In 1975 I was in Blackpool for Christmas. I had just turned 18 and my cousin Neil and his friend Phil would be going out almost every night. It was the middle of the winter but we would always just go out in shirts no coats. "No where to put yer coat and I'm not paying for cloak room". I learned a lot in those few months. Hold back from taking a leak as long as possible because once you crack open the seal you'll be goin every pint. If it rains it's better because it will be warmer.
Anyway I digress.
One place we went to was the Blackpool Mecca. I was totally unaware of Northern soul but I soon learned. They wore baggy pants threw talcum powder on the dance floor and leaped and spun. No wonder the girl I liked made fun of the way I danced. These were tough guys who loved to dance. This song was one of the many unknown songs they played.
Becoming familiar with the Northern soul version when i finally got my hands on it Igot Little Murders to cover it. First time we played it was the Continental in Sorrento and the surfers loved it.
Oh and I was foraging in a box of artifacts the other night and found my Mecca membership card. Cool!
Of course my memory is also tied up with the Soft Cell mega smash of a few years later and the rerelease of the single just after that. But for me the song fits perfectly in sync with mecca dancing so it's found it's place in my musical history.
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