Ok, the Curtis Mayfield thread has got me thinking. As we all know on the rare soul scene we are always after ever more elusive and obscure tracks to listen to and dance to. Sometimes in this quest, I feel we can overlook or forget about many of the quality mainstream soul offerings out there. I am not on about northern soul classics here, I am on about big chart hits here. Please feel free to post your favorites.

 

Curtis does top it for me, but only just...

 

Always cheers me up this - fantastic to dance to as well.

 

Marvin Gaye - whats going on

Jimmy Mack - Martha & The Vandellas

 

Always loved this, youth club soul at its best.

Cover or not this is still absolute Quality......

 

here i go again- archie bell and the drells.Top of the pops 1972!

sam and dave - i thank you

Sticking to Soul Classics that have been big chart hits as the thread suggests.

 

 William Bell - A Tribute To A King

Aretha Franklin - Until You Come Back To Me

Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes - If You Don't Know Me By Now

O'Jays - Backstabbers

 

Steve

aretha

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSoXJl2ALUk

aretha

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSoXJl2ALUk

 

 

could never choose between Aretha and Ben E King on this one..

chairmen of the board first 3 hits

sly and the family stone ..everyday people, family affair & runnin away

dionne warwicke and spinners ..then came you

jackie wilson .....sweetest feeling

Betty Everett's 'Getting Mighty Crowded' still does it for me, it's like hearing it for the first time, everytime......atmospheric production, great, meaningful lyrics, vocals with more emotion than should be allowed, and a finger clicking tempo.... perfection on a 45

gene chandler  nothing can stop me

Always cheers me up this - fantastic to dance to as well.

 

 

That's one I regularly have on in the car!

 

My all time mainstream soul classics are;

 

Staple Singers - respect yourself

Sly & The Family Stone - family affair

Stevie Wonder - superstition

Marvin Gaye - don't mess with Mr T

Temptations - just my imagination

Isley Bro's - summer breeze

Judy Clay & Wm Bell - private number

Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway - where is the love

Otis Redding - hard to handle

Gladys Knight - my baby loves me

O'Jays - for the love of money..........where do you stop?

Edited March 20, 201312 yr by back street blue

Never get tired of playing these oldies - but as said above - where do you stop

Bessie Banks -Go Now

Smokey -Oooh Baby Baby

Four Tops - I like everything about you

Harold Melvin - The love I lost

Most stuff by the chairman of the board,the general's voice gets to me and any four tops song even going loco loll levi's voice was masterfull as ever

Curtis-We Gotta Have Peace. Isleys-For the Love of You. Jackie-Since U showed me how to be Happy. Otis-I've Been Lovin U 2 Long. Also a track called You Made Me So Very Happy, but cant remember who it's by.....

Oh go on then, here's mine....

R. Dean Taylor's- Gotta see Jane

Betty Everett-Getting Mighty Crowded

Marvin Gaye- Can I Get A Witness

Isely Bros= Guess I'll Always Love You

Four Tops-I Can't Help Myself

Martha Reeves- Heatwave

Many more but just finished backshift and I can't be arsed

Heatwave.

Stoned love.

I love musuc

naturally i was thinking from a uk chart hit point of view........... i could understand some of the usa guys comin on this thread and mentioning the parliaments testify or darrell banks open the door....or even cornelius brothers too late to turn back now..... a lot of real soul 45`s were decent pop hits in the usa...youd be surprised

Edited March 21, 201312 yr by dave pinch

Sam Cooke - There, I Said It Again ( Massively influenced by my Mum and older Sister that used to play it all the time )

Jackie Wilson - Whispers

I could probably list 50 'normal' soul records from the 1970-1975 period that I really love like Could It Be I'm Falling In Love, I'm Doing Fine Now, Sha La La, that sort of thing, but I'm going to go for this one...

 

Bettye Swann - Make Me Yours, hits the spot every time I hear it and seems to remain fresh as if I heard it for the first time

Jimmy Ruffin - What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted.

Otis Redding - Shake

Clarence Carter - Patches

Fontella Bass - Rescue Me

Sam Cooke - You Send Me

Supremes - Someday we'll be together

Tavares - Heaven Must Be Missing An Angel

Luther Vandross - Never too Much

 

Like everyone could name oodles of chart sounds that I love.

I could probably list 50 'normal' soul records from the 1970-1975 period that I really love like Could It Be I'm Falling In Love, I'm Doing Fine Now, Sha La La, that sort of thing, but I'm going to go for this one...

 

WHAT IS IT !!!!

Please Please can we put Titles etc with You Tube or other Video's

Sorry to be a pain but we ask day after day for this. Nothing personal XX

Thanks

Terry

Aretha Franklin - I Say A Little Prayer.

One of my 4576 funeral songs, but probably one of top 3. Loved it for ever. Even played it out, right time right place, including my afternoon set at Soul Essence.

Blimey,

 

How long have you got ??

 

All of the above and

anything from The Temptations, especially

Get Ready--Best intro EVER

I wish It would Rain.

 

Junior Walker-What Does It Take

 

Donny Hathaway- The Ghetto

 

Nearly all of E, W & F

 

Any thing by Sam & Dave-  I thank you, of course, but Soul Sister Brown Sugar is an old fave.

 

Parliament

 

Isley Brothers

 

War

 

Sam Dees

 

Could be here all day....

So many to choose from,so may already been offered on here.

 

Tams - "Hey girl,don't bother me".

Edited March 21, 201312 yr by KevH

WHAT IS IT !!!!

