Great post from Tim there. Always thoughtful and well written.
My own personal experience of this record, comes from much later in time.
I’m not certain whether it was the very first Lifeline all-nighter or the second one?
Anyway, some friends of mine were constantly regaling me on the quality cover ups that Butch used to play back in the day. And one in particular, was his old Del-larks cover up.
Well, I had been dying to hear this record, and all the other unknown to me sounds that Mr. Dobson had at his disposal.
So it was with this in mind that I drove out to Dewsbury and the first ever Lifeline at Sherringhams.
The place was rammed, and Butch did his usual 90 minute spot, which I recorded on a small cassette recorder. During that time, I approached Mark and asked if he could possibly play the Del-larks as I had never heard it? He replied that he couldn’t because he hadn’t brought it with him. But he promised to bring it next month, and would play it for me.
Only slightly disappointed, his set was incredible, I went away and thought no more about it.
Roll on to the following month, I was dancing away to Butch’s spot, when he suddenly announced over the mic. This one for Phil.
Boom! The place went mental. I’ve never seen a reaction like it. Needless to say, I loved it.
After that reaction at Lifeline, everywhere I went to see Butch, he opened with the Mello Souls. I can clearly remember the first CIS all-nighter in Manchester. We all trooped downstairs to another room that had a temporary dance floor, as Butch was playing in there. He opened with the Mello Souls again, and the reaction was even greater than before. I’ve still to this day never seen such a reaction as people rushed it seemed from every direction to get on the dance floor.
I must agree with Tim though. This type of record, and there are many, don’t sound like anything when played at home. These aren’t listening tunes, they are made for throwing yourself around to.
Absolute dynamite for me at the time.