Chris L

Yes quite right Pete, where do you think they got the idea about the musical "Hair" from ???? BTW you were in one of my dreams a few weeks, you and your son, what does it mean I wonder ?? So was Keifer Sutherland too............... Thing my mate Hughie still dresses like that, Ian always had a thing for him..... XXX Chris L

Check out this old photo, taken at the Mecca circa 1973. At back in green shirt (with regulation red eyes !) is Dave Burton, discoverer of many a fine record, including Times Awasting & Crazy Baby. To his right with pink shirt is Hugh McCulloch one half of the Bruce & Hughie show, he is wearing high velocity red eye. Take a butchers at the girls eye make up --- tacky or what !! Man With Purple Tie is Mick Smith complete with Mexican bandit moustache and down at the front in mauve sweaty shirt is none other than a very young Ian Levine, confirming the fact that Ian really is or was Elvis Presely. I dare anyone to beat this pic...................if I sold it on Ebay it would be worth drillions and drillions and drillions and drillions........................... Chris L

Started of as a "plain caps" guy then moved onto loafers, funnilly enough I wear brogues and plain caps to the office nowadays and bought a pair of laofers in the US a couple of years ago. However at the tneder age of 17 there was ONLY ONE PLACE on this planet to buy plain caps that was the Ivy Shop in Richmond, loafers were bought at Quincy's don't you know. Both shops in Richmond, Sy. Incredibly the legacy remains....................read this.......................... https://j.simons.mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk/index.jhtml Chris L

Best to tidy that mess up and keep them may need them whern you come to sell your collection

I was asked by our US corporate office to attend a business lunch in Waterloo (the battelefield place not station) hosted by one our major air freight forwarders. They sat me next to a Brit and a few of us got talking about hanging about airport lounges and long waits for flights. The Brit, Peter says "once in Detroit we had a 6 hour delay so my colleague, also Peter dragged me down to the old Motown studios" I say "Grand Boulevard" ................eyebrows are raised.............. "Yes but Peter is deep into soul" "Mee too" says I............."But Peter is really, really deap into soul music" "Mee too" says I again "Peter's into Northern Soul" "Mee too" says I yet again. Peter turns out to Peter Braughams (hope that's how you spell it) midweek DJ at Casino and used to date Pep's sisters (at the same time hopefully :-) Peter and I met up a week later during the follow-up meeting and spent all the day comparing NS notes, better than sex (well almost - depends if there's spanking involved:-) Had a few others, I live in town centre, quiet queit it iz, I was playing some stuff with bedroom window open I hear a bloke shout up "Good stuff our kid, top Northern Soul" stuck head out of window, he was from Cheshire did Casino & Mecca. Chris L

Love to see one of the Blackpool Mecca as it is today, I was last there in 1998 for the mecca re-union, it was falling apart then, I seem to think there was a go-kart track in the car park !!!! Still get shivers thinking about hearing Johnny Sayles as we came up the escalator and through double doors............................... Chris L

I saw a poster (too big for a flyer) advertising a ska/RS/Reggae, etc weekend at Margate, methinks sometime in July. Derek Morgan on the bill, should be a larf.................... Only question do they get a punchy at these types of venues, I have visions of skinheads oozing testerone.............who you screwing chave ??? Anybody know a good venue they could recommend, fancy going to one sometime soon. Chris L

Even worse, one that you could have got for pratically nowt and let get away................ About 1999/2000-ish anyway very, very early Ebay days there was a Leon Haywood on issue Fat Fish, starting price $4.99. 1 day to go no bids (he'd listed in rock & roll) and I forgot to bid on it, went back and hod a look, didn't sell ( Tried contacting seller but got no reply. Still hurts today...................... Chris L

Got it !!

