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CLEETHORPES SOUL WEEKENDER -- 2017
How to sum up the last ever 6T's Cleethorpes Soul Weekender …. the event has been our June soul-abode on the Lincolnshire coast since way back when. No other soul weekender comes even close to the atmosphere generated here, it truly has been unique. An event staged with love, by a guy steeped in soul, with live acts we could only have dreamed about seeing in the past. The venue also has a vibe all of it's own; the chalet's may be long gone, lots of the original punters likewise, but the spirit has lived on right down the years. It's become a gathering place for like minded soul music lovers that brings to mind these words . . . . twenty five years away from home, my feet've been hurting really bad, I've been dancing for three days and nights, you know that I must be mad . . . .can't think which tune to set those to, maybe a Motown track by star man Edwin.
So to this years get-together. With terrorist acts having afflicted the UK for a number of weeks, we were blessed that Sidney Barnes knows the UK and it's soul fans better than any US TV news reporter. So while some others may have reconsidered their travel plans, Sidney stuck to his and arrived safely in London on Wednesday 7th June. A quick get-together in London with the British backing band and singers ran smoothly and it was soon time to head north to that seaside resort on the estuary of the River Humber. As usual the tide was out and so mile upon mile of golden sands were in evidence, stretching from under the once soul drenched pier (now more of a home to sole consumers than soul music fans) almost across to Spurn lighthouse. Heading south-east past the pier and the old site of the Winter Gardens (where the likes of the Bay City Rollers, Sex Pistols & Dexy’s Midnight Runners played live but it's soul fans who remember the place with the most affection), you are soon at the gates of the Beachcomber Centre on the aptly named North Sea Lane.
Formal proceedings kicked off in the main room at 8pm on the Friday night and by the time Dave Rimmer was spinning McKinley Mitchell's “My Sweet Baby” the crowd were fully up to speed. There was a good atmosphere about the place, with the room's dance floor mostly remaining just full enough. Butch kept the dance floor well populated before it was time for the annual dance competition. After that, Ady himself took centre stage for a spell, taking control of the decks with almost full authority. The modern room had kicked off an hour later than the main arena and it also ground to a halt as dawn came close to breaking. In between times, Cliff and Tats had both done well appreciated spots. Those in the Modern room, who were not yet ready for sleep, simply transferred across to enjoy the more vintage sounds on offer in the main hall for a further 60 minutes. The weather was again favorable this year; dry, warm & sunny. So as the temperature rose, much beer was consumed in the caravans where the in-crowds congregated to enjoy more rare 45's being spun. The afternoon 'international DJ' session had begun to wind down as football grabbed the attention of many as the oldest international fixture in the world (staged in Glasgow) hit TV screens across the site. I watched the first half of the match before heading off to catch the sound check and to chat with Sidney Barnes.
Weekender programmes were signed and photos taken as the musicians and sound desk guy slowly got themselves set-up and fully operational. Sidney appeared on time, having sampled the wares of Cleethorpes' best fish & chip shop earlier in the afternoon. This show was going to be something a bit special, as it had been agreed ahead of time that Sidney would perform some of the top dance numbers he had penned for other artists to record. These numbers included the likes of “Our Love (Is In The Pocket)” on which he had originally been cut out of the credits (and royalties). Of the 10 songs he was to perform, half had been written by Sidney in conjunction with J.J. Jackson. As J.J. had been a UK resident back in the late sixties, I decided to ask Sidney how they had gone about writing a song together back then. He explained that J.J. would set up with a piano in a rehearsal room. Sidney would arrive shortly afterwards, armed with two glasses and a bottle of wine. After some sipping of alcohol had helped start the creative juices flowing, Sidney would come up with a song title. When asked, Sidney explained that every song he wrote back then was done with a female singer in mind, the guy's testosterone levels obviously being a major influence on their work. With a title settled on, J J would start tinkling the ivories and would soon come up with a melody that fitted. It was the title that decided whether the new composition was attacked at dance speed or was progressed as a ballad. With a melody & chorus decided upon, Sidney would many times quickly come up with the rest of the lyrics. A couple of run throughs of the number by the pair would help iron out any glitches and the result would be a more refined finished product. Then they would be off to the Brill Building to sell their new creation to a publisher for a $50 advance.
