Kenb

Well Steve, I can only speak for myself. I've never 'bought into anyone's way of life' for anything. Not then- and not now. I jettisoned the scene for many reasons, some of which are highlighted in this topic. And although I might not have witnessed first hand how things have evolved over the past two decades, that doesn't mean i lost touch or lost that feel. There are always people keen to cash in-and civilians keen to participate. Most of us know the differences.

Hi Russ It's just worth a quick mention that returnees(retreads) can also have been 'theoneswhowerethere'...but not maybe for the whole time. It doesn't follow that returnees make for a Div (by any definition).

It's the spring issue of member Kenb's now regular infographic Northern Connections series Tap to view this Soul Source News/Article in full

I got Mark's book delivered today-Sat 18th. And read it. I just couldn't put it down. Fascinating accounts on a much overlooked and overdue subject. I'm not a book critic as such...I just loved it. Favourite chapter for me is 13. congratulations, Mark atb ken

I have a 1970 B&S The Motown Story edition- in good cond. I'd be interested in issue 13 or 14 to swap. or possible other early issue. Full description/scans etc if required. atb ken

What a great feature. So easy to catch up with local events when 'away from home'

Two recent SS topics aligned like the planets for me today! 1. Northern Soul and Age in 2017 - Carry On Regardless? 2. Yate, Just A Distant Memory ? (original post 2006) Which got me thinking…biggest regret? What’s yours? It's maybe that '"i wish i would have momemnt" or records, people, artists, venues, visits, events, lost a record, sold one,... Mine is missing out on some of the great records played at the post M/T/W era. Many of which were played out by DJ’s (who also feature & contribute as members on this site) at other venues around the UK.

If you removed ‘the scene aspects’ from the article e.g events & performances. And was left with the music and collecting side -Would the discussion about age be the same-or even exist? There’s an inbuilt Northern Soul DNA that’s never really left me (although I did leave it for a quite a while). So age doesn’t come into it for me, as long as I’m healthy and my wife doesn’t tell me I look like a T*** when I’m dancing. I’ll keep going. As for those behind us- if there are any, then, these things have a way of sorting themselves out. P.S. oh yes-i'm too embarrassed to tell you my age, so let's just say i was 18yrs old in 1971...it's much better that way.

I’ve been through this identification process a few times…mostly during my Sunday Morning playouts. Do you know any? I do have a note that the female on trumpet (12 minutes past the hour position) is Cynthia Robinson of Sly & The Family Stone. And (at 25 minutes to the hour position) you can spot Blackpool Tower- ‘a nod to Colin Curtis’. And I have been told by my Hacienda going son that he knows a few. I know more of them, but posting might spoil the fun (If fun it is?) for others. The sleeve illustration is by Dominic Mandrell. I did email him sometime in 2015 but didn’t get a reply. So, I can’t confirm any back. The sleeve turns up on a few SWS releases. Mine accompanies Greg Wilson’s (UK DJ) Super Weird Substance label of June 2015. The Reynolds cover version of Bessie Banks' "Don't You Worry Baby, The Best Is Yet To Come". https://www.superweirdsubstance.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/SWSBOX001.jpg

This year’s music inductees include Gladys Knight & The Pips, Mitch Ryder, Patti LaBelle, James Brown, Mary Wells, Dennis Coffey, Lenny Williams, Isaac Hayes, Carl Carlton, The Impressions, The Valadiers, The Marvelettes and radio personality Clarance "Foody" Rome. Full story https://www.soultracks.com/story-rb-hall-inductees-2017

If you look closely you'll see The Stylistics booked for 28th Oct. atb ken

So…you can invite four people to dinner. Past or present. But they have to be (have been) ‘part of the scene’ as artists, musicians, DJ’s, label or studio owners, arrangers, songwriters, etc, etc. At my table; Joanne Bratton Jackson – apart from the fab stories she can tell, to ask who was Linda Bunten? Ian Levine – ooh I can hear the gasps from some quarters, but what a guest! Norman Harris – a ‘philly musician man’ Quin Ivy – for the stories from Alabama (Shoals) Who are you inviting to dinner? P.S. if you ask me tomorrow, the day after, the day after that…a different quartet each time. But i guess that's the same for us all

Northern Soul Connections - Time for the third in this ongoing series of northern soul music themed infographics, valentines... Tap to view this Soul Source News/Article in full

I was playing stuff today, and pulled Bettye Swann 'Kiss my love...'. Noticed (once i put the clock on it) it's 1min 40sec (out of approx 3 min 17 sec) before the title 'Kiss...kicks in'. Made me think,there must be others out there-and probably one that beats this easily. Sorry if this has hit the threads before. If not, any thoughts?

Last year at a Northern Soul Weekender in Skegness. They cut, “Do I Love You (Indeed I Do),” It can be ordered - for charity https://www.soultracks.com/first-listen-northern-soul-survivors-do-I-love

Northern Soul Connections - The second in this ongoing series of soul music themed infographics Tap to view this Soul Source News/Article in full

Before any ideas of holidays abroad for 18yr old lads, like Ibiza or Kavos, (timeline context: Slade were still a skinhead band)-you went somewhere in the UK. Three of us set off, one way train tickets, no accommodation, just a holdall of clothes. Except for a mate. He had most of his grip full of Brut. We ended up in Wales. And most of it in Butlins, Pwllheli. We went in on a day pass and stayed for a about a week…I think. During the day (we had to keep our heads down a little bit) we would visit what I can only describe as a canteen. One of the dining halls for ‘pucker residents’. Anyone that has ever worked in a large factory with a big canteen will get the idea. At Pwllheli the canteen was a cavernous place with Formica tables and chairs. Empty during non-meal times. So it was at those times we’d visit. In the bottom corner of the canteen, a sort of ‘coffee area’ – a Juke Box! First play ‘heaven must have sent you’ The Elgins (side note here: we always pronounced the ‘G’ in Elgins as G for Gary – not G for Gin. I’ve since been put right many times). I distinctly remember hearing ‘just walk in my shoes’, ‘be young be foolish’, ‘breakout’…And many more, of which I neither had or have a clue what they were-but feel sure a few would now probably be an NS goldmine. It seemed we had stumbled on a Motown/Northern [we still weren’t using that term then] Juke Box! There’s only 4 possible explanations; h1. The Juke Box came pre-racked from the USA It2. It was a random thing and we got lucky 33. There was a Butlin’s Red Coat/Staffer way ahead of their time stacking it 44. Berry Gordy had loaned his Juke Box to Butlins So, every day, we fed money (10p from memory got us a play) into that Juke Box for a couple of hours each day. What’s the N.S. 7” you have heard on a Juke Box that came as a surprise - and where?

didn't 'Show Girl' also come out on The Vows...or was that a c/w b side? -or also in the vaults?

Hi both, I thought....( at least this is what i have written down from somewhere), Tell Me? was meant for the Versatiles, later to become better known – after leaving Motown – as the 5th Dimension), but their version remains in the vaults. Marc Gordon co-writer of Tell Me was the manager of the 5th Dimension. Hope i've not sent you down a rat-hole!

Hi Ronnie, thanks. I have a couple of others already done. 'A slice of Hitsviille connection', but it's very simple. And a 'another' already done, plus a new one in edit. I'll let them out via Mike at one a month. Like you say, it's quite tricky making the connection ( the hitsville one is a little trite!) AND making the subject interesting enough for folks to then go and look deeper for themselves. It's probably also worth noting that someone will catch me out (fact-wize) at some point, but i'm sort of expecting that. ATB Ken

HNY, peace and love, to all KenB