Highlights

ANNOUNCING TWO NEW HR 45 RELEASES - Release date 1st April 2021.

Thanks to member @Drew3 , we have the return of our (very) irregular Soul Source competition.

And we do have a great prize, a copy of Richard Gilbert member @Gilly much acclaimed book

Back in 2000, a book launched to capture the popularity of the greatest music on earth....The Northern Soul Top 500. 

A best seller at the time, the phrase alone is the second most used within the genre after KTF.

Latest Cannonball Records newsletter leads to some tasty tunes

Three Brand New Records and One Book

THE MOST SOUGHT AFTER RARE NORTHERN 

This list contains what I consider the most sought after and rare original release Northern soul 45s at this point in time. It contains some seriously rare 45s and includes many that have been deemed to be ‘the hot collectable to have’. Records that have eluded collectors over the many years of searching for them and the ones that keep you awake at night...

Ronnie Walker - For Real For Real

Well it’s finally arrived the new CD of Ronnie Walkers - For Real For Real.

Over a year in the making, working together with studios both here in Stockport U.K. and in Philadelphia, USA.

We have been lucky enough to get our hands on some amazing Philadelphia music. This project we have been working on for some months now might be the best one yet. In one single day back in 1970 a relatively young producer by the name of Emmanuel Campbell Jr hired the Sigma Sound Studio backing band, later to be known as MFSB - to lay down several tracks so Manny can bring his cast of singers and other musicians.. it’s amazing to think that in one day Manny Campbell would work through, The Delights (featuring the 15year old Peaches known to the world later as Brandi Wells) The New Establishment (one solo 45, highly sought after by funk collectors) & The Nu-Ron’s (one of New Jersey’s finest vocal groups) - on two different 16 track multi’s we have loving remixed and re-mastered (with the help of Tom Moulton on a few of the songs) some of the best sweet soul, low rider soul, r&b, funk and northern tunes! Album to be released in the upcoming months.

Thank you to:
@jeremyzombie for the amazing design
Tom Moulton for doing what you do, and loving this music so passionately
Pete Humphrey’s - who would have been the mixing engineer at these sessions and has “golden ears” on the mastering.
My crew at Brewerytown Beats for the willingness to put up with my obsessiveness..
Mixing engineer - @mdiddium 🤓 - for the hours of mixing & rebuilding tunes with me.

Soon to be released on Brewerytown Records!

Preorder:

https://brewerytownrecords.bandcamp.com/album/all-my-life-the-songs-of-manny-campbell

THIS IS PRETTY COOL AND CERTAINLY A FIRST FOR THE NORTHERN SCENE A MESSAGE FROM MR ERIC MERCURY IN PROMO OF THE REISSUE RELEASE OF 'LONELY GIRL' -  BMR 1006 COMING SOON, HE IS THRILLED WITH THE RECOGNITION HE HAS HERE ON THE SCENE WITH THIS NORTHERN MONSTER OF A RECORD HOW THE RECORD WAS RECORDED IS STUFF OF LEGEND.

Two upcoming 45s from MD Records

Fourth Level - Deep South - MDJW 001

John Laughter and Third Generation - In Our time - MDJW 002

The Weavers Of Dreams - Weavers Of Dreams - Super Disco Edits SDE 55

Latest 45 from Super Disco edits label has just been released, titled 'Weaver Of Dreams' by The Weaver Of Dreams it's a catchy mellow 70s side (can listen below) 

Mind & Matter - "My Love Is Like A Fire / Would Be Mine - Soul Direction - SD003


This journey began when I first slapped my ears around these two sublime soul tracks back in 2013. The group from Minneapolis, Minnesota that gave you "I'm Under Your Spell" on M&M Records, a former Monster hit on the soul scene played under the guise of “Merlin & The Magicians” which remains pretty elusive to this day and still a dance floor winner. 

LRK proudly presents "Closer To The Win" and "If I Can't Have You" on a double A sided 45 by Laura Rain & The Caesars...

