It really was a Throwback Thursday on 27th October 2016. I really had and ‘Eddycation’ chatting with musical genius and social commentating activist, Guyana’s favourite son Eddy Grant. This photo was taken by his daughter Pauline Grant at the end of our very intimate and afternoon soiree at a coffee house establishment in Dalston east London. This will be documented in issue 67 for the festive December 16 – January 17 issue of The Soul Survivors Magazine.

 

My next royal appointment was to meet the mighty three T’s, Tavares, The Four Tops and The Temptations at the 02 in Greenwich. I was offered tow pairs of seats one in the VIP lounge way up in the balcony top and a pair in block B row N to the right of the stage near the front, whats a boy to do?  ‘It Only Takes A Minute’ to have decided upon the option of being nearer. Tavares were for me the premier performing act with Chubby on lead vocals, they were smooth polished and reminiscent of the panache of that classic old school ‘doo woo’ quartet era they come from. Both the The Four Tops and The Temps gave an equally all singing and dancing performance and I was fortunate to have a ringside few at stage level 10 feet away, courtesy of Tavares’s manager David Oriola. Having met Ralph and Chubby Tavares, here we proudly display my interview with Ralph Tavares in the current Royalty issue. Unbeknown to me I then bump into The Temptations’s musical director, the legendary McKinley Jackson of The Politicians, as we left the backstage area. Sometimes..just sometimes ..I really like my job and vocation in life being married to my spiritual wife MUSIC!!

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I thought I’d share this for prosperity from something I wrote a year ago, when asked to choose a record during a 7 day challenge on Facebook.
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Greetings and welcome to day 5 of my music challenge. Anyone really knows me you’ll know that as a child my first iconic hero and virtual reality older brother unquestionable was Micheal Jackson. But it was who he personified as a kid at the J5’s Motown audition singing “I Got The Feelin’ “, who I’d adopt for life as my ‘spiritual godfather’, Soul Bro Numero Uno, Super Heavy Minister Of Funk” and like his first label King of R&B James Brown. Now it’s time for my Fitzstory, are you sitting comfortably?? Then I’ll begin..and please bear with me on this deep narration. I’ll endeavour not to be long..I did say like RAMP I’ll “Try, Try, Try”
 
I became indoctrinated into the university of ‘Brownology’ around 1976 aged 12 via my first almost teenage first crush candidate Mauvia who schooled me with JB’s “Bodyheat” album. I could indicate of how darker a shade of brown I am at admitting that, but lets just say she was stunning.
 
Fast forwarding like a TDK 90 minute tape, by the early to mid 1980’s from various quarters I’m becoming a certified “Nuts whole Hazel Nut’s Cadbury’s take them and cover them in chocolate” fan of James Brown. You have to understand I now at 19-20 years young, and thought I was MJ personifying James, with my relaxed bouffant quiff, slim tonic suits, 50’s ties and slick but eventually well scuffed footwear, doing the James Brown at the Wag on a Friday and Saturday night. Back then when it came to JB “I’m A Greedy Man” was probably hunger statement.
 
Now the album featuring the afore mentioned song comes from, is where this Fitzstory kicks in.. I bought James Brown’s 1972 ‘“There It Is” album back in 1983 from a fairly local haunt R&D Records in Rayners Lane Middx. I think I probably purchased it from the fast talking and charismatic young black version of George Cole’s St Trinian’s character ‘Flash Harry’ namely Jon Jules. It was in a rack they had of LP’s sold at a bargain basement price of £1. I was instantly attracted to the Noel Edmonds ‘Multicoloured Swap Shop’ colours and artwork of the album, as well as the funky tracks I knew “There It Is”, “Talking Loud And Sayin’ Nothing” and “I Need Help. Reeeezuult!!
 
