harpo1

Yes i paid for my tickets and went to the farewell oldies and supposed last nighter, but when it kept stumbling on afterwards i decided to not go again. Then one night i was in the Old Vic. in town, had a few beers, when some of the lads came in and offered me a lift and free goodies if i went, and off we went. Spent all night in the room behind the stage with the usual crowd, Evo, Ste Whittle, Brian, Neil(Nogger)Allen was there as was Sam, and if i remember correctly Tony Clayton.....when i emerged at the end i was told by the lads that it was gonna be the last one, i have this feeling that it was a Friday nighter, but i may be mistaken...and that as they say was that.......or so it should have been.....dragging out the bandwagon year in year out has become more of a farce than the original death throes as it stumbled on after the official end. It was a special place for me and my peers, and will always stay with us....we dont need all the shopping centre hype and spin.....let her rest in peace

Remember playin "Candy"-first class Wish i could get a copy now Rod none about Harpo

Always hard work trying to turn away (if they wouldn´t pay) the likes of Smokey Steve Smith....you must be mistaken.....perhaps it was the dialect that led you to misunderstand Smokey....LOL Harpo

Here are a few bits i play in the house at the moment that deserve a play out and about...again!! Dramatics "No rebate on love" Delegation..."Back door love" Ronnie McNeir..."Now she's gone" OC Smith..."Nothing but the best" Thee Chekkers..."Lack of love" Jimmy Soul Clark..."Tell her" Garland Green..."Come through me" Champaigne..."If one more morning" Ellusion..."Living on the verge of leaving" and i'm still going on about, and finally its getting response Lifestyle..."Trying to make it up to you" Just a few cheapies that need airing..in my opinion!! Harpo

It's not true then that Dave stocked up on "black-jacks" when they were 8 for a penny, in old money. Yeah! thought it would be less trouble for the people who don't like us, they can have lots of notice to arrange not to come, , but as the wise sage once said(Smokey)....f--k 'em, we might not come ourselves, just to bamboozle 'em. Please dont worry about presents, just come along and join us for a good night, amongst friends.

We last saw Russ's head on the bank hol mon am after Derby Tiffs nighter, the one when they were hauling people off the dance floor, we had gone there on a bus from the Locarno, Azza Dave S and i had done Yate on the sat night too so it was a total head wrecker. Russ said i'm going to the Mecca dayer and he had 2p in his pocket Anyway the story goes like this he was barbed up and locked in a cell overnight, the dayer closed early due to bag thieving, the Tues morning he went to the Mecca to try n get hs bag back, nobody was there, so he nicked some stuff out the back of a car on the multi storey, Somehow he turns up out side the Laff at the start, i bought this crap jumper, and Azza a set of darts so he could get in...anyway next thing hes on the tue'ies again and is gonna have a blast behing the stage curtains, using lager, instead of water, in the end Steve Hughes and Bev Simms, took him back to Bev's in Darlo, only for the crazy weekend to finish when he stumbled out the back door and frightened the old woman next door, as he was falling about, and pulling faces at her through the kitchen window, so he was locked up again. We didn't really see him on the scene again after that...but i have bumped into him one about two occasions, since, big beer bellied, in trad. Willenhall style, the first time in a pub with a packed childrens room, where he shouted through from the bar, "how you doing Harpo, you still on the drugs", went down well with my lads, school mates parents, we were never invited back...but thats life. His other famous acts were, when he took a load of stuff on the train, and just got off at Wigan Station as it was pulling out for scotland, and of course the night he was barbed up crawling on the floor at the casino in just his underpants Just another of those crazy people who helped make our nights so memorable, hope Mr. Townsend is still out and about in the pubs of Willenhall, even those rather dingy piss dens were gonna be better for him than the almost certain tragedy he would have met with if he had remained in our gang Wow he made Shelton and me look decidedly normal when he performed Harpo

A few from earlier times played as new releases Exciters.."Reachin for the best" Miracles..."Love machine/nightlife/overture" Sisters Love..."Learning to trust my man" Oscar Perry..."Mainstring/i got what you meed" 21st Creation..."Tailgate" James Wells..."Baby im still the same man" Dooley Silverspoon..."Gameplayers" Moments..."I got the need" First Choice..."This is the House etc..."...poss pre wigan Rimshotts..."Do what you feel" Millie Jackson..."House for sale" there are so many...pity many survivors from back then have lost the ability to listen to current release soul from the period since eh!! Harpin

As for Bobby Womack..."So many sides"...first time i heard it was at the few Friday night all-nighters at Newcastle under Lyme Tiffany's run by Dave Thorley, i would say that was around '83'ish...Sam played it, and i went in Pep's on the Sat. and got the Poet album I am certain i didn't hear "Circles", until post Wigan, i played it at the Cavendish around "83, cant get to my 12 to see date at the moment Jean Carn was released in '76...i cannot believe that such a high profile artiste on such a label, could have not been played out and about on the dance music scene, but then it was reactivated early 80's

Lots of early modern tunes were played on release Patrice Rushen..."Haven't you heard" Phylis Hyman..."You know how to love me" Kenny Burke..."Let somebody love you" Peabo Bryson..."Why don't you make up your mind" Revalation..."Feel it" Bobby King..."If you don't want my love" Bobby Thurston..."Very last drop" Dells..."Your song" and off same album..."All about the paper" Omni..."Keys to the city" Leon Bryant..."Mighty body etc..." Charles Mann..."Shonuff no funny stuff love" Webster Lewis..."Let me be the one" Charles Johnson..."Never had a love so good" Kalyan..."Just let me love you one more time" Chuck Cissell..."Don't tell me your sorry" Luther Vandross..."Never too much" Truth..."Coming home" Eloise Laws..."You make it so hard" Masterpiece..."The girls alright with me" Leon Peterson..."Don't squeeze the sherm" Champaign..."If one more morning" Zingara..."I surrender"...(could be just post casino) Ellusion..."Living on the verge of leaving" Can't get into the boxes without disturbing Sandi who has dropped off in the chair...will look more closely tomorrow PH

Tony, Can you put aside Bobby Hebb, and Billy Harner, when are you out again, if its not soon can send cash midweek Harpo

Is that a very young Weasle from Nuneaton on the left?????

