Hi Everbody!

I have came to these forums after watching a documentary on NS and being blown away by the dancing and music, I am hoping to attend a NS night in Glasgow in the new year but was looking for some advise on getting some vinyl to listen to in the mean time. I am happy to spend a few quid on some as I already have a deck to play them on but really looking for some suggestions on where to start? Are there any artists or styles that are recommended for somebody just discovering Northern Soul?

Any suggestions would be appreciated. 

 

cheers

 

Gram

15 minutes ago, gramfin said:

Hi Everbody!

I have came to these forums after watching a documentary on NS and being blown away by the dancing and music, I am hoping to attend a NS night in Glasgow in the new year but was looking for some advise on getting some vinyl to listen to in the mean time. I am happy to spend a few quid on some as I already have a deck to play them on but really looking for some suggestions on where to start? Are there any artists or styles that are recommended for somebody just discovering Northern Soul?

Any suggestions would be appreciated. 

 

cheers

 

Gram

Get yersen on YouTube Gram - loads of stuff on there. My recommendation is modern and crossover - but many will shout me down!

 

 

If you want, I will put you a pack of 12 records together for 85 quid inc UK postage. I can't get more than that in one record mailer. I will pick out well known/classic northern records which you will like and will be in at least VG++ condition. The book price of the 12 records would be around £150, £10/£15 each, If you are not happy with the pack you can return it for a full refund.

Don't worry about being ripped off, the guys on here would take a very dim view, and since I sell records on here I would be shooting myself in the foot.

 

Edited December 6, 20168 yr by Kegsy

2 minutes ago, Kegsy said:

If you want, I will put you a pack of 12 records together for 85 quid inc UK postage. I can't get more than that in one record mailer. I will pick out well known/classic northern records which you will like and will be in at least VG++ condition. The book price of the 12 records would be around £150, £10/£15 each, If you are not happy with the pack you can return it for a full refund.

Don't worry about being ripped off, the guys on here would take a very dim view, and since I sell records on here I would shooting myself in the foot.

 

He would.

 

 

Hi, as Peter99 suggests, you can get thousands of samples on You-Tube. Alternatively, if you just want to listen to as many tracks as possible to determine your own preferred style, tempo etc., there are millions of dirt cheap CDs out there. That's where I gained most of my (still limited) knowledge in the 80s, and I still play them regularly.

BTW, welcome aboard. Like the rest of us, once you're hooked, you'll find there is no escape from northern soul, and its many shades and variations. It is the original life sentence, and we wouldn't change it for the world.

Edited December 6, 20168 yr by John Moffatt

21 minutes ago, Peter99 said:

Get yersen on YouTube Gram - loads of stuff on there. My recommendation is modern and crossover - but many will shout me down!

 

 

Bloody hell Pete that goes for nigh on a grand, I know the lad said he had a few quid but .............

Take your own journey mate.

Spotify or youtube is a good place to get started as they offer other tunes up to listen to. 

Try to avoid soul packs from major dealers they are usually a pile of shite. Better off getting bits from collectors as mentioned above - there are lots of lots on ebay that would serve you better where records can be bought for a few quid each. 

Des Parker Soul Inc on here does really good lists of all genres almost daily with very good tunes for mainly under a tenner. 

Maybe look at Grapevines 70s UK releases Black Magic too. Classics for a few quid on ebay. Worry about the originals side of it later but you can still get good tunes on original US pressing for a few quid if you look on uk ebay.

5 minutes ago, Kegsy said:

Bloody hell Pete that goes for nigh on a grand, I know the lad said he had a few quid but .............

It was just an example mate! A bit cruel maybe.

ITs an addiction

As already stated buy some CDs listen to youtube and then buy records you like , and steer clear of bootlegs because if you get the collecting bug you will only want to replace them with originals. 

3 hours ago, Peter99 said:

Get yersen on YouTube Gram - loads of stuff on there. My recommendation is modern and crossover - but many will shout me down!

 

 

Nice one, Lord Vader.

