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

 

 

 

 

 

But why would it Quinvy? The European "scene" (if there is such a thing) was in large part kick started by the mod revival late 70s / early 80s and has attracted new blood ever since. It didn't have the heavy baggage of legacy of Twisted Wheel-Torch - Wigan Oldies v Newies etc.

 

Just people having a great time. It can be done y'know

Like I said, if mixing up all those musical genres in one room is what does it for you then good luck to you. It just doesn't do it for me, and never has. 

 

The OP asked the question is there a future for northern soul? Well for me there isn't. Were as for you there obviously is.

 

This question is far from unique to northern soul is it? You only have to look at other musical genres to realise that they are all re recording the same old material over and over again. 

 

DOOMED, WE'RE ALL DOOMED I TELL YOU. 

I'm confused i don't know who i agree with ;)most likely jocko chalky and Pete smith????????. Anyway the weekend is upon us go forth and enjoy yourselves (its later than you think)

 

Easy....it has to be soul and dance music....sorry thought that was obvious......

 Thats the whole bloody point steve........a lot of it might be soul......but dance music it ain,t....bin to many doos with this policy....and i,m sorry they,ve left me cold because the music is not for dancing...more like "chilling" music...everyone sat about on poor quality leather sofas, tapping their feet to some record that at best is cheery at worse is durge and they all seem to last about 8 minutes then every now and then they throw in a proper passable dance tune......these venues seem to be like a room full of people in suspended animation lol.....no edge,no vibe and not bubbling.......just folk drifting here and there.

 

Most working mens clubs are not quality venues, they are sh*t holes. With upholstery 40/50 years old, torn and riddled with fleas. They might have been ok years ago but times change and people want a decent venue to spend their nights out. The only reason working mens clubs are used is because so called promoters putting on an event so they can Dj and get it for free. Promoters should invest in a venue and invest in their customers, not take them for granted.

 whats bidds done to upset you lol smiley

 

I now have a short list of places not to go too :)and DJs to avoid. Thanks atb toad

 l now have a long list of places not to go and djs to avoid. thanks atb tezza

Like I said, if mixing up all those musical genres in one room is what does it for you then good luck to you. It just doesn't do it for me, and never has. 

 

The OP asked the question is there a future for northern soul? Well for me there isn't. Were as for you there obviously is.

 

 

Fair enough.....I have always been more of a collector at heart....as happy in me armchair as in a venue to be honest.....but always wanting to hear something new, fresh and exciting whenever I go out. I am certainly not wedded to the "I have to go to a club with a holdall and chewing gum and be part of a "scene" malarky - not since I was 18 really.

 

I was talking about the rare soul scene as well...often a different ethos to "northern soul" which comes with baggage and is psychologically damaged as a brand through too many years of abuse.

 

 Thats the whole bloody point steve........a lot of it might be soul......but dance music it ain,t....bin to many doos with this policy....and i,m sorry they,ve left me cold because the music is not for dancing...more like "chilling" music...everyone sat about on poor quality leather sofas, tapping their feet to some record that at best is cheery at worse is durge and they all seem to last about 8 minutes then every now and then they throw in a proper passable dance tune......these venues seem to be like a room full of people in suspended animation lol.....no edge,no vibe and not bubbling.......just folk drifting here and there.

Buzzin in Barcelona mate - very few seats in the venue - maybe that's part of the answer - put armchairs and sofas out and people will sit down - you should get over there. Great atmosphere.

Good D.J's  with the  right tunes can mix Northern,funk edged,a little bit of latin,soulful R&B crossover and a touch of modern

 in on a night and it works perfect for me.

I do prefer a majority being 60's early 70 soul and funk edged but a mix is better over the whole night.

Uptempo Northern all night with no variation  is boring.

But it's got to be aimed at the dancers.

Edited December 13, 201311 yr by bri phill

Fair enough.....I have always been more of a collector at heart....as happy in me armchair as in a venue to be honest.....but always wanting to hear something new, fresh and exciting whenever I go out. I am certainly not wedded to the "I have to go to a club with a holdall and chewing gum and be part of a "scene" malarky - not since I was 18 really.

 

I was talking about the rare soul scene as well...often a different ethos to "northern soul" which comes with baggage and is psychologically damaged as a brand through too many years of abuse.

That's interesting, cause i felt the same way......Until recently !, I spent a good part of the last 20 years going to Rare, underplayed, & Crossover nights, all over the country, but recently i got the bug back for the classics, & all of a sudden the music as such energy, even my old legs want to get up + dance. Couldn't imagine myself right now sat in a small room listening to some D.J playing stuff that he/she believes other people in the room want to here. Strange how times change.

whats bidds done to upset you lol smiley

Bidds gone all posh

 

Buzzin in Barcelona mate - very few seats in the venue - maybe that's part of the answer - put armchairs and sofas out and people will sit down - you should get over there. Great atmosphere.

 poverty prevents us lol

So the answer really is.......it,ll morph into something unrecognisable to us more mature soul fans...and if we went out to some strange doo in the sky or europe....we might say to one another as ricky allen is played......."ooh l remember this". "what is it?"

So the answer really is.......it,ll morph into something unrecognisable to us more mature soul fans...and if we went out to some strange doo in the sky or europe....we might say to one another as ricky allen is played......."ooh l remember this". "what is it?"

