Nocker

Thanks for that lads. John

I put something up a few months ago about the oldest Northern Track. Well just been scanning the evilBay and come across, The Essex, Are you going my way, New Zealand Roulette label, I then notice the date... 1958... The amazing thing is it sounds good, just right for the dance floor. Is it known, has it ever been played?

Pete Just been listening to "oblivion" at work, thanks. Boy the memories come flooding back, Wigan, The Mecca, The Ritz Manchester and loads of local do's around Manchester at the time. Actually i have palyed a couple at Denton Britsih legion over thre last few months. High Voltage, Three Degree's, Mike Post, they didn't get much support, shame!!! but I'm affraid the others will have to stay in a box in the cellar.. Who knows sometime in the future some enterprising young sod will "discover" George Bad Benson, Rain, Robert Knight and Johnny Williams and give them the support they deserve Cheers John

Lets not forget Billy Paul, what a voice. I have been plugging away with a midtempo dancer "The Whole Towns Talking" for ages, britsh issue. Finally got someone to dance to it at Denton Brithish Legion last friday. Great track. People mistake it for the Teddy P track "The whole towns laughing".. Cheers John

Hey Guys looks like i opened a can of worms, sorry. I wonderd why les didn't mention the artist. I have to pop in to King Bee next week to pick up some stuff Les put to one side for me, do you think he will thank me for this???? At least I gave his night a plug....

Hey heres another one want to hear. I was speaking to Les Hare in King Bee Records earlier this week about the Johnny Taylor Blues in the Night "boot" when he tells me he plays a femail version which is the b side on a Dr Bird single, yes the reggea label. I say "is it soul", Les replies "R&Bish but as good/better then Johnny Taylor" I could wait untill Les does his soul night at Didsbury Golf Club to hear it, but just wonderd if anyone had a sound bite? Cheers John

Tommy I have seen this on ebay. Brilliant track. Any chance of the full sound clip? Its a little bit out of my price range!!! have just blown 125 quid on 2 Kent anaversary single's, but needs must. I do agree it sounds like it was done at the same tame os home is where the heart is. Cheers John

Hey Steve. It did surprize me when you said you had picked it up. Its one of these tracks i have had for years, I thought we may have got one each on our early hunting days in the late 7ts Cheers John

Hi Steve, we spoke about this at denton last week two graet sides. Frank Wilson on vocals isn't it? Cheers John

Sorry Drew and anyone else, Dave Stubbs doesn't play anything but original's UK if poss.. Made it sound like he only played boots.

Drew, Didn't realise the Rat Pit was on this week, cheers for that. Having said that I thought that all the DJs played originals, I know for a fact Dave Stubbs does'nt. Anyway will we see you at denton this Friday then? Cheers John

Hi Drew Where was this, I thought Denton was you local!!! Cheers John

Hey.... That Coffe Pot track is the backing music to Hawksby and Jacobs on Talk Sport!!! I always wondered what it was, cheers for posting that up Mikl

Hi Maverick Sorry if I am confusing people. When i got the record from Motown it was writen on the paper cover it hadn't been released in the US, at the time shall we say, so i had one before they flooded the market, in the UK. just a nice story of Motown sending me a copy, Its the gesture i was making a point of, not something always pointed out about a big company like Motown, at the end of the day I was just a 17 year old kid begging from them and they sent it no problems with a nice message I could brag about to my mates for a while... Cheers have a great weekend....

P.S. I know they did come out on a release as at one time you could pick them up for peanuts, seemed to everywher including the demo. But on my boys life It says this wasn't re;weased in the US either. John Manship may be able to add to this, John what is your opinion? On my boys life the script from Motown at the time they sent me my copy it hadn't been released, It clearly says "This wasn't released in the US either"

Hi I will scan the cover when I dig it out, but how come Tom D thought it wasn't released in the US, at the time he was in a very prominate position at motown at the time. This is another example of the strange world of Northern Soul (sic). Any thought on it getting put out as a new release at the time it was played at Wigan.

