David Nathan

The British Ambassador of Soul

Journal

by David

#56 – “I’ll Never Forget 1967!”

Published: 04 December 1967 14:46:45
December 1967, London What a year 1967 has turned out to be! Reflecting on how soul music has morphed from bringing me comfort, joy and solace as I move through the challenges of my mid-teens to the cusp of young adulthood, I realize how the recordings of Dionne Warwick, Nina Simone and Aretha Fr...
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by David

#55 – “Gladys Knight Is Round The Corner!”

Published: 03 December 1967 14:46:50
December 3, 1967, London From the memorable day when Dave Godin first plays me the ultra soulful Giving Up by Gladys Knight The Pips in 1965 a year after its original release in America to my purchase of the hard-to-find Maxx LP by the family group and hearing tunes like Either Way I Lose and Ma...
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by David

#54 – P.P. Arnold…

Published: 03 November 1967 14:47:01
November 1967, London So much is happening in this amazing year for soul music in Britain. In addition to my personal challenges (with boyfriend #1 Franklin and then boyfriend #2 William who is still around as the year winds down), working at Soul City, Britains 1st record store to sell only Amer...
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by David

#53 – “A Natural Woman”…

Published: 04 October 1967 14:47:08
October 1967, London The month ends victoriously! Aretha Franklin who has been a real presence in my life since the Saturday morning in the spring of 1966 when I got a letter from her in reply to the one I sent to her c/o her fathers church in Detroit and then in December of the same year, bein...
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by David

#52 – “That’s How Heartaches Are Made”

Published: 03 October 1967 14:47:13
October 1967, London Following that old cliche, what you dont know wont hurt you in matters of fidelity, I struggle with whether to let boyfriend William know about my one-off rendezvous with the visiting American tourist Edward that happens when William is away on holiday in Spain with mystery f...
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by David

#50 – “Piece Of My Heart”

Published: 01 October 1967 14:47:24
October 1967, London Soul City seems to be thriving after the move to Central London. Were getting regular shipments of US imports and Im particularly excited when we get a 45 by Arethas older sister, Erma Franklin. Shes begun recording for producer/songwriter Bert Berns Shout label and her 3rd ...
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by David

#47 – “Soul City And A Blues Queen”….

Published: 01 September 1967 14:47:42
September 1967, London Ive agreed to return to the newly-relocated Soul City now in the heart of Central London at 17 Monmouth Street and the three years that follow will be full of activity as the shop is established as one of the prime go to locations for the growing legion of dedicated soul mu...
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by David

#48 – “Big Maybelle Sings The Blues”

Published: 01 September 1967 14:47:36
September 1967, Bayswater, London Blues great Big Maybelle is in London for the first time promoting her new LP, shes visited Soul City record store and my boyfriend William (in this pic) and I have been to see her perform at a club in Dalston. Maybelle is in the UK accompanied by a six-foot ama...
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by David

#49 – “Oh Lord, What Are You Doing To Me”

Published: 01 September 1967 14:47:31
September 1967, Bayswater, London Im hanging out with Big Maybelle, my boyfriend William Caper and my dear friend Enid at Maybelles hotel during her 1st (and sadly only) visit to Britain, five years before her passing in 1972. While shes a blues mama of the 1st order, shes also been aiming reco...
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by David

#46 – “Aretha Arrives”…

Published: 01 August 1967 14:47:47
August 1967, London More than ever, the soul music that is my passion is reflecting my life-as-lived. If whatever I experience with boyfriend #1 Franklin is mirrored through songs on Aretha Franklins first Atlantic album I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You), her 2nd LP for the label, Aretha ...
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by David

#45 – “Take Me In Your Arms & Love Me”

Published: 01 July 1967 14:47:53
July 1967, London Im having a great time working at the small record department located in the John Menzies bookstore on Cheapside near St. Pauls Cathedral in the City Of London. Although I share the space with a cranky woman named Mrs. Banks who runs the greeting cards section and who wastes n...
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by David

#44 – “Going Down Slow”…

Published: 01 June 1967 14:47:58
June 1967, London My passion for Arethas first Atlantic LP, released in Britain in April is expressed in an article I write for the UK Atlantic newsletter, Uptightanouttasight (edited by Janet Martin, who works at Atlantics London office) which provides some background on her career. I have no ...
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by David

#43 – “A Whiter Shade Of Pale”

Published: 01 May 1967 14:48:04
May 1967, London Ive written a letter to Dave Godin and Robert Blackmore at Soul City to let them know Im going back to my previous job working in the record department of John Menzies in the City of London. As it turns out, its a wise move since Soul City is going through a challenging time fin...
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by David

#40 – “I’m not singin’ that piece of s**t!”