Northern Soul Classics For Sale I offer a 100% return policy with a I can accept cheques, money/postal orders, Paypal. I will ship worldwide, UK £2.00 ( I will combine). wol = writing on label xol = X on label dr = drill hole sol = sticker on label srl = sticker residue on label Darrell Banks - Somebody Somewhere needs you - Revilot - MINT - £14.00 Drifters - Baby what I mean - UK Atlantic NOC - Ex £12.00 Spellbinders - Chain reaction - US Columbia DEMO - MINT - xol - £15.00 SOLD Shawn Robinson - My dear heart - Mint demo - VG - xol - £110.00 Dells - Run for cover - Cadet - Ex - srl - £20.00 SOLD Madeline Bell - Picture me gone - MOD - Ex - £12.00 Little Carl Carlton - Competition ain't nothing - UK Action - VG+ - xol/wol - £6.00 SOLD Dee Dee Sharp - What kind of lady - UK Action - VG+ - xol/wol - £30.00 Major Lance - It's the beat - Okeh - MINT - £15.00 The Visitors - I'm in danger - Dakar - EX++ - £10.00 The Orlons - Spinnin top - Calla - Ex - £25.00 The Ambassadors - Good love gone bad - Atlantic - MINT - £18.00 Ike & Tina Turner - Dust my broom - Tangerine (red/black) - MINT - £18.00 SOLD The Tymes - What would I do - MGM - MINT - £40.00 Luther Ingram - If it's all the same to you - HIB (orange) - MINT- £75.00 SOLD The Impressions - You've been cheatin' - ABC - EX++ - £10.00 SOLD The Sequins - Case of love - Renfro - MINT - £40.00 Gene McDaniels - It's a lonely town - Liberty - MINT - £10.00 The Superiors - What would I do - Verve - EX++++ - £15.00 The Spinners - I jst want to fall in love - Atlantic - MINT - £30.00 Kim Weston - Helpless - Gordy - EX - £15.00 Johnny Williams - Just a little understanding - Bashie - EX - wol - £20.00 The Supremes - Love is like an itching/he's all I got - Motown - MINT - £14.00 The Contours - Just a little misunderstanding - Gordy - MINT minus - dr - £14.00 SOLD The Falcons - Love look in her eyes - Big Wheel (blue) - EX++/MINT minus - £300.00 The Vibrations - Surprise party for baby - Neptune demo - VG+ - £28.00 SOLD The Vibrations - Finding out the hard way - Okeh - EX - sol - £10.00 JJ Barnes - Our love is in the pocket - Revilot - VG+ (plays pretty much mint) - £60.00 Shirley Ellis - Soul Time - UK CBS - MINT - £15.00 SOLD Eddie Spencer - If this is love - Canadian LITA (RE) - MINT - £20.00 Johnny Sayles - I can't get enough St Lawrence (70's re-issue) - EX - £18.00 Thanks for looking.................. Chris L

Of course not, the Chess brothers were (are) white folk as were the Stax people, don't get more soulful that these people. As for the singer's skin colour who gives a rat's rear end ? Did you know that Barbara Mills said she always though of herself as a soul singer and it never occured to her that she was anything else. Nah beauty is only skin deep, colour is only something the BBC talks about, frankly the colour of someone's underwear is a far more important topic. Chris L

At Stoke last month there were quite a few young (less than 35 :-) present. Best of all was one of the bar girls who'd never seen a NS event and was gobsmacked, she bopped and toe-tapped most of the night. All-nighters tend to have no violence, generally are p*ss-head free and the cameradery that soulies have are quite attractive to some young people. Let 'em come, but keep those drinks off the dance-floor !!!! Chris L

For sale, shipping £2.00 anywehere in Western Europe (yes that means the UK too ;-) The Tymes - What would I do - MGM - MINT looks like it's never seen the light of day. £40.00 The Spinners - I Just Want To Fall In Love - Atlantic - MINT - I mean M I N T !!! £35.00 Cheques, postal/money orders OK, I prefer Paypal. Thanks for looking. Chris L

Too true, I own 2 copies of Johnny Williams - Little misunderdstanding on Bashie, the Contempo release if far better quality, much nicer to listen to, little chinstroking cred though Chris L

Mike Harper - I'm Crying/Rip off RCA UK 76

Ooh....Oohhh.......Oohhh........a Cats revival, deffo be there, 1st NS venue I ever went to the Wonderful Alan S let me write down the names, labels, singers of those records he played. Boy what an ever so underated venue, hope they play any of the Beatin Rythmn versions... Chris L

Mee too............not a dancer either, remember Renee Geller (hope I've spelt it right) from the Mecca/Torch days, plenty of Liitle Queenie/Frantic Escape/Don't want to discuss it............... Chris L

A rare issue copy of Shawn Robinson - My dear heart on Minit. Record is in great condition, somewhere between EX+ & Mint minus, plays perfect, some rubbing on label, drill hole, don't think you'll find a better copy around. £175.00 including postage. SOLD Money back guarantee, with a thanks Chris Lalor

Got Ya, thks

Any suggestions (apart from Ebay) where I can get some cheap copies of those old UK (or US) Motown Big Hits albums, I'm looking for 1,2,9 & 10, I don't want to pay much, pref under a fiver a go Any suggestions (even rude ones) welcome. Chris L

Now if you'd asked "top 5 intros" that make your dildo start vibrating they would be (of course excluding Billy Butler - Right Track there's probably no better intro anywhere in the whole wide world) Shirley & Shirelles - Look what you've done to my heart James Bounty - Prove yourself a lady The Magnificents - My heart is calling Sweet Things - I'm in a world of trouble Sam & Kitty - I've got something good. Or 5 best instrumental breaks Chalfontes - He loves me Junior walker - Road runner Velvelettes - Lonely, lonely girl am I George Carrow - Angel baby Enchanters - I'm in love with your daughter

I had struggle getting £35.00 for mint demo, methinks issues a tad rarer, bril sound, doesn't get played nowadays Chris L

Buy this is one of those very tough questions. But he goes : 1. Christine Cooper - heartaches away my boy - Parkway 2. Bobby Reed - I'll find a way - Loma 3. Spellbinders - Help me - Columbia 4. Elgins - Heaven must have sent you - VIP 5. Velvelettes - Lonely, lonely girl am I - VIP I've probably forgotten about 200 more or so but having this gun put to my head these are ones I'd run thru a fire to get. Chris L