Hi, purely a matter of opinion but in mine you won't go wrong if you get the double-CD of the soundtrack to the film 'Northern Soul' you might get one with the DVD with it, imo it's up there with the best of compilations of NS (there are some pretty rubbish ones about) this one has a lot of the classic biggies that are very expensive to buy on vinyl and has some of the greatest records ever produced, some may disagree but not many I think.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Northern-Soul-The-Film-Soundtrack-Various-Artists-NEW-CD-/351180134890?hash=item51c3f799ea:g:WwgAAOSwDk5UJC2i

Have a look on utube there are a lot of peeps on the scene that load there collections & current All-nighter's try SAINT ACE Productions on utube or KIDDYSOULGIRL  GASMASKHEADHUNTER  BRICOMALIGNO  DICKCOOMBES  CHEWING TOOONS  KERITH LOUISA WILLIAMS CATTON ALL have different tastes in northern soul  I try them first then decide what you are into & that way its free so you waste hard earned cash on it .KEEP THE FAITH .

        SAINT ACE PRODUCTIONS   DJ I STACEY   NUNEATON ALLNIGHTERS

Welcome!!

Why don't you attend your soul night armed with a pen and paper and every record you like, ask someone what its called and make a note of it................ I guarantee you someone within 5 feet of you will know the name, artist, label, B side, producer, next door neighbour and inside leg measurement of the composer, you can take it from there regarding buying................

But whatever you do, just enjoy it!

xx

 lol could not be more right crazylegs

Edited December 6, 20168 yr by baz1
Missed

aww thanks everybody for your advice there is plenty to get going with when I get home from work tonight. Cannot believe the number of replies I have had in a matter of a few hours!

 

I think I will watch the elaine constantine film tonight and maybe get some tunes from that. 

 

:-)

Run Away !!!!!!! Take up knitting or anything ...save yourself !!!!!!!!......Too late ????? Oh well welcome aboard !!! Like the guys say on here you'll get honest advice on records including prices and which ones are the real deal etc etc . Don't wait til next year to go to a venue though .......you'll be sorry for all the nights you missed by then !!! Best wishes to you .

Good luck on your journey into this strange world called Northern Soul and Welcome. We all started somewhere. Mines that long ago that I have forgotten where and when but I wouldn't change it for the world. Its cost me houses, wives , women, sleepless nights, still does . Love it. Just enjoy your journey and be yourself

Steve

Ignorance is Bliss. Listen with YOUR ears, not someone else's.

 

Well-wishing and all that is good but as for advice...

Don't go buying any mega-bucks 45s until you know what you're buying, big-bucks records can be a minefield, lots of potential for getting ripped off!

I know sweet Felicity Arkwright but loads of people here who do.

Cheap CD's probably the best way to identify tunes on common labels. YouTube for listening to rarities that are harder to come by, and often impossible to buy. Usually a local soul night not too distant every weekend to hear classics and latest discoveries. Sellers on Soul Source are a great bunch to deal with but take care if buying on eBay. Still plenty to be found for entry-level collectors in the USA if you're planning a holiday... Grab what you can on US or U.K. releases and you'll be surprised what grows on you many years down the line.

My advise is to get out while you can. 

7 hours ago, FRANKIE CROCKER said:

Cheap CD's probably the best way to identify tunes on common labels. YouTube for listening to rarities that are harder to come by, and often impossible to buy. Usually a local soul night not too distant every weekend to hear classics and latest discoveries. Sellers on Soul Source are a great bunch to deal with but take care if buying on eBay. Still plenty to be found for entry-level collectors in the USA if you're planning a holiday... Grab what you can on US or U.K. releases and you'll be surprised what grows on you many years down the line.

Theres plenty of cheap bits on you tube in fact its rammed full of em!

Trust your heart and the rest will fall in place alternately if your ever in Spain look me up and you can have my collection for a fair price 

17 hours ago, gramfin said:

aww thanks everybody for your advice there is plenty to get going with when I get home from work tonight. Cannot believe the number of replies I have had in a matter of a few hours!

 

I think I will watch the elaine constantine film tonight and maybe get some tunes from that. 

 

:-)

Just a word of caution, that others have alluded to: when buying records be very careful of the rip-off merchants. More and more records, particularly the more expensive and illusive ones have been copied, often illegally, over the years. From very early a lot of out-and-out crooks have sold bootlegs as the real thing. Nowadays almost any record you care to name has come out on a reissue, often legally let me stress, but non-the-less not original copies. It's up to you what you decide to go for, of course, but if you are in any doubt seek advice, either on sites like this one, or from any knowledgeable DJ (you'll get to know who they are over time). I can recommend John Manship's book on Bootlegs, Counterfeits and Reissues. It has a lot of very useful detailed information. Hope this helps. Good luck.

4 hours ago, sheep said:

My advise is to get out while you can. 

With A battery operated tape recorder ?

19 hours ago, gramfin said:

aww thanks everybody for your advice there is plenty to get going with when I get home from work tonight. Cannot believe the number of replies I have had in a matter of a few hours!

 

I think I will watch the elaine constantine film tonight and maybe get some tunes from that. 

 

:-)

That film ain't much like today's scene IMO m8 !!!!! But I think I may be questioned on that  

On 12/6/2016 at 11:25, gramfin said:

Hi Everbody!

I have came to these forums after watching a documentary on NS and being blown away by the dancing and music, I am hoping to attend a NS night in Glasgow in the new year but was looking for some advise on getting some vinyl to listen to in the mean time. I am happy to spend a few quid on some as I already have a deck to play them on but really looking for some suggestions on where to start? Are there any artists or styles that are recommended for somebody just discovering Northern Soul?

Any suggestions would be appreciated. 

cheers

Gram

Grab some cheap CDs, best are Grapevine Northern Soul ones, should be out there for just  few quid a piece.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/100-HITS-NORTHERN-SOUL-100-TRACKS-5-CD-SET-NEW-SEALED-/142197623822?hash=item211ba38c0e:g:acEAAOSwu1VW3FFw

A good 3 CD boxset if you can find a second-hand one on ebay is Goldmines' The Cream of Northern Soul volume 1 1997, believe it's gone quite expensive nowadays but I have seen them on there, it's got some cracking tracks like Younghearts, Bobby Garrett, The Belles, The Furys, Jimmy soul Clarke etc just loads of massive oldies, my go-to CD for the car!

Tesco, Asda, Morrisons all do compilation cds ,usually 3 disc ones. try and get ones that say original versions / tracks on them as there are some shocking remixes.

dave

On 06/12/2016 at 10:25, gramfin said:

Hi Everbody!

I have came to these forums after watching a documentary on NS and being blown away by the dancing and music, I am hoping to attend a NS night in Glasgow in the new year but was looking for some advise on getting some vinyl to listen to in the mean time. I am happy to spend a few quid on some as I already have a deck to play them on but really looking for some suggestions on where to start? Are there any artists or styles that are recommended for somebody just discovering Northern Soul?

Any suggestions would be appreciated. 

 

cheers

 

Gram

Gram

Personally before you start parting with your hard earned pennies I'd join Mixcloud (free music streaming site) as there's loads of different types of northern on there.You can then find out what rocks your boat & that then will help when you dip your toe into the vinyl buying.

Sorry if this has already been suggested not had time to read the full thread.

Cheers

Martyn

Drill down into YouTube - you'll find vast numbers of tracks listed as Northern or streams of 'Northern Soul Classics' - that will give you a good opportunity to decide what you like and don't like... There's a very broad spectrum and one man's soulful gem is another's nightmare.