Fast forward the TDK tape further to around 1990, I’m in my bedroom which by now resembles a small record shop at my parents house. In trying to create some kind of orderly symmetrical system with these mounting piles of records, the thought of doing that laborious task was long, so some musical therapy was what my mind prescribed. So I decide to put the “There It Is” album on the record deck and listen from it’s beginning and let it run through. Although I’ve listen to it many times being honest, it was the funk tracks that got my attention, because we weren’t “slow jamming” the dance floor either as a dj or a dancer to Mr JB. The first two titles on side A is “There It Is” part 1&2, so I’m dancing across what little carpet space there is in my room, spinning, sliding and shuffling on one foot, placing with precision, the records in an orderly fashion in time to the music. This flow is mellowed by the next track a moody but atmospheric slow and sombre groove. Now I already recognised it but clearly overlooked the title or checked the lyrics..until now, and boy did I get slapped in the face with a wet fish!
 
Multitasking my mind was in two places but this next bit was like having an outer body experience. So I hear James introduce himself “Ladies and gentleman, fellow American’s, lady American’s this is James Brown”. Now in my head I’m thinking “Gwarn James …preach brother preach” because it was obvious he had something to say. In his soft spoken octave he continues to narrate “I wanna talk to you about one of our most deadly killers in the country today”. I’m thinking ‘Ok James you’ve got my attention’. But somehow somehow I got lost in translation with a few lines that didn’t quite compute, but re connected on the line where James said “I came to this country without a passport, ever since then I’ve been hunted and sought”. I’m thinking who is this that James is referring to, which gangster is he talking about here, John Dillinger, Al Capone, or Lucky Luciano?”
 
I’m transfixed in the groove and miss the next few lines and then am alerted by this next bit. “ I can make a mere schoolboy forget his books, I can get a world famous beauty to forget her looks”. Now I thinking whoever this is..is flipping dangerous and dark. Fast forwarding this TDK tape episode further and James professes “I can make a man forsake his country and flag and make a girl sell her body for a five dollar bag. Some think my adventure’s a joy and a thrill, but I’ll put a gun in your hand and make you kill”. I start thinking ‘what kind of street hustler is this that James is speaking of ? He’s got no conscience’. Now I take a bigger dislike to this character being described on the record. James continues “I’m financed in China, ran in Japan, I’m respected in Turkey and I’m legal in Siam. So, be you Italian, Jewish, Black or Mex, I can make the most virile of men forget their sex. Now the police have taken you from under my wing, do you think they dare defy me, I who am king?”.
 
Well now I’m cursing this self proclaimed ‘king of evil’ thinking what kind of bastard is James talking about. Now remember for whatever reason at various points during listening to this song, my mind state is somewhat altered and I’ve missed some integral parts of the tale, but still I manage to retain most of this epic’s gist. But it’s these next lines where I come back to “Reality” like James’s 1974 album title. “Hear now young man and woman, I’ll be waitin’ at the gate and don’t be afraid, don’t run, I’m not chased. Sure my name is Heroin, you’ll be back for a taste”.
 
Operation slap face and wet fish run the program now, and I’m speechless and totally flabbergasted as the penny finally drops. That was like being on some high octane drugs and the come down was exhilarating yet mental physically and spiritually draining all at once. Like Eddie Murphy’s James Brown sketch from “Delirious” I had to put needle back to check what I’d missed. I couldn’t believe how I missed out on this before. I realised I’d not picked up on James saying earlier “So I start to dreamin’, I dreamed I walked in a place and I saw a real strange, weird object standin’ up talkin’ to the people, and I found out it was heroin. That deadly drug that go in your veins”.
 
