Sean Hampsey

ANNOUNCING DIGGIN’ DEEP RECORDS LATEST RELEASE FROM SAM DEES! TWO SLABS OF PURE SOUTHERN SOUL FROM BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA! Tap to view this Soul Source News/Article in full

Interesting that Andy, Masboro area was certainly more Rocker than Mod, so choosing flight was definitely the best option. You'd have been made a lot more welcome in Mod Town Kimberworth, just up the road. Sean

Thanks all for your continued support. All copies now sold. Next release due in a few weeks so please subscribe at www.diggin-deep.com for advance notification. Sean

Yep, John Keenan and Glynn Olivant mate. Still see them around to this day. Matchie was also a regular Charade goer as he only lived down the road.

Thank you. I also found that info last year on a page about Bruce Clark. Great stuff. Also found this great pic of The Enchanted Five on there. Thanks a bunch, Sean

Do you remember the names of the Kimberworth lads Martyn?

If you've had it since 1980 ish it will be the original press. The £5 presses you've seen have been done in very recent times.

Thanks Chalky. Yes, I remember the Charade. It was the first proper club I ever went to. And ended up being resident DJ there for nearly 4 years during the mid 70’s. I started going in 72 when Dave Growns was the DJ. He was a very influential figure for me at that time. Dave was an ex Wheelite and his taste in music was sublime, introducing us to so many great sounds. In addition to the oldies, he was always on top of his game for what was new and upcoming. Records I heard for the first time and that I associate with my early years there included: Guy Darrell – I’ve Been Hurt Johnnie Taylor - Who's Making Love Dean Parrish - I'm On My Way Cooperettes – Shing a Ling Bobby Hebb - Love, Love, Love Syl Johnson - We Did It O'Jays - Time To Get Down John Miles - One Minute Every Hour Jimmy James - A Man Like Me Johnny Johnson - Honeybee Della Reese -If It Feels Good Do It Don Downing - Lonely Days Lonely Nights Blue Magic - Look Me Up Mixed in with the likes of the Fascinations 'Girls Are Out To Get You' and the Impressions 'You've Been Cheating' it was a heady and enticing cocktail. The club had a long association with the whole Mod thing, so Soul Music was its natural stock in trade. From there me and mates heard about the Mecca, Torch, etc and first started understanding ‘Northern’ soul as a genre. Made our first visit to Blackpool late ’72 and never looked back. But the Charade was always my favourite haunt. I took up Deejaying in ’73 and proudly took up residency at The Charade in ’75. I was resident for nearly four years, working 2-3 nights a week there and elsewhere, all over the region on other available nights. Very busy times. The Charade became a hub for Northern and New Release Soul in South Yorkshire and the records I played would have been a mix of classic soul and oldies with a huge accent on new and recent releases: Bill Harris – Am I Cold am I Hot Invitations - Look On The Good Side Brothers Guiding Light – Getting Together Bobby Moore - Call Me Your Anything Man Jackey Beavers - Trying To Get Back To You Girl Notations- Think Before You Stop Bobo Mr Soul – Hitchhike To Heartbreak Bobby Womack – Check It Out Grover Mitchell – What Hurts Fantastic Puzzles – Come Back Johnny Baker – Shy Guy Bobby Womack - Home Is Where The Heart Is The Crow – Your Autumn of Tomorrow Natural Four - Love's So Wonderful We weren’t afraid of Funk either and I would have mixed the likes of James Brown ‘Sex Machine’ with War’s ‘Me And Baby Brother’ as standard to get the floor buzzing and lure in the ‘regular’ nightclub crowd. Finding the floor receptive to newer sounds I found a following for some of the 45’s from my British collection and I gave the likes of Bobby Patterson ‘I’m In Love With You’ and Darrel Banks ‘I’m The One Who Loves You’ their first spins at the Charade. They’ve been with me ever since. Samanthas and Cleethorpes were in full swing mid 70’s and, along with the Mecca, we always had similar playlists to these venues as the new sounds came through the same sources. Miracles – Love Machine & Night Life Rodger Collins – You Sexy Sugar Plum Johnny Baker - Operator, Operator Eula Cooper – Let Our Love Grow Higher Tamiko Jones – Spellbound James Fountain – Seven Day Lover Voices Of east Harlem – Cashing In Juggy Jones – Inside America LJ Johnson – Your Magic Put A Spell On Me Bill Brandon – Streets Got My Lady Magic Disco Machine – Control Tower Eddie Holman – This Could Be A Night To Remember / Time Will Tell Moments – I Got The Need Reggie Garner – Hot Line Jeff Perry – Love Don’t Come No Stronger And I always mixed stacks of well established and in demand sounds into the mix to keep the floor busy: Jackie Edwards – I Feel So Bad Edwin Starr – I Have Faith In You Soul Brothers Six - Thank You Baby For Loving Me Freddie Chavez- They’ll Never Know Why Otis Smith – Let Her Go And always plenty to satisfy the ladies: Eloise Laws – Love Factory Dena Barnes – If You Ever Walked Out Of My Life Linda Jones – Just Can’t Live My Life Ann Sexton – You’ve Been Gone Too Long etc. Fortunately, I was also working for the region’s finest record outlet, the Sound of Music (mentioned earlier in this thread) for 3-4 years during the same period. Consequently I had a standing order and always had first dibs on the new releases & imports coming through and was able to experiment with new releases such as: Johnny Guitar Watson – I Need It Etta James – Out On The Streets Again The Notations – Think Before You Stop Controllers - Is That Long Enough For You Natural Four – Love’s So Wonderful Boz Scaggs – Lowdown Marvin Gaye – I Want You Soul Children – Finders Keepers Gwen McCrae – Damn Right It’s Good Laura Lee – You’re Barking Up The Wrong tree Shelbra Deane – A Man’s Got Too Much Dog In Him Dionne Warwick – Once You Hit The Road Gladys Knight – Make Yours A Happy Home O’Jays – Living For The Weekend & For The Love Of Money Brass Construction – Movin’ Chi-Lites – You Don’t Have To Go Fatback Band – Spanish Hustle Otis Clay - Special Kind Of Love Ohio Players – Who’d She Coo Dramatics - Choosing Up On You Candi Staton – Young Hearts Run Free David Ruffin – Walk Away From Love Some of which stayed around, while others sank without trace. The Charade was a fabulous place to learn your trade as a DJ as the policy was so inclusive and the crowd were always up for a good time. The management were happy if people were drinking and the best way to ensure that was to keep them on the dancefloor. Nothing did that better than Soul Music and I was always happy to oblige. By mid 1978 I upped sticks and went to do a season in Skegness, ending up living in Lincoln for a while, but by Winter of ’78 I was headhunted by Mecca and became resident at Tiffanys right in the middle of the Disco boom, and Rotherham Windmill where I was able to help keep the Rotherham Soul Scene going, pre Clifton Hall and all that followed. The Charade was a very important club in South Yorkshire and in the development of the scene in Rotherham, Sheffield, Barnsley and Doncaster, so much so that a book ‘The Charade Nightclub: The Untold Story’ was written a few years ago by club regular Keith Brisland. Worth picking up if you’re interested. Sean Hampsey https://www.amazon.co.uk/Charade-Nightclub-Untold-Story/dp/190843113X/ref=olp_product_details?_encoding=UTF8&me= This is Keith Brisland's story of a small, unlikely corner of South Yorkshire that was at the cutting edge of the music scene for eighteen years and was the start of a multi-million pound leisure empire. The nightclub was the Charade and its owner was Dave Allen. He put his house on the line to finance the lease - it was his first ever nightclub. These days he's worth £60m and presides over an entertainment empire - that empire grew from the Charade. The book includes interviews from former DJs like Eric Dewsnap, Melvyn 'Speedy' Kaye, Sean Hampsey and Neil 'Noddy' St John and explains how the venue helped shape numerous music genres including the rise and fall of Tamla Motown, Progressive Rock, Punk Rock, Disco and the New Romantics. It explains how the the DJs learnt their trade and chronicles the rise of Rick Stuart who went on to mix three number one hit singles for Jive Bunny and worked as a Radio One producer alongside Bruno Brookes, Mark Goodier and Paul Gambaccini. There are first-hand accounts from the people who used to work for Allen at the Charade such as Mick Bradford, Dave Growns and John Rose. And we will learn about Allen's involvement with Foreign Secretary William Hague's family who used to supply the drinks to the Charade and his growing nightclub business. It is a story that describes the evolution of Northern Soul, of night time trips across the country to Wolverhampton, Manchester and Stoke on Trent, the All England Dancing Competition, drugs, jail sentences, Formula One, mayors and chief constables.

