A Blue Note Club Playlist

The BLUE NOTE was the second great Soul club in Manchester in 1967 – 71 Here is a playlist from that time at that club:

The Mar – Keys – “Grab This Thing“

A great Stax instrumental that Roger Eagle had introduced at the Blue Note – later I found that this was used as the backing track for a Sam & Dave recording. Lots of instrumentals were popular on the Soul scene in those old days and this next one I came to use as my sort of signature tune to kick of an evenings playlist:

Hank Levine “Image“

This track was also recorded by a local Manchester organist who appeared at the Twisted Wheel . As the club was opening, sometimes if it was filling up slowly I would play lots of instrumentals:

“Ooh Baby Turn Me On” – Willie Mitchell

The Soulful Strings – “Burning Spear“

This was an import I obtained; the ‘B’ side was George Harrison’s “Within You Without You” another brilliant instrumental that was also played at the club. And the following track was from an LP I obtained cheap from an import deleted LP’s list just because it was a Chess label and found this fantastic track:

“Afro Harping” Dorothy Ashby

Al Kent: “You’ve Got to Pay The Price“

Gloria Taylor added vocals and we played that back to back.

“One Mint Julip” Booker T. And The MG’s

“The Fife Piper” – The Dynatones

Herbie Mann – “Philly Dog“

Carole King “It Might As Well Rain Until September“

DJ Dave P: I was a huge fan of Carole King, she wrote tons of great Soul songs for numerous artists and I always loved this track and played it many times at the Blue Note when the club was filling up at the start of the evening.

“Mixed Up Shook Up Girl” – Patti And The Emblems

I first obtained this song on a UK released Atlantic live recording of artists appearing at the Apollo in Harlem New York. Later I got an original copy on import from bidding on deleted 45’s auction lists. On the Northern Soul scene the most favourite is “I’m Gonna Love You A Long Long Time“

“I Need You” The Impressions

“I’m A Fool For You” – The Impressions, and with a great ‘B’ side also played at the Blue Note “Choice Of Colors“

“Heartbreak Hotel” The Orlons

“Love Explosions” Troy Keyes

Dean Parrish – “Determination“

We had this UK release on Stateside and knew that he did a version of “Tell Her” (orig The Exiters) and his double sided “Skate” 45 and when we saw his name listed on a USA import deletions list on a label called ‘Lourie’ around 1968 we got it for 25 bob. Well worth it and about 8 years before it was ‘discovered’ at the Wigan Casino!

“I’m On My Way” Dean Parrish

“Blues In The Night” – Johnnie Taylor

“(I Wonna)Testify” – Johnnie Taylor

“Two Can Have A Party” Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell

“Hooked By Love” – Homer Banks

“The Who Who Song” – Jackie Wilson

Arthur Conley “Funkey Street“

The Spellbinders “Help Me“

“Cool Jerk” The Capitals

“Candy” – The Astors

The Orlons – “Crossfire“

“See Saw” Don Covey

$SYSJFM - Joe Tex$

“S.Y.S.L.J.F.M. (The Letter Song)” – Joe Tex

“Aint No Sun (Since You’ve Been Gone)” – The Dynamics

(Orig The Temptations)

“Love Time” The Kelly Brothers

“The Memphis Train” – Rufus Thomas

“If I Could Turn Back The Hands Of Time” Vernon Garrett

“Sock It To Em J B” – Rex Gavin & The Mighty Cravers

“Don’t Mess With Cupid” – Otis Redding

The Tams – “Untie Me“

“Cry No More” Ben E. King

“Ninety – Nine and a Half Just Won’t Do” – Wilson Pickett

Stax all things from Stax was necassary at the Blue Note, it all started with Roger Eagle who was a huge advocate for the label, he introduced to us first at the Twisted Wheel and later and more fully at the Blue Note all of the great Stax tracks that were available or imported by him or given to him by the label. I’m not going to list them all here that were played at the time at the Blue Note. So here are some that were more rarefied that we played, following in Rogers footsteps and keeping up that Stax tradition:

“Bring Your Love Back To Me” Linda Lyndell

And one night in the 70’s I got drunk and lent around a thousand records to a pal from the Blue Note: MIKE ZULE: hey Mike if your out there it would be nice to get some of them back to me, including this one!

Another great 45 from Linda a white Soul singer at Stax was this fantastic dancer, popular at the Blue Note and my copy was imported on the Volt label from a auction deleted list I think I bid ten bob for it!

Linda Lyndell “What A Man“

Chubby Checker – Big at the Blue Note. Big at The Twisted Wheel with these three tracks:

“Hey You, Little Boo-Ga-Loo” Chubby Checker

“(At The) Discotheque” Chubby Checker

“Why Because I Love You” Chubby Checker

Unable to find the last one on YouTube and as mine was ‘loaned’ to a friend in the early 1970 it doesn’t look like I will ever see it or hear it again!

Many Stax records were released on Atlantic here is a great example:

“Never Like This Before” William Bell

“Eloise (Hang On In There)” William Bell

“Soul Power” Derek Martin

“Love Sickness” Sir Mack Rice

“Bama Lama Bama Loo” Little Richard

“Book Of Love” The Monotones

“Paying The Cost To Be The Boss” – B. B. King

The Blue Note was much more of a ‘nightclub’ in its first year it had a bar and a boated a wooden dance-floor, both of these features were missing from the nearby Twisted Wheel. Therefore the clubs Soul sessions covered a more varied playlist and several spots in the evening and especially the last half hour, slower more smoochy numbers were played, here are a few:

Freddy Scott “Are You Lonely For Me“