The debate on the Javells post regarding black NORTHERN soul v white NORTHERN soul really got me thinking, and relating the differing views to my 27 years on the scene. I like to think that NORTHERN soul music is as diverse as the people who listen to it and buy the music .

I thought that the previous thread of mine would have run its course, but it seems quite a few of us are happy to keep the chat on this subject going, so here I am again - complete with amendments.

Here's my list of blue-eyed NORTHERN soul faves - obviously it will always be far from complete, as there is so much out there, but these for me are the more outstanding ones:

THE MARTELLS: Where Can My Baby Be

THE DEADBEATS: No Second Chance

THE MODS: Dry My Eyes

BOBBY PARIS: I Walked Away

GARY SOL'E: Holdin' On

TONY COLTON: I Stand Accused

MARK LOYD: When I'm Gonna Find Her

LYNNE RANDELL: Stranger In My Arms

B J THOMAS & THE TRIUMPHS: Keep It Up

THE BUCK ROGERS MOVEMENT: Take It From Me Girl

JOANNIE SOMMERS: Don't Pity Me

ROCK CANDY / CONTEMPLATIONS: Alone With No Love (I'm assuming it's white)

NICKY JAMES: So Glad We Made It

STEVE ALDO: YOu're Absolutely Right

THE SEVEN SOULS: I Still Love You (bearing in mind the 50-50 mix of black and white in the group)

THE TEMPESTS: Just about anything they've committed to vinyl (and yes, I know Hazell Martin is a black singer!)

Be interested to get a cross-section of views on the above, and also to hear what your fave blue-eyed NORTHERN soul tunes are. Would also be nice to hear some interesting stories behind the records, if anyone has them.

PS: Anyone posting on here with the sole intention of being obstructive, DO ONE NOW. YOU ARE NOT WELCOME HERE.

JUST STUNNING !!!

I'm not sure if Soul Incorporated are the same band as Soul Inc, I have "what goes up must come down" on Emblem by Soul Inc

That record comes from Colombia (South Carolina) - And My proposal was done with Cecil Washington at Prophonics in the Detroit area.

But they do sound sort of similar, anyone know if they were the same band ?

My proposal sounds like it is sung by a white singer..........................any ideas ?

Both stunning 45s

Edited July 12, 201113 yr by dancecrasher

dripping with quality and soul !

Edited July 12, 201113 yr by dancecrasher

More up to date - the Primers "How does it grab you"...must be white.?

Actually Kev, I'm not sure they are. I recall seeing a pic of them on here a few years ago - pretty sure it was an all-black group with a couple of female vocalists added for good measure.

Anyone confirm or correct that for me? Ta.

Actually Kev, I'm not sure they are. I recall seeing a pic of them on here a few years ago - pretty sure it was an all-black group with a couple of female vocalists added for good measure.

Anyone confirm or correct that for me? Ta.

Ady Crosdell will be the man to ask - he put the Lee Silver LA's Silver Soul compilation out with their 45s on it .

The Darlings - Two time loser - KayK-Ko / Mercury - white (jewish) gals, were from Detroit though I believe

Edited July 12, 201113 yr by mark w.

this one seems to be a contentious play for some but since i've recently gotten one

VIVIAN CAROL - OH YEAH YEAH YEAH

Anyone mentioned this - old Mecca spin I think...

Five of the best !!!

john schroeder...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbp-AKdIY7I

......................... the sunliners.................Anita Humes............................you could go on all day

This thread could go on forever !

The Joys of life is just a fantastic soulful record.

I know it has been getting spins and becoming known on the soul scene in recent times,

but it it a fantastic record anyway.

Edited July 12, 201113 yr by dancecrasher

Didn't think this had posted - oh well....2 piccy's of Joey......

Edited July 13, 201113 yr by KevH

Something happened to me when she called me baby!!!....

I've always had a sneaking admiration for Marion Sodd's "Permanent Vacation" despite it having the kind of vocal which would generally have me listening while hiding behind the sofa. The production pedigree of Emmett Garner and Donny Hathaway always makes me think it would have been a classic in the hands of a Jerry Butler or Terry Callier.

I have yet to hear his other 45 on Mad but have seen it described as 'crossover with big drums'. Does anyone have a clip to share once refosoul is up and running?

