Keb Darge: The Guessing Game
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Keb October 1985 at Stafford. Photo courtesy of Neil Salter.
Welcome to the second podcast of Keb Darge’s Stafford output. From the list below and from listening it is apparent why and how Keb established himself as one of the best DJ’s of the 80’s Northern Soul Scene. Alongside Guy they came to the rescue of the 60’s Northern Soul Scene with a commitment to play new discoveries. 45’s wouldn’t last too long even if they were fantastic, if they got little reaction they were soon dropped and I believe in one or two cases thrown from the decks!! It all added up to a vibrant resurgent rare Soul Scene….even if numbers were down at times, the music was right back up there.
You will also see from the last three podcasts (two from Guy and one previous one from Keb) that Beat Ballads were starting to make a name for themselves. Although they have always been around the scene it was around this time that they took centre stage, especially from Keb and Guy. Having said that in the grand scheme of things there wasn’t really that many although as soon s Stafford is mentioned people automatically think Beat Ballads!
If it was good enough and had SOUL it was played!!
Arthur Alexander - Keep Her Guessing - Dot
(Johnny Honeycutt - The Guessing Game)
Andy Fisher - A Wee Bit Longer - Fat Fish
(Earl Jackson - Just a Little Longer)
Joan Baker - Everybody's Talking - Diamond
(Betty Lavette & The Big Wheels) ("A F*cking Monster" as keb describes it on a "live" tape I have)
Sebastian Williams - Hometown Boy - Sound Of Soul
(Lester Tipton - I'm Gonna Stay)
Marsh Gee - Peanut Duck - Virtue Acetate
Atlantics - Baby I Need You - Marquee
Hayes Cotton - Black Wings Have My Angel - Resist
(Lou Pride)
Preston Peters - You Can't Measure Love - M&M Enterprises
(Saxie Russell - Dirty Hearts)
Vince Apollo - I Bear Witness - Pentagon
(Danny Williams - I Love You Baby)
Soul Brothers - Keep It up - Blue Cat
Ray Marchand - Ship Of Fools - Dore
Turbines - We Got To Start Over - Cenco
(Temptones - Starting Over)
Cairos - Don't Fight It - Shrine
(Al Williams & Masquerades - You Can't Win)
Jimmy Wonderful - Tonight - Blue Star
(Covered as Brad Lundy and then played for a second time in the same night a few records later and Keb changed his mind and covered it as Hector Rivera!)
Billy Storm - Please Don't Mention Her Name - HBR
(Gene McDaniels - Please Don't Mention Her Name)
Enjoyables - Shame - Shrine
Colt 45's - Lady Lady - Jerry
Joe Frazier - The Bigger They Come (The Harder They Fall) - Cloverlay
Trent Sisters - A Letter A Day - GoGate
Wesley Paige - Trapped - 635
Jewel Akens - I've Arrived - Era
Larry "Chubby" Reynolds - Sweet Tooth - Tri-Spin
Cash McCall - You Ain't To Cool - Thomas
Freda Payne - Easy Street -
J.E. Morgan - By My Side - Theoda
(Four Voices - By My Side)
Maxine Brown - Torture - Unissued
(Jackie Day)
Melba Moore - Magic Touch - Unissued
(Mary Love)
Candy & The Kisses - Tonight's The Night - Unissued
Moments - Baby I Want You - Hog
(First played from an uncredited Edgeware acetate. The Group remained unknown until around 1990 when the first Hog 45 turned up.)
Charles Mann - Hey Little Girl - Lanor
(Tangeers - You're On My Mind)
Freddie Houston - If I Had Known - Old Town
(Herb Ward - I Wouldn’t Have Gone)
Andy Fisher - Heart's Beating Stronger - Fat Fish
(Earl Jackson - Heart Beating Stronger)