A History and Geography of Northern Soul from the late 1990s

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Looks interesting thanks for this. I remember Eddie Hubbard talking about a person (or perhaps couple of people) doing an academic piece about Northern Soul and asking people to contribute. Maybe it was this? Anyway, got it bookmarked now.

Interesting how each aspect of why 'the Northern Soul scene is what it is' gets the microscope treatment, and its more predictable due to circumstance than unique due to the product.

Somehow spoils the concept that it was just a series of unintentional coincidences that brought it all together!

I'm sure they are right, and I am wrong, but I prefer my theory.

KTF

Ed

Mr. Searling and myself gave a lecture on northern at the Manchester Metro University back in the early 1990's. The audience did go rather pale when Richard jokingly proposed a dance contest! Anyway I did have a transcript of this, including the tunes played to illustrate the development of the scene, but I let some middle class t**t have it for his Phd...and of course never got it back.

dean

Cracking read, thankyou!

Interesting points about DJs I'm sure they will love being referred to as 'intellectuals'...

Interesting reference to 'Rust belt cities' too, not heard that one before!

ps: you'll have to speed read it as the free book view runs out fairly quickly!

a bit too much like hard work reading that

Wow. Reading that took me back to my studies in the 90ts for my HR degree! I really like the comparison drawn to an almost religious experience.  Possession whilst dancing, clubs as shrines, records as relics, travelling to clubs as a pilgrimage. 

I also liked the reference to the north sticking with rare soul, when the south was fickle and liked to change musical trends.

An excellent read, if as said, a bit heavy in places, but very accurate, which hasn't always been the case on our scene. 

To be honest, as an academic paper (if that's what it's aim is) I found it pretty poor. It's full of supposition. Nothing is clearly explained. The intro section on "music sub-culture", which should provide the basis of what's to come, is vague and rambling. For example, the authors talk about "music subculture" yet there's no real definition of what they mean. No clear examples.  This leads to problems from the start: For example "music sub-culture" suddenly becomes "youth sub-culture". The two are not the same thing,

In fact to give a real critique would take a long time. Almost every paragraph yields something that is contentious.

On ‎08‎/‎11‎/‎2016 at 11:03, dean jj said:

Mr. Searling and myself gave a lecture on northern at the Manchester Metro University back in the early 1990's. The audience did go rather pale when Richard jokingly proposed a dance contest! Anyway I did have a transcript of this, including the tunes played to illustrate the development of the scene, but I let some middle class t**t have it for his Phd...and of course never got it back.

dean

Dean

Wasn't it reproduced in Shades of Soul by DP ? I remember re-reading it a couple of years back.

Maybe someone can scan it for all to view.

Well Derick is an international man of mystery but my addled brain seems to think that was a separate project for Shades...in The Britons Protection for those who know your Manchester pubs.

dean