Neil Gits A New Jacket

Although I’ve always loved the soul music that came to my attention as a teenager during the 70s via Radio 1 & the Top 40, it wasn’t until around 1980 that I REALLY got seriously into the scene. With wages from my first job burning a hole in my pocket, I bought bulging plastic bag loads of vinyl 12″ singles & albums each week, almost everything that I heard the likes of Robbie Vincent, Greg Edwards & Dave Brown play on their weekend shows, which had to be savoured back then in between all the mainstream pop and rock, unlike the easy access to tunes we have now !

My budget also extended to clothes shopping too, trying to acquire various items of stagewear that I’d seen on TV programmes like “Top Of The Pops” and “Soul Train”, wanting to look just like the top singers & groups (definitely NOT Imagination though !!). Working in London at that time, I had a season ticket to Liverpool Street and would often use it to go on the train hunting for that perfect T-shirt or jumper on a Saturday morning in Romford, either on the market or in he big Mister Buyrite store there. When I switched to a job in Southend in the mid-80s I was always in River Island or Top Man, but each shopping trip became more and more painful as I realized I could rarely create that look I’d seen on telly !

I have never been a “Dedicated Follower Of Fashion” , music was much easier to follow than clothing trends, although I did own a smashing pair of blue jeans with a luminous pink stripe down the side, worn with a pair of white socks and a ridiculously expensive (but rather uncomfortable!) pair of burgundy shows from Ravel, which looked very cool … for 5 minutes in 1981 !! The last time I recall searching for something specific to wear that had to look ‘just right’ was in 2009 before I went to New York and needed a lightweight jacket with lots of pockets in to store my camera, passport, tickets and many other bits & pieces while exploring the “Big Apple”. I found just the right thing at next on the Mayflower Retail Park in Basildon and loved it, regularly sporting it in public right up until last Autumn …

When I visited Berlin in 2018, I virtually lived out of that jacket (there’s a great photo of me online standing in front of the Brandenburg Gate with every single pocket bulging with stuff !) but when I put it on the other week as Spring approached, the poor old thing looked rather shabby and, I hate to admit it, unfit to be seen out in ! I immediately planned a few reconnaissance missions around the shops of Chelmsford, Basildon, Southend and Lakeside, whilst out and about with my camera taking photos of daffodils (see previous blog!) and finally stumbled on exactly what I was looking for, especially with money being very tight.

Now any fashion sense I might have had was left behind in the 20th Century, so I had absolutely no idea if it was ‘on trend’ or smart, but to my amazement, I put it on to vist A13 Annie & Sky and they both said it l looked good in it (well Sky just went “meeow” but I’ll take that!) and even my 22 year old son Nathan had to grudgingly admit it looked ‘pretty decent’ … and you know what ? It cost just £20 in Primark !!

I don’t scrimp & save when it comes to finding you the tunes that make up my playlist on the show each week though, no expense is spared when choosing your two hours of soul, jazz-funk & disco from the 70s 80s & beyond – here are the latest selections :

The Tunes – Monday 23rd March 2026

Four Tops – Don’t Walk Away
Detroit Spinners – Knack For Me
Shaila Prospere – Expectations
McFadden & Whitehead – Ain’t No Stopping Us Now
Futures – Sunshine & You
Love Unlimited Orchestra – Love’s Theme
Rockie Robbins – For You For Love
Gabriella Anders – Fire Of Love
Next Movement – Let’s Work It Out
Teena Marie – I Need Your Loving
Gloria Gaynor – This Love Affair
Shakatak – Rio Nights
Solomon Burke – Everybody Needs Somebody To Love
First Choice – A Happy Love Affair
Emotions – Time Is Passing By
Three Degrees – My Simple Heart
Georgie B & The Groove Association – You Know
James Hunter Six – Here And Now
Ne-Yo – So Sick
Jonathan Butler – Holding On
JB’s – Gimme Some More
Tavares – Don’t Take Away The Music
Thelma Houston – I Wanna Be Back In Love Again
Steve Oliver – High Noon

Feel free to get in touch with your soulful request or just for a mention on the show – put a post on “The Old Gits Soul Show” page on Facebook, text (01268)833978 or message me via e-mail : [email protected].

The Old Gits Soul Show is broadcast LIVE from 7pm–9pm every Monday, repeated on Saturday evening from 5pm–7pm, on Gateway 97.8FM in Basildon & East Thurrock, across South Essex on DAB and available nationally via the Radio Player on your TV as well as online via www.gateway978.com You can listen on your smart speaker or your phone too … plus you can hear it again anytime you like via the “Listen Again” button on the Gateway website – just search “Cool Soul” !