Shooting on Stoke-based Northern Soul feature film 'Souled Out' starts this week and we are looking for volunteer extras to take part this SATURDAY (23rd - all day) when we will shoot a massive dance scene which will recreate the vibe of the 70s at Wigan Casino!

If you are interested, available, can get to centre of Stoke Town Centre (we are shooting in the Kings Hall) on Sat and want the fantastic experience of being on the set of a film that should become Stoke's 'Full Monty', then input your details on this page: http://www.ipsofactofilms.com/souledout and we'll call you back ASAP. If you're aged 16+, you don't need any experience or skills, just enthusiasm!

This is really going to put Stoke on the map and I hope you can be a part of it.

Definitely have a look at the Wigan Casino clip on You Tube! It looks to be really exciting! Stoke already holds many Northern Soul nights so I'm sure there is plenty of interest!

The Kings Hall is just off over the bring from Stoke-on-Trent Railway Station (5mins walk), very easy to get to if coming from Stoke's surrounding cities!

1. The Glories / I Worship You Baby
2. Cindy Scott / I Love You Baby
3. The Ringleaders / Baby, What has happend to our love
4. Clifford Binns / You've Got To Help Me
5. The Appreciations / It's Better To Cry
6. Bonnie Herman / Hush Don't Cry
7. Barbara Lewis / The stars
8. Edward Hamilton And The Arabians / Baby Don't You Weep
9. The Tomangoes / I Really Love You
10. The Nomads / Somethin's Bad
11. (COVER UP) / Just XXXXXXX XXXX
12. Eddie Ray / Wait A Minute
13. The Jackie Beavers Show / We're Not Too Young To Fall In Love
14. Pat & The Blenders / Just Because
15. The Monticellos / I Can't Wait Until I See
16. Dottie And Millie / Talkin' About My Baby
17. (COVER UP) / XXXX You XXXX XXXXX
18. The ESP's / We're Gonna Make It
19. Fabulous Peps / With These Eyes
20. Chuck Overton / Is it possible?
21. Lorraine Chandler / I Can't Hold On
22. Parliament / Heart Trouble
23. Mel Britt / She'll Come Running Back
24. The Natural Four / I Thought You Were Mine
25. Archie Bell & The Drells / Thousand wonders
26. Timi Yuro / It'll Never Be Over For Me

Miss Fontella Bass

"Listen -Fontella Bass & Bobby McClure - Don't Mess Up a Good Thing - MP3"

Greetings all.

I hope the dawning of a new week finds you well, at least well enough for some groovy soul music.
Today’s selection is an example of an absolutely fantastic record that I was utterly and completely ignorant of for year, until I saw a clip of it being performed on (get ready, hear it comes…no seriously) VH-1 Soul. That’s right.
Any remaining scrap of respectability I had just flew out the window into the dark recessed of the interwebs.
I mean, one might be inclined to argue that there are only so many hours in the day, and it’s just not possible to hear every cool record (especially ones on labels with a R&B/soul discography of some size, like Checker), but I know you. You, reader are exacting fans of soul and funk, anoraks one and all, now crestfallen that I have been shown to have feet of clay….
Or….
You just might be willing to overlook a gaping hole in my expertise when you realize the exceedingly high quality of the record I bring you today.
The record in question, “Don’t Mess Up a Good Thing” by Fontella Bass and Bobby McClure, no doubt remained unknown to me due to my well developed ‘Fontella Bass Blind Spot’, a kind of psychic callous developed over the years as a response to the unrelenting repetition of ‘Rescue Me’ as a staple of oldies radio. Much like the Youngbloods ‘Get Together’ or ‘White Rabbit’ by the Jefferson Airplane, songs which have become shorthand for the Summer of Love, ‘Rescue Me’ (especially it’s opening bass/drums line) has become a similar signifier for “soul music”, at least as it’s come to be known on mainstream radio and late night Time-Life CD commercials. I’ve heard this song so many times, that like the Supremes’ ‘Baby Love’, ‘Rescue Me’ has become a Pavlovian signal for me to turn the channel.
As a result, I never explored the discography of Fontella Bass any further (yes, I know, my bad). Thusly, when the clip of Bass and McClure came on during some documentary it was completely new to me, and as the kids are wont to say, I flipped my lid.
It was but a short time before I secured myself a copy of the 45, digi-ma-tized it and placed it into the to-be-blogged folder.
‘Don’t Mess Up a Good Thing’ - from 1965 – was the first of two duet 45s with Bobby McClure. It was released twice, once with the instrumental ‘Jerk Loose’ by Oliver Sain (who Bass had worked with in her native St. Louis) on the flip (the one I have) and again with the song ‘Baby What You Want Me To Do’.
The tune is a killer with a driving dance beat and great vocals by both singers.
Bass recorded ‘Rescue Me’ later the same year, and the rest as they say, is history. Bass went onto marry Lester Bowie, and record with his group the Art Ensemble of Chicago. She eventually returned to her roots as a Gospel singer (her mother Martha Bass also recorded for Checker as a gospel artist).
I hope you dig the tune.

Peace
Larry

PSS Don't forget to head over to Iron Leg for some snotty garage punk!

PSSS Check out Paperback Rider as well.

The Platters

"Listen -The Platters - I Get The Sweetest Feeling - MP3"

Greetings all.

I hope all is well in your corner of the universe, and that you're ready to close out the week with something fine and mellow.

Today’s selection is a cover of a longtime fave that I only became aware of after I blogged the original version by Jackie Wilson.
The Platters, one of the great R&B harmony groups of the 50’s are one of the few prominent groups of that era to continue on into the soul era (the other being the Flamingos, more on that in a minute).
The original version of the Platters had its last big hit in 1960 with ‘Harbor Lights’. The years that followed saw the group fall apart, splitting into a few separate factions that fought over the name for a few years. Buck Ram, the songwriter/entrepreneur that put the group together in the first place, had by the middle of the 1960’s reassembled the group for a string of 45s and LPs on the Musicor label. This version of the group (with Herb Reed being the only member of the original Platters), which managed to hit the Top 40 a number of times in 1966 and 1967 had a much more contemporary sound.
Interestingly enough, one of the vocalists in the “new” Platters was none other than Nate Nelson, who sang the memorable lead on the Flamingos’ ‘I Only Have Eyes for You’.
The Platters’ version of ‘I Get the Sweetest Feeling’ was the title track from their 1968 LP ‘I Get the Sweetest Feeling’. They take the tune at a somewhat more measured pace than Wilson (whose more danceable version is popular with the Northern Soulies), squeezing every drop of sweet soul out of Van McCoy’s melody.
I’m always up for a new and different version of a great tune, especially when the song in question is one of my favorites.
I hope you dig it too.

