Next Sunday, August 23, Old Warden will play host to a cacophony of musicians, revelling in the spirit of Motown, reggae and soul.

There will be some serious boogie business going on, and with a special set dedicated to the music of The Jackson Five, you really can't go wrong.

Headlining the event is soul sensation Alexander O'Neal.

Born in Mississippi in 1953 O'Neal is most famous for his numerous smash hits including What is This Thing Called Love and Criticise.

O'Neal's career began in the early 1980s, when he and his band were signed to the Warner Brothers label by Prince.

He has always been a controversial figure and his 1990 sell out Live in London shows were compared, by some critics, to Madonna's raunchy Blonde Ambition tour.

The shows were a resounding success, making O'Neal the only black singer ever to sell out six nights in a row at London's Wembley Arena.

Alexander O'Neal is soul royalty, and after a recent stint on the Channel Four television show, Celebrity Wife Swap, his profile is higher than ever and he firmly deserves his place at the top of the bill.

O'Neal, pictured right, will be joined by Aswad, who are most famous for their reggae flavoured versions of classic pop songs.

The band, who are all school mates from Ladbroke Grove in London, formed in the 1970s. They released many of their early works on independent label Mango, but soon signed to Columbia Records and in 1982 released their highest charting album to date, Not Satisfied.

But it was a return to Mango that brought them the most success.
In 1988 they released the album Distant Thunder, which shot them to number ten in the charts.

Among Aswad's delectable catalogue of hits is Don't Turn Around, a UK number 1 in 1988.

In 1989, they contributed the single Set Them Free to the Greenpeace Rainbow Warriors charity album.The album also featured the likes of REM, Talking Heads and U2.

The band have also had the honour of playing with every former member of reggae legends The Wailers.

The all day festival, nine hours of non stop hits, features far too many amazing acts to mention, but fans can expect classics from the likes of Rose Royce, The Ultimate Earth Wind and Fire and George McRae, pictured below right.

The full line-up and ticket information can be viewed by visiting the website www.shuttleworth.org

Alternatively you can call 01223 894566 to buy tickets.

So let's hope it doesn't rain, pack up the picnic and celebrate with an all day boogie at Shuttleworth.

Summer time is party time as far as we are concerned.