Allnighters etc, I refused to clash with any other Nighter in the country & at times that was very difficult i can tell ya even then, I had people who were close to me who could not understand why I point blank refused to do this, there were times when other promoters put things on on the same night as me, but I didnt clash personally, for me anyway it was more out of respect than anything else..................... I'll be perfectly honest, for a long time I have wanted to get my promoters 'hat' back on (at the present would be difficult due to other circumstances), but have held back, purely due to the sheer volume of events, not just in my area, but all over the country, I'm raring to go & believe I could really add something to the current mix that would enhance the scene, but I'm in this for the long haul & will bide my time until the climate is right again. Cant understand the attitude of some people who just dont think or care before booking dates. Russ

Not being rude, but pse can you put this is a second issue or whatever in the heading............just wasted my time opening this. Thx Russ

Dave/Steve C.................just remembered the morning driving back from some Nighter, when Steve had to stop at every services nearly for something to eat or drink, it was hilarious, but took us hours to get home, when we were only a couple of miles from home the car broke down & I called Mrs V, to let her know we would be late cos of car trouble & she wouldnt believe me............... Russ

That was the night I drove up on my own as you & Steve were DJing & I couldnt get out of work early, arrived at Chris n Marcelles just as you guys were leaving..........then drove back alone Sunday, shitty come down in the car & was selling up until Wednesday !. But generally speaking the journey is actually part of the experience, aint nothing like a Nighter journey with Steve C, Dave Abbott & myself.....sometimes another one of our long suffering friends like Jason along for the ride.......... I could write a book on the experiences I have had travelling to & from Nighters, jumping trains, stolen vehicles, works vans, hitch hiking.......unfortunately as a Southern Soulie pretty much where ever you end up to dance All Night will be a marathion of sorts, but its all part of the fun.......the fishing radio programme, juggling monkeys, passengers that we have nearly killed over the course of what we aptly now call the lost weekends (when we would do several events over one weekend). One unforgetable weekend when the train was cancelled from Eastleigh to London & I just jumped in a Taxi, luckily Ady cashed me a cheque from the 100 Club door takings, other wise I would have had to 'disappeared'. I appreciate many people are older, wiser & have more responsibilities including children & careers, also know that 'not' attending Allnighters doesn't make you enjoy soul music any less, or diminishes your passion, but Allnighters are the Real Deal, its where it all happens, both off & on the dance floor & whilst I woork away from home home & have all the responsibilities mentioned above & more if you have the inclination with very little organisation you can do it, I have never missed one of my 10 year old boys footy matches for example, I find I can operate pretty much normally for the rest of Sunday, although I can be a bit of nightmare Tues/Weds, I just manage it & organise myself to take this into account. I hope I never stop attending Allnighters & will always be the last man standing on most dance floors................. Best Russ

Its just another genre of Black music that the Rare Soul scene will cherry pick to find the odd thing that will work, its not a religeous or spiritual thing, its about good black dance music...........Swansilvertones is awesome, played on several scenes for a few years now, but is just right for todays funkee NS dancefloors. Bring em on, so long as they have the X factor...........Marco's Tempests c/up is another hoofin gospel belter..............anyone with a copy, dont be shy get in touch. Always been a massive fan of SOB & Anne Nesby & some of the 'churchy' soulful House, not an expert by any means, but like what I hear. Praise the Lord ! Russ

Always clapped & always will, its instinctive, even when you dont know a tune, you automatically know where to clap. I found that when you clap others usually join you, I have never felt that it was naff or outdated, many these days though dont know where to clap & sometimes this spoils it for me, its like the acrobatics breaks, not many partake these days, but when done properly in the right places & done well, to the beat & not just for the sake of throwing ya self around like a lunatic its a pleasure to behold, but there aint nothing as embarrassing as someone who just throws them selves around willy nilly at any old time in a record............I've seen dancers recently who consider themselves to be pretty good doing thier stuff in the wrong places & it makes me feel arkward, actually think the reason why its consider a little naff these days is the fact very few can actually do it correctly anymore...........thats beside the fact that most of us would probably collapse with heart seizure if we tried now..............funny though, whilst I generally dont partake in the acrobatics or what ever you wanna call em these days, when I'm dancing, I still know automatically where you would spin or where ya would kick or back drop........... I'm a clapper & think more would be if ya just got on & did it............BTW at Yate they would clap on a different beat to any where else & there would always be the 'echo' too........ Best Russ

