GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN - VERSION TO VERSION

KRISTINE SPARKLE began her recording career in the mid 1960's and experienced minor fame as part of the group FAMILY DOG at the turn of the decade. By the start of the 70's she was establishing herself on the UK CABARET CIRCUIT and appeared on TV SHOWS like BBC TV's CRACKERJACK {in which she sang and performed in sketches}

During this time she released a number of 45's for the DECCA label and in 1974 was offered ''GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN'' a song written by PAUL CURTIS.The recording was a step on from the GLAM POP novelty style of her previous Decca releases,being a well crafted and deftly orchestrated POP SOUL number.The song seemed perfectly placed to make headway at a time when SOPHISTI-SOUL from the likes of BARRY WHITE and PHILADELPHIA INTERNATIONAL recording artists were showing good sales in the UK




Sales proved to be thin despite the quality of the record and it was to be Kristine's last recording for DECCA.She switched to the POWER EXCHANGE label,dropping her surname and increasing sales with ''PUSSYCAT TIGER'' and the self penned ''DEVIL WOMAN'',a song which CLIFF RICHARD would later cover and earn a huge hit with

Meanwhile DECCA were intent on getting a hit with ''GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN'' and a further version was recorded and released in 1976.This time the song was given a stonger backbeat and a more upfront feel in keeping with the early DISCO productions that were enticing feet onto the dancefloor. The vocals were handled by CISSY STONE who led a hardworking band on the BIRMINGHAM club scene.The band appeared on the TV talent show NEW FACES and at one time included future SPECIALS keyboard man JERRY DAMMERS

This version seems to have done better business.It was spun at the leading NORTHERN SOUL venue THE WIGAN CASINO and receives plays on that scene to this day

RUBY JAMES - SUMMERTIME TIME

SUMMERTIME TIME was released on the mighty RAK label in 1976 as the B-Side of a DISCO/NORTHERN SOUL tune called YOU BURN A HOLE IN MY SOUL.It was co-written and produced by BIDDU who is best known for his work with KARL DOUGLAS,JIMMY JAMES and TINA CHARLES. The song is a solid rock number that falls somewhere between the ROCK/SOUL of NUTBUSH CITY LIMITS by IKE AND TINA TURNER and the GLAM STOMP of CAN THE CAN by SUZI QUATRO.Pure DANCE FLOOR GOLD...Pure DENIM DISCO!

CATS EYES - A LEFT FIELD FLOOR FILLER

CATS EYES was a DANCE NOVELTY 45 released on the PHILLIPS label in 1973.The tune was written and produced by PETER SHELLEY the man who co-founded MAGNET RECORDS,masterminded the career of ALVIN STARDUST and had solo hit's with ''GEE BABY'' and ''LOVE ME LOVE MY DOG'' in 1975.

The track is a wonderful UP-TEMPO GROOVER that features a FUNKY CLAVINET lead and uses SHRIEKING VIOLINS,CHANTED VOCALS and HAND DRUMS to keep the tune  bouncing and moving along.The record failed to catch on when it was first released,but later became a huge FLOOR FILLER on the NORTHERN SOUL SCENE in 1976/77




In the early 70's the new sound of FUNKY SOUL was gaining wide acceptance amongst fans in the south of England,but many in the north were far less impressed.DAVE GODIN started using the term NORTHERN SOUL in his BULES AND SOUL magazine column to describe records that had an upbeat TAMLA MOTOWN sound.This was done in recognition of the type of dance music still popular with soul fans in the north of the country.

The popularity of 'northern' began to grow and club nights that exclusively played this sound continued to spring up.DJ's were in fierce competition to find records that would satisfy dancers on the scene,but as the 70's wore on tunes with the correct feel began to dry up and DJ's suplimented their sets with recordings by artists who's music would normally fall outside the defined genre of soul music.

Trendsetting DJ's had already started 'covering up' the labels of their rarest finds and would rename them in order to keep the tunes exclusive and avoid detection from bootleggers and other DJ's.This was a ploy that also helped 'LEFT FIELD' tunes like CATS EYES to gain acceptence.When it was covered up and renamed LET'S GO GROOVIN' by THE SOUL AGENTS the record got a wild reaction on the dancefloor of the legendary WIGAN CASINO club and would soon gain significant popularity when it was played in other clubs throughout the north.

Footage of THE WIGAN CASINO in the 1970's