Mark R

Sorry, as nothing to do with Hall & Oates, but the thread reminded me of this modern soul spin from the early Fleetwood weekenders, when it was in the first of the modern room locations....................killer!!! Cheers, Mark R

Cheers, Mark R

Had quite a few people asking about the music this year, so as promised to a few, here's the playlists from another good weekend............. Friday night 8pm - 8:30pm & 9:15pm - 10pm John Legend - Ordinary People (Johnny Douglas Radio Edit) Carmichael Musiclover - Baby All I Want Is You Maryanne Ito feat. David Yamasaki - Don't Be Afraid John Aram feat. Sumudu & Grégoire Maret — Stronger Tony Momrelle - Spotlight Charity Lockhart - Live To Love April Hill - The Search Kelly Price feat. Ruben Studdard - Back To Love Soul Funk Secret - Bright Sunshine Kindred The Family Soul - Never Loved You More R. Kelly - Share My Love Kings Of Tomorrow feat. April - Fall For You (Sandy Rivera's Classic Mix) Joseph Junior & MAQman - Praise Scat (Ibitaly Remix) Ron Hall & The Muthafunkaz feat. Marc Evans - The Way You Love Me (Original) Teddy Douglas feat. Marcell Russell - Only A Fool (Teddy Douglas Classic Soul 12" Extended Version) Saturday night 11pm - 12am Carmichael Musiclover - Baby All I Want Is You Paul Johnson - Better Than This (Soul Talk Mix) Mark A. Smith - To Save Me Kelly Price feat. Ruben Studdard - Back To Love Tucka - Love Train Kindred The Family Soul - Never Loved You More Zo! feat. Erro - We Are On The Move (Joey Negro Revival Mix) Tracy Hamlin - Home (Kenny Carpenter Wiz Mix) Sounds Of Ali pres. Jon Pierce - Ready For Love (Original Mix) U.B.P. feat. Bobby Pruitt - We Are One (U.B.P. Classic Mix) Sunburst Band - Everyday Big Brooklyn Red - Taking It Too Far Superloop - Baby Be Mine Sunday afternoon 12pm - 1pm Ms Jody - I'm Gonna Stand By You Donnie Ray - What About Me? Lola - It Ain't Worth It Prince Phillip Mitchell - Just The Beginning Mark A. Smith - To Save Me Princess Freesia - The World Outside Jermaine Paul - Next To You Dion Hawkins - Having U Around Incognito - Rapture Papik feat. Ely Bruna - Special Love Kelly Price feat. Ruben Studdard - Back To Love Kindred The Family Soul - Never Loved You More The Company - Superstar (Reel People Vocal Mix) Sounds Of Ali pres. Jon Pierce - Ready For Love (Original Mix) Sunday night 9pm - 10pm Sho-Nuff - Hold On For Love Caviar - Never Stop Loving You Bill - Space Lady Heaven & Earth - I Really Love You Cecil Lyde - I'll Make It On My Own Stanley Clark - Straight To The Top Ivan Neville - Dance Your Blues Away The Dynamic Upsetters - Make Myself Clear Motherfox - Fallen Into Love Sean Oliver - You And Me Frankie Knuckles feat. Shelton Becton - It's Hard Sometimes (FK Classic Club) Kim English - Simply Grateful (Back To Soul Mix) Teddy Pendergrass - Believe In Love (Phat Philli Mix) Cheers, Mark R

A few plays from me from last night at the Kingpower Stadium, with the second set having one eye on the Oddfellows reunion back in that fine City today!! Thanks to Fitzy for the invite to play once again, and co-spinners Barry Cooper and Clive Henderson for some fine music. 10:00pm — 11:00pm Incognito - Love Has Come Around Soulperfreesia - The World Outside Gayla James - I Get Joy Tony Momrelle - Spotlight West Coast Soulstars - Show Me Love Charity Lockhart - Live To Love 80's Child - Missing Yam Who? - What The People Say Nathan Adams - I Wonder Cee ElAssaad & Brittany Tanner - Get On Your Feet (Pablo Martinez Remix) Danny Clark & Carla Prather - Joy (Classic Mix) 12:40am — 1:20am Charles Johnson - Never Had A Love So Good Doug Parkinson & The Southern Star Band - I'll Be Around Greg Perry - It Takes Heart (12" Version) James Walsh Gypsy Band - Cuz It's You Girl Mind & Matter - I'm Under Your Spell Lew Kirton - Heaven In The Afternoon Omar feat. Angie Stone - Be Thankful (Shrine Vocal Mix) Paul Johnson - Better Than This (Frankie Knuckles Director's Cut Classic Soul Mix) Velvet Hammer - Happy (Extended Disco Version) Cheers, Mark R

I suppose that the bottom line is, we should accept that there are many ways to be a good DJ, largely dependent on audience and genre of music. Cheers, Mark R

And that's exactly the danger of mixing.........being more concerned with what goes with what, rather than how good the "what" is!! Cheers, Mark R

But that's already not true in so many other ways, so "complicating" it in the way I'm saying would hardly be a crime!! Cheers, Mark R

For me, any change in terms of the Northern scene would not necessarily relate to the technical side of DJ'ing, but would be more about thinking outside the box in terms of choices, style and the like. The best DJ's have an edge, or something different about them.....Soul Sam is a perfect example in a variety of ways.......enthusiasm, going out on a limb to risk things......playing a full modern set at Wigan etc.....in some ways he's loathed by as many that love him......but he will be remembered more than most for both reasons. It can sometimes be too predictable and safe.......too concerned with what people think short term at the expense of ploughing a furrow. Look at the furore of Happy getting a spin at Prestatyn.......why not!! Not necessarily that record, but you get my drift...... Just one point......earlier someone said why change a record with EQ or a different mix etc........well what do you think an alternate take from the tape vaults or on an acetate is? Oh, but that's alright because it's rare and no-one else has got it......and that's all that matters! ! Cheers, Mark R

