just been reading the article of Otis I wouldn't dispute his rights to greatest soul artist, but northern that's a different matter, who do you think the greatest is? I'm throwing my hat in the ring with a pretty obvious choice- Jackie Wilson, he doesn't have many rare tunes for sure, but in terms of shear volume he's gotta be top 5.

If this question included groups then masqueraders.

Patti Austin for me !

Love her range of beat ballads to full on uptempo dancers 

Sheer Class 

2 hours ago, dylan said:

If this question included groups then masqueraders.

yeah groups included Dylan, good call the masqueraders, excuse my ignorance but was there just one group of that name in the 6ts?

35 minutes ago, The Tempest said:

Patti Austin for me !

Love her range of beat ballads to full on uptempo dancers 

Sheer Class 

ofte taken for granted, ace voice.

17 minutes ago, geeselad said:

yeah groups included Dylan, good call the masqueraders, excuse my ignorance but was there just one group of that name in the 6ts?

Only one that i am aware of ? But there may have been others.

 

Group misspelt on "its the same thing" 45.

55 minutes ago, The Tempest said:

Patti Austin for me !

Love her range of beat ballads to full on uptempo dancers 

Sheer Class 

"Cant forget the one i love" is a relly nice cheap 70s by her i've always liked.  It doesnt look like its on that CD.

Got to be Major Lance!

3 hours ago, geeselad said:

just been reading the article of Otis I wouldn't dispute his rights to greatest soul artist, but northern that's a different matter, who do you think the greatest is? I'm throwing my hat in the ring with a pretty obvious choice- Jackie Wilson, he doesn't have many rare tunes for sure, but in terms of shear volume he's gotta be top 5.

Weirdly i was asking myself the same question on the walk home last night and first thought was Jackie Wilson as well!  

Don't forget the Motor City.

Temptations / Four Tops / Supremes / Contours / Brenda Holloway / Velvelettes / Marvelettes / Vandellas / Marvin / Tammi / Kim ... and many, MANY more all recorded an uncountable quantity of top quality "Northern" recordings, both released and unreleased.

Cheers
Mick

Did I mention Barbara McNair, or Stevie Wonder, or Jimmy Ruffin, or Chuck Jackson, or . . .

Major Lance for me.

2 hours ago, bbrich said:

Weirdly i was asking myself the same question on the walk home last night and first thought was Jackie Wilson as well!  

nice CD

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Uptown-Upnorth-Jackie-Wilson/dp/B00000JSU6/ref=sr_1_18?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1508950585&sr=1-18&keywords=jackie+wilson+cd

Barbara lynn, virtually every record is superb.

Rob

 

Chuck Jackson gets my vote. 

Gene Chandler and Edwin Starr are up there with the best of them, but as been said very difficult to pick just one Artist/Group with all the greats that have given us this wonderful music.    

Gene Chandler for me

Sadly the greatest would not be the richest...as most Northern 'qualified ' tunes would have bombed.. Hence why so many went back to day jobs after a brief recording career.

Edwin Starr at least made a kind of living from it, performed it most often, and My weakness is you and Agent double 00 soul are in my top 10..

Ed

Frank beverly for me, but hes probably not everyones cup of Tea !

If that's what you wanted & because of my heart are right up there 

jnr walker and the allstars

 

lawrence

7 hours ago, Mick Holdsworth said:

Don't forget the Motor City.

Temptations / Four Tops / Supremes / Contours / Brenda Holloway / Velvelettes / Marvelettes / Vandellas / Marvin / Tammi / Kim ... and many, MANY more all recorded an uncountable quantity of top quality "Northern" recordings, both released and unreleased.

Cheers
Mick

Did I mention Barbara McNair, or Stevie Wonder, or Jimmy Ruffin, or Chuck Jackson, or . . .

in terms of output its hard to beat many of the artists from the Motown stable

from the west coast gotta add Jackie lee as a worthy of top ten.

One of my favourite groups from when I first heard Baby Do The Philly Dog, The Olympics. I love the lyrics of many of the songs, Particularly I'll Do A little Bit More, Secret Agents, Same Old Thing.

 

Paul

Depends how you defy northern soul . ? Curtis Mayfield would be my choice based on influence for other artists some already mentioned previously. 🎶🎶

Major Lance or Jackie Wilson or Edwin Starr.....  ooooh..... it's a three-way dead heat for me!

 

16 hours ago, tomangoes said:

Sadly the greatest would not be the richest...as most Northern 'qualified ' tunes would have bombed.. Hence why so many went back to day jobs after a brief recording career.

Edwin Starr at least made a kind of living from it, performed it most often, and My weakness is you and Agent double 00 soul are in my top 10..

Ed

Edwin = good shout not forgetting 'i have faith in you' my fav of his (what price if there were only a dozen or so copies?)

Bettye Swann - The Money singles - all killer! Most self-penned.

