ImberBoy

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Download Video Just looked at "The Snake" thread and watched The lambrini clip. I know I am getting on a bit and my cool is not as cool as it once was but I think there is a new (pity me if every one knows this as I'm old), dance craze called "jumping"? It may have started in Belgium of all places but I kind of suspect it's a "Chav" dance bastardised from the likes of The Prodigy and ravers? The first time you see it you giggle then after a while you see the "stomping" and the structure, it seams that school kids in the UK and in Europe are all doing the same dance steps. I'll attempt to put a few Youtube clips on, remember it looks a little weird but I kinda like it.......... Help!

High brow, Low Brow most of me mates would shave yer Eye Brow.. "Heaven Must be Missing an angle"......... ooooooohhhhh love that track! One of the rare opportunities back in the day to do your stuff at the disco, while Disco Stu did his latest moves some of the Soulies would take to the floor and reign supreme for a few minutes until "Shaddap You Face" came back on. When I was a boy, just about the eighth-a grade, Mama used to say don't stay out-a late with the bad-a boys, always shoot-a pool, Giuseppe going to flunk-a school. Ah, shaddap-a you face!

Who is Keb? Rhetorical question I know but there are many who have a large gap in the Northernsoul Scene, including Keb who if the truth be know is yet another one of the so called big hitting DJ's (nothing to do with his martial arts lol) who have popped back into the scene after the lean years and is now enjoying his reputation that was carved out at Stafford. I may sound a little cynical here, I am not trying to be but I am slow to jump on any bandwagon giving praise that goes over the top. Keb is given (some of) the lions share of credit for the music that "saved northern soul's credibility". The fact is that Richard Serling had championed this music in the dying days of The Casino. Keb is a wonderful character who's return to the Northernsoul Scene stirs up some potent memories, he is first of all a superb DJ who once had a collection to kill for, DEL LARKS - JOB OPENING springs to mind but sold. His dancing even now is jaw dropping! Brilliant! His reputation on the "Funk" scene is at the very top of that crazy tree, he is both a DJ and record producer. I interviewed him for Manifesto a few years ago...................... A legend in his own lunchbox, who the funk is Keb Darge? You have only to type his name into an Internet search engine to find a mass off funky references spewing onto your screen, confirming him as one of the world's leading lights of funk. Now unless you have been living in a cave, the mention of Keb Darge will conjure up various pictures to the Northernsoul fraternity. Be this of him wearing a Levine must go T-shirt at The Mecca, ragging the dancers at Stafford or mesmerising us with his dancing in the film Blue Juice. DJ, dancer, artist record collector and record producer. What was Keb Darge doing in a small nightclub in Dusseldorf during one of Germanys biggest holiday festivals? Manifesto caught up with Keb Just before his guest spot at The Unique Club in Dusseldorf. Manifesto: How did you end up guesting in Dusseldorf? Keb: Some years ago, after seriously getting into deep funk, I started DJing this has given me the opportunity to play in Italy, Spain, and Japan and of course the UK. Henry, the guy who owns the Unique Club invited me, sent me a ticket and a hotel reservation so here I am. Manifesto: What is your connection with Rockabilly music? Keb: I ended up at a Rockabilly concert, sum what reluctantly, it was at this concert I fell in love with the music. I listen to Rockabilly because it's the nearest thing to white mans soul; it gives me the same feeling as Northern does. It's not the same sound but it's pure and it's innocent and it's good hard music. Manifesto: Why did you leave Northern and cross over to funk? Keb: Twice divorced and twice selling a decent record collection, I still care about the scene and I am passionate about our music. Living in Japan with my wife offered up a unique opportunity to scour record shops and warehouses. I would find my self-digging through various unheard of labels and artists of the funk genre. The music is fantastic and like Northern, it hadn't been heard. Manifesto: Blackpool Mecca and the "Levine must go" T Shirts? Were you involved? Keb: I used to wear a Levine must go t-shirt; I thought that he played a pile of shite; I equally thought that Winstanley played a pile of shite at the same time. I wasn't a sixties only boy I was a good music only boy. Manifesto: How do you feel about Stafford getting the lions share of the credit of what is now the current sound, when in fact a great number of those sounds were first played at the Casino during it's last 18 months? Keb: I don't mind, I suppose me and Guy really pushed it you know Richard Serling at the end of The Casino was playing really good top quality stuff but it wasn't really getting accepted, then Dave came along and he was playing some brilliant stuff but he didn't get accepted. And being the uppity bastard that I am, I