Steve G

Agree but those three are all on the rare soul scene. Agree about the Euro scene - it is SO refreshing. Don't worry some fresh stuff will be unleashed at Hitchin tomorrow.

I know Richard wasn't alone, we were all doing it in the early 80s - you lot, Adam and me down at the Fleet as Simon M will no doubt recall, Robin etc...but after 85???????? No the northern scene stopped embracing new / recent releases and the modern scene was self contained by then. Probably right about the two room thing having an impact. I remember once at the Fleet finishing with C L Blast "Love don't feel like love no more" off of the Cotillion album and handing over to the Vicar who looked disgusted at me and started with "Trypt on love" by Wakefield Sun. I thought then these two scenes are incompatible. Progressive DJs have played recent releases but much less so on the northern scene - the nostalgia element clearly don't want to hear them - terribly sad but that's the way it is. You heard the hassle James had at the Essex weekender and he was even playing northern! I tried really hard with that DJ Shadow thing - no one was interested and it's a great 45 (vinyl too). The Rare soul boys by and large don't want to hear the recent releases either, as obviously rare soul is rare soul and not new releases. Doc Peabody is an interesting example being nearly 30 years old (1980)- and even that has taken an age to take off down here. Steve

I understand what you are saying Sean, but as a regular attendee at northern / rare soul nights, its bloody hard to break any new record onto the northern scene these days. Some of them take years. A 2004 "indie" release from Memphis- pretty much impossible I'd say.

the Top DJs yes Mark. If they didn't they'd have something else to play. I accept the so called "village hall" nights would have been different.

A good post Sean, and as a general soul fan I know exactly where you are coming from. Fact is though the northern scene has not really championed new releases since the days of Stafford over 20 years ago when old Dickie Searling was doing his thing. I am trying to rack my brains to think of any new soul played regularly on the northern scene. The odd thing has eventually crossed over like Drizabone and Corey Glover - long after deletion and being hammered on the modern scene I might add. More recently UBP but that divides the crowd. And I know some have played those Levine thingys like Standing on solid ground. But other than that I am really struggling to think of ANY. The northern scene is essentially a 60s scene with records included up and until the 70s and the very odd thing from the early 80s. And perhaps that's why the preference will always lean towards vinyl - original vinyl at that

Plenty of people have offered their help over the years, they're just so incompetent they forget to use it.

They just need a journo who knows something about the scene.

Playing Modern

Thanks for the feedback guys. Simon - I only really started DJing on the northern scene a couple of years ago. Had too many records I wasn't playing anywhere. Before then I was ploughing my furrow largely in "crossover territory".

No, a pragmatic response methinks Steve.

Nah I've got a life mate. But it's quite a funny idea. I am in agreement with what Philly said - I ain't gonna travel anywhere farther than my front door to a northern soul gig if all I am going to hear is a load of boots mixed in. Will only travel to northern venues where I know there are credible rekkids spun. As a punter that's my choice.

Yes I will do that as my B&S are still in the house so not cold. Its Echoes I have a problem with - think the remaining ones are in the loft, but ex wife threw a load of em out at one point. They ended up on a refuse site in Peterborough.

I remember that letter and thought it was very good at the time. Of course we'll also now need to see Richards orioginal letter to which sam was replying.

Have you seen Martin's playbox lately? Good point, will add it.

in some cases the national release far harder than the local release - so more desirable to Collectors - oops damn after 23 pages I FINALLY mentioned the "C" word. Cue cries of "soul police" "soul elite" etc etc

Well you say you play OVO so not sure why you are kicking up dust on this. If you play OV do you want adding to the list?

Straight question - do you play bootlegs?

The Wand issue is however original vinyl. Might not be the first issue but it's still original vinyl. Might be easier if we called it "Authentic vinyl" and "Bootlegs"? Then we could have probably got a conclusion far quicker.

No I think that's just too anal to be realistic. I mean there might have been 3 weeks difference between the local release and the national release. Either is fine for me. The national releases are bona fide originals in my book.

I'll update it at some point, and then unless there are any other nuggets, move onto my next thread........DJs that only play OV

These four all seem fair and would legitimately fall into the definition of OV. Maybe with the benefit of 22 pages hbeinsight it would be a lot simpler if we just said venues / DJS that played bootlegs, but that doesn't sound as good as CR&P

From qa distance that looks like mine.

Both. So I'd play the Ivorys on Wand rather than Despanzo, but both are fine in my book.

Have you got a pic? It came out twice (also on Eastern) and is quite hard. My original is red.