The Satellite Suburban Soul Clubs Tommy mentions were an important fixture for are, Tommy Mac would

Mac would ruin your debut by sashaying across the floor, in your face
the London Club DANCER during the late 70’s attracting many away from the all flamboyant, and intimidate the dancing life out you, forcing you to skulk back
West End. West Londoners would venture out to Cheeky Pete’s in Richmond at towards the carpeted bar. Soul Spins were essential. Unlike the fast Northern Soul
weekends or on a Monday nights as far as Scamps in Hemel Hempstead whilst in Spin, with arms tucked in and foot moves aided by Talcum Powder, the Southern
North London dancers were beginning to appreciate Froggy at The Royalty in version involved sticking a leg out at 90 degrees, arms extended and pirouetting
Southgate. East side, Essex was fast becoming a dancing Soul Boy mecca and the several times, in similar fashion to an Ice Skater. We’d practice soul spins
significance of Chris Hill’s early, pre-pantomime years initially at The Orsett Cock regularly at the bus stop or at home in front of the mirror and would challenge
in Grays then later at The Goldmine Canvey Island (73-76) and Lacy Lady Ilford with each other as to how many spins you could complete in one go. Other southern
Tom Holland (76-80) shouldn’t go unmentioned, along with Dee Jays in Soul Dance moves were very tight and precise with knee drops and fast shuffles, or
Chelmsford with legendary soul DJ Bob Jones (71-78). The Atlantis in Margate complicated improvised tap like routines. Really athletic dancers like Peter Francis
beneath the Dreamland Fun Park was also a popular Soul Boy trek especially on (quite a stocky fella), would even incorporate gymnastic style back flips and splits
bank holidays and in 1979 an infamous Soul Boy vs. Skinhead battle occurred into his repertoire. The one on one Dance battles, or “burn-ups” as we called
with 200 or so young Skins from East London getting smashed by a mob of black them, were also exclusively male and if you were good enough to create a circle
and white Soulies led by Jabba. with an audience you were highly respected. Needless to say, It happened to me
and my mate Adrian Parker (another good dancer from Sutton), just the once! One
Meanwhile In my birthplace of South London, The Bali Hai in Streatham, Tights in Sunday Night around 77/78 at The Cats Whiskers in Streatham, tune: Wilbert
Beckenham, Wimbledon Tiffany’s and the Sutton branch of Scamps with Mark Longmire’s “Black Is The Colour!”
Damon and Brian Oconner were big Soul Boy favourites, with Scamps in particular
attracting some of the top DANCERS from all over London. One of the very best In sharp contrast to Soul Boy burn-ups, Girls would dance to the more down
dancers and first Soul Boys I became aware of during my teens whilst living in tempo numbers often in formation like an early version of a Country and Western
Sutton was a young Carl Cox. Carl was in my year at School and his influence, as style line dance. Their dances were more commonly known as the bus stop or the
one of only a handful of black kids, was very significant and he led the way for the slide and in the very early days they could be seen out on the floor doing the
Friday bunk-off for Crackers crew. He was the first guy I know to wear Plastic hustle or the bump! Big “Girly” soul tunes I remember include El Coco “Lets Get It
Sandals and Pegs and he use to carry a portable tape player around the Together”, Bo Kirkland and Ruth Davis “You’re Gonna Get Next To Me” and
playground playing quality Soul and Funk, The Blackbyrd’s “Unfinished Business” Ashford and Simpson’s “It Seems To Hang On.” The early Soul Girl look (around
being a memorable favourite. At Scamps and the Sutton United FC weekly Soul 75) consisted of 1950’s style skirts, pony tails and plastic sandals progressing to
Glance across most London club DANCEfloors in 2008, and chances are, loads of great Soul dancers back then but a select few really stood out. Franklin, club with DJ Barrie Stone, Carl was one of the very best dancers. In 1977 he won a more chic look from stores such as Joseph and Fiorucci in the late 70s.
the most you’ll see is a mass of bodies, rocking as one to the endless Basie Walker and Paul Anderson were dancers I remember well, but the main man a Sutton best Disco Dancing Competition dancing to Voyage’s East To West/Point
Zero. Mark Lamaar jokingly reffered to this when introducing Coxy on TV’s “Never By the end of 1978 most of the white trend setters from the Soul Boy old guard had
onslaught of the 4/4 beat. With necks craned, heads nodding in agreeable for me was Trevor Shakes” He Say’s. “When Shakesy came into Crackers he had been lost to Punk and the original dancing legends started going to Billy’s in Soho,
unison, eyes transfixed on the DJ, an occasional appreciative hand real presence and could dance the arse off all of us!” Other dancers that many a Mind The Buzzcocks” a while back, but its a moment Coxy obviously still treasures.
