BrianB

I have always been a huge fan of the 4 Tops, but particularly Levi Stubbs. He has a fantastic voice, responsible for some of the best vocals ever laid down on vinyl. Bernadette, 7 Rooms of Gloom, Ask The Lonely, I could go on for hours. He remained loyal to Obie, Larry and Abdul and never wanted to put his name first, as became Motown policy as the acts grew in popularity. My point is he is seriously ill. Why should we wait for the worst to happen before we inundate Soul Source with tributes and platitudes? Why not do it now? If we could arrange for him to see and understand exactly what he means to the UK soulies, it may give him a lift, and at least we may all feel better when the inevitable happens. Don't know how we could do it, but we have some well connected guys in the States (Dave M!). Over to you, what do you think. ATB Brian B

Hi, Off to Krakow at the end of October for a week or so. Anybody know if any of the numerous bars have a northern night? Slim chance I know, but......

Swap between Johnny Howard, Dana Valery and can't remember, too much wine! All courtesy of Paul B.

A "proper soul do"? I'm gonna have to go to one of them! Shane you should have been in the Beachcomber after Wigan in 74 when the Snake was played! Unbelievable!! They also used to test new sounds in there. First time I ever heard Dena Barnes was in there also. Glad to see people sticking up for the music though. No matter how many times a record is played class is permanent, rarity can be just a moment in time. Look at Duke Browner. Well rare until a 500 count box turned up in a warehouse. That was Searling I believe. Tony, is Now I Know What Love Is, and Help Me on the Al Wilson CD?

Casn anyone put the questions up? Be interesting to compare our knowledge?

Ady, I love the Drifters early to mid 60ts stuff. The Brill Building was as good as anywhere at that time. Just reading the book on the Bomp and Brilliance of the Brill Building. Terrific read! Any advance info on the CD? ATB BrianB

Honky, Got mine today. I can't thank you enough. as someone said earlier, all that time and effort, and not to mention the expense. There is a thread currently running about all the sniping on here. That maybe so, but when I come across people like you Honkey, Dodger for sorting my lad Paul B out with loads of stuff, Little Stevie for my Soul or Nothing CD, Keep the Boy Happy for the 10 DVDs worth of tremendous rare 60ts Northern, Mark Freeman for sorting me out with loads of CDs for 2 Wigan tapes, Dave Moore and Fergie, who must give more vinyl away to my lad than they buy, then I realise it is the same scene we loved years ago. We may argue on here, I have had one or two crackers myself, but then you meet your "protaganist" out, or talk to someone who knows them, and you just end up laughing. Thanks again Honky, any particular charity you favour? Brian B

"Are you on the level Sam?"

Hi Steve, I somehow don't think Dave would need the boys! Dave, The address is not too far from me, can I help? ATB Brian

I can't believe I never went to the Torch! All my mates used to go, but I stuck with the Mecca from 71 onwards until the disco crap. Wigan and Samantha's was great. Atmosphere, records, people, the faint whiff of danger! The Pendelum was also top class! Never went to the Wheel either, but those records seemed to be played at a lot of venues at that time, Burnley Mecca, Bird Cage Ashton Under Lyne (free coach from Burnley), and many other places. There were so many places to go from 71 to 77. We were just plain spoilt. Records too popular after a month! Said it before, how lucky are we we to have this scene that we mostly whinge about!

Saturday in (You won't believe this, I just followed Mrs B inside!) Lambert Howarths Shoe and Slipper Museum in Rawtenstall, Everything Is Everything by Sandy Waddy. Next record was some reggae shite! Unbelievable really, as the last time I heard this played out was at the Mecca in around 1973!

Great idea Pete. Hope you are not looking to make any money out of it though!! You have just solved Paul Bs dilemma as to what to buy his old man for his birthday.

What a class record ISAPG is. I have never really liked SIMC, but heard the B side about 18months ago and absolutely love it. Detroit at its best. My fave B side is the Tangeers Let My Heart and Soul Be Free, which I was relieved of for a fiver when I was skint and a father with Paul B. I will always remember the guy whi is still active on the scene lying to me saying the records were now worth nothing! And I fell for it! Such is life, but then Ronnie comes along and makes me forget everything. What a scene and how lucky are we to be on it?

