I remember a few years back being around a hotel swimming pool in the States, and whilst drinking a beer, and reading a glossy American magazine, I came across an article about Norman Cook (fatboy slim). It mentioned that Mr. Cook listened to "Northern Soul" upon which the interviewer explained to the uninitiated, that this was " A POOR ENGLISH VERSION OF MOTOWN !!" I reared up from my lounger and shaking my head in disbelief I looked around for someone to share this heinous news with. Alas I was left alone with my thoughts, but it started me thinking, in hindsight I was glad this buffoon of a journalist had got it all so wrong. I quite liked that only those that knew... "Knew", and those that didn't..."Didn't". There has always been exclusivity to the Northern scene, a sense of belonging to a culture that those outside of its tightly ringed walls knew little, if not nothing at all. As a punter who has collected and listened to Soul (in its many forms and genres) over the past 24 years, I just wondered what this music means to you. In this age of "egos and rivalries" there is still for me the common denominator........That moment when you open your box and lift out one of your treasured 7" wonders, you slip it carefully from its (if your lucky) original company sleeve look at the wonderful art work of the label (well sometimes!) and then place it on your respective deck/turntable, a moment of apprehension as you gently lift the tone arm over, and drop the needle into the opening grooves, then "WHAM" the opening bars and the incredible sound just crash through the speakers, and you know you are in a form of unbridled ecstasy, reserved for those only in the know.
I remember a few years back being around a hotel swimming pool in the States, and whilst drinking a beer, and reading a glossy American magazine, I came across an article about Norman Cook (fatboy slim). It mentioned that Mr. Cook listened to "Northern Soul" upon which the interviewer explained to the uninitiated, that this was " A POOR ENGLISH VERSION OF MOTOWN !!" I reared up from my lounger and shaking my head in disbelief I looked around for someone to share this heinous news with. Alas I was left alone with my thoughts, but it started me thinking, in hindsight I was glad this buffoon of a journalist had got it all so wrong. I quite liked that only those that knew... "Knew", and those that didn't..."Didn't". There has always been exclusivity to the Northern scene, a sense of belonging to a culture that those outside of its tightly ringed walls knew little, if not nothing at all. As a punter who has collected and listened to Soul (in its many forms and genres) over the past 24 years, I just wondered what this music means to you. In this age of "egos and rivalries" there is still for me the common denominator........That moment when you open your box and lift out one of your treasured 7" wonders, you slip it carefully from its (if your lucky) original company sleeve look at the wonderful art work of the label (well sometimes!) and then place it on your respective deck/turntable, a moment of apprehension as you gently lift the tone arm over, and drop the needle into the opening grooves, then "WHAM" the opening bars and the incredible sound just crash through the speakers, and you know you are in a form of unbridled ecstasy, reserved for those only in the know.