Mickyfinn

I always find it fascinating to learn about the personalities, the politics and the background to records I actually own . The Debonaires: Headache in My Heart, the fabulous girlie dancer produced by George Clinton. The lead vocalist was Diane Logan to “How’s your New Love Treating You” , a ballad good enough to stop traffic and getting lots of spins these days. Now I also know how Edwin Starr became the lead singer on the Holidays track: I’ll Love You Forever. Thank you for an excellent and informative article.

Excellent article Jordan, very insightful.

Ok mate no probs

Yes please if you still have it

Benny Lattimore please Steve?

Great piece Rob. Always amazes me how small and incestuous (in a musical sense) that glory period in soul music was. Most of the artists so familiar to us were multi faceted, they wrote, produced, arranged and performed. For each other and usually on many different labels.

Ok mate

Bingo please Dave, if still available?

Lucille Mathis if still available?

Jimmy Norman please if still available?

Is this still available Rodger?

Is it still available?

The meaning of the statement was: the act of covering up meant the artists continued to be unrecognised for their talent, even though they now had any huge following. It wasn’t done for this reason obviously, it was done to protect the Livliehoods of the DJs that found them. But the consequences were the same. I thought the point was clear!

Tomangoes makes a very valid point. The irony of the scene that values these great artists, is that of all the versions of any popular rare N Soul record, the only chance that the artist gets their deserved royalties is from official re-issues. Not from originals, many were covered up in order to guarantee their obscurity, and deny any chance of Financial reward.

In the old days the only way you could hear a favourite tune was to attend a venue where a DJ that owned it was playing. Even then we often had no idea who the true artist of a song was, because half of them were ‘covered up’ to protect the DJ’s livelihood. This has not been the case for decades, but this legacy still mainly influences how things are done today. My all time favourite tune is Eddie Parker: I’m Gone, anyone waiting in the queue to get into a venue with Smartphone can listen to it. But you will be unlikely to hear it inside, because so few people own it. Which is tragic. I don’t believe nowadays that Northern Soul DJs should only be the reserve of collectors of rare vinyl. It should open up to who can put the best music together, on the best sound systems and pack the dance floor. I had hoped the kids would have taken this up and done their own thing, and created their own scene. We will know if and when they do, because all the old crusties will look down their nose at it and hopefully leave them to it.

I’m not sure I have a problem with this, as long as he doesn’t try and pass it off as an original. I notice the well known DJ didn’t have a problem selling it! Soul fans at venues want to hear the best tunes and dance to them. I wouldn’t care if the whole DJ’s set was digital, as long as it was well chosen and it packed the dance floor. I think this vinyl snobbery which is a hangover from the seventies, holds the scene back. By the way, I speak as a lifelong soul fan and a record collector.

Hi I will have to hunt through my loft for photos, but I do have something to share. I was very much into the fashion of Northern Soul when I came on to the scene around 1977. the fashion over the next 18months to two years changed completely. My first visit to Wigan Casino was in 1978 the guys I went with, and the majority of lads at the casino tended to where Bags, these were either Spencers with the multiple flaps on the rear pockets and multiple pleats at the front. The also were 30inch wide and generally wore slightly half mast. I couldnt afford these or at least wasn't in a posisiton to buy them since they were sold at the Casino. For us in Stockport of my age (still at school) we got ours from Bogarts in the Arndale Centre in Manchester. Mine were Grey (Cotton I think) 40nch bottoms with 10 pleats at the front. Footwear at this time was usually brogues or Gibsons. A polo or tee shirt on top. The most important apparel was the Barafia blazer (black) with the Wigan Casino Oldies All Nighter badge on the Left poket . The tendancy was to have multiple silver button from the wrist to the elbow on each arm. Within 6 months the fashion changed, and Pegs and the classic Harrigton jackets was the norm. The footwear was loafers with tassles, but in the classic real shoe style. By 1979 the fashion and the music became was heavly influenced by Southern scene and arguably was the beginning of the decline of Northern Soul from its peak, the clothes we were wearing was Haweiian shirts with baggy jeans (a pleat sewn in, the full length) with a white belt with end part of the belt left hanging downards. The footwear was moccasins. After this period the fashion was heavily influneced by the revived mod/Ska scene that started as a consequence of the Quadraphenia movie.