Northern Soul In Its Many Hues

[23 Daves]

We must have had a Northern Soul thread on Cookd and Bombd before, surely?  It seems implausible that we wouldn't have, but my memory needs oiling.

Anyway, I thought I'd kick-start a little thread of my own about the genre, so we can share our favourite tracks and also point in a bewildered fashion towards things that weren't really soul at all, but still enjoyed lots of plays at the clubs in those halcyon days. 

For anyone utterly ignorant of the genre, this old Granada documentary is a worthy starting point, focusing on the Wigan Casino just at the point where it "sold out to the man" (if you believe the regulars there):

Northern Soul - This England

Then really, I suppose it's generally agreed that Frank Wilson's "Do I Love You" is the track to focus on:

Frank Wilson - Do I Love You

Although in my humble, it holds not a candle to Dobie Gray's "Out On The Floor", a song so great that not even the world's most dreadful video featuring the great man gurning like a simpleton can actually destroy it. 

Dobie Gray - Out On The Floor

But besides nominating the downright obvious, it is a genre (or sub-genre) blessed with an almighty whack of unlikely candidates and rather more buried gems.  Jay and The Techniques "Contact", for instance, isn't heard half as much as it should be, and has a similar dancefloor-mythologising slant to Dobie's effort, but is rather more cool and subdued, letting brassy little stabs push through now and then.

JAY AND THE TECHNIQUES,CONTACT

And by far the most baffling inclusion in the whole canon for me is Raymond Lefevre's "Soul Coaxing" which (title aside) appears to not have much to do with Soul at all.  Indeed, Lefevre was a French easy listening arranger of some standing, and whilst the track isn't without a beat, it's hard to imagine anyone dancing to it.  It is, however, one of my favourite sixties instrumentals - just extraordinarily rich with detail and genuinely beautiful, like something you'd imagine Brian Wilson would have created had he been troubled to corner the Easy Listening market.  Why that made it a prime candidate for Northern Soul DJs God only knows, but perhaps some of the audiences just appreciated it for what it was; an extraordinarily good record.

Soul Coaxing - Raymond Lafevre Orchestra - 1968 45rpm

I could go on, despite not being any kind of expert at all, but I thought it would be interesting to throw it over to the floor.  Which are your favourites, and more pointedly, which ones do you think are rather too often overlooked, and which ones are slightly quirky, surprising additions to the genre?  (The "Joe 90" theme should not be mentioned).

[The Boston Crab]

I don't really know if this counts because it doesn't have a pounding beat, nor any vocals, but it's the greatest 'just one more' tune in the universe. It will leave anyone with a smile on their face as the lights go up. It also manages to straddle that perfect line between pure cheese and heavy soul. I think it counts and even if it doesn't, more people should hear it.

Young Holt Unlimited - Young & Holtful

[non capisco]

There has been at least one Northern Soul thread on here in the past, it introduced me to this total beauty
Sam Dees - Lonely For You Baby

One of those records I find I can never listen to just the once, I have to hear it again straight away after the first play. I love the "..and I'm lonely..." bits especially, where it all drops out apart from the drums and his voice and then the piano stabs come back in. I will never tire of hearing those bits.

[Serge]

Here's a thread I started last year, which I'll link to to save me having to type all that out again:

http://www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=23066.0

I bloody love Northern Soul, me.

[rudi]

I just can't imagine you, with that beard, skipping about on a puddle of talc, Serge... :-)

[Serge]

Sadly, I've never been to a Northern Soul night (and in fact, it's nearly ten years since I went to any kind of club), but you just try keeping me still in the privacy of my own home. (And the beard is unfortunately missing in action at the moment!)

[Hodgson]

 In regards to the non Soul tracks that were played, there's an excellent comp called 'Northern Soul's Gulity Secrets' dedicated to purist irkers which features The Seeds Garage classic"Pushing Too Hard" and Bobby Goldbsboro's Easy Listening Pop  "It's Too Late" amongst others. There was also Lenny Gamble's cover of Doris Troy's "I'll Do Anything" which was apparently a massive floorfiller at Wigan until it was revealed that Gamble was none other that Tony Blackburn

LENNY GAMBLE (aka TONY BLACKBURN) I'LL DO ANYTHING SHE WANTS

[Janie Jones]

My little town has a Northern Soul night every month where you can see wiry middle-aged men in 3-button-waistband french cuts and star jumpers doing backdrops on the chalky dancefloor.  Like James Brown who could do the splits in his 60s but had acolytes to rush on stage and pull him up again, some of the old boys have a bit of trouble getting up again once they're down there, but it's all good.  There are also young women in immaculate skin-chick regalia - where on earth do they get those feather cuts in this day and age? 

I love all the standards that you'd find on any compilation but one of my less-often -heard favourites  (until it featured in a KFC advert!) is Marvellettes 'I'll keep holding on'. 

There's some nice footage on you-tube of  northern soul fans tracking down original artists in the US who are amazed and delighted that the records their own grandchildren don't even know they made are revered like holy relics among a cult following in the UK.

[Phil_A]

God, I love this song so much.

R. Dean Taylor - There's A Ghost In My House€

[Hodgson]

Some brilliant lesser known Northern tunes

THE ZOO (THE HUMAN ZOO) .wmv

Also doubles up as a lesser known Motown classic

Peanut Duck Marsha Gee

The "ducky wucky" end bit is great

Jackie Lee - The Shotgun And The Duck

Another waterfowl related stomper

Cliff Nobles & Co. - The Horse

Stone cold classic as covered by Dexys Midnight Runners

[23 Daves]

features The Seeds Garage classic"Pushing Too Hard"

What?!  Really?  I'd have placed no money on that whatsoever.  It's also useful to know, because I'm occasionally asked to DJ at events and typically asked to make what I do a combination of retro sixties mod/ garage/ beat and Northern Soul, and whilst I own a copy of "Pushing Too Hard" it would never have occurred to me that it could be used as a bridge record to change tempo or genre. 

