Manfromsoul

I have read most of the comments on here and all are very interesting I AM BLACK, My father came to England in 1949 from Jamaica, he first moved to London and then to Leicester. He then moved to the market town where I now live and was the 1st black settler in this town, in around 1953. My mother joined my father at the same time. My parents used to have regular house party's as they worked and raised our family in the 60's. When I say house party's they were more like blues and reggae clubs as they would buy alcohol and sell from our pantry to the attendees. Well I am losing the track here but I have attended Northern Soul venues from the age of 13, in 1975, first of all Soul nights, then alldayers then allnighters. I really do not want to start on this subject matter as it will be a 4 or 5 page essay. So I will keep it brief, when I started to go to the venues I travelled with one of my elder brothers and 3 other guys who were also black. The other guys were great dancers my brother could drive that is pretty much how that worked. We fairly lucky as the road on which we lived was a main road that went to many a place and one of the old promoters Terry Samson used to pick 3 of us guys up when he was promoting in the late 70's so quite often we would get into the venues he was running and set them up. I do remember being in the venue and people gesticulating in horror at 3 little black boys being in the venue setting up before them! I also remember walking into an allnighter at Lincoln Drill Hall and one of our fellow 'soulies' throwing a bottle at my head as I was walking in the door with a dj. the bottle hit my shoulder and smashed against the door! Anyway they are just 2 incidents that go way back when but there have been lots more since and I am sure more to come, I will also say after my brother and the other black guys I travelled with, stopped going regularly in the early 80's I pretty much travelled to most places with my white friends and on occasion they were told by 'big brave men' that they were n***** lovers and that sort of garbage! Without a shadow of doubt the Northern Soul Scene is not racist but please please do not tell me that nothing has ever happened on our beloved scene because it has and it will again. I have scratched my head on many an occasion and thought does that guy know what music he is actually listening too! I can honestly say it is probably more the society we live in but I don't think there has ever been one day in my life that I have gone out and 'forgotten' that I am BLACK!! No person is prejudice or racist until their child brings home their new black partner!!

i thought it was Irwin Scuttlebucket who played it at Va Va's

Just to confirm, there definately is a male vocal to Now You've Got The ''Upper Hand'' It was a tester by the writer Bo Fowler, apparently to show the vocalist (to be?), how the record should be sung??. It has'nt been speeded up, slowed down or played backwards, if you listen carefully some of the lyrics are different, ie sung by a male to a female!!!. I've had the acetate about 15 years, my understanding this was a one off, but then again i've had several acetates that have had 3 or 4 takes /cuts. Hope this helps Dean. PS. It is the better version!!!(But i would say that)!!

Which Dean Anderson do you mean????

Hi people. I don't usually get involved with posting on the site and tend to lurk and enjoy from a distance. However as it's the 14 anniversary of when Pete was taken from us I need to add something. One record that reminds me of Pete and to date I cannot play without having tears in my eyes is Charles Perry, How Can I (Keep From Crying) Magnum 728, sorry, don't know how to post sound files guys. Pete and I used to share tapes in the 70s and 80s and I'd give my collection up before I'd let these go. Sadly missed Pete. rest in peace, never forgotten. Dean Anderson.