If you were a DJ on Radio 2, what sort of music would you play ? Id want to play wonderful records,thus Bobby Hebb would be aired, leaving the other thing to whoeverplays 60's banal pop, possibly the JY prog(is he still alive??)

Really hope that it'll be still going, and that our newer soul fans can get as much enjoyment as i have for 35+ years, and i'm only startin out, still hearing wonderful tunes for the first time week in , week out, and also shite stuff as ever, and still lovin' it My only safe bet prediction for the future would be that if im still alive and going i'll probably be smashed!!!

Just as a PS to my last commrents i would like to say, anyone who doesn't agree is a W-NK-R !!!!!! LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL !!!!!

Soul Sam will always be one of my heros of the rare soul scene I concur, what a lovley man, other that his anti mecca spat-mid 70's "stompin' mode, the records have always done the talking. His last Wigan spot, remains for me the best i have ever heard, by anyone, to those who knew/understood, it was a travesty, led by the petition'eers, ironic to see that the instigators(early soul police) fell by the wayside long long ago, Martin is still doing the business, Sun lunchtime last Prestatyn was brilliant!! In the end the editor has the final say as to what goes to print, and as long as there is a chance to reply, then that seems about right, with the best will in the world there is nobody who has attended every venue, or has photographic memory, there will always be differences of opinion, but that is "self opinion", and that does not allow anyone to question or debunk anyone or any comments that don't fit their view.

Wether PC or not, they are in my opinion brill. records. As a general rule i find i prefer a "proper" vocal version, not summat knocked up in a garage to cash in on the instrumentals popularity, and in the case of The Gallop/I belong to you, that is so, although i both in the boxes, backed with "like a rolling stone" on Satirion and Carla respectivley. However the Sidras theme voc. for me dilutes the drive and power of the instrumental, with rather insipid vocals, i also think Bari Trak is so special, that despite Rose Batistes brilliant vocal, for me it will always be a close second. So thats my personal thoughts, and for me all that matters is "if you like them", i don't eat vegetables, and despite it currently being high profile 5 a day etc..., i ain't gonna eat or buy 'em...ever!!, buy what you like, it shows through when you play them, i could never buy a record i didn't like, simply 'cause people will dance to it. Talkin' politics it don't look good for Labour next time, yet i'll vote for them as ever, because even despite current failings, it is about me supporting my own belief in the principles of socialism, and its benefits. "DO WHAT YOU FEEL"

Hi everyone, Harpo and Sandi here, we would like to let our friends know that it is our intention to "tie the knot" on Friday 10th September 2010. As part of the celebration, we have decided to hold an all-nighter, on the Fri. night, through 'til Sat AM. We have booked a venue, with the consent of the regular promoters(will say where closer to the time), and it will obviously be gratis, need to think about numbers, and the venues capacity, and then decide if it will be by invitation, would prefer it not to be, thus avoiding unintentional omissions etc...etc.... We decided to announce it now to let promoters know, the date is of particular relevence, and any clashes are not intentional, and the chance to spend part of "our" day with the people who we have shared weekends with, is important to both of us. That's about it for now. Thanks Sandi and Paul

I' snt that Simeon's brother Joey O'meally, on the right, think Jimmy MGuire from Telford might be behind 'em Could the taqll guy at the very back be Phil Shelton??, my old oppo?

Yeah, i think it was played at Cleethorpes many years ago !! wasn't it Liberty Bell??

Garry Glenn...."Garry Glenn" album(with Gonna give you my love) Executive Force..."Midnight Loving" Softones and First Class..."Candy" I'll leave it at that for now, as i'd hate to be in a position where my finances left me with egg on my face, if a stack of stuff became available. PH

Wade Flemons "Janette" yeah, you can dance to it, but it doesn't seem to go anywhere to my ears Spot on mate, i remember when the other place was played, people would come up and say "i found a record by him in a junk shop, took it home on spec, when i played it, it was a shite rock 'n' roll record, fucked it straight in the bin" And thats where it should have stayed Cack of the stickiest form Dean Barlow, remember first hearing it, i am still speechless, pity Dean wasn't

Rita and the Tiaras, i find it to be totally cringeworthy, yet it continues to be as popular as in the late 70's. Barbara McNeir..Youre gonna etc... i think its tuinal in musical form a dirge...but again its loved by loads Cody Black...i'm afraid title says it all,slow and mouldy, Pep had 'em stuck on the wall as decoration, as they were at the time not sale'able, it aint ever gonna be a 100th as good as "going going gone" Time for me to get going, going gone, but these comments are my personal views so don't get upset if i've dissed your faves, but thats how they sound to me Night

Got it down to 3 possibles Willie Kendrick...Change your ways Lorraine Chandler...I can't hold on Metros...Since i found my baby with a list of possible substitutes that has lots more goodies, i hold in just as high esteem Oh f--k it to many good 'uns to have to choose one PH

Oh yeah - & wot the f*** is a MAMALER ??? FROM THE VERB MAMMALLED...A DESCRIPTIVE WORD I INVENTED TO DESCRIBE WHAT WAS ONCE TERMED "SMASHED", "OFF THE BOX" ETC...ETC...

I bought the white, with green writing copy off Nogger at Winsford about 10 plus years ago, it is an 80's re recording, and it just lacks that power that makes the orig from the 70's so special.