Tfk

This write up by Mark and John got me thinking back to those easy flowing 1970s? Get this :- Aged about 13//14 years circa 1975/1976ish and already getting the soul/ rare soul DNA. bug imprinted into my head ( my older brother and sisters were already heavily into the music and scene and their odd looking girlfriends and boyfriends too , could never understand why they kept rolling up at my parents all hours of the day with hold-all bags full of 45s ) very strange '? so the record player in our house was always turned on 24//7 music blasting out and piles of records laying around (bet we were like the neighbours from hell) lol , also loads of mags / Black Echoes/Blues and Soul etc,once I was up to speed with my reading (haha ) and stumbling across an advert for sales lists of Soul and Northern Soul records ( Soul Bowl 7 Portland Street Kings Lynn) also my paper round money was beginning to pile up and getting stashed around the house , it was 7 day working back then non of this "35 hour week carry on" that also including a double paper round plus supplements on a Sunday too just to boost my average earnings to about a quid (a old pound note) a week ... hey they were a tough old crowd from the Manton estate in Worksop - it was no place for sissys or the faint hearted .... Always being a case of first up in a morning best fed and dressed etc and your reflexes had to be pretty sharp - the only way to survive was work ....so what did I do with my hard earned stash of money ( go and buy some barley wine,beers n fags etc) no way I did what all sensible 13/14 year olds did back then with their money and purchased a PO from the PO and subscribed to weekly issues of the Soul Bowl sales lists - after spending clueless months reading the lists I decided the sensible thing to do was buy a soul pack ( 100 records for £6 inc postage ) So a couple of days after sending for my soul pack - I had confirmed with John (via the public phone box at the top of our street - this phone box later becoming an integral part of my record collecting ) that the Soul Pack parcel had been dispatched and he assured me that it was due to arrive tomorrow - tell you what it was all very exciting stuff back then . so I was up bright and early that morning 4am and ready for some action ( paper round and school ? don't make me laugh no way ' I had lot bigger fish to fry) ... So I invented a mystery overnight illness to validate a day off my work and schooling , so that's the house all to myself and the Soul Pack arrives -very strangely I was suddenly feeling a whole lot better !!! Soul Pack now in my possession and the record player already turned on ready for some proper action - I open the cardboard box and along with 100 new to me 45s was a covering of American warehouse dust ' so I start pulling the records out I got a face full of this dust which started a 24 hour sneezing bout from hell lol ..which was just the right cue to skank another 2 days off school , just sufficient time to play both sides of these new records - I can still remember not knowing about 100 of the 100 records - fabulous looking labels from around America ( various titles on labels like Capri/Instant/Phil la /Nola /Note ) it just blew me and my schooling away ( nothing else then mattered ) - more Soul Packs were soon heading my way - fabulous times !!! Mispent youth defo !!! And thanking John Anderson and Soul Bowl records for sewing those magic seeds for a life time obsession with records and our music !! tfk More to follow '

What a fantastic article and read of one of the hardest working guys in the business (48 years plus and still going strong ) Wow !!! "John Anderson and Soul Bowl Records " tfk

Well put Mark ..... Listening to these tapes/sound files again after all this time ( posted up by Chalky on pg 1 of blog) Av got to say that Robs playlist would still give us a good run for our money !! Big Rob on the job !!!!

Rob Marriotts Mansfield "Soul Power Allnighter " :- hers and his membership cards amongst this collage of " livin the nightlife" ....bits n bobs etc tfk

Brilliant Neil Yes Rob was also the master of those C/U names and titles .... and he thought that was quit apt and it eventually stuck with me ...lol hey was great to C/U that's not cover/up but catch/up with you on Saturday night in downtown Nottingham !!!! best tfk C/U thatfunkykid

hi Andy Rob always being a great wealth of knowledge and oh so funny when out and about . Just found this snap of Rob "Lord " Marriott (looking very happy / smug about something ) not sure if he was chuffed with his acetates still being there on the pavement outside the 100club or nailing the "Sandy Golden" 45 (last track on side a of tape) I remember him getting SG- he said brilliant double header youth!!! Sandy Golden youth!!! .... (mmm no wonder them two sat with him look like they are in shock !!! ) Photo :- circa early 80s I think ??? just got back from the 100 club and Jim Wensoria had been DJing there (can't remember if Rob was "Game playing" too ) any takers on the date when JW was guest there " a after the dance " photo ??? Location :- somewere back in Notts - phew !!!