According to Carls sister Pam, his trophy still stands proudly on the shelf of his UK Munkberry’s and The Blitz to pose rather than dance, whilst the younger generation
raised, today’s London clubgoers out on the so-called DANCEfloor barely Soul Boy remembers from the mid to late 70’s include Peter Francis (who later of Crackers dancers began to develop a dance taste for something harder...
break a sweat. Compared to yesteryear all you see on London’s became an actor, most notably appearing in the film Scum), Jabba from Acton, office in Horsham to this day. “I should know” she says, “I still have to polish it!”
dancefloors now is jack! Horace, Vic from Croydon, Mark White, Maurice Vernon, Ramsey, Dave Lee Sang, Sutton Scamps had regular Dance competitions and In 1978 held a heat for the TO BE CONTINUED NEXT ISSUE...
Tony and Pinky (Bevis Pink), Danny John Jules (later of TV’s Red Dwarf fame), National Disco Dancing Competition, but generally speaking these competitions (Part 2 looks at the London Boogie and Jazz DANCE scenes of the early 1980s)
House music, in all its variants still dominates most London dance floors and Clive Clarke, Dizzy Heights, Mohammed (The Indian Rubber Man) and a guy who were frowned upon by the serious soul dancer. Grant Santino, is another London
essentially has done for the best part of the last 20 years. Minimal, electro, tech, Dancer that 70’s Soul Boys remember but to many, for all the wrong reasons. In © Alan Arscott (Appy Ammer Al) 2008. Thanks: Seymour Nurse, Phil Octave,
many regard as the first proper white Soul dancer, Tommy McDonald.
deep, soulful, tough, progressive and even the much derided trance still hold major 1978 Santino, a regular on the London Soul Club circuit, appeared on a Saturday Tommy Mac, Trevor Fung, Rafe Harper, Mick, Chris & Jeff Jackson, George Gnuan
sway across our floors, but to many, especially the more senior Cockney clubber, Tommy “Mad Mac” Mcdonald is an all time London Club legend, best known for Night TV programme hosted by Bruce Forsythe that featured A Disco Dancing Xuan, Aubrey Stuart, Ray Lock and all the Streatham ‘Sutton Scamps 77’ crew!
the jacking domination has come at a serious dance floor cost... the demise of the promoting Rave and Acid House parties in the late 80’s and a regular face on the Competition. Many of the moves used on the show, were heavily stolen from his
London Club DANCER. We’re not talking about the prancing peacocks and Vauxhall earlier New Romantic and Blitz circuit. However, Tommy remembers the 70’s Soul elder London contemporaries and according to some, he instantly commercialised MARK DAMON 10 (SUTTON SCAMPS) MARK ROMAN 10 (CRACKERS)
vogue queens here either, what we’re really talking about, are knee dropping, toe Boy era as probably the best of all his many many notorious Clubbing years. Voyage - From East To West/Point Zero (1977) Act One - Tom The Peeper (1974)
the Soul Boy Dance scene. What mattered more than these official Disco
tapping, soul spinning, proper, London CLUB DANCERS. T Connection - Do What You Wanna Do (1977) Brass Construction - Moving (1975)
“I started Soul dancing around 1974, used to go with big brother john to the Byron competitions for any self respecting London Soul DANCER were the one on one James Mason -
battles out on the floor. Most clubs like Crackers, had dedicated, wooden, sprung Isaac Hayes - Joy (1973)
To fully appreciate this loss, we really have to rewind a good 30 years, and then Hotel and The Birds Nest in South Harrow. There were these two black guys called Your Sweet Power Your Embrace (1977) Hamilton Bohannon -
some. Back In 1978 when Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers penned “He’s The Greg and Lionel, dressed in safari hats doing these moves that were unbelievable. dance floors and absolutely nobody wore trainers, they were just plain old Doug Richardson - Salsa Mamma (1977) South African Man (1975)
Greatest Dancer” for Sister Sledge it rode on the success and echoed the From that day I got hooked. I used to study them every week, go home and practice plimsoles back then. In 1978 when KC and his Sunshine Band sang “I wanna put Earth WInd & Fire - Runnin (1977) Rueben Wilson - Got To Get Your Own (1975)
experience of the mid 70’s New York Disco Boom which had peaked the previous my moves. I then started going to a place on the Slough Industrial Estate with Clive on my Boogie shoes” we knew exactly what he meant. At Scamps in Sutton you Celi Bee & The Buzzy Bunch - Banbarra - Shack Up (1975)
