DJ PROFILES

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ANDY DENNISON  (Musselburgh)
 

Andy Dennison is one of the top DJ's on the Scottish scene for many years , the only suprise being that he has not got more venues down south after his talents, Andy started off in the scooter scene around the late 70's and then through that attended his first All - Nighter at the Glenrothes YM in 1984, not long after that he was asked to DJ along with his mate Paul at an All - Dayer in Haddington, soon after that he got asked to DJ at one of the Glenrothes YM All - Nighters in 1985.

As the collection of records grew then more and more places started to ask him to grace the decks and he then got to Dj at the famouse Allanton All - Nighters near Shotts.

" Allanton All - Nighter or Shotts as it was also called was my favourite nights, it was here I was given a real kick of the ball, so to speak. There were a number of factors that made it my favourite venue, firstly it was the crowd, they responded to anything that was new or semi - known that was bursting to be played. The punters were right on top of anything any of the DJ's played, it did not matter if a record cost a £1 if it was quality it got jumped on and accepted right away. The old quote, "it's whats in the groove that counts" certainly appied at the Allanton. A great venue with a tremendous atmosphere and a travelling public from all parts of the country. A regular attendance of 200 to 300 and not to forget the record room which was to die for. Great stuff !!, I could talk about it all night !"

My music policy is across the board, 60's  /  70's & R & B, anything that sounds good to me, it's a case of using your imagination. I have always played a bit of everything in my sets, a lot of the stuff I play now has been influenced by guys like, Jock O'Conner, Colin Law, Keith Whitson, Jim Tennent, Alan Walls and Mark Linton, I am still trying to collect some of the sounds those guys played to this day.

Outside of Scotland I have also played at Newcastle, Leicester, Peterborough and will also be doing "United Sounds of Soul" in Holmes Chapel during March 2008.

Favourite UK DJ's are, Butch, Ady Croasdell, Keith Money, Dean Anderson, Andy Whitmore, Soul Sam and of course Kenny Burrell. even Paul Daniels cannot do magic like these guys can !

The Scottish soul scene at the moment has a lot of events going on with the result that sometimes some of these events clash, this hinders the attendances a lot of the time as there is a limited number of people that always attend, promoters still need to keep talking to each other to avoid this. Musically you can get any style of soul night that you want in Scotland if you are prepared to travel and there are enough good guys with great records to keep the punters happy. What does my brain in is when punters are practically force fed the same old stuff week in week out. I've heard it said that this is what they want, but if they dont hear new sounds being played how on earth are they to know any different ?. The paying punter is not daft, playing the same old sounds week in, week out will eventually burn itself out. All that is needed is a bit of imagination and balance !, thankfully more upfront and R & B sounds are catered for up here in Scotland as well, it's a case of picking the right night as there are a number of DJ's playing "across the board" music. 
 

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DAVID (Div) MILLER  (Edinburgh)

When did you first get into Northern Soul ? 

1976 (FOR A LAUGH) - 1993 (SERIOUS)
 

Which early clubs did you attend ?   

Claremont Hotel, Edinburgh, Albany Hotel, Glenrothes, Spiders Web, Edinburgh.
 

First sounds you can remember and bought ?  

Rosebuds - "Say You'll Be Mine" (Tower), Deon Jackson - "That's What You Do To Me" (Carla), Jimmy Norman - "Family Tree" (Mercury), Carl Hall - "My Baby's So Good" (Mercury).
 

Where and when did you promote soul events ?  

Co-Promoted Spiders Web with Alan McKenzie, Co-Promoted Drivers Club with, Hammy, Ali Duff & Gary Marnie, Promoted Osbourne Hotel under "Soul View" banner and Co-Promoted the Black Horse in Wolverhampton with Martyn Bradley, Tait Taylor and Des Parker.
 

Where have you DJ'ed and what were your best Scottish Nights ?  

Dublin, Belfast, Albrighton, North Wales, Holmes Chapel, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Thornton, Tranent & Glenrothes.  The best events for DJ'ing were Spiders Web in the 90's, broke a few sounds and never afraid to try something different - even to this day -always a top atmosphere.  Albany Hotel, Glenrothes where the two Steve's gave me my first DJ set.
 

What clubs do you like best in Scotland ?  

Claremont Hotel and Spiders Web.
 

Best Scottish Clubs over the years ?  

Claremont Hotel, Spiders Web, Albany Hotel - Glenrothes, Oscars - Dundee & Drivers Club - Edinburgh.
 

Favourite Northern Sounds ?  