Glasgow tfk

Hi Kev hope your well youth... Yeh Rob used to rave on about the Malcolm Dodds 45 ( back then i wasn't to sure ) but relistening now - he was right .... Rob was head and shoulders ( not only in size ) stomping ahead there too !!!!! Really enjoying those sound files that Chalky posted up ... tfk

Oops that should have replied June Gatlin on Revue Chalky tfk

June Gatlin on Revue ( The issued copy ??? ) - I remember Rob was going to CU as Patrice Holloway rather than The Blossoms ( does sound slightly like Patrice ?? )

Hi Byrney hope your well - Happy new year to ya'll ... have just finished listening to these 3 sound files that Chalky very kindly posted up ,bought the memories flooding back of some of the fab music that Rob was pushing - and listening through them again and still appreciating how good these records are - yep clubland was very healthy for us too :- Trotters , The Rock City soul nights and Allnighters , and never forgetting those Superb "Soul Power" Allnighters at the Swan in Mansfield ( Great great times ) We were spoilt Byrney for sure ... tfk

"Sharon Paige" and "The United Four" side by side .... That's a double "Right on youth !!! " tfk

Brilliant Chalky That's my my entertainment sorted for the foreseeable - canna wait to listen later - Great photo of Rob "The Lord" Marriott ... Right on youth !!!! tfk

How's it going Gilly ? - yes we were always guaranteed some fabulous music and a great presence when Rob was in town and behind the decks ( this cassette epitomises a typical Rob Marriott set and this listing still looks oh so very tasty today ) noting quite a few of his tips went on to bigger status too... credits to Rob for pushing the boundaries - and he was always great fun to be with when out in his company too.... tfk 48 hours being entertained by Mr Marriott - no problem!!!

Soul Basement review :- https://www.thesoulbasement.com/Site/SweetThing.html tfk

Fabulous and essential CD - just playing it now !! tfk

Great show - Boz was the Biz .... tfk

Evening Tony hope your well - what a find 3 x AA In Chicago , it was defo a case of he or she who lasted the longest got the best records ... ha ha - that made me smile re Rob and the Sandy Golden 45? ( i have another tale to tell re this 45 but will save that for another day) was just thinking about one Sunday morning back then after a night out at 100 Oxford Street and I had kindly agreed lol **** with Rob to drop in at Kebs place ( in Holloway I think? ) to pick a record up ( Rob had been on a wild spree in the 100 club and had a pile of acetates that he'd just aquired ) so we jump a taxi and arrive at Kebs place ... On arrival our Rob then realises he's mislaid his new acetates ??? Youth we need to get back to the 100 club av lost my acetates - so we jump another taxi straight back to Oxford Street and there they are ' the acetates stood upright on the pavement outside the 100 club were Rob had put them down whilst he had a light up !!!! That was close youth !!! .... Great times great fun, loads of energy and enthusiasm !!! Never a dull moment and no stone (or records) were left unturned when out and about in town with Rob "The Lord " Marriott ... And would love to do it all over again !!!

"Soul Power "pack on and were all set for a high octane weekend !!! Attached one of those fine ingredients that actually made our thousands of journeys up and down the country to live the nightlife essential and oh so exciting ( now forget ya modern day Internet and CD/downloads ) the only way back then to hear sneak previews of what musically was being tipped for bigger things was either a quick 2 minute blast down the phone line or a "C90 cassette " shoved in ya hand of all the latest tips/ sounds !!! Was just sifting through a load of dusty old 45s that I had forgotton all about (pesky little things them 45s ) and found this (see below) stuffed in the back of one of the record sleeves.... One of Rob "Lord" Marriotts essential C90 cassette playlists . Not sure of the Circa of this ? Any ideas So dig this !!! or as Rob used to say "Right on !! Youth " tfk

What a fab article and making for a great read whilst listening to their music ... ( can't stop looking at the photos and label scans too) it certainly does it for me . Well done and keep um coming guys !!!!

Great read and posting ( its certainly got my imagination in first gear )

A fabulous and well thought out compilation album ( some mighty fine music too !!! ) Not to be missed and defo one for this years Christmas wish list ....

Oh dear ' Shocked!! "RIP Tony Warot " Andy and Susanne xx