Back Street Blue

I've managed to brainwash my two step-daughters who are early twenties and my fourteen year old daughter, simply by constantly playing my stuff in the car! Trouble is, although they can sing a long word for word, vinyl will never be their medium of choice as they are from "the down load generation". There does seem to be a growing interest in the scene among the young uns though, even if they are in the minority in their demographic. Maybe they will become "the chosen few" of their generation?

What constitutes being a success? Does it mean (a) providing a good vibe and catering for the tastes of those in attendance and getting good feedback; or does it mean (b) making a profit for the promoters and the venue ? If the promoters are simply looking to cover their costs then you might manage to get enough folk to attend the odd temperance night at a small and cheap venue but I bet you would struggle to break even and keep the event running without selling alcohol. It seems to me that there are as many former gene genie/ soul converts out and about as there are old soulies and the former go for the social side rather than the music and who I would assume would not be as interested if there was no beer. That said, not many of my old "Riker Liker" mates would be coaxed out at the week end unless there was a cheap bar either. I think the scene would be a much smaller minority affair if it was restricted to alcohol free venues so the answer to the question raised in the original post is "No they wouldn't be a financial success and no they wouldn't be around long or large enough to be considered a success by the devotees.

don't think I qualify as a "chin stroker" really (unless feeding the pony counts?) but hearing any one of these when I'm out gets me off my bum little carl carlton - competition ain't nothing the four perfections - i'm not strong enough the jades - i'm where it's at wade flemons - jeanette flaming emeralds - have some everybody the dells - wear it on our face sam dees - lonely for you baby davis & tyler - hold on help is on the way gene chandler - there was a time harold melvin - get out (and let me cry) not for the asthmatic when played in succession though!

think it depended on whether or not you'd had your wheatabix

The guy's name is Tommo from Nottingham, he's a mate of Jethro from Wolverhampton

Yeah ? Well if he did, thank god it was before JB's PCP episode!!!

Funny that cos there were loads of people backdroppin' and spinnin' around me every time I went to Wigan and most of them not "divs" but "big time" as I recall. One regular exponent was the legendary Jethro from Wolverhampton, definitely not a div. As to the "this England" TV program, the short haired bird who worked in the hospital laundry featured in the program was Christine (from Leigh?). She used to go out with my mate Lemmy from Oldham and was not only a shit hot dancer but never missed a night at Wigan and always on the floor in M's. I'm a shuffler myself and always preferred watching people like Cesar and totally agree that the acrobatics weren't the be all and end all by any means. Never brave enough to spin myself, but Pete "Dicky" Davis from Royton could hold a megga fast spin right through a record, definitely not a div. As to the current scene, if you've still got it, flaunt it......but don't knock the beer over!

One theory I remember hearing is that the style is derived from an African American style know as "Sloan" dancing which involved wheeling, spinning, shuffling and sliding. In the 1800's the black dancers would employ the style to compete with the European immigrants who's dance style was "the Jig". The style was also apparently brought to prominence in minstrel shows in the music halls of America. A later exponent of the style was "Lenwood Sloan", a dancer and choreographer and it could be that he was responsible for bringing the style into the blues clubs in the states. Well that's one theory don't know how true it is but would love to know more. Have you seen the old footage of Major Lance performing "the beat" in the 60's? He cooled down the Sloan style right there as far as I'm concerned. Good question jkidd.

I wasn't suggesting that you were saying that you thought that white artists are inferior. I was responding to your thought provoking question and by "you can't" I meant that generically. I'm not an avid collector and don't buy sounds and well aware that I am well out of my depth in both the world of the anorak and that of the pseudo intellectual. I have been listening to and dancing to soul music since I was 13 years of age and I like what I like. I'm not too fussed about how rare or expensive a tune is as long as I like it. Live and let live bruv.

excuse typos,

you can't say white vocalists are inferior in performing soul music without condemning all the great white musicians who played on so many soul hits. Music that is soul music is soul music whatever the race of the artist. I run to the floor to dance to Mel Tourne and Shane Martin just as readily as I do to Jackie Wilson or Jean Chandler. I rest my face.

" I was out last night and tried to see if another woman could satisfy me" ........favourite blue eyed soul got to be Shane Martin, closely followed by Paul Anka (Idle Few's ace but didn't know they were white!!)

Hey Up Mr H, Hope you and Sue are R8. See you been doin' a bit at Club Polonski and will have to pay a visit next time you are on. Give us a shout if you two fancy comin' over to Sheffield for a night out as a couple of good nights over this side. Don't know if Hovis will know me. Remember the name but can't remember if he (sorry I mean you Hovis if you're reading this) was one of John Fox's mates or Neil the Deal's?

Sorry to hear that and given the circumstances wish I hadn't said owt.

Easy Tiger, just reminiscing. I didn't say I witnessed the event but I do remember the night at Wigan when the sawn off story was buzzing around the club.

My mate Carl H from Oldham had "I'm a riker liker" tatoo'd on his right forearm and "SKF" on his left shoulder. He was the type of villain who nicked his own mate's box one Sat'day morning and was found knocking the sounds out at the back of the casino that night!! He was also the type that kept all the cap's from his latest mission for himself and we'd be left with the chalkies & duramin crap being very much the junior brethren of the day. "Come on and Live" (can't remember the name of the girlband...segments of time? fabulous Jades?), was on RIKA records. I was always fast but flaccid when I was blocked so don't agree that the sex drive wasn't affected when we went to the all-nighters. Next day after the come down, different story mate. Saw loads of kids get rolled in the bogs down stairs to the left of the stage at Wigan. The football was put behind you in the clubs though, most of the drama's were over scoring and getting ripped off in my experience. Remember being briefed on the Preston Crew at Wigan and steering well clear. A guy I think from Manchester, Clarky, was famously collared getting off the train at Wigan when Plod stopped everyone on the platform as the doors opened, cos when they asked him to open his full length shaft leather, he'd got a sawn off shotgun inside it. The only bother I can really remember though took place as we walked up from the station through the town centre to the casino and had to run the gauntlet with the locals at kicking out time. We knew little Christine and her mates from Leigh (she was the laundry worker featured in the "This England" TV documentary) and I remember walking up to the club one night when she was kicking off because some lad had ripped her off. A few yards further on we came across the lad and his mate and Christ single handedly kicked the shit out of both of them.

Like Ritchie, I progressed from my older sister's Motown stuff plus the Doc Marten stuff at the Youthy, and then on to the clubs as I grew enough bum fluff to get passed the bouncers. First tune I heard at the Pendulum was The Righteous Brother's Band instrumental "Rat Race", first tune at Wigan was The Triumphs "I'm coming to your rescue" and first tune I heard at the Mecca was Otis Blackwell "It's all over me"). Hard to nail down the track that got me into what we now call "northern" (we all hated that handle back in the day "too Divy") only really got played in Mr M's at the Casino, which was Brooks & Jerry " I got what it takes" and which my sister brought home on direction records along with Mel & Tim's "Backfield in Motion" on a record label with a picture of a fried egg on it and when I was just old enough to be learning to smoke PD killers !!! I remember buying the O'jays "Soul Train" when it first came out as my first purchase, which I "taped" on to the old grundig spool tape recorder before promptly swapping the single for a second hand copy of Chairman of the board's "Give me just a little more time" with a kid called Frank Clarke at school. Happy days. KTF

Maybe they could get Mario Balotelli to play Clarkey from the Preston crew and re-enact them rollin' divs 'n small time dealers in the downstairs Gent's to the left of the stage at the Casino?