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Future Of Northern Soul

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For the past 30 odd years since I last attended a Northern Soul event I have been into all types of dance music mainly soulfull House. I always listened to Northern over the years as a result I decided to give the scene a try again. My wife was sceptical she feels that she cant dance to Northern and that at 50 every man and his dog would stare at her. 

 

I showed her a few you tube clips and to be honest some frightened me to death never mind her with some outstanding dancing, however other videos showed bald fat old women who cant really dance so this gave her hope and a new wig was bought for her.

 

The reason for this post came after we visited the Kings Georges Hall in Blackburn on Saturday for the last 3 months whenever Leeds are away we book into a hotel room and try to visit a local Northern event. to cut it short we had a good night but a bit to my surprise were comments posted on the events page in regards to Handbag music, pissed students etc.

 

Which made me think of what is the future of Northern Soul ? In the new year a movie should be coming out and in this movie hopefully will be some classic tracks and there in lies the first question will those tracks suddenly become commercial and not be played on the northern soul scene again ? im hoping not im hoping that the pissed up students actually do buy into it I remember my first dos in late 70's and these were attended by drugged up students not just pissed ones ! Those individuals are now the old balding soulies of today are they not ?

 

I believe at more time than any other that Northern Soul is at its final cross roads, a documentary on the BBC, mentions in the press, backing tracks for commercials and a movie to boot.

 

Young uns are looking for a new fashion a new buzz or music to get into and Northern has a great opportunity in my opinion to get those numbers up. But also old soulies like myself late 40's early 50's just might want to give the scene one last chance and dance.

 

I don't believe this can happen if dancing once again becomes the overall reason for a Northern Soul scene, and importantly the old classics are not played im sorry but I have listened to a lot of cross over Modern Soul and apart form a handful of tracks ( I appreciate I need more time to get into this side of the scene) they do not have the vibe or buzz as the classics, those tracks got us into the scene and can inspire a new generation.

 

Your views and thought's appreciated and respected

 

 

 

 

 

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  • Scal
    Scal

    Northern Soul died a long time ago.....the halcyon days will never return.....we now have a scene that is akin to The Beach Beat thing....old people trying to dance to records from their youth.

  • Steve S 60
    Steve S 60

    Sixteen days hence, a boy child will be born in a maisonette in Bethnal Green, there being no room at the Holiday Inn, it being Christmas and all that.  He will be born to Mary and Joseph Searle, and

  • Agentsmith
    Agentsmith

    why are we raking over old coals again?.....THE SCENE WILL STILL BE HERE, LONG AFTER OUR GENERATION ( 50 somethings ) ARE GONE. the future of northern soul is safe...AND YES, THE LATTER SENTENCE ALSO

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Its doomed   went out last night the DJ played Eloise by Barry Ryan and the fookers danced to it :ohmy: dont know wether he thought he was being a bit leftfield or just had balls of steel .

 

Denton  was it :P

Eh! The girl is stunning we have already established that. The first part of the song is rubbish and then it becomes a classic northern oldie.

I don't understand your analogy.

If I was 17 the girl would be rocking my boat.

 

It's a youngster dancing fast to a new uptempo Soul record, which is pretty much like it was for us in the 60's and 70's wasn't it? Don't see much of that these days, so when it does happen, it gives us cause for some optimism about the future doesn't it?

 

Ian D  :D

I give up.....ffs.

Wall, Head, Brick, Against, Wall.....time to pull the plug!

Jimmy Robbins was definitely a Casino play, but I'm too young for the Torch and the Wheel as well.

It got included on a goldmine Torch cd for some reason , hence the confusion , i had mine off Pete who said Butch was spinning it , early 80's

Denton  was it :P

suppose its better than SUPERSHIT OOPS meant  SHIP :yes:  :hatsoff2:

Jimmy Robbins was definitely a Casino play, but I'm too young for the Torch and the Wheel as well.

 

I've never heard mention of that being played at the Casino.  Like the rest of them, I never heard it until the 80's.  Wasn't off the radar because I knew it came out on President, but thought it was a typical President cheapie.

well it could have a future but we should do more to ensure that ,

go to soul nites , w/enders and to soul events abroad and they are in the main run and dj,d by fat balding over 50s men who in some cases are well past their sell by dates ,

we do very little to promote and encourage aspiring enthusiastic young dj,s ,

and the same can be said for women dj,s .

until we open up and ditch the outmoded beliefs in vinyl and the flat earth OVO policies and adopt more up to date machinery to deliver the music then its gunna be a long lingering pathetic death ,

And don't forget Barney we should all open our ears to the newer sounds around, yes those after December 31st 1969 & embrace them wholeheartedly, so come on & take a ride in George's Supership, have a great Xmas Brian btw Your dream of utopia will never happen whilst the old guard & purists are still around. :hatsoff2: 

Spot. :shades:   

Its doomed :P  went out last night the DJ played Eloise by Barry Ryan and the fookers danced to it :ohmy: dont know wether he thought he was being a bit leftfield or just had balls of steel .