thought I will get accepted or I will ram it down their throats! So I would say things like "Look, your into soul, this is soul ya c "ts" Manifesto: Keb tell us a bit about the 100 Club. Keb: I was living in London and round about their second or third night, when they first started, they wouldn't play Northern, they were playing mainly sixties music I used to moan like f*** then Addy said to me after about the third one "You wanna play a set of Northern?" "Fuckin right I do!" I used to do the 100 Club when I wasn't doing Stafford. Manifesto: So how do you leap from Northern to funk? Keb: About 1987 I got divorced and I sold all my Northern mainly to Butch, Rob Marriott and Manship, he bought the scraps it was a good day for him that day! He gave me six hundred quid for The Del Larks and sold it for two thousand six hundred! I then went to Japan for six months and started playing Funk. They have mountains of Deep Funk and Soul like Detroit used to have! Manifesto: Do you think there is now going to be a stampede over to the Japanese record shops? Keb: I'm not too sure about that, the language barrier is a problem, I remember Butch going across and ringing me from a taxi, lost in the middle of no were with no one who could speak English! I had to tell the Japanese taxi driver to come to Bajoua. So unless you speak Japanese or read a bit of Japanese, your fucked I don't care, no one going to get it. Manifesto: Do you think we will see any of this stuff crossing over to the Northern Scene? Keb: Maybe not now coz the Northernsoul Scene is too fuckin anal retentive, I can't get into the sixties RnB, I love fifties RnB I love Slim Harpo. I like hard core "Billy" but that aint gonna cross over! I used to be so fuckin narrow minded Northern was the only thing with a bit of modern but then I got into every thing. Manifesto: How do you become responsible for four of the worlds top compilations albums of funk with BBE Records? Keb: My education on the Northern scene taught me about records and I had been supplying Norman J and Roy of the Roach with tunes on the rare groove scene but they didn't go deep enough. They didn't realise how much there was in the obscure funk world. So I thought, no one has done this, every one likes it, and I'm going to go deeper! I'm gonna go back to the states and dig out all the funk records I suppose I was the first to start looking deep in America for funk, like the Northern scene. Manifesto: Are you just producing now with BBE? Keb: No I'm actually writing some stuff as well! It's so easy, you just sit in the bathtub with a Dictaphone and sing songs that don't exist, give the tape to a musician and sort it in a studio. It's a doddle producing records. Manifesto: What is your involvement with The Rocket? Keb: Ian wanted me to do a Funk room, but the first night wasn't really my scene with the speeches an all the carry on with The 4 Vandals. I wondered if it was real or not? I heard the hype; I heard the song I thought, "f*** off!" I'm sorry mate, but you're kidding every one on! Manifesto: Keb your due to start your set any minute, what are you going to play? Keb: I have bought over a couple of hundred records, mainly deep funk but there are going to be a few surprises tonight you'll have to wait and see. Manifesto: Keb's set started with a rich deep creamy funky number that fooled the dance floor into thinking the tempo was to fall, but this cheeky little number plucked from Keb's record box took us all by surprise as it exploded into...well..............funk!! Every now and again through out the set I thought I could hear a distant memory of the soul scene? As this was the night Keb burst me Funk Cherry I had to ask for information on the records he was playing. One of the embarrassing moments was saying to Keb that the record being spun sounded a little like Gill Scott Heron? Only to be told that it was and could I recognise the next one? The following track was Lou Pride ripping him self-apart funk stylee! I had to ask how much? It was over a grand! It may not be Northernsoul but it was funkin good! I asked Keb if he had any message for the young kids, he said: Keb: "To all the young kids out there, stop fucking listening to music that matches your image and listen to music that makes you feel good" Keb Darge's All Time Top Ten 1. Gwen Owens -Just say you're wanted (Velgo) 2. Ernest Baker -Alone Again (Blue Soul) 3. Tomangoes -I really love you (Washpan) 4. Del Larks -Job Opening (Queen City) 5. Salvadores -Stick by me baby (Wise World) 6. Eddie Parker -I'm gone (Awake) 7. Ric Cartey -Scratching on my screen (BRC) 8. Leon Gardner -The natural (Calla) 9. Ramona Collins -You've been cheating (Clarks) 10. Al Williams -I am nothing (La Beat) Keb Darge's Current Top Ten Play list 1. Mickey & Soul Generation -How good is good (MRG) 2. The Highlighters -Funky 16 corners (PRP) 3. Groove Merchants -There's got to be someone for me (Suemi) 4. Dayton Sidewinders -Funky I'm here (Carlco) 5. Glowlighters -Over and over (Uptown) 6. Earl Carter -Shake your po po (Princess) 7. Joe Cotto Orchestra -Alex Twister (Magda) 8. Record Player -Free your mind 9. Reggie Saddler Revue -Raggedy Bag (Aquarius) 10. The Highlanders -Lock Jaw (Lemon Drop)

