Neil Gits Sidetracked

I spend a lot of time both before and after my weekly soul show on Gateway using my PC at Old Gits HQ, shuffling songs around on lists, checking out new ideas for tunes from my MP3 & CD collection and doing plenty of research online so that my “fascinating facts” about some of the artists are just that … factual ! It’s not uncommon to find myself diverted from my original line of enquiry to somewhere completely different in the process and couple of weeks ago a couple of stray cIicks on my mouse somehow found me reading up about the career of “The Chase” host, Bradley Walsh !

It had nothing to do with soul music, probably just the fact that I knew he used to play football at a decent level when he was younger and was curious to find out just who for. It turns out that along the way he turned out for Tring Town in the 1979-80 season when Billericay Town were in the same league, playing them home and away that year. Now, I was 17 in August of that season when Tring came to Essex for their match and having kept all the programmes from that era, I was able to confirm that Bradley did indeed play at Town’s New Lodge ground. He wore No:10 and as I was matchday announcer at the time, I would have announced his (then unknown) name and number to the hundreds of Blues fans at the game – amazing, eh ?

With that truly fascinating fact at the front of my mind, I couldn’t resist making my football visit last week to Cow Lane in Tring and watch a match at the ground where he would have been a regular player, before twice breaking his ankle and being forced to retire ! A completely different club play their now, called Tring Athletic, and tomorrow they have a big match in Walsall in the FA Vase, hoping to make the fairytale journey to Wembley in May, just like “Ricay” did back in the 70s ….

And so, with a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon under my belt, watching some good footy, taking some fab photos and eating a cracking cheeseburgher, I returned home and happily continued to prepare last Monday’s show which you can hear today on the ‘Repeat Play’ and includes all these smashing tracks ….

The Tunes – Monday 30th January 2023

Four Tops – When She Was My Girl
Seawind – He Loves You
Eric Benet – Harriet Jones
Innocence – Let’s Push It
Wax – April Lady
Norman Connors ft Phyllis Hyman – Betcha By Golly Wow
Norman Connors ft Michael Henderson -You Are My Starship
Real Thing – Story Of My Life
James & Bobby Purify – Morning Glory
Lipps Inc – Funky Town (Original Full Length Album Version)
Leon Bryant – Just The Way You Like It
Johnny Chingas – Phone Home
Rodney Sith – Girl I Love You
D Train – Keep On
Central Line – Nature Boy
Alicia Bridges – I Love The Nightlife
Beverley Knight – Don’t Be A Fool
Duane Parnham ft Tammy Trele Davis – Your Precious Love
Kool & The Gang – Cherish
Level 42 – You Can’t Blame Louis
Donna Summer – Love’s Unkind
Kim Waters – Secrets Told

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 and available nationally via the Radio Player at Sky 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” !