Northern Soul Sunday 2

 

2024 Charity Shop Purchases # 69 - Various - The Ultimate Northern Soul Album

The second Castle Douglas Northern Soul compilation comes with the same caveat as the first. 

I don't know enough about the genre (or should that be sub genre?) to say what is and what isn't Northern Soul. A quick glance at the track list would suggest that some almost certainly aren't. You've got to admire Charlie Rich. Not content with Rockabilly and Country  the old Silver Fox is quite prepared to give Soul a shot.

I'm pretty sure that Jackie Wilson and Bobby Garrett pass muster although someone will probably tell me differently.

I always like to include at least one female act from these compilations. Is early (1963) Martha Reeves and the Vandellas Northern Soul?. She is included in Drew's Northern Soul Top 50 so that's good enough for me.

Maybe we should not get hung up on titles but just enjoy the music!

I have a few more Northern Soul compilations so I plan to keep this Sunday series going meantime.

Jackie Wilson - The Who Who Song

Bobby Garrett - I Can't Get Away

Martha Reeves & the Vandellas - (Love is Like) Heatwave)

The Brief Return of Northern Soul Sunday

 

2025 Charity Shop Purchases #10 - Various Artists - The Northern Soul Story Vol.4 : Wigan Casino

Earlier in the year I posted a Sunday Series featuring seven Northern Soul compilations which was the extent of what I had on the shelves.

This has now risen to eight with the Charity Shop purchase of The Northern Soul Story Vol.4 : Wigan Casino  from 2007 on Sony/BMC.

One of the seven was Volume 2 - The Golden Torch. Clearly, now, I will have to track down Volume 1 - The Twisted Wheel and Volume 3 - The Blackpool Mecca. Stay tuned, I will keep my eyes peeled.

As per the previous posts in the Northern Soul series I have selected three tracks from the 25 on offer.

We start with the first track I Can't Help Loving You by Paul Anka from 1966.Yes, that Paul Anka  of (You're) Having My Baby fame. Wiki lists 6 different genres he could be associated with. Northern Soul isn't one of them.

Our female artist selection this time round is the Girl Group Reparata and the Delrons.with the song Panic from 1967 on EMI.

We conclude with Memphis artist Percy Wiggins. Percy signed to RCA in 1966 , a year after his brother Spencer signed for my favourite Southern Soul label Goldwax Records. Spencer has graced these pages a few times as a search will confirm. Percy weighs in with It Didn't Take Much ( For Me to Fall in Love)

Two down, two to go

Paul Anka - I Can't Help Loving You

Reparata & the Delrons - Panic

Percy Wiggins - It Didn't Take Much (For Me to Fall in Love)

Northern Soul Sunday

 

2024 Charity Shop Purchases # 65  - Various Artists - Northern Soul Vol 2. - 20 Original Classics - Keeps on Burnin'

He's back!

It would appear that Castle Douglas is the Northern Soul capital of Dumfriesshire. The evidence? Half a dozen or so Norther Soul compilations in one of charity shops.

I was going to say cheap and cheerful but they were going for £1.50 per pop. I opted for two of  them.

Northern Soul Vol 2. - 20 Original Classics - Keeps on Burnin' is from 2012 on the Spectrum label which specialises in such things.

As the can see from the track list they appear to be playing fast and loose with the definition of Northern Soul - The Supremes, Ray Charles, The Temptations and Dusty Springfield is perhaps stretching the genre a little bit.

You will be glad to know that I have opted for three of the lesser known artists

Nolan Porter - If I Could Only Be Sure

Yvonne Baker - You Didn't Say a Word

Bobby Hutton - Lend a Hand

Soul Galore

 

2025 Charity Shop Purchases # 52 - Various - Soul Galore - 60s, 70s & Northern Soul Classics

Following on from my Northern Soul Sunday series over the New Year following some Northern Soul compilations picked up in Castle Douglas I was in no particular hurry to pick up any further similar compilations which lets face it are ten a penny.

That all changed however on the visit to the Wigtown Community Shop and their 4 for a pound philosophy.

Soul Galore- 60s,70s & Northern Soul Classics was duly added to the basket..From 2006 on Music Deluxe it is a double CD with 40 tracks. By my calculations that equates to 0.625p per track which is a  bit of a steal as I'm sure you will all agree.

When I feature such compilations it is usually my habit to feature some of the lesser known artists, This time round I have gone for three of the big hitters.