Have a great weekend and I'll see you on Monday.

Peace
Larry

PSS Don't forget to head over to Iron Leg for some coolness!

PSSS Check out Paperback Rider as well.

SF trip, part 3: the evening. I ate at Squat and Gobble (the one on Chestnut, not Haight) before going back to the hotel for a rest. I was thinking of going down to Norh Beach, as I like it round there, or perhaps to the toronado in Haight, where they have a lot of interesting beers. I ended up doing neither, just sticking around near the hotel, up Polk Gulch / Tenderloin. I popped into a small place called Vertigo for a cocktail - for some unknown reason, I fancied one, something fruity. I got one called Polk Punch, which turned out to be the foulest thing I have ever drunk. It had something like grape vodka in it, some nasty shite. so I just went to the Edinburgh Castle on Geary - been there before, know it has good beer, sorted. I was wearing my favourite "northern soul" top, and as luck would have it, it turned out to be a northern soul night! Pretty happy accident. All of the music was utterly amazing. I drew the above at the bar, in blue staedtler triplus fineliner, and then scribbled some dancing, in brown.

A note on the dancing: years ago, I used to go to a tiny club in London, and there was this one guy who I think lived only to dance to northern soul, phenomenally active, dressed the part, hair just so. Anyway there was one guy dancing on Saturday who was almost exactly the same person, you could just tell that was basically what he did, it was his thing every bit as much as crouching over a sketchbook is my thing. Respect, I thought; until I saw he had pulled off his shirt and was dancing only in his tie. Respect lost, I thought again. 

Anyway, that was my night out; don't get them any more, so I'm glad it was set to good music.

Miss Sugar Pie DeSanto

"Listen -Sugar Pie DeSanto - Go Go Power - MP3"

Greetings all.

The tune I bring you today is the very definition of ‘hard as fuck’.
I’ll start out by admitting that I slept on the recordings of Sugar Pie Desanto for a long time, knowing her name but not the sounds that she put on wax.
Desanto – born Umpeylia Balinton – is one of the great journeywoman R&B singers, with a career that has lasted more than half a century.
Though she was born in Brooklyn, she grew up in San Francisco and got her start as part of the Johnny Otis Show, eventually moving on to a stint with James Brown. She had her first chart hit in 1960 with ‘I Want To Know’. She recorded a string of dynamite soul sides (and a 1961 LP) for Checker between 1961 and 1966, including her burning collaboration with Etta James ‘In the Basement’.
The tune I bring you today was the a-side of her final 45 for Checker, and is another entry into the shit-hot records used for TV ads in the UK list*.
Desanto was a hard edged soul shouter, and ‘Go Go Power’ may be the best thing she ever did.
I’d been looking for a copy of this 45 for a while, and recently found it (along with a couple of other long time wantlist items) in a box of – how do they say – premium priced 45s at a record show. Fortunately for all concerned it was early in the day, and I had a pile of green burning a hole in my pocket, so I took it out and let it burn a hole in the record box, and Sugar Pie came home with Daddy.
‘Go Go Power’ sees Sugar Pie wailing over a heavy bass/drums/organ foundation, aided and abetted by a rock solid horn chart. It’s a dance floor burner guarantee to get the wallflowers up and moving.
Following her tenure with Checker, Desanto continued to record through the 70’s for San Francisco’s Jasman label. Since the early 90’s she has recorded a number of bluesy LPs and continues to perform today.
I hope you dig the tune.

Peace
Larry

*In this case, for Nivea. The list also includes Ernie K. Doe's 'Here Come the Girls'

PSS Don't forget to head over to Iron Leg for some coolness!

PSSS Check out Paperback Rider as well.

Love and crumpets, TBC

Junkie Hustle - Earths Delight

Backtalk - The 2nd Amendment Band

Thinking Black - Ike Turner & The Kings Of Rhythm

Yeah, You're Right - The Meters

The Big Apple - Uncle Sam

I Think I Made A Boo Boo - Rufus Thomas

Switch no.1 - Who (Ngubani)

You Can't Go On - Lonnie Lester

I Dig Your Act - The Whatnauts

Jamos Soul - Jamo Thomas

Budos Theme - The Budos Band

There Was - The Naturall Band

Pick Up The Pieces One By One - A.A.B.B

You Said A Bad Word - Joe Tex

My Credit Didn't Go Through - Freddie King

Who's Making Love - The Commodores

I'd Rather Be With You - Bootsy Collins

Guest mix for Fajita Funk / Futurebeat Radio mp3

Cal Tjader b/w Someone forgot to scan the 45 label...

"Listen -Cal Tjader - Soul Sauce - MP3"

7-18 Asbury Park 45 Sessions Set List

Funky16Corners
Cal Tjader – Soul Sauce (Verve)
Shark Wilson & the Basement Heaters – Make It Reggae (Ashanti)
Ray Barretto – Hard Hands (Fania)
Tommy McCook – Moon Invader (Dr Bird)
Tito Puente – Oye Como Va (Tico)
Johnny Lytle – You’ve Got to Love the World (Solid State)
Dottie Cambridge – He’s About a Mover (MGM)
Sugar Pie Desanto – Go Go Power (Checker)
Jackie Lee – The Shotgun & the Duck (Mirwood)
Gene Waiters – Shake & Shingaling Pt1 (Fairmount)
Roy Thompson – Sookie Sookie (Okeh)
Precisions – You’ll Soon Be Gone (Drew)
Radiants – Voice Your Choice (Chess)
Pointer Sisters – Yes We Can (Blue Thumb)
Harry J All Stars – Liquidator (Harry J)
Prince Buster – Al Capone (Blue Beat)