arrived at the club via a lift to the top of the Eagle Star Insurance building where One Love (1977) Commodores - Machine Gun (1974)
year with the mass appeal of John Travolta’s Tony Manero. Edwards and Rodgers Clarke and Jabba. I think it was called The Spiders Web, all the Slough boys went
inside they had 2 small slightly raised circle dance floors with chrome railed Eastside Connection - Lonnie Liston Smith - Expansions (1975)
had finally squeezed past the door at Studio 54 and were now bathing in Chic there, Rikki Desouzer, Gary Haiseman and Skindles Soul DJ Alan Sullivan. You’re So Right For Me (1977)
success, so it was only natural that they reflected life in New York’s mainstream perimeters. Unless you were a top dancer like Vic from Croydon, Ramsey, Coxy or The Fatback Band - Spanish Hustle (1975)
After that we started getting the train into London to clubs like Louises, Studio 77, Pleasure - Joyous (1977) Crystal Grass - Crystal World (1975)
Discos. And like everyone else across much of the US they caught a heavy dose of Peter Francis you simply wouldn’t dare enter the dance floor, and you practiced at
Upstairs at Ronnie Scotts, The 100 Club and the brilliant Shaggeramas. Shags and Mandrill - Can You Get It (Suzy Caesar) (1977)
Saturday Night Fever. But their story of “One night in a disco, on the outskirts of home in your plastic sandals or points twinned with a pair of tight fitting Smiths Mass Production - Cosmic Lust (1977)
Frisco, of a guy dressed in Gucci and Fiorucci, that would shame Adonis” made Louises were my favourites in the very early days both of which were regular haunts (a.k.a Carpenters) til you had a few decent moves down pat. Even then, chances
little sense to those of us dancing in the 70’s Soul Clubs and Discos of London. of the pre-punk crews such as Phillip Salon and the Bromley contingent. It was all
Over on this side of the Atlantic, a completely different dance floor picture had about dressing up and DANCING! Winkle pickers, pink pegs and make up. This
emerged. Londons Greatest Dancers were a far cry from the Brooklyn Boy Manero was pre punk during The 1975 Bowie “Young American” period. Daytimes we’d go
in both dress sense and dance style, and a White suit, dodgy Cuban heel boots, down The Kings Road and shop lift from “Sex” whilst In the evenings we’d be clubbing
open neck shirt and the Bee Gees just didn’t register. As far as we were it seven days a week. Mondays Scamps in Hemel, Tuesday’s, Sutton Scamps,
concerned, strutting Tony Manero just didn’t have a clue... Hunters in Barons Court on Thursdays, Americas in Ealing Fridays. Heres a funny
story, one night at one of my better dance sessions at The Atlantis in Margate I pulled
The London Soul Dancer this gorgeous chick and naturally took her back and shagged the arse of it, you
The London (and South East) Soul Boy sub culture kicked off around the mid to know, like we all did back then (early 75-76). Anyway it turned out to be “Tracey
late 70’s. For Dancers, it peaked during the long hot Summer of 76 and continued Emin” the artiste. I’ve still got the love letters from her... ha ha ha, she must have
for maybe 2 or 3 more years before developing into Jazz-Funk, Boogie and later been all of 15 or 16. Weekends it could be anything from Crackers, The Global and
on, heavy Jazz Fusion. London’s nightclub landscape was pretty sparse back then, Shags to Countdown or the Skindles Hotel where I met Terry Farley. We used to
with decent clubs few and far between. The Capitals clubs that mattered most wear cowboy boots, deer stalker hats and hacking jackets and we’d have “Speedo”
during the mid 70’s were Chagaramas In Covent Garden (later to become bags with a change of gear and the famous hanky in the back pocket. I use to throw
notorious Punk Club The Roxy), Louises, Studios 21 and 77 and the The Global my hankie on the floor, do my special spin, swallow dive and pick it up with my
Village In Charing Cross. The big DANCERS favourites, were The 100 Club in teeth!” We learnt all our moves ourselves, completely self taught! There was a time
Oxford Street (Saturdays with Ronnie L, Wednesdays with Greg Edwards, who also in the late 70”s when we went through the “lets be trendy” and join Pineapple in
played at The Global Village) and the legendary Crackers at the end of Wardour Covent Garden and we all went down there in our plastic sandals and leg warmers.
