I'm a producer and DJ for a community radio station, WERA-FM, in Arlington, Virginia, USA. I'm planning a November show featuring music from Manchester bands and musicians.

If I understand it correctly, Northern Soul is a music and dance movement centered largely around underrepresented (non-mainstream) US soul music. However, I'm guessing there was also some great Northern Soul music coming from Manchester bands. For my show, I'd like to include a 4 song set of Northern Soul from Manchester bands.

Any recommendations for Northern Soul music from Manchester Bands?

While I have you, any recommendations for great music other than Northern Soul from Manchester bands or musicians? Below is the start of the show's playlist

Thanks very much!

David/

Producer/DJ - The Eclectic Lounge, WERA-FM 96.7

 

1 Dreadlock Holiday 4:23 Sunny Summer Top 100 10 CC

2 The Shining 5:21 The Hour Of The Bewilderbeast Badly Drawn Boy

3 What Do I Get 2:56 Singles Going Steady Buzzcocks

4 Crank 3:46 Before Adam And Eve [EP] Catherine Wheel

5 Lately 4:14 Life In Slow Motion David Gray

6 There Goes The Fear 6:56 The Last Broadcast Doves

7 Step On 5:18 Pills `n` Thrills And Bellyac Happy Mondays

8 Dragging Me Down 4:34 Revenge Of The Goldfish Inspiral Carpets

9 Sit Down 4:05 The Best Of James James

10 Disorder 3:31 Unknown Pleasures Joy Division

11 Shot By Both Sides 4:01 No Thanks! - The '70s Punk Rebel… Magazine

12 Show Me 3:58 Pop Is… Mint Royale, Mint Royale with Pos…

13 First Of The Gang To Die 3:39 You Are the Quarry Morrissey

14 Bizarre Love Triangle 3:52 The Best of New Order New Order

15 Don't Look Back In Anger 4:49 Stop The Clocks Oasis

16 Holding Back The Years 4:29 Greatest Hits Simply Red

17 Panic 2:21 The Very Best Of The Smiths The Smiths

18 Four to The Floor 3:51 Top Gear Anthems 2008 Starsailor

19 Fools Gold 4:19 The Stone Roses The Stone Roses

20 Weirdo 3:44 Forever. The Singles The Charlatans

21 Bingo Master 2:25 No Thanks! - The '70s Punk Rebel… The Fall

22 Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dre… 3:15 A Year in Your Life: 1972, Vol. 1 The Hollies

23 Bitter Sweet Symphony 5:58 Bravo Hits 18 [Disc 2] The Verve

24 The Promise 3:40 Napoleon Dynamite When In Rome

25 Coronation Street Theme 2:08 Coronation Street - Magical Memo… Ronnie Hunt

The only British bands currently/recently playing 'Northern Soul' are show bands/fans playing covers - there's is very very little 'proper' Northern that was not recorded in the US. Most of the tracks that were recorded/played are by black americans recording in the UK, often ex-GIs doing the lead vocals in front of British bands; their tracks are CERTAINLY not stuff that's representative of the 'Northern Soul' as a whole, especially not currently... Looking at your play list, a real Northern Soul track would sound VERY out of place indeed I'm afraid.

Dx

Edited October 19, 20168 yr by DaveNPete

There used to be a Manchester based band that played cover versions of Motown, Stax  tunes etc  called Stax of Soul. Don't know if they're around anymore.

Steve

A couple of covers of "Northern Soul Classics" spring to mind:-

"There's a ghost in my house" The Fall.  The video was filmed in my local boozer.

"The Night" - Intastella  a cover of the Frankie Valli Casino favourite.

Going way back there's always the Manchester's Playboys "I feel so good" and of course the works of Wayne Fontana: "It was easier to hurt her", "Come on home", "Something keeps calling me back", "Give me just a little more time".

Regards Alan

Hi Dave,  I have a lot to do with the running of the  Manchester Soul Festival held on the last weekend in Aug. We have plenty of bands performing and I can give you numbers etc, my own band The Casino Allstars are what I consider a Northern Soul band and have performed over the years with Soul Artists from the US.  You can check us out on www.casinoallstars.co.uk or on FB, for info on other bands email me on kidd22@live.co.uk cheers Paul

'The Clouds' certainly not soul!) - early 90's material :-

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Clouds_(Manchester_band)

https://myspace.com/themanchesterclouds

Simon Moss did some drums for me, for my Bandtraxs/'Make Five' releases a few years ago, more like east coast 70's US soul/disco:- 

'Make Five'- alternate version

 

 

 

There are no bands performing heir own material that can be considered "Northern Soul".  There is no such genre anyway, Northern Soul is the scene.  As said there are bands doing covers of old US soul tracks, many that are played on the Northern Soul scene but they have little relevance on the mainstream scene itself.