Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer

Patrons enjoy the music at Collector's Spin, held at The Deck, Trafalgar Road, on Saturday night. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer

Saturday night's Collector's Spin party at The Deck, Trafalgar Road, New Kingston, was billed as a pre-Mother's Day affair and, judging by the age span of the women who turned up, there were both mothers and 'pre-mothers' there.

An event where mostly the mature turned up, and couples at that, there were also a few older men with the additional requirement for holding back the years other than a sports car and hair dye, a very young woman.

But, as tends to happen when the range of the adult female spectrum meets in a party setting, it was the more mature who were more limber and rhythmic of waist.

Dance, talk and pool

Well past 11 p.m., the Collector's Spin was as much a talk as a dancing session, the music loud enough to be heard effectively, but not so loud as to impede the numerous conversations which were taking place at several tables, as well as among those clustered by the bar. An intense pool game was on at one side, while some of the few dancers close to the selectors worked their way around those seated in the general area.

The "no, no, no" of Dawn Penn gave way to two versions of Left With a Broken Heart, first Johnny Clarke's and then Dennis Brown's. It was a 'double version' moment of sorts, as after Marley's Waiting in Vain, a cover of Marvin Gaye's Sexual Healing was played on the same rhythm.

However, when the music went uptempo with Oh What a Night the legs did more talking than the lips, Rock the Boat bring more out on to the dancing deck at The Deck.

Shame on You and Rock On rocked the house, a visually impaired man with his hand on a woman's shoulder being led into the men's bathroom while many chortled along to "shame on you".

Slow-stepping fashion

Young and not so young hearts ran free before the beat slowed for couples to cl**tch, as the slow music took over. Bet You By Golly Wow and Living For the Love of You were among the selections, one woman who had been standing on a raised area above but cl**tching on to her partner below stepped down to twirl with him in true slow-stepping fashion.

"Do you remember this song?" the selector spinning asked and everyone did, as they chanted "riddim hol' I" along with Big Youth. And it was rocking rockers time again with Trench Town Rock and Silhouette, Prince Mohammed's Forty Leg following Culture's Zion Gates and the music following The Gleaner out of The Deck on to Braemar Avenue.

The selectors slated for the party were Errol (from the Rock Club), Peter Phillips, Richie Clarke, Tony Owens, Louis Owens and 'Pinchie'.

These ladies were not afraid to show their dancing skills at Collector's Spin on Saturday.