HEADLINES - HE'S LOOKING FOR A LOVE - LUAUA
FOUR SIGHTS - LOVE IS A HURTING GAME - SHY-SOUL
JADES - LUCKY FELLOW - MODE
NOTATIONS - YOU SHOULD KNOW -SUE
EPTONES - A LOVE THAT'S REAL - JO 

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JOHN HISLOP  (Edinburgh) 
 

When & where did you get into Northern Soul ?

Like most people my age I was first introduced to soul music in the mid 60s when Tamla Motown swept the world. And like the rest of the world I drifted out of Soul and into other various styles of music only to come back to soul again around about 1974 when soul music swept around the world again this time on the back of the Disco boom . I became a regular at Brian Joyce's Soul Club at the Grosvenor Hotel which was where I met Shaz and he told me of a club in Wigan called The Casino where they dance all night to soul music similar to the soul music we were first introduced to in the mid sixties. That was it we made travel arrangements ( probably borrowed a car from somewhere) and off we went to investigate. Nothing prepared me for what we experienced at the Wigan Casino.
 

First Northern Soul dance you attended

The first exclusively Northern Soul Dance I attended was Wigan Casino around about '75
 

When & where did you first Dj

First DJ stint was in a club in Shandwick Place called Walkers which also happens to be the first time I met George and Maureen when George came up to me and asked me to play a record he had brought along I still remember it, it was David and the Giants - Ten Miles High I took a look at it. did not recognise it and told George "Nah we only play Northern Soul" little did I know.
 

Best early day's venue

There will always be special memories for me of Brian Joyce's soul club at The Grosvenor Hotel as that was where a lot of the people who have remained friends over the last 30 years met. Apart from that Wigan Casino was special. the atmosphere the size of the venue and the feeling of being a part of something was all part of it.
 

Best large venue now

I have only been back on the scene a couple of years so I've never been down to Togetherness or Prestatyn. I played at the Federation Brewery last year in Newcastle and found that an incredible experience its a fantastic venue and deserves support.
 

Best small venue now

Without a doubt The Spiders Web is my favourite. Genna's in Dundee, and The Chase in Bonnyrigg are also firm favourites as I find over the last two years, as I have gotten to meet more and more people involved with the Scottish Soul scene I find I can go along to these clubs and feel made welcome and meet people I know.
 

Best Dj'ing experience

I played at an Allnighter with Kenny Burrell way back in '76 or '77 it was a sell out and the atmosphere was incredible I played Willie Mitchell - The Champion and just about brought the roof down. The Tiffanies alldayers with George Wallace and Keith Minshull were special as they were the early days. In rescent times it has to be The Federation Brewery in Newcastle.
 

Favourite UK Dj

Thats A hard one to answer as I havent heard all that many from South of the border. In the old days my favourite DJ was Dave Evison and it was a big honour to play on the same bill as him at the oldies night in Marcos. In Scotland Fraser Dunn, Keith Money, Kenny Burrell, and Allan Mckenzie are all worthy of respect from the point of view of their extensive knowledge the size of their record collections and their commitment to the soul scene in Scotland but there is one Scottish DJ who always manages to get me off my bum and on to the floor and that is Lenny Toshack ( I must be an oldies fan at heart ).
 

All time Top Ten records

(In no particular order):

Ruby Andrews - Just Loving You

Gene Chandler - There Was A Time

Herbert Hunter - I Was Born To Love You

Moments - I've Got The Need

Little Anthony - Better Use Your Head

Epitome of Sound - You Dont Love Me

 

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KENNY BURRELL  
 

Before Soul
As a prelude to my memories of soul in the early days, I need to take you back to my hometown of Cowdenbeath in 1963. A record shop existed called "Muirs" at the north end of the high street where inside large booths with headphones allowed you to listen to the records. I was 10 years old and remember albeit "hazy" buying a record called "She loves you" by the Beatles, obviously at this time of life never realising the impact eitherThe Beatles or music would have on my life. My elder brother & sister (both married at this time ) were into Cliff and Elvis and that type. The cost of the singles then were would you believe 5/- ( thats five shillings in old money) Throughout the next 5-6 years several records that were all pop to me hold quality memories :-1965 Sonny & Cher - "I got you babe", Unit 2 plus 4 - "Concrete & Clay", 1966 Chris Farlowe - "Out of Time" and the Merseys  "Sorrow" which I bought in a record shop in St. Andrews where I used to go with friends to their mothers caravan at weekends. Moving to 1968 (and I still remember the Mexico Olympics" black power aggro"), I bought "Young girl" by Gary Puckett & The Union Gap, a record to this day I think is brilliant and so atmospheric.

Throughout this period I spent all my pocket money on records. In 1966 now at Beith high School I got a paper delivery job in the newsagents next to Muirs records.
 

