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22nd May 2013
Posted by Neil Matthew
I was thinking during a quiet moment on my recent Cornwall how I would briefly summarize my musical journey to my latest birthday, should anyone ever need to know ! Like most 51 year olds, I watched “Top Of The Pops” religiously and listened to the Radio 1 Top 40 EVERY week without fail as a nipper and liked all sorts of music that made the charts, but do recall lots of mid-70s hits by Barry White and The Stylistics making a big impression. By the latter part of the decade, I was sucked into the disco era from loving the tunes played at our school discos by the likes of Earth Wind & Fire and Chic – then it was time to get a job !
In the early 80s I was making money faster than I knew how to spend it, but gave it a good go going to plenty of “discotheques” (or nightclubs as we now call them – I think!) and dashing off in my lunch hour to buy the best tracks I’d danced to by artists like D Train and Sharon Redd. As the “dance decade” evolved I followed every trend going from electro to hip hop to house to rave music, but a mellower side of me was growing and none of it compared to the smooth soul of Luther Vandross and Anita Baker. Next stop, the 90s ! By now I was a full-time DJ and had to keep up with more of those five minute fads – hardcore, speed garage, trance or UK garage, whatever, I bought it and played it, but only when the latest Brand New Heavies or Jamiroquai cut arrived did I get anything like the warm feeling of discovering those old 70s & 80s gems.
And so here we are in the 00s – the irony of that being that the new century brought us all the wonders of the worldwide web and the opportunity to re-discover old friends and classic tunes that had almost been forgotten, as well as superb new music by groups such as Cool Million & The Sunburst Band through social networking and internet radio, not forgetting Gateway 97.8 !! Welcome to Neil’s World of Nostalgia – it’s the Old Gits Soul Show , every Monday at 7pm and repeated this Saturday at 5pm ! 🙂
The Tunes:
James Brown – Get Up Offa That Thing
Tata Vega – Get It Up For Love Conway Brothers – Turn It Up
Tammi Lynn – I’m Gonna Run Away From You Billy Paul – Sooner Or Later
Alexander O’Neal – A Broken Heart
Luther Vandross & Beyonce – Closer I Get To You
Lou Rawls – Not The Staying Kind
Xavier – Work That Sucker To Death
Soul II Soul – Keep On Movin’ Glenn Jones – I Am Somebody Carl Davis & The Chi Sound Orchestra – Windy City Theme The Perfect Circle – The Hand Of Time
Teena Marie – I Need Your Loving Linda Hopkins – It’s In The Blood KC & The Sunshine Band – Queen Of Clubs Dawn Robinson – Set It Off Amy Keys – Has It Come To This Angela Johnson – I Still Care
Lalomie Washburn – Man Power Donna Summer – MacArthur Park
Bruce Johnston – Pipeline
The Gigs:
Friday 24th May “The Woodmans Soul Night” The Woodmans Arms, Rayleigh Road, Thundersley, SS7 3TA “soul anthems, classic 80s, funk, disco & modern soulful house” Brought to you by the Soulful Seduction Team: DJs: MJ & Bully – playing grooves to make you move ! 8.30 pm start – Free Entry https://www.facebook.com/events/430403553723186/?fref=ts Friday 24th May “Soul Weekender Vibe” The Loop, Tindall Street/Duke Street, Chelmsford, CM1 1ER “Rare Grooves, Funk & Soul Weekender Anthems” DJs: Simon “Whistles” Ford & Nick Aravis Free Entry – 9pm – 4am ! Saturday 25th May “KTF Soul Club” The Old Regent Ballroom, Corringham Road, Stanford Le Hope, SS17 0AQ DJs: Lee Markwick, Tony Burman & The KTF Team “Northern Soul & then some !” Wristbands £5 In Advance Only – usually sells out – hurry ! 7.30pm – 1am – (07895) 538835 Danny https://www.facebook.com/events/326902740745853/ Saturday 25th May (Every Last Saturday of the month) “Disco Stomp” Jacksons Wharf, York Street, Ramsgate DJs: John Herbert plus guests 70s & 80s Disco Classics Free Admission – 8pm – 1am Saturday 25th & Sunday 26th May “May Bank Holiday Spring Affair” Sat: The Knot. Beach Road,Westgate On Sea and Sun: The Coast Bar, Kings Street, Margate “Soul, Jazz-Funk, R’n’B, Soulful House DJs: Paul French, Micky B, Jason Anderson plus… Terry Matthews, Jonny Layton, Mark Messent, Tony Matthews, Roni O’Brien, Lee Aitch & John Oliver https://www.facebook.com/events/182533908548987/?fref=ts Saturday 25th May “Fishing For Soul” Heron Angling Club, Western Esplanade, Herne Bay “Soul Funk Boogie & Jazz … On The Beach !!!” Free Entry – 7.30pm – Midnight DJs: Carl Hyde, Phil Baker, Tom G Edgar, Robert Burr, Rex Smith https://www.facebook.com/events/495887860465812/ Sunday 26th May (Every Last Sunday Of The Month) “Sunday Soul Sessions” The Victoria, Victoria Road, Romford, Essex, RM1 2PA DJs: Tricia Butler, Peter P, Richard Brown, Sandra C “Club Classics, Soulful House, Jaff-Funk, Reggae” 3pm – Midnight – soulful family atmosphere Supervised children over 5 years old welcome before 7pm ! https://www.facebook.com/events/126000124238663/ Saturday 1st June “Soul Carnival All Dayer” The Cromwell Manor, Basildon “8 Hours Of Soul, Funk, Rare Groove & Soulful House” DJs: Aitch B, Gordon Mac, Gary Dennis, James Anthony and more 5pm – 1am – Tickets £15 In Advance Visit www.cromwellmanor.co.uk or www.superflypromotions.com http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151760359468452&set=a.155420048451.145483.634883451&type=1&theater Saturday 1st June (Every First Saturday) “Soul On The Harbour ” Jacksons Wharf, York Street, Ramsgate DJs: John Herbert, Paul Spickett plus guests “70s 80s & 90s Soul & Jazz-Funk Anthems” Free Admission – 8pm – 1am Friday 7th June 2013 “The Big Zero Soul Night” Marco’s, 30 Eastwood Road, Rayleigh, SS67JQ DJ Bully plus guests “Soul, Funk Disco & Dance From The 70s Upwards” Free Entry – 8.30pm – 1am Saturday 8th June “Soul At The Cherry” The Cherry Tree, Queen Street, Warley, Brentwood, CM14 5JZ “Modern & Classic Soul Grooves & Dancefloor Classics” DJ: Stevie B plus guests Dave Bishop & Frostie Original 8pm – 1am ; Free Entry https://www.facebook.com/events/518853984843298/ Saturday 8th June “Soulsations” The Ink Bar, King Street, Maidstone, ME14 1BA DJs: Nick Aravis & James Anthony £5 On The Door Saturday 15th June (Every 3rd Saturday of the month) “Soul Night” The Cricketers, Moulsham Street, CM2 0JT Chelmsford DJ: Paul Eve (Caister) 7.30pm start – Free Entry Saturday 22nd June “Soul By The Jetty – The Big June Bash!” The Lobster Smack Inn, Haven Road, Canvey Island DJs: Johnny Layton, Mr Messy, Brian Kelly Plus Guests: Paul Clark & Jeff Young Entry by advance wristband only – always a sell out ! £7 from (07989) 591399 or [email protected] https://www.facebook.com/events/546810082029345/?fref=ts Saturday 22nd June “Soul ladies – Live!” The Strawbery Fayre, Shenfield Common, Brentwood On stage around 2pm Saturday 29th June “The Motown Girls” The Inn On The Green, Bilericay 8.30 pm start – Free Admission Saturday 6th July “Essex Funkers Summer Bash” Harlow Town FC “Two rooms of jazz-funk & soul inc the “Funk Bunker” featuring new & old school soul, funk & r’n’b” DJs: Les Knott, Jonny Layton, Tony Fernandez, DJ Isis & Terry Munro & Paul Crowley Tickets £10 – more details to follow… Saturday 6th July “Treacle Mine Soul Night” The Treacle Mine, Lodge Lane, Grays, RM17 5PR DJs: Bully & MJ playing: “Soul Anthems, Classic & Modern, Soulful House… …and The Grooves That Make You Move !” Free Entry – 8pm Start https://www.facebook.com/events/512950285418838/?ref=ts&fref=ts Saturday 13th July “Hockley Soul Night” Details To Follow… Sunday 22nd September “Superstars Of Soul” Ben & King plus Jimmy James & The Vagabonds live ! The Towngate Theatre, Basildon 7.30pm – £20 – (01268)465465http://www.towngatetheatre.co.uk/index.aspx?articleid=3965
Monthly Events:First Friday: Zero Soul Night Out – Marcos, Rayleigh – next : 7th June First Saturday: Soul On The Harbour, Jacksons Wharf, Ramsgate – next: 1st June Third Friday: Soul Night at The Curlew, South Woodham Ferrers – next 17th May Third Saturday: The Cricketers, Moulsham Street, Chelmsford – next 18th May Last Friday: Shaft, Circle Bar, Crouch Street, Colchester – next TBC Last Saturday: Disco Stomp, Jacksons Wharf, Ramsgate – next: 25th May Also recommended… Most Friday Nights At … Lot 75 , Shenfield, DJ Graham Norton Plazma, High Street, Wickford, DJ Geoff Grove Every Friday: Funkin’ Fridays, Bar West One, Brentwood These chaps play plenty of “our tunes” within their sets ! Do you know of any soulful, jazzy, funky gigs taking place in 2013 ? Let me know the details whether you are a DJ or a punter and I can spread the word to fellow “Old Gits” in this space ! E-mail: [email protected] or send a text message to (01268)833978
The Old Gits Soul Show is on Gateway 97.8 in Basildon & East Thurrock and also around the world via www.gateway978.com from 7pm – 9pm every Monday – plus you can catch it again Saturday evening from 5pm – 7pm