Agentsmith

somebody please post the paper's story if you can, so people can get the gist of whats happened. it might be a rural county venue but it was loved and cherished with a reverence by all walks of life over 4 decades. the lea manor had as much popularity as the cats, connaught, ship & rainbow, laffayette, 2001 or octopus and thats despite its obvious non-conformity to the northern soul scene, fledgling as it was at the time. infact it catered for all types of disco and bands, usually of the rock substance, but a good many of wolverhampton's well known djs, cut their teeth there. i suppose its only now, in the aftermath of its demise and impending demolition that it will dawn on a good many people from far and wide, how big a part it played in their "growing up". i for one, simply cant envisage an old people's home on the sight of what, with all due respect, should be deemed a sight of historical musical importance. there's no doubt it should have never been allowed to get to the sad and sorry state of affairs we view now. i feel for everyone who has such fond memories of tait, lynn and martin's monthly soiree that proved to be so educational in the manner of t.o.t.w, whose mantle, i personally believed, it took up. the manor was a torch of hope in a steadfast world of staple oldies nights. the playlist was in everyway, reminiscent of what i later witnessed at t.s.o.p., terry & lynne davies employed the tactics of giving everybody "a go" behind the decks, so at the manor, the turnover of djs was phenomenal...it wasnt necessarily about reputations....it was more of "whats in your box" and indeed, a lot of tunes were broken there.......shades of t.o.t.w. again me thinks?. so the lea manor hotel now enters the annals of "our musics" history. my personal rhetoric may be deemed as selfish when i say that the northern soul scene really gave the venue its identity back, but thats what i and many of you will take as our abiding memory, whilst in all honesty and truth, the reality is, it has been the soundtrack and springboard for generatoins who were just looking for a good time.....lea manor was there to fulfill that pledge.

released on u.k. westbound

i think this is gonna turn out to be just like issues of tobi legend, few and far between compared to the demo's. strangely, i had one of these out of a collection about 6 or 7 years ago and sold it in virtually mint condition about 2 years ago.....one of a million thats been tried but perhaps never quite appreciated enough for it to go big......until now...yes?.....is that what you're all infering?....of course, thats what its all about isnt it?, consistantly plugging these things. a bit gobsmacked at the price though, probably let mine go for about £40 ( even mick smith would be laughing at the ridiculous amount paid, in his books always a cheap record, but thats mick for you...the collectors best friend!)

saw it kev, what a pathetic cobbled effort and in the name of what?....was it an anniversary of that guys personal memory of the tour....how did they get to hear about him? if they had filmed it 2 weeks earlier, they could have interviewed tim brown as he was in bristol promoting his book about the city's zoo....it might have been more interesting....as for the dumb blonde posing like,...a dumb blonde,...well couldnt even dance or sing like chris clark let alone lace her boots!......SOMEBODY BLOODY WELL WAKE THE BEEB UP.......THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY WAS IN 2009. as for the uk tour its well, and better documented elsewhere, typical ONESHOW presenters, devoid of any knowledge and not even a motown historian in sight!!.

the subject seems to be going off tangent...ever so slightly people!,...to my mind everybody must have been scratching their heads long and hard but to no avail. i broached the subject with tim brown and other than the fact that soussan discovered and subsequently bootlegged it under an alias, even he agreed that the little matter of who was resposible for uncovering it, is a complete mystery. i remember purchasing an aquamarine blue solid chunky vinyl pressing from max millward in 74, the very year of its discovery and instant fame on the northern scene so,....it appears this will run and run, perhaps in the olng run it may turn out to be ( for want of better words ) the lord lucan of northern soul...we'll never find out the truth!.

plenty of white demo's about but has anyone ever seen or owned a v.i.p. coloured issue?. released 1965, the canadian's first effort at chart success in his own right ( he had already been taken under the songwriting wing of HDH), it flopped as did 67's there's a ghost in my house. definitely the rarer of the two, it appears devoid of a well distributed issue, probably because from the point of view of the lyrics, it posed a contentious issue to middle aged americans, who still viewed "juveniles" as unruly and needing to be put in their place, hence the rebellious statement taylor was making.....ironically, it predated the summer of free love and the hippy culture by two years.

