Ian Dewhirst

A 'lil Christmas goody for those who hate hearing the same old tunes year after year - here's a Soulful Christmas comp that should warm the cockles of your heart as we head towards the season of goodwill....... Soulful Christmas 2/12/2013 Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Soulful-Christmas-Various-Artists/dp/B00GD71XZK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1385026175&sr=8-1&keywords=soulful+christmas Track Listing 1. Please Come Home For Christmas - Charles Brown 2. Gee Whiz It’s Christmas - Carla Thomas 3. Merry Christmas Baby - Otis Redding 4. Let It Snow - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles 5. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - The Impressions 6. Santa Claus Go Straight To The Ghetto - James Brown 7. Christmas Time Is Here Again - The Flirtations 8. I Want To Come Home For Christmas - Marvin Gaye 9. What Do The Lonely Do At Christmas - The Emotions 10. This Christmas - Donny Hathaway 11. My Gift To You - Alexander O’Neal 12. Cold Cold Winter In The Ghetto - Lonnie Hill 13. Silver Bells - Lou Rawls 14. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas - The Whispers 15. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town - Ann Sexton 16. I Love Christmas - Eugene Wilde 17. You And Me This Christmas - Natasha Watts 18. Let It Snow ’98 - Boyz 11 Men 19. The Christmas Song - Faith Evans 20. This Christmas - Stephanie Mills Ian D

You mean backfield right? Ian D

What makes you think she didn't......? Ian D

You beat me to it. "Backfield In Motion" was a staple at the time and also in the first collection I bought in '71.... Ian D

Yep. I believe the term 'puredee' was way too regional for most people to understand. I actually had a quick look last night and 'puredee' was obviously a term which passed most people by and plainly still does. Not surprised they substituted it. Ian D

Some call 'em theories, some agree Steve. That's the beauty of music 'cos ulimately no one knows but the writer. I think it adds another interesting layer to some songs. I spent quite a while trying to make sense of certain lyrics, especially pre internet. Stuff like "Be's that way sometimes", "You got my nose wide open" etc, etc and some of this stuff goes back to particular regions and specific times which I find interesting. The 'puredee' expression above being a good example. Even the Americans argue about this LOL.... I see we're back in the commuter grind again.... Ian D

Great thread. Lotsa fun. OK, now we've finally got "Backfield In Motion" sorted out, does anyone have any views on what the hell THIS means:- Sound kinda sinister to me...... Ian D

??????? Here's what I said: "Actually Dave, I think if you listen to the lyrics properly, the song is actually about a girl's arse. They're merely using the grid-iron and other sporting references as a metaphor to describe the fact that this girl is really exploiting her arse to the detriment and embarrassment of her former boyfriend....." Here's what you said: "More incorrect information from you Ian. The song is nothing to do with a "girl's arse" as you suggest……another of your loose guesses that's just wrong……" Here's what Boba said: "steve is right about the general meaning of the song (it's about a girl cheating) but the double entendre of "back field" meaning the woman's ass still applies. it doesn't mean she's shaking her ass, but he caught her, and her ass, with another dude" That's not re-writing history mate. It's correctly interpreting the double-entendre that was obviously intended in the lyrics. So I'm happy to stick with my view. Arse songs were pretty popular back then too. Ian D

It's just nice to have an American compratriot confirming what I was trying to say before my right hand got tired...... Ian D

But her ass, if not shaking, is technically still in motion right? Ian D

Thanks Bob. For a second there I thought I'd tipped the balance into some kind of bizarre mentally twisted perversion mode....... Glad we clarified that then! Ian D

You mean it isn't?????? Ian D

Now that is one f*ck of a tail feather. Surely if she shakes it too hard it's got a good chance of detaching though? I think she'd be better off keeping her backfield motionless in this instance...... Ian D

So "shake a tail feather" is obvious? What exactly is a tail feather then? Ian D

So, "I caught you with your backfield in motion" isn't about a girl shaking her ass then? And all the other instances quoted above where the lyrics included "backfield in motion' and arses, weren't about arses either and the authors of those songs made exacty the same mistake I did? What does "Shake a Tail Feather" mean then? OK. I'll have to start re-evaluating my understanding of black lyrics. I'm the type of guy that always thought that Honey Cone's "Whilst You're Out Looking For Sugar" was about a guy who was actively seeking the attractions of another woman, when, in actual fact, he'd merely run out of sugar and had nipped out to try and find some. Back to the drawing board I guess...... Ian D

Crazy. The Christian white fundamentalists didn't have much of a problem with Johnnie Taylor's "Who's Making Love", a million-selling U.S. pop hit about adultery from the year before. Black Music had used innuendo in it's lyrics for the best part of 20 years before "Backfield In Motion", in fact, there was a thread about innuendo on this very forum a while back:- All songs are open to interpretation obviously and the way I interpreted "Backfield In Motion" was as innuendo when I actually listened to the lyrics properly and I guarantee you that's the way the song would have been interpreted in any black club in the late 60's in my opinion. You'd be nuts to think otherwise with those lyrics seriously. Have you ever thought about becoming a white christian fundamentalist Steve? I think you'd make a cracking one mate! Ian D

I notice he went past that Bobby Treetop demo a bit lively...... Ian D

Yeah, granted some actual motion would have been helpful LOL.... I've actually heard it used in ghetto vernacular many times, mostly when describing someone's arse, ie, "Now that's what I call a backfield in motion brutha" etc, etc...... It's cropped up in a few songs since mind, principally in E.U.'s 1989 smash, conveniently named, "Da Butt" - a song which is pretty much devoted to the wonders of the female gluteus maximus ..... "Notion, put your backfield in motion, Hey doin' the butt. Hey sexy, sexy Ain't nothing wrong, if you want to do the butt all night long" And naturally, rap music clasped the 'backfield in motion' terminology to it's bosom, check out Grandmaster Flash's "Them Jeans"...... "Walkin' through my neighborhood Her backfield's in motion Clingin' to body smooth as lotion Struttin' that stuff so firm and lean" Pretty standard stuff in the hoods I hang in......... Ian D

Just another boring Monday morning at work........ https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=k2thrVC0Nes#t=3 Ian D

No, this one was a very sparse mailout and only went to a limited few apparently. It was hard to get at the time - I was actually on Phonogram UK's DJ list at the time and I didn't get one. Took me a fair while to coax one out of a friend..... Ian D

Yep, it is. It's actually something of a UK Holy Grail 12" for many 12" collectors. Very few and far between. I can't imagine what the pressing run was..... Ian D

Also worth pointing out that the UK Promo-Only 12" of "Nine Times" is seriously rare (with "Do What You Feel" - The Rimshots on the other side)...... https://wap.popsike.com/70s-Northern-Disco-MOMENTS-RIMSHOTS-nine-UK-Promo-12/360383435063.html Ian D

And here's a You Tube clip in the true spirit of the song..... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-Lh9J2cx8E Ian D

Could well be Rob. I'm not actually familiar with the record. I presume it must have been a local hit to warrant a re-press? Ian D