May 1968, London

Nina Simone’s May 1968 whirlwind of promotion centered around a number of television appearances ahead of a European tour in June that didn’t include any live performances in England.  Aside from attending the taping of “The Sound Of Soul,” I took advantage of Nina’s visit to invite her to Soul City, the record shop I co-owned with Dave Godin and Robert Blackmore.  It’s true to say that prior to my forming the UK Appreciation Society for her in 1965, Nina was little known in Britain and as her music became more well known in Europe, she didn’t fit neatly into the ‘soul music’ category.  I recall conversations with Dave G. who definitely had a viewpoint in regards to what ‘qualified’ in his eyes and ears (as an ‘authority’ on the subject by virtue of his seniority in starting the Tamla Motown Appreciation Society in 1964): in our first meetings in 1965 and then 1966, he thought Aretha Franklin, still at the time with Columbia Records, was a little too in the ‘supper club’ for his tastes and even playing what I thought was a stunningly soulful rendition of the standard ‘Skylark’ failed to move him.  Likewise, Nina with her expansive recorded and live repertoire that spanned everything from Israeli folk songs to Broadway show tunes was a ways away from being a bonafide R&B/soul artist in Dave’s estimation…

By virtue of our working together, he couldn’t ignore my own passion and love for Nina’s work.  When he launched the magazine “Rhythm & Soul USA” as the publication for subscribers to F.A.R.B.S. (‘Friends Of Rhythm & Blues Society’) in the spring of 1966, I got to write an article in tribute to Nina.  Two years later, as a partner in Soul City, Dave came face-to-face with Nina when I invited her to visit the shop in Monmouth Street in Central London…

My memories of the visit included Nina (with husband/manager Andy Stroud) browsing the LP covers keenly and in particular, opting to buy Stax duo Sam & Dave’s “Double Dynamite’ LP…although of course, we gave her the album rather than have her pay for it!

For his part, Dave found Nina fascinating, noting in his July 1968 for “Blues & Soul” magazine (by then beginning to gain some momentum) that he knew “…I would have to meet her at last since one of my co-directors at “Soul City” is also her fan club secretary.” In retrospect as I look back, that he failed to mention me by name somewhat fit my experiences of Dave’s outsized ego!

Nonetheless, Nina made an impression on the erudite Mr. Godin: “I can only think for one word that describes her to perfection, and that is “cool”. There is a feline grace and beauty about her in all she does, and every movement flows with a natural rhythm and beauty which is all of her own creation. Wearing the shortest mini-dress outside of a nudist colony, her hair natural and short, and the latest fashion in shoes, we were soon chatting like old friends since her power of communication in her recordings is so great that when one does meet her it is really like meeting someone you already know since she is her records – there is no artifice about her, no act for the public and a different one in private, for she is such a total person that everything is a unity – she is Nina Simone, and that alone tells all and spills over to enrich not only every aspect of her own life but various sections of ours too!”

Dave was discovering what I already knew about Nina as a force to be reckoned with musically and personally and he concluded, “Miss Simone was delighted with “Soul City” and what we are trying to do, and she was pleased to see a shop which sold so many recordings by her soul brothers and sisters. I was pleased to learn that she was a co-admirer of Ruth Brown since as I explained to her, it was Ruth Brown who launched me personally into being a fan of R & B fifteen years ago, and for this reason I shall always retain a special affection and gratitude to her for it….”

That personal introduction to Nina certainly helped in keeping the working relationship between Dave, Robert and I smooth after some of the bumpy moments we experienced in the year or so before and within a few weeks of Nina’s visit, the Soul City gang was riding the crest of a wave with some momentum with our newly-launched record label and our growing customer base which included a few future hitmakers.

Still vivid in my mind was one, Reggie Dwight who had been a member of the UK backing band Bluesology and as such had performed behind Doris Troy (of “Just One Look” fame), by then a good friend of Dave’s and later a lifelong friend of mine.  Reggie would come in on Saturday mornings and ask me to recommend new US imports.  I played a few and remember one in particular, Nina’s version of The Bee Gees’ “To Love Somebody” which I was merrily singing along with in the shop!  Reggie snapped it up right away…and little did I know that within a few years, Reggie (if memory serves me well had also bought Erma Franklin’s “Piece Of My Heart” on previous visit in 1967) would become a budding singer/songwriter by the name of Elton John…