Roccia, greetings brother! I met a couple of Italians during recent Isle of Wight Scooter Rally and I asked if they knew you, sorry I forgot their names? They both said they did and I asked for my salutations to be passed on to you. Long live Northernsoul and long live the diversity it brings, Jock lets not fall out......... I chalange you to a dance off, bring your white socks! XXX

Jocko my mother is German, my wife is German and my children have dual nationality. Wanna come to my house when the world cup is played, I'll show you xenophobic ya cheeky fookah. The only person worthy of playing the xenophobe was Sir Patrick Moore, don't even pretend to call me a racist! How very very dare you.

Una and Ralph, I thank you both for not attacking me and allowing me to give a point of view without jumping on me. Danke. I was a very proud to be part of Germanys "Northernsoul Family" and much honored to be accepted on the German Scooter Scene. The German boys and girls who are the back bone of the German Scene are ultra fans with a depth of musical knowledge that dwarfed mine, Carsten Fox, Michael Wiherhand, Michael Fuchs, Bio, "Sunny" Martin Driever, Champ, Michael Wink and Gerd Baum just to name a few who I respect and call my friends. All mega DJ's but none can dance to save their lives LOL. Alas in ordnung especially my socks, shorts and sandals! LOl

You are very mistaken by saying we based The Northernsoul Scene on a culture from the states; we based Northernsoul music and made a youth culture. The youth culture or scene called northernsoul started in my back yard with a music that was of course originally from the states. We did not shadow or copy a culture we, GB formed it into our own and gave it a fashion, a way of living and a flavour that far exceeds its origin. It became ingrained into the lives of large group of people who formed a sub culture. We do have our fair share of UK Soul records, not sure if there are any European ones, apart from a few that have been translated or sang in local tongues. We did this with Italian Scooters both the Mod scene and the soul scene are ours but we have others, Punk, Teddy Boys, New romantics, Skinheads, Goths, Chavs, there are many more iconic Great British youth cults but none from Europe? Can you name one European sub or youth culture that isn't a copy of some one else? No you can't because there aren't any. I am not saying you are unimaginative I am saying your culture does not allow youthful expression, not my fault but it is a massive cultural difference that separates the UK from main land Europe. Just because you don't like it doesn't mean it's true and just because I say it doesn't mean I'm a racist!!! If you are suggesting as well that I have been to the wrong clubs and that I have some how missed a vibrant European Soul scene than that is just a cop out. The scenes exist like this.. First you have a small hand full of well informed soul fans who collect, visit the UK, DJ at their events and even organise them. Then you get a small number of inquisitive people who like the sounds and love the dancing. Then you get what I call "The meat and potatoes" these are the majority of young students and the like out for a good time, not really caring too much about the music or dancing. These can usually be seen holding a bottle of the latest alcohol pop or half a beer and launching them selves across the dance floor in a drunken state whilst spilling the drinks on to the dance floor. Sad yes, true yes. You do not respect the dance floor and the majority do not respect the music. In the UK we revere the dance floor and worship the music, that's not me making things up that's me pointing out the reality of European Northernsoul. I didn't say it was bad, I just told it like it is. What did you think to my shorts? I still have nice legs but the beer belly kinda takes the shine of them :-)

