DISQUS

dellboy · 11 months ago

just listening to some classic northern soul on your jukebox site. The more i hear the i become more obsessed with northern soul, T HANKS to people like you it will keep nortern soul alive . IM also finding tracks that ive never heard before and im absolutely enjoying it . KEEP up the fantastic work its a credit to yourself and those that are keeping it alive . KEEP THE FAITH DELLBOY

CharlieM · 11 months ago

Thanks Dellboy, taken me years to listen to Northern Soul,I am a Mod at heart, but I seem to have built up a considerable collection of Northern Vinyl, so lets keep the music alive, except for Jazz!!! Still grates my teeth!!

TYB Civic mod · 11 months ago

Northern Soul and the mod scene has always been a bit weird....we were DJ'ing down at a Bristol Mod do and oit was annoyingly full of mods up their own bahookies, who advised you how they despised Motown and Northern....yet when we DJ'd that night, these were the main dance floor fillers!!!

Northern in the main was purely non marketed Detroit type magic...stuff like Melba Moore's Magic Touch were in my opinion, just great soul, no matter whether northern or not....KTF Glasgow is my message...

TYB

CharlieM · 11 months ago

Kinda strange how Mods despise Motown??? Weird,Motown and Mod, go hand in hand wasn't there 2 Motown albums caled 20 Mod Classics 1 and 2, eh, mmmmm!! Been fed an appetite of sh**e from so called in-crowd Mods over the years, about what Mod is and isn't, comes back to these tossers on the circuit, spouting bile about crossover new breed r'n'b pap, same thing happened in Berwick when Jim Nairn asked if they could play "I Can't Explain" by The Who, thought they were going to lynch him, we had to wait untill The Wholigans Concert in Motherwell to hear it loud, and to hear over a 120 people shouting "We are the Mods" into the bargain, made me realise, these bams don't know what the word Mod is, period, I know exactly were your coming from TYB, experienced that feeling a lot lately, but thankfully their is a lot of up and coming gigs on playing Motown and Northern and Mod in the same room, not different rooms for different types of Psych, this, Jazz that, blah,blah!! KTF TYB!!

stevie fae cranhill · 11 months ago

Mods who dont like Motown?!? Must be in some parallel Universe where everything is opposite!

I've got those 2 Motown '20 Mod Classics' albums and they are 100% mod classics from start to finish.

the style and class of motown is absolutely the perfect accompanyment to mod - add to that the raw energy and teen angst of the Who, Kinks, Small Faces (and the Jam) and youv'e got the complete picture of what mod is all about - you dont need to read up about it, or research it on the internet - just listen to that music an' you've got it!

jimmy fae the frew · 11 months ago

I had they two motown mod classic albums that you are talking about Charlie. Bought them off a hash head who i went to school with along with a stack of mod singles.Was expecting to hear Who and Smallfaces type music but got Stevie Wonder and Mary Wells which i was`nt to keen with at the time but now i regard that music as proper MOD music along with Northern Soul. You canny beat the up tempo sound that fills your ears when you crank it up!

CharlieM · 11 months ago

Contrary to popular belief, I played a fair share of Northern Soul in The One Up, "The Magic Touch" even A Band Of Angels "Accept My Invitation" which to me was "Blue Eyed Soul" not Northern, Big Shaun played Northern Soul, that was his niche, Motown, Stax Atlantic, now it's labelled Classic Mod??? Sounds like Brahm's when I hear that word Classic, it's Mod, 4 Tops "Baby I Need Your Lovin'!" is worth a 100,000 of any this crossover whatever they wish to label it, end of.KTF,KFC,ha, ha!!

Chris C · 11 months ago

Reading some of the comments here it is like waking up one day and finding out that some mad person (or people) have got together and came up with some sort of shite about what Mod is all about, but don't have the slightest clue what they are talking about. The day Tamla Motown is not welcome at a Mod venue is the day it should be shut down. There should always be room for innovation but dance music just does not get any better than that coming from 'The Eight Wonder of the World.' Maybe the Mods back in 1963 and 1964 who listened to Tamla were not really Mods at all, and it has taken these ultra knowlegeable Mods to let us in on this incredible secret. Alternatively(and more likely) these jokers are up their own arse and do not have a clue about what being a Mod is all about.

dellboy · 11 months ago

IVE been talking to three of my uncles who were mods between 1962 and 1966 and they say that black music was amajor part of the mod scene .Witch included soul not then classed as northern soul . They beleive northern soul started more in the late sixties as the mod scene started to die ,mainly being played in northern clubs hence the term northern soul . I do know that a lot of soul music was bought into england by american gis based in england in the very early 60ts and was played in and around the london clubs where alot of the early mods gathered to listen to there music . MY uncles were also into tamla motown in the middle 60ts it also true to say that not all mods liked soul or tamla . It does get confusing because not all mods agreed on there musical tastes it was also true that there was alot of rivalry between gangs of mods . Sorry for the boring history lesson i got a bit carried away . KEEP THE FAITH DELLBOY

Chris C · 11 months ago

I think it is fairly well documented dellboy that Mods in the very early 60s were listening to Tamla, well before most people knew it even existed. The Mods book by Richard Barnes shows a selection of records, which from memory were from Guy Stevens' collection and were standards in the London Scene Club. Many are Motown classics.