How the bleep bleep did I miss that? I was meant to obviously because the unfolded story still impacted on me at the end, infact moreso than if I’d heard it first. I concluded that if I was a junkie and I heard that song, I’d give that dependancy up with a scream like JB followed by a ‘Haaaaaaah’ to kick the habit. Or better still play it to an addict and pray that they’d get the message in the music. Whatever inspired this song about the internal fight an addict has it’s very poignant relevance, but this shows the genius of James Brown..the 4th composer in the quartet of his predecessor B’s Brahms, Bach and Bethoveen. Probably like Carlsberg “King Heroin” is the most powerful and profound experience I’ve had listening to a record so “King Heroin” sits on the musical throne today..I did try to make it short..honest…Check out this album, listen and enjoy..Fitzroy
I say the future is ours if you can count suckers, it’s only 4 days until the Mansion Party at Ashton Court this T Connection “Saturday Night” 29th October. Look what we have here we have.. the Manchester Sacracens sitting next to the Staffordshire Jones Street Boys, we got the London Moon Runners right by the Bristol Van Courtland Rangers. Now..that is “Miracle” like Change. Your standing with delegates from a hundred soul gangs gangs and there is over hundred more, with affiliates and more not organised.. but ready to dance.. Can You dig it? This unified soul gang can run this Bristol City, if we keep up the general truce and round up at least one from each borough at a time.. Caaaan Yooouuu Diiiiiig It?? How many of you Warriors are coming out to play..It’s not happening in Coney island or da Bronx but in Bristol so ..”You Got To Hurry Girl” like Jermaine Jackson and “I Can’t Do Nuthin For You Man” like PE if you miss getting a ringside seat for this soul rumble in the Bristol jungle. Get your ticket for £15 as it’s £20 elsewhere. You coming??
MONSTER BALL NEW
 

The Hidden Reunion is gonna be less than half a mile away from it’s original home at Lightbox Vauxhall, for We Love Soul 22nd Oct 2016. I’ll be djing in the boogie room representing Soul Survivors. There are concession tickets so click on the image and purchase a ticket before “You’re Too Late” like Fantasy.

 

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Issue 66 the Royalty issue featuring news reviews and interviews with royal subjects (Elder Duke of The Tavares clan) Ralph Tavares, (The Emperors) of The British Collective, (Head monarch of BBE Records) Pete Adarkwah, (The Sophisticated Prince Of Soul ) Will Downing, (Nubian Messenger) Gary Hines of Sounds Of Blackness, (King Of Authors) Lloyd Bradley, (Jedi Knight Of The Sound Table) Number Man aka DJ 279 and (Lord Of The Dance & Thespian Actor) Leon Herbert..Taking things black 2 da future with Black History month in mind..we are the “quintessential info provider for the soul survivor” To subscribe click on image

 

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The Soul Survivors Magazine was cordially invited to attend the Afropunk festival at Ally Pally aka Alexandra Palace in Hornsey North London. Not having attended before I had to do some research and acknowledged that the name suggests like Ron Seal that this gig does what it says on the tin. Although on arrival it was quite a mixed cosmopolitan audience, it was very noticeable that many of the younger generation were a very trendy and enthusiastically dressed one of the Diaspora persuasion. For a moment seeing so many in their varied fashion attire it smacked of the early 1977 Punk era that was predominantly Caucasian here in the UK, who frequented London’s Kings Road, Camden High Street and Oxford Street. I was mightly impressed and felt like I blended in with the wallpaper camouflage of dedicated followers of fashion, with my bikers jacket, black kilt and calf length double buckle militant boots..Phew!! I saw a few old school faces from 35 years back but mainly an audience that dressed to thrill and “Dance To The Music” like Sly & The Family Stone in an indoor Woodstock ambience.

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There are no prejudice boundaries so people come as they dare straight or gay, black and white who unite and fight for the freedom of expression. There was no attitude as the media portrays negatively when such a gathering collate in an organised auditorium, just pure Incognito “Smiling Faces” and a mission to “Dance Dance Dance” like Chic. In between the performing acts the Dj’s were playing some current lowdown hip and RNB beats alongside some classic late 1990’s and early 2000 club classics, that took me ‘Back into time’ like Jimmy Castor. The fashion stalls were amazing with some talented individuals advertising and selling they wares. There were three arena’s and the first major main act I saw who filled the room was Laura Mvula.