Street (originally with Mark Roman and later with George Power on Friday I even trained with Arlene Phillips for a while! Later on me Clive and Horace went
Lunchtimes and Sunday evenings). Although everyone who went to Clubs like down for the Hot Gossip auditions as well! But it was the competition out on the
Crackers knew who the DJs were, their importance was less significant compared club floors that mattered most. We were something else back then and I wanted to
to today. What mattered most important of all was DANCING. According to long rule the floor! It got to a point at Scamps Hemel where mass fights broke out
time club dancer, Seymour Nurse, “Back in the late 70’s, early 80’s the “Superstar between the London and Luton boys. We didnt like some of the new kids on the block
DJ” mentality did not exist among any of us. You knew that you were going to hear coming on to our floor giving it the biggun, and if they did, we would send someone
some great tunes from certain DJs, but we specifically went out to DANCE.” Phil out to bust some moves as a feeler. Then someone like Clive or myself would go
Octave from East London, another young Dancer of the late 70’s and a regular at and finish them off! ha ha ha! In terms of the best dancers, I’d have to say Trevor
The 100 Club and Crackers, has fond memories of those early years. “There were Shakes was top dog, followed by Horace, I was pretty close behind em though!”
 The Satellite Suburban Soul Clubs Tommy mentions were an important fixture for are, Tommy Mac would ruin your debut by sashaying across the floor, in your face
the London Club DANCER during the late 70’s attracting many away from the all flamboyant, and intimidate the dancing life out you, forcing you to skulk back
West End. West Londoners would venture out to Cheeky Pete’s in Richmond at towards the carpeted bar. Soul Spins were essential. Unlike the fast Northern Soul
weekends or on a Monday nights as far as Scamps in Hemel Hempstead whilst in Spin, with arms tucked in and foot moves aided by Talcum Powder, the Southern
North London dancers were beginning to appreciate Froggy at The Royalty in version involved sticking a leg out at 90 degrees, arms extended and pirouetting
Southgate. East side, Essex was fast becoming a dancing Soul Boy mecca and the several times, in similar fashion to an Ice Skater. We’d practice soul spins
significance of Chris Hill’s early, pre-pantomime years initially at The Orsett Cock regularly at the bus stop or at home in front of the mirror and would challenge
in Grays then later at The Goldmine Canvey Island (73-76) and Lacy Lady Ilford with each other as to how many spins you could complete in one go. Other southern
Tom Holland (76-80) shouldn’t go unmentioned, along with Dee Jays in Soul Dance moves were very tight and precise with knee drops and fast shuffles, or
Chelmsford with legendary soul DJ Bob Jones (71-78). The Atlantis in Margate complicated improvised tap like routines. Really athletic dancers like Peter Francis
beneath the Dreamland Fun Park was also a popular Soul Boy trek especially on (quite a stocky fella), would even incorporate gymnastic style back flips and splits
bank holidays and in 1979 an infamous Soul Boy vs. Skinhead battle occurred into his repertoire. The one on one Dance battles, or “burn-ups” as we called
with 200 or so young Skins from East London getting smashed by a mob of black them, were also exclusively male and if you were good enough to create a circle
and white Soulies led by Jabba. with an audience you were highly respected. Needless to say, It happened to me
and my mate Adrian Parker (another good dancer from Sutton), just the once! One
Meanwhile In my birthplace of South London, The Bali Hai in Streatham, Tights in Sunday Night around 77/78 at The Cats Whiskers in Streatham, tune: Wilbert
Beckenham, Wimbledon Tiffany’s and the Sutton branch of Scamps with Mark Longmire’s “Black Is The Colour!”