Yes indeed.

Thanks all for your continued support. Sean

I only buy the good uns Sean

Just giving my Soul friends the heads up that a project I've been working on with Ruben Molina Arlene Sepulveda Josh Whittemore and Ady Croasdell for the past couple of years finally got a release date. A compilation of stunning Lowrider Soul from the play Tap to view this Soul Source News/Article in full

Yep, got them all here. Bought them at tthe time and absorbed them religiously. A great little mag. Sean

Thanks all, yes, we are still in the Pre-Release period (Thanks Rich) and the actual release date is 23rd November 2018. They will be packed and shippedover the weekend / early next week. Sales have been brisk and we have pre-orders for most of the available limited edition copies. If you have not yet placed an order for this superb Quinvy double sider you need to do so now. Tomorrow may be too late! Visit www.diggin-deep.com to place an order. Strictly limited to one copy per person. Can you dig it? X Sean

Thank you. Very much appreciated. Cheers, Sean

Our newest 45 is a double sider that Diggin’ Deep are extremely proud to be able to bring to you. Two stunning sides, each with a very different flavour, though both are classic ‘Muscle Shoals’ soul tracks, emanating from the famous Quinvy Sound Studio Tap to view this Soul Source News/Article in full

Nice one Mark. Just in time too! They've all gone. Thanks everyone for your support and for adding to your collection with quality Soul Music from Diggin' Deep. Keep an eye on www.Diggin-Deep.com for future limited edition Soul releases! Sean

Thanks Chalky, much appreciated. Managed to get to play the new CJ & Co and Joe Matthews Diggin' Deep 45's on the show, for anyone who's curious! Enjoy, Sean

Link here for Dean Anderson's show last week where I played both sides. Enjoy! Sean

Thanks Andy. I'm sure your listeners will love both sides. Cheers mate, Sean

Thank you so much. You're a man of great taste! Sean