Motownsoulman

jez jones if I thought for one minute those two cretins from Spalding area were on this site, I would name them. Like I said before, if you need to get smashed to enjoy yourself, then you've got a problem, and I don't care who you think you are, I don't wanna be anywhere near you. (That's not a personal attack against you. It's speaking generally.)

Martin S I actually gave up going to niters for a long time after one of After Dark Promotions at The Drill Hall in Lincoln in the 80s. There was more people smashed out their tiny minds than not, from the start, and the dance floor was like ice with the spilt drink on it. It made a mosh pit look humane. Also that night I went up with a couple of geezers from Spalding. We decided to go to the chippy just down the road from the Drill Hall where one of them was throwing out abuse at the owner, and the other one p***ed up the counter. Needless to say, we had the rozzers into the Drill Hall twice in the first hour. Needless to say, I abandoned the idiots from Spalding, got in the car, and drove home. It put me off Northern Soul and Niters for a long time. I never did go to another After Dark Promotions event either.

Yeah, provided it served coffee. I don't, nor have I ever had any interest in drinking, no more than I have drugs. I've been to plenty of soul nights, niters and dayers, though not recently, where the booze has been flowing freely, or where wrigley's could have been the sponsor, and I don't think I've ever stayed the distance. If someone needs to drink, or get off their head on Durophet, or whatever to have a good time, then I don't and won't have anything to do with them. It invariably ends with someone doing something stupid.

chalky That, as near as doesn't matter, sums it up. I would certainly agree with most of what you say when you put it that way. I certainly wouldn't class Northern Soul as a genre of music, for pretty much the same reasons as you state, and as I stated near the start of this thread. Calling it "a scene" is probably the best way to put it. As for Motown, I stick to what I originally said, in that it is just that, Motown.

simon t That's right mate. I'm told the other brother was called David. If that Jez Wensor is a wannabe jock, then it'll be the one. The Ken I mentioned as running EASC was Ken Cox. Good old days was them, though I had many a run in with several of the bully boys from Spalding ☺

simon t I thought I was right about the location of the Horseshoe. You are right about the Wirrina and latterly The Fleet being used, by EASC I think, run by some guy called Ken I think. I ain't sure about the other venues you mentioned though the Cressett rings bells.

Andy Rix Eggy Molen was a stout guy with a beard wasn't he?. Although I lived in Peterborough when I was home on leave from the forces, I seem to remember the Eggy Molen Roadshow (maybe) playing all round the Spalding area around that time. I also think that during the latter days of the Horseshoe, some geezer called "Corcoran" (or something like that) used to dj there sometimes too. I think I remember you. Your name certainly rings a bell. I think the reason for that is that you were one of the better dancers in that area. I can remember a few of the scooter boys from the late 70s and early 80s too. I think one was Dave Coates or something like that, and some guy they used to call Blocker. There was also two brothers I think, called Porter?. I also seem to remember some guy called Jezz and two sets of sisters, one pair called Jane and Julie, and another called Claire and Julie.

the yank I'll be damned if I can remember the song name, mind you it is a long time ago when I either heard it or was told. Not to worry. It'll come to me eventually.

John Hart Cheers for all that John.

chalky Thanks for that. The name you mention isn't the one that I read, or heard about. The name of that well known Northern Soul song that she's reputed to be the real singer on still ain't come to me yet.

David Meikle That's the one David. I've been scratching my swede for the last few hours trying to remember that name. Nice one

Here's a real long shot. Does anyone remember The Horseshoe Bar in Spalding?. It was a tiny little place. I think it was behind a boozer called The Pied Calf or Bull in the town centre. They used to play a bit of Northern Soul and Motown in there sometimes and it used to be a bit of a hangout for the local scooter boys. To the best of my knowledge we're talking late 7ts and early 8ts. It just came into my mind when I was thinking about the great Peterbrough all-nighter boo boo, when they put one nighter on at the Wirrina downstairs, the same time and night as they had another one on in the city, it may actually have been in the upstairs room in the Wirrina, as we was downstairs (I'm not sure). Me and a guy called Rick had been in the Horseshoe in Spalding before driving up to Peterborough.

the yank Now I come to think of it, a while back I heard or read something about Sandy Wynns both being an alias, or a fake if you will, and also possibly being the singer behind a well known Northern Soul tune, but for the life of me I can't remember it now.

Soulfusion Thank you for that kind Sir. You are certainly right about people buying Motown in that era, because my late old dad was doing so from the mid 60s onward, and a lot of R&B previous to that. That's who force fed me the music from the age of about 6 or 7, and it stuck. OK, my knowledge of Northern Soul isn't as good as my knowledge of Motown, but one led to the liking of the other. I've certainly done my share of the All-Nighters and as for knowledge, you're never too old to learn, and while you nice folks keep putting me right, I will learn.

If I was to classify them both I would put the Patrice Holloway version as Motown, because that's what it is, and the Sandy Wynns version as Northern Soul, but then that's just my opinion. What is your opinion of that?

IanP Ok. Well let me put it in a different manner. Although they've been known as subsidiary labels for years, what we meant are the record labels such as Ric Tic, that was originally set up and co-owned by Ed Wingate and someone else who's name I forget, that were purchased by Berry Gordy.

David Meikle I stand corrected. You are quite right. It was 1970

David Meikle BabyBoyAndMyLass I never got to Up The Junction. I was in my 2nd full year in the Armed Forces and was having the pleasure of walking the streets of Northern Ireland. In fact, the first full "Soul night" I really got to attend was on April 14th 1977 and was an out and out Motown night at a club called The Maison Royale in Bournemouth. I remember because that's where I met Carrie, and we married 2 years later, and still are married.

David Meikle I think if you stretch your mind, there won't be many Northern Soul clubs around the country, that at one time or another hasn't played Motown songs on a regular basis, if only on the subsidiary labels. I certainly can't recall a single venue I went to that didn't

David Meikle I totally agree with you as far as the ultimate definition coined by Dave Godin in '72 goes. 'er indoors summed it up in exactly the same way.

the yank Personally speaking, I wouldn't have put that as number one in the Northern Soul 500. There are far better tunes than that, far better dancers than that, and I feel it was only number one because of its rarity.

Spain pete Again, although on Gordy, I would class them as Motown, but yeah, it is a conundrum in a lot of people's minds.

the yank There are a few like that Bobby Taylor record. As for the other songs you mention, I would class them all as out and out Motown, but that's just my opinion.

Winsford Soul Aye, adding Stateside certainly alters things. You could add the original London label, used by Decca in that class also

IanP I totally agree. Soul covers such a wide expanse and is a complete genre, whereas like you say, Motown as it's own individual identity.