Collecting original vinyl is nowadays an extremely expensive pass time - and one where you can easily find yourself spending a lot on something that turns out to be fake. Unless you REALLY know your stuff, the only way to minimise the risk is to buy from a top notch dealer or touch nothing without checking Manships bootleg guide - but that adds a premium. Of course you may merely be interested in simply owning a track on vinyl and aren't to bothered if it's a bootleg or reissue - in which case you can pick up virtually anything nowadays on seven inch. Pete Smith is a good chap for buying records off and very reasonably priced in the scheme of things. There are A LOT of CD compilations around - the straight Northern compilations from the likes of Kent you can't really go wrong with.

(Though as something of a musical Nazi it's not really my cup of tea) A big venue like Stoke will certainly blow your socks off with a baptism of fire and will be worth the trip. You'll find mist local evening dos are fairly pedestrian musically - though that's not necessarily a bad thing starting out - just bear in mind that they are the tip of the iceberg musically and whilst you'll hear all the classics you'll love like The Precisions, DJs playing what to me is the really orgasmic stuff needs to be tracked down.

Welcome aboard

Dx

 

I started off collecting Kent compilation albums, many of which are now quite collectable in their own right. You can't really go wrong with "The Magic Touch", "Right Back Where We Started From", "For Dancers Only", "It's Torture", "Club Soul" etc etc 

 

There's plenty of "retro" nights in Glasgow which play northern soul. Many of them tend to mix it up with mod stuff, RnB, jazz, funk and ska - but most have a pretty friendly vibe...

9 hours ago, cover-up said:

I started off collecting Kent compilation albums, many of which are now quite collectable in their own right. You can't really go wrong with "The Magic Touch", "Right Back Where We Started From", "For Dancers Only", "It's Torture", "Club Soul" etc etc 

 

There's plenty of "retro" nights in Glasgow which play northern soul. Many of them tend to mix it up with mod stuff, RnB, jazz, funk and ska - but most have a pretty friendly vibe...

I seen a night at a place called The Rum Shack in Pollockshaws Road and wondered if that was worth going to. 

I also listened to a few things on youtube last night and really enjoyed a song called "Soul Time" that really stood out as the sort of thing I would like.

Thanks for all the suggestions guys it sounds like there are a lot of cheap ways of listening online to plenty of good northern soul so I will go down that route before buying any vinyl I think.

 

 

Shirley Ellis' 'Soul Time' is very much part of the '60s club soul' period - first played between about 66 and 71 (before anyone mentions that the Wheel opened in 63 - I'm talking about when 'the sound' developed) - look for you tube clips mentioning the Twisted Wheel and you'll find A LOT of this type of stuff (similarly Twisted Wheel compilations). Mitch Ryder 'Devil With A Blue Dress', Don Covay 'See Saw', The Sheep 'Hide and Seek', Virginia Wolves 'Stay', Brooks & Jerry 'I Got What It Takes', Showmen 'Our Love Will Grow' and "Take it Baby', Art Freeman 'Slipping Around', Wilson Pickett 'Three Time Loser' etc etc sound like things you're likely to enjoy.  You'll love the Twisted Wheel revivals in Manchester.

Dx

8 hours ago, DaveNPete said:

Shirley Ellis' 'Soul Time' is very much part of the '60s club soul' period - first played between about 66 and 71 (before anyone mentions that the Wheel opened in 63 - I'm talking about when 'the sound' developed) - look for you tube clips mentioning the Twisted Wheel and you'll find A LOT of this type of stuff (similarly Twisted Wheel compilations). Mitch Ryder 'Devil With A Blue Dress', Don Covay 'See Saw', The Sheep 'Hide and Seek', Virginia Wolves 'Stay', Brooks & Jerry 'I Got What It Takes', Showmen 'Our Love Will Grow' and "Take it Baby', Art Freeman 'Slipping Around', Wilson Pickett 'Three Time Loser' etc etc sound like things you're likely to enjoy.  You'll love the Twisted Wheel revivals in Manchester.

Dx

Hide and seek by the SHEEP, I like the sound of that.

1 hour ago, sheep said:

Hide and seek by the SHEEP, I like the sound of that.

It's a lovely soulful mid tempo floater... : ) Definitely makes Mitch Ryder sound like a shrinking violet.
 