Please Please can we put Titles etc with You Tube or other Video's

Sorry to be a pain but we ask day after day for this. Nothing personal XX

Thanks

Terry

 

Chi Lites - Stoned out of my mind.

Edited March 21, 201312 yr by Pete S

So many would fit the bill, but avoiding obscure and going for obvious (but bloody brilliant):

The Supremes - Nathan Jones

Temptations - (Loneliness made me realize) It's you that I need

Most of the Four Tops classics but in particular - Do What you Gotta Do, also Ask the Lonely

and currently taking up residence on a deck near me Bobby Womack - Across 110th Street

 

posting that has prompted me to get those together on ipod and play them on a loop as soon as spring arrives!

Curtis-We Gotta Have Peace. Isleys-For the Love of You. Jackie-Since U showed me how to be Happy. Otis-I've Been Lovin U 2 Long. Also a track called You Made Me So Very Happy, but cant remember who it's by.....

 

The version that charted was Blood Sweat & Tears wasn't it.

So many would fit the bill, but avoiding obscure and going for obvious (but bloody brilliant):

The Supremes - Nathan Jones

Temptations - (Loneliness made me realize) It's you that I need

Most of the Four Tops classics but in particular - Do What you Gotta Do, also Ask the Lonely

and currently taking up residence on a deck near me Bobby Womack - Across 110th Street

 

posting that has prompted me to get those together on ipod and play them on a loop as soon as spring arrives!

 

So many great tunes, so little time...

 

Do What you Gotta do I meant to include...

Brenda Holloway?

 

The version that charted was Blood Sweat & Tears wasn't it.

Dionne Warwick - "Walk on by".

Every 70's one by:

 

Detroit Spinners

Detroit Emeralds

O'Jays

Stevie Wonder

Barry White

Earth Wind and Fire

Al Green

Gladys Knight (Midnight Train........)

Isley Brothers

Kool and the Gang

Parliament/Funkadelic

Ohio Players

Johnny Bristol - Hang on in there baby

Lou Rawls - You'll never find.........

 

So so many

 

I like this topic, makes a change from hearing about some obscure/rare/expensive rubbish that no one really likes

NOW I can't stop singing

 

Drifters - Twisting the night away.

 

Everything by the Drifters was superb. Seeing them at Gloucester Leisure Centre in the early 80s was a superb experience. I think Hippo DJd that night too? The chairs were kicked to one side and a party ensued. Cracking night. Just brilliant.

Stevie Wonder If you really loved me

Areatha Until you come back to me. ( check out Youtube her and Stevie singing it WOW)

Jackie Wilson Sweetest Feeling

Harold Melvin Love I lost

Isleys Harvest for the world

AND

Doobies Bros What a fool believes ( IF YOU CAN ACCEPT IT GUYS)

Another few from me, Marvi Gaye - I Heard It Through The Grapevine Edwin Starr - War Four Tops - Reach Out I'll Be There Obvisouly there is more, but these are the pones that spring to mind instantly.

I can happily accept it.

And I raise you a Boz Scaggs - What Can I Say

Stevie Wonder If you really loved me

Areatha Until you come back to me. ( check out Youtube her and Stevie singing it WOW)

Jackie Wilson Sweetest Feeling

Harold Melvin Love I lost

Isleys Harvest for the world

AND

Doobies Bros What a fool believes ( IF YOU CAN ACCEPT IT GUYS)

Will no doubt be a monster long thread......just where do you start? 

Would love to pick any 60's/early 70's Motown and related song but I can't narrow it down to even a handfull, instead I've chosen something else, just because it was drifting from my young sons bedroom earlier.  He's off school ill but playing through the box of old 45's I gave the kids years ago.......bring 'em up right an all that.

 

Donny Hathaway - Someday We'll All Be Free

 

2 more

Teddy Be Sure

Maze The look in your eyes.

Too many ex Wheel records on here, not mainstream souls classics.

 

I'm going for the Tops Do What You Gotta Do

 

You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman Aretha

 

Chi Lites Oh Girl!

 

3 out and out classics for me.

Yes I'm Ready - Barbara Mason

I'm In A Different World - Four Tops

Games People Play - Detroit Spinners

Let The Music Play - Barry White

Walking In The Rain - Love Unlimited

Armed & Extremely Dangerous - First Choice

I Guess I'll Always Love You - Isley Brothers

Step By Step - Joe Simon

I'm Gonna Make You Love Me - Diana Ross & The Supremes & The Temptations

Angel - Aretha Franklin

I'm Doin' Fine Now - New York City

How Can You Mend A Broken Heart - Al Green

You Don't Have To Go - Chi Lites

Free - Deniece Williams

Tell Me What You Want - Jimmy Ruffin

I can happily accept it.

And I raise you a Boz Scaggs - What Can I Say

and Lowdown, of course.

 

I'll go all in with

Darryl Hall and John Oates--She's Gone..

ann peebles i carnt stand the rain and jimmy ruffin tell me what you want do it for me

https://youtu.be/9ZcA3kiaQb0

https://youtu.be/c-sonJId90Y

 

All three tracks I still love to play at home when I come across them in my collection!

Ray Charles -  I got a woman  plus many many more of course

I'll be around - Detroit Spinners.

Just three chords, but what a sound!

I loved it back in the day and I still love it now.

Sam Cooke - Change is gonna come.

Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose  -Too late to turn back now.

Aretha -Don't play that song

Bloodstone -Natural High

Temptations - Stay

Bobby Womack - Just my imagination

Jimmy James and the Vagabonds - Amen

 

My "magnificent seven" - never tire of playing them !