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Neil Gits Sad

4th July 2020
Posted by Neil Matthew

My preparations for last Monday’s show were interrupted by the shock news that my old friend Mark Roman had passed away after suffering a heart attack in Vietnam where he had been enjoying a well-earned retirement in the Far East sunshine for the last few years. He was probably the most influential person on my radio career, certainly when it came to presenting soul shows, and we worked together on various projects in the 80s & 90s where I acquired many good habits that I still employ to this day on air.

But Mark was already a ‘legend’ in soul DJ circles by the time I first came across him at The Windmill in South Hanningfield on a visit to one of that pub’s famous soul nights around 1984 – not that I knew it at the time ! Being very much focussed on the new soul & dance music at that time, I was blissfully unaware that he had been a ground-breaking pioneer in the early 70s, by playing soul & funk music from America in the clubs of central London when the nightlife scene was very different at that time, and established a long-running residency at Crackers in Wardour Street in the West End which even older gits than me still talk about today !

It never ceased to amaze me when looking at social media how often top name soul DJs that I had looked up as a beginner would post messages illustrating their repsect for what he had achieved back then, and also for his passionate crusading to get the music onto the airwaves later on in his life, when other younger but equally enthusiastic soul fans like myself would team up to lead the cause, learning our trade from the master along the way.

This week’s show is dedicated to Mark Roman … and his “Full Pound Of Bananas” !! Sleep well old friend ….

The Tunes – 29th June 2020

Delegation – Where Is The Love (We Used To Know)

The Team – Wicki Wacky (House Party)

Cool Million – Save Your Love

The Limit – Say Yeah

Five Star – Love Takeover

Betty Wright – I Don’t Know

Jeannie Reynolds – Fruit Song

Etta James – At Last

Gap Band – Outstanding

SOS Band – For Your Love

Lowrell – Mellow Mellow Right On

Grover Washington Jr – Mister Magic

Chi-Lites – You Got To Be The One

Curtis Mayfield – Move On Up

Formations – At The Top Of The Stairs

Pioneers – Let Your Yeah Be Yeah

Cornell C.C. Carter – I Could Never

Al Lindsey – Nobody

Lalah Hathaway – Smile

Lyn Collins – Think

Kid Creole & The Coconuts – Stool Pigeon

Komiko – Feel Alright

Please get in touch with your soulful request or just for a mention on the show -post on “The Old Gits Soul Show” page on Facebook or message me personally …

 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, also repeated on Saturday evening from 5pm–7pm, plus you can hear it again anytime you like via the “Listen Again” button on the Gateway website … search “Cool Soul” !