Our chat concluded, Sidney joined the rest of the ensemble on stage. Mics were set and readied, while the all important task of getting the sound levels from the monitors balanced to everyone's satisfaction was also given top priority. The ladies on backing vocals hadn't really got to grips with their contributions to each song, but time wasn't available to ensure they were fully primed for their part in the upcoming show. As usual, Dougie oversaw the whole process to ensure everything was in place to deliver a great live show. 9pm was soon approaching and the room had to be handed back into the hands of the DJ's and punters. A rush for tables occurred when the room was opened up again and in no time at all, northern soul anthems were luring fans back out onto the dance floor. Three hours seemed to pass in the blink of an eye and all too soon the midnight hour approached. The DJ's space on stage was encroached upon as the musicians and all their equipment was nudged into place and it was time for the live action to commence. Ady came out to announce the impending proceedings as soon as the decks and associated equipment had been removed to the side of the stage. As usual, the musicians commenced with their instrumental opener, more the LG's (London Group) than the MG's but still exceptionally competent players. Everything was now ready for Sidney to make his entrance.
And what an entrance it was, clad almost from head to foot in bright red, he certainly did make a striking sight. He opened the show with an appropriate song, “New York City” being it's title plus his home base back when this cut escaped on a Blues Tone 45 back in 64. Next it was across to the Motorcity as he tackled “I''ll Bet You” in fine style. “What Can I Do” came next and this was followed by the slightly funkier “Old Times” (a Chess 45 outing for Sidney in 1970). We got a short explanation next about how his songs ended up being recorded by the vast array of different artists who cut them.,Then it was time for him to deliver his own version of a number originally laid down by Mary Wells, “Me Without You”. A true anthem, “I Hurt On The Other Side” followed and this really got the crowd going. Things were getting hot by now & so Sidney's jacket came off. Always the showman, Sidney got a dancer up on stage with him on a couple of occasions and even joined in with the cavorting himself on the mid-break of those songs. This obviously sapped his strength a bit & so he took a short sit-down while chatting about his next song. This was Sidney's Marmite-like recording (some loving this dearly whilst others hate it), the Ian Levine penned “Solid Ground”. His voice is still very strong, especially taking into account his 76 years of life experience. The fact that he cut this track only 16 years ago (not the 50 years of many of the others in his show), meant that he obviously found it a lot easier to recreate in the live setting. This time, a couple of male dancers were invited up on stage and they helped bring the curtain down on the night's live happenings. But the crowd weren't having that, they cheered, clapped & shouted so much that Sidney had no option but to return to the stage for one more number.
The song selected to bring the show to a close was the Detroit gem “Our Love (Is In The Pocket)”. The whole ensemble on stage attacked this with gusto & of course the crowd joined in on the lyrics. More wild cheering but Sidney was finished and so too was the last live performance of Ady's Cleggy reign. To say that he has paraded a whole galaxy of stars before us down the years would be a total understatement. But that was it, an era had just ended. The musicians left the stage & soon their equipment was being swopped for the DJ's gear. Records once again took charge, though there was little or no dip in the incredible atmosphere. Being a modern soul fan myself, I quickly headed off to the other room where Ivor was spinning classic after classic. A quick break from the music followed as I headed off to the 'signing room' where in no time Sidney was set up and the waiting fans were admitted into his presence.
30 minutes later, I returned to the modern room & took the chance to dance to the fine sounds that were still on offer from Ivor. My 68 years were soon catching up on me though and around 3am I headed back to the caravan to catch a short sleep. Soon refreshed, I returned to the main room for the last few 45's ahead of 6am and the finale to a long but enjoyable night. In the main, older punters tend to be in the majority at the weekender. But as many weary folk headed out of the doors and back to their accommodation it was plain to see that the younger element had lasted the pace better than the old-stagers. Sunday tends to start very late as most folk, having taken to their beds after dawn, remain under the sheets till almost midday. I had to head out by this time and so would miss the legendary Sunday night party.
However, I left my spies on site and they reported back on what turned out to be a truly memorable night. The friendly atmosphere of every Cleggy soul get-together is almost impossible to describe but (by all accounts), the party this night surpassed all expectations.
Proceedings kicked off in both music rooms but by 1am everyone was heading for the main ceremony. Ady took command of the decks for the final set of the night and things got quite emotional. As the Reesman (my secret agent) put it, the night's action came to a conclusion in an awesome electric and emotional frenzy of intense music, good feelings and sociable group dancing. It was soon time for the last few tunes to be played, the Tops “Baby I Need Your Loving” capturing the mood perfectly. Dean Parrish's “I'm On My Way” and Jackie Wilson's “Because Of You” saw everyone clapping in unison as the proceedings ended on the highest of highs. A presentation was made to Ady and it truly was a much deserved tribute to the soulster-in-chief. Will we ever see the likes of this weekender again, I very much doubt it. Here, even the security staff were guaranteed to be friendly, maybe coz they were never called upon to be anything different.
