That sweet soul music running through my veins!! I’ve got the radio blasting out the Big Bopper (what a great name!): “Chantilly lace and a pretty face, and a pony tail hanging down. That wiggle in the walk and giggle in the talk makes the world go round! There ain’t nothing in the world like a big eyed girl that makes me act so funny, make me spend my money, make me feel real loose like a long necked goose, oh baby that’s what I like!!!”

Give my lots of gospel, give me a heap of soul and don’t forget to wrap it all up in a mountain of god sent, conscience soothing, horizon busting rock ‘n roll! Music is like a friend to me that comes and sits beside me, takes my hand and says “Let’s go on an adventure!! Let’s leave all your worries behind, let’s rest your troubled soul and your guilty conscience – god lets get loose and have some fun!” My favorite gospel and soul singers are Mavis and The Staple Singers, Aretha Franklin, Sam and Dave, and of course the great Otis Redding. Honestly if they don’t have a direct phone line to god through their music I don’t know who does? And then there’s rock ‘n roll – god’s break free party music! Give me Chuck, Jerry, Elvis and the list goes on.

I grew up in a small valley that had a little village in the centre. When I was young, maybe every month or two, the farming community would come together on a Saturday night at the local club and they’d get a singer in who did covers of popular country music, soul and rock ‘n roll. There was this great dance floor and us kids would tear around on it for the first few sets of songs having a great time playing and dancing with the music. But most of all we’d look longingly out of the corner of our eye waiting and waiting for the adults to get up and dance because that’s when the real fun started!!

After what would seem like an eternity, and I’m sure after a gallon of alcohol was consumed, two by two the adults would come to the dance floor. There would be some slow waltzes and some self conscious movements, and then gradually everyone would loosen up and rock ‘n roll soul fever would set in! The dance floor would be packed, men would be throwing women between their legs and over the hips! What a sight it was to watch! And if I was really, really lucky one of the men would come and grab tiny little me, throw me up in the air, over their shoulders, under their legs, spin me round on their feet, and on and on it would go! Every problem in the world seemed to melt away, everyone was happy and altogether and jumping with excitement. God I loved those nights! I’d go to bed at peace, dreaming of that wonderful place John Lennon talked about in his song Imagine – no doubt, no cynicism, no hate, no despair, no hurt, no pain, no lies, no confusion, no loneliness, and no guilty, conflicted, tortured conscience. Just a great big open plain with everyone together and filled with enormous hope, happiness, love and optimism. And there, out in front of my dreams, would be those great soul and rock ‘n roll singers busting up the horizons!