LAURA RAIN & THE CAESARS

DETROIT ORIGINALS

Epsilon Record Co proudly presents its latest release (EPS003)

Heaven Scent / Henderson & Jones

Limited edition / Re-mastered & remixed by Steve Fuji

Kent Records latest release Northern Soul's Classiest Rarities Volume 7 Cd is out today, The seventh in this long running series hits the streets running, with a right old varied mix of styles rarities and classics.

Release notes and such follow below

Release Notes clip from @Ady Croasdell

This latest episode of the high-quality end of the Northern Soul world is as varied as the scene has become, featuring manic funk, Detroit grooves, doo wop-inspired ballads, neo-Motown and pure soul stompers....

.... soul legends include Major Lance with ‘Girl, Come On Home’ (the original flip of ‘Since I Lost My Baby’s Love’) and the Exits’ ‘Under The Street Lamp’, which epitomised the aspirations of black street corner vocal groups. Joe Hicks’ ‘Don’t It Make You Feel Funky’ is adrenalin-driven soul, adored by the Northern Soul crowd. Rocky Gil’s ‘It’s Not The End’ and Little Nicky Soul’s ‘You Said’ are both mega-money items, but the rarest and most-desired track has to be ‘The Intruder’ by Melvin Hicks & the Versatiles, which was thought to exist only on acetate but is actually a missing number on a collectible soul label – all will be revealed. 

Full release notes, images and more can be had via Kents Website

Available now from all the usual on and off line suspects and available as well via our very own Source store, details below

 

THE NEWEST ‘DIGGIN’ DEEP’ LIMITED EDITION 45

RELEASE DATE FRIDAY 12th MARCH 2021

TWO GREAT SIDES FROM DETROIT USA.

SHOWCASING THE TALENTS OF MELVIN DAVIS.

Black Music Matters: Is a change gonna come?

Black music has been the soundtrack to my life. It is the gift that keeps on giving. Like whisky it matures with age. It resonates even deeper now in today’s post truth world just as much as it did in the 1960s and 70s when the protest song and socially conscious lyrics were more common. 

Here's word and info all about a worthy recent cd release from Daptone. The album has been available for a while via download and streaming services but the cd version has just been released. As the title 'Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Rendition Was In)' hints,  Daptone have put together a release made up of Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings doing cover versions. 

One World Records most recent - Michelle David & The Gospel Sessions 45 with the 'Yes I Am' track appears to be going very well after it's delayed release.

Paul Mooney one of the guys behind it all, has been in touch and passed on the latest One World Records Press release and informed me that sales of both the Michelle David 'Yes I Am' 45 and their last 45 Brenda Boykins 'Love Is In Town' are going very well. He also quickly passed on future release plans for the One World Records label which will follow the press release below.

Michelle David & The Gospel Sessions - 'Yes I am',,,,

Not only have the latest Michelle Brown, 45, Thee Sacred Souls 45 and Soul Up North magazine just been added to our store but also just landed and added are...

vinyl wise

Out Of Sights - For The Rest Of My Life - Big Man Records

 

cd wise

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Rendition Was In) - Daptone Records - Cd

 

plus more new arrivals to come over next few days

 

listen and read to both below...

 

 

 

Can Browse latest arrivals and more via...

https://www.soul-source.co.uk/store/

 

The latest Issue of Soul Up North is now out on the streets/doormats.

ThE Winter 2021 lockdown issue line up goes like this...

