There as always been soul music in my life it is a real passion of mine. In the skinhead fashion time it became a thing people for some reason included. I had been bought up in the 1960's on a mixture of Motown and 60's soul not the traditional northern soul but more commercial. Acts like Dusty Springfield a list of mod type bands that was the fashion at the time. I liked the sounds and uptempo dance feeling of the Kink's, the Who, did something to stir my passion. I listened to the Motown story over + over again the last time Diana Ross performed with the Supreme's. The last thing to play: " someday we'll be together " took emotion to the next level. Growing up in the 60's was so much different to today you could'nt even attempt a teenager now to understand. Tell them you could leave your door open nobody wanted to steal everything you owned. If you've never had it you wont possibly understand it the country was single race not multi like now. When I was a teenager you had a unwritten set of rules you did'nt even think about breaking. My dad told me ever overstep it I will knock it into place. He was a big man and could look after himself as he was as hard as granite. The first time he came to bail me out I thought he will go ape here 3am to sign the forms. Did'nt say a thing knew the copper just filled it in and we left got on the lawn outside the police station. Where he gave me the sort of kicking you only like to see other people getting. But you did'nt ever do it from choice again. Everytime you got a unforeseen it was for a reason I never got a slap for no apparent reason. My teenage years I had hundreds of walloping's off my dad. But even now I fail to recall getting a kicking for nothing. When I was about 14 or 15 for a split second I raised my fist to my dad. He hit me that hard I still reel back in anticipation of it landing and was knocked clean out on the floor. He made a point if you ever fancy your chances just say but I'm not going to pussy foot about it's real I think once outside a police station in Manchester I got brave the brief and 3 total strangers pulled him away before he really hurt me he was 26 stone of muscle I was in no position to stand my ground. The amazing thing to me you get some pillock banging on about records but for some unknown reason. The concept of time as no relevance to the casino allnighter. In my opinion the 1970's was the only period in history that the casino could reach that level of unequalled success. The twisted wheel and the Torch had a great level of achievement but where targeting a fashion of the time. I think I'm correct in saying the mods fashion was'nt the no1 fashion in 1973 when the casino's doors where first opened to the UK northern soul community. I have always been of the opinion that the Empress ballroom is even today the most perfect building for a northern soul allnighter. There must be a similar building still in the north-west of the UK somewhere. I liked the Ritz but it was nothing in comparisons to the casino. The Twisted wheel still as the atmosphere that makes it special in the club but it could of done with being twice as big as it is. Ask anybody that as been to the wheel you can't get a allnighter still going to get close to the abundance of emotion that is intrinsic to the Whitworth street club. People are to quick to state Kingshall allnighter as a perfect venue it is very good at times. But at times it is dire especially if you get a DJ hell bent on playing that rare shyte. It's not northern soul by definition high and low troughs don't happen in classic records a consistent tempo is maintained throughout the entire record. But I have always believed each to there own thing so if it's your kind of thing. Then fair play to you it takes all sorts to make a world so enjoy it. I'm old enough to remember when Ian Levine tried to introduce new types of music. Say what you like about Ian Levine if you have better knowledge and longer doing allnighters and things on the UK scene. There are not many who can boast they started at the Twisted wheel then onto the Torch had some kind of input when Wigan casino began. Listen to the Blackpool mecca sounds in early sessions around 1973 many are top sounds. I had always thought where discovered by Wigan casino DJ's to listen to the mecca in 1973 certainly opened the way I thought about Ian Levine. Get yourself a CD of it listen to it closely and see how your opinion changes it did for me and could be the same for you. I remember some pillock throwing a meat pie at him 1 Sunday at the Ritz in Manchester. A rather futile thing to do being barbed up did make a lot act childish and stupid. You can't justify doing it at all a stupid thing to do many other people at the time also did a lot more stupid things. This country remains a democracy the northern soul should be the same way in it's thinking. I have never made it a secret I don't like that rare stuff and I won't ever consider it as northern soul. But I was around at a earlier time so maintain those traditional values a lack of new good records was'nt any problem.
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As I remember looking back over 23 years or so doing such exhausting lengths of dancing. Was'nt a thing that you could suddenly do it took years to get that fit. We where both young not idle I was a bricklayer Geth was a pipe fitter. Both of us worked hard many times we left on a Saturday morning straight from the allnighter to work. Finnish at lunch time then go to bed get up at around 8 pm. Be back at the casino for round 2 feeling exhausted even so it never crossed your mind not to go. A reason why I was'nt at college on Monday was getting harder to explain. At one point I had 27 Mondays off the boss came to me calmly to ask for a reason. I did'nt do calm at the time when he threatened 1 more Monday off your sacked. I said I got a better idea take the job and stick it up your ass. Chucked my trowel in my bag and went to live with Del in Crewe never regretted that to this day I doubt I ever will either. When I went home got a collection of things together my dad said what are you upto now. I casually said I had enough today so told Walker to stuff his job up his ass. I'm leaving home as well thought I better mention it encase your wondering where I have gone. I will be in Crewe with Del my dad just said ok I'll tell your mother. We never dealt with everyday things very well leaving home was the thing why make a dramatic big issue out of it. I would of done it anyway my dad knew whatever he had said made no difference. He had drove the mini bus to the allnighter for a few local's to get there about 6 or so times. Having spent time in the mods days of the 1960's I was surprised how clued up my dad was on it. He said tell that prat in the green top the next time he tries to make out he is doing something else not what I know he is doing. It's a bloody long walk to Wigan up the m6 he'll be discovering just how far it is. The thing above my head is a rear view mirror so I can see everything despite what he thinks. I was doing the mods thing before he was born if he think's he's putting 1 over me he ain't. I will be putting him off here if he wants to keep this stupidity going and telling everybody by him he's fooling the old git driving. If he had even thought that I would of broke his jaw ages ago my dad knew that he bought 6 of us up so we had no fear and could look after ourselves without any problem at all.