Hi Any more info, or sound bite of this. I am a big Billy Paul fan, In fact I have palyed out The Whole Towns Talking, Philadelphia Int, over the years, a great Philly dancer that people confuse with Teddy's Whole towns laughing when you speak to them about it

You won't believe this but this is totally true. When Joe Frazier was being played at Wigan as a gullable young lad at the time i wrote to Motown, I didn't even know the correct address I put something like Motown Records Detroit USA on the letter. I asked if the record was available to buy and I knew it was rare.. Hope against hope. About six weeks later through the letter box drops a package from the USA obviously a record, so my Mum shouts up stairs, another bloody record for you down here. When i open the package it had an issue copy of First Round Knockout and a small note from Tom Deperreo, (Think the spellings correct) on the record paper cover. I will check as I still have it, saying that the record was never released in the US. I sold the cardboard packaging to a mate a year or so after i got the record as it had Motown and Detroit all over it. The record now sits in a box in my cellar as it is a non play now, but at the time I must have been one of the few apart from the DJs playing it to own one, and it was a gift from Motown. A nice little tale and i assure everyone totally true. Cheers

Ian You are correct about the side played. I have it also, but its not seen the light of day for **** many years. Isn't the "a" side all sung in French, not just a bit like the Labele version? Cheers

Is this Nanette as in Nanette Workman who did a version Lady Marmalade, on a Canadian lable. Got a short spell of action at Wigan, In fact i remember Dave Evison asking if anyone wanted to buy a copy off him just after he had played it. It was out at the same time as Labelle had the hit and the rumour was Nanetes version was the original??? Cheers

For me its getting on for 35 years. First heard things like The top oof the stais, at Denton Youth Clud, went on fro m there. By he wat=y just got back from dentomn British Legion, What a F***ing night. This has got t be the top place at the moment. Oh yeh, the beer was cheep and i must have partaken of too much judging by the spelling on the last post. Anyway what a good night.

Thanks to everyone who has replied, Really i was thinking of what we would term Northern Soul, e.g soul content, with a dance beat, i don't need to give examples, not R&B or any other variant which seems to get labled N/S because it has a bit of a (dance) beat. To me as i said at the start of the thread from 64 onwards is the real starting point for N/S anything before wasn't N/S and sould be termed Rock and Roll/Pop/R&B/Doo Wop or what ever, depending on how far back you go. Also some "sound clips" seem to get slipped in as Northern when really they are nothing to do with Northern Soul they are too old, really they are dancable R&B etc. Even John Manships rarest of the rare pushes the term IMO. Has anyone realised we now have more then one style of "Northern Soul", One for dancing to, and one to sit and listen to at home!!!

Grant, your right, he would have picked it for a couple of old pennies knowing Steve. hope your all right mate? If this has been done before I must have missed it, what was the oldest then? Cheers

Hi Listening to a few tracks on Soulgirls site last night whilst doing the ironing, yes again!!! And with respect Soulgirl, some of the tracks IMO push the boundry on N/S, example being the Edmundo Ross instro of Summertime, its sounds like it was made in the 30ts. This isn't having a go, as I think the site is great, just got me thinking. I guess most people think (should i say the best) records from about 1964 onwards would be about right as a starting point, but I am sure if the scene started at clubs like the Wheel etc in the early 60ts people must have been looking back then, could we say late 50ts. Would the tracks played then stand up now? Any ideas on the oldest?

Hey Went to the "Rat Pit" in Bredbury Stockport last night, had a great night as i hadn't been for quite some time, Me and Stevie B from Denton British Legion (monthly soul night, next one the last friday in October) one of the last records played, I think by Jona was ??? was Hip teens don't wear blue jeans!!! Well it went down a storm and got a clap at the end. Therefore it must now be an accepted Northern classic!!!! I must admit in the right surroundings it came across pretty good. In fact i may get Steve to play it at Denton