There would certainly have been Mods who did not appreciate Tamla Motown, same as there would have been some Punks who were not keen on the Clash. But I think it is safe to say that Motown has been iconic to the Mod movement, both in the 1960s and then later, from 79 onwards. You are sadly spot on about the rivalries that existed between Mod gangs, both in the 60s and with the revival. It is well documented about the battles between the Shamrock and the Maryhill Fleet in the 60s, and there were certainly quite a few scraps in the Scene Club era. Most times it was trouble free, but there were occasional outbreaks.

TYB Civic mod · 11 months ago

qwhat I was trying to highlight though was teh type of dandies who thought they were too cool for school and bandied Motown as mainstream and thus not fine enough for them...well... that was till teh amber nectar started flowing and the dancefloor started going and suddenly, Tamla was top a the pops again...Motown magic...a phrase that can never be overused in my opinion...

Lammy Chick · 11 months ago

MOTOWN, got a great CD for x-mas "A Cellarful of Motown" it's a collection of the rarest detriot grooves and a mighty fine collection it is I must say. You can pick up a copy from Flop in Union Street £12, wish I would have picked up the second collection when I was up in Glasgow yestarday, drat! Love Motown and won't be influenced by "Others" opinions, their loss IMHO. Plenty Motown played in the Scene Club in Glasgow and the original in 60's London, need i say more?

CharlieM · 11 months ago

Best track on "Cellarfull Of Motown" Marv Johnsons "Save My Love For A Rainy Day"what an intro!! Soul perfection!!!

Lammy Chick · 11 months ago

If your hangover ain't to heavy:-
14:00- 17:00 1st Jan - Kicking off Radio 2’s Motown season, Paul Gambaccini presents a countdown (using data supplied by the Official Charts Company) of the top 30 all time biggest selling Motown singles in the UK to date. As well as the music there will be rare archive comments from artists in the chart as well as newly recorded interviews.

CharlieM · 11 months ago

Cheers Lammy Chick, sounds good, don't know if you saw "Top Gear" last night??? Jeremy Clarkson doing a 1000 mile journey through Vietnam on a Vespa, hilarious!!! You can get the programme if you go to B.B.C Archives, it's well worth viewing, enjoy!!!

Lammy Chick · 11 months ago

Charlie, sure did see Top Gear, Steve was laughing at Clarkson trying to ride a vespa, but not when he kept dumping it on its side. Fancy a wee Gin in that pub at the end I must say, have to put it on my places to visit. Happy New Year to All

dellboy · 11 months ago

Just a quick message to all you mods and scooter fanatics . Wishing you all a fantastic happy new year . Right just off to the pub to get pissed . KEEP THE FAITH DELLBOY

CharlieM · 11 months ago

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE!!!!! MODS! MODS!MODS!

kenny · 11 months ago

happy new year all from the wheelchair had a great night mary grace and casey really enjoyed it . it was so good to see u all so i will be bk keep the faith

Chris C · 11 months ago

Happy New Year to everyone in Modsville worldwide, and I hope everyone's hangovers are starting to ease a bit.

I also saw the Top Gear with Clarkson riding the cool Vespa through Vietnam. I was also annoyed at the fact that he kept dumping it on its side panels instead of pulling it up on to its stand, fat lazy barsteward !

Love the new gravatar Lammy. Is that you posing on your mini ?

CharlieM · 11 months ago

Awright Kenny, brilliant to see you and the family, thanks to all the guys at Friday Street, a New Year to remember, Mikey, Paul and Quinny, and guest DJ's top notch night of music across the board,long may it continue, as for Jeremy Clarkson in Top Gear, a Ferrari snob in Blue Jeans,but good entertainment, mind you for 2 million quid a year, I would have ate Vietnam never mind a snake, yum, yum!!!

soul_ster · 11 months ago

charlie nowt wrong with a touch of jazz!!as to motown you have to remember a lot of the early mods didnt take to the sound of young america especially down south where they stuck to mainly rb blues jazz etc as opposed to the newer sounds of motown it wasnt until the newer mods came along in the 63/65 period that the motown sound gained acceptance especially in the clubs up north.