So, out and out 1960's Northern Soul (not crossovers/modern etc) .....what do we think the percentage is on a black / white artists?

75% black? 50/50 or what?

Tony Galla - I know we all knew he's white, but thought this'd make a nice post.....

Edited July 14, 201113 yr by mark w.

Not been back through all of the thread but has anybody mentioned:

Harry Deal

Athens Rogue

Boston Hitsmen

Jimmy Seals

los canarios...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q72JtQJRGLo

Couple of my current faves....

robert john...plus the shirtails...

What about "Detroit Soul" of "All Of My Life" fame? Where they black or white? Definitely has a blue-eyed feel to it for me.

What about "Detroit Soul" of "All Of My Life" fame? Where they black or white? Definitely has a blue-eyed feel to it for me.

Leon Young Strings " Glad All Over "

John Fred & The Playboy Band " Hey Hey Bunny "

Alan Bown " Emergency 999 " / " Gonna Fix You Good " / " Headline News "

Band Of Angels " Invitation "

Was Big Boris white ?

Malc

Edited July 14, 201113 yr by Malc Burton

I've always had a sneaking admiration for Marion Sodd's "Permanent Vacation" despite it having the kind of vocal which would generally have me listening while hiding behind the sofa. The production pedigree of Emmett Garner and Donny Hathaway always makes me think it would have been a classic in the hands of a Jerry Butler or Terry Callier.

I have yet to hear his other 45 on Mad but have seen it described as 'crossover with big drums'. Does anyone have a clip to share once refosoul is up and running?

Marion Sodd isn't a "he", it was the name of a band

So, out and out 1960's Northern Soul (not crossovers/modern etc) .....what do we think the percentage is on a black / white artists?

75% black? 50/50 or what?

Scary how many are blue eyed, but back in the day there was no interweb, you tube etc, so long as record "sounded" right for the scene it got played out

In answer to your questions, in the Kev Roberts top 500 21% of them are "blue eyed" (based on my knowledge and some of the input in this forum).

So, somewhere between 20 %o 30% seems a reasonable assumption

Marion Sodd isn't a "he", it was the name of a band

Aha. Thanks for clearing that up Bob.

I just googled marion sodd, here is some member info if you care:

https://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=51416099238&topic=13708

one of the mad songwriters was also gerald dickerson, of the creations / contributors of soul

Scary how many are blue eyed, but back in the day there was no interweb, you tube etc, so long as record "sounded" right for the scene it got played out

Some tunes are so obvious blue-eyed, it always puzzles me that some folks are surprised when told the artist is say caucasian and not afro-american.

Other tunes e.g. Tony Galla do "sound right" so much I was quite shocked when I first saw who sang it (not that I didn't like it any longer after that)

I just googled marion sodd, here is some member info if you care:

https://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=51416099238&topic=13708

one of the mad songwriters was also gerald dickerson, of the creations / contributors of soul

Interesting. Somehow it seems less appealing to learn it's a band with an amusing or intriguing name rather than an individual with an unfortunate one. Thanks for the Gerald Dickerson information. Dickerson/Garner/Hathaway was the team behind Maurice Jackson's "Lucky Fellow" among others.

Was Big Boris white ?

Malc

I believe he was a black Jamaican who was resident in the UK.

What about "Detroit Soul" of "All Of My Life" fame? Where they black or white? Definitely has a blue-eyed feel to it for me.

They were a white group - apparently formed at high school.

think these were white

bri pinch

....and maybe these too?

bri

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58Bm_os2_oM&feature=related

I have this 45 on Parlophone, A totally big pop / horns / kitchen sink production - played at Wigan apparently.

Anyways - thought this might be interesting - a live version with The Remo 4

Another uk Northern Soul style kitchen sink production

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HKlrtwYR_s

Total Class In My Opinion !!!

....and maybe these too?

bri

California In Crowd - Happiness in my heart (Also released by the Eternal flame on the same label) Viva (Uk fontana)

Shades of Blue - Happiness - Impact

Players IV - The two of us on Knoll (ALso released as The Other ones)

Goldie - Think about the good times /I do (OLd Marvellows classic) UK Fontana

Mickey Denton - King Lonely the blue - Impact

Cosmo - Soft and pretty

Royal Jesters - That Girl / Use your head etc

Edited July 14, 201113 yr by Ernie Andrews

......................... the sunliners.................Anita Humes............................you could go on all day

This thread could go on forever !