bloody hell ian, when was the last time you went to the ritz?!........for those who cant remember,..NO RAISED DANCEFLOOR,....SORRY TO SPOIL THE MEMORIES!, DEFINITELY QUALITY DECKS AND YES, DESPITE NO "RAISE" THE FLOOR STILL BOUNCES......IN WHICH CASE, I HAVE TO ASK....BUT PLEASE TELL ME......EXACTLY HOW MANY OF YOU WENT TO THE RITZ IN THE LAST DECADE?......HOW MANY OF YOU MISSED OUT ON THE "LEGENDARY" ALL-NIGHTERS INCLUDING THE WORLDS GREATEST "RAREST OF THE RARE" EVENT EVERY MAY-DAY BANK-HOLIDAY??. credit to neil for getting this together, but i have to say, ive known this to be on the cards for quite a while....just a case of waiting for the date....... WOW!, WHAT A WEEKEND THIS WILL BE ( YES, IM IN TOTAL AGREEANCE ) to see mr.searling behind the decks again at the venue that hosted his 50th and a magical appearance by THE ORIGINALS as part of his celebrations......without doubt MY FAVOURITE VENUE OF ALL-TIME, knowing that this place still existed and having waited 5 years for someone else to take up the mantle, justice has been done putting it back on the calender of "must visit" events......my one gripe.......pity the queue isnt at 10PM,..NOT 11AM....but then again.....it may be the first successful all-dayer....IN YEARS!!

here, here....clearly in agreeance with you both and HE IS in my TOP 3 DJS OF ALL TIME...this truely is a case of BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE. richard is the instigator of putting right, years of wrong and injustice....even if by his standards its just a small modicom, a scratch on the surface....ITS A START!. the benefactors will be the artists/writers/producers/musicians and, in relevant cases, immediate surviving family members. richard hoists the flag yet again to let everyone know that he's still in there, punching his weight on behalf of the scene that gave him so much, and that he wants to give back to. northern soul gave him his big break and he in turn, aspired to new heights taking a grateful scene and adoring soul clan with him. the epitome of sound has proved so popular as to warrant issue before....before that it was a case of buy a boot or fork out for an original. as in most cases these days and with vinyl production been in the doldrums, ney almost extinct, anything of an independant nature, quickly sells out and/or deletes or the lease expires....its certainly been a number of years since tim/kev issued it on goldmine 7s so now the opportunity presents itself but in a manner and a reason that befits. a descriptive picturesleeve and the revenue being distributed to the right people....ISNT THAT IMPORTANT? NOW QUOTE ME IF IM WRONG, but the original goldmine issue first came out in 96/97 and i dont recall a second press due to demand, so....if im correct this is infact long overdue for a re-issue. WHEN i spoke to richard at the tower, i asked him......"you didnt honestly sell all your tunes, did you?" the reply: "of course not, theyre all still at home" THAT SPEAKS VOLUMES OF THE MAN, a man still very much in love and engrossed with the scene and,....with all those forgotten,MYSTICAL, LEGENDARY COVER-UPS AND ONE-OFFS S, still in his posession, he could switch back on......JUST LIKE THAT and no-one would hold a candle to him. RICHARD IS A TRUE GENIUS AND GO-AHEAD IS A MASTERSTROKE, so put aside the fanatical-anorakish mud slinging and show solidarity for what could turn out to be the best record collecting outlet for decades.

well, i suppose like millions of northern soul collectors, ive got genuine imports in "thick" card sleeves....i DONT think for one minute, they still produce " thick" sleeves in the states and i certainly wouldnt baulk if its thick chunky vinyl with a square edge, as opposed to glossy vinyl with a tapered edge which feels lightweight e.g ( in the last 10 years ) gloria scott and the skullsnaps, which are perfect reproductions. in any case, there's nothing wrong with buying such things IF they're genuine re-issues or playing them out for that fact. so.....if its a REAL copy, bite their hands off...if its a re-issue so what?, its a popular tune that deserves the accolade of "issued due to popular demand", gives more people a chance to own/play it out as opposed to a bootleg and yes......if you havent got 800+ to spend...whats the next best thing?

dont know about the earliest adey, but how many different vocal versions are there and...with totally different lyrics.....just thought, in this respect id point out THE BRONZETTES - BABY DONT LEAVE ME.

