Jerry Hipkiss

Most of my 80's dance 12's have BPMs written on the sleeves - it became a ritual to sit at home with that weeks Record Mirror copying the BPMs that JH had done, checking what new imports I might need (he was well ahead of the game) and then ringing Kev Edwards and Barry May oop north.to spend far too much money... Met James several times in the late 80's at the DMC Mixing Championships at the Albert Hall, real gentleman, in fact one year when we'd gone up to London by train and gone to all the after parties we found ourselves without transport back to Paddington at 4am, James insisted on giving us a lift, going via the City to drop his article off on the way!

Yes, variously playing disco/funk, pop, and even NS (at different times...)...remember Pep putting a dayer on about 91-ish as well. It was a Tiffanys, Cindarellas, and various other names over the years! BTW my youth club spinning days were 69-71, Frankie Valli, Formations, Jerry-O, Jamo Thomas, loadsa Motown, and plenty of people who are still around on the scene today!

Too true - great NS, can never understand why it's never been bigger.

Wish I still had my Torch one, seem to remember I had it proudly pinned on some pegboard on my bedroom, along with some EP covers, think the whole lot got consigned to the bonfire when the family downsized...

IIRC, Ian Levine had a number of copies of various tracks that he had recorded, including the above, in circulation on the scene, on an orange label called Tomorrow, to create a buzz while he tried to place them with major companies.

More by accident than design, still got my blue membership card, plus St. Ives 1977, Brum Locarno and (of course) Yate cards...

Couldn't have put it better myself - just slower than you!

...had a thought, would the Jimmy Conwell c/u have been the Freddy Butler version rather than Willie K?

Eddie Foster = Black abbotts "The painter", Estella dennison = Ila van "Can't help lovin that man", Explosions = "Sidra's theme" Jimmy Conwell = Willie Kendrick on RCA (not sure??)

Brilliant!

...that feeling in the pit of your stomach once you left Sandbach...the sight of that iconic exit sign Greety mentioned...trying to be cool and not rush off the coach to join the queue...and of course that sheer overwhelming atmosphere as you walked onto the balcony...

Definitely - as listings give both sides of the Sue single as UK productions, and they sound that way as well...

New one on me Pete - I immediately wondered if there might be a Jackie Edwards connection because of t'other side, but I'm intrigued!

I'll defer to a more expert opinion Mike...

Sums it up beautifully Ady - in these days of most promo stuff coming to me on download it was a thrill to find and open the package...even better with the Something Good track to play on air all week...again, well done Soul Junction guys! Hippo.

Yup, looks like you've got a white label of the reissue, totally legal...wonder how many of them there were...?

...but so has Horaces's reissue - so what's in the deadwax on your white 'un?

Just realised that the other two Lou Roberts spins are missing from that list...I think...

Try Des Parker - he's on here as Soul.Inc - sure I saw one in his box on Saturday night!

Almost, Mikey...it was started at the bigger venue by Kojak (Inter City Soul Club), later he downsized to the baths, then when Dinks took over promotion in 1977 he moved it back to the Stars and Stripes...good move, as that's when it really took off!

Several formats were tried over the years funk, Motown, and oldies - even deep soul at the very first one I believe - at different but not consecutive times, deffo remember Danny Everard doing some spots up there, Shay from So'ton among others...

Yup, a rather big bust in 1980, attendances dropped like a stone after that for some reason...then it sort of died until Nik reactivated it some months later, I must admit to thinking at the time that it wouldn't work but it did - over 1000 in on at least one night, must have finished late '82???

But as a Crossfire virgin, which pub is it beforehand? The Green Man? Hippo.

Pinched this from Nik Mak, so probably taken in 1981, shows the stage with me dj'ing as far as I can tell, looks like my old NS t-shirt anyway:yes: ...can't work out who the others on stage are!

Yes, that's the original way in, but later on the common practice was to use the fire escape as the main entrance, so as you came in you had the dance floor front and right, stage at the end which was used in later years rather than the old dj box, turn sharp right and you had the lounge area, bar on the far wall..walk a few paces towards that, turn right and the loos (and lift) were in front of you through the rest of the lounge area. Think that's right...