Soul Up North #107 Winter Lockdown 2021

Issue Details

 

OPENING PAGE

CONTENTS – EDITORIAL & INFO

GOOD TOONS & GREAT GROOVES - Dave Halsall

TRACK LISTING FOR COLLECTORS CD – ‘EASY LIKE A SUNDAY MORNING 2021’ - Nige Brown

 FUNK IN YO’ FACE – WHAT THE F#&K IS GOING ON - Howard Priestly

COLLECTING BRITISH - Lord Snooty

ON THE ROAD WITH IKE & TINA – The 1960's - John Smith

SOULFUL SEVENTIES SPINS aka ‘PLUMB’S PEACHES’ - Steve Plumb

KEITH MINSHULL – A TRIBUTE - Martin Scragg

MD RECORDS 2021 - Mark Anderson

SOUL IN A DIGITAL AGE - John Farrar

HITMAN REVIEW - Mark Hanson

THE LADIES CHOICE – AN INTERVIEW WITH TIM ASHIBENDE (Part 2) - Julie Molloy

HOT OFF THE VINYL PRESS - Howard E

SOUL SPOTLIGHT – CHARLES HODGES - Steve Guarnori

BOOK REVIEW – DAVE GODIN A NORTHERN SOUL - Damian Conaghan aka Dim

SOUL IN PRINT – MAGAZINES & FANZINES (Part 10) - Iain McCartney

THOSE LITTLE SILVER DISCS - Howard E

GIVING BACK : SOUL DIRECTION - E. Mark Windle

‘FLASHBACK FEATURES’ – CLYDE McPHATTER ISSUE #18 - Damian 

VIEW FROM THE APE HOUSE - Tim Brown

And finally…

DEEP SOUL CORNER -  Mike Finbow

Preview Scans



 

 

Available via the usual suspects/sources

Site Feature Note

Copies are also now available in our very own Source Store right now

 

 

A new label is born – RAMROCK RETRO with the strap line ‘Yesterday’s Sounds Today’.

I'm incredibly proud to present the stunning debut release – Gladys Knight and the Pips and their legendary Northern Soul stomper ‘Stop and get a hold of myself’ flipped with the mid-tempo monster ‘Tell her you’re mine’, all lovingly remastered to the highest audio quality by Darren Morris at North Street West Studios for your ultimate listening pleasure. Release date for the vinyl is February 5th, 2021.

After having left the group in 1962 to marry jazz musician Jimmy Newman and becoming a mum, Gladys Knight reunited with The Pips in 1964 and, along with her brother Merald ‘Bubba’ Knight and cousins William Guest and Edward Patten, formed the iconic ‘dream team’ of Gladys Knight & the Pips and signed to Larry Maxwell’s New York MAXX label. With Gladys + the guys back together, it didn’t take them long to unleash the 1965 soul stormer ‘Stop and get a hold of myself’, penned by Van McCoy on Maxx 334, swiftly followed by the wonderful ‘Tell her you’re mine’ on Maxx 335 co-written by Gladys herself and ERA label boss, Herb Wiseman.

The vinyl is super limited to 500 copies worldwide. 

Available now on Ramrock Bandcamp and via your favourite vinyl retailers. https://ramrock.bandcamp.com/album/rret001-gladys-knight-the-pips-stop-and-get-a-hold-of-myself-c-w-tell-her-youre-mine

There is a myriad of amazing double siders already licensed via Good Times Music and destined for release on Ramrock Retro ranging from Rare Groove, Mod Jazz, 60’s RnB + previously unreleased disco gems. Follow Ramrock on Bandcamp to receive release alerts….

Thank you for your support – exciting times!

Jo xx

Ramrock Records

Out at the end of the month, talked about on the forums and here's the release notes preview and details from Ace Records Website

Northern Soul's Classiest Rarities Volume 7 is due 26.02.2021 

Qwest Tv has recently added sixty-six concert films to its extensive lineup of live music concerts. Sourced from France’s national audio visual archive these sixty-six performances, ranging from the 1950s onwards, features many artists such as Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone, James Brown, The Supremes and many more...

Sad news of the passing of Winfield Parker, thanks for the music. 

Had news passed on to usall about a recent Motown related book that may be of interest.

'Tamla Motown Worldwide - Anthology of original LP Releases 1959 - 1971' 

Release blurb and images follow below...