My early Soul  

Throughout this period I'd bought records such as;  Tams - "Hey girl dont bother me" (and not the 1971 re-release on Probe but in 1964 on HMV), Supremes - "Baby Love", Martha Reeves - "Dancing in the street and The Velvelettes - "Needle in a haystacK", Eddie Floyd - "Things get better", Otis Redding - "My Girl and "Dock of the bay" plus many chart Motown and what was to become one of my all time favourites Felice Taylor - "I feel love comin on" but whilst I didn't have the foggiest idea this was Soul Music I knew I liked the sound of it.
 

Cairns Youth Club

Cowdenbeath unti 1968  -  In Church Street and "bopping" away every Friday night to all the aforementioned "Soul" and "pop" records despite the Dj (don't think I knew what a Dj was) being a rather large female about 5 years older than us and playing records in no particular order.
 

1969 - 71 The Raith Ballroom Kirkcaldy. 

Can't unfortunatley remember the name given to the upstairs room (Maureen says it was The Safari Room) but it was here much of what we've grown to love as "Soul Music" mostly mainstream chart soul was played. I can't remember if any of the records were "massive", Marvin Gaye  -  "I heard it through the grapevine" and "Too busy thinking about my baby" seemed to be played forever. Can you imagine I used to request The Equals  -  "Baby come back", "Viva Bobby Joe" and "Black skin blue eyed boy", all on the President label, same as Felice Taylor.
 

Forth Bridges Motel  1971 - 74  

A Sunday / Monday venue often for me and once again at this period I'd never heard of a thing called "Soul Club" or Soul Venue" but as stated previously the Dj's here played a lot of Soul Music. One of the Dj's (who later became well known via Radio Forth) was called Bob Malcolm. He also was a partner in a record shop in Corstorphine, Edinburgh where I bought records during this period. I remember in particular Tammi Lynn "I'm gonna run away"  and Millie Jackson  -  "my man"( both Mojo records) which came out either 1971 or 1972, and both I'd still dance to today. The other "significant" record I first came across here was of course what has grown to become my all time No1 -  The Velvelettes  -  "These Things".
 

East of Scotland Soul Club (Grosvenor Hotel) 1974 - until a "junkie" ! 

Having known (now long term friend) Ian Parker since circa 1970 originally through a Rangers supporters club and then table tennis, he told me about a place which played purely Soul Music and where there were "great dancers", so a Sunday night in Edinburgh became the norm then Wigan Casino (once we had met Tommy Cockburn from Polmont who had "been there, done that and got the tee - shirt). The above term "Junkie" refers to vinyl and in the Casino days I have no problem admitting I did not know the difference or significance of buying "bootlegs" or "originals" but as was very common we would all pile down to Wigan sometimes on an organised coach but more often than not in my car and all the records we had bought on the Saturday night would be played in the Grosvenor on the Sunday by Ronnie Cowan (British Telecoms engineer come fantastic Dj). Northern Soul was a 20 to 30 minute stint at the start and finish every Sunday with commercial Soul and Funk for the other 3 hours (6pm to 10pm).

During the Grosvenor / Wigan period occasional visits to Blackpool Mecca were taken in but summer 1976, Ian Parker, Billy Ramsay, Billy McDonald and myself went to Paignton (Torquay) where Tommy Cockburn had been working the summer season in a bar, every night it was a trip to the Compass Club (3 floors) where the first two were ringing out with Elton John & Kiki Dee  -  "Don't go breaking my heart" but the top floor was pure "Northern", I spent my last £10 on what turned out to be a hard to find dark blue bootleg of Freddie Chavez. I am pleased to say I now have the real blue issue now, but next to The Velvelettes - "These things", it's my favourite record.

Other venues we frequented were:  Maniqui - (Falkirk), Marryat Hall  -  (Dundee) will all be covered by others but at this time the Grosvenor (until 1979, you know marriage etc) will remain forever for the fantastic memories and meeting most of the Scottish "Soul Stalwarts". 

 

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JACK McDOUGALL (Stirling)
 

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When did you first get into Northern Soul ?

I first discovered Northern Soul around about the end of 1974 when I went to a youth club at Bridge of Allan and was intriqued by the FUNNY style of dancing going on, boys and girls just dancing on there own and by the end of the night I was trying to do high kicks, spin and back flips with all the rest of them, earliest music memorys are Frankie Valli  -  "The Night", Muriel Day  -  "9 Times out of 10", Jeanette Harper  -  "Put me in your pocket", soon I was going wherever I could hear some more Northern Sounds, clubs I can remember best are:

• STIRLING RAILWAY CLUB

• BLACKBURN MINERS CLUB

• EDINBURGH YMCA

I first attended Wigan Casino around March 1975.
 