Damon and Brian Oconner were big Soul Boy favourites, with Scamps in particular
attracting some of the top DANCERS from all over London. One of the very best In sharp contrast to Soul Boy burn-ups, Girls would dance to the more down
dancers and first Soul Boys I became aware of during my teens whilst living in tempo numbers often in formation like an early version of a Country and Western
Sutton was a young Carl Cox. Carl was in my year at School and his influence, as style line dance. Their dances were more commonly known as the bus stop or the
one of only a handful of black kids, was very significant and he led the way for the slide and in the very early days they could be seen out on the floor doing the
Friday bunk-off for Crackers crew. He was the first guy I know to wear Plastic hustle or the bump! Big “Girly” soul tunes I remember include El Coco “Lets Get It
Sandals and Pegs and he use to carry a portable tape player around the Together”, Bo Kirkland and Ruth Davis “You’re Gonna Get Next To Me” and
playground playing quality Soul and Funk, The Blackbyrd’s “Unfinished Business” Ashford and Simpson’s “It Seems To Hang On.” The early Soul Girl look (around
being a memorable favourite. At Scamps and the Sutton United FC weekly Soul 75) consisted of 1950’s style skirts, pony tails and plastic sandals progressing to
Glance across most London club DANCEfloors in 2008, and chances are, loads of great Soul dancers back then but a select few really stood out. Franklin, club with DJ Barrie Stone, Carl was one of the very best dancers. In 1977 he won a more chic look from stores such as Joseph and Fiorucci in the late 70s.
the most you’ll see is a mass of bodies, rocking as one to the endless Basie Walker and Paul Anderson were dancers I remember well, but the main man a Sutton best Disco Dancing Competition dancing to Voyage’s East To West/Point
Zero. Mark Lamaar jokingly reffered to this when introducing Coxy on TV’s “Never By the end of 1978 most of the white trend setters from the Soul Boy old guard had
onslaught of the 4/4 beat. With necks craned, heads nodding in agreeable for me was Trevor Shakes” He Say’s. “When Shakesy came into Crackers he had been lost to Punk and the original dancing legends started going to Billy’s in Soho,
unison, eyes transfixed on the DJ, an occasional appreciative hand real presence and could dance the arse off all of us!” Other dancers that many a Mind The Buzzcocks” a while back, but its a moment Coxy obviously still treasures.
According to Carls sister Pam, his trophy still stands proudly on the shelf of his UK Munkberry’s and The Blitz to pose rather than dance, whilst the younger generation
raised, today’s London clubgoers out on the so-called DANCEfloor barely Soul Boy remembers from the mid to late 70’s include Peter Francis (who later of Crackers dancers began to develop a dance taste for something harder...
break a sweat. Compared to yesteryear all you see on London’s became an actor, most notably appearing in the film Scum), Jabba from Acton, office in Horsham to this day. “I should know” she says, “I still have to polish it!”
dancefloors now is jack! Horace, Vic from Croydon, Mark White, Maurice Vernon, Ramsey, Dave Lee Sang, Sutton Scamps had regular Dance competitions and In 1978 held a heat for the TO BE CONTINUED NEXT ISSUE...
Tony and Pinky (Bevis Pink), Danny John Jules (later of TV’s Red Dwarf fame), National Disco Dancing Competition, but generally speaking these competitions (Part 2 looks at the London Boogie and Jazz DANCE scenes of the early 1980s)
House music, in all its variants still dominates most London dance floors and Clive Clarke, Dizzy Heights, Mohammed (The Indian Rubber Man) and a guy who were frowned upon by the serious soul dancer. Grant Santino, is another London
essentially has done for the best part of the last 20 years. Minimal, electro, tech, Dancer that 70’s Soul Boys remember but to many, for all the wrong reasons. In © Alan Arscott (Appy Ammer Al) 2008. Thanks: Seymour Nurse, Phil Octave,
many regard as the first proper white Soul dancer, Tommy McDonald.