Hi Paul, Saw the play twice, once in Manchester and once in Blackpool. Absolutely loved it, and it is a credit to you and your obvious talent. What's more, I would go and see it again if you revived it. However, this is a forum, and I think a couple of your replies to Ken and Derek were condescending, and not really worthy of someone of your intellect. (Remember it is a forum!) Going back to Shane's original point, that I have to say puzzled me, why does a Casino Cafe make your stomach twist?

As Dale Carnegie famously wrote, "Don't worry about things you can't influence or change" None of us would be interested in 2, 3 and 4. As for the cafe, why does it make your stomach twist? If people want to go, they will go. I went to the Motown Cafe in New York. It was fantastic. The Hard Rock Cafe doesn't worry or bother me one bit, why should a Casino Cafe worry you. I am getting so P....ed off with attitudes on here. People trying to show how cool they are by decrying anything that is not related to "upfront" new 60ts. Everything else is sneered at. Do you all want people to forget, in my case 37 years on the scene, to live a life of inferior newies, give or take 5 - 10 excellent records a year? I love 60ts newies, I am always trying to hear new sounds, but please don't slag off my obsession, my passion, a big part of my life, because it doesn't fit with your viewpoint of the scene. If the scene as it is, with all its good and bad points, fails to be mysterious or exciting enough, why stay on it, because I'll give you one stone fact. You won't change it. Be big enough to ignore things you don't like, don't waste time dwelling on them. Concentrate on what flicks your switches. I don't need someone to tell me whether going to the Casino Cafe is cool or not. I will probably never go to it, but as once said, I will fight to the end to defend other people's right to. ATB Brian B

Also at the Burnley Cats Whiskers on Sundays, A Quitter Never Wins You Get Your Kicks So Hard Being a Loser the Contours ... and all of the others quoted!!! Do you remember Mick the Fed the Sunday night DJ? Modelled himself on Rosko!

Thanks again everyone. Really looking forward to it now. Hiring a little boat sounds good. Thanks for the tip on Ithaca Dan! I love walking and climbing so the mountain looks good. The heat sounds a bit more than I anticipated, but look at the weather here, so no complaints at all. We saw a few snakes in Scotland in May, and we are used to seeing critters when we are walking, so we will be wary of 'em. I'll take my radio transmitter for my Zen and see if I can get a few sounds played. Bev, don't forget to text me to tell me about the Burnley all nighter. I'll let you know what it was like when I get back. Thanks again everyone!

Thanks Dan (and everyone else) Is there any decent walking. I know you like the lakes. I'll try to get up Aenos, 5500ft I believe, but is there any other good walking?

Thanks for your replies. I thought I might be struggling but you never know. I have 7400 tracks on my Creative Zen, so at least I can listen alone, but won't be able to educate the Greeks and tourists. Thanks again, Brian B

Hi All, Going to Skala in Kefalonia on Thursday for 2 weeks. Anyone know of any bar that plays any northern or Motown? Thanks Brian

A bit over the top Ian, BUT, quite a bit of truth in it as well. We may do well to disect what Ian has said, pick out the relevant bits, and if we tried to take on board some of the criticism, try to work with some of it, we just might make the scene a little less introverted, attract new blood, thus guaranteeing its future. If we do nothing, what will happen?

Hi Derek, That may be the case on the all nighter scene, but not on the scene in general. I started around 1970 with The Human Beinz, A Quitter Never Wins, Next in Line, The Tams, Bobby Hebb all massive. The Burnley scene has loads of people still on it, from 70 to 76, who are still on it, including many who didn't take the break. I also have a tape from the Mecca from 74 that Pete Smith and Fluff kindly put onto CD for me. The track listing is awesome. Levine was a clumsy DJ, but his track record was phenomenal. Poncho, you are missing the point of Soul Source. Irony and sarcasm is fine, and is a big part of SS, but all the time?

Why do you say that?

You forgot to add the other stock comment "I wouldn't have one given" Its a good job we are living in the best ever era for northern discoveries so we can continually dismiss past biggies.

Didn't Lorraine Chandler write as E Lewis to double up on the royalties ( common practice)?