This is where I am going to sound like a racist, I am not but I will tell the truth. Like it or not, there are two places in the world that spawn "Youth Culture" The USA and GB full fookin stop. Japan, Europe and any other country that has a "Scene" is a poor copy of ours or the states. Why? Because their culture does not lend its self well to youthful expression, of course there are teenagers but there is a void when it comes down to angry young men in their bed room with a guitar, they do not have the "Paul Weller Syndrome". At best you will get a novelty record or a flash in the pan rarity like "Sukiyaki", "Ninety nine red balloons" and a few odds n sods coming from Australia. Vis-Â -vis there is no real dance culture apart from a clumsy replication of ours, Germany is a prime example. Small dedicated group of Northernsoul fans who make your jaw drop when dancing, in a bad way! There will never be a "HQ" of any description of any music or scene worthy of inspiration until the youth of mainland Europe really free themselves from their culture. It's very similar to Britain's youth of the early fifties discovering rock n Roll then discovering that they are teenagers, we as a nation can pin point HP and the end of national service as the point of liberation but there was no "Youth Explosion" in Europe. List the European pop songs that have inspired any one, a very short list I can think of none? List GB's and you could fill a book! I do not mean to cause any offence here, it is the truth. I take my hat off to the few "foreign" Soul fans who keep the flame burning but it is our flame. Credentials: Lived in Germany for eleven years and I have been an active participant (not a born again) on the Soul and Scootering scene since 1979. Oh and as far as "Socks n Sandals", here is me dancing at Cleethorpes complete with white socks n sandals, luckily the fashion police where off duty that weekend! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoJNe_WTtAo

Used to sit next to the soul fairy at the 100 club, hi robin where ever you are you mad fooker :-)

Frances Nero - Footsteps Following Me was prettttttttttttttttttttty fookin good though, oh and The Mecca ............ I like him. Gobs off a bit but he has got talent.

I saw him in Hamburg never been so bored in my young fookin life! I was all pumped up for "I don't want to see my self" and "Look at Me Now" he played some right suicide music that you could bury your Aunt Mabel to. Terry Callier has three top tunes that make ya go ooh on the dance floor, the rest is for pot heads! And for those who want to jump up and say Imberboy don't know his music....... Behave! I am a Northernsoul legend! Ask any one on The Downe. I bet that any one on this list could only listen to TERRY CALLIER - ESSENTIAL-VERY BEST OF only three times, even if it was for charity you would rather kill yer sen! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3V2-_7YvD9I This is Theee only Callier track, the rest make me wanna kill prostitutes!

godzilla ya got me, my spelling is shat.. cnut :-)

I think I have finally gone mad? Does Cody Black - I'm Slowly Molding sound like the Ad Libs - Johnny My Boy? I know there are loads of links between loads of different tracks such as the same stable, same session Musicians and the like, are there any conections with these two? Or am I the only tosspot who thinks they sound similar? You can hear the Adlibs on The Vault of Soul page; (Sheffield Hi see ya tomorrow at Ponds forge) https://www.vault-of-soul.co.uk/audio.htm https://www.vault-of-soul.co.uk/stream/adlibs.ram and Cody Black here on the Soul Club Site: https://www.soulclub.org/cgi-bin/alpha?s=C https://www.soulclub.org/stream/Cody_Black_-_I'm_Slowly_Molding.ram

Kinell! Just had a flash back to the day! We where all cool as fook! The music was brilliant and a zillion light years from Casino Classics, I am not too hot on the Modern front, well hard to keep up but I do still get electricity through my feet every now and again from our wonderful scene. Never thought I'd be nostalgic about newies played at Bensons but then again we are all getting a little old. Bensons for me was the first time I'd seen the dressers wearing trainers and sports casuals with expensive labels! I think "Footloose" was on at the cinemas at the time and commercial music took a turn for the worse with no dance music of any worth getting on TV. Soulies where still associated with baggy trousers and tank tops but we where secret agents who disappeared into the cold dark nights searching for some thing more than half a larger and Agadoo. If any one has Searching by Change could they please send me it xxx in advance.

kinell!! Cheers mossy, looks like all my cool have gone....... forever. Is this scooter scene soul scene crossover? LOL

R R R R R R R R R R Rave on!

