Hooker1951

I asked Edwin to sing it live at Maxims circa 1988 he did at 4am in the morning and brought the house down a fantastic live artist and a genuine nice guy whose music will stand the test of time for ever and a day ML

Being cowardly again here sitting on the fence again both magic sounds what work in a slightly different way, Edwin,s vocals plead with you , Donni,s vocals in a sublime way work and get to you too I'm giving these two 50% each both fantastic sounds ML

I forgot to mention even then we all thought we were part of a fantastic unique scene which was better being kept secret and underground ML

The Room at the Top in Wigan started all night soul nights in 1965 till 68 sometimes twice a week every week till 8am then you could have coffee downstairs still listening to soul music till around 10am then it was wigan baths for some and trains buses and cars home for the rest I know I was there Mick L

That's a cracking write up Roburt great article, I can relate to all that music in the American soul and RNB charts at the time, it was my growing up music, We were lucky enough to hear a great deal of it on the fairgrounds in the north west which I worked on where we would buy the imports from the back street record shops in Manchester, especially for the waltzer S and Speedways at the time the machines and music at the time seemed to be joined at the hip , fantastic times and memories, ML

Gene Pitney Heartbreaker was a good stomper just to let you know we were dancing to that tune in 1968 so believe me it was already discovered and I wouldn't be ashamed in the least to play it, I still do and it still gets a great response ML

Sitting on the fence with these two, got them both and love them both ML

Good people, Great memories,

It weren't a youth club but it was a club full of youth full SOULIES The inn Crowd . Dobie Grey Needle in a Haystack Velvelettes 123 Len Barry Mr Pityful. Otis Reading Dont fight it. Wilson Pickett Jenny take a Ride. Mitch Ryder and Ds Can't help my self. Four Tops ML

Yes to both Marks always noticed that in different venues chemicals and company does help with the quality of sound but some venues have and seem to bring the best out of the music being played your definitely not wrong, it's just to a lot of people who have not got the ears to know the difference it sounds the same it doesn't BELEIVE me LoL, ML

Ernest version has the edge, the finish and polish

We were lucky we had Geno Washington and his ram jam band virtually resident at our weekly niter in Wigan along with one or two good RNB local bands at the time this was a very dark atmospheric club with sweat dripping down the walls with 250 people in a space for at the most 100 top of a building no fire escape no Health and Safety them days 1965 to 68 The Room at The Top PS didn't matter how good your clothes were 30 minutes in that room you and your clothes looked like you'd just come out of wet wringer so you all looked the same LoL, Great memories ML

It wouldn't have mattered if the term Northern Soul hadn't come about .Soul music, and RNB, and Motown music were bigger than any label you could give it, The term NS is just acting as a umbrella in most cases for the diversity at the time for dance floor soul, There was in fact as a result of the NS umbrella something for nearly everybody who liked soul music in one form or another, wether you were a lightweight or heavyweight on the scene, Some people stayed lightweight some became heavyweight SOULIES and some were heavyweight right from the start ML

Yes on the same bill there were the likes of Family, Riders of the purple Sage, Donovon, Sha nan a, Captain Beefheart, who was excellent, but Dr John was different he came on about 3am in the morning a magic set I was on Security there so I was right up close to the stage Mick L,

Yes I was at the London zRock n Roll show at Wembley it was a great day out from early Sat morning till late Sat evening never been a bigger line up top artists before or since a peace of history if you remember was it Emperor Roscoe or tony the Prince who MC,d ? I remember Mick Jagger and Keith Richards at the side of the stage from tea time upwards I got there early morning and was positioned right in front of the stage ML

Best Rock n Roll and RNB live acts I've seen where Little Richard back in 1972 what a tight band and with his vocals something else, Jerry Lee Lewis same year took some following, Bo Didley in 72 London and on magic mountain California 78 Chuck Berry at the Cavern early 1967 to a intimate audience and in front of thousands a few years later in London Dr John and the night trippers with their voodoo set stood out at a a all star line up including Grateful dead, back in early sixties i was one of the security bosses in charge of Michael Jackson,s Bad tour in charge of Mixing tour and front of stage and though not a fan of Michael,s music credit where it's due he had 150000 audience loving him The List could go on forever different acts at different times in your life seeing them live as different and powerful feelings great memories ML

Bobby Womack and his family band did a cracking show at the Manchester Apollo back in 83 or 84, Edwin Starr never let you down he always gave it his best where ever he played, Arthur Conley in 1972 at Wigan was a good show,, the Temptations and Four Tops in various line ups since early 70,s have always been consistent and good they both did an exceptional performance in Brighton around 15 years ago, Getting back to Edwin back in 1988 I asked him in the dressing room in Maxims would he sing I have faith in you Baby he asked do you think they would really like that? I replied I'm sur they would he sang it in his set and got a terrific reception, Great Memories from Great Artists that will last forever ML

Ben E King with his band circa March 1972 Empress Ballroom Wigan Casino only around 200 Audience hit every note with full emotion still in his Prime, couldn't fault him ML

When I started loving soul music in 1963 64 it was simply called soul music and the clubs where it was played soul clubs, ,simple as that, Otis and Wilson P owned the dance floors in the mid 60's ML

A little story about Tony,s what only a few people know a few years in it was visited by Health and Safety who advised the family who owned it that it was too dark and advised that they get a big white bulb diractly over the dance floor , that bulb had to go it was stealing people's happiness the problem was it was about 15 feet in the air, I Solved the problem . The next Allniter I got there early equipped with a 22 air pistol first record in on first spot before anyone started dancing I shot it second shot the glass shattered over the dance floor I told the owners that it just shattered and it was lucky there was nobody dancing or they could have been seriously hurt they never replaced it and we got the atmosphere back and that bad white bulb bit the dust ML

Blackburn Tony,s fulfilled at the time from 1991 a regular monthly Allniter when there were few and far between, Bradford was winding down at that time, Tony,s did its best to give people a regular venue where you could the feel of a dark atmospheric soul club, it kept going through some highs and lows and eventually found its own identity and became a firm favourite with its own crowd but always welcoming to new visitors, it always had an across the board play list from numerous DJ,s established and up and coming to make things a little different and was always a safe and friendly environment , a lot of people had great times there with memories that last for a lifetime Great Memories ML

In the years 71 and 72 the following acts performed live at the Casino, Fantastics , Edwin Starr, Arthur Conley, William Bell, Johny Johnson and the Bandwagon, Lou Christie, Ben E King and his band, Jimmy Ruffin , some of these acts performed 3 or 4 times thet were on a the northern circuit at the time and performed at Bolton Casino , Leigh Garrik, talk of the town Eccles, Blighty,s at Farnworth, in the same years Regards ML

Middle of a spot at an allnighter playing full on NS and RNB getting a good response I was asked to play Michael Jackson Beat It, I said Beat It, they said Yes Beat it, I replied no Beat it of this effing stage, there are to many to mention ML

Hi Stuart That Ann Perry find is a good little Rn B number well done Mick L