Jackie Wilson - Because of You

Edwyn Starr - Running Back & Forth

Al Green - Keep On Pushing Love

Northern Soul Sunday 4

 

Week four of the Northern Soul compilations and yet another one from the budget Crimson label. This is Northern Soul was released in 1999 and has 24 tracks which form a pretty reasonable playlist making it probably one of the better ones.

There is inevitably a bit of crossover with other compilations with some of the more popular songs (ie  (I Got the ) Sweetest Feeling, The Snake and Long After Tonight is All Over) but less face it you can never have enough of a good thing. There is probably a Northern Soul song with that title out there somewhere. 

I was close Robert Palmer has a song called You Can't Get Enough of a Good Thing!

I'm sure that the mighty Move On Up by Curtis Mayfield appears on more than one compilation. Here it is in all its glory - all 8 minutes and 54 seconds of it. It was a bit unfair of the compilers to include this as the first track as it is near impossible to follow,

Dobbie Gray has a brave stab as he gets Out on the Floor.

There is a reasonably  encouraging female contribution on this one with solo female artists appearing on a quarter of the tracks. Judy Street gets the nod with What.

We are back Out on the Floor  next Sunday

Curtis Mayfield - Move On Up

Doobie Gray -Up on the Floor

Judy Street - What

Northern Soul Sunday 7

 

I've saved the best for last.

Those of you who have been following the Blogs for a number of years will fondly remember Drew of Across the Kitchen Table fame. He was one of my inspirations when starting my Blog and I have had the pleasure of meeting him on a couple of occasions.

From April to June 2015 he published a few posts which he titled as My Northern Soul Top 50. I duly downloaded them all and burnt them onto a couple of CDs which is what folk did back then and titled it with a distinct lack of imagination as  Drew's Northern Soul Top 50.

I shall feature the top three in reverse order.

At number three, and fulfilling my featured female artist criteria is Ruby Andrews with Just Loving You described succinctly by Drew as Just Sublime.

At number two he has an Ashford & Simpson song Don't Send Nobody Else  performed by the wonderfully named Ace Spectrum.

For number one Drew writes  from the moment I heard this track it became the greatest northern track ever in my eyes and I haven't heard anything since that has made me think twice about its position.

The artist and song in question ? The brilliant Jackie Wilson with Because of You.

Fortunately Drew's posts are still available with this one describing the Top 10. Searches will reveal the rest of the Top 50 and many other brilliant songs to.

A great rabbit hole to fall down.

Ruby Andrews -Just Loving You

Ace Spectrum - Don't Send Nobody Else

Jackie Wilson - Because of You

Northern Soul Sunday - 5

 

The Golden Torch  - The Northern Soul Story Volume 2 was released by Sony/BMG in 2007.

This volume is  dedicated to the Golden Torch club, situated in Tunstall, Stoke on Trent. It is the only one of the 4 volumes which trace the scene in chronological order  that I have. Volume 1 name checks The Twisted Wheel in Manchester, Volume 3 The Blackpool Mecca and Volume 4  the most famous of them all The Wigan Casino. I really should keep an eye out for the other three.

It has an impressive tracklist consisting of 25 tracks so plenty to choose from.

I'm starting with the opening number Unsatisfied by Lou Johnson - described in the sleeve notes as having a stunning intro,great vocals,wonderful arrangements and evocative lyrics. A true Torch monster.

There are not too many female artists on this one but I have found room for Earthquake  an absolutely infectious slab of Northern Soul from Bobbi Lynn.

My final selection is a track that was so popular at the Golden Torch that it subsequently made the Top 10 of the UK singles chart in 1973. The song in question being Love on a Mountain Top and the artist Robert Knight.

Lou Johnson - Unsatisfied

Bobbi Lynn -Earthquake

Robert Knight - Love on a Mountain Top

Northern Soul Sunday - 6

The Best Northern Soul All - Nighter ... Ever  a compilation by Virgin from 2001 is a bit of a beast. A whopping 60 tracks over two CDs it probably lives up to its name as the tracklist will confirm.

I only have a burn of this one  from a friend and I am seriously tempted to source a copy. Certainly in the unlikely event that I ever see it in a Charity Shop rest assured that it will promptly be swept up.

I originally heard Seven Nights Too Long  from the version  on Searching for the Young Soul Rebels the debut album by Dexys Midnight Runners from 1980. It was many years later until I heard the original by Chuck Woods.

The same can probably be said about Tainted Love. The version by Soft Cell crossed my path long before the original by Gloria Jones

The Poets recorded three 45s for Juggy Murray’s Symbol records in the mid-60s. Led by Ronnie Lewis (who gets co-writing credit with Murray), the Poets also featured Melvin Bradford, Paul Fulton and Johnny James. ‘She Blew a Good Thing’ made it all the way to #2 on the R&B charts (scraping the outer limits of the Pop Top 40) in the spring of 1966.

