Popcorn records have crossed over to the northern soul scene Kurt Harris-Emperor Of My Baby Heart,,Doug Banks-I Just Kept On Dancing,Freddie Houston-Soft Walkin......IMHO they should have stayed on the popcorn scene.This may help and make it a bit clearer.
The Belgian "popcorn" style began in 1968 in Oostende. There is a nightclub that was called 'The Groove". The first notes of music came from this nightclub wich was called at that time "Soul Music". I was seventeen. I never heard such beautiful music. Now I'm 41 and I'm still crazy about that type of music, "The Oldies Popcorn" as we call this music in Belgium. At the time in the nightclub Groove the classics were : Billy Larkin - 'Hole In The Wall' and Leon Haywood - 'Soul Cargo'. Ska music was also played : Roland Alphonso - 'Doctor Ring Ding', 'Sake A Lady' and 'Song ofMy Father'. Even some instrumental music such as Ramsey Lewis - 'Wade in The Water', 'China Gate', Alvin Cash - 'Twine Time
In the seventies about ten nightclubs began to play popcorn records! They were the best DJs in Belgium at the time, and some of them still play today. For the nightclub The Groove, the best DJ was Gilbert Govaert and Pepe Lucien. At Popcorn the great DJ was Jeff Callebaut and Pepe Lucien. In the Versailles Georges Toniotti was the top DJ. Two guys, Eddy and Kurt, were tops at Viertap. The Viertap is always open. My brother Paul and I give people lots of enjoyment in many Belgian nightclubs. Sometimes we organize one or two evenings per year. Still today, after 25 year, the popcorn style is still around and the best records that can be heard are James Conwell on 4J; Jeff Lane - "Carmelita", Bruce Cloud - "Let Me Come Back Home", Kurt Harris - "Emperor Of My Babys Heart" - Douglas Banks - "Ain't that Just Like AWoman", alse many by Major Lance
Despite the release of oldies popcorn on compact disc, (about 30 so far) more than 1.000 collectors still look for original "Belgium Popcorn" classic singles. If you visit Belgium don't forget to go to a nightclub where you can hear Belgian Popcorn. People who really like 50s and 60s music can't miss this opportunity, because the popcorn music is something that you can hear and dance to in a nightclub and the atmosphere is super Heres a taster https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvbvgzCizz8