Is it me? or do the southerners have a different take on northern soul?

I travel around quite a bit but apart from Crossfire, Stewartby, and The St Ives reunion etc ,  a lot of the clubs south of Watford seem to have a different take on Northern Soul.

 

For me The Kings hall, Grosvenor rooms and the likes of Nuneaton are different class?

 

Maybe I am just getting old but they at least put together sets and atmosphere as close as it was back in the day.

 

Opinions?

 

Yes - less fancy dress and less classic oldies!

Stubbsy isn't that a profile picture of you in fancy dress?

Kirsty (From Up Norf)

35 minutes ago, Gold Band said:

Stubbsy isn't that a profile picture of you in fancy dress?

Kirsty (From Up Norf)

 No Kirsty, that's me at Soul In The City (London venue) circa 2003!

Stubbsy (From Up Norf, but now down Sarf)

That's why its called Northern Soul.  southern soul wtf

Steve.

 

1 hour ago, PeteSi said:

Is it me? or do the southerners have a different take on northern soul?

I travel around quite a bit but apart from Crossfire, Stewartby, and The St Ives reunion etc ,  a lot of the clubs south of Watford seem to have a different take on Northern Soul.

 

For me The Kings hall, Grosvenor rooms and the likes of Nuneaton are different class?

 

Maybe I am just getting old but they at least put together sets and atmosphere as close as it was back in the day.

 

Opinions?

 

I'd say the sets at the venues you name are very different to back in the day.

Where's clubs like the 100 Club stick to the ethos we all grew up - newly discovered records, a few selected oldies and reactivated underplayed.  

 

 

Edited November 13, 20168 yr by Byrney

As a couple that relocated from the North-west to Cornwall at the turn of the century, yes there is a marked difference in what we get to what we got back home. The oldies are the Yate sort of sounds rather than the Wigan/Torch/Wheel sounds. Other than that it's a lot of RnB stuff that wouldn't have got many plays at somewhere like Keele or Blackburn post-Wigan.

Actual Northern soul records are pretty rarely played, it's not that DJs are avoiding overplayed oldies, they are not overplayed here, the folks who've been around for years tend to go for the Yate sort of sound as I say, Dean Carr is our main top 500 oldies DJ, he was one of the Cheltenham contingent who as well as Yate they did attend Wigan back pretty often back in the day, along with Tony Perrott who is drawing quite a following with his nights where he plays mostly Northern stuff, he is from Wolverhampton originally and an 80ts Keele regular which explains it.

Not moaning mind, my lass and I enjoy the dos down 'ere and although I don't know hardly any of the music played, me being a big fan of Wigan/Torch/Wheel sounds, my lass knows all the sounds being as she attended Yate herself as well as Wigan and most other venues.

There is definitely a regional variation here but the scene down 'ere is healthy with a good number of dos on, not all of which are advertised on SS.

Most discerning DJ's nowadays  play a more eclectic set of records no matter where they play up north or down sarf  times have completely changed thank god in my opinion

There are forward thinking clubs up and down the country. Boomerang in Doncaster, Mick's backroom at Quality Of Soul in Nottingham, Inner City Soul, Dave's Spirit in Stoke. And of course the 100 Club in London. 

 

Similarly, there are classic, more traditional soul clubs, from Land's End to John o'Groats. 

I try try not to think in terms of 'Northern Soul' anymore. It's such a hackneyed and obsolete term that covers so many genres that it has effectively rendered itself useless. The Mecca smashed any preconceptions of what Northern Soul should be, followed by Stafford and the 100 Club with Ian Clarke playing new releases in the 80's. 

 

Lets all just listen to quality soul shall we? Irrespective of where we listen to it.  

23 minutes ago, mattbolton said:

There are forward thinking clubs up and down the country. Boomerang in Doncaster, Mick's backroom at Quality Of Soul in Nottingham, Inner City Soul, Dave's Spirit in Stoke. And of course the 100 Club in London. 

 

Similarly, there are classic, more traditional soul clubs, from Land's End to John o'Groats. 

I try try not to think in terms of 'Northern Soul' anymore. It's such a hackneyed and obsolete term that covers so many genres that it has effectively rendered itself useless. The Mecca smashed any preconceptions of what Northern Soul should be, followed by Stafford and the 100 Club with Ian Clarke playing new releases in the 80's. 

 

Lets all just listen to quality soul shall we? Irrespective of where we listen to it.  

I live near Lands end, if you can direct me to a traditional classic soul club between here and Bristol that'd be nice.  

I think generally with the scene moving on from what are now considered the overplayed oldies, the scene has become 'The soul scene' pretty much all over, the old 100mph phet driven Northern Soul scene has evolved nowadays I think, perhaps not at the 'nostalgia events' but I haven't been to one so can't say.

But if you're talking about Wheel/Torch/Wigan oldies nights then no, there's nothing like that 'ere! 

Also it's not that we are anti-newies, if like my lass, you went to every event up and down the country from mid-70s Wigan, Mecca, Locarno, Newton Aycliffe, Stafford, Yate, 100 Club, Blackburn, Mexboro, Morecombe etc etc there isn't much around that she hasn't heard already wherever we go.

I know what people mean, lot of folks got tired of the oldies whereas I never will...what's that old saying? 'The old ones are the best'. Purely an opinion of course.

We are enjoying events so that's all that matters, but to us Northern does mean the 100mph oldies more than anything.

Edited November 14, 20168 yr by BabyBoyAndMyLass
grammar

10 hours ago, BabyBoyAndMyLass said:

I live near Lands end, if you can direct me to a traditional classic soul club between here and Bristol that'd be nice.  

I think generally with the scene moving on from what are now considered the overplayed oldies, the scene has become 'The soul scene' pretty much all over, the old 100mph phet driven Northern Soul scene has evolved nowadays I think, perhaps not at the 'nostalgia events' but I haven't been to one so can't say.

But if you're talking about Wheel/Torch/Wigan oldies nights then no, there's nothing like that 'ere! 

Also it's not that we are anti-newies, if like my lass, you went to every event up and down the country from mid-70s Wigan, Mecca, Locarno, Newton Aycliffe, Stafford, Yate, 100 Club, Blackburn, Mexboro, Morecombe etc etc there isn't much around that she hasn't heard already wherever we go.

I know what people mean, lot of folks got tired of the oldies whereas I never will...what's that old saying? 'The old ones are the best'. Purely an opinion of course.

We are enjoying events so that's all that matters, but to us Northern does mean the 100mph oldies more than anything.

Varied opinions and all valid , so I guess it all depends on the era you come from ....As for me (71 t 79 Torch , Wigan and the likes)  I`m  with you Baby boy Northern soul is 100 mph and hard hitting no southern slop, Latino, Rumba  etc . Yes that may have its place along with the oh so slow Rnb stuff and okay to listen to for a breather between the belters but , it aint Northern and never will be

 

23 minutes ago, PeteSi said:

Varied opinions and all valid , so I guess it all depends on the era you come from ....As for me (71 t 79 Torch , Wigan and the likes)  I`m  with you Baby boy Northern soul is 100 mph and hard hitting no southern slop, Latino, Rumba  etc . Yes that may have its place along with the oh so slow Rnb stuff and okay to listen to for a breather between the belters but , it aint Northern and never will be

 

But what about those who attended multi eras? I was around late 70s, 80s, most of the 90s - 2000 etc etc and many like me stuck around to see the changes all the way through. Northern to me used to be 100 mile an hour but by the mid 80s the Northern Soul repertoire had grown and developed with many seeing a clasic oldie like Buddy Smith to be as much as a Northern Soul record as Dean Parish.

When people limit the scene to their single era they miss the true bigger picture.

5 minutes ago, Byrney said:

But what about those who attended multi eras? I was around late 70s, 80s, most of the 90s - 2000 etc etc and many like me stuck around to see the changes all the way through. Northern to me used to be 100 mile an hour but by the mid 80s the Northern Soul repertoire had grown and developed with many seeing a clasic oldie like Buddy Smith to be as much as a Northern Soul record as Dean Parish.

When people limit the scene to their single era they miss the true bigger picture.

Very true and again a valid point , I do see the big picture but I think it possibly isn`t my take on the art.

The scene has changed and moved on /developed and perhaps that's a good thing.

I would think that anyone attending or playing at a do every weekend may get bored of the same classics week after week but us once a month punters just love em and there in lies the problem for most

1 hour ago, PeteSi said:

Varied opinions and all valid , so I guess it all depends on the era you come from ....As for me (71 t 79 Torch , Wigan and the likes)  I`m  with you Baby boy Northern soul is 100 mph and hard hitting no southern slop, Latino, Rumba  etc . Yes that may have its place along with the oh so slow Rnb stuff and okay to listen to for a breather between the belters but , it aint Northern and never will be

 

From your timeline 71 - 79, it says it all really, so need need for me to comment further, those that know, know.....a bit like it used to be & a bit like some of the clubs that still keep to the original ethos of striving to deliver quality underplayed sounds.....not complaining about the venues you prefer tho, keeps the divs out the proper clubs ;-)

If Joining the scene in 1971 and leaving to do other stuff in 1979 classes me as one of the "Divs" so be it , a Div I am, never thought of it like that but again it would seem to depend on what era you first get the bug and  again when you return and what you expect it to be like 33  years on .

Enjoy your rare and underplayed scene

 

I'm not so sure it's about 'eras' 'timelines' or anything like that. I think the question, looked at again is more about a regional variation in tastes in Soul.

When we lived oop north we used to go down to the 100 club a few times and the music there was very different to what we were used to. We enjoyed the sounds, just that they were different, I don't think it was about oldies and newies, slowies or fasties, just different, still good but different.

Here in the South west things are very much the more RnB end of the scale.

I think the Samba, Rhumba and other Latin stuff has come in all over in recent years. I think the Northern soul scene of the 7ts and 8ts morphed into something else, the Soul scene! It's still good.

All that driving around in bent cars and robbing chemists on the way died out and changed into what we have now.

I think nowadays the Northern soul event billing can be interpreted as 'A soul do along the lines of/in the style of the old soul events that used to happen in the north of England but musically not a re-run of the Casino Torch etc...' Think that about covers it!

I think the term Northern Soul now describes an ethos rather than a specific set of records!

Hope that all makes sense, I can't seem to articulate what I mean any better than that so it'll have to do.  

 

4 hours ago, PeteSi said:

If Joining the scene in 1971 and leaving to do other stuff in 1979 classes me as one of the "Divs" so be it , a Div I am, never thought of it like that but again it would seem to depend on what era you first get the bug and  again when you return and what you expect it to be like 33  years on .

Enjoy your rare and underplayed scene

 

The point is, that the oldies that you listen to were once Rare & Underplayed....on the whole, what happened ???.....anyway, I actually enjoy a mix of Soul Music, which would hopefully include Rare & Underplayed, intelligent oldies, that havnt been smashed to death, so that records you once loved make you groan, Modern, Xover, a touch of funk maybe & up to & including contemporary new releases which have the X factor......mmmmmm pretty much how it it used to be & for me personally, all on the one dance floor, mixed by intelligent DJ's into the same set.......OMG......that sounds a bit like what Richard Searling was doing in 1979, surely not.......... & as others have mentioned, after a 33 year break, what did you expect ???.....

Edited November 14, 20168 yr by Russ Vickers

What is Northern Soul ???.......all NS has ever been every where, is a record that a DJ plays & has become popular on the scene, that encompasses & always has, a multitude of genres, tempos & styles, that have covered new releases from each era the scene has been going....your abscence just means that you have 33 years worth of newies to catch up on....

Rhumba and Samba? I must be getting behind the times.

Rumba and Samba?

The scene is more Rheumatism & Sanatogen nowadays. ?

49 minutes ago, Supercorsa said:

 

The scene is more Rheumatism & Sanatogen nowadays. ?

Still pints of mild to wash down the bombers up north

Steve

8 hours ago, PeteSi said:

Varied opinions and all valid , so I guess it all depends on the era you come from ....As for me (71 t 79 Torch , Wigan and the likes)  I`m  with you Baby boy Northern soul is 100 mph and hard hitting no southern slop, Latino, Rumba  etc . Yes that may have its place along with the oh so slow Rnb stuff and okay to listen to for a breather between the belters but , it aint Northern and never will be

 

100 mile an hour is generally shit. Obviously in my opinion. 

Ah Bombers and purple hearts !

Not for me thanks ,I`ll pass on them and the new sounds  to catch up on I`ll just work hard at keeping fit  And....... buy a car instead of nicking it to get home in .

How its all changed. LoL

9 hours ago, ady croasdell said:

Rhumba and Samba? I must be getting behind the times.

lol  ... although  Ginger & Fred could easily have danced the rhumba to Bobby Bland ... 

 

FFS - that is a soul / R&B record, not a northern record. Would be surprised if you heard it in a NS club.

12 minutes ago, Steve G said:

FFS - that is a soul / R&B record, not a northern record. Would be surprised if you heard it in a NS club.

Wasn't Bobby Bland's "Call On Me"  one of the most popular of all Wheel sounds ?

14 hours ago, ady croasdell said:

Rhumba and Samba? I must be getting behind the times.

Yeh catch up Ady 

Len 

47 minutes ago, Steve G said:

FFS - that is a soul / R&B record, not a northern record. Would be surprised if you heard it in a NS club.

I'm constantly surprised (disturbed) at NS clubs 

Len 

Well, I'm from East Anglia (Norfolk), so which category do I fit in? A kind of inbetweener I guess. For me, it's all about keeping an open mind, and I prefer to judge a record by it's soul content these days. I still love to dance to uptempo 60s but cringe at some of that awful pop drivel that was thankfully dropped in the 80s but has reared it's ugly head again with this so called "revival."  

Rugby on Saturday - Pat Bleasdale and Alan Jenkins. 2 DJS at different ends of the spectrum, but both playing sets of amazing soul records, Alan with his super rare 60s stonkers and Pat's big crossover/modern 45s. Sheer class!!

Mark C

And taking into account the 'other' room at Rugby, pretty much a perfect Nighter mix ish for me......

I would love a penny for every mile I have travelled both up & down the country over the years, the only difference I see really between North & South these days is the proliferance of 'oldies' only events, theyre in virtually every town & city & TBH many arnt up to scratch.... I dont particularly dislike these events, they dont really affect me, generally theyre not the type of event that I really class as being part of the scene, more a nostalgic social.....altho I think there are some better 'oldies' type Nighters popping up that are ft a more 'open' approach to oldies, as opposed to the thrashed to death variety.  I have much more of an open mind towards such events, but still prefer an eclectic mix of oldies n newies n rarities.

PeteSi....just enjoy what ya doin' & take no notice of grumpy gits like me lol....

Russ

22 hours ago, ady croasdell said:

Rhumba and Samba? I must be getting behind the times.

Ady, you're definitely behind the times. That was the previous 100 club  Niter info you posted...

3 hours ago, Russ Vickers said:

And taking into account the 'other' room at Rugby, pretty much a perfect Nighter mix ish for me......

I would love a penny for every mile I have travelled both up & down the country over the years, the only difference I see really between North & South these days is the proliferance of 'oldies' only events, theyre in virtually every town & city & TBH many arnt up to scratch.... I dont particularly dislike these events, they dont really affect me, generally theyre not the type of event that I really class as being part of the scene, more a nostalgic social.....altho I think there are some better 'oldies' type Nighters popping up that are ft a more 'open' approach to oldies, as opposed to the thrashed to death variety.  I have much more of an open mind towards such events, but still prefer an eclectic mix of oldies n newies n rarities.

PeteSi....just enjoy what ya doin' & take no notice of grumpy gits like me lol....

Russ

Will do and... all the best on your quest to keep it fresh.

And as a twist to this tale generally two of  my fav and  best dance sets at the Kings H are played by Andy Dyson and Mick Heffernan so I guess quality and class is just that, no matter how you wrap and title it

10 hours ago, sunnysoul said:

Wasn't Bobby Bland's "Call On Me"  one of the most popular of all Wheel sounds ?

Yeah, but would you hear it at a northern night now? Possibly I guess as there is such diversity. 

10 hours ago, sunnysoul said:

Wasn't Bobby Bland's "Call On Me"  one of the most popular of all Wheel sounds ?

Really?

Didn't know that.

Got it on that Duke label in a box of 45s the other week, put it with Tommy Navarro and 7th Avenue Aviators in a stack of records in my garage, use them to level up a Lister stationary engine trolley that has a wheel missing only trouble is when the engine's running the rocking smashes the records... Shame.

On 11/15/2016 at 08:41, Steve G said:

FFS - that is a soul / R&B record, not a northern record. Would be surprised if you heard it in a NS club.

Ner-ner, ner-ner, run for it lads the soul Sweeny Todd are coming and they've got us bang to rights.  Cor lummie whoever played that Bobby Bland ding-dong at a 'norven Jack Palance dahn the smoke had it coming and no mistake, 'e must be  'avin a giraffe ? Hope the old Barnaby Rudge slings 'im in the Flowery Dell dahn the Soul bucket and pail..........Evening all