Published: 23 April 1967 14:48:09
Sunday, April 23, 1967, Brixton, London As her UK appreciation society founder, Ive let Nina Simone know that the audience at the The Ram Jam Club is primarily going to be West Indian. Nina is sitting at the piano, begins the show and about five songs in, the crowd starts calling out, My baby jus...
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by David

#42 – “Some Of Your Lovin'”

Published: 01 April 1967 14:48:32
April 1967, London Ive agreed to meet William, my first blind date at the Hammersmith Odeon cinema on a Saturday afternoon and I choose the location since its a 10 minute bus ride to where I live in Fulham! I figure if it doesnt go well, I can get home quickly. William is charming and funny and...
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by David

#39 – “On The Bus With Nina Simone”…

Published: 01 April 1967 14:48:22
April 1967, London Moving my focus away from the challenges in my young love life, Im continuing to champion Nina Simone as the founder of her UK appreciation society. Ninas brilliance as a unique, distinctive and peerless artist is gaining recognition in Britain, indeed in Europe and with the n...
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by David

#41 – “Can I Speak To David?”

Published: 01 April 1967 14:48:15
April 1967, London After Nina Simones UK tour which bodes well for the building of her British audience, one of my primary goals as her 19-year old UK fan club founder, my focus is now on getting a job. Im still not up for returning to Soul City record shop with Dave Godin and Robert Blackmore ...
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by David

#35 – “I Never Loved A Man…”

Published: 01 March 1967 14:49:00
March 1967, London Ive left Soul City record shop (at least temporarily) even though Im a partner in it with Dave Godin and Robert Blackmore! When I refuse to go back, Dave G threatens to out me to my mother. I sit my mum down on the edge of her bed. Whats he talking about? she asks nervously. W...
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by David

#36 – “Save Me”

Published: 01 March 1967 14:48:55
March 1967, London Arethas I Never Loved A Man LP is on full blast in my bedroom above the fish chip shop my Dad manages in Fulham where we live. I discover that being in a relationship is very different from the romantic love songs that have fueled my teenage years: Arethas new album is closer ...
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by David

#37 – “The Memphis Sound Comes To Town”….

Published: 01 March 1967 14:48:49
March 27, 1967, Croydon While my relationship with my first boyfriend Franklin continues to be challenging, I invite him to come to see one of the final performances of the Stax/Volt review, undoubtedly one of the most exciting shows for the growing number of soul music fans in Britain, indeed i...
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by David

#38 – “Are You Breaking Up With Me?”

Published: 01 March 1967 14:48:39
March 1967, London While Im in the glow of the Stax/Volt show from earlier in the week, I know that dealing with Franklin, my first boyfriend is taking a toll. In the weeks before, wed been to a party at the same house where we first met. He had ignored me for most of the evening until I started ...
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by David

#32 – “Tell It Like It Is”…

Published: 01 February 1967 14:49:20
February 1967, Manor House, London Soul City is starting to get going with more customers finding out about the only record store that sells only American RB particularly since weve now got a regular supplier of US imports, Mr. Shapiro from Miami, Florida. Meanwhile, my personal life is slightly...
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by David

#33 – “Voice Your Choice”

Published: 01 February 1967 14:49:14
February 1967, London At Soul City, were doing well with the growing number of UK releases of great RB albums and one in particular, Sing A Song Of Soul through Chess Records (issued by Pye Records) is a best seller at the record shop and a personal favourite of mine. With tracks by Johnny Nash...
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by David

#34 – “Walking Up A One Way Street”…

Published: 01 February 1967 14:49:09
February 1967, London Now that our record shop Soul City is getting more well known, some of our local customers, many who have immigrated to the UK from the Caribbean are asking for what were then quite obscure imported singles that had been popular in Jamaica, notably Willie Tees Walking Up A O...
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by David

#31 – “Your Name Is Franklin?”

Published: 01 January 1967 14:49:26
January 1967, London The week after attending the New Years party at which I meet Marion, Im invited back to the home of Bob (the Irma Thomas UK fan club founder) and Jack, his Jamaican partner. It is more than a little eventful. I arrive as a boy on Friday night, January 6th and I leave the next...
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