Greetings all.
I come to you in the middle of a heat wave (we’re supposed to be closing in on 100 degrees today), and I figured if I was going to do a 45 Sessions wrap up, I’d better dig into my set list and serve up something hot.
The July Asbury Park 45 Sessions were (if we’re strictly talking records here) was another kick-ass chapter in the continuing saga of DJ Prestige and his merry band of vinyl wranglers. There were some predictably smoking sets by DJ Prestige (with a mind boggling stretch of Tighten Up and Tighten Up related tunes cut, scratched and blended to perfection, DJ Devil Dick, MFasis, Jack the Ripper and, arriving in the nick of time, DJ Prime.
The music was hot, but there was an unease in the air (no doubt a heat related mania of a sort) that culminated in a brief but spirited donnybrook which included a flying electric fan and a scrum in the middle of one of the lanes. By the time I took my leave equilibrium had once again been achieved (though no one can say for how long).
My own set – listed above – was by and large a departure from the heavy funk, with an emphasis in the first half on reggae and latin sounds, with a heaping helping of dance floor soul (much of the Northern variety).
The tune I bring you today was my lead-off record, and has been a HUGE favorite of mine for, well…FOREVER. Cal Tjader has been featured in this space before (and will be again, I assure you).
‘Soul Sauce (Guacha Guaro)’ is a cover pulled from the very beginnings of latin jazz, written by none other than Dizzy Gillespie and the mighty conguero Chano Pozo. Originally laid down by Gillespie’s ground breaking bop-era big band, Tjader picked the tune up in 1965, laid a little boogaloo on it (assisted by Willie Bobo) and created what may be the ne plus ultra of dance floor jazz. Pull down the ones and zeros, grab yourself a mojito and just see of you can resist working up a sweat. ‘Soul Sauce’ is the perfect 45 for a hot summer night.
In related news, we creep ever closer to the one-million-hit mark, so sit tight and I’ll be back at the beginning of the week with some more goodness.

Peace
Larry

PSS Don't forget to head over to Iron Leg for some coolness!

PSSS Check out Paperback Rider as well.

After the naked truth about some of the great and good within the Hoggin the Beaver and Sherwood Chapter organisation, Saturday evening back on the campsite could have been a real anticlimax. However, the band that Pete had booked for this evening proved to be more than equal to the task of filling the dance floor and keeping the assembled throng entertained.

The Hound Dogs are a three piece rockabilly band. This statement does nothing to convey the supreme musicianship of these three lads, a guitarist who fingers turn into a blur across his semi-acoustic instrument as he finds time for fills, riffs and solos among the frantic pace set by a drummer who hardly ever sits down and an upright bass player who spins his bass around, lifts it above his head and never misses a beat.

The only down side to Saturday night at Hoggin the Beaver is the interminable raffle and auction that went on for over an hour between the band's two sets. It's a real shame that the music has to stop for so long, but let's also remember that the weekend is fundamentally all about fundraising. I know that I am in a minority here, but my own approach to this long and dull hour is to stay out of the way. 

Maybe last year's experience of having a pint of beer spilled over one of our speakers also influenced on my lack of interest in this, apart from a healthy determination to keep our equipment right out of the firing line.  Once we had achieved this, we stayed outside the building among the smokers, having some good conversations with a few other people who were .

It is a real credit to the Hound Dogs that they managed to rekindle the vibe once their second set got under way. Sue and I pushed and shoved our way back into the room to enjoy the music and the whole spectacle of the show. This culminated during their encore with the drummer setting fire to one of his cymbals and the guitarist standing on the bass drum.

If you get a chance to see the Hound Dogs, grab it, it will be a night to remember. They really are the ideal band for a small venue like the Rutland Arms at a gig packed with middle-aged bikers. From my point of view, they are also the kind of consummate professionals that any DJ is delighted to support.

After the band had finished, I was able to pick up on the great atmosphere, although I was disappointed that Sue was again unable to be with me on stage and that she went off to the tent and to bed.  Would you credit the fact that I even played some Northern Soul at a biker gig! Dobie Gray's "Out On The Floor" went into Muriel Day's "Nine Times Out Of Ten" and segued into the original version of "Tainted Love" by Gloria Jones. With lots of other Motown and sixties music as well, we all had a chance to re-live our youth club days.

Whenever I do a gig for the Sherwood Chapter lot, I always play the favourite record of one of our members, Carol Wright. From the reaction at this gig, it seems that a lot of other people also have a soft spot for "Everlasting Love" by Love Affair.  One of these days I must play Robert Knight's version for Carol.

At about quarter past one on Sunday morning, I was asked by one of the bar staff what time we intended to finish, so, abandoning the usual end-of-evening love songs, I finished with Led Zep's "Whole Lotta Love".

I was almost glad to stagger off down the camping field and fall into bed.

Sunday morning dawned bright, sunny and dry. We were still in the land of nod when we heard the first V-Twin engine rumble into life and away from the rally at about 7:30am. We had already decided that we were in no hurry, so the day eventually started with a cup of tea and spaghetti on raw toast (OK, it was on bread.)  We eventually went up to the pub and borrowed the function room key and got stuck into  a leisurely de-rig of the equipment. After loading up the car, it was time to turn our attention to the tent and camping gear.

By this time, the last of the dew had long dispersed and we stacked the contents of the tent outside on the grass while we took the tent down and worked out how to pack it back into the bag.

I really don't know why such a simple task always has to result in a few "words" between Sue and I, but it always does. She ought to know by now that I don't need to be told how to fold a tent. In fact, I'm reckon that tent packing is one skill that all men acquire in their genes.

Once the camping gear had been stuffed into the car on top of the disco gear it was almost lunchtime and Sue had very sensibly booked us into the pub for our Sunday lunch. We had to wait for a few minutes, which I used to help with some of the clearing up before settling down to an excellent Sunday roast and all the trimmings. I was surprised that we were the only campers in the place, although enough people seem to travel to the Rutland Arms that the campers weren't missed.

After lunch, we said our final goodbyes and set off for home where, after unloading the car, we crashed out to catch up on some much needed sleep.

Although we don't know the dates for next year's Hoggin the Beaver, it is possible that we won't be able to go if it's the same weekend in 2009. This has already been booked for my eldest son's wedding.