deep, soulful, tough, progressive and even the much derided trance still hold major 1978 Santino, a regular on the London Soul Club circuit, appeared on a Saturday Tommy Mac, Trevor Fung, Rafe Harper, Mick, Chris & Jeff Jackson, George Gnuan
sway across our floors, but to many, especially the more senior Cockney clubber, Tommy “Mad Mac” Mcdonald is an all time London Club legend, best known for Night TV programme hosted by Bruce Forsythe that featured A Disco Dancing Xuan, Aubrey Stuart, Ray Lock and all the Streatham ‘Sutton Scamps 77’ crew!
the jacking domination has come at a serious dance floor cost... the demise of the promoting Rave and Acid House parties in the late 80’s and a regular face on the Competition. Many of the moves used on the show, were heavily stolen from his
London Club DANCER. We’re not talking about the prancing peacocks and Vauxhall earlier New Romantic and Blitz circuit. However, Tommy remembers the 70’s Soul elder London contemporaries and according to some, he instantly commercialised MARK DAMON 10 (SUTTON SCAMPS) MARK ROMAN 10 (CRACKERS)
vogue queens here either, what we’re really talking about, are knee dropping, toe Boy era as probably the best of all his many many notorious Clubbing years. Voyage - From East To West/Point Zero (1977) Act One - Tom The Peeper (1974)
the Soul Boy Dance scene. What mattered more than these official Disco
tapping, soul spinning, proper, London CLUB DANCERS. T Connection - Do What You Wanna Do (1977) Brass Construction - Moving (1975)
“I started Soul dancing around 1974, used to go with big brother john to the Byron competitions for any self respecting London Soul DANCER were the one on one James Mason -
battles out on the floor. Most clubs like Crackers, had dedicated, wooden, sprung Isaac Hayes - Joy (1973)
To fully appreciate this loss, we really have to rewind a good 30 years, and then Hotel and The Birds Nest in South Harrow. There were these two black guys called Your Sweet Power Your Embrace (1977) Hamilton Bohannon -
some. Back In 1978 when Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers penned “He’s The Greg and Lionel, dressed in safari hats doing these moves that were unbelievable. dance floors and absolutely nobody wore trainers, they were just plain old Doug Richardson - Salsa Mamma (1977) South African Man (1975)
Greatest Dancer” for Sister Sledge it rode on the success and echoed the From that day I got hooked. I used to study them every week, go home and practice plimsoles back then. In 1978 when KC and his Sunshine Band sang “I wanna put Earth WInd & Fire - Runnin (1977) Rueben Wilson - Got To Get Your Own (1975)
experience of the mid 70’s New York Disco Boom which had peaked the previous my moves. I then started going to a place on the Slough Industrial Estate with Clive on my Boogie shoes” we knew exactly what he meant. At Scamps in Sutton you Celi Bee & The Buzzy Bunch - Banbarra - Shack Up (1975)
arrived at the club via a lift to the top of the Eagle Star Insurance building where One Love (1977) Commodores - Machine Gun (1974)
year with the mass appeal of John Travolta’s Tony Manero. Edwards and Rodgers Clarke and Jabba. I think it was called The Spiders Web, all the Slough boys went
inside they had 2 small slightly raised circle dance floors with chrome railed Eastside Connection - Lonnie Liston Smith - Expansions (1975)
had finally squeezed past the door at Studio 54 and were now bathing in Chic there, Rikki Desouzer, Gary Haiseman and Skindles Soul DJ Alan Sullivan. You’re So Right For Me (1977)
success, so it was only natural that they reflected life in New York’s mainstream perimeters. Unless you were a top dancer like Vic from Croydon, Ramsey, Coxy or The Fatback Band - Spanish Hustle (1975)
After that we started getting the train into London to clubs like Louises, Studio 77, Pleasure - Joyous (1977) Crystal Grass - Crystal World (1975)
Discos. And like everyone else across much of the US they caught a heavy dose of Peter Francis you simply wouldn’t dare enter the dance floor, and you practiced at
Upstairs at Ronnie Scotts, The 100 Club and the brilliant Shaggeramas. Shags and Mandrill - Can You Get It (Suzy Caesar) (1977)
Saturday Night Fever. But their story of “One night in a disco, on the outskirts of home in your plastic sandals or points twinned with a pair of tight fitting Smiths Mass Production - Cosmic Lust (1977)