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I’m not pretending to know her music but the audience seem to be getting off on it and she embraced them like a mother would her baby in her arms. The highlight for me was getting close to the front stage in the main outside arena to see the girl from Spanish Town in Jamaica, who could make you “Cry Now, Laugh Later”. 40 years in the business “Ladies And Gentleman Miss Grace Jones” was awesome. She was certainly worth waiting for and with her vast catalogue she opened with the mammoth dub monster produced by Sly & Robbie from the titled album “Night Clubbing”.  My gosh it sounded monstrous and Grace showing a bit of “Nipple To The Bottle” with her painted afrocentric artwork body was more commanding the Queen Elizabeth.

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Breathtaking show with plenty of costume changes and professional equilibrium was on offer from the starting gate as she went through a blistering set of her incredible repertoire. Being a fan and having played her music over my 30 years of Dj-ing I was not sure what she would do…but was not “Sorry” in the least that she did “My Jamaican Guy”. With Don-E on the keyboard stabs and a very tighter than spray jeans band, Grace showcased her “Portfolio” of fashion, art, dance and music to the delight of her “The Apple Stretching” fans. Grace’s interaction was humorous and personal as well as entertaining. Never one to shy away from shock culture, Grace’s athletically built male pole dancer in ‘Nuthin But A G String Baby’ and a simulated painted body added to an already incredible show. His strength on the pole doing vertical poses and climbing the pole like Spiderman was impressive, and Grace showed no shame in cavorting erotically with him having a good “Feel Up” as she sang the appropriately titled “Pull Up To The BUMper”.

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Fantastic show and everyone I’m guessing was happy to be a “Slave To The Rhythm” of Miss Grace Jones’s captivating performance. I must say huge thanks to Don-E for arranging for myself and Soul Survivors IT and photographer consultant extraordinaire Anna B to have five minutes with Grace Jones in her dressing room. She was very gracious and was happy when I gave her the copies of the Prince and Muhammed Ali specials of The Soul Survivors Magazine. It truly was a case of “Ladies And Gentlemen: Miss Grace Jones” has entered the building!! #Afropunk#afropunklondon

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The Blackpool International Soul Festival 2 A Winter Gardens Blackpool 16th -18th June 2017 starring The Impressions, Little Anthony and Leroy Hutson plus various rooms and a top dj line up including Fitzroy(Soul Survivors). The Soul Survivors Magazine will be sponsoring a room at the weekender, and after last year’s debut this second one should be the weekender of the summer!!

 

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Neither Angie Dickenson or Michael Caine will be in the vicinity of the ‘dressed to thrill’ for one night only mansion party at Ashton Court Bristol Saturday 29th October 2016. Soultrain are hosting their Haunted Mansion Party between 9pm and 4am with three rooms of Hot Chocolate “Mindless Boogie” on offer. The Soul Survivors Magazine will be hosting one of the rooms to celebrate 10 years as a bi monthly publication and Fitzroy The Original Soul Survivor toasts 30 years as a club, radio and media DJ. Don-E and Rick Clarke will be performing some of their renowned repertoire as a bonus, and all this via tickets at £15. There  is accommodation locally with deals via the Hampton or Premier Inn so check details on the flyer and contact Fitzroy on 07956312931 for tickets if you’re in London and the surrounding counties. With just over 1 month and a week to go..Hurray like a Murray Mint to get your ticket before Vincent Price does that famous haunting laugh!!

 

Check this  4* Hotel, 2 people 2 night stay  28/29 Oct Friday / Saturday  @ the  4* star  Hampton by Hilton Hotel Bristol to include breakfast. Accommodation only is £42.50 per person per night one or two night stay but double or twin room.

To Book Hotel contact Fitzroy ring or text Paul Alexander on  07968 845166 but be quick as rooms are flying out

 

MONSTER BALL NEW