Yes, Martyn, there were several acknowledgements to 'This England'. The director spoke of getting permission to set up enough light to make filming possible while a dance was in full swing. There was a difference of opinion of how the film portrayed Wigan as a 70s town in steep decline but the conclusion was that it portrayed place and times with quite faithfully.
Interesting stuff. "Blowing Up My Mind" was probably The Exciters only "real" record that made it on the NS scene, but controversial as ever Ian Levine recruited them for one of the first tailor-made records he released into mainstream consciousness (he did a lot). It's called "Reaching for the Best" and I well remember buying it during my lunch break from technical college, a callow lad aged about 16 or thereabouts.
The link below has the proper release, just a strange choice of video. Ironically, Levine lost the rights to a lot of his own records so has flooded You Tube with remakes that are just terrible. Does the name sound familiar btw? He produced several of Take That's records and has a long and chequered history. I know him slightly, I met him on several occasions and had a long and drunken lunch with him in a posh brasserie near Cheltenham on one occasion, I'm not proud of it. He is/was an absolute twat and one the most controversial figures ever on the NS scene. A few months back I left his private music forum after one insult too many, he really is a nasty, bitter individual.
Ian Levine featured significantly in the 'Keep On Burning' 2012 film and came across as rather overopinionated much of the time - but he did seem to know his NS stuff. Obviously, you've had extensive dealings with him, and I'm only judging on two hours of edited film output.
By contrast, Russ Winstanley was often deferential about his contribution to the 'life' of Northern Soul and almost philosophical about the Casino closing.
I thought I might indulge of my "other" passion for your entertainment
Feel free to post, but please do try and keep it soulful. No funk or ska please! I maintain an off-line list of all the tracks posted, if you would like a copy please feel free to fmail me.
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Best ever album
Dec 2024