I think Anita Humes needs to be added to the list of artists who will be quite surprised to discover that they are white...

I think Anita Humes needs to be added to the list of artists who will be quite surprised to discover that they are white...

I thought that but I think she is white - or at least half white or hispanic - she's not black

Harrisburg was 'proud' of heights reached by Anita Humes Chappelle, former lead singer of The Essex

In 1963, Anita Humes Chappelle, a young black woman from Harrisburg, entered a New York recording studio with her three bandmates and recorded a catchy bubble-gum tune.

It took The Essex all of 20 minutes. Within a matter of weeks, "Easier Said than Done" had climbed to the top of the pop and soul charts.

Anita Humes Chappelle, a 1958 Bishop McDevitt High School graduate, and her three black male backups had managed an uneasy feat: At a time when music genres were polarized by race, America embraced The Essex.

What music fans did not know was that the rhythm-and-blues vocal group was all black. Their first album hit record shops with no cover art. The music spoke for itself.

Chappelle led The Essex to sell 1 million copies of "Easier Said than Done," earning a gold record, followed by two other hits.

LINK to article

Harrisburg was 'proud' of heights reached by Anita Humes Chappelle, former lead singer of The Essex

In 1963, Anita Humes Chappelle, a young black woman from Harrisburg, entered a New York recording studio with her three bandmates and recorded a catchy bubble-gum tune.

It took The Essex all of 20 minutes. Within a matter of weeks, "Easier Said than Done" had climbed to the top of the pop and soul charts.

Anita Humes Chappelle, a 1958 Bishop McDevitt High School graduate, and her three black male backups had managed an uneasy feat: At a time when music genres were polarized by race, America embraced The Essex.

What music fans did not know was that the rhythm-and-blues vocal group was all black. Their first album hit record shops with no cover art. The music spoke for itself.

Chappelle led The Essex to sell 1 million copies of "Easier Said than Done," earning a gold record, followed by two other hits.

LINK to article

Whitest black girl I've ever seen then...did you see the photo above? is it a black girl? Nah...

Edited July 15, 201113 yr by Pete S

how about the Amboy Dukes - Who's Foolin' who,

Whitest black girl I've ever seen then...did you see the photo above? is it a black girl? Nah...

Probably light-skinned dark, like myself..............

Whitest black girl I've ever seen then...did you see the photo above? is it a black girl? Nah...

These people disagree

Beautiful also are the Souls of my Black Sisters

LINK

I think you're just confused by her pink tights...

not looked back on prev posts but mike post,!!!

and more mike post,!!!

a very early doors wigan spin 1973/4 ?? from russ winstanley if anyone else is old enough to remember it,!!! and it fooking did fill the casino floor it was great at the time and i still own a (mint) uk black liberty issue of this,doh(ish) but still great mems of this casino tune early doors for me and old mates,it was a tune of the day,!!!

lol,i like the only comment on the youtube link. Thanks, I'd forgotten¯»¿ this...i er,i wonder why

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58Bm_os2_oM&feature=related

I have this 45 on Parlophone, A totally big pop / horns / kitchen sink production - played at Wigan apparently.

Anyways - thought this might be interesting - a live version with The Remo 4

Thanks for posting, she's a babe!

Whitest black girl I've ever seen then...did you see the photo above? is it a black girl? Nah...

Intresting, I have a photo of the group and she really does not look afro american on it.

She looks sort of spanish or somthing,

ok ..... not blue eyed then

Edited July 16, 201113 yr by dancecrasher

These people disagree

Beautiful also are the Souls of my Black Sisters

LINK

I think you're just confused by her pink tights...

No I'm probably confused by her having no black facial features and her skin not being black

No I'm probably confused by her having no black facial features and her skin not being black

I've seen threads on other sites where similar discussions have taken place. My perception is that she identified herself as a back artist (and a black servicewoman come to that) and that's been good enough for me. I'm out of this part of the thread before it gets into an area I'm not comfortable with.

Edited July 16, 201113 yr by Godzilla