It was long before Northern Soul, the first songs I liked were some of my father's 78s-"Junkers' Blues"-Jack Dupree, "Saturday Night Fish Fry"-Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five, "Minnie The Moocher"-Cab Calloway, "Stormy Monday"-T-Bone Walker. The first records I bought were R&B group harmony in 1953, "Golden Teardrops" The Flamingos, "Money Honey" - The Drifters, "Crying in the Chapel-Orioles. It would be impossible to tell which Northern Soul record I heard first (as what is classified as NS keeps changing, adding earlier cuts to the genre). But, I have been listening to "Black" or "African-American"-artist music from 1951 to the present (Blues (Ciity & Delta), Jazz, Boogie Woogie, R&B, Jump Blues, Gospel/Spiritual, R&B/Soul transition, early Soul, classic Soul (and also sub-genres -Motown, Chicago, Philadelphia, New York, L.A. and Southern Soul)-with no break.
I didn't notice an abrupt change from R&B to "Soul" music. It was gradual-and I liked much of both. I like all sorts of Black American music, in all tempos, vocal and instrumental, with all sorts of melodies and tempos. As far as records played on the Northern scene, I like too many to mention. My very favourites would be several hundred. Songs I like would likely be over 100,000. So, way too many to mention. Which ones would be in "my Top 100" would change daily, to fit my mood (or current memories)-as I am a senior citizen, so it doesn't work the same way as it did when I was younger.
Edited by RobbK, 05 February 2012 - 11:37 PM.