Mark that says it all, we're regressing not progressing, lets face it even the R&B's going backwards to Rockabilly or Swing. As for the original question on NS future, as Private Frazer said regularly in Dad's Army, "We're Doomed", once the novelties worn off & us old farts as swept away into Nursing Homes to recant a never ending story of how we invented NS & kept it's flame burning, then there won't be enough youth to fill a Double Garage in Dudley to keep it alive,IMHO. :no: 

Spot. :shades:  

The future is bright all the hip wheels of steel merchants have to do is watch the Bank/ Utilities / Junk Food / Pet Food adverts and their "play boxes" will bulge with quality toons........and if they want a real exclusive then keep viewing Useless Toob, every now and then a dobber of unreleased Detroit magic will be posted as the soundtrack to contemporary Spotify behavioural fads!

In fact why not just download a few of Brian Matthew's Sounds Of The Sixties programmes and "play them out"......?

Denton  was it :P

 

Correctamundo :hatsoff2: he also played an odd version of You,re gonna make me love you . otherwise a good night :thumbsup:

Was it a wedding do' that or the blokes a bloody idiot  :ohmy:  :yes:

 

Bazza   :hatsoff2:

 

"Propper soul night " I had a chat with the regular dj he was as gobsmacked as I was :ohmy: what amazed me was folks were dancing :rofl:

Correctamundo :hatsoff2: he also played an odd version of You,re gonna make me love you . otherwise a good night :thumbsup:

 

 

Thought as much Mark ,  when it was played just thought wtf  ...  come say hello next time  we go over there regular  had some cracking nights   :thumbsup:

Edited by Naughty Boy

You said that before Len,and I think your right ,been around for erm a few year myself seen changes ,some I don't like and some I do ,It goes round and round ,Handbaggers I don't like that word ,I welcome youngsters ,as long as they don't spill beer on me Blue suede shoes  :lol:

 

Bazza   :hatsoff2:

when i used the term handbaggers i was talking about people who arnt soulies and basically on the piss and spilling there beer all over dancefloor and on ya blue suede shoes. Never mentioned youngsters been hand baggers. Wouldent ever call youngsters handbaggers cos im 25. I never mentioned my age in the post cos it means nowt to me wether u are 15 or 115 if your their for the love of the music your automatically on the same wave length so age never evan enters my head. My best friend on the scene is 60   whats the chances of that with out that without  love for the music. I dont like the word handbaggers  either but i used it to refer to non soulies in general regarless of their age. 

The answer to the original question is staring you in the face......

 

A 2013 Northern Soul smash from Pharrell Williams (and record of the year for me) with a video of a 17 year old lass from Bristol who loves Northern Soul and can seriously dance.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZLLPaX4SS4

 

If I was 17 now, I know what would be rocking my boat. Northern Soul looks pretty healthy to me.

 

Ian D  :D

 

Seriosly hope thats not the future two godawfull tracks nailed together :shhh:

Seriosly hope thats not the future two godawfull tracks nailed together :shhh:

 

Quite like the track and so did Sam because he says it was in Despicable Me 2 - love the old boy at the end of the video getting into the swing of things - the lady seems nice as well and dances fine but am becoming just a little fed up of seeing her...still nobodys forcing me to watch.

Quite like the track and so did Sam because he says it was in Despicable Me 2 - love the old boy at the end of the video getting into the swing of things - the lady seems nice as well and dances fine but am becoming just a little fed up of seeing her...still nobodys forcing me to watch.

 

 

Quite like the track and so did Sam because he says it was in Despicable Me 2 - love the old boy at the end of the video getting into the swing of things - the lady seems nice as well and dances fine but am becoming just a little fed up of seeing her...still nobodys forcing me to watch.

 

old boy , he's a young un at some of the do's i've been to  :wicked:

Would suggest that there is a variation, area by area,  If you go to say Notts area the music is storming 60's oldies, which is why i tend to travel there of a weekend & because generally all venues are very well attended there isn't any need to compromise by playing commercial sounds just to get the numbers up. but other areas where Northern soul doesn't get the crowds in there my have to except more commercial sounding playlists.  Certainly at Stoke Kings Hall allnighter last night there was no compromising.

Seriosly hope thats not the future two godawfull tracks nailed together :shhh:

 

Wow, different strokes and all that. The record sounds like a breath of fresh air to me. If that song had come out 40 years ago I'd have played it. I do like this stuff though - I thought "Get Lucky" was the record of the summer, albeit not for Northern venues.

 

Ian D  :D

Its doomed :P  went out last night the DJ played Eloise by Barry Ryan and the fookers danced to it :ohmy: dont know wether he thought he was being a bit leftfield or just had balls of steel .

 

Neither.He had no idea.Nurse,get my medication.!!!

I can't believe that this thread, a subject which we've done a few times over the years, albeit in different guises, can run for six fecking pages! That's not a dig at the thread starter.