Ride Safe
Dave

It has experienced periodic cult popularity ever since it was unearthed in the '80s, but nobody seems to know anything about who made the recording. A complete mystery. The drunk old lady sitting next to you on the bus could be the apocryphal "Marsha Gee," singer of the immortal words, "Quack quack, quackgiggy, quackgiggy, brrrrrrr, quack quack, giggy giggy gi-gi-giggy-gooma, gi-gi-gi-gi-gi quackgiggy, quackgiggy, qi-gig-goom, gi-gig-goom, gi-gig-goom-goom." (Many thanks to slate.com for transcribing this; I always think there's a "perquacky" in there, and clearly this is not the case.) Or really, it could even be your mom who sang that. There are a lot of things you don't know about your mom.

But as mysterious as the song's origins are, I am more puzzled just by the words "peanut duck." The Peanut Duck is supposed to be a dance, but the song only discusses the duck aspect of said dance - flapping arms and lips pursed into a bill shape. There is nothing about acting like a peanut. It's possible that the song is referring to a particular type of fowl or legume called a peanut duck. But what's a peanut duck? A duck shaped like a peanut? A peanut shaped like a duck? Or is it just a duck who likes peanuts, a la the word "chowhound"?

I just don't know. But it's possible that I have found a clue:

Okay, maybe a peanut pig is not such a great clue. I guess I need to do some more research.

A Soulful Stitch In Time

"Listen -Roosevelt Grier - Slow Drag- MP3"

Greetings all.

I hope the dawning of a new week finds you well, and ready to groove to a selection by one of the stars of ‘The Thing With Two Heads’.
No, it’s not the great lost soul record by Ray Milland.
What it is, is one of the better recorded outings by the great Roosevelt Grier.
Back in the day, when I was but a tot, Rosie Grier was all over the place. Even then I think I knew he was once a football player (one of the NY Giants line known – for good reason – as ‘The Fearsome Foursome’). However, by the time he popped up on my radar he was first and foremost, “the big dude who did needlepoint”, and a cat who showed up with some regularity as a guest star on sitcoms, TV dramas and as a panelist on game shows. It wasn’t until many (MANY) years later, when my search for soul led me through the thorny expanse known as Northern Soul that I would discover that Mr. Grier, this renaissance man of sports and entertainment had also had a career as a vocalist.
Between the late 50s and the mid-70s Grier recorded fairly regularly for a number of labels including RIK, Liberty, MGM, and Amy. Amongst collectors of rare soul – especially the Northern types – his most requested biscuits are the 1966 raver ‘Pizza Pie Man’ on D-Town (trading in and around the 100 dollar mark) and his modern soul effort ‘Beautiful People’ (A&M 1973) which has sold for twice that much. Other than seeing his records turn up on want lists, I can’t say that I was too familiar with this end of his career.
That being said, that awareness lodged itself in the record collecting lobe of my brain, enough so that when I see a Rosie Grier 45 in the field, I pull it out and give it a spin. Such was the case a few months back when I came across this record while out digging with my man DJ Prestige.
I pulled this 45 out of a box and was instantly struck by the possibility that I would soon be causing some desperate English-person to part with his or her hard earned pounds sterling.
Needless to say, when I got home and hit the interwebs I immediately discovered that the Rosie Grier 45 that I found was not one of THE Rosie Grier 45s that people spend money for.
However this worked out in my favor, because any lack of rarity on the part of this particular 45 is more than compensated for in pure, soulful quality.
One of the first things I noticed when scanning the label, was that ‘Slow Drag’ b/w ‘Yesterday’ was clearly recorded in Memphis (always a good thing). I was expecting some kind of upbeat, danceable sound, but what I got was – as you’ll soon hear – something entirely different.
I won’t tell you that ‘Slow Drag’ isn’t danceable, on account of it is, but (big but here) the kind of dancing you’ll be doing while listening to it is not the kind of spinning on the talc, leaping in the air Wigan Casino stuff, but rather the sweaty, South of the Mason Dixon, roadhouse jukebox grind that may (on a good night) end up continuing to the squeaking rhythm of bedsprings.
That’s right friends…What Rosie went and did was hook himself up with the American Studios session crew in Memphis, got himself all sweaty and covered in Mississippi mud and laid it on down. The best thing about ‘Slow Drag’ (in addition to Rosie’s surprisingly good vocal) is that slow, sludgy organ riff running in the background that verily screams SOUL. What we have here is a very solid bit of mid-60’s Memphis soul that wouldn’t sound out of place in a collection of Goldwax sides. I suspect that it’s also not the only time he went to Memphis to record, since he has a side a few years later on the AGP label.
All that, and the fact that the flip side (featured in the pledge week mix) is a great deep soul cover of the Beatles ‘Yesterday’.
So dig it.

Peace
Larry

PS The next edition of the Asbury Park 45 Sessions are this coming Friday, July 18th at the World Famous Asbury Lanes. It would behoove those among you that profess a love for soul, funk, breaks and the like to fall by and make the scene.

PSS Don't forget to head over to Iron Leg for some coolness!

PSSS Check out Paperback Rider as well.

Love n' fruitgums, TBC

Mathar - Dave Pike Set

The Fuzz And Da Boog - Fuzzy Haskins

Give It Up - Lee Dorsey

Love Is Alright - Cliff Nobles & Co.

I'll Be True - Virgil Henry

Ice Cold Daydream - Shuggie Otis

Hot Dog - Four Shells

Gonna Get Me A Friend - Sir Joe Quarterman & Free Soul

Fat City Strut - Mandrill

Don't Wanna Play Pyjama Games - G.C. Cameron

You're A Winner - Leroy Hudson

My Heart Needs A Break - Linda Jones

Nothing Sweeter Than Love - 100 Proof

Bird Brain - James Rivers

Change Your Ways - Willie Kendrick

New Orleans - The Staple Singers

A Tribute To A King - William Bell

Don't Take My Sunshine - The Soul Children

Blown Away mp3

Jerry Jackson

Shrimp Boats A-Comin', There's Dancin' Tonight (Bear Family 1990)

http://www.divshare.com/download/4814985-cdb

There was something so refined, soulful and stately about the 60s r&b/soul recordings from singers with their roots in gospel. James Carr, Solomon Burke, Sam Cooke, Al Green and Ben E. King were strongly influenced by their experiences as preachers and choir members. Excluding Al Green, whose music always treated religion and raw sexuality as the same thing, their music possessed a spiritual quality that even laced their romantic appeals and sad serenades.

