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Richard Searling

What Happened To Yesterday

Now it’s time to feature one of the greatest and most influential DJ’s of all time on the Northern or Rare Soul Scene, Richard Searling.

Richard had been at the top of the tree for getting on 9 or 10 years but with John Anderson behind him his sets the last couple of years or so at Wigan changed the face of Northern Soul. Many exclusive plays that still remain firm favourites to this day. Several were what can be considered ground breaking for the time and they were also a breath of fresh air after some of the what went before during the mid 70’s at Wigan.

Come Stafford though many of his big 60’s plays had gone to other DJ’s, Dave Withers for example, and Richard seemed to be changing direction totally for a more commercial sound. Many of his sets featured records freshly released, David Joseph was actually on Top Of The Pops with “You Can’t Hide Your Love” the month after the date of this set at Stafford. There was still quality 60’s featured in the sets at Stafford an almost all remain highly sought after and still to this day are as hens teeth.

Richard’s radio show at the time was at Sheffield’s Radio Hallam and Richard would then hot foot it over to Stafford to get behind the decks around midnight. It wouldn’t be long though before Richard would turn his back on the All-nighter scene and concentrate on his radio show.

The following podcast is what Richard actually played at Stafford TOTW on February 26th 1983.

Maxine Nightingale - You Can't Run From love - Connection
Norman Connors & Adaritha - Take It to The Limit - Arista
Walter Jackson - Touching In The Dark - Kelli Arts
Jerry Knight - Nothing Can Hold Us Back - A&M lp
David Joseph - You can't Hide Your Love From Me - UK Island
Doug Parkinson & Southern Star Band - I'll be Around - Southern Star
Sunfire - Stop In The Light - Warner Brothers lp
Marlena Shaw - I Just Want This Feeling - South Bay
Webster Lewis - Let Me Be The One - Epic
Webster Lewis - Touch My love - Epic
Janice McLain - Smack Dab In The Middle - Warner Brothers RFC Records
Mr Soul - What Happened To Yesterday - Genuine
(Maurice McAllister)
United Four - Baby Don't You Do It - Unissued Acetate
(Leo Wright & The Elbejays)
Johnny Honeycut - I'm Coming Over - Triode
Herman Hitson - Love Slipped Through My Fingers
(Herman Hitson)
Q - Thats The Way - Hound
(James Lewis & Case of Tyme)

Call On Me

Following on from Richard’s Stafford set from February 1983 is a selection of other plays from his time at Stafford.
As you will see again a good number are Modern Soul and again a healthy dose of quality 60’s Soul. Quite a broad mix of music which again set Stafford apart from many other places.

Active Force - Give Me Your Love - A&M
Attitude - Love Me Tonight - Atlantic
Tony Fox - Love, Let Love And Be Loved - Blaster
Softones and First Class - Candy - Parkway
Jeffrey Osborne - I Really Don't Need No Light - A&M
Randy Brown - I'm Always In The Mood - Mr Moo
Marc Sadane - One Minute From Love - Warner Brothers
Teddy Pendergrass - Heaven Only Knows - Philadelphia International
Family Of Eve - I Wanna Be Loved By You - Full Sail
Ike Strong - Your Love Keeps Me Dancing - Maple
Larry Brown - Breaking Training - Fireworks
Curtis - How Can I Tell Her - Charm City
Chris Bartley - I Go Out Of My Mind - TM Acetate
Temptations - A Tear From A Woman's Eye - Unissued
Tommy Frontera - You're My Leading Lady - Hi-Lite
Court Davis - Try To Think What You're Doing - East Coast
Deadbeats - No Second Chance - Strata
(Phantom Janitor)
Soul Blenders - Tightrope - Knight (Charles Thomas)
Marvin Gaye - Lonely Lover - Unissued
(Willie Hatcher)
Temptations - Angel Doll - Unissued
(The Arabians)
Eddie Holman - Where I'm Not Wanted - Unissued
Martells - Where Can My Baby Be - A-La-Carte
(Jimmie Williams - Won't Somebody Please)
Four Reputations - Call On Me - Millage
Eddie Holman - Hurt - Unissued
Little Ann - What Shall I Do - Unissued
(Rose Valentine - When He's Not Around)

Smoothin’ Groovin

We now have the first of three podcasts featuring the records Richard Searling was featuring around the time. Richard would finish presenting his show in Sheffield for Radio Hallam and head straight for Stafford, usually with a bunch of promos and new releases under his arm to unleash on the Stafford crowd.

Many thanks to Sean Price. Without his help and memory it wouldn’t have been possible to compile this and the upcoming two podcasts.

Ingram – Smoothin’ Groovin’ – Mirage
Lew Kirton – Talk To Me – Believe In A Dream
The Ronnie McNeir Experience – Light My Fire - Capitol
O’Jays – Extraordinary Girl – Philadelphia International
Kashif – Rumours – Arista
Bill Brandon – Space Age Lover – Studio Acetae
Maurice Messiah – How Long - Quality
Chuck Strong – Doin’ It cause It Feels Good – Invasion
Gary Taylor – Just What I Had In Mind – A&M
L.J. Reynolds – Don’t Let Nobody Hold You Down – Polygram
Kashif – I’ve Been Missing You – Arista
Gladys Knight – When You’re Far Away – CBS
O’Jays – Summer Fling – Philadelphia International
Billy Griffin – Be With Me – Columbia
Curtis Hairston – Summertime - Pretty Pearl

Keep it Coming

A further selection of records as played by Richard Searling at The Top Of The World in Stafford. Again all Modern Soul.

Once again thanks to Sean Price for all his help.

The Jones Girls – Keep It Comin’ – Philadelphia International Records
The Ronnie McNeir Experience – Come Be With Me – Capitol EP
Lillo Thomas – Hot Love – Capitol
Ozone – (Our Hearts) Will Always Shine – Motown
Glenn Jones – Finesse – RCA
Kashif – Don’t Stop My Love – Arista
The Ronnie McNeir Experience – Is This What Happens To A Love – Capitol EP
Maurice Messiah – 50/50 Love – Quality
Melba Moore – Love Me Right – Capitol
Gladys Knight & The Pips – Save The Overtime (For Me) – Columbia
Michael Wycoff – Tell me Love – RCA
Jerry Knight – I’m Down For That – A&M
Peabo Bryson – Go For It - Capitol

Seventh Heaven

This is the final podcast covering the Modern Soul plays of Richard Searling, unless Sean Price comes up with another list! Many thanks to Sean for all his help with the Richard Searling plays, couldn’t have done it without him. Again many new releases which highlights the diversity and open mindedness of the 80’s all-nighter crowds.

Gwen Guthrie - Seventh Heaven – Island
Maurice Messiah – We Can Go To Your House – Quality
Alicia Myers - I Fooled You This Time – MCA
Angela Bofill – Is This A Dream – Arista
Lillo Thomas – You’re A Good Girl - Capitol
Atlantic Starr – Touch A Four Leaf Clover – A&M
Dayton – Promise Me – Capitol
Curtis Hairston – I Want You (All Tonight) – Pretty Pearl
Gwen Guthrie – Padlock – Island
Kashif – Help Yourself To My Love – Arista
Jeffrey Osborne – Don’t You Get So Mad – A&M
The Ronnie McNeir Experience – Keep Giving Me Love – Capitol
Howard Johnson – Keepin’ Love New – A&M
Lenny White – Didn’t Know About Love (Till I Found You) - Elektra