JOHN SMITH; June 2017
How to sum up the last ever 6T's Cleethorpes Soul Weekender …. the event has been our June soul-abode on the Lincolnshire coast since way back when. No other soul weekender comes even close to the atmosphere generated here, it truly has been unique. An event staged with love, by a guy steeped in soul, with live acts we could only have dreamed about seeing in the past. The venue also has a vibe all of it's own; the chalet's may be long gone, lots of the original punters likewise, but the spirit has lived on right down the years. It's become a gathering place for like minded soul music lovers that brings to mind these words . . . . twenty five years away from home, my feet've been hurting really bad, I've been dancing for three days and nights, you know that I must be mad . . . .can't think which tune to set those to, maybe a Motown track by star man Edwin.
So to this years get-together. With terrorist acts having afflicted the UK for a number of weeks, we were blessed that Sidney Barnes knows the UK and it's soul fans better than any US TV news reporter. So while some others may have reconsidered their travel plans, Sidney stuck to his and arrived safely in London on Wednesday 7th June. A quick get-together in London with the British backing band and singers ran smoothly and it was soon time to head north to that seaside resort on the estuary of the River Humber. As usual the tide was out and so mile upon mile of golden sands were in evidence, stretching from under the once soul drenched pier (now more of a home to sole consumers than soul music fans) almost across to Spurn lighthouse. Heading south-east past the pier and the old site of the Winter Gardens (where the likes of the Bay City Rollers, Sex Pistols & Dexy’s Midnight Runners played live but it's soul fans who remember the place with the most affection), you are soon at the gates of the Beachcomber Centre on the aptly named North Sea Lane.
Formal proceedings kicked off in the main room at 8pm on the Friday night and by the time Dave Rimmer was spinning McKinley Mitchell's “My Sweet Baby” the crowd were fully up to speed. There was a good atmosphere about the place, with the room's dance floor mostly remaining just full enough. Butch kept the dance floor well populated before it was time for the annual dance competition. After that, Ady himself took centre stage for a spell, taking control of the decks with almost full authority. The modern room had kicked off an hour later than the main arena and it also ground to a halt as dawn came close to breaking. In between times, Cliff and Tats had both done well appreciated spots. Those in the Modern room, who were not yet ready for sleep, simply transferred across to enjoy the more vintage sounds on offer in the main hall for a further 60 minutes. The weather was again favorable this year; dry, warm & sunny. So as the temperature rose, much beer was consumed in the caravans where the in-crowds congregated to enjoy more rare 45's being spun. The afternoon 'international DJ' session had begun to wind down as football grabbed the attention of many as the oldest international fixture in the world (staged in Glasgow) hit TV screens across the site. I watched the first half of the match before heading off to catch the sound check and to chat with Sidney Barnes.
Weekender programmes were signed and photos taken as the musicians and sound desk guy slowly got themselves set-up and fully operational. Sidney appeared on time, having sampled the wares of Cleethorpes' best fish & chip shop earlier in the afternoon. This show was going to be something a bit special, as it had been agreed ahead of time that Sidney would perform some of the top dance numbers he had penned for other artists to record. These numbers included the likes of “Our Love (Is In The Pocket)” on which he had originally been cut out of the credits (and royalties). Of the 10 songs he was to perform, half had been written by Sidney in conjunction with J.J. Jackson. As J.J. had been a UK resident back in the late sixties, I decided to ask Sidney how they had gone about writing a song together back then. He explained that J.J. would set up with a piano in a rehearsal room. Sidney would arrive shortly afterwards, armed with two glasses and a bottle of wine. After some sipping of alcohol had helped start the creative juices flowing, Sidney would come up with a song title. When asked, Sidney explained that every song he wrote back then was done with a female singer in mind, the guy's testosterone levels obviously being a major influence on their work. With a title settled on, J J would start tinkling the ivories and would soon come up with a melody that fitted. It was the title that decided whether the new composition was attacked at dance speed or was progressed as a ballad. With a melody & chorus decided upon, Sidney would many times quickly come up with the rest of the lyrics. A couple of run throughs of the number by the pair would help iron out any glitches and the result would be a more refined finished product. Then they would be off to the Brill Building to sell their new creation to a publisher for a $50 advance.
