Steve S 60

Tezza, I'm sure your efforts were appreciated by the right people. Stick to your principles. I tend to be one of those who head for the dance floor when the masses are leaving it. Just hearing one or two great sounds that I haven't heard for years can make the night for me. So keep on doing what you're doing, and don't even contemplate selling your collection, because you'll be a long time regretting it.

List of UK screenings: https://muscleshoals.co.uk/screenings

I think it's at least 9 times out of 10, Pete.

I attended KGH on Saturday night for my ten yearly nostalgia trip. I must admit, a lot has changed in the ten years since I went to the 30th Wigan Anniversary at the same venue. Although I’ve attended hundreds of soul nights in between, when I compare Saturday’s event with the 30th, things have definitely gone downhill in my opinion. I can remember having a great time at the 30th, dancing most of the night, the DJs doing some great spots. On Saturday I had to wait until the last hour for the floor to clear of the inebriated Dad Dancers, Grab a Grannies et al, and for the DJ to start playing some of the better sounds from the Wigan era. To my knowledge, the DJ line-up was similar to the 30th, with Richard Searling being the notable absentee (although he was advertised on the bill). Most of the DJs could have put a Wigan compilation CD on and I wouldn’t have known the difference. In fact, their playlists could have been lifted straight from any of the latest epidemic of 40th Anniversary CDs. It would have been nice to see the clips of the Northern Soul film that were being screened, but some over enthusiastic pensioner decided to get up and start "dancing" on the spot directly in front of me. Maybe I’m just turning into a grumpy old bastard. The one ray of light was the youngsters who were in attendance, who conducted themselves better than some of the “grownups”, and showed real passion and enthusiasm.

Link to the new Muscle Shoals documentary, due for UK release 25th October. https://www.magpictures.com/muscleshoals/

He wasn't just playing up to the cameras either. He was just the same on Saturday night at Blackburn.

Interview with Elaine Constantine and Gareth Sweeney on Absolute Radio. Starts 57 minutes in. https://www.mixcloud.com/soultime/soul-time-on-absolute-radio-60s-20-sep-2013/

He was well received by a large and appreciative crowd at Blackburn.

CSI Stoke (Circle Skirt Investigation).

There's a simple formula for baggy trousers. If your age is greater than the width of your trouser bottoms, it's a no.

I seem to remember Spencer's setting up shop at the Casino, must have been late 70's. As well as 40" bags, they did pegs and some MC Hammer type kecks with pleats all the way round.

Just for you, Chalky.....the Nicholas Brothers. https://youtu.be/fNKRm6H-qOU

Bruce Lee has an influence on my current dance moves. I call it "The Art of Dancing Without Dancing".

The clip of the Richard Searling interview on the Culture Show website is longer than what was shown last night.

P.P.S. Howzabout a re-run of Z Cars?

Richard Roundtree could pull it off. Saw it written on plenty of patches and flyers, we tended to go more for the "cool" handshake.

Thanks Win, but I'd like to point out I'm not a Guardian reader.

If anybody is interested in a review of last night's show by an "outsider", here's what the Guardian TV critic had to say: https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2013/sep/26/northern-soul-keep-the-faith-review Picked up on a few of the comments already posted.

The presenter gave a potted view of the Northern Soul scene from his own perspective, one of someone who had come onto the scene in the mid 70s and, by his own admission, left in the early 80s. He was obviously comfortable with the material and would have been less so had he attempted to cover what happened between him leaving the scene and the present day. He stuck to what he knew and did a good job of putting it across. After all, he only had a 30 minute time slot. It was also good to see the Wigan Young Souls, and their obvious passion and enthusiasm for the scene. As for the middle aged baggy trouser brigade, if they're happy enough to parade on national television like that, well, what can I say. Scores on the doors.... , and I'll be pressing the Keep button on Sky+.

Never mind about the girl and the music, did anybody manage to catch the number of that second locomotive?

Return of the Skateboard Kid..... https://youtu.be/P-hcSl2fwX0

I'm going to turn the central heating up full, throw a bucket of p*ss on the downstairs lavvie floor, then get the wife to drop me off at the railway station. I'll then run back home, where the kids will be queuing outside the front door. Once the wife opens the door, I'll barge my way to the front, run through the house and plonk myself down in front of the TV. If I get bored with the show, I'll go and look through my record collection.

From a technical and economical point of view this would be highly unlikely. Ships have ballast tanks below the waterline which they fill with seawater to maintain the trim. As fuel is used, they need to counteract this by filling the ballast tanks. The seawater is then pumped out prior to getting alongside. They would not fill the hold with unnecessary ballast, as any space on a cargo ship is at a premium. Boring, I know, but records as ballast doesn't make sense.

That's akin to saying "All possible requirements of a soul record are more or less satisfied by Motown, who made good soul music before there was any competition. Arguably, all other soul music only exists to spread profits and wages over a broader economic area. Choice is more of economic benefit than artistic." I'm all for quality over quantity, but would hate to have little or no choice when it came to which venue to attend. At the end of the day, it's the individual's choice where he / she goes, or whether they go at all.

No, I believe the concept of choice is a global thing, even the Russians and Chinese have come to embrace this. The great thing about the Northern scene is the amount of choice. Maybe today we are spoilt for choice, but it's better than having no choice at all.