This was my experience pretty much really. Russ

No worries mate, forgot to mention, when I asked the fella how he knew everything about the raid at the Birdcage, he said 'Well I was the Officer in charge of the raid' :yes: .............. Speak soon mate, love to Nicola Best Russ

Phil, Mr M's for me personally was my education of what had been played before my time, but were new to me, I think it was the same for many people at the time, they wernt just listening to the same old same old, cos to them they had never heard em before. Russ

Your obviously attending the wrong venues my friend, cos non of the lesser played & newies I hear could be described as dirges, in fact Georges spots at the last Lifeline were pretty much stomp, stomp, stomp, stomp...........slightly unfair in as far as they were incredibly soulful interesting records aswell, but a dancers delight...........I'll dance to oldies, newies & anything inbetween if it has the X factor...........& I will run to the dance floor for a newie I have never heard before if it has the certain vibe..............I'm no spring chicken, but my priorities are to champion good unknowns & lesser played tunes, to do this, you dance to em !!!........ Best Russ

Little Rose Little is one of the best oldies going IMO...............hoofin' freight train of a proppa Northern dancer, a deffo reativation for someone !!! Russ

The 'Birdcage' in Portsmouth was in an area called Eastney, it was knocked down many years ago to make way for flats. The club was like many in towns & cities all over Britain at the time, groups & artists that appeared at the 'Wheel' & other hip clubs, also appeared at the 'Birdcage'. With regard to the New Religeon LP by Jimmy James, local legend has it that the Pompey Mods were some of the bands best fans, as the Vagabonds tour van was coming down Portsdown Hill into Portsmouth to do a late night gig at the Birdgage (coming from an earlier gig at the Marguee with the Who,where apparently they 'borrowed' some of the Who's equipment !) which was the old road into Portsmouth before the motorways, the local Mods had taken upon themselves to flyer/advertise the gig themselves & there were hand made posters every where on lamp posts etc advertising Jimmy James & the Vagabonds 'The New Religeon'. As a slight aside many years ago when I first moved from the Midlands to the Portsmouth area I was intrigued as to why this area had always been a relative 'Hotspot' for Northern & Rare Soul, whilst in the local library researching the 'Birdcage' on the microfish & asking the Library workers questions, a man approached me & spoke to me for several minuites about the 'Birdcage', one of the stories he told me was about the night the club got busted by the local DS, the security at the club was done by moonlighting Royal Marines from the local barracks & when the DS tried to gain entry to the club in plain clothes the Royal Marines 'Kicked off' big time, as the fracas on the door ensued, the local ,'faces' ensured the gear dissappeared down the fire escape at the back. Years ago I wrote a small article for Soul Up North Fanzine entitled 'Soul Down South' that included some of this information, if anyone has this issue handy, if they could post it up I would be grateful. Gilly, I have friends in Pompey who would know more about the Birdcage, if you would like me to hook you up let me know. BTW about 10 years ago there was a massive 'Birdcage' reunion on Southsea Pier, I was amazed at the amount of people who attended & the wonderful pictues that decorated the foyer from the Birdcage & that era. Very few people from these clubs ever went on to attend NS clubs & to this day, many turn thier noses up at NS for some reason. There was also another very influential club in the Fratton area of Portsmouth called the Marriner (later the Sound Barrier) which held soul & Northern Soul Nights from the late 6ts into the 7ts, years later we held illegal Allnighters there in the 8ts/9ts, the building still stands with the club intact, but has no licence & the ownwer have no intention to reopen. Hope this helps buddy Best Russ

I have just found out that Shiptown soul legend Ida Sands has been taken seriously ill. Ida is a wonderful & talented woman, who besides recording some fantastic soul records contributed not only to the Civil Rights movement, but also championed womens rights generally. Ida for many years also worked to get better recognition for the artists that recorded for Noah Biggs Shiptown/Howbig labels in Norfolk Virginia & I'm honoured to have met Ida when I lived in Norfolk VA. ReNardo Biggs, Ida's son has asked that we all pray for Ida to make a full recovery & I hope he doesnt mind that I have posted this information, please pray, think positive thoughts & lets hope with all our hearts that Ida makes a recovery. I will post more information as I receive it, but if ReNardo is reading this pse update us, as & when & make sure Ida knows all of her fans on Soul Source are willing her to get better. Regards Russ

Hi Paul Thx for your reply buddy, hopefully sorted on both copies now thank you. ATB Russ