Timillustrator

Does anyone think there is an answer though? Looking back there was a similar situation 10 years ago, has it substantially worsened? People have (here and elsewhere) suggested that venues should close down voluntarily or that there should be an exclusion of poor quality events not being able to advertise on soul source. There's nothing anyone can practically do except not go to the worst ones, on the other hand this probably makes little difference to them - they may attract a passing audience with little knowledge of soul music but who just like the sound of it, are less likely to dance and much more likely to spend behind the bar so the venue will win. Ironically the quality events attract an audience who will be prepared to travel and want to dance meaning they are less likely to be drinking and spend less behind the bar.

There have been 3 posts in various Facebook groups in the last month from promoters wanting to put on a Northern Soul night for their venue. One said they knew a bit about it, two others didn't and probably thought it would make a change from ABBA night or the local Jam tribute act. Lots of people offered advice, some of it nonsense, but I guess it's just well meaning clueless venue owners looking for something different.

Totally agree, the few places I've been locally that do that (Wolfies springs to mind) weren't exactly heaving (although the Green Rooms Hinckley was so maybe timing and publicity are big factors?). Dunno.

Mojo is a top event - a lot of national and regional name DJ's there, Saturday was Ozz; the other one on the same night (about 7 miles away) was Gornal which is also a quality event - Dave Rimmer was there before Christmas along with Keith Morgan; also Saturday was Firs, which I've never been to but Dave Rimmer was there on Saturday too. So these are "proper" DJ's not top 500/100 and MP3's. Still love to know what the other 5 events were though! My point being that if these 3 are on why would anyone who's relatively clued up go somewhere else to hear House For Sale, I Wanna Give You Tomorrow, Tribute etc.

It's hard to get it into perspective though as you obviously only have knowledge of the events you've actually been to - I've been to 4 this year which were fairly poorly attended; but being objective about it is it just A. People are broke/tired/danced out after Christmas, B. It's cold, wet, dark and people are depressed and can't be bothered to make the effort or C. Everyone is still going out but all want to try new events and are spread so thinly that everywhere is empty. I suspect it's a combination of A & B; on Saturday night at Mojo the few people I did know were regulars, many local so I think it's just people didn't want to travel rather than they all went to new events that weren't on Soul Source.

Rarely anything on in the West Midlands in the week, but the lowest number on a Friday last year was two; the most was probably 7. Saturday nights never less than 4 events, not sure of the maximum but nine events does sound a hell of a lot though, especially as it's still really post Christmas and a lot of people don't get paid until next Thursday.

I am really interested that you brought this up because I went to Mojo last night and it was indeed rather low on numbers. I didn't know there were that many events on though! (Soul source lists 3 in total). One of the others was a quality event certainly because I've been there before, last time just before Christmas, and the two usually clash (it's difficult to put this without naming names - is that OK? I wasn't going to criticise any of them). I also know there was a "new" event, probably a bit more than 10 miles away which was sparsely advertised and the promoter did state it wasn't even a vinyl only one not listed on SS - I actually did consider going to that for part of the night but only because it was in the place I grew up and where my Mom and sister still live. In the end though I was too tired to try and do both so only went to Mojo. Still some great sets played from national name DJ's though.

I've never thought of this as disco at all but some say it is? I used the lyrics from this to make a Mother's Day card last year btw.

I've been to a few venues where there's a mixed age crowd and the groups of younger people are much more protective of their bags, coats and drinks; I guess in a mainstream club the chances of having stuff pinched or drinks spiked is much greater. So I've seen a group of 20 somethings literally dance round a pile of coats.

It doesn't sound particularly disco to me though, just an irritatingly catchy riff.

YES!!!! Absolutely hit the nail on the head - I've sometimes said this to my wife with this (and a couple of others) I'll start singing "The Loveboat, exciting and new" to it. Mind you it usually leads to a conversation about the differences between the Love Boat and Fantasy Island (I preferred the latter). Passes the time until something else gets played though.

This one is the most Marmite record ever though; I'm with Shufflin I never got this at all but loads of people absolutely love it. It just sounds pure disco to me although agreed the sitar is a tad unusual. I concede that he has a soulful voice though, so even when it's clear but it's still blurred!

Definitely because there was no "James" in BJH; apparently it was the first name of a previous singer who left the band before they took their name.

The Who's version is way heavier (probably one of the heaviest guitar solos ever recorded at that time - 1966), here's a faster live radio version.

A long shot but it's not this is it? (originally by the Who).

Too true, at the last Birmingham Town Hall Soul night there was a bloke (50's) and his son (20's) both dancing to loads of stuff I chatted to and that's not an uncommon sight.

I don't really feel qualified to air my opinion on the key question of this thread but I was talking to someone about this the other day and there's definitely a generational thing about disco. I remember it as the music my mate's (rather trendy) mom was into - she was always going out to discos and I remember her playing Disco Inferno (it was actually played at her funeral a couple of years ago ) and others around the mid to late 70's. To us that meant it was desperately uncool in a similar vein to another mate's Dad's Jethro Tull, then there was the whole punk rejection of disco all of which meant I've never really been able to open my mind to it. My Nephews and younger people have none of this baggage though and some are well into it.

It's not all that clear cut in the art world either, a lot of art collecting is prints, some Picasso's have sold for over £1,000,000. Signed prints being worth more than unsigned. Whilst some is traceable there's always a chance that more will turn up.

There seems to be a lot of German stuff out there too, more inclined to sing in English. Three compilations called The In-Kraut are interesting - varying from the Teutonic to the pop. This has a nice organ solo.

Quite possibly; Chas Hodges and Dave Peacock were respected session musicians in London at this time. Here's Chas playing on the Soul Survival LP that same year, same city, same label and the same studio:

Sonny Boy Williamson also did a live album with the Animals, I prefer it to the Yardbrids one, its on Youtube although (as the sleeve notes say) he was quite drunk and slurry it's pretty raw in places and sometimes he seems to be doing a different song to the band.

Thank you! I'll check them out as well. I believe Bjorn Ulvaeus was in the Hep Stars for a short period, he joined in early 1969 although both he and Andersson both left in August 1969 (Wikipedia so it could be wrong). He doesn't seem to be in that clip though which says it was 1969.

Not bad, in a similar vein what about this one: The Hep Stars the original band of the two blokes out of ABBA doing a not too bad version of Reach Out I'll Be There. I'd be interested to know who the black female vocalist was? She doesn't sound Swedish particularly although she sings in Swedish on some of the later bits (probably skip the rest it's Swedish folk influenced oompah pop with a bit of psychedelia thrown in).

I guess so, it's a pretty loose definition. A lot of "British" 60's soul was Americans based in the UK - Geno Washington, Herbie Goins, PP Arnold. Interesting point about Les Surfs posted by The Yank above - were a Madagascan group which was, of course, a French colony up until the 60's. Which was a similar position to Jamaica which only gained independence in 1962 and of course, Jimmy Cliff, Jackie Edwards, Jimmy James and Carl Douglas were all born in Jamaica and all made singles which had some NS success.

Excellent stuff, I like the way the backing vocals still sound Norwegian!