Oddly, I saw Ola and The Jangles in the Soul section of Music and Video Exchange yesterday, which is also technically utterly incorrect, since they're a Scandinavian mod band.  But this is another fantastic record to use to flip between more mod-ish material and soul:

Ola & The Janglers - I Can Wait - 45rpm Denmark Garage! 1967

[rudi]

God, I love this song so much.

R. Dean Taylor - There's A Ghost In My House€

That's the one that led me to NS originally. First white artist signed to Motown, I believe...

[Serge]

Though, bizarrely, nothing else I've heard by R Dean Taylor has been remotely Northern Soul-ish or even, well, soul. More countryish pop (he even covered Kris Kristofferson and James Taylor), some of which is excellent, though he does seem to sing about underage girls and being in jail a little too much.

[babyshambler]

My favourite NS tune.

Kansas City Playboys

Listen to that bassline go!

[23 Daves]

This is a borderline case, and much frowned upon by some Northern Soul fans, apparently:

MICKEY MOONSHINE,NAME IT YOU GOT IT

But still, it's brilliant - all Shaft-esque strings and guitar lines, but with a much faster, tighter groove. 

[rudi]

Though, bizarrely, nothing else I've heard by R Dean Taylor has been remotely Northern Soul-ish or even, well, soul.

Indeed, but Indiana wants me and Gotta See Jane are both later corkers.

R. Dean Taylor- I Gotta See Jane

R. Dean Taylor - "Indiana Wants Me" (1970)

[Serge]

Oh yes, great songs, but would probably lead to a lynchin' if you put them on at a Northern Soul night. Mark E Smith loved him so much that he covered both 'Ghost' and 'Jane'.

[23 Daves]

Oh yes, great songs, but would probably lead to a lynchin' if you put them on at a Northern Soul night. Mark E Smith loved him so much that he covered both 'Ghost' and 'Jane'.

I always thought "Let's Go Somewhere" qualified, and it's a damn good track too.

R Dean Taylor 1965 - "Let's Go Somewhere" MOTOWN-208

[23 Daves]

OK - sorry to bump this thread again, but a genuine question for more learned members of the forum - are there any good Northern Soul weekenders running in the UK any of you would particularly recommend?

[Bobby Treetops]

OK - sorry to bump this thread again, but a genuine question for more learned members of the forum - are there any good Northern Soul weekenders running in the UK any of you would particularly recommend?

The 100 Club in London has regular All-Nighters

http://www.6ts.info/allnighters.asp?area=dates

Fancy spending a weekend in Skegie?

http://soulsurvivors.ning.com/events/skegness-weekender-sept-2011

Or for a full listing

http://www.goldsoul.co.uk/upcoming-events.php

I don't know if they're any good as I'm in my mid-thirties and have now hung up my trickers/brogue shoes.

And here are another two great Northern Soul numbers

Eddie Holman -  I Surrender

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pX8W-PYWYQ

James Lewis And A Case Of Tyme - Manifesto

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBDIXHlx7rM

[CaledonianGonzo]

Other than maybe the presence of more Lambrettas at the latter, is there much to choose from between a Northern Soul weekender and a Mod weekender?

I read an article recently in the Sunday Herald about a Mod Weekender somewhere in Ayrshire, and all they were doing was covering themselves in chalk and dancing all night to Booker T and the MGs.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

all they were doing was covering themselves in chalk and dancing all night to Booker T and the MGs.

Doesn't sound like a bad night.

[CaledonianGonzo]

Actually, now that I read that back, it's talcum powder they use, isn't it?

Which, if anything, is even nicer as it'll leave a pleasing fragrance about the place.

[Lt Plonker]

Nothing to add but a corker I heard at a 60s psych/garage/soul night here in Exeter.

Judy Street - What

[23 Daves]

Talc, scooters and soul.  Mmmmmmmm.

A mod weekender would do, but Northern Soul nights are a bit more upbeat and less uptight and a bit more suitable for my wife. 

I regularly DJ Mod, Psych and Northern Soul stuff myself, so I'm familiar with the behavoural patterns of all concerned - I've just never done a weekender before. 

[CaledonianGonzo]

Spontaneous Northern Soul mp3 of the day:

Am I The Same Girl? by Barbara Acklin

(Maybe better known as Soulful Strut in its instrumental form, I prefer the vocals take - gives it more soul, and after all that's what this is all about).

[jonnycuba]

Always been partial to this little down tempo Norman Gem

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3s0IWxI0D5Q

[Neomod]

Just got back from a mod rally and they had a live band playing Northern Soul classics. What struck me was how tight the band were and how young they were (20's).

Kudos for them doing it but is there a market outside of Mod events for a band like this to make money?

[23 Daves]

Kudos for them doing it but is there a market outside of Mod events for a band like this to make money?

There was during the seventies, at least - there were quite a few false Northern Soul artists going around belting out the classics and signing to opportunistic independent labels like Spark (these boys, for example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEGCklaJSF0).

Now?  I can't imagine where they'd play on the circuit outside of the usual rallies and weekenders, or who would buy the records.  If we had a huge revival, then maybe, but despite a slight resurgence of interest there's no sign NS will ever be anything more than a fringe concern from now on.

Anyway, did you catch the name of the band?  And any rallies you'd particularly recommend?

[Neomod]

Well my thought was that Northern Soul, like disco is club music, to be danced to rather than watched. That's why  it was a breath of fresh air. The band were called Alison and the Earthquakes (from Brighton).

Dunno about rallies to recommend. Isle of Wight this year was good apparently.