This was the penultimate offering in this series. The final one, which is a little bit different,  will feature next Sunday.

Chuck Woods - Seven Days Too Long

Gloria Jones - Tainted Love

The Poets - She Blew a Good Thing

Some Sunday Northern Soul

I thought that I had previously posted Northern Soul favourite Major Lance but I was wrong there.
He first came to my attention as a featured artist on the Craig Charles Funk and Soul Show on 6 Music one Saturday evening when there was nothing on the telly.
This led me to acquiring a Best of featuring his stuff on the Okeh label pretty pronto.

Out of Chicago he has the voice and I suspect the moves. The songs come from the golden pen of Curtis Mayfield, the production is by Carl Davis  with the arrangements by Johnny Pate.
Terrific stuff

Major Lance - Delilah

Major Lance -Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um

As a bonus how many of you remember the Gospel Sunday slot on Jim McLean's Rabbit?
George forwarded me this outstanding clip which I felt compelled to share with you

Some Sunday Talcum Soul #2

It's time for disc 2 from the 6 disc Talcum Soul series of Northern Soul tunes.
The first one was well received with a lot of love in particular for She Blew a Good Thing  by The Poets.
It was groups the last time out but this time round it is the turn of the ladies.
Patrice Holloway sadly is no longer with us having died in 2006 from a heart attack at the age of 55.
Ecstasy is one of the singles she recorded on Capitol Records in the mid 60s. Seemingly, she is best remembered as the voice of Valerie in the Hanna-Barbara TV series Josie and the Pussycats.
Timi Yuro enjoyed a longer and more successful career being considered as one of the first blue eyed soul singers of the rock era and often being referred to as the little girl with the big voice.She died aged 63 in 2004.
More Talcum Soul next Sunday.

Patrice Holloway -Ecstasy

Timi Yuro -It'll Never Be Over For Me

Some Sunday Talcum Soul

Long suffering readers of these pages may recall how as a rule I generally prefer my Soul to come from below the Mason Dixon line.
However this did not stop me acquiring Talcum Soul Volumes 1 to 6 as a job lot from HMV in Sauchiehall Street a few years ago.
The first volume is subtitled - 26 Stonking Northern Soul Greats and it does what it says on the tin.
A few tracks have popped up here and there but over the next six Sundays I will feature a couple of songs from each volume.
From the  first one then here are two guaranteed dance floor fillers courtesy of The Casualeers and The Poets.

More Talcum Soul next Sunday

The Casualeers - Dance, Dance, Dance

The Poets - She Blew a Good Thing

Southern Soul Sunday 20

Is Bettye LaVette .who was born in Michigan, Southern or Northern Soul, or just Soul, and does it make a difference?
I'm not really sure. All I know is that she is excellent and that she is featuring  in the SSS series  due to her links with the  Atlantic and Atco labels and her connections with the music coming out of Memphis and Muscle Shoals in the late 60's/early 70's
Plus her picture is on the cover of Southern Soul Showcase - proof if  proof were needed!

She released the first song He Made a Woman out of Me at least twice in 1969 and 1970 and it is probably her best known song.
Somehow I don't think that the Joe Henry mentioned in the song is the record producer of that name responsible for her great 2005 masterpiece I've Got My On Hell to Raise previously featured here but you never know.
The second song is from 1969 and features on the great Trikon compilation Dirty Laundry -The Soul of a Black Country.
I'm happy to say that she is still going strong and that she continues to deliver music of a high standard similar to those tracks featured today.
Quality.

Bettye LaVette - He Made a Woman Out of Me

Bettye LaVette - What Condition my Condition is in

Southern Soul Sunday 25

Was Jamesetta Hawkins (Etta James to you and me) Blues or Soul?
Was she Southern Soul, Northern Soul or just Soul?
Whatever.
She is featuring here today primarily in recognition of the recording of her 8th album Tell Mama (1968) at the FAME studios in Muscle Shoals produced by Rick Hall and on the Cadet label.
Whilst it contains such superb songs as the title track and I Would Rather Go Blind the stand out track for me is her version of Almost Persuaded
Almost Persuaded was written in 1966 by Glen Sutton and Billy Shirrell and has been recorded by a number of musical  legends including George Jones, Tammy Wynette, Charlie Rich, Lefty Frizzell, Bill Haley and Louis Armstrong.
It has also been covered by Beth Rowley and this version has previously featured on CMM.
However I would argue that Etta's is THE definitive version.
I had a Best of which did not include this and therefore acquired another one which did.
Who needs videos or You Tube - just shut your eyes and Etta will take you there
Also from 1968  recorded at FAME and again produced by Rick Hall is an interesting version of Sonny Bono's I Got You Babe