A lesser known, but worthy contemporary of these gentlemen is Jerry Jackson. Jackson got his start as a Brill Building songwriter whose songs were recorded by Perry Como of all people.He had some minor hits and was more popular in the England's Northern Soul scene and Jamaica. The Kapp label signed him and tried to mold him in the image of The Drifters and Ben E. King and it was a good fit for his optimistic crooning. His cover of Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind" is yet another in a long line of lame 60s covers of his work, but the rest compare favorably to Sam Cooke's ballads of the early 60s, but cannot hold a candle to his more rambunctious tunes. Overall, he's got a really smooth, elegant voice and his selection of songs really should interest anyone in love with the giants of the era.

Pat and Greg Kane aka Hue & Cry - legendary Scottish pop combo - are releasing a new album in August. They have asked me to help them bring their vision to the small screen in a pop video.

The first single will (probably) be The Last Stop – a catchy confection of light Philly grooves, Muscle Shoal horns and Pat's unmistakable vocal stylings.

The idea is to combine a Love Train/Soul Train/Wigan Casino sort of thang with, um, train stations... should be fun. If you fancy being part of the show - leave a comment with your email **hidden in it** and we'll be in touch.

While our track isn't exactly a Wigan Casino stomper - we're planning a sort of homage to Northern Soul. For the youngsters among us, it was a strange dance (and record collecting) cult that sprang up in the UK in the 70s. The dancing echoed energetic James-Brown-style steps with spins and backdrops, married to often obscure sub-Motown tunes with straight down the line thumping beats. Adherents wore 'baggies' (Oxford bag trousers – like big flares only parallel, if you know what I mean. And leather-soled shoes to help them glide on the dance floor) The scene was most famously linked to 'all-nighters' at Wigan Casino.

While Northern Soul moves from the clubs in the 70s were a bit more individual, I guess the 'movement' has ossified into a style that is a bit of a pastiche of itself - though charming for all that, as you can see from these Japanese kids who are 'keeping the faith' and teaching each other the steps in a Tokyo park. Whoodathunkit?

So, here's the Japanese breaking it down :)

Basic dance steps: The first clip gives a lesson in the most basic steps - tho it seems to me that the girl's feet/ankle movements are better than the teacher's...

This kid seems to be the leader of the Northern Soul gang in Tokyo. With a nice louche style - even tho he appears to be dressed as Marcel Marceau - he demonstrates:

How to spin and backdrop: tho he starts by doing the splits!

And how to spin more:

Anyhow, their picnics look cool.

Though this looks more authentic Northern Soul to me - from, I guess, around 1975/76: the guy's t-shirt says P-FUNK, a reference to George Clinton's Parliament.

Here's how it's become more 'formalised' in this competition in Alfreton in 1999. Surely, part of the problem is that it just doesn't look right in skinny trousers?

And then there's comedy Northern Soul. It's an idea / dance style that's plainly held in great affection by many people, perhaps because it's recognisable and doable, even if you appear to be very one-footed and end up going round in circles. I'm not sure why guys in high-vis jackets enjoy Northern Soul dancing, but there you are - there's a few workplace clips on youtube like this.

So, if you really can dance - or you're just a middle-aged soul afficianado with two left feet and a high-vis jacket who wants to get on the love train - leave a comment with your **emailatwhereverdotcom** and we'll be 'working our way back to you', as they say. Later.

Your Key Don't Fit It No More - Marie Queenie Lyons

Not Available - Shuggie Otis

What'll I Do For Satisfaction - Johnny Daye

The Cat - Calvin Owens Show

Sock Some Love Power To Me - Lee Rodgers

Run Tank Run - Booker T & The MG's

Crumbs Off The Table - Laura Lee

Invitation - A Band Of Angels

Beedo - The Soul Survivors

Chain Reaction - The Spellbinders

You Ought To Be In Heaven - Impressions

Dont Leave Me -Al Greene & The Soul Mates

Mind Your Business - The Manhattens

Get Away From Me Girl - Willie & West

Watermelon Man - Herbie Hancock

Lets Wade In The Water - Marlena Shaw

Take Me In Your Arms And Love Me - Gladys Knight & The Pips

Lock Down mp3

I'll have been nineteen or twenty at the time, me and three friends of mine had travelled over to a town a few miles away from home. On a hilltop above the town there's a hotel, and in the basement of the hotel there's a disco on a Friday and Saturday night... it's a Friday... mid '70's. We travelled over there in a car that belonged to the father of one of the friends I was with... only the father didn't know it, we waited while he was asleep in bed and then sneaked off in his car... very naughty.. but we'd done it before and knew we'd be ok.

We're having a good time in the disco, it's packed and everyone is either dancing or stood around chatting in groups.. a good night. As the night is drawing to an end one of my friends... no names mentioned...starts chatting to a girl and they end up on the dancefloor, just dancing to this next song and enjoying themselves. I'm leant against a post at the edge of the dancefloor having a beer, just watching the world go by, when I see this guy go up to my friend and punch him to the ground.... seems that the girl wasn't on her own... anyway, I instantly push my way through the crowded dancefloor and lay into this guy, the one who'd hit my friend, and proceeded to give him a taste of his own medicine. This sparked off a real old punch up on the dancefloor between me, this guy and his friends... my friend had vanished... thanks a lot. Anyway, bouncers appear on the scene but I was going at full throttle by now and one of the bouncers ended up on the deck. But everything calmed down and I was allowed to stay in the club.., after some reasoning with the remaining bouncers... and the night continued. But I vividly remember this song playing as the melee ensued... it was a song called Pepper Box.., by The Peppers. It's a bit cheesy when I listen to it now... moog funk come northern soul... everyone used to love it and it was used on TV ads and as radio show themes back then.