THE DELLS top group always like there releases and i couldn't begin to start to list all there records but 2 of my personal favorites are "make sure" and "your song" awesome group only wish id got to see them perform  

Much to many to mention, So many So good, to hard a question to me anyway to give a safe and solid answer

ML

4 hours ago, SoulStu said:

Bettye Swann - The Money singles - all killer! Most self-penned.

Another under rated artist

Jackie wilson 👍

Most of the artists mentioned have had hit records both here and abroad - for a true Northern Soul great - Lorraine Chandler has to be up there !!

8 hours ago, rhino said:

THE DELLS top group always like there releases and i couldn't begin to start to list all there records but 2 of my personal favorites are "make sure" and "your song" awesome group only wish id got to see them perform  

"Make Sure" what a record, the best fiver you'll ever spend.

6 hours ago, epic said:

Most of the artists mentioned have had hit records both here and abroad - for a true Northern Soul great - Lorraine Chandler has to be up there !!

get your point, true as in never hit commercial success, but that's a whole other thread daddyo.

Billy Butler and the Artistics have got to be up there somewhere.

Dx

On ‎25‎/‎10‎/‎2017 at 14:16, The Tempest said:

Patti Austin for me !

Love her range of beat ballads to full on uptempo dancers 

Sheer Class 

One of the great soul singers. Loads of fantastic material after the 60s

Roy's beginning to Panic,

he's not had a mention yet on this here thread!      

 

As mentioned it is so difficult to come up with a greatest NS artist and there are some pretty strong candidates suggested already. Given that I can only have the one "greatest" I would go for Smokey/Miracles. Not immediately identifiable as a NS artist as in the Major Lance / Lorraine Chandler mould but he did make, and wrote, some outstanding tracks that were played on the scene. Apart from that, his works are the ones I always go back to when I start getting a bit bored with the NS stuff.

 

I can't personally name my number 1 but Jackie Wilson has always been my favourite solo male singer :-) Thinking back? I didn't get into the Northern Music until 1986...introduced to me by my ex...let's just say he was brave enough to sing the likes of Len Barry...1-2-3  from his bedrooom window...we both lived in the same enclosed court...we got talking and then he played 'Paris Blues - Tony Middleton - Paris Blues (hairs stood up on the back of my neck)...Jimmy Radcliffe - Long after tonight is all over, and a strange song which at the time I thought kinda sounded like Miss Piggy  but it turned out to be Donnie Elbert LOL 

Edited October 28, 20177 yr by Venus

9 hours ago, Venus said:

I can't personally name my number 1 but Jackie Wilson has always been my favourite solo male singer :-) Thinking back? I didn't get into the Northern Music until 1986...introduced to me by my ex...let's just say he was brave enough to sing the likes of Len Barry...1-2-3  from his bedrooom window...we both lived in the same enclosed court...we got talking and then he played 'Paris Blues - Tony Middleton - Paris Blues (hairs stood up on the back of my neck)...Jimmy Radcliffe - Long after tonight is all over, and a strange song which at the time I thought kinda sounded like Miss Piggy  but it turned out to be Donnie Elbert LOL 

Dornie Elbert, and would get my worst soul singer of all time vote, and he awful

Dells or Artistics...take ya pick...close the thread lol 

Cleveland Robinson for me love the echo in his voice

Boy, Love Is A Trap, Mr Wishing Well, Francine, They Say, Work Song; he's another self penned artist!

singer/writer/producer/label owner

Kirsty

Edited October 28, 20177 yr by Gold Band
update

I agree with lots of the artists mentioned, really hard to pick just one ( The dells might be my suggestion) but i'm really surprised that nobody has mentioned my 2nd choice Bobby Womack.

6 hours ago, gogs said:

I agree with lots of the artists mentioned, really hard to pick just one ( The dells might be my suggestion) but i'm really surprised that nobody has mentioned my 2nd choice Bobby Womack.

I was going to mention Bobby Womack honest I was Gogs, but I've been stuck out on a boat.    

 

Bobby womack is fantastic one of my favourite artists.

Well done for putting that right and getting him on here.

On 10/25/2017 at 15:13, dylan said:

"Cant forget the one i love" is a relly nice cheap 70s by her i've always liked.  It doesnt look like its on that CD.

It was on Columbia, this CD is her Coral stuff.

2 hours ago, davetay said:

It was on Columbia, this CD is her Coral stuff.

Off course it is my mistake.

 

i checked the track list but never looked a title of compilation before commenting.

 

still its a good one to check out wither way.

4 minutes ago, dylan said:

Off course it is my mistake.

 

i checked the track list but never looked a title of compilation before commenting.

 

still its a good one to check out wither way.

Yeah it's a great CD, all her releases on the label and two unreleased as well. 

She did some nice stuff on Columbia and other labels, maybe someone will do another compilation one day.

Edwin Starr everyday. Time , Way over there, Back street , 25 miles. The list goes on. Fantastic.

Hugh.

 I really would go To The Ends Of The Earth if someone would mention our Tony on this here Soul Source Thread!       

  Little Anthony & The Imperials worth a mention for this track alone.