First Sounds you can remember and bought ?

I can't actually remember what the first record I bought was but The Supremes  -  "Nothing but heartache", Johhny Johnson and The Bandwagon  -  "Breaking down the wall of Heartache" spring to mind
 

Promoters, where and when did you promote ?

I promoted STIRLING ARGYLE CENTRE All- Nighters, we had two nighters there around 1978 / 1979 and had Pat Brady and Dave Evison headlining, myself, Jiggy, Bruce and Speedy Dj'ing amongst others, the nighters were very well attended but the police objections put the blocks on the venue so we switched to the ALBERT HALLS in Stirling where we had Richard Searling, Brian Rae Dj'ing also the late Nev Wherry Dj'ed at our September 1979 All-Nighter which was the last as the council pulled the plug on overnight hires of their venues, Nev died 2 weeks after the September Nighter from Carbon Monoxide poisoning due to a blocked gas flu, what a loss to the scene Nev's death was but his record collection continued to entertain us as the Rev Tony Clayton bought Nev's collection, I also promoted THE STIRLING RAILWAY CLUB around 1978 / 1979 when we had Soul Sam, Brian Rae etc in attendance. I moved to WALSALL in 1980 and promoted The Wheatsheaf Soul Nights in Walsall which ran every Thursady for 167 weeks, also had the chance to run All-Dayers at Walsall's Royal Hotel around 1985 / 1986, we had top Dj's like Pat Brady, Tony Clayton, Steve Whittle, Brian Rae and regular Dj's were John Pugh, Kenny Onions, Paul Everton and myself, also Rob Pheasant (Willenhall) and Bob Roberts from Walsall, also THAMDHU All-Dayers at BANNOCKBURN 1986 / 1987
 

Where have you Dj'ed and Best Nights in Scotland ?

I Dj'ed at so many places back in the day, I was one of the original CLOUDS Dj's along with Bruce, Jolly, George Coy, Richard Searling, Dave Evison etc. I also Dj'ed regularly at ABERDEEN Music Hall with Irvi Milne and Speedy, Willox, had some great nights there and first met Brian Barney Welch there. Best memory among many at Aberdeen was J.J.Barnes live in 1982, and I've still got the tape !. I also Dj'ed at Stafford Top of The World in the oldies room upstairs (The Jackie Wilson Room) it got that knickname as there always seemed to be a Jackie Wilson song playing. Also Dj'ed at every Warrington Parr Hall when Steve Croft promoted it and Rotherhams Clifton Hall revival All-Nighters, was a regular for a while at Morecambe Pier main hall and remember listening to Mark Linton tearing it up in the front hall with Marc Sadane  -  "One minute from love" banging out (Thanks Mr Linton).

Dj'ed at Darlingtons Dolphin Centre Nighters and Hinckley when Pat Brady promoted the nighters there but politics and bullshit got to much and I stopped Dj'ing around 1988/ 1989.

Best nights for me were Edinburgh Clouds, Aberdeen Music Hall, Dundee Marryatt Hall, Arbroath Smokies had some fantastic nights there and in Stonehaven the Commodore Hotel Jazz Funk All-Dayers, Ned Jordan had some tunes.
 

Which Club nights did you like in Scotland ?
 

EDINBURGH, CLOUDS 

Legendary venue, top Dj's, top crowd, never had a bad one there.
 

ABERDEEN, MUSIC HALL  

Brilliant place, music and crowd, thanks to Irvi Milne, Speedy.
 

DUNDEE, MARRYATT HALL

Loads of good times here
 

ALLANTON 

Brilliant, one of the best, Sparra, Barney and John Neilson got it spot on, quality Dj's and quality tunes, I don't think people realised what this nighter was until it finished.
 

ARBROATH, SMOKIES

Always busy, always good
 

GLENROTHES

I only went a couple of times but the music was very avant garde for a Scottish Nighter, the Walls brothers Steve and Alan did a good job, music was out in front at the time.
 

NEWMAINS, THE KILT

Bloody F***ing fantastic, fantastic music, venue, Dj's, enough said, oh and a certain big red head telling people to get on that F***ing dance floor, R.I.P. Barney
 

Records, five favourate sounds ?

LEE ANDREWS  -  "NEVER THE LESS"  -  CRIMSON

RONNIE FORTE  -  "WHISKEY TALKING"  -  TARX

ANITA HUMES  -  "WHAT DID I DO"  -  ROULETTE 

THE ETHICS  -  "STANDING IN THE DARKNESS  -  VENT

FRANKIE AND THE CLASSICALS  -  "WHAT SHALL I DO"  -  CALLA

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