... anyway, on with story. As we leave the club that night there's a crowd of people waiting for us... that girl definately wasn't on her own.. she was stood with her boyfriend, the one I'd levelled, and all their friends... maybe twenty or so of them... and there we are, four of us... and in the wrong town. The odds were massively stacked against us, but you know how it is when you're nineteen..., or maybe you don't.., but me and one of guys with me just piled into the crowd. At this point we realised we'd bitten off a bit more than we could chew... we also realised that we were on our own because the guy who's father's car we're in has got in it and is trying to get it out of harms way... fair enough. But my other friend, the one who got it all started in the first place by dancing with the girl, has jumped in the car as well. So it's left to two of us to fend off the blows and try to beat a retreat to the car, talk about running the gauntlet. But we managed to get into the car, my friend just floored it and we were out of the car park and away..., laughing for some strange reason. The morning after I went into the bathroom and gazed into the mirror, I had quite a few lumps and bumps on my face that weren't there the day before. They say it's all part of growing up... just turned out that parts of my growing up were a bit painful.

But I wouldn't be without Pepper Box, cheesy as it is... it's not a bad song really, and it would be worth having around on my desert island hard drive just to play now and then.... and bring the smile over my face that I get everytime I think of this story.... ah, the memories.

The next desert island digital track is one such record, a real one hit wonder if ever there was one.... but what a record. The song is called Groovin with Mr. Bloe..., and was recorded by Mr. Bloe. Up until recently I had no idea who the hell Mr. Bloe was, I just always loved the song and that was enough for me. Then I came across a video on YouTube which features a funny little cartoon sheep dancing to the song, I decided to do a little research and ended up on Wikipedia... and there it was, a small write up about Groovin With Mr. Bloe.

It's an instrumental, a harmonica and piano backed up by a powerful bass beat... very, very catchy tune. When I was at school we had a piano in the music room, we'd sneak in there on a lunchtime some days and mess around on it, trying to pick out tunes... we used to try and replicate the piano on Groovin...., the song was always playing at the local youth clubs... it was 1970, summertime. Anyway, back to Mr. Bloe himself. It turns out that harmonica was played by a session musician called Harry Pitch, the piano was played by a guy called Zack Lawrence... I can honestly say that I'd never heard of either, and yet I've loved their hit record since 1970 when it reached number two in the UK singles chart.

Just as a footnote, I've attended a couple of Northern Soul nights in the last few years and Groovin With Mr. Bloe has been played at each of them... packing out the dancefloor.... it's still a popular song, and so it should be. But I just class it as a great pop song. Desert island must have.

[audio http://sq.txdnl.com/mwt/g/r/o/o/grooverider/playlists/194479/1566917.mp3]

Tuesday 17 June - Thursday 19 August
Exhibition: Soul Heaven
Wednesbury Museum & Art Gallery
Tuesday - Friday 10am - 5pm, Saturday 2pm - 5pm
Free admission
Info: 0121 556 0683 or the council museums website
An artistic impression of scooters and memorabilia from the era of Northern Soul.

Banda Laranja Dub

+

Dj Laos (Ska, Rocksteady, Early Reggae, Northern Soul)
Dj Juca (ska, 2tone, Reggae)

Sábado - 07 de Junho
às 23h

$ 10 (estudantes, lista amiga*)
$ 12 (normal)

*** LISTA AMIGA - http://www.orkut.com/CommMsgs.aspx?cmm=46952897&tid=5202197120742415026&start=1
ou thebangarang@gmail.com

CENTRO CULTURAL RECORDATÓRIO - LAPA
Rua Joaquim Silva, 17 (esquina c/ R. da Lapa)

Fonte: Mulambada

Peace

I know it's a holiday here in the States, but guess what? The FMF Guest Mix Series continues! Today we have a good friend, digging cohort, and mentor throwing down some great records: Larry Grogan from the mighty Funky 16 Corners. He's got as deep as crates as anyone I know, and there is always some straight H-E-A-T from start to finish on these mixes. I know you'll enjoy it. Here's Larry's take on the mix:

"Hey there.
Allow me to get things rolling by saying Happy Anniversary to my man DJ Prestige and the mighty Fleamarket Funk blog.
I’ve known Pres for a couple of years now and it’s been clear to me (and anyone else paying attention), that he is a man with deep crates and a contagious enthusiasm for the music he loves.
A little over a year ago, when he asked me to saddle up with the Asbury Park 45 Sessions crew (another enterprise that just celebrated it’s one-year-anniversary) I was both psyched and honored because I know that in addition to the fact that he’s what they used to call a righteous dude, he’s got his eyes on the prize.
If you’ve been fortunate enough to fall by one of the 45 Sessions you will have witnessed the gathering of a DJ crew with a wide range of sensibilities and approaches to the music we call soul. You can come down to the World Famous Asbury Lanes, grab yourself a cold beer and a basket of tater tots, take a load off your feet and open your ears as the resident selectors (and a growing list of stellar guests) lay down gritty R&B, Northern Soul, solid hardcore funk and all manner of breaks covering the entire soulful spectrum of the last 50 years. The thing that really hits home is the fact that no matter how diverse the sounds, no matter how many subgenres are represented, things always sound as if they belong together.
There’s a vibe there, and we’re all tuned into it, and we were all brought there by DJ Prestige.
The vibe here at Fleamarket Funk takes that journey into the macro and fine tunes it to the micro, reflecting his own diverse tastes with bits of funk, soul, jazz and reggae laid side by side, always worth a listen (and a read) and always groovy.
When Pres asked me to whip up a guest mix to help celebrate the anniversary of FMF, I hit the crates right away. Though initially unsure of what path I might take (in the process I eventually pulled a couple of stacks of 45s out that I’ll mix for Funky16Corners) I locked on to a record I pulled during a recent dig (side by side with AP45 cohorts Prestige, DJ Prime and DJ Jack the Ripper) – that being Moe Koffman’s ‘James Brown’s Bag’ - and worked from there, building on a soul jazz/jazz funk thing until I had just over an hours worth of superior grooves to bring to the table.
I won’t go into great detail, but I will let you know that herein you will find some tasty Hammond, groovy guitar, cool flute and vibes and the funkiest version of ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ you’ve ever heard.
I hope you dig it, and that we’re all here next year to do it again.
I’ll see you around the interwebs."
Peace
Larry