adey, you would've payed to hear them play that at the casino ......fancy spinning it at the 100 club lad? :lol:

bought the dvd and i have to say that the dialogue above everything else, was lightweight, to say the least. the genuine footage, interspersed, helped to pad out the obviously innocent plot. i also felt that the subplot of the older dancer cornering the market with both dance space and the girlie element was almost pointing the finger at a certain dancer by the nick-name of "booper" although ive no knowledge of him being a dark character, i believe frank thought he was something special at wigan....til the lads from the catacombs turned up to show him how it was really done!...i think that narked him a bit...tell me if im wrong, its just that his name and image spring to mind in that sequence. i also dont think the concept of gangster-style bullying was relevant to the casino but i didnt frequent it a great deal so again, put me right. on the whole its a conveluted portrayal of the seventies, but we came from all walks of life before we united under a common banner and this film points in that direction with complet obviousness...not garbage but not champion...i score a 5....a fair reflection?

im echoeing all of this, and its still amazing to think steve mancha's compositions are so highly thought of and played so much....even when they're other artists interpretations, such as the late johnny taylor on "friday night" and, just recently im sure i heard a 70's recording of "did my baby call" on steve jeffries sales list but for the life of me, i cant remember who the artists were. the stamps album, of course, is a yardstick by which, all northern soul fans should judge his superior talent and quite rightly is a much cherished, collectors item...a sad moment in time once again,...the reality is, its becoming all too commonplace....even more reason why WE, as a community, should ensure their flame burns forever and their music never be forgotten. r.i.p. steve mancha,.... a cornerstone of all thats good about detroit

have the jan foreman record as well, des parker covered it up 9 or 10 years ago as marissa gatti,...it appeals and should be played, purely on the grounds of it being detroit ( it has the ztsc imprint). never seen it for less than £200, had mine off pat brady.

yeah, thats class....to actually have a piece of film of the dancers actually dancing to THAT record, and not overdubbed with something else...

bri mate, the illusive supremes single e.u. only....if i remember, i had this on a dutch import pic sleeve ( back of love child) havent come across it in 20+years despite it being on the ultra common " reflections" lp, from which i am quite prepared to play it. YES, this strikes a chord as it really IS a superb dance track thats long overdue mass attention...nice to know you rate it as well!

gonna have to get on this one, me thinks kev..........CONNIE STEVENS? mmmm........i wonder where richard got this one from?

i like to think that ive heard the greatest unreleased motown track of all-time....every year......until universal pull another rabbit out of the hat! case in point: ( for 2010 at least!), stevie wonder - why dont you come home....SUBLIME! then with the weekly/monthly lists of tunes for sale.....i continuously hear things ive never come across, even after nearly 40 years...i guess with northern soul, its so hard to square the circle. even our so called TOP 5'S are prone, miraculously to change, and in some cases we never thought we'd admit they would!! so long as we're alive we'll just keep hearing and admiring great tunes and for all we know we'll forever be so busy doing just that, that the eternal question will never be answered....and bearing in mind that there's no prophesy stating what is and isnt, the PERFECT TUNE THAT HAS IT ALL will remain a holy grail or....should that be....."THE SOULIE GRAIL":thumbsup:

i agree with that sentiment, but by the same token, these releases will, in time, become collectables primarily due to their limited edition along with the sleeves and their respective historical/chronological notes. of course weve heard and danced to the tunes a million times and we cherish them equally as much, they are part of our lives....richard, knowing the man as you,i, and everybody else does, has enormous integrity and a genuine belief that the artists/writers we have raved about for so long, are given their due...remembering that many are no longer with us, but those who still are gain some monetary payback for the invaluable contribution to a scene that would probably not have evolved in the way it did, a scene they would have equally been unaware of and to this day many still are. if a person dosnt possess an original american copy of a record, possibly because of expense, there's no better alternative than a genuine, legal re-issue...british as well...its another weapon in the fight against bootlegging and the right people are getting the right money and there really isnt anything wrong/embarrasing with playing a legit issue out.