Imagine there was no internet for a second? Well I for one of many spent most of my twenties and thirties at Nighters when the tinternet was unheard of by most. This is how it worked, You got a copy of Echoes and flipped straight to the back for Brady's Beat for the next Nighters venue. You rang up 9not on a mobile) one or three of your mates to see who was going and to score.... (Bad subject, read past this) You went out and bought a new shirt and made sure you had enough deodorant, aftershave, talk, and clean socks n shreddies then counted down the days to the venue. Promise your young wife you'd be back in plenty of time to do some thing on Sunday and swear blind that you won't spend all day in bed Phetting! Pick me mate up from Doncaster, Scotty, drive towards the nighters playing or cassettes and playing the "Remember this game". Get lost; ask some local who knows nothing about where he lives for the location of the venue. Prey its still on. Pay yer money and shake hands with every one. Buy a coke, shake hands and hug. Change shoes and have a dance, shake hands kiss cheeks hug. Dance some more, squirt some deodorant and change shirt. Dance. Buy coke do some more wiz, dance. Drink coke, dance, hug, bend some ones ear off in the bogs, or avoid having your ear bent in the bogs by some equally boring dude who is just fookin happy to see you and be at a Nighter. Dance, have a coffee, get pissed off coz it's the last record. Hug, kiss on cheek, shake hands, pick up the flyers from the tables and walk towards the door. Hug, shake hands, kiss cheeks, swap phone numbers when some one produces a pencil (remember them?). Blink whilst walking towards the car, sun glasses on, drive to motorway services. Coffee shake hands, kiss cheeks, hug. "See ya at Keele?" Drive home trying to remember the name of the track that nearly bought you to tears. Get home; pretend to be interested in what your wife watched last night on TV whilst trying to remember the track that nearly bought you to tears. Have a power nap and spend Sunday talking shite and trying to mingle in with your wife's friends hoping no one ever finds out that you are really from a far distant planet where you only really exist between 1200hrs and 0800hrs along with the other aliens from the planet Soul! That's what it was fookin like before the internet, not too bad me thinks. What have we now? Well every one is a CD e-bay expert with a collection of electronic northern tracks that would make the big DJ's weep over. No one needs to move much further than their back bed room to comment on The Casino or on any other Northernsoul subject. Could I do with out the internet?................ I'd cut my mousse balls off in a thrice.

kin ell!!! Loves it!!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgynNVBDsDM The Spinners

Just found this! JOAN OSBORNE I'll Be Around Terri Wells - I'll Be Around did a cracking version of this around about 1984 and it still gets some plays to this day, the original was the Detroit Spinners or was it The Detroit Emeralds? Love the track, down tempo slider but wow what a toptastic tune! What's your favorite?

Well I have to come clean over this, when we see a "Norvun" DJ on a scooter run me and the lads take it in turns to request the Snake, some times we will have 5 or 6 people request it. When the DJ eventually snaps and plays it we go mental. Sorry if this was our lads n lasses but it makes us giggle. The best thing to say is "I left it at home" but we have this covered coz we will have bought it along!!! Whoooooooohooooooooooooo Great to see you there.

Ady Crowsnest at Mersea Island Scooter Run Great to see our very own Ady Croasdale zipping around like a punter at this years Mersea island Scooter Rally, Ady I did say hi, I was one of The Armed Forces Scooter Club wearing a camouflage kilt! Hope you had a great time, The Northernsoul aint gonna blow any ones sox off but the party atmosphere was fantastique! Did a little write up and we have some very strange pictures on our AFSC web site: https://www.tafsc.com/MERSEA%20AGM%202007.htm