 

Edited December 8, 20168 yr by DaveNPete

On 07/12/2016 at 16:07, hullsoul said:

Gram

Personally before you start parting with your hard earned pennies I'd join Mixcloud (free music streaming site) as there's loads of different types of northern on there.You can then find out what rocks your boat & that then will help when you dip your toe into the vinyl buying.

Sorry if this has already been suggested not had time to read the full thread.

Cheers

Martyn

Read ? come on Birdie your from Hull !!!!

13 minutes ago, kempy said:

Read ? come on Birdie your from Hull !!!!

Kempy

Rumbled by someone from...........Ull

Cheers

Martyn

1 hour ago, DaveNPete said:

It's a lovely soulful mid tempo floater... : ) Definitely makes Mitch Ryder sound like a shrinking violet.
 

 

That's the worst thing I've heard for ages. Good God, that's horrible.

That shit got played out? Who, when?

Pete

 

39 minutes ago, Peter99 said:

That's the worst thing I've heard for ages. Good God, that's horrible.

That shit got played out? Who, when?

Pete

 

Each to their own and all that one mans meat ,malarkey.  Pete

31 minutes ago, Spain pete said:

Each to their own and all that one mans meat ,malarkey.  Pete

No problem with each to their own Pete - but that's no soul record. I dont know how to describe it.

Who played it?

Agree with you Peter , That is absolute shite imho jeez

3 minutes ago, jimmy clitheroe said:

Agree with you Peter , That is absolute shite imho jeez

I can only compare it to something like Ernie the Milkman by Benny Hill. I think it's sraight into the the top five shittest records anyone has ever had the temerity to play as a soul record - and believe me I've heard some shit over the years. They must have been on some seriously good gear or alternatively had some serious mentalist issues. 

Pete

 

 

 , yeah it's right up there 

2 minutes ago, jimmy clitheroe said:

 , yeah it's right up there 

3 hours ago, DaveNPete said:

It's a lovely soulful mid tempo floater... : ) Definitely makes Mitch Ryder sound like a shrinking violet.
 

 

That's some cool Rockinbilly record, starts off with those two chords from Bill Haley then turns into 'Under the moon of love'...

Oh hang on is this soulsource? Thought I was in a different forum, but no, lot of Rockinbilly records these days are the new 'Northern soul', better stock up on e-cig batteries if this is what's now comin' through.

2 hours ago, hullsoul said:

Kempy

Rumbled by someone from...........Ull

Cheers

Martyn

Hoping your well,will be in the City of CULTURE in August if not before(culture in Hull ?,never thought i'd say that)

32 minutes ago, Peter99 said:

I can only compare it to something like Ernie the Milkman by Benny Hill. I think it's sraight into the the top five shittest records anyone has ever had the temerity to play as a soul record - and believe me I've heard some shit over the years. They must have been on some seriously good gear or alternatively had some serious mentalist issues. 

Pete

 

 

Nowt wrong with Ernie kept T. Rex's jeepster off  the U.K.s number 1 spot ! Snappy B side 2 !!

32 minutes ago, Peter99 said:

No problem with each to their own Pete - but that's no soul record. I dont know how to describe it.

Who played it?

Never ceases t amaze me how many times the lack of soul in so called northern soul records occurs is it because some people don't really understand soul music maybe they should go back to basics and start listening  to some commercial Motown ,the stuff we cut our teeth on  suppose Marvin's what's going on is out of the question

8 minutes ago, Spain pete said:

Never ceases t amaze me how many times the lack of soul in so called northern soul records occurs is it because some people don't really understand soul music maybe they should go back to basics and start listening  to some commercial Motown ,the stuff we cut our teeth on  suppose Marvin's what's going on is out of the question

Yep, I guess you must be right. I dont really understand soul music. However, anyone who thinks that the record by The Sheep is Northern Soul, yet alone real soul, obviously understands less than me - and, honestly, I know fcuk all about anything. So that says something about you. 

Pete

Edited December 8, 20168 yr by Peter99