I understand what you're saying, but the point is they're not mutually exclusive, there is some crossover, if I can use that word without totally confusing everyone!! LOL Cheers, Mark R

It already happens to an extent on the modern scene. ...... Cheers, Mark R

What an afternoon Ali....... Cheers, Mark R

Are you forgetting Francis Grasso and his 12 hr sets of 45's Ian.......using 2 copies of the same tune to extend them etc....... Cheers, Mark R

Nowt to do with Northern Soul, well not musically maybe but I would draw pleanty of other parallels, but for what it's worth here's my favourite bit of DJ'ing from the last year.........you have to stick with it though....... It's an art form....... in this clip, when the tempo's at a minimum and a bit of echo is used the piano sounds like church bells....a totally different sound/instrument. ...........and with the lighting synched to the music the effect is stunning.........every record can sound a little different each time it's played. ..........stop the crowd, make them think WTF is he doing now.......and then bang........the hands go up and the whistles of appreciation start. Maybe you had to be there.......just an awesome passage of DJ'ing for me.....hopefully I'll witness something to trump this in two weeks time! :-) Cheers, Mark R

Well I've certainly seen DJ Spinna & Co. hotwire their Traktor between sets without interrupting the flow!! Cheers, Mark R

Mate, don't get me started on talc/records. Luckily I don't need to play rarer 7's out much, but when I do I'm always armed with my CD-R's of said tunes in case there's too much talc about!! Anybody that thinks I'm playing valuable records in that atmosphere can fook off, OVO or no OVO!! Same goes for shit equipment with 2p pieces on etc............no way man!! What I can say is that I would never play anything off CD-R that I don't actually own.............that's my own personal rule and not because I'm afraid of what people think! I really struggle with any argument against this! Cheers, Mark R

Regards the reproduction of the sound, I agree with what you are saying up to a point, but if you're going to be that fussy then you need a man on the dance floor side of the decks controlling things, because the sound is ever changing with the dynamics of the room! We used to set up for Soul Purpose, and when we'd done as much as we could I used to say, "anyway, let's tweek it when the rooms full as there's no point spending too long on it as it will all change with people in the room"! And in my experience, you are being extremely optimistic anyway!! LOL Cheers, Mark R

LOL......hardly cheating.......just standard practice! ! Cheers, Mark R

The whole things irrevalent when a scene becomes more obsessed with showing the upcoming record on a big screen to prove it's authenticity, rather than letting the dancers suddenly hear a killer intro. Now that's losing sight of what music was made for........ Cheers, Mark R

It's all largely irrelevant on the Northern scene, but the fact that some can't even cue up to avoid the intro "wind-up" or struggle to keep the levels under control is very relevant anf there's no excuse for that. There's more to it than just putting a rarer record than the next blome on the turntable. Out of interest, do you think the sequencing of records is so important on this scene.....especially the oldies/top 500 side of it?? I've never thought so, but I've only ever been on the dance floor, not behind the decks........ Cheers, Mark R

Not really, I must have overrun Dave! Cheers, Mark R

Not usually in modern rooms they're not.......remember that most new releases are circa 5 mins long....or more!! Cheers, Mark R

Sorry Dave, I just realised I answered this in the events thread thinking the comment was in there! Here's what I put........ "As for the half hour sets we just chose to do it that way to feel it out on the first one. It actually wofked quite well but if we can get the room to take off and really bounce we would approach it differently I'm sure." Cheers, Mark R

Ahhh, nice one Dave, I'd completely forgotten about this! I'll never find it though!! Cheers, Mark R

Terribly sad news...........hard to take in really. The words legend and pioneer are over used, but are very appropriate here. A very sad day! R.I.P. Frankie Knuckles Mark R

Hi all, don't tend to bother with playlist so much these days, but am making an exception here because a few folk inquired about some of the tunes I played..........lots of well known stuff but a handful in there not so.............. 10:00pm — 10:30pm Kenny Thomas - Turn It Up Aretha - One Step (Featurecast Re-Edit) Cookin' On 3 Burners feat. Kylie Auldist - This Girl Joi Cardwell feat. GTO - Turn On The Music Teddy Douglas feat. Marcell Russell - Only A Fool (Teddy Douglas Classic Soul 12" Extended Version) Kenny Dope & Raheem DeVaughn feat. Rhymefest - Final Call (Kenny Dope House Mix) 11:30pm — 12:00am Lenny Fontana pres. Black Sun - Spread Love (Classic Vocal Mix) Ben Westbeech - Something For The Weekend Gregory Porter - 1960 What? (Opolopo Kick & Bass Rerub) The Five Corners Quintet - Three Corners (Nicola Conte Sahib's Samba Version) Mario Biondi and The High Five Quintet - This Is What You Are R. Kelly - Share My Love 1:00am — 1:30am Regrooved feat. Lisa Taylor & DaPaul Phillips - Stand Tall (Woman) Tracy Hamlin - Never Too Much (DJ Spen Authentic Funk Remix) Charity Lockhart - Live To Love Natasha Watts - Good Love Elbowed-Out feat. Denis Wilcox - Things Are Changing Norman Hutchins - I Really Love You Cheers, Mark R