Six Million Dollar Groove Track List:

Buddy Rich – It’s Crazy (World Pacific)
Wynder K Frog – Jumping Jack Flash (UA)
Bobby Christian – Boogaloo (Ovation)
Roy Meriwether Trio – Jesus Christ Superstar (Notes of Gold)
Moe Koffman – James Brown’s Bag (Jubilee)
Odell Brown & the Organizers – No More Water In the Well (Cadet)
Johnny Lytle – The Snapper (Tuba)
Freddy Robinson – The Coming Atlantis (World Pacific Jazz)
Wilbert Longmire – Scarborough Fair/Canticle (World Pacific Jazz)
Ernie Wilkins Big Band – Funky Broadway (Mainstream)
Little Richie Varola – Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (Verve)
Freddie McCoy – Beans and Rice (Prestige)
Brother Jack McDuff – I Can’t Be Satisfied (Atlantic)
Jimmy Smith – Sugar Sugar (MGM)
Herbie Mann – Bitch (Atlantic)

Download or Listen to Six Million Dollar Groove by Funky 16 Corners

Keep Diggin'!

Me, apparently giving my selection a lot of thought...

"Listen - Soul Brothers Six - Some Kind of Wonderful - MP3"

Funk16Corners Set List 5/23 Asbury Park 45 Sessions

Roger & the Gypsies – Pass the Hatchet Pt1 (Seven B)
Eddie Bo & Inez Cheatham – Lover and a Friend (Capitol)
James Brown – Talking Loud and Saying Nothing (“rock version”) (King)
Roosevelt Grier – Slow Drag (MGM)
Dee Felice Trio – There Was a Time (King)
Rufus Thomas – Do the Funky Penguin Pt1 (Stax)
Jimmy Smith – The Cat (Verve)
Georgie Fame – El Bandido (Imperial)
Backyard Heavies – Expo 83 (Scepter)
Cymande – Fug (Janus)
Boogaloo Joe Jones – Right On (Prestige)
Gloria Walker – Them Changes (Federal)
King Curtis – Changes Pt1 (Atco)
Bill Doggett – Honky Tonk Popcorn (King)
Johnny Griffith – Do It (Triple B)
Bill Cosby – I Luv Myself Better Than I Luv Myself (Capitol)
Joe Hicks – Home Sweet Home Pt2 (Scepter)
The Flamingos – Boogaloo Party (Philips)
Chuck Edwards – Downtown Soulville (Punch)
Billy Wade and the 3rd Degrees – Tear It Up Pt1 (ABC)
Lou Courtney - Hot Butter n’ All Pt1 (Hurdy Gurdy)
Jimmy McGriff – The Worm (SS)
Village Callers – Hector (Rampart)
Melvin Sparks – Thank You Pt1 (Prestige)
Freddie McCoy – Funk Drops (Prestige)
Rusty Bryant – Soul Liberation Pt1 (Prestige)
Wynder K Frog – Jumping Jack Flash (UA)
Ross Carnegie – The Kid (El Con)
Earl Van Dyke – Soul Stomp (Soul)
Soul Brothers Six – Some Kind of Wonderful (Atlantic)
James Brown – Funky President (People It’s Bad) (Polydor)

Greetings all.
Just a short wrap up of last night’s Asbury Park 45 Sessions.
We were working with a truncated crew, resulting in an extra long set by yours truly (I almost ran out of records?!?).
There were lots of old favorites and a grip of new acquisitions (Many of which are waiting in the on deck circle to be blogged herein). I even got to spin a bunch of Hammond sides and hot little Prestige soul jazz mini-set toward the end.
The crowd was dancing (some of them anyway) and it was a great way to kick off the summer season.
Remember that this Monday my guest set will be dropping over at DJ Prestige’s Fleamarket Funk.
I'll leave you with a repost of the Soul Brothers Six classic. See you on Monday.

Peace
Larry

DJ Prestige Set List
Intro: - Al Downing - The Whole World’s Gone Funky/ Chess
C.C.S. - Whole Lotta Love/ Rak
Simtec & Willie - Do It Like Mama/ Shama
James Brown - Soul Pride Part 1/ King
Eddie Senay - Hot Thang (Instrumental)/ Sussex
Paul Humphrey - Funky L.A./ Lizard
Brother Jack McDuff - Hot Barbecue/ Prestige
The Ska Kings - Jamaica Ska/ Atlantic
Carlton Moore - Soul Jamaica/ Tobin
The Unemployed - Funky Rooster/ Cotillion
Lil’ Lavar & the Fabulous Jades - Cold Heat/ Now-Again
Barbara & the Uniques - I’ll Never Let You Go/ Arden
3 Stars - Jersey Slide/ Stang
The Sister and Brothers - Yeah, You Right/ UNI
Oscar Weathers - The Spoiler/ Top and Bottom
The 5th Dimension - Feelin’ Alright?/ Bell
Counts - Funk/ Aware
El Michels Affair - C.R.E.A.M./ Truth and Soul
Kellee Patterson - I’m Gonna Love You Just A Little Bit More, Baby/ Shady Brook
Jesse Gresham Plus 3 - Shootin’ the Grease/ Head
Breakestra - Baby Don’t Cry/ Stones Throw
Brother Lloyd’s All Stars - Tramp/ Dynamite Soul
Dirty Fingered B-Boys - The King Is Here/ Sure Shot
The Mad Men - Do The African Twist/ Gamble
Mickey and His Mice - Cracker Jack/ Marti
Nina Simone - O-O-h Child/ RCA

DJ Bluewater Set List
Soul Believers - The Popcorn - (King)
Soul Explosion - Barnyard Pimp - (Tramp)
Soul Partners - Spead - (Bell)
Organics - Foot Stumping - (Compose)
Soul Believers and The Dapps - I Don’t Want Nobody’s Problems - (King).
Charles Bradley and The Bullets - Now That Im Gone - (Daptone)
Dynamic Walter B. And The New Breed Band - Butter Toast - (Playground)
Queen Eve and The Kings - Bringin’ Home The Bacon - (Melting Pot)
Lee Fields and The Explorers - Soul Dynamite - (Soul Fire)
Sohail Rana - Soul Sitar - (Jazzman)
Breakestra - Getcho Soul Togetha Pt. 2 - (Stones Throw)
Lovations - Later Baby - (Cap City)
Dynells - Let Me Prove That I Love You - (BlueBerry)
Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings - Im Not Gonna Cry - (Daptone)
Richi Corbin Trio - A Woman Was Made For A Man - (Funk45)
Diplomats Of Solid Sound - Plenty Nasty - (Record Kicks)
Dyke and The Blazers - Black Boy - (BGP)
Grips - Fancy Roll - (GED)

