Harlem Spirit

Line-up

• Pete Strong - Guitar/vocals - Strat through a Yamaha r50 leslie amp
• Harold ? - Guitar/vocals - Antigua telecaster through a Peavey deuce amp
• Max ? - Tenor saxaphone
• Trevor ? - Vocals and Management
• ? - Bass - Fender precision through a Leech amp and 2+15 cabs
• ? - congas
• Mike? - drums
• Livvy (Livingstone?) - roadie
• Pablo? - sound

 Harlem Spirit were a reggae/fusion/lovers rock band based in the Hulme/Moss side/Trafford area.

They recorded around half a dozen singles for both large and indie labels, first of which was the self penned Dem a sus (In the Moss) which made reference to the current stop and search laws which prevailed at the time. This is now a highly collectable and desirable single and changes hands for a significant amount of money.

They also did a cover version of Marvin Gayes How sweet it is which sold quite well.

When I did sound for them they played mostly Universtities and self promoted venues including The Aquarious Club (Bolton), PSV and West Indian Centre (Moss Side), Limelight club (Oldham), Umist, Sheffield, Leeds, Bradford and Huddersfield universities and opened for many name bands inc Junior Walkers All stars (who apparently offered Mike the drummer's job even though Walkers son was drumming at the time), Department S (Is vic there), Hank Wangford, Aswad, Wilko Johnson's Solid Senders and Culture Club.

Most name bands they opened for had to work extra hard when following there blistering set which usually ended with a few encores and even left audiences exhausted.

Peter, the guitarist, helped define Harlem Spirit's unique reggae sound with his Yamaha R50 leslie combo.
Michael ,the drummer who could happily be described as a child prodigy (he was around 16 or 17 when I worked with them has since had his own recording band,The Dust Junkies, as well as playing many major recording sessions and a long stint as a member of Glaswegion band Texas.

Geoff Parkinson - who supplied pa systems through Rig-a Gig pa hire for a few years in the late 70s