LATE ON THIS POST....AGAIN!( YAWN ) agree with this, just had an earful of the soundclip and, YES, i believe played just recently, probably at stoke but WOW!, in its day and in its element a guarenteed floor filler. just noticed dave mitchell & the screamers " THE TRIP" 100 mph or what? the jewells "WE GOT TOGETHERNESS" the present " MANY'S THE SLIP" joey dee "ITS GOT YOU" the centuries "JACK 23" popcorn wylie, saxie russell, tamangoes, william powell, vicky baines, cecil washington, rita & the tiara's, holly st james, and of recent years.... magnetics "lady in green", i'll keep holding on", nancy wilcox " gamblers blues/ he'll be leavin you" etc etc. I GUESS ITS THE " THE HAIRS ON THE BACK OF THE NECK " STUFF, ALTHOUGH WE ALL HAVE OUR OWN DEFINITION,...ME,...I THINK ITS GOT A LOT TO DO WITH HARPSICHORDS, HARPS, MARIMBAS, DRIVING BASS LINES AND INCESSENT PERCUSSION OH, AND NOT TO FORGET...GREAT HARMONIES AND THE OCCASIONAL OUTSTANDING VOICE OF A NIGHTINGALE WHO JUST SO HAPPENS TO ATTRACT ALL THESE ASPECTS,...SUCH AS LINDA JONES OR TOBI LARK. ........IS THAT A BROAD CONCENSUS?

what a magnificent anthem from a period when "crossover" was a new and exciting aspect of the scene, although we hadnt christened it by that name then. rammed dancefloors at H.O.E.S.C. EVENTS, inc the ritz, mecca etc and ingratiated into the northern soul playlist with immediate effect.........NOW?....IVE BEEN THINKING FOR A WHILE THAT THIS IS RIPE FOR MASSIVENESS AGAIN!,....much in the same way as black nasty, willie.j, chuck jones, hosanna, east coast connection, silvetti, vicky sue robinson, gentlemen & their lady, boogieman orch., seventh wonder etc. yeah, there's cleethorpes tunes in there as well that would probably raise a smile from J.M. & co., the fact is, todays people HAS that driving compulsion.....time for an s.o.s. then,.....GET IT ON THE DECKS!

FIRSTLY, IVE NEVER SEEN OR POSESSED DEMO'S OF EITHER THE GOLDEN GORLD OR WINGATE RELEASES BY JUANITA WILLIAMS, ONLY YELLOW AND RED ISSUES RESPECTFULLY. NATURALLY THEY CARRY THE ZTSC MACHINE PRESSED STAMP MARK ALTHOUGH, AS FAR AS IM AWARE, NEITHER HAVE EVER APPEARED ON THICK, BLACK CHUNKY VINYL...JUST THE SORT THAT LOOKS LIKE STYRENE BUT BETTER QUALITY. AS FOR RELEASE DATES: BABY BOY WAS ISSUED IN 64 C/W YOU KNEW WHAT YOU WAS GETTIN....THE WINGATE RELEASE CONSISTED OF SOMETHINGS YOU NEVER GET USED TO C/W YOU NKEW WHATYOU WAS GETTIN WHICH CAME OUT IN 65.

to all the brothers and sisters, the dj's promoters, poet laureats, journo's, scribes, anorak record buyers and stato's who this wonderful, mystical, strange, wacky, religious world of northern soul is blessed with and endures through. A VERY SOULFUL CHRISTMAS AND LUNG BUSTING, LEG WRECKING NEW YEAR!! RIGHT ON AND KEEP THE FAITH.....FROM THE MATRIX

absolutely brilliant news and the shot in the arm all independant venues need....the knowledge that when it comes to the crunch, people PEOPLE REALLY DO CARE.i think sponsorship DOSNT necessarily mean a name change...afterall, the campaign has been ABOUT saving the CLUB WITH THE DEFINITIVE NAME. CHANGE THE NAME AND PEOPLE WILL WONDER WHAT ALL THE EFFORT WAS FOR?. i cant imagine for one minute, ady will rest on his laurels and he'll be in there cutting deals( if he hasnt already) just as soon as humanly possible. whoever the benificiary is, they're probably aware of the long tradition of 6ts soul nighters and will know its a moneyspinner. "GOOD NEWS" IN THE MORNING.....AS THEY SAY!.....MERRY CHRISTMAS SOULIES!!

ADY, I PRESUME IT'LL BE ON I-PLAYER AS WELL? ROB