The sessions sneak up so quick even though they are bi monthly. This session fell upon a holiday, which is normally a dead night at the Lanes. However, we were all pleasantly surprised that the crowd consistently showed like they normally do. There were older couples dancing, young faux hawked guys wearing sunglasses at night doing some interpretive dance, a request for "No Parking on the Dancefloor" (seriously?), and lots of Summer Shandies drank. Don't knock the 70 year old Scottish Grandma drink, we have Leinenkugel's, and they're not too shabby. The crew was slimmed down a bit this time, but it gave everyone the room to flex a bit and play some more records. We all played a great mix of Deep Funk, Soul, Reggae, and M.Fasis was even dropping a few Classic Rock nuggets. Good times we had by all, if you missed it, you have another chance to catch it in July. Here's some photos along with my set list, other set lists as they come in.

DJ Prestige Set List
Intro: - Al Downing - The Whole World's Gone Funky/ Chess
C.C.S. - Whole Lotta Love/ Rak
Simtec & Willie - Do It Like Mama/ Shama
James Brown - Soul Pride Part 1/ King
Eddie Senay - Hot Thang (Instrumental)/ Sussex
Paul Humphrey - Funky L.A./ Lizard
Brother Jack McDuff - Hot Barbecue/ Prestige
The Ska Kings - Jamaica Ska/ Atlantic
Carlton Moore - Soul Jamaica/ Tobin
The Unemployed - Funky Rooster/ Cotillion
Lil' Lavar & the Fabulous Jades - Cold Heat/ Now-Again
Barbara & the Uniques - I'll Never Let You Go/ Arden
3 Stars - Jersey Slide/ Stang
The Sister and Brothers - Yeah, You Right/ UNI
Oscar Weathers - The Spoiler/ Top and Bottom
The 5th Dimension - Feelin' Alright?/ Bell
Counts - Funk/ Aware
El Michels Affair - C.R.E.A.M./ Truth and Soul
Kellee Patterson - I'm Gonna Love You Just A Little Bit More, Baby/ Shady Brook
Jesse Gresham Plus 3 - Shootin' the Grease/ Head
Breakestra - Baby Don't Cry/ Stones Throw
Brother Lloyd's All Stars - Tramp/ Dynamite Soul
Dirty Fingered B-Boys - The King Is Here/ Sure Shot
The Mad Men - Do The African Twist/ Gamble
Mickey and His Mice - Cracker Jack/ Marti
Nina Simone - O-O-h Child/ RCA

Larry Grogan Set List
Roger & the Gypsies – Pass the Hatchet Pt1 (Seven B)
Eddie Bo & Inez Cheatham – Lover and a Friend (Capitol)
James Brown – Talking Loud and Saying Nothing (“rock version”) (King)
Roosevelt Grier – Slow Drag (MGM)
Dee Felice Trio – There Was a Time (King)
Rufus Thomas – Do the Funky Penguin Pt1 (Stax)
Jimmy Smith – The Cat (Verve)
Georgie Fame – El Bandido (Imperial)
Backyard Heavies – Expo 83 (Scepter)
Cymande – Fug (Janus)
Boogaloo Joe Jones – Right On (Prestige)
Gloria Walker – Them Changes (Federal)
King Curtis – Changes Pt1 (Atco)
Bill Doggett – Honky Tonk Popcorn (King)
Johnny Griffith – Do It (Triple B)
Bill Cosby – I Luv Myself Better Than I Luv Myself (Capitol)
Joe Hicks – Home Sweet Home Pt2 (Scepter)
The Flamingos – Boogaloo Party (Philips)
Chuck Edwards – Downtown Soulville (Punch)
Billy Wade and the 3rd Degrees – Tear It Up Pt1 (ABC)
Lou Courtney - Hot Butter n’ All Pt1 (Hurdy Gurdy)
Jimmy McGriff – The Worm (SS)
Village Callers – Hector (Rampart)
Melvin Sparks – Thank You Pt1 (Prestige)
Freddie McCoy – Funk Drops (Prestige)
Rusty Bryant – Soul Liberation Pt1 (Prestige)
Wynder K Frog – Jumping Jack Flash (UA)
Ross Carnegie – The Kid (El Con)
Earl Van Dyke – Soul Stomp (Soul)
Soul Brothers Six – Some Kind of Wonderful (Atlantic)
James Brown – Funky President (People It’s Bad) (Polydor)

DJ Bluewater Set List
Soul Believers - The Popcorn - (King)
Soul Explosion - Barnyard Pimp - (Tramp)
Soul Partners - Spead - (Bell)
Organics - Foot Stumping - (Compose)
Soul Believers and The Dapps - I Don't Want Nobody's Problems - (King).
Charles Bradley and The Bullets - Now That Im Gone - (Daptone)
Dynamic Walter B. And The New Breed Band - Butter Toast - (Playground)
Queen Eve and The Kings - Bringin' Home The Bacon - (Melting Pot)
Lee Fields and The Explorers - Soul Dynamite - (Soul Fire)
Sohail Rana - Soul Sitar - (Jazzman)
Breakestra - Getcho Soul Togetha Pt. 2 - (Stones Throw)
Lovations - Later Baby - (Cap City)
Dynells - Let Me Prove That I Love You - (BlueBerry)
Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings - Im Not Gonna Cry - (Daptone)
Richi Corbin Trio - A Woman Was Made For A Man - (Funk45)
Diplomats Of Solid Sound - Plenty Nasty - (Record Kicks)
Dyke and The Blazers - Black Boy - (BGP)
Grips - Fancy Roll - (GED)

M.Fasis

DJ Prime