 

Anyway, I'm off to watch the wind blowing in my back garden - the paint dried last week.

 

Peter

 

:elvis:

when i used the term handbaggers i was talking about people who arnt soulies and basically on the piss and spilling there beer all over dancefloor and on ya blue suede shoes. Never mentioned youngsters been hand baggers. Wouldent ever call youngsters handbaggers cos im 25. I never mentioned my age in the post cos it means nowt to me wether u are 15 or 115 if your their for the love of the music your automatically on the same wave length so age never evan enters my head. My best friend on the scene is 60   whats the chances of that with out that without  love for the music. I dont like the word handbaggers  either but i used it to refer to non soulies in general regarless of their age. 

It will, believe me it will. :shhh: 

Spot. :shades: 

Seriosly hope thats not the future two godawfull tracks nailed together :shhh:

You must be joking surely? Velvet Hammer absolute class to my ears. The other thing is just awful.

Wow, different strokes and all that. The record sounds like a breath of fresh air to me. If that song had come out 40 years ago I'd have played it. I do like this stuff though - I thought "Get Lucky" was the record of the summer, albeit not for Northern venues.

 

Ian D  :D

That explains a lot Frank & why you disappeared for so long,it's marvelous what electro shock treatment can do now a days, :lol: keep taking the tablets & Merry Xmas, I'm just off to find the Ghost of Christmas Soul Future, pray for me. :thumbup:  :hatsoff2: 

Spot. :shades:  

You must be joking surely? Velvet Hammer absolute class to my ears. The other thing is just awful.

Absolutely. Great dance record.

 

:thumbsup:

 

Peter

That explains a lot Frank & why you disappeared for so long,it's marvelous what electro shock treatment can do now a days, :lol: keep taking the tablets & Merry Xmas, I'm just off to find the Ghost of Christmas Soul Future, pray for me. :thumbup:  :hatsoff2: 

Spot. :shades:  

 

Don't worry Spot. These things take a while to reach Goole....  :lol:

 

Compliments of the season to yourself and missus by the way!  :thumbsup:

 

Ian D  :D

Barry Ryan - Eloise? At a northern soul night?

 

Its gonna be huge :thumbup:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lets just hope it does,nt catch on :yes:

Beggin gets plays....I'm.going to go for that other Deram biggie My Baby Loves Lovin-White Plains.

Beggin gets plays....I'm.going to go for that other Deram biggie My Baby Loves Lovin-White Plains.

Now that is a tune. :thumbsup: 

Spot. :shades: 

The answer to the original question is staring you in the face......

 

A 2013 Northern Soul smash from Pharrell Williams (and record of the year for me) with a video of a 17 year old lass from Bristol who loves Northern Soul and can seriously dance.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZLLPaX4SS4

 

If I was 17 now, I know what would be rocking my boat. Northern Soul looks pretty healthy to me.

 

Ian D  :D

 

She's my mate haha, met her when she was quite new too the scene, she likes what i like too

Everyone likes northern soul but most ain't got a clue seen a lass walking round town with a northern soul bag i ain't seen her out anywhere.

It's a youngster dancing fast to a new uptempo Soul record, which is pretty much like it was for us in the 60's and 70's wasn't it? Don't see much of that these days, so when it does happen, it gives us cause for some optimism about the future doesn't it?

 

Ian D  :D

it,s not uptempo for a start ian, more med/well done with a kinda modern beat........it,s all floaty floaty  has no earthiness....not my cup of tea

it,s not uptempo for a start ian, more med/well done with a kinda modern beat........it,s all floaty floaty  has no earthiness....not my cup of tea

 

Give over Terry....that's you joining in at 1:38 ain't it.....?

 

;o)

Are you the same Ian Dewhirst....DJ Frank that used to know Steve Ceasar from Leeds and used to live at Wasps Nest Road, Fartown,Huddersfield?

Are you the same Ian Dewhirst....DJ Frank that used to know Steve Ceasar from Leeds and used to live at Wasps Nest Road, Fartown,Huddersfield?

 

Yep. Good memory for 40 odd years ago! Do I know you?  :g:

 

Ian D  :D

he wants his record back

Yep. Good memory for 40 odd years ago! Do I know you?  :g:

 

Ian D  :D

 

It's the Taxman.  :wicked:

fcuk me hes off ians gone

I'm well insulated as I've lived in several other countries and 20 other addresses since then. Plus I have my subversive weapons collection and gas-fired harpoon handy but I reckon he's a good 40 years behind anyway..... :lol:

 

Ian D  :D

Something similar!

 

What pray tell? I haven't exactly been underground Scal......

 

Ian D  :D

Sent you a PM.....maybe a bit like the phone calls to number 48......never got answered!

Sent you a PM.....maybe a bit like the phone calls to number 48......never got answered!

 

Well that's a hell of a memory you have Scal. I definitely had both those records even though they're both pretty different. I've PM'd ya back......

 

Ian  :D

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