I would say funky edged soulful R&B top tune or are you talking about the Age release.probably get played tonight at the black bee

Edited December 13, 201311 yr by bri phill

 

I would say funky edged soulful R&B top tune or are you talking about the Age release.probably get played tonight at the black bee

 the future of norman soul.......rickey allen however is to good to be played in europe......they'd prefere......gangster boy.....and therein lay the difference

Thats the whole bloody point steve........a lot of it might be soul......but dance music it ain,t....bin to many doos with this policy....and i,m sorry they,ve left me cold because the music is not for dancing...more like "chilling" music...everyone sat about on poor quality leather sofas, tapping their feet to some record that at best is cheery at worse is durge and they all seem to last about 8 minutes then every now and then they throw in a proper passable dance tune......these venues seem to be like a room full of people in suspended animation lol.....no edge,no vibe and not bubbling.......just folk drifting here and there.

I've been to plenty as well, sat there bored shitless with everyone else pretending it's great. Eventually someone will play a half decent record, but because of all the crap you've been bombarded with, this record now sounds like the best record you have ever heard. Next day you buy it, then when it comes and you play it at home and...................it's just a half decent record.

Edited December 13, 201311 yr by Quinvy

Gangsta Boy good tune but a bit too slow for me when I'm out.I don't want to sit about either.

Ricky Allen get's played in Europe and I wouldn't call it northern.

Anyway I'm off to a christmas do and then a bit of Funk tinged soul mixed with ….

Edited December 13, 201311 yr by bri phill

Good D.J's  with the  right tunes can mix Northern,funk edged,a little bit of latin,soulful R&B crossover and a touch of modern

 in on a night and it works perfect for me.

I do prefer a majority being 60's early 70 soul and funk edged but a mix is better over the whole night.

Uptempo Northern all night with no variation  is boring.

But it's got to be aimed at the dancers.

It doesn't matter how good the Dj is Brian, if you don't like funk edged, Latin, crossover and modern it's irrelevant.

I"M not mad keen on modern but a small amount and the same with crossover and latin is O.k. in a night, but I know what you mean Phil.

So the answer really is.......it,ll morph into something unrecognisable to us more mature soul fans...and if we went out to some strange doo in the sky or europe....we might say to one another as ricky allen is played......."ooh l remember this". "what is it?"

 

Ricky Allen,bit of an oldie isn't it.? Remember it well.

I  only heard it about 7 years ago at the pow wow that make it a newie to me

the future of norman soul.......rickey allen however is to good to be played in europe......they'd prefere......gangster boy.....and therein lay the difference

Ricky Allen the future which one of your mates is playing this?

Edited December 13, 201311 yr by chalky

I  only heard it about 7 years ago at the pow wow that make it a newie to me

 

The Age version.?

The people who want there to be a future will make it happen no doubt. But the way you describe the European scene has nothing to do with what made me get "into it." You are welcome to the scene if that's the future.

 

Keep the faith my arse. 

I'm a regular in Germany and i do like my uptempo northern soul.............not necessarily oldies.They are both different scenes.If anything the Europeans take their cue from the 100 club/Stafford and the funk scenes.Very passionate  collectors and deejays...and they don't talk.The only fancy dress is the mod look or rockabilly look.They seem to like  the midtempo,crossover  and black vocal harmony.I was at Hamburg and enjoyed it and i was at Stoke last Saturday and enjoyed it after 2am...some deejays starting to play some underplayed stuff.I won't be complaining if the big northern venues go this way.European scene  and northern scene....they both play soul music but different styles. 

Agree.  There is also a limitation on the quantity of quality venues taht are still around.  As more and more Working Mens Clubs, the backbone of the Northern Soul Scene, are closed and demolished then it loses its impetus.  Sterile environments such as Sports Halls do not lend themselves too well to the seedy backdrop of the traditional NS venues. Northern Soul Music has no future because it is a music of the past, the scene itself - different animal.  The original question is does it have a future.  With people infering that we need to listen to the Modern Artists etc then it is obvious what the answer will be, or am I being blinkered ?

It appears, like most things in Britain these days, people are being led by Europe and its influence. Lets try to keep at least one thing British. Northern Soul - Northern England not Northern Europe.

I like to think the Europeans have taken the better elements of the ' British Northern Soul Scene' and left the entrails, graveyard attitudes, god awful circus clown outfits at our shore, and today their own scene flourishes, and they move on and up and could rightly care less about the chronic bed wetting geriatrics of the United Kingdom .

Meanwhile "Happy" by Pharrell Williams jumps an astonishing 24 places on the UK mid-week charts from No.30 to No.6 in one of the toughest charts of the year. Could be top 5 by Monday and a potential Christmas No.1 if carries on at this rate.

Now wouldn't we all feel better if "Happy" hits No.1 instead of another X Factor yawn fest or that tasteless Susan Boyle/Elvis Presley duet?

Ian D

Meanwhile "Happy" by Pharrell Williams jumps an astonishing 24 places on the UK mid-week charts from No.30 to No.6 in one of the toughest charts of the year. Could be top 5 by Monday and a potential Christmas No.1 if carries on at this rate.

Now wouldn't we all feel better if "Happy" hits No.1 instead of another X Factor yawn fest or that tasteless Susan Boyle/Elvis Presley duet?

Ian D

Nope   

 

Bazza  

Nope   

 

Bazza  

 

Bah humbug....

 

Ian D 

 

Ricky Allen,bit of an oldie isn't it.? Remember it well.

 it,s just an example ffk sake lol

“Hey kids! Come and try this exciting Music Scene, ‘yule’ love it!”……….”Ok, we’ll give it a go Len!”……….

 

(After the Soul event).......

 

……..”So Kids?!”……..”Well, we ‘digged’ the music, and recon we could really get into that, but what spoilt it for us was the belligerent old men that moaned all evening, why can’t they just go out and have a good time with their mates?”……….”Yeh, you have a point”……

 

HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE.....and enjoy, wherever ya go!   

 

All the best,

 

Len