Continued from page 2
What’s your view on the
northern soul scene today?
Well, you get what you deserve and I think the likes of Stoke are good value for money. I just wish they played a more varied selection. I like Bobby Kline, but four times a night is too much, but there’s always been an element of overplay. Still, I wouldn’t tell anyone else what to do and never want anyone telling me what to do.
I think in many ways the big weekender thing is where it’s at nowadays. There’s still room for the small local do’s, but we’re all much older and appreciate things like air conditioning and clean toilets.
Locally, I like The City Stop in Cambridge, The Rugby do’s Desborough, Peterborough and of course The St Ives annual reunion is a definite!
“You’re either a Searly man or your not, personally I like what he does”
Above : Some of The Blackpool Mecca crowd with Les Cockell and Bernie Golding top right
You had a show on Solar
Radio for a while…
Yes, I was proud to have a show on there for four years and I have always believed Solar would be one of the best soul stations in the world. Other commitments, made the weekly trips down to South London impossible, but maybe I’ll pick it up sometime again in the future.
Mark Bicknell has a Northern Soul show on Sunday nights and you can get Solar on Sky digital 0129 or www.solarradio.com
I also like Richard Searling’s Smooth FM 108 show. You’re either a Searly man or you’re not. Personally, I like what he does.
The beauty of these kind of shows is the presenters have Carte Blanche and they know what they’re talking about. There’s no play lists as such, and of course it sounds great through a modern TV with big speakers.
"Kim was with a full five piece band and totally professional"
You supported the recent
Kim Weston gig in Cambridge - did you enjoy that?
Yes, I was delighted to be involved - it was a great success. I admire the way she can still do it, she’s certainly a legend in her own lifetime. There are so many people nowadays who are wheeled out to sing to a backing track with a croaky voice. Kim was with a full five piece band and totally professional.
< Kim Weston Review - Go To Link On Home page
You know, I was talking with her manager who used to run the record label Tetragramaton in Los Angeles. He is a good friend of Bobby Paris, so that was fun and interesting.
What are you listening
to nowadays?
Northern soul compilations when I’m in the shower. At work it’s vintage R&B or classic jazz funk like Donald Byrd. I’m always ready to listen to the evergreens like Al Green, Barbara Lynn and Maxine Brown. I also keep up with all the new Hip Hop and urban music
How about some of your favourite Northern oldies?
Oh, that changes all the time but right now I’d plump for The Millionaires - Never For Me, Major Lance - Everybody Loves A Good Time, Detroit Executives - Cool Off, George Blackwell’s - Can’t Lose My Head and Levi Jackson - This Beautiful Day
What about your Crossover must haves?
The Mellow Fellows - My Baby Needs Me, Buddy Miles - Just A Kiss Away, Anthony White - Stop And Think It Over, Family Of Eve - I Want To Be Loved By You and David Ruffin - Questions. All likely to change next week of course!
Tell us about your cross over period and the real deal…
That was a modern soul club at Frames snooker hall promoted by Alan Marshall and Paul Parker , which ran from 1989 – 1995. The policy was to feature modern soul and rare records that had been rejected by the northern scene.
Guests included Soul Sam, Steve Hobbs, Terry Jones, Andy Davies and Richard Searling. We played many of the records now played at Northern Soul nights. Things like Drizabone - Pressure, Glady’s Knight – Baby, Baby Don’t Waste My Time and The Intruders – Nice Girl Like You.
This
photo is of
Mick Godfrey. We were on a trip through the US looking for records and came
across this place called The Attic in Monroeville Pennsylvania - there were
zillions of records all over the place.
I remember the owner was a guy called Fred Baum (pictured at the till). He had a real downer on the English who always asked him to get out the records he didn’t want to sell and then offered him next to nothing for them.
We had a late night session there with loads of beer leaving sometime after one in the morning. You can imagine we came away with handfuls of great 45’s.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------