Frisco, of a guy dressed in Gucci and Fiorucci, that would shame Adonis” made Louises were my favourites in the very early days both of which were regular haunts (a.k.a Carpenters) til you had a few decent moves down pat. Even then, chances
little sense to those of us dancing in the 70’s Soul Clubs and Discos of London. of the pre-punk crews such as Phillip Salon and the Bromley contingent. It was all
Over on this side of the Atlantic, a completely different dance floor picture had about dressing up and DANCING! Winkle pickers, pink pegs and make up. This
emerged. Londons Greatest Dancers were a far cry from the Brooklyn Boy Manero was pre punk during The 1975 Bowie “Young American” period. Daytimes we’d go
in both dress sense and dance style, and a White suit, dodgy Cuban heel boots, down The Kings Road and shop lift from “Sex” whilst In the evenings we’d be clubbing
open neck shirt and the Bee Gees just didn’t register. As far as we were it seven days a week. Mondays Scamps in Hemel, Tuesday’s, Sutton Scamps,
concerned, strutting Tony Manero just didn’t have a clue... Hunters in Barons Court on Thursdays, Americas in Ealing Fridays. Heres a funny
story, one night at one of my better dance sessions at The Atlantis in Margate I pulled
The London Soul Dancer this gorgeous chick and naturally took her back and shagged the arse of it, you
The London (and South East) Soul Boy sub culture kicked off around the mid to know, like we all did back then (early 75-76). Anyway it turned out to be “Tracey
late 70’s. For Dancers, it peaked during the long hot Summer of 76 and continued Emin” the artiste. I’ve still got the love letters from her... ha ha ha, she must have
for maybe 2 or 3 more years before developing into Jazz-Funk, Boogie and later been all of 15 or 16. Weekends it could be anything from Crackers, The Global and
on, heavy Jazz Fusion. London’s nightclub landscape was pretty sparse back then, Shags to Countdown or the Skindles Hotel where I met Terry Farley. We used to
with decent clubs few and far between. The Capitals clubs that mattered most wear cowboy boots, deer stalker hats and hacking jackets and we’d have “Speedo”
during the mid 70’s were Chagaramas In Covent Garden (later to become bags with a change of gear and the famous hanky in the back pocket. I use to throw
notorious Punk Club The Roxy), Louises, Studios 21 and 77 and the The Global my hankie on the floor, do my special spin, swallow dive and pick it up with my
Village In Charing Cross. The big DANCERS favourites, were The 100 Club in teeth!” We learnt all our moves ourselves, completely self taught! There was a time
Oxford Street (Saturdays with Ronnie L, Wednesdays with Greg Edwards, who also in the late 70”s when we went through the “lets be trendy” and join Pineapple in
played at The Global Village) and the legendary Crackers at the end of Wardour Covent Garden and we all went down there in our plastic sandals and leg warmers.
Street (originally with Mark Roman and later with George Power on Friday I even trained with Arlene Phillips for a while! Later on me Clive and Horace went
Lunchtimes and Sunday evenings). Although everyone who went to Clubs like down for the Hot Gossip auditions as well! But it was the competition out on the
Crackers knew who the DJs were, their importance was less significant compared club floors that mattered most. We were something else back then and I wanted to
to today. What mattered most important of all was DANCING. According to long rule the floor! It got to a point at Scamps Hemel where mass fights broke out
time club dancer, Seymour Nurse, “Back in the late 70’s, early 80’s the “Superstar between the London and Luton boys. We didnt like some of the new kids on the block
DJ” mentality did not exist among any of us. You knew that you were going to hear coming on to our floor giving it the biggun, and if they did, we would send someone
some great tunes from certain DJs, but we specifically went out to DANCE.” Phil out to bust some moves as a feeler. Then someone like Clive or myself would go
Octave from East London, another young Dancer of the late 70’s and a regular at and finish them off! ha ha ha! In terms of the best dancers, I’d have to say Trevor
The 100 Club and Crackers, has fond memories of those early years. “There were Shakes was top dog, followed by Horace, I was pretty close behind em though!”