Our chat concluded, Sidney joined the rest of the ensemble on stage. Mics were set and readied, while the all important task of getting the sound levels from the monitors balanced to everyone's satisfaction was also given top priority. The ladies on backing vocals hadn't really got to grips with their contributions to each song, but time wasn't available to ensure they were fully primed for their part in the upcoming show. As usual, Dougie oversaw the whole process to ensure everything was in place to deliver a great live show. 9pm was soon approaching and the room had to be handed back into the hands of the DJ's and punters. A rush for tables occurred when the room was opened up again and in no time at all, northern soul anthems were luring fans back out onto the dance floor. Three hours seemed to pass in the blink of an eye and all too soon the midnight hour approached. The DJ's space on stage was encroached upon as the musicians and all their equipment was nudged into place and it was time for the live action to commence. Ady came out to announce the impending proceedings as soon as the decks and associated equipment had been removed to the side of the stage. As usual, the musicians commenced with their instrumental opener, more the LG's (London Group) than the MG's but still exceptionally competent players. Everything was now ready for Sidney to make his entrance.
And what an entrance it was, clad almost from head to foot in bright red, he certainly did make a striking sight. He opened the show with an appropriate song, “New York City” being it's title plus his home base back when this cut escaped on a Blues Tone 45 back in 64. Next it was across to the Motorcity as he tackled “I''ll Bet You” in fine style. “What Can I Do” came next and this was followed by the slightly funkier “Old Times” (a Chess 45 outing for Sidney in 1970). We got a short explanation next about how his songs ended up being recorded by the vast array of different artists who cut them.,Then it was time for him to deliver his own version of a number originally laid down by Mary Wells, “Me Without You”. A true anthem, “I Hurt On The Other Side” followed and this really got the crowd going. Things were getting hot by now & so Sidney's jacket came off. Always the showman, Sidney got a dancer up on stage with him on a couple of occasions and even joined in with the cavorting himself on the mid-break of those songs. This obviously sapped his strength a bit & so he took a short sit-down while chatting about his next song. This was Sidney's Marmite-like recording (some loving this dearly whilst others hate it), the Ian Levine penned “Solid Ground”. His voice is still very strong, especially taking into account his 76 years of life experience. The fact that he cut this track only 16 years ago (not the 50 years of many of the others in his show), meant that he obviously found it a lot easier to recreate in the live setting. This time, a couple of male dancers were invited up on stage and they helped bring the curtain down on the night's live happenings. But the crowd weren't having that, they cheered, clapped & shouted so much that Sidney had no option but to return to the stage for one more number.
The song selected to bring the show to a close was the Detroit gem “Our Love (Is In The Pocket)”. The whole ensemble on stage attacked this with gusto & of course the crowd joined in on the lyrics. More wild cheering but Sidney was finished and so too was the last live performance of Ady's Cleggy reign. To say that he has paraded a whole galaxy of stars before us down the years would be a total understatement. But that was it, an era had just ended. The musicians left the stage & soon their equipment was being swopped for the DJ's gear. Records once again took charge, though there was little or no dip in the incredible atmosphere. Being a modern soul fan myself, I quickly headed off to the other room where Ivor was spinning classic after classic. A quick break from the music followed as I headed off to the 'signing room' where in no time Sidney was set up and the waiting fans were admitted into his presence.
30 minutes later, I returned to the modern room & took the chance to dance to the fine sounds that were still on offer from Ivor. My 68 years were soon catching up on me though and around 3am I headed back to the caravan to catch a short sleep. Soon refreshed, I returned to the main room for the last few 45's ahead of 6am and the finale to a long but enjoyable night. In the main, older punters tend to be in the majority at the weekender. But as many weary folk headed out of the doors and back to their accommodation it was plain to see that the younger element had lasted the pace better than the old-stagers. Sunday tends to start very late as most folk, having taken to their beds after dawn, remain under the sheets till almost midday. I had to head out by this time and so would miss the legendary Sunday night party.
However, I left my spies on site and they reported back on what turned out to be a truly memorable night. The friendly atmosphere of every Cleggy soul get-together is almost impossible to describe but (by all accounts), the party this night surpassed all expectations.
Proceedings kicked off in both music rooms but by 1am everyone was heading for the main ceremony. Ady took command of the decks for the final set of the night and things got quite emotional. As the Reesman (my secret agent) put it, the night's action came to a conclusion in an awesome electric and emotional frenzy of intense music, good feelings and sociable group dancing. It was soon time for the last few tunes to be played, the Tops “Baby I Need Your Loving” capturing the mood perfectly. Dean Parrish's “I'm On My Way” and Jackie Wilson's “Because Of You” saw everyone clapping in unison as the proceedings ended on the highest of highs. A presentation was made to Ady and it truly was a much deserved tribute to the soulster-in-chief. Will we ever see the likes of this weekender again, I very much doubt it. Here, even the security staff were guaranteed to be friendly, maybe coz they were never called upon to be anything different.
JOHN SMITH; June 2017