Etta James -Almost Persuaded

Etta James - I Got You Babe

Kent Compilations - King's Serious Soul: Too Much Pain

 

Week 2 and yet another cracker!   Spoiler alert - most of the CDs in this series will be crackers

Released in 2001. The Ace website states  In the R&B world, the King label has a hugely well deserved reputation, but it's only been with the recent releases of King Funk" (CDBGPD 135) and "King Northern Soul" (CDKEND 185) that widespread appreciation of its contribution to soul music has occurred. Now "Too Much Pain" reveals the southern and deep side of King - and its affiliated concerns such as Federal and Hollywood. Arguably this was the strongest aspect of the company's musical output in the 60s."

Southern Soul is my favourite  soul sub genre so this is right up my street.   King Records were formed in Cincinnati in 1945 and released original material until 1975. Their Wiki page gives details as to their very impressive discography.

The album contains 24 tracks which can be found here or here . I think it is fair to say that there are probably not many, if any, household names but it is none the worse for that. After a long overdue listen I narrowed it down to 8 possible songs to post before settling on a final three 

First up is the opening track on the album by Thomas Bailey with a song from 1971 on the subsidiary Federal label. Not to be confused with the guy from The Thompson Twins he is much more talented.

Track 14 is by Jeb Stuart but not the Jeb Stuart who was a screenwriter on Diehard.. The song is from 1967 and on your actual King label.

The final offering and the only lady is the unfortunately named Nancy Butts.I've actually managed to find some info about her. She was from Sparta, Georgia and was the lead singers of her family gospel group prior to turning her hand to secular music.This one is from 1973 and again on King.

Some more gems next Sunday

Thomas Bailey - Wish I Was Back (In Your Arms Again)

Jeb Stuart - I Don't Want to Leave You Darling

Nancy Butts - Only One Love

Kent Compilations - The Goldway Story Volume 2

 

I would say that Goldwax is probably my most favourite Soul label. Indeed a quick search of the Blog reveals that they have appeared here on a number of occasions.

It is just as well that I did that very thing as I was all set to feature The Goldway Story Volume 1  today only to find it had appeared here in November last year ending with the words "I can feel a Kent Compilation series coming on!"

So here is the next best thing - Volume 2 . As the Ace website says 

This compilation, with its mixture of classics and rarities, follows on from the highly successful first volume Kent released a couple of years ago. If anything it contains more of the ballad wizardry that has made the Goldwax name such a fabled one.

The label was  from Memphis (2445 Chelsea Avenue to be precise ) and was founded by the magnificently named Quinton Claunch. A number of the more famous artists on  the label  including the mighty James Carr, O.V. Wright, Spencer Wiggins and The Ovations have featured before on my Southern Soul Sunday series.which  started in 2013 and which  reached 50 posts before I  called it a day.Spencer Wiggins was the second act to feature and James Carr the final one about a year later.

No James today but Spencer and OV Wright both make an appearance along with Barbara Perry. I managed to find the following info about Barbara on the MD Records website:

“Goldwax” records was founded by Quinton Claunch and Rudolph V. “Doc” Russell on August 11th, 1964 in Memphis, Tennessee and was distributed by Amy-Mala-Bell before being sold in 1970. Barbara Perry, who was born in 1943, started out as a singer with “The Teen Town Singers” before recording for “Fernwood” records, then “Goldwax” records in the late 1960’s, though many of her recordings remained unreleased at the time. 

I wasn't aware until now that in addition to the 2 Volumes of the Goldwax Story on the shelves, Ace also offer a 3rd volume which I must get at some stage. There are also 3 Volumes of The Complete Goldwax Singles and a Goldwax Northern Soul compilation. All very tempting but I suspect that there would be a fair bit of duplication.

Spencer Wiggins - I Never Loved a Woman (The Way I Love You)

O.V. Wright with the Keys - There Goes My Used To Be

Barbara Perry - Say You Need It

I'm just back from a few days away and I am away again tomorrow so nothing to see here until a fantastic guest post on Friday.

Also 10 weeks in it also seems an opportune time to bring this series to a halt as both I and the audience seem to have run out of steam. I reserve the right to re-introduce it at a later stage if need be.

Northern Soul Sunday 3

 

Now this is more like it.

It seems that this was originally a 3CD box set on the  cheap and cheerful Crimson label from 2004. However I only appear to have the first CD which also seems to have been sold seperately.

As you can see from the Boxset tracklist there are some bangers on here. I'm restricted to the first 18 out of 54 but there are still plenty of good ones to chose from

Do I Love You (Indeed I Do) by Frank Wilson is famous (or should that be infamous?) as approximately only 250 demos were pressed by Motown. The demos were subsequently destroyed leaving between 2 and 5 copies. Given the scarcity any which come on the market go for funny money with one going for over £25K in 2009. The CD probably cost me a pound!

I'm continuing my policy of, where possible, including at least one female act. This week it is the turn of Erma Franklin with her version of Jackie Wilson's (I Get The) Sweetest Feeling.

We conclude with Darrell Banks and Our Love (Is In the Pocket) released as a single along with Open the Door to Your Heart on the Revilot label in 1966 which would set you back about 20 quid.

More floor stompers next Sunday.

Frank Wilson - Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)

Erma Franklin -(I Get the ) Sweetest Feeling

Darrell Banks - Our Love (Is in the Pocket)

Some Sunday Northern Soul

When I recently posted  two tracks from The Essential Collection by Edwin Star Drew and Rol both very gently and politely took me  to task for not featuring S.O.S.(Stop Her on Sight).
The reason was pretty simple - I didn't have it at the time.
That has since been rectified with the purchase of The Very Best of Northern Soul Volume 1 from a charity shop in Forres, my favourite town in Moray.

The version of Frank Wilson's Do I Love You (Indeed I Do) also comes from that 50p purchase and is not one of the only two original copies of the single one of which went for £25,732 in 2009


Edwin Starr -S.O.S. (Stop Her On Sight)

Frank Wilson - Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)

Some More Sunday Northern Soul

I think that last week's featured album The Very Best of Northern Soul Volume 1 merits a further visit.
For two reasons - one - it is fantastic and two - I am struggling for things to put on this series which has now been running for the best part of three years

First up we have Erma Franklin (big sister of Aretha) with her version of a song made famous by Jackie Wilson namely (I Get The) Sweetest Feeling.
Then we feature the man himself shockingly making his debut on these pages.
Both songs written by Van McCoy and Alicia Evelyn.

Erma Franklin - ( I Get The) Sweetest Feeling

Jackie Wilson - I've Lost You

Tamla Motown Thursday

 

Not content with my current Kent Soul Sunday series this week I am throwing in a bit of Tamla Motown Thursday. You can't have too much of a good thing.

It seems that their Big Hits & Hard to Find Classics series, which does what it says on the tin has four volumes. One and four were already on the shelves so after picking this one up in Missing only number three requires to be hunted down. The series was from 2000 or thereabouts with the CDs appearing on the Spectrum label 

Here is a entry from Discogs which gives details of the tracklist. There are a couple of leftfield ones towards the end. I had absolutely no idea that Charlene and R Dean Taylor were on Motown. I shall spare you them for now

Amazingly The Velvelettes failed to chart with any of their original releases or subsequent reissues of their three featured songs.

Shorty Long is perhaps better known for Here Comes the Judge but Function at the Junction is pretty funky. Sadly he died in a drowning accident in 1969.

Finally let's have something by Brenda Holloway. It seems that she may be  still recording and touring having become one of the most popular acts on the Northern Soul scene. 

Eyes now firmly peeled for number three

The Velvelettes - He Was Really Saying Something

Shorty Long -Function at the Junction

Brenda Holloway - Every Little Bit Hurts

Some Sunday Hi-NRG Soul

No Talcum Soul this week.
I have next to no vinyl singles in my collection. However a couple of months ago I picked up a handful from a bargain bin with a view to them possibly featuring on the blog.
Obvious proof then that blogging is killing music.
One of the purchases was a total shot in the dark - On a Crowded Street by Barbara Pennigton. I'd never heard of it or her.
It was a bit of a result to find out that it was actually pretty good.
Subsequent research tells me that she was an American Hi-NRG and Soul singer from the 70's and 80's.
Hi-NRG is a new one on me but apparently is   a genre of uptempo disco or electronic dance music that originated in the United States and United Kingdom during the late 1970s. 
It also turns out that I also have another one of hers 24 Hours a Day on the Crimson This is Northern Soul compilation

Barbara Pennington - On a Crowded Street

Barbara Pennington - On a Crowded Street (Dub)

Barbara Pennington - 24 Hours a Day