Agentsmith

Have to agree completely with that analogy Chalky....same for me too, probably 97...really took off for me big style when Prestwich happened, then Brighouse Ritz and Lowton Civic...the All nighters followed with Manchester Ritz, Kings Hall Stoke and even managed Winsford twice and the legendary Tony's Empress once!.....oh....and then of course there's the little matter of the Lea Manor....thats where all this unknown ( well, stafford orientated ) stuff came home to me....broadened the horizons and outlook. Its seems some folk probably werent even aware of the Antellects until recent years as well?

Actually.....thats ironic isnt it because.....a lot of folk came back to the scene mid to late 90's and probably wouldnt have heard these tunes either.... still expecting for their ears to prick up to the oldies they were familiar with....definitely a shift in playlists, a continuation of the Stafford process

Cheers Chalky...i think i missed the 90's...was it any good?? i promise it isnt dementia.

Yes, i think you're right regards Ginger, i'll ask him when i see him...but you're right hmmm....10 years, long time to have something like thaat before it went big but, then again no surprise from a collectors point of view...loads never djed originally, just amassed stuff that the majority maybe never heard or saw Honestly wouldnt have been aware of that, but great to set timelines straight, it was around a lot longer than most folk wouldve known

Chalky, 20 years...if it was longer i wouldve been surprised but like ive posted after this response, heard Shity play it, then Butch....it wouldnt be unusual if Mark had something like that in his collection for a lot longer as is his trademark, he trickles them out...but Alan turned up in Manchester eith it and like, blew everybody away....it didnt take long for Ginger to scout a copy...and i wouldnt be entirely sure about this but he may have bought it off Shifty in the process?

On possibly the one occasion Shifty played the Manchester Ritz Bank Holiday All Nighter, he played " Love Slave " first time i heard it so, thats in the last 20+ years ( probably 2002/3 ) Obviously not aware that it may already have been in Butch's playlist at the time...just then....but, deffo in his playlist at the Lea Manor Hotel " end of an era " All Nighter in 2002, as i compiled the entire playlist for that 10 hour session....still on display on Dave Rimmer's Soulful Kinda Music website.....

Steve Hinds: proper dancer, old school if you dont mind the phrase, feels the music and dances accordingly.....

Valid point...probably as much a reason as why the real dancers, who do go there....and there probably are quite a few, en large dont bother jumping in....i wasnt impressed with the final 3, pretty flat, and this has been the case for a good few years now.

Thb, im probably wrong on that score, Estella yes, surname not sure, Colin would answer that as he or Levine covered Ila Van up...may have Levitt or something like that...i though it was Dennison but, there you go.....bloody confusing cover ups!

Not the record Chalky, the cover-up name...its not dissimilar do you not think?

This seems like a re-hash ( the cover-up name ) of Estelle Dennison - This Man Of Mine which turned out to be Ila Van - Can't Help Loving Dat Man

A well known name on the scene for sure Julian, before i saw or heard of Jethro and co, there was a guy who went to the Torch who attended the pub i mentioned called, Jerry Stack, never met him but was informed he was a top dancer, dont know if you heard of him at all?

Hi Paul, If this is off the back of the well debated dance championship thread thats fine...personally...observation, attending a function having been egged on/goaded to come along to a mobile disco in a pub, as is where this music recieved most input jn the early days, not old enough to be in there still actively attending secondary school, it was obvious we were among folk 2 or 3 years older than us who were already enlightened, were dressing in a manner, and were more than likely aware of the Wheel and Torch, as were the mobile djs....they did commercial bookings as a sideline, had day jobs anyway, but were by and large, just as fascinated with this brand of music and went to these venues to find out for theirselves, and acquire the tunes if they could. My first proper experience was at The Longacres pub in Dilloways Lane, Willenhall. From Friday through to monday night there were discos, and all the djs were playing this music...in a housing estate as well, and it was fairly loud...the pub would be pretty much packed...smallish dance floor, L- shaped lounge room, carpeted round the sides...i just stood and watched.....Billy Butler, Johnny Jones, Cooperettes, Travis Wammack, Archie Bell, Robert Knight, O'Jays, Shakers, Guy Darrell etc....the latter was so loud the windows reverberated...thought they were going to shatter!. I cant honestly say if it was there or the Cats whe. I attempted to dance, but at the Cats i certainly did...in the privilaged company of Jethro, Jacko, Darby and many others....that club was really my springboard. I think my dancing is more reserved now, the acrobatics have long gone, my body told me it was time to stop, the emphasis is on style and feel for the music....you gave to understand the lyrics, love the song, feel the arrangement and express your feelings, npt just with your feet, legs and hips, but with your arms and hands....almost like semaphor!.

Just seen another video on fb....at sn age now where at quarter to midnight folk are just going through the motions...the natural ageing progression, no one has the viltality to show the exuberance they were capable of, even just 20 years ago....id say 40 years of age the vast majority would still have that energy level, a watershed age...mind over matter still didnt come into the equation then.

Underlying analysis here is: the feel for the music, its a constant. You have to know, love learn the words, express everything in the dance....and if youre going to add the pyrotechnics in your arsenal, they have to be timed for those influential moments like machine gun drum rolls. Ive actually judged this competition a number of times, 10 years since i last attended the event tbh, but did so mostly the earlier events when, it was evocative to watch....there were even then, a lot of good dancers around ( 2006/7 )....theres no real comparison to the life our age Group has lived though, the 70's encompassed the spirit of Northern soul, we all came from different walks of life and ' discovered/pioneered ' the music that the discovering/pioneering djs put in front of us. Yes the analogy of World and World series certainly rings with hypocracy....you just dont see other countries doing it anyway. Remember the ' World Disco Dance Championships?, Keb Darge?, that was probably more representative yes? I honestly didnt think the winner of the 2023 comp was any better than the previous 5 or 6, no real dynamism, girls will almost indefinitely give a good account of theirselves, competition or no....remember: The Casino held dance comps, i witnessed one in....75 i think and it was a girl who won it.....possibly Kim?, no airs and graces, just danced whilst the two lads flung theirselves about and didnt fall off the stage! If anyone feels inclined to get their high velocity sniper rifle out with silencer attached and take me down, please feel free to do so!, i intend no offence and consider i havent made any.....just sort of observational.

I can vouch for the fact that it would take Tim a considerable amount of time to sell his own collection.....it is vast. But.....none of us are here forever and the fact is, in this day and age ( and has been the case for a number of years now ) these records are antiques and as such, a collection is an invaluable nest egg...he told me in 2018, the tipping point is coming very soon where more people start to sell up...that was nearly 6 years ago, and theres been a steady trickle. Does the market eventually implode?, he dosnt see it happening yet, its dependant on what it does globally, people abroad are still buying...as for the scene that these records created?...the next 5 years is realistically the summit....its stretching the imagination to say 10, particularly for our generation/age group....that would be entirely dependant on the generations we've brought up.