Russ Vickers

Wish I had wrote that............bad day, thanks for so eloquently putting what I should have Russ

What a load of bollocks ..........sorry but just cant be bothered with a long drawn out reply...........!!! Russ

That was a bargain even then Joan, its never been an easy record & you very seldom see it. Russ

In the last few months I have bought, amongst scores of other things IMO a brilliant semi known thats covered up (searched for three years until I found it......yippppeee), a cover up that there are 3 known copies of so far (paid top wonga, but its priceless) & loads of less than $£20 cheapies that I think stand up against many of the big nighter tunes, I get as much satisfaction, if not more finding the cheap brilliant tunes that others may have missed or have not discovered yet............are you still a snob if you find the OV copy cheap ................a lot of this is envy & sour grapes. Russ

Good post, I would say most if not all Nighters are OVO dont think they make a big deal out of it, its just the unwritten rule & part of Rare Soul etiquette, although the 'rule book' is something subconcious & based on tradition, respect & courtesy, we all grew up with it. its not taught or learnt it develops.........& just is...........find it strange why people even would question it. NS was very much a working class scene, you build your collection through wheeling & dealin', you buy cheap, sell as high as you can, invest in another tune, dig, dig, dig, listen to soul music 24/7, search everywhere, research everything, keep a note book by the phone , hang around seedy record bars listening for tips & looking out for the tut boxes that havnt seen the light of day for a few years, hope you can find a cheap brilliant unknown & then sweep copies up before the word gets out, then when the sound goes big, sell, sell, sell the spares............its all common dog really & some thing that most DJ's & collectors have done for years, look at Kenny, he's potless & turns up great tunes all the time.......IMO its the lazy f**ckers that cant be arsed or dont know the crack that winge about OVO & you dont need loads of dosh, just a bit of taste, some savvy & passion...........mmmmmmmm I bet if you gave Butch £25 quid, he could find a relatively unknown record that would take the roof of most Nighters & theres loads of other great collectors & DJ's that do this every day of thier life.......... Russ

Cant wait............sweatin' the vinyl already . Russ

If you have any self respect, yes...........are you blind. Russ

I genuinely appreciate your opinion on this Mike, & find it an interesting subject generally, Im glad we have discussed it in a reasonable manner too. I think there has always been issues over this, but like everything else the internet has compounded the arguments. I do have a broader opinion on this too which we can discuss at greater length over a beer, the reason I say this, is because I cant explain properly in the written form exactly what I'm trying to say without it being misenterpreted. Russ

More to the point what does your rule book say about OVO ........also if I hadnt mentioned it nobody would have been non the wiser in THIS particular case. I think your being a little mischevious here Mike........bit bored on a Sunday are we Anyway, your thoughts on the subject would be interesting & appreciated. Russ

The voice of reason..............sorry I mean confusion ............ Russ

Oh dear...........just what I was trying to avoid......... Russ

You & me both bro..........thank you. Can you come & rescue me on the OVO thread ...............Mikes kicking me ass !!! Russ

I actually think its not just a black & white issue, but to be honest this has been done to death forever & I'm at pains not to get embroiled in it again. There is sometimes a lot of Willy Waving instead of just gettig on with it..........I dont want to go down the 'are we allowed to play LP's, are we allowed to play carvers of unissued tracks & all of that bumf.............we all know what the correct etiquette is & I bet that most have played an odd reissue or boot over the years..........but there is a difference in that & deliberately misleading people. At present I have an LP track which is awesome, no one else is playing it out, but I only have the reissue LP which in itself is actually quite rare........do i hide this great tune under a bushell, as the original LP might take years to appear.........no bollocks to it, I would not be stepping on anyones toes by doing this, no one else is playing said track & it really deserves to be heard by a wider audience, am I a hypocrite, well maybe you could argue yes, but I personally do not see anything particularly wrong with this, however knocking out carvers with lookalike labels & playing them out as OV isnt right IMHO. This subject could go on for months & has done, you can never truly get your opinion over exactly on an open forum, but generally I agree with the OVO policy. I also try to be diplomatic, when discussing these some times emotive subjects when out socialising . I dont think anyone would take issue with your observation Mike about OVO, but 'so called respected member' .....could be taken the wrong way by some people, respect has to be earned, others give respect, you cant demand it for your self. If you have no respect for said person then thats your personal opinion, but I dont think anyone is demanding respect or would be aware of the respect issue personally. Russ

Exactly. Russ

Thank fcuk............the voice of reason...........I sometimes question my sanity, am I on the same scene or even the same planet as some of these people. I am a soul snob, a fully paid up card carrying member of the soul police & a multitude of other derogetary labels certain elements of this so called scene have pinned on me, because I beleive in the original ethos of the Rare Soul scene & refuse to be brow beaten into becoming part of a slightly embarrassing, 'Dad dancing at the disco' nostalgia trip, were any Tom, Dick or Norman can call themselves a DJ with a mitt full of bootlegs, then they come on SS & else where & slag OVO DJ's off...........the time is nigh, not long left, before Northern Soul is dead...........then long live Northern Soul.......the real scene will live forever in the hearts & dance floors of the true beleivers....... Its a fair cop, I'm a soul snob (apparently) & I see it as a badge of honour........ Russ

Russ

Northern Soul is any soulful dance record that becomes popular at a Northern Soul Nighter/Night, it can be from any genre or decade, but has to have the X factor that the DJ & dancers almost subconsciously recognise mainly from the 6ts & 7ts but not exclusively. Modern Soul IMO is any soulful dance record played at a NS venue (although not exclusively, but Modern Soul was after all the bastard child of NS), but utilises Modern recording techniques & productions not available in the 6ts, the classic sound back in the day would be the Carstairs............but over the decades this can encompass, crossover, soulful disco, some funk, some boogie & Rare Groove, Soulful House & contemporary new releases, as well as many other genres. My personal ideal Modern Soul Night would include all the above & relevent new releases aswell. My ideal NS night would incorporate the best of everything including appropriate new releases in one room. See...........as clear as mud ...........back in the day, whilst the debate rumbled on, the dance floor rarely missed a beat between genres......a good soulful dance record is a good soulful dance record & together with the X factor has the potential to become a NS monster & still does to this day. Ok Pete, I've got mi tin hat on, let me ave it............ Russ

I agree. Russ

Russ

Bastard !!! Russ

pm'd ya. Russ

Moocho graciarse.........& not before time either.............How long has this been played.......15 years or more, must be ????. Russ

If thats your opinion of NS.............FOXTROT OSCAR matey, what ya doin here anyway. Byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Russ

The whole place is absolutely drenched & dripping in atmosphere, nostalgia & excitment.........from the small entrance in the middle of a Metropolis, on one of the busiest streets in Europe...........a mighty Rare Soul diamond shines.......a true, authentic soul club, that has evolved, grown, twisted & turned & remained number one in my heart for decades...........its unassuming, yet, prolific, the clientelle eclectic, as is the music, remains the same but changes constantly..........like James, I think I know every lump, bump & divit on that dance floor.............I've seen it grow from humble beginnings to a musical monster. I've enthused, stomped, shuffled & shimmied to the tunes of more residents & guest DJ's than I care to remember...........from the moment you descend the stairs to the hallowed ground, you know its gonna be a life changing experience...........the muffled sounds of dance music from a bygone age, by artists long forgotten by nearly all, except the chosen few, gradually grows into a crescendo........& before you know it, your consumed by a wall of thumping, mind blowing, tear jerking sweet soul that just makes you wanna dance..........I have never had a bad night at the 100 Club ever, the venue, patrons & promoter are very special & long may it reign supreme...........see ya next time. Russ