New chapter for Fingerpoppin Soul

For over 20 years Hans Diepstraten and Harry Van Vliet have been presenting a weekly soul music show on Dutch radio called Fingerpoppin Soul. They've notched up over 1200 shows and their guests have included dozens of visiting soul stars, starting with Roland Alphonso and Tommy McCook of the Skatalites in 1993 and including Percy Sledge, Rufus Thomas, Sam Dees, Bobby Womack, Allen Toussaint and William Bell among many more. They have done many interviews for In The Basement magazine, run live shows for a couple of years, DJ'd at many locations including in England and Sweden, and are regulars at every soul show in the Netherlands, including the much missed Blues Estafette in Utrecht where I first met them.    http://www.fingerpoppinsoul.amsterdam/

Hans and Harry have now began a new chapter with the launch of a splendid new website which has details of every artist they've met or interviewed over the years, a timeline featuring the show's development and their many trips abroad and photos of some of Harry's huge collection of picture sleeve 45s. Here are some of them:
http://www.fingerpoppinsoul.amsterdam/hattricks-full-of-soul-i.html
http://www.fingerpoppinsoul.amsterdam/hattricks-full-of-soul-ii.html
http://www.fingerpoppinsoul.amsterdam/hattricks-full-of-soul-iii.html
http://www.fingerpoppinsoul.amsterdam/hattricks-full-of-soul-iv.html
Their Thursday night show is a must for soul fans: this week (May 26), they are welcoming back DJ Moonshine, who brings his own Garrard record player to the studio and plays exclusively R and B, blues and gospel 78s. The title of the show is 'Going To Heaven with DJ Moonshine'. It's a fun show to be on, as I found out in 2014 when they invited me to spin a few records on one of their shows. And they are generous hosts. They presented me with a book of picture sleeve 45s - something Harry does on a regular basis with guests and at gigs. 

It's not long now until the Porretta Soul Festival and Hans and Harry will be attending - their first visit for a few years. It will be great to catch up with them. In the meantime I will be tuning into their weekly show, beginning with their 78s special this week.

Here's my blog entry from when I guested on the show.   http://thevinylword.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/fingerpoppin-soul-in-amsterdam.html