manus

Yes it was a bit crazy in the Beachcomber but a great atmosphere before the all nighter and the following morning it was hard to drag yourself away - didn't they have some strange seating at one point - a bit raised like theatre seats or something or is that my memory playing tricks. Cheers Manus

Nice contemporary Gospel Soul Manus Morrow-Miles - Let god into your life -

I remember my second away match was at Leeds boxing day 1970 - my first was Derby earlier in the season. I was a skinny 14 year old suedehead and there was hell on all day and a constant rain of pennies on us as were daft enough to go into the Gelderd End where we basically got a hiding. The buses were all leaving at midnight to go back to Newcastle and on the night we were wandering around Leeds city centre - I was with two schoolmates and we saw about 50 Leeds skins standing on a corner - I started to say to my mates just turn around slowly and before I knew it my mates were legging it up the street and the Leeds boys cottoned on and came charging up after us. We legged it into a cinema and tried to pay in but the film was an X and they weren't having it - the old fella who checked the tickets stood at the door and the Leeds fellas stood outside shouting at us. Football hooligans had respect for old folk in those days: can you imagine those firms of the 80s standing back because a doddering old dads army type in a red coat stood blocking their way. Eventually they headed off and we ended up in another picture house watching a film with Raquel Welch in it and hot air ballons. And we got beat 3-0 Cheers Manus

Remember going into the toilets once and a certain character ( not Dave Dthedrug) asking me if I wanted to buy some caps and then he pulled out a roll of caps for a cap gun - thought he was being clever until a DS came in and then there was a very hasty explanation of what he was carrying - was really funny and well deserved. Cheers Manus

Will try to get to see Terry Callier on the Brighton date - I saw him at the Brighton Komedia a couple of years back and he was immense he had so much presence and never strained always in control and he was backed by some of Britains best jazz players. Gonna be good for jazz in Brighton in September as Tony Kofi is playing down here too at the Komedia on the 17th. Cheers Manus

Agree he always came across as very, nice genuine bloke. I remember on the occasions he would pick up the microphone when live bands were on or anniversaries he would talk really effusively about how much he loved the place and the punters - he would speak for a tad too long and the dancers would get a bit restless but I think his heart was in the right place. And it was very sad to hear how is life ended. Cheers Manus

I thought that there some really good tunes released in the 80s but agree that the use/overuse of the synth spoilt some tracks - Rufus Hunter is a great tune but slightly spoilt by the drum machine instead of real drums - the Billy Always and the Willie Hobbs tunes are among my all time favourites - I picked most of the following up from Record Corner late 80s - lots of great albums around then too. At work so these are off the top of my head which is a wee bit fuzzy this early in the day. Billy Always Nothing but a heartache Debbie S Try my love Toney Fountaine Come back to me ( single and album both great) Willie Hobbs Don't take it away Rufus Hunter Just because I love you Carl Sims 17 days Rick Webb Sitting on your doorstep David Dee - Sweet loving baby ( single and great blues tinged album) Rhonda Clark - Sugar Lee Morris - Weak man Rene Hayes - Satisfaction ( single and decent album) Some fantastic albums on Timeless by David Hudson,Lynn White , Willie Clayton and Warren Burris Manus

I think maybe I don't get out enough Dave - it's a bit of a trek up north from Brighton and I start to get a nosebleed if I make it as far as Rugby these days I keep making new years lists of all the venues I'm going to visit but fail to make most of them. Cheers Manus

Nice bloke Carlo - haven't seen him for years last time was at one of the Southport weekenders late 80s I think. Cheers Manus

Crazy days Grant wouldn't have missed them for anything Cheers Manus

I was there that night - a lot of stone throwing went on. I was stting on the wall opposite too and there seemed to be a bit of stirring up going on from non Soul fans or certainly faces I didn't recognise - the punks chased a small group of younger ones down the carpark and the road strangely enough some of the punks were chanting Blackburn. I just sat on the wall it was all a bit daft really. In fairness Grant I don't think the punks started it I think they got jumped as they came out and ironically I think the people who stirred things up were probably the same crowd who jumped Soul fans on a normal Saturday night. Cheers Manus

Remember standing on the platform in Manchester waiting for the train to Wigan in 1974 and this guy was selling gear. Another guy comes over short hair, leather bomber jacket really looking like someone heading off to Wigan and asks the seller what he's got and the next thing the guy in the bomber jacket had declared himself DS and nicked the dealer - was a bit of a shock to the system I must say and totally unexpected. Cheers Manus

RIP Bobby - Love,love,love what a record- still spine tingling after all these years. Manus

Spot on - Betty Wright was fantastic at Wigan (1975) - it was one of the best nights I had there - and great to see Southern tunes like Clean up woman get such a great reception as well as Where is the love - great days. Great list of live acts you've seen Cheers Manus

Yes definitely - it used to be difficult getting back on a Sunday from venues by train to Gateshead - I remember it taking about 8 hours to get back from Cleethorpes once and then as things became more popular people started running coaches to venues Alex Lowes, Tony Connolly and Duncan Mc and others ran them from Newcastle - and life got a lot easier. It seems like it's gone full circle for me as I'm now back to getting trains again- after Piercebridge a couple of years ago I got the 9.30am train or thereabouts from Darlington and didn't get home to Brighton until 5.30pm because of engineering works - OK I stopped for a quick pint on the walk home from the station but it took the barmaid longer to pour the pint than for me to drink it -I was gasping after being stuck on the train all day. Cheers Manus

Neal Sharpe and Velma Jewel Cheers Manus

I remember going to the Black Echoes reggae awards at Hammersmith Palais I think it might have been 1980/81 or thereabouts and thinking how out of place Rodigan looked in his suit and tie - but the man knows his music. Aswad were playing that day and also there was some sort of scare - I don't if someone shouted fire or if there was some trouble that we couldn't see but suddenly a panic broke out and a wall of people came rushing at us - the whole place emptied really fast.. Cheers Manus

I'm gonna download this later as soon as my son gets back and show me how LOL - haven't heard Phyllis Dillons Perfidia for years I did have it on an LP but can't find it so it'll be great to hear it again - thanks Pete Manus

That sounds about right Ady Cheers Manus

I think I mistakenly put a decimal point in there Tony - I actually paid £250 for it It may or may not have been Cheapo - we certainly visted it that day if it was another stall it would have had to have been fairly close by and the guy who was working it was certainly clued up enough to know it was getting plays and to charge £2.50 - I sold it on for a tenner so I was happy. Cheers Manus

Sad to hear that - hope he's feeling better soon. Manus

Some great tunes there Baz mate This one's not too bad I think Manus whitney jones - he'll be with you -

No I think you've actually confirmed it - cos I was sure it was on Rupert St anyway so the Berwick St references threw me out - it was early 75 I was down for the weekend with a couple of others and Frankie McHugh who was living over in Hornchurch took us to Moondogs where I bought a copy of Barbara Mercer Hey for about 50p ( I remember they had a copy stuck up on the wall) and then he took us to the Cheapo stall - He told us that it was run by a guy from leicester ( which must have been Ady) but he wasn't there - a small guy with short hair was working the stall and I bought Nancy Wilson and it was £2.50 .

I remember buying a Nancy Wilson End of our love on British there for £2.50 early 1975 - was there also record stall on Rupert Street or is my memory playing up? Cheers Manus

Apparently the Spanish national anthem has no